Second Fridays through October
The Art Center’s signature evening series features eclectic art and activities. In among three floors of open artists’ studios, find gallery receptions, stimulating artist talks, pop-up performances, hands-on projects, lively music, and more.
Celebrate the start of autumn with the Late Shift’s “Autumn Evenings.” Artist Alice Fornari provides origami-inspired projects in partnership with Target Gallery’s “Habitats” exhibition. Reception for Zia Palmer’s “Las Orillas del Mundo” in the Mason Arts Project Studio. DC Zine Fest artists show their zine-making process and talk about the local zine scene. Kim Sandara concludes her residency in the Post Graduate Studio and collects queer and LGBTQI ally stories from visitors for her “You’re Not Alone” project.
Pre-registration Requested
Register NowTarget Gallery
Exhibition: Habitats
Target Gallery‘s current group exhibition explores the relationship between humans and nature creating a dialogue on the impact that we make on the earth and our environments.
North Hall
Artist Project: Alice Fornari (IG: alicefolds)
Alice Fornari, one of the artists in Target Gallery’s Habitats, invites visitors to fold individual modules from recycled paper which will be attached together to create one large completed piece by the end of the event. Stop by her table to hear more about her process and contribute to the artwork.
South Hall
Hands-On Project: Kim Sandara, Summer Post-Grad Resident (IG: kimthediamond)
You’re Not Alone: Queer Stories of the DMV Community
Come share queer stories with artist Kim Sandara! Anonymous stories will be collected to circulate in the community. Descriptions can take on any tone/mood the storyteller wants to convey. All are welcome to share, queer and ally stories alike.
Meet the Artists: DC Zine Fest (IG: dczinefest)
The DC Zinefest is an independent event designed to provide a space for zine-makers, self-published artists, and writers to share their work with each other and the Washington, D.C., community. Meet some of the contributing artists, see their works, talk about the Fest, and learn how to join this growing network. Organized by Katana Lippart.
Grand Hall 
Demonstration and Artist Talk: Deirdra Hazeley (IG: artbydeehaze)
July 2019 Visiting Artist Deirdra Hazeley returns to the Art Center for one night to provide an art demonstration and answer questions about her summer experiences as an artist-in-residence.
Hands-On Project: Autumn Evenings Mural
Take part in an interactive mural project. Highlight your favorite autumn moments with friends and family.
Mason Arts Project Studio
Mason Arts Project StudioReception: Zia Palmer: Orillas del Mundo (IG: _ziapalmer)
Las Orillas Del Mundo is a photography installation that investigates the longing for a place that once was. The work explores emotional ties to a homeland by capturing the desolate landscape that defines an ancestral history. The motivation in creating this series is driven by the shifting landscape of identity and how a sense of place can be abstracted or distorted over time. The abstraction of history, time, and identity is explored through photography, genealogy, family photos, and found objects. The question of what makes us who we are becomes the lens for re creating a sense of belonging and identity.
Studio 5
Hands-On Project: The Omi Collective (IG: theomicollective)
Rainbow Swirls
Stop by Studio 5 for hands-on projects with the artists and see their brand-new mural design on the studio floor. Swirl through curated color, sound, and aroma–luring you through the mystical heart’s journey down the rainbow path- a dreamscape filled with Naomi Christianson’s Unicorns, Michael Fischerkeller’s cosmic truths, and Fierce Sonia’s fractal queens. There will be lounge with squishy cushions where you can try on love adornments from Naomi’s upscaled art denim, deep dive into your hearts path with a tarot reading with Chantel R. Bennett, or swirl into healing your inner rainbow with creatrix Cierra Ross’s reiki consultation.
About the Artists
Alice Fornari is a self-taught modular origamist from Brooklyn, NY, currently based in Washington, DC. She is especially interested in integrating sustainability into her work, and does this by utilizing the patterns found in recycled paper and plastic. Alice’s background is in evolutionary biology and natural history collection preservation. She has a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an MA in Museum Studies and currently works as a Museum Technician at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. A critical dimension of Alice’s work: social and environmental justice. Alice has showcased her planar modules at the American Museum of Natural History’s annual Holiday Tree for the past three years, constructing flora and fauna inspired by modular origami forms, as well as in Target Gallery’s current “Habitats” show.
Kim Sandara is a queer, Laotian/Vietnamese artist based in Northern Virginia. A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Sandara’s narrative and abstract works encourage empathy, wonder and self-reflection. Sandara’s work has been featured in many D.C. community events including a recent workshop at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She is currently working on a graphic novel on her coming out story.
Deirdra Hazeley is from Brooklyn, NY, and resides in Washington, DC. She creates realistic and abstract portraits of Black men and women. Hazeley explores beauty and dignity in her portraits while including decorative elements of West and East African mark making. She uses acrylic, oil and watercolor paint. Hazeley is a graduate of Cornell University, Florida International University and Columbia University. She studied abroad in Spain with the School of Visual Arts. She was a resident artist at the Art Students League Residency at Vytlacil and the Vermont Studio Center. She was a participant artist in the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibition Iggy Pop Life Class: A Project by Jeremy Deller, which traveled to the Royal Academy of Arts in London, UK. Her drawings from the aforementioned shows are in the Brooklyn Museum’s collection. Hazeley’s art has been shown at Brooklyn College, ARTs East New York and DC Arts Center. She was a participant in Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Visiting Artist Program and is a resident artist at Palette 22.
During her residency in M.A.P.S., Katana Lippart will concentrate on a series that will help resolve the broken ties between self and home. This has held a significant amount of weight in her life and continues to shape how she perceives the world. Katana hopes to be able to share printmaking, book arts, and collage with the surrounding community over the course of this program. These mediums have given her the necessary platform to reflect on both personal and collective narratives relating to home.
The DC Zinefest, occurring annually, features self-published zinesters from DC and surrounding areas. The Fest is a one-day independent event designed to provide a space for zine-makers, self-published artists, and writers to share their work with each other and the Washington, D.C., community. It is always FREE & Open to the Public! All Ages! The DC Zinefest is also a designated safer space, which means that it is intended to be a welcoming, engaging and supportive environment free of oppressive actions, behaviors, and language. Stay tuned on our social media for more upcoming ZineLabs and events!
The Omi Collective provides artist-inspired fashion and design products to consumers seeking unique, authentic, and artful items to inspire, and add to, their personal style. They maintain mindful and conscious support for the artists who create them.
