Two new venues added to the Women Artists of the DMV survey show!

In case this is the first time you're hearing about the upcoming Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming in September to several DMV art spaces, and curated by yours truly: 

Originally the proposal started keyed to the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in DC as part of their wonderful Alper Initiative.  Once my proposal was approved a few weeks ago, then The Athenaeum in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, and Judith Heartsong's Artists and Makers Gallery in Rockville,  Maryland became the other two venues.

To say that I was deluged and shocked to receive about 1,000 inquiries and entries within a few days after the announcement of the show may be the understatement of the still young 2025.

I realized that I needed more walls to show more artists, and I approached the amazing Lesley Morris at the beautiful Strathmore Mansion in Rockville, and she and her staff moved mountains to fit the show in their beautiful first floor galleries at the Mansion. 

And still, entries kept pouring in... nearly 3,000 by now.

I then spread out my considerable social media reach and immediately received immense input and help from many of you: thank you!

As a result of that...

Wait for it... wait for it....

I am adding not one, but two more art venues to the exhibition line-up! And not just "any ole venue", but two of the more established and respected art centers in the DMV!

Women Artists of the DMV will be now also exhibited at the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean,  Virginia and at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, Maryland!

Wooooooo!!!

With those two highly respected venues added, I believe that I can pick another 50-75 artists for the show!

This is huge... so as my daughter would say: BOOM CHOKOLATA!

Cianne Fragione for the Women Artists of the DMV show

Cianne Fragione is known for her mixed-media works that often incorporate found objects and textiles into her oil paintings and collages. Over many years of developing and refining her artwork, Fragione has established herself as one of the key DMV artists and was one of the earliest artists that I selected for the Women Artists of the DMV show.

In the selection process for this one, one of the landmines that I am hoping to avoid - and will probably be unable to avoid - is to "skip" an artist that by all logic of the focus of the show, should be included.  In order to minimize the damage of that landmine, as part of the selection process I've "crowdsourced" the nomination process and asked about two dozen or so DMV area art illuminati to help me develop the show by nominating 10 or so artists.

Fragione is one of those names who keeps coming up on multiple lists; evidence of this talented painter's deep footprint in the DMV art scene.

Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Cecil H. Green Library at Stanford University, and Georgetown College.

Behold Workers Wearing Toe Shoes, 2021- 2022, oil base paint, conté crayon, chalk pastel, recyle paint tube metal, collage, on paper.

Workers Wearing Toe Shoes
2021- 2022 by Cianne Fragionne
oil base paint, conté crayon, chalk pastel, recyle paint tube metal, collage, on paper
44 x 31.25 in (111.76 x 79.38 cm) 48 x 34 in (121.92 x 86.36 cm) Framed