Who's gonna win the Trawick?

Here are the Trawick Prize Short Listed artists...

Lauren Adams - Baltimore, MD

Selin Balci - Annapolis, MD

Travis Childers - Fairfax, VA

Adam Hager - Washington, D.C.

Mariah Anne Johnson - Washington, D.C.

Gary Kachadourian - Baltimore, MD

Kate Kretz - Colesville, MD

This year is a tough call, made tougher by the fact that the Trawick has progressively become more competitive each year; congrats to all the artists!

My favorite artist in this lot, and by far the one with the most exposure, experience and artistic DNA is Kate Kretz (remember when one of her paintings achieved worldwide attention a few years ago?).

Kretz should win this prize, and if she was picked by whoever was the "big mouth" (BM) from among the three jurors, then she will win. If I was one of this jurors, because I am a big mouth myself, then Kretz would definitely win.

But the fact that there are a couple (or three actually) of artists with very similar artistic interests in this lot, it seems to indicate to me that the BM was the "chooser" of those two and her own artistic agenda pushes more that way - if I'm correct, then Kretz was backed by the only artist in the panel.... who possibly also backed Mariah Anne Johnson.

UMD graduate Selin Balci's fascinating work gives me the impression of making her a  "juror's artist" (check out her CV here and see how many high profile juried shows have selected her amazing work recently) and I'm gonna predict that she wins this prize.

The show is at Gallery B (the former Fraser Gallery space in Bethesda) and I am told that the prize announcement will be September 16 - the show runs through Sept. 28.

The fourth piece for the Women Artists of the DMV show

Kate Kretz is fearless.

How do I know that? I don't know it based on actual evidence, but once you explore this talented artist's ventures into so many diverse art planets in the universe of the fine arts, it is easy to arrive at that conclusion.

For all I know she may be terrified by red ants, or spiders, or whatever, but she is not afraid to put her brush, or sewing needle, or whatever art weapon is at hand to deliver some of the most extraordinary political and social commentaries being created today by a fine artist anywhere in the world.

Not just the DMV, but the world.

Behold "Gunlicker I", oil and acrylics on Gatorboard.

"Gunlicker I" by Kate Kretz, Acrylic and Oil on Gatorboard
c. 2015 20x16 inches (oval)

Gopnikosities

I really, really try to stay away from constantly poking fun at the Washington Post's erudite Chief Art Critic, Blake Gopnik's curiously academic and outdated views on contemporary art, which are still somehow stuck somewhere in the 1960s - I think - but the man is a never-ending source of astounding agendart verbosity.

So here's the latest:

According to this AP story a "North Carolina artist intrigued by the public obsession with celebrity has found herself feeding that obsession with a painting of actress Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary hovering over a Wal-Mart check-out line.

Kate Kretz has painted for 20 years but none of her previous work has garnered the attention given 'Blessed Art Thou,' showing this weekend at Art Miami, an annual exposition of modern and contemporary art."

And so, this WaPo blogger asked Blake Gopnik for his opinion on the painting, and the Gopnikmeister delivered this brilliant Gopnikism:

"Kate Kretz's painting comes closer to magazine illustration than to the subtle fine art you'd expect to see in a major museum of contemporary art. It gets its messages across, alright. It presents Angelina Jolie as our nation's Madonna of Consumption. In a glory of siliconed breasts, collagened lips and foreign-adopted cherubs, Angelina reigns over Wal-Mart's banality -- its all-American brands, its all-American flag, it's all-American obesity. The problem with the picture, art-wise, is that its messages are way TOO clear. It's more like a puzzle-picture than a probing work of art: Once you've deciphered it, there's not much chance of giving it a second look. Its van-art technique, especially, is so generic that it hardly has a thing to say that hasn't been said a thousand times before -- often, much better. The crucial question, in our busy age: Why spend time with this work, when a 500-word Op Ed would do a better job expressing its opinions, and any number of Old Master paintings would mean more to an art-loving eye."

Let me decipher this a-la-Bailey; Gopnik is affirming that:

1. "Real" art must be subtle in order to be of museum quality.

2. "Real" art should never be TOO clear in its message (otherwise who'd need critics to interpret it for us?).

3. "Real" art should "say" something, but not too clearly, and that something shouldn't have been said too many times before.

4. Old Master paintings, because they're done by dead Old Masters, can say something in a heavy-handed way, and really clearly, but that's OK, because they're Old Masters and not some new painter who's clearly never gotten the memo that painting is dead.

The Phillips Collection and the DMV

As most artists in the DMV know by now, the Phillips Collection’s call for area artists to submit artwork for Inside Outside, Upside Down, a juried invitational show (currently on view through September 12), where the museum invited artists of the Greater Washington area to submit recent artwork that “addresses the unprecedented events of the past year” was and is the talk of the visual arts community for the last few weeks.

The call was part of the museum’s 100th anniversary celebration, and according to the Phillips' news release continues “founder Duncan Phillips‘s commitment to present, acquire, and promote the work of local artists.”

About 1,300 works of art ranging from paintings, to sculptures, videos, drawings, etc. were submitted for review, and about seventy works were chosen by the jurors, Elsa Smithgall (Senior Curator, The Phillips Collection), Renée Stout (DC artist and guest curator of the exhibition), Phil Hutinet (publisher of the local news art source East City Art), and Abigail McEwan (Associate Professor of Latin American Art at the University of Maryland). 

I am proud and honored to have been one of the chosen artists – Muchas thank yous to the jurors!

Several of the DMV area blue chip artists were selected, including megablue chip artists like Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Kate Kretz, Judith Peck, and others – all with immense artistic pedigree, huge exhibition histories and a proven and deep international presence.

A lot of new artists – at least new to me – were also chosen, which is always a great sign of a well-curated exhibition; kudos to the jurors for the internal mental amplitude to select work based on visual impression rather than recognizing a name or presence.

What caught my eye - other than the many great works in the show, was this:

“After an extraordinarily difficult year that has shaken the world, we feel it is important to join with our entire region to celebrate human resiliency, and especially the strength of artists and the arts,” said Vradenburg Director and CEO Dorothy Kosinski. “Duncan Phillips hosted this type of exhibition annually from 1935 to 1950, and we are proud to continue this tradition to support our talented community.”

Shall I repeat that?

“Duncan Phillips hosted this type of exhibition annually from 1935 to 1950, and we are proud to continue this tradition to support our talented community.”

Wait... whaaaat? 

Why did the Phillips stop? OK - I don't care --- what I do care about and what I hope the Phillips will do, is to re-start that initiative so that  Inside Outside, Upside Down, is not a 2021 anomaly, but the first of annual local area shows like Duncan Phillips organized for 15 years!

The ball is on your court Phillips!

The showcased artists below - and see the digital catalog of the show here.

Cathy Abramson

Simone Agoussoye

Maremi Andreozzi

Carol Antezana

Desmond Beach

Julia Bloom

Michael Booker

Kimberly Brammer

Nikki Brugnoli

Florencio Campello a.k.a. Lenny

Carlos Carmonamedina

Sandra Chen Weinstein

Peter Cizmadia

Wesley Clark

Dominick Cocozza

Robin Croft

Sora DeVore

Sarah Dolan

Mike Dowley

Nekisha Durrett

Tae Edell

Bria Edwards

Kate Fleming

Chawky Frenn

Amelia Hankin

Michael Hantman

Leslie Holt

Michael Janis

Jane Kell

Jean Jinho Kim

Katherine Knight

Ara Koh

Kokayi 

Gary Kret

Kate Kretz

Catherine Levinson

Kirsty Little

Kim Llerena

Aaron Maier-Carretero

Timothy Makepeace

David Mordini

Barbara Muth

Werllayne Nunes  

Zsudayka Nzinga

Jennifer O’Connell

John Pan

Judith Peck

Shedrick Pelt

Kristina Penhoet

Marta Pérez García

Lydia Peters

Junko Pinkowski

Dominick Rabrun

Mojdeh Rezaeipour

Marie Ringwald

Janathel Shaw

Joseph Shetler

Nicolas F. Shi

Tim Tate

Julio Valdez

Jessica Valoris

Ian White

Richard L. Williams Jr. 

Colin Winterbottom

The Sustainable Clothed Body: Embroidery on Garments For Mending & Embellishment

Tuesdays, February 6 – 27
6:30 – 9:00 pm, American University Museum

Join all kinds of creative kindred spirits for a new class at the Alper Initiative for Washington Art: The Sustainable Clothed Body: Embroidery on Garments For Mending & Embellishment.

The super-talented artist Kate Kretz teaches clothing embroidery and embellishment on Tuesday evenings in the Alper Space. Cost is $200 for the 4-week class. Materials are provided.

Registration and more information online: www.tinyurl.com/AUMtix

You can find Kate Kretz's amazing artwork at katekretz.com 

Jerry Cullum on Kretz's Jollie Painting

Curator and Senior Editor of Art Papers Jerry Cullum adds some insight into the issue of the Kate Kretz painting of Jollie as the Virgin Mary. Read it here.

This week's update for the Women Artists of the DMV show

Here's another updated list of the DMV area female artists who have agreed to participate so far in the 2025 "Women Artists of the DMV" survey show! 

Loads more to come as I await confirmations! I am also still having trouble reaching some artists that I'd like to invite to the show... so far my emails have either been suffering from spam folderitis or just being ghosted... 

I am also somewhat surprised how difficult it is to find some artists' contact information... and soooooo.... if anyone knows the following artists, please tell them to email me: 

Marian Van Landingham, Iona Rozeal Brown (now known as Rozeal), Lillian Burwell, Danni Dawson, Zoë Charlton, Sylvia Snowden, Margo Humphrey, Hadieh Shafie, etc.

Before I forget: If I've invited you to the show and you've agreed to participate, but you're not listed below, please email me (lennycampello@hotmail.com) and let me know... or if I've misspelled your name :-) 

And the "in the show" list so far...

Shiri Achu 

Maremi Andreozzi 

Erin Antognoli

Sondra N. Arkin

Michele Banks 

Marilyn Banner 

Suzi Balamaci 

Kate Barfield 

Jennifer Barlow 

Denée Barr 

Holly Bass

Jennifer Lynn Beaudet 

Julia Bloom 

Lori Boocks 

Margaret Boozer 

Laurie Breen

Lisa Brotman 

Dianne Bugash 

Shante Bullock

Melissa Burley 

Judy Byron 

Rachel Carren 

Elizabeth Casqueiro 

Mei Mei Chang

Anne Cherubim

Shanthi Chandrasekar 

Hsin-Hsi Chen 

Irene Clouthier 

Amanda Coelho

Ellen Cornett 

Kathy Cornwell

Rosemary Feit Covey 

Sheila Crider 

Andrea Cybyk 

Jenny Freestone 

Andrea Cullins 

Joan Danziger 

Anna U. Davis 

Jenny Davis 

Tanya Davis 

Patricia de Poel Wilberg

Wendy Donahoe

Margaret Dowell

Mary Early 

Bria Edwards

Cheryl Edwards

Dana Ellyn 

Hyunsuk Erickson 

Cynthia Farrell Johnson 

Felisa Federman Cogut 

Cianne Fragione

Helen Frederick 

Genie Ghim 

Susan Goldman

Carol Brown Goldberg 

Margery Goldberg

Janis Goodman 

Freya Grand 

Graciela Granek 

Josephine Haden 

Debra Halprin 

Elyse Harrison

Muriel Hasbun 

Rania Hassan 

Mira Hecht 

Francie Hester 

Ellen Hill 

Leslie Holt

Michal Hunter 

Melissa Ichiuji 

Selena Jackson 

Martha Jackson Jarvis  

Barbara Januszkiewicz 

M. Jane Johnson 

Jessica Kallista 

Jenny Kanzler

Maria Karametou

Lori Katz 

Sally Kauffman

Zofie King 

Kate Kretz 

Bridget Sue Lambert

Susan LaMont 

Linda Lawler 

Ngoc Le

Kyujin Lee 

Harriet Lesser 

Shelley Lowenstein 

Carol Levin 

Taina Litwak 

Dalya Luttwak 

Kara Lin 

June Linowitz 

Shelley Lowenstein

Laurel Lukaszewski 

Caroline MacKinnon

Akemi Maegawa 

Susan Makara

Joey Mánlapaz 

Katherine Mann

Isabel Manalo

Anne Marchand 

Isabella Martire 

Lucinda Marshall 

Amy Marx 

J.J. McCracken

Donna McCullough 

Anne Meagher-Cook  

Maggie Michael 

Marily Mojica 

Michele Montalbano 

E.J. Montgomery

Sharon Moody 

Ally Morgan 

Camille Mosley-Pasley 

Jody Mussoff

Georgia Nassikas 

Leslie Nolan

Teresa Oaxaca 

Claudia Olivos 

Helena O'Neill Gallego 

Erica Orgen 

Marian Osher 

Betsy Packard 

Dora Patin

Judith Peck 

Monica Perdomo

Sandra Pérez-Ramos 

Patricia Edwine Poku-Speight

Susana Raab 

Marie Ringwald 

Amber Robles-Gordon 

Alla Rogers 

Roxana Rojas 

Christine Ryan 

Nancy Sausser 

Karen Schmitz 

Lian Sever 

Susan Shalowitz 

Janathel Shaw 

Gail Shaw-Clemons 

Elzbieta Sikorska 

Alexandra Silverthorne 

Judy Southerland 

Molly Springfield 

Pritha Srinivasan

Renee Stout 

Zsudayka Nzinga Terrel 

Patricia Underwood

Andrea Way 

Ellyn Weiss 

Joyce Wellman 

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard

Sharon Wolpoff 

Shawn Yancy

Suzanne Yurdin

Helen Zughaib

Update on Women Artists of the DMV survey show

Update on the Women Artists of the DMV survey show: 

1. We are up to 15 venues, and working on a 16th! Over 400 artists selected so far! Know of an exhibition venue who may be interested? Email me!

2. The deadline to apply is waaaaay past! But, I keep receiving emails and guess what? If/when I find out someone who doesn't live in the DMV - then I replace!

3. Please pass the word to any and all DMV female artists whom you may know!

4. If you know any politicians, businesses,  or anyone willing to sponsor a prize, please contact me directly! I can use some help with this!

5. All details here: https://dcartnews.blogspot.com/2025/01/women-artists-of-dmv-all-that-you-need.html 

6. In my interpretation of their email to me, the Smithsonian Institution believes that female artists should be segregated in women only museums - read this and help!

The artists selected so far are listed below -- if you have emailed me, and I have not responded with a YES or NO, please email me again.  If I have responded and said YES, and you're name is not on the list below, please email me!

Abramson Cathy

Achu Shiri

Alexander Pixie

Alfieri Nicole

Altman Evie

Alzona Esperanza

Andreozzi Maremi

Antognoli Erin

Applequist Courtney

Arkin Sondra

Armstrong Sharon

Autenrieth Patricia

Azzariti Jennifer

Babich Nadya

Baca Patricia

Baker Caroline

Balamaci Suzi

Banks Michele

Banner Marilyn

Barbieri Ann

Bardin Sara 

Barfield Kate

Barker-Barzel Veronica

Barlow Jennifer

Barnes Victoria

Barnes Anne

Barr Tara

Barr Denée

Barsha Carol

Bass Holly

Battle Lisa

Beaudet Jennifer Lynn

Benderson Judith

Bentley Sarah

Birch Karin

Bishop Jennifer

Blankstein Lucy

Bledsoe Virginia

Blom Liliane

Bloom Julia

Boccella Bagin Carolyn

Bohlander Kristin

Bonds Prudence

Boocks Lori

Boozer Margaret

Borchert Vian

Bouie Anne

Brabant Jill

Bramante Kate

Brandt Claire

Breen Laurie

Brito Maria

Brotman Lisa

Brown Goldberg Carol

Bruce Amy

Buck Patricia

Bugash Dianne

Bullock Shante

Burley Melissa

Burrowes Adjoa

Button Linda

Byron Judy

Calamuci Anne

Calisti Denise

Calvin Stephane

Campbell Susan

Canuteson Sue

Carren Rachel

Casqueiro Elizabeth

Chan Amity

Chandrasekar Shanthi

Chang Mei Mei

Chen Hsin-His

Cherubim Anne

Clouthier Irene

Coelho Amanda

Coffey Elizabeth

Collier Bonnie

Cooper Cabe Diane

Cornett Ellen

Cornwell Kathy

Craigie-Marshall Lea

Crider Sheila

Crocetta Jacqui

Cullins Andrea

Curren Beth

Cybyk Andrea

Dames Sabrina

Danzinger Joan

Daryl KayLee

Dastur Delna

Davis Jenny

Davis Tanya

Davis Anna U.

Davison Elizabeth

Dawson Danni

Day Catherine

de Poel Wilberg Patricia

Dekel Limor

Demovidova Anna

Deninno Kristine

Dorantes Marcela Olivia

Dowell Margaret

Droblyen Jen

Durrett Nekisha

Early Mary

Eder Susan

Edwards Cheryl

Edwards Bria

Ellyn Dana

Elsner Rita

Erickson Hyunsuk

Ernst Sarah

Fakes LoGerfo Randa

Farley Ann

Farrell Johnson Cynthia

Federman Cogut Felisa

Feit Covey Rosemary

Ferrier Jodi

Finsen Jill

Fishel Sharon

Flanders Sheila

Fleming Kate

Folkenberg Judy

Fragione Cianne

Frank Barbara

Frank Mary Anella

Frederick Helen

Freestone Jenny

Fussner Emily

Gallegos O'Neill Helena

Gauthiez-Charpentier Marie

Geffem Roxana

Ghim Genie

Gibson-Hunter Claudia (Aziza)

Giganti Kate

Glatfelter Julia

Goldberg Margery

Goldman Susan

Goodman Judy

Goodman Janis

Goslee Patricia

Grand Freya

Granek Graciela

Greenberg Judith

Haden Josephine

Halprin Debra

Hamblett Beatrice

Harrison Elyse

Hasbun Muriel

Hashem Seemeen

Hassan Rania

Hayes Jennifer

Hecht Mira

Hehlen Alexandra

Helowicz Christina

Herman Michelle

Hester Francie

Hickson Dorothy

Hill Lisa

Hill Ellen

Hipschen Pattee

Hirons Jean

Hitchcock Sara

Hokkanen Mirka

Holt Leslie

Horrom Marilyn

Hostetler Susan

Hoysted Jackie

Hull Sarah

Hunter Michal

Ichiuji Melissa

Ilchi Hedieh

Jackson Selena

Jackson Selena

Jackson Jarvis Martha

Jakobsberg    Pauline

Januszkiewicz Barbara

Jarzynski Teresa

Jenkins Carmen

Johnson M. Jane

Jolles Ronni 

Jones Donahoe Wendy

Joyce Sousa

Kallista Jessica

Kanzler Jenny

Karametou Maria

Katalkina Anna

Katz Lori

Kauffman Sally

Kent Trish

King Kristina

King Megan

King Zofie

Klein P D

Klein Lillian

Kouyoumdjian Camille

Kretz Kate

Lago Arthur Suzanne

Lambert Bridget Sue

LaMont Susan

Lawler Linda

Lay Lauren

Le Ngoc

Lee Jun

Lee Kyujin

Leibman Sara 

Lescault Liz

Lesser Harriet

Levin Carol

Lillis Jennifer

Lin Kara

Lin Amy

Linowitz June

Liotta Barbara

Little Kirsty

Litwak Taina

Longbottom Estrada Hannah

Lowenstein Shelley

Lozner Ruth

Lukaszewski Laurel

Luttwak Dalya

MacKinnon Caroline

Maegawa Akemi

Maher Megan

Makara Susan

Malakoff Julia

Manalo Isabel

Mánlapaz Joey

Mann Katherine

Mansuino Michela

Marchand Anne

Marcus Jai

Marshall Lucinda

Marshall BJ

Marshall Wright Carolyn

Martire Isabella

Marx Amy

Massaro Sheryl

Matthews Sarah

Mayorga Carolina

Maza Borkland Elena

McAleer-Keeler Kerry

McCracken J.J.

McCrocklin Sophia

McCullough Donna

McFall Becky

McGrath Dale

McLean Marla

Meagher-Cook Anne

Mercedes Doriane

Michael Maggie

Miele Regina

Militaru Ramona

Milton Monica

Mojica Marily 

Montalbano Michele

Montgomery E.J.

Moody Sharon

Morgan Ally

Morris Meredith

Moser Lida

Mosley-Pasley Camille

Moumin Adrianne

Mueller Lindsay

Mussoff Jody

Mychajluk Delia

Naguib Heidi

Nassikas Georgia

Nelson Katherine

Neway Cheryl

Newmyer Carol

Niehuss Juliette

Niland Rounds Lori

Noble Sarah

Nolan Leslie

Nzinga Terrel  Zsudayka

Oaxaca Teresa

Offen Ronnie

Okropiridze Tea

Older Susan

Olivos Claudia

Olson Martha

Orgen Erica

Osher Marian

Packard Betsy

Parker Nicole

Parker Peggy

Paszkiewicz Cécile

Patin Dora

Peck Judith

Penhoet Kristina

Perdomo Monica

Pérez-Ramos Sandra

Perlman Gura Amy

Pham Anne

Picot Shelley

Ping Shen Pearl

Pinner Robin

Pocen Naan

Poku-Speight Patricia Edwine

Pollan Annette

Pollock Maryanne

Posey Kelly

Prince Sabiyha

Prinsloo Yolanda

Raab Susana

Raedeke Erin

Ravenal Rebecca

Ravenscroft Heather

Rebhan Gail

Reed Felicia

Reed Carol

Renteria Cindy K.

Ress Beverly

RG Ariana

Riccio Marie

Riley Leslie

Ringwald Marie

Rivarde Cindy

Robles-Gordon Amber

Rodman Sarah

Rogers Alla

Rogers Carolyn

Rojas Roxanna

Rosenstein Lisa K.

Rothschild Gayle

Rubin Leah

Rubin Carol

Ryan Christine

Sandell Renee

Sargent Madeleine

Satterlee Catherine

Sausele-Knodt Jeanie

Sausser Nancy

Schaefer Ann

Schindler Meghan

Schmitz Karen

Schwartzberg  Deanna

Segal Adi

Seifert Jan

Sestakova Martina

Sever Lian

Shah Swetah

Shalowitz Susan

Shaw Janathel

Shaw-Clemons Gail

Shelford April

Shelford April

Shows Gloria

Sigethy Alison

Sikorska Elzbieta

Silverthorne Alexandra

Sinel Ellen

Siple Pauline

Sircar Kannika

Slezak Alexandra

Slottow Joan

Smalls Yemonja

Smith Rhonda

Sousa Joyce

Southerland Judy

Springfield Molly

Srinivasan Pritha

Staiger Marsha

Stockton Eve

Stout Renee

Svat Terry

Swenson Dagmar

Szalus Veronica

Tanglewood Sue

Tanno Eleanor

Tasel Ozlem

Theberge Valerie

Thompson Kat

Thorpe Kim

Thorpe Kim

Tooley Jo Ann

Trow Pamela Joy

Underwood Patricia

Uskievitch Christine

Valk Tinam

Van Brakle Jessica

VanderMolen Neway Cheryl

Vasquez Gloria

Vera Rosa Ines

Vess Claudia

Vidales Marite

Viola Pamela

Volkova Elena

Walsh Anastasia

Walsh Lori

Walton Jenny

Warren Gobar Sandra

Way Andrea

Weiss Ellyn

Welch Higgins Mary

Wellman Joyce

Wilkerson Tracy

Wolf-Hubbard Marcie

Wolpoff Sharon

Wood Helen

Wrbican Sue

Yamaguchi Yuriko

Yancy Shawn

Yang Hana

Yurdin Suzanne

Zealand Alex 

Zeller Paula

Ziselberger Barbara

Zughaib Helen

Go to this opening tomorrow!

"Suddenly, She Wasn't Afraid Any Longer"
Charcoal and Conte on Provided Clay Vessel
2014 by F. Lennox Campello

Opening April 4, 2014, the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery will host the return of Alchemical Vessels with an opening reception from 7-9 PM. Above is the image for the vessel that I've created and donated for this effort... Last year my piece went really early (first 10 or so)... just sayin'... cough, cough.

Alchemical Vessels brings together 125 local artists and 20 invited curators for a community dialogue on healing and transformation through the arts. Each artist will transform a simple ceramic bowl by means of his or her own personal aesthetic and medium, drawing inspiration from the bowl as a place of holding, open community, sacred space, and even the alchemical vessel. The show is an amazing grouping of Who's Who in the DMV art scene.

The ceramic bowl was selected as the fundamental element of the exhibition to symbolize creating a space where healing can take place—an idea at the heart of Smith Center's work and mission. Metaphorically speaking, Smith Center—the space and the work we do within our walls—resembles an alchemical vessel. People bring their everyday burdens, fears, and pains to us, and in this place of holding, we help transform those toxic elements into hope, light, wisdom and strength.

The Alchemical Vessels exhibition will open at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery on April 4th and run through May 16th, 2014, with the opening reception on Friday, April 4th, 7-9pm. The Alchemical Vessels Benefit will take place on Friday, May 2nd, with doors opening at 7pm. With a $125 Benefit-Vessel Contribution, guests will be admitted to the event and will select one of the 125 works on display to add to their own collections. 

For more information about the Alchemical Vessels 2014 Benefit, please visit www.smithcenter.org/benefit.

Artists: Eames Armstrong, Sardar Aziz, Karen Baer, Beth Baldwin, Michele Banks, Joseph Barbaccia, Carolyn Becker, Jessica Beels, Joan Belmar, Lori Anne Boocks, Anne Bouie, Amy Braden, Julia Brown, Karen O. Brown, Larry Brown, Amanda Burnham, Lenny Campello, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Mei Mei Chang, Peter Charles, Asma Chaudhary, Travis Childers, Eunmee Chung, Wesley Clark, Michael Corigliano, Sheila Crider, Candy Cummings, Anna U. Davis, Rosetta DeBerardinis, Tamara De Silva, Elsabe Dixon, Joel D'Orazio, David D'Orio, Chelsea S. Dobert-Kehn, Thomas Drymon, Nekisha Durrett, Victor Ekpuk, Laura Elkins, Dana Ellyn, Erica Benay Fallin, Felisa Federman, Jeremy Flick, Suzi Fox, Barbara Frank, Nancy Frankel, Shaunté Gates, Dawn Gavin, Bita Ghavami, Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter, Melissa Glasser, Janis Goodman, Pat Goslee, Sherill Anne Gross, John Grunwell, Nelson Gutierrez, Kristen Hayes, Eve Hennessa, Sean Hennessey, Linda Hesh, Matt Hollis, Leslie Holt, Jessica Hopkins, Karen Hubacher, Monica Jahan Bose, Barbara Johnson, Wayson R. Jones, J'Nell Jordan, Mila Kagan, Sumita Kim, Joan Konkel, Yar Koporulin, Walter Kravitz, Kate Kretz, Randall Lear, Heather Levy, Yue Li, Nathan Loda, Armando Lopez-Bircann, Laurel Lukaszewski, James Mahoney, J.J. McCracken, Donald McCray, Jayme Mclellen, Tendani Mpulubusi El, Komelia Okim, Amie Oliver, Luis Peralta, Michael Platt, Maryanne Pollock, Lynn Putney, Maria-Lana Queen, Beverly Ress, Kim Reyes, Glenn Richardson, Marie Ringwald, Amber Robles-Gordon, Pam Rogers, Lisa Rosenstein, Nicole Salimbene, Samantha Sethi, Matt Sesow, Amy Sherald, Shahin Shikhaliyev, Ellen Sinel, Casey Snyder, Susan Stacks, Dafna Steinberg, Jennifer Strunge, Lynn Sures, Lynn Sylvester, Ira Tattelman, Christine Buckton Tilman, Erwin Timmers, Ben Tolman, Novie Trump, Shinji Turner-Yamamoto, Laurie Tylec, Michael Verdon, Jodi Walsh, Jenny Walton, Ellyn Weiss, Stephanie Williams, Audrey Wilson, Sharon Wolpoff, and Carmen C. Wong.

Curators: Peggy Cooper Cafritz, Educator, Philanthropist and Founder of D.C.'s Duke Ellington School for the Arts | Jarvis DuBois, Independent Curator and Principal at J. DuBois Arts | Monica Jahan Bose, Artist and Activist | Anne L'Ecuyer, Arts Management Faculty at American University | Camille Mosley-Pasley, Photographer and Principal at Pasley Place Photography | B.G. Muhn, Professor of Art, Georgetown University | Michael O'Sullivan, Art Critic for The Washington Post | Dr. Frederick P. Ognibene, M.D., NIH Physician, Fine Art Collector and; Past Board Chair, Washington Project for the Arts | Michael Platt, Artist and Professor at Howard University | Jennifer Riddell, Writer and Interpretive Projects Manager at the National Gallery of Art | Adah Rose, Principal at Adah Rose Gallery | Laura Roulet, Independent Curator and Writer | Molly Ruppert, Artist and Gallery Director at the Warehouse Theater | Terry Scott, Cultural Organizer and Independent Curator | Judy J. Sherman, Art Consultant and Principal at j. fine art | Thomas Stanley, Professor at George Mason University | Nuzhat Sultan, Independent Curator | Tim Tate, Artist and Co-Director of Washington GlassSchool | R.L. Tillman, Artist, Teacher and Curator | Dolly Vehlow, Fine Art Collector and Principal at Gallery O on H 

Planning Committee: Helen Frederick, Deborah Lesser, Wendy Miller, PhD, Kim Schelling, Timothy Schelling, and Ellyn Weiss.