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

The curious case of the Smithsonian Institution and Anne Helmreich failing at its most basic task

Time to open up... my apologies in advance for the cursing - you can retire the Navy out of a former sailor, but you can never retire the sailor out of a sailor.

In the spirit of open transparency: As most of you know by now, I am now almost finished organizing a monster of a survey show for 2025 with the aim of not only exhibiting a curated, 15-venue exhibition to survey a snap shot of women artists working in the DMV region, and catalog them digitally, but to also leave a digital footprint of their 2025 presence for the future.

That show is "Women Artists of the DMV." More than 400 artists in (so far) 15 major art venues across the capital region!

As part of that process, starting in December 2024 I wrote multiple emails and mailed multiple old-school snail mail letters to offer the Smithsonian Institution the opportunity to archive the exhibition materials as part of a survey snapshot in time for DMV area female artists - at no acquisition cost - FREE!

The materials that I offered to the SI would consist of a flash drive which would contain a Powerpoint presentation documenting all curated female artists and one image per artist - I also made it clear that any digital format could be used as needed/recommended by then.  Additionally, in view of how fast technology ages, I would also include (at no cost) a digital screen device (a digital frame) to “play” the digital presentation as needed in the future.

Throughout January, February, March, and April I was ignored, and in May I blasted a: "Did you get my email?" email to every email address that I could find online from them.

On May 9, 2025, I got this response:

From: AAACollectionReview - AAACollectionReview@si.edu 

To: lenny@lennycampello.com

Copy: Helmrich, Anne L.

Dear Lenny Campello,

    Thank you for your interest in the Archives of American Art. Upon reviewing your inquiry, the Archives is not the proper home for the proposed collection. This decision reflects the ongoing needs, priorities, scope, and resources of the Archives rather than the value of the collection.

We are excited to see the exhibition when it comes together. A more suitable repository for a local survey show and a PowerPoint documenting the artists who submitted might be the National Museum of Women in the Arts, though each institution has their own priorities and archival acquisition strategy. Such records of exhibition submissions can be challenging for archival accessions, particularly regarding rights issues around images as well as preservation concerns around born-digital materials.

Thank you again for reaching out to the Archives of American Art —

The curatorial team

Archives of American Art | Smithsonian Institution

www.aaa.si.edu| blog.aaa.si.edu

 

DC Headquarters

FedEx/UPS/DHL: 750 9th Street NW | Suite 2200 |Washington, DC 20001

USPS: PO Box 37012, Victor Building 2200 | MRC 937 |Washington, DC  20013-7012

New York Office
300 Park Avenue South | Suite 300 | New York, NY 10010

Join us on Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest |Instagram

Subscribe to our podcast. 

My translation: You need to segregate an exhibition of female artists with an institution that focuses only on female art, because female artists are not the same as "American artists."

Am I the only one who sees how fucked up this response is?

Clearly they have no idea who they're fucking with, because I suspect that the SI knows zip fuck about the artists - male or female - in their own backyard.

I've written to my Senators (Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks), and also to all the DMV area representatives... so far they've also ignored me. Have not yet written (but will) to Virginia senators Tim Kane and Mark Warner.

And thus: I need your help.

If you (like me) believe that part of the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art mandate and job is to fucking archive American art, and that the digital footprint of 400+ female artists working in the Greater Washington, DC is American art that needs to be archived... then PLEASE help me raise a fire in the tuchis of Anne Helmreich, Chris Van Hollen, Angela Alsobrooks, Tim Kane, Mark Warner, and whoever the fuck is the "curatorial team" that wants art by female artists segregated to a museum for just women artists.

Write to them... if they are on your "contacts" list in your cell phone, call them.

Art is art, regardless of the shape of the reproductive part shape of the artist.

Please help... all that I am asking the SI to do is to accept a free gift of a digital archive and keep it for future generations to know what female artists were doing around the DMV in 2025.

Pearl Ping Shen: This lady can paint!

One of the great benefits of curating an art exhibition of the size and magnitude of the Women Artists of the DMV urvey show which I am currently curating.

As part of reviewing hundreds of websites, Instagram feeds, etc., I came across the work of Pearl Ping Shen.

This lady can paint with a gusto and magnitude that is spectacular to behold.  The work below will be showcase at the American University Katzen Arts Center building as part of the multi-venue survey show.

Late Autumn (Large) Watercolor on rice paper 6.8' x 5'

She tells me about this spectacular work:

This self-portrait, crafted for my graduate school years, encapsulates a moment of personal journey as I rode my bicycle to school each day. Executed with Chinese inks and watercolors on rice paper using the detailed Gongbi technique, the artwork reflects a harmonious blend of cultural tradition and personal narrative. The intricate lines and delicate shading capture the rhythm of my daily commute, symbolizing resilience and introspection.

The figure, poised on a folding bike with a basket of art supplies and adorned with dried bulrush, my favorite decorative motif, merges practicality with artistic expression. The patterned skirt and layered clothing evoke the cool air, while the earphones signaling my enjoyment of music add a layer of personal freedom. The bicycle, equipped with tools of my trade, represents not only the balance between my studies and creative identity but also a powerful symbol of independence. Through this piece, I explore themes of transition and self-discovery, rooting my experience in the meticulous beauty of Chinese ink painting to honor my heritage and mark a significant chapter of becoming.

My prediction:  Pearl Ping Shen will be one of the break-out stars of this show - do not miss a visit to the Katzen Arts Center to behold the spectacular presence of this work!

Women Artists of the DMV: Jeanie Sausele-Knodt at Joan Hisaoka Healings Arts Gallery

The amazing women artists listed below will be all exhibiting at the Joan Hisaoka Gallery for the Healing Arts in Washington DC as part of the Women Artists of the DMV survey show - now officially the largest ever curated fine arts show ever staged in the USA!

Banner Marilyn

Calisti Denise

Dorantes Marcela Olivia

Fakes LoGerfo Randa

Ferrier Jodi

Fussner Emily

Goodman Judy

Greenberg Judith

Herman Michelle

Hitchcock Sara

Lee Jun

Lowenstein Shelley

Marcus Jai

Olivos Claudia

Perlman Gura Amy

Prinsloo Yolanda

Riccio Marie

Rothschild Gayle

Sausele-Knodt Jeanie

Schmitz Karen

Schwartzberg  Deanna

Seifert Jan

Sigethy Alison

Sikorska Elzbieta

Slottow Joan

VanderMolen Neway Cheryl

All together there are over 400 artists in 15 venues!

Ceramic Wall Mount, White

12" x 14.5" x 3"  ceramic with encaustic, 2025

photo credit: Gregory Staley

Delna Dastur at Women Artists of the DMV - Katzen

Delna Dastur grew up in Bombay, India. She notest that "life there is loud and crowded, teeming with humanity filling the air with the sound and aroma of constant flux. These memories are embedded in my subconscious and infiltrate my work through a palette that reflects bright, intense color and through patterns decorating the surfaces. The compositions are dense, brimming to the edge with imagery reflecting my thoughts and memories.

My body of work reflects my continuing investigation into the fraught relationship between Humanity and Nature. Some of the imaginary landscapes I create are abstracted from reality through the portrayal of urban consumption of Nature. Others reflect Nature’s victory in the face of adversity. Some of the paintings are filled with lightness and optimism; others are somber and pensive. I want the work to reflect both the seeds of hope and wonder combined with the irreversible damage caused by the brutal and thoughtless destruction of land.

I use materials and ideas to cross pollinate, juxta positioning the old with the new, the East and the West. The work starts with materials from my Indian roots, printing with primitive Indian woodblocks and using handmade Indian paper for collage. The initial layers, embedded within gels and pastes, are covered by acrylic drips and paint connecting them irrevocably. I do not start with any preconceived ideas. The work grows organically, and I let my instincts direct me to its conclusion. I incorporate varied ideas and tools in my painting and drawings, continually reinforcing the overarching theme of conflict between mankind and nature."

The below work will be at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, DC, one of the 15 venues hosting the Women Artists of the DMV show.

The Awesome Foundation does not think that Women Artists of the DMV is awesome enough...

My  application to help one of the 15 venues subsidize the costs of staging the show - will apply again!:

Hello June grant applicants!

Thanks for your recent application to the Awesome Foundation DC for all your amazing projects.

Unfortunately, you were not selected for this month's grant. We had many applicants with exciting ideas and inspiring projects that were heavily debated, and it was a tough decision, but the trustees ultimately chose the Karaoke in the Cemetery project as this month's award.

Please feel free to apply again in the future -- we award grants every month -- and best of luck in the future!

Graham & Amanda

-- 

Awesome Foundation DC  //  AwesomeDC.org

Fast-forwarding awesomeness in DC through $1,000 monthly micro-grants with more than $150,000 given locally over the past decade!

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to scam artists!

From: Marc Boynton -- marcboyntonn@gmail.com

Your products! It's amazing how unique they are. So I was wondering if you ship to Switzerland and accept credit cards. You contact my shipper, who handles all of my shipments, as I live in a rural area, and they help in picking up items from your location.

Marc Boynton.

Schroeder Cherry at ACO Tomorrow!

Master sculptor and puppeteer Schroeder Cherry will be presenting tomorrow at the Art Clinic Online at 1030 AM, hosted by yours truly!

Schroeder’s work is inspired by music, travel, literature, and contemporary and historic events, both real and imagined. His works are mixed media, using wood, paint, and found objects. Join us for this free online event! 

https://www.jjbruns.com/aco-artist-discussion-with-schroeder-cherry/

King Robert The Bruce

This 1980 drawing of "King Robert The Bruce" done in art school as an homage to the great Frank Frazetta is up for auction in Sweden! 

Bid for it at the link:

 https://auctionet.com/en/4341879-f-lennox-campello-fodd-1956-king-robert-the-bruce-mixed-media-on-paper-drawing

An eulogy to a strong woman

Nine years ago my courageous mother died... this is my eulogy from that day:

When my father died last year, I began his eulogy by noting that another oak had fallen.

This morning, around 1:25AM, Ana Olivia Cruzata Marrero de Campello, his wife of over 60 years, and my beloved mother, passed on on the day of her 97th birthday.

If my father was an oak, then my mother was an equally strong, but also very pliable, and elegant tree.  When hurricanes attack the main lands of the world, the strong tall trees often fall, but the pliable ones, like plantain trees, always give with the wind, and survive the storms, and thrive in the drenching rains.

My mother was like a an aged plantain tree, not only immensely strong and pliable, but also giving and nurturing.

Like many Cuban women of her generation and her social-economic background, she had never worked for a living in Cuba, and yet within a few days of our arrival in New York in the 1960s, she was working long hours in a sewing factory, putting her formidable seamstress skills, honed in the social sewing and embroidery gathering of young Cuban girls, to use in the "piece work" process of the New York sewing factories.

As soon as we saved the money, one of the first things that my mother bought was an electric sewing machine - a novelty to her, as she had always used one of the those ancient Singer machines with a foot pedal.

I remember as a child in Brooklyn, that women used to bring her fabric and a page from a magazine with a woman wearing a dress. Without the benefit of a sewing pattern, my mother would whip up a copy of the dress that was more often than not probably better made than the original. As the word of her skills spread, so did her customers and soon she was making more money working at home than at the factory - but she kept both jobs.

I once noted to her that I admired the courage that it must have taken  her to leave her family and immigrate to the United States. "We didn't come here as immigrants," she corrected me. "We came as political refugees, and I initially thought that we'd be back in Cuba within a few years at the most."

When the brutal Castro dictatorship refused to loosen its stranglehold on her birth place, she became an immigrant, and from there on an American citizen from her white-streaked hair down to her heel bone (that's a Cuban saying). Like my father, she loved her adopted country with a ferocity, that I sometimes feel that only people who have been bloodied by Communism can feel for a new, free homeland.

As as I've noted before, Cubans are archaic immigrants... we love this great nation because we recognize its singular and unique greatness; perhaps it is because our forebears had the same chance at greatness and blew it.

I remember as a teenager, once I started going out to parties and things at night on my own (around age 16 or so), that my mother would wait up for me, sitting by the third floor window of our Brooklyn apartment, where she could survey the whole neighborhood and see as far as the elevated LL subway station a few blocks away, to watch me descend the station stairs and trace my way home.

My mother was always fit and, as once described by my father, "flaca como un fusil" (as slim as a rifle). She was strong and fast. She was also quiet, but never silenced, and when needed, could and would command attention.

My mother was always well dressed and superbly coiffed. When we'd go to parties and events, women would always ask her where she'd gotten that dress! The answer was always the same: she'd made it!

At least once a week, to my father's dismay, and in spite of his demands that my mother stop it, she'd get her hair done at the nearby peluqueria (hair dresser).

My dad knew, and respected his limits with my mother. 

I remember one time that my father and I were returning from shopping at the supermarket, dragging one of those wheeled folding carts that could carry four full paper grocery bags. It had been snowing, so the Brooklyn streets were wet and muddy.

When we got to our apartment my father opened the door. He then stood there.

"Go in!" I demanded.

"We'll have to wait," he said gloomily, "Your mother mopped the floor and it's still wet." This giant, tough, street-brawling Galician then looked at me sheepishly, "I'd rather walk through a mine field than step on your mother's wet floor."

I learned a lesson there.

She used to delight in telling stories how, as a child, she would often win the horse races that kids staged around the small country towns where she was raised in Oriente province, where her father was a Mayoral. 

"I almost always won," she'd say, and then would add: "Even though I was a skinny girl."

Once, in her seventies, back in the days where you could actually accompany people to the departing gates at airports, we were escorting my oldest daughter Vanessa, who had come to visit, and we were running late. As we got to the airport, we ran to the gate, and to everyone's surprise, Abuela got there first. I still remember how delighted my daughter was that her grandmother could still run like a gazelle.

When I joined the Navy at age 17, my first duty station was USS SARATOGA, which at the time was stationed in Mayport in Florida, and thus my parents decided to migrate south to Florida and moved to Miami... just to be close to me.

They spent the next 40 years in the same apartment while I was stationed all over the world.

The mostly Cuban-American families that lived over the years in that apartment loved my mother, and would always tell me stories about my mother, ever the nurturer, bringing them food when she knew that they were going over tough times, or riding the buses with them, just to show them the routes.

This week, when I arrived in Miami, already somewhat knowing that this was approaching the end, I saw her with tubes coming out of her mouth and her eyes closed. When I spoke to her she opened her eyes, and in spite of the visuals that my eyes were seeing she somehow still managed to look strong. 

I showed her photos and movies of her grand children, and talked to her for a long time.

I thanked her for having the courage to leave her motherland and afford me the opportunity to grow as an American.

When she was being extubated, a young woman came into the room with a guitar and played and sang the haunting free prose of Guajira Guantanamera (The peasant girl from Guantanamo); a most fitting song, since my mother was from Guantanamo, and she came from strong Cuban peasant stock.

"Guajira pero fina (A peasant, but a very refined woman)", noted a neighbor and loving caretaker. 

The song, which can start with just about any prose, started with the Jose Marti poem:

 Yo quiero, cuando me muera, sin patria, pero sin amo, tener en mi tumba un ramo de flores y una bandera

I want to, when I die, without my motherland, but without a master, to have on my tomb a bunch of flowers and a flag.

She died without a master, a strong and pliable woman who not only gave me the gift of life, but also the gift of freedom.

And as my mother died in her sleep in the early hours of the morning, in the capital city of the bitter Cuban Diaspora, all that I could gather to say to her was mostly the same that I said to my father when he passed last year: "Thank you for your courage... from me, and from my children... and soon from their children. You opened a whole new world for them."

I love you Mami... Un Abrazo Fuerte! Thank you for your gifts to me and my children, and happy birthday in Heaven!

Women Artists of the DMV: Melissa Ichiuji Gallery

Excited to announce the Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery as the Shenandoah Valley Virginia venue for Women of DMV survey show and we have set their opening date at the gallery for Saturday, October 18, 2025.

Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, on Main Street in downtown Front Royal, Virginia, Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery is a vibrant center of creativity serving as venue for creators to showcase their talents through exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and classes. 

We now have 13 venues! By far this is now the largest ever curated fine arts show in the US!

• The Katzen at AU (opening 6 SEP)
• The Athenaeum in Alexandria, VA  (opening 21 SEP)
• The McLean Project for the Arts, in McLean, Virginia (opening 11 SEP)
• Adah Rose Gallery in Rockville, MD (opening 7 SEP)
• Artists & Makers Galleries in Rockville, MD (opening 4 SEP)
• The Galleries at Strathmore Mansion, in Rockville, MD (opening 14 OCT)
• Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD
• The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD (opening 13 SEP)
• Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD (opening 11 SEP)
• Maryland Hall in Annapolis, MD (opening 8 OCT)
• Priddy Library at Universities of Shady Grove, Rockville, MD
• University of Maryland Library in College Park, MD
• Melissa Ichiuji Gallery in Front Royal, VA

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists:

From: Lozano Kim - kimlozano576@gmail.com -

Hi there, I'm interested in buying some piece of your artwork. Could you please share some more information about them? I look forward to your response.

New venue for Women Artists of the DMV survey show!

I am super pumped to announce that the hardworking gallerist and one of the nicest persons on the planet, Adah Rose, has joined the other venues hosting the Women Artists of the DMV survey show that I am curating and which I now suspect will be the largest ever curated group show ever staged in the US! I am honored to add the Adah Rose Gallery to the list!

So far we have:

• The Katzen Museum at AU (opening 6 SEP)
• The Athenaeum in Alexandria, VA (opening 21 SEP)
• The McLean Project for the Arts, in McLean, Virginia (opening 11 SEP)
• Adah Rose Gallery in Rockville, MD (opening 7 SEP)
• Artists & Makers Galleries in Rockville, MD (opening 4 SEP)
• The Galleries at Strathmore Mansion, in Rockville, MD (opening14 OCT)
• Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD
• The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD (opening 13 SEP)
• Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD (opening 11 SEP)
• Maryland Hall in Annapolis, MD (opening 8 OCT)
• University of Maryland Library in College Park, MD
• A soon to be announced venue in Maryland 
• A soon to be announced gallery in Virginia 

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists:

From: Sarah SM McCain - mccainsarahsm@gmail.com - 

​Hello,I just want to reach out and let you know how much I admire your artworks ,I stumbled upon your online gallery and was immediately captivated by the beauty of your arts .

I would like to know if they are up for sales, I would love to purchase some

A special event featuring Philippa Pham Hughes

Montgomery Art Association is inviting you to a special event featuring Philippa Pham Hughes!

A guiding light, a power force of planetary proportions, one of the key leaders in the DMV area art scene, and the owner of the planet's most amazing smile, Philippa has selected and recommended local artwork and events for years -- first on the Pink Line Project and then on the TV program “Best Bets Around Town” on PBS.

In this Montgomery Art Association event, she will discuss the transformative power of art and relational thinking. Her work has been featured by artnet, CNN, NPR, PBS Newshour, CityLab, The Washington Post, and millions of time in this blog!

In addition, she has spoken widely, including at SXSW, Cato Institute, TEDxAmericanUniversity, Davidson College Center For Civic Engagement, University of Michigan's Penny Stamps Speaker Series, Art & Democracy Day at Hopkins Bloomberg  Center, Fort Worth Women's Policy Forum.

The special event is June 2, 7-8pm at the Kensington Park Library. The event is open for members, non-members and guests, so please invite your friends! There will be MAA sponsored door prizes as well!

Register and learn more here: Montgomery Art Association - Special Event: Talk with Philippa Pham Hughes.

At Foundry Gallery: All Members Group Exhibit

Foundry Gallery is one of the key members of the DMV art tapestry and they're having their Gallery All Members Group Exhibit right now and 0n display: 5/3/2025 - 6/1/2025!

Join us for our current “All Members Group Exhibit” featuring work from 12 of our members.  This group exhibition brings together artists working in different styles—abstract, contemporary, surreal, and photography. Each artist has a unique voice and medium that invites viewers to slow down and spend time with the art.  Even though the artwork may look very different from one piece to the next, some pieces use shapes, color, and texture instead of recognizable images to express emotion or movement.  Patsy Fleming and Hester Ohbi are displaying their abstract paintings that invite viewers to feel rather than interpret with bold and energetic colors.  Allen Hirsh has digitally altered images and distorted the image's colors with bright colors and amazing patterns. Sheila Blake and Tasha Fay’s realism paintings portray the world in an accurate, detailed, and beautiful way.  These works show great attention to detail reminding us of the power of observation and the quiet beauty in ordinary things.

Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (12-6 PM)

Foundry Gallery

2118 8th Street Northwest

Washington, DC, 20001

Turning Tides: Action, Resilience, and the Mental Landscapes of Black and Brown Voices

The May exhibition at Gallery B in Bethesda, presented by The Black Art Today Foundation, opens today! 

Turning Tides: Action, Resilience, and the Mental Landscapes of Black and Brown Voices "powerfully illuminates the lived experiences of Black and Brown individuals as they navigate the intricate landscape of mental well-being." 

The artists featured in this collection are: Ainsley Burrows, Alma Roberts, Anita Henley Carrington, Babacar Pouye, Brittany Wharry, Bryane Broadie, Calvin Coleman, Cary Michael Robinson, David Amoroso, David Zambrano, Dion Pollard, Emery Franklin, Erasto Curtis Matthew, James Murphy, Jr., Janet Waters, Janice MacLean, Javon Townsend, Jay Durrah, K Starks, Karen Y. Buster, Kaylee Daryl, Kibibi Ajanku, Lauretta McCoy, Levi Robinson, Linda Mose Meadow, Luis Del Valle, Luther Wright, Marie Antoinette, Marilyn Gates-Davis, Mary Claggett, Nikki Brooks, Pilar Ortiz, Roger James, Russell Lewis, Suzette Royster, Thomas Dade, Dr. Yemonja Smalls and Yewande Kotun Davis.

The exhibition runs from May 2 - May 25. Gallery hours are Fridays & Saturdays, 12-5pm, and Sundays, 11am-2pm. An opening reception will be on Sunday, May 4th, 3-6pm. RSVP here.

EJ Montgomery, RIP

I've just learned of the passing of legendary DMV artist Evangeline (EJ) Montgomery.

I met EJ at the iconic Norman Parish Gallery in Canal Square in Georgetown in the 1990s and this artist was, and will remain one of the powerhouse printmakers in the art world.

Her work was one of the first selected for the Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming up in September; it will be at the Katzen Museum at American University.