Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi at Hemphill

One of my fave DMV area artists is having a solo at Hemphill:

HEMPHILL is pleased to announce the exhibition, HEDIEH JAVANSHIR ILCHI: I surrender to you, ashen lands and blue skies, opening on Saturday, May 11, 2019 with a reception from 6-8pm. The exhibition will remain on view through June 29, 2019.

Moving to an aerial view, observing from a distance, there may be no such thing as a cultural war. There may only be a process, a moment in an ever-evolving world of cultural forces. Although this viewpoint does not champion good or evil, it does acknowledge movement and outcome. The paintings of Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi arise from cultures often portrayed at war. Each culture measures itself by a different clock. Each respective clock sometimes runs faster than the other, then slower, sometimes backward and then again forward. The clocks rarely synchronize, until the conflicts are spent and the two clocks merge. Ilchi’s work takes us to an aerial viewpoint where we see traditional Persian imagery merging with modernist American painting techniques. The content is not in conflict, but there is sense of broken parts coming together and things from a past appearing in a present. Contrary to our times, where a speeding flow of expedient information engulfs everything, Ilchi asks us to step back, slow down, take the aerial view. From this vantage point we see intricately executed tazhib patterns, sometimes floating over and at other times captured within scenes of organic chaos. Chaos created by the layering of translucencies, controlled pours and the topographical accumulations of paint. It is as though we are witnessing the reactions of chemical components. It takes time to comprehend the dazzling luminosities of her paintings, to see the merging of two cultures. Yet Ilchi’s work is not of an ideal state, there is a sense of trouble in her pictures, an apprehension of beauty, and a pining wishful-ness for the outcomes we are moving towards.

Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi was born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran and currently lives and works in the Washington DC area. Ilchi received a BFA with honors from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in 2006 and an MFA in Studio Art from the American University in 2011. She has been awarded residencies at the Ucross Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, The Jentel Foundation, and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. She has exhibited in New York, Switzerland, Washington DC and Winston- Salem, NC and her work is included in several private and public collections. HEDIEH JAVANSHIR ILCHI: I surrender to you, ashen lands and blue skies is the artist’s second exhibition at Hemphill Fine Arts.

Museum call for artists

Sightlines, 2019-2021

Deadline: May 12, 2019

The South Bend Museum of Art (SBMA) is seeking large-scale 2D and 3D artwork for long-term display in Sightlines, a collaborative project between SBMA and Century Center. The two year exhibition will highlight the work of six new artists. Indoor and outdoor sites for the work are available and will be considered for accepted work. 

Artist submission review and selection will be done by representatives from SBMA and Century Center. There is a $10 entry fee to apply. $1000 stipend for each selected artist. A modest printed piece will also be produced. 

For full details and to apply securely online, please visit www.southbendart.submittable.com. 

For more information on the South Bend Museum of Art, please visit this site.

Trawick Prize Deadline: 8 April!

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is inviting regional artists to submit work to the annual Trawick Prize!

This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. The deadline for submissions is Monday April 8, 2019. Up to eight selected finalists will be chosen to display their work at Bethesda’s Gallery B in September 2019.

The competition will be juried by Jonathan Monaghan, Assistant Professor of Digital Art & Studio Art Advisor, Catholic University, and the 2015 Trawick Prize Best In Show Winner; Foon Sham, Professor of Sculpture, University of Maryland, and Sue Wrbican, Associate Professor of Photography & Director of Photography Program, George Mason University.

Submission requirements:

• Artists must be 18 years of age or older
• Residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.
• All original 2-D and 3-D fine art including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video will be accepted.
• Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibition.
• Selected artists must deliver their artwork to the exhibit site in Bethesda, MD.
• Each artist must submit five images, an application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25

The Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young” artist whose birth date is after April 8, 1989 may also be awarded $1,000.

Apply here.

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Returns May 11 and 12

The Bethesda Urban Partnership has announced the 16th annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, a two-day event highlighting more than 120 contemporary artists selling their original fine art and craft. The festival will take place Saturday, May 11 from 10am – 6pm and Sunday, May 12, 2018 from 10am – 5pm. 

The festival will once again welcome artists from across the country to showcase and sell their original painting, drawing, photography, furniture, jewelry, woodwork, ceramics and more in downtown Bethesda.

The event will be in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle along Norfolk and Auburn Avenues and will be held rain or shine. The festival will also feature live entertainment, children’s activities and local restaurants. Admission to the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival is free. The festival is located six blocks from the Bethesda Metro station and free parking is available adjacent to the event in the parking garage located on Auburn Avenue.

LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Sunrise Senior Living, Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club and Bethesda Magazine are serving as event sponsors.

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org or call 301/215-6660.

Washington Sculptors Group Annual Members Image Show

2019 ANNUAL MEMBERS' IMAGE SHOW
Sunday, April 14, 2019, 4-7pm

Presented by Washington Sculptors Group at:

Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies – House A
3100 Whitehaven St NW
Washington, DC 20008
www.chs.harvard.edu

Free and open to the public
Parking on premises and street

The Washington Sculptors Group cordially invites you to attend the Annual Members Image Show! Join WSG members as they offer insight into some of the best work being done by sculptors in the DC area.

WSG’s Annual Members Image Show aims to support the talent and highly diverse work of Washington area sculptors. The Image Show gives member artists the opportunity to present images and videos of their work, and artists have the opportunity to discuss the artwork while it is being shown. New members are strongly encouraged to participate, and all members receive feedback from the audience.

WSG will also invite DC area gallerists, curators, collectors, reviewers, and other art representatives to attend this important member event. Refreshments provided by WSG will be served during intermission; WSG members are also welcome to bring food to share.

Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies is graciously hosting the WSG Annual Members Image Show again this year. Join us for an informative evening at the CHS campus, located in the Embassy Row neighborhood of NW Washington, DC.

RSVP to programs@washingtonsculptors.org

WPA: Collectors' Night: A Silent Auction to Benefit Artists

From The Washington project for the Arts:

INTRODUCING THE ARTISTS

We are excited to announce the 84 artists participating in Collectors' Night: A Silent Auction to Benefit Artists on Saturday, May 4. Nearly all the artists were selected from an open call by this year's incredible art committee, with the exception of a half dozen -- among them the inimitable Richard Tuttle -- who were invited by the staff.

Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Kristin Adair, Farnoosh Ahmadi Shirazi, Sondra N. Arkin, Eames Armstrong, Mary Anne Arntzen, Selin Balci, David Barr, Kyle J. Bauer, Mary Baum, Erick Antonio Benitez, Julia Bloom, Chris Bohner, Lori Anne Boocks, Michael A. Booker, Anthony J. Bowers, Nakeya Brown, Gerardo Camargo, Florencio Lennox Campello, David Carlson, Hsin-Hsi Chen, Larry Cook, Kyrae Dawaun Cowan, Markele Cullins, Frank Hallam Day, John Deardourff, Monique Muse Dodd, Alexis Duque, Alex Ebstein, Pam Eichner, Edgar Endress, Nico Fertakis, Amy Finkelstein, Lloyd Foster, Stephen Hendee, Jessica Hopkins, Timothy J. Horjus, Michael Horsley, Erik Hougen, James Huckenpahler, Sarah Hull, Nate Larson, Magnolia Laurie, Khanh H. Le, Kim Llerena, Timothy Makepeace, Tsedaye Makonnen, Jon Malis, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann, Antonio McAfee, Nat Meade, Veronica Melendez, Linn Meyers, Maggie Michael, Greg Minah, Tyra Mitchell, Goitseone Bothale Moerane, Jonathan Monaghan, Ali Newhard, Lee Nowell-Wilson, Christos J. Palios, PLAKOOKEE, Rodrigo Pradel, Amber Robles-Gordon, Kate Sable, Nicole Marie Salimbene, Kim Sandara, Josh Sender, Joseph Shetler, Alexandra Silverthorne, Dafna Steinberg, Dan Steinhilber, Mark Stockton, Cindy Stockton Moore, Monica Stroik, Martin Swift, Rob Tarbell, Trish Tillman, Richard Tuttle, Julie Willis, Jordann Wine, Ellen Xu, and Helen Zughaib

 Find more information about the artwork selection process and artists here.

LAST CHANCE FOR EARLY-BIRD TICKETS

Don't forget to purchase discounted early-bird tickets while they are available through April 3! 

If you have any questions about tickets or sponsorship, please email Ashley McDonald at amcdonald@wpadc.org or visit wpacollectorsnight.org.

Open Studios!

DC Arts Studios (DCAS) invites you to their annual Spring Open Studios on Sunday, April 28, 10am - 5pm!

Take a self-guided tour through our participating artists' studios and have a "behind the scenes" peek into their creative process -- a great way to introduce kids to the arts and learn about different techniques and mediums! 

Purchase original artwork and other handmade gifts directly from the artists themselves! Featured artwork and gifts will include photography, paintings, mixed media, fiber art, sculpture, stained glass, weaving, art made from re-purposed bicycle and computer parts, and much more. 

Swing by the Willow Street Gallery Group Show and Sale, "ELEMENTS" on our first floor.

Have your photo taken with an Afghan camera box. There will be food and refreshments throughout the studios. 

The event is free, accessible, family friendly, and open to the public.
And please help us spread the word! Share the DCAS Spring Open Studios Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2286059881661833/ 

*This arts event is presented as part of Takoma Park's Art Hop, a neighborhood-wide weekend arts festival. Learn more at Art Hop Takoma.

DC Arts Studios is located at 6925 Willow St NW, Washington, DC 20012, next to Downtown Takoma Park, MD. 

Driving: There is street parking. 

Metro: Take the Red Line to the Takoma DC Metro Station. Walk a few blocks on Carroll Ave towards Downtown Takoma Park, MD. Turn right onto Willow Street. We are halfway down the block on the left-hand side of the street.

Questions? Contact Valerie Fenton, Administrative Director, at office@dcartsstudios.org.