Tag Archives: Featured

The Late Shift: The Art of Questioning

Second Fridays through October 

The Art Center’s signature evening series returns with 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 final Late Shift of the season with The Art of Questioning.

This is a night for research, exploration, and most importantly, uplifting the arts and imagination. Target Gallery presents an artist reception for the new exhibition Hypotheses. Alexandria’s Poet Laureate KaNikki Jakarta leads a reading with three of the DMV’s finest poets: 13 of Nazareth, C. Thomas, and Kim B. Miller. The Alexandria Archaeology Museum provides a hands-on project focused on their history of research and experimentation. DJ One Luv spins beats all night. Plus: open studios on all three floors.

Masks are required for all visitors.

RSVPs requested. This event is free and open to the public. 

RSVP Now 

Schedule

 Grand Hall (Inside) 

  • 7:30 – 8:00 pm: Hypotheses Reception and Artist Talk
  • 8:30 – 9:30 pm: Live Poetry Performances curated by KaNikki Jakarta
  • 7 – 10 pm: Hands-on project with Alexandria Archaeology Museum
  • 7 – 10 pm: Live Music by DJ One Luv

Image Credit: Fanni Somogyi, Cross Species Connection, 2021.

Target Gallery

Reception and Art Talk
7:30 – 8:00 P.M.
Grand Hall

Target Gallery presents a new group exhibition Hypotheses. This exhibition is all about the process of intellectual experimentation and/or the exploration of new ideas and techniques in an artist’s practice.

The goal of this theme is to create a dialogue of work in conversation with each other about embarking outside one’s traditional boundaries of understanding. Whether it be based in cerebral or scientific research or experimenting with a new technique or conceptual idea, each work in the exhibition will embody this concept of questioning and discovery.

 

Poetry Performances: The Art of Questioning

Curated by KaNikki Jakarta
8:30 – 10 p.m.
Grand Hall

Explore the creativity of poets in the DMV with this selection of performers, curated by Alexandria’s Poet Laureate KaNikki Jakarta.

About the Poets

13 of Nazareth

13 of Nazareth is a convergence of Hip-Hop culture, old school R&B/Soul music, scientific spirituality and a child-like love of language. Rhythms that are warm to the heart embedded with lyrics that are challenging to the ear often emerge from this intersection and have resulted in him being labeled a “poet’s poet.” His writing is elevated without being condescending as it invites seeing from his vantage point without dismissing that of others. 13 of Nazareth encourages each listener/reader to apply what is useful from his work while discarding what is not.

C. Thomas

C. Thomas amplifies his voice through his art, teachings, and advocacy work for the benefit of Child Abuse Prevention Awareness, Mental Health, Black Lives Matter, Mental Health, and the LGBTQ+ community which he is proud to be a part of.

Kim B. Miller

Kim B. Miller is a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn, New York. Her family later moved to Long Island, NY. Kim later moved to her “forever home” in PWC Virginia. She is the First African American Poet Laureate for PWC, VA. She has performed at The National Black Theater in New York, Northern Virginia Community College, Atlas Performing Arts Center and The Black Box Theater in DC and many other venues. She has performed nationally in person and internationally online.

Kim B Miller is an award-winning spoken word poet. She is the 2019 Southern Fried Poetry Haiku Champion and 2018 Black Poetry Café Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is slam champion.

Curated by KaNikki Jakarta

KaNikki Jakarta is the First African American Poet Laureate of Alexandria, Virginia. She is an Award Winning Performance Poet who has toured the US and the UK.

KaNikki is the author of three novels, two poetry collections, a memoir, a short story, poetry collection entitled Alabama Girl, Virginia Woman and the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Self Healing Volume II. She has been interviewed and featured in newspapers and magazines to include Alexandria Times, Alexandria Gazette, Patch, and Northern Virginia magazine. She’s been featured on podcasts, radio stations and TV stations to include WUSA9 and Comcast. She hosts #KaNikkiHarmony 1st Mondays Open Mic Night at Busboys and Poets Virginia. She facilitates Write Like a Woman quarterly workshop in Alexandria and a virtual monthly workshop, Prep to Publish. She also offers KaNikki for Kids, a virtual ASL and affirmation class for children ages 6 – 11. She presents Poets and Platforms  under the umbrella of Keep the Mic On, a weekly, online womyn-led artistic experience, where she is the co-founder. If you think that something she says on the mic might change your life, you’re probably right.

Alexandria Archaeology Museum

“Drawing from the Past” – Hands on Project
7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Grand Hall

Archaeologists have studied a variety of ceramic wares and decorative techniques in Alexandria ranging from the 18th – 20th century. Apply your own temporary tattoo in the style of transfer printed porcelain and create dendritic patterns similar to those on 19th century mochaware. City archaeologists will demo decorative styles and show similar artifacts found in Alexandria.

Untitled by Ryan Burnett, Virginia Tech

NEW PROJECT STUDIO

2021 AIA Virginia Prize Competition
7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Exhibition extended through September

Now through the end of September! The New Project Studio hosts an exhibition of the 2021 AIA Virginia Prize competition. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Jan. 22–25, 2021 — was inspired by the Equal Justice Initiative’s Community Remembrance Project and challenged students to design a pillar installation for the City of Alexandria’s Market Square. 

Conducted simultaneously at Hampton University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, the competition engaged students at all of the accredited schools of architecture in Virginia. Students were given the competition program on a Friday afternoon and had until the following Monday to submit their designs. Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury. 

LIVE MUSIC: DJ ONE LUV
7 – 10 P.M.

Jamal “DJ One Luv” Muhammad was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He has resided in the Washington, D.C. area since 1994. He is an established full time DJ, a talk show host, a visual artist and dedicated community activist in the Washington area. As a DJ he is renowned for his classic Old School parties and events celebrating and paying tribute to the history and greatness of music and artists from years past. He is in high demand for various events from parties, festivals, corporate & community events, political events and major conferences. Since 2018 he has been the host of his weekly online show “The Old School Lunch Bag Mix”. Since 2016, Jamal has been the resident DJ for the National Education Association’s Annual Race and Social Justice Conference block parties held in different cities across the country. He takes great pride in giving back and giving his all in everything he does.

Virtual Artist Talk with Eliza Clifford

As her three-month post-grad residency comes to a close, Eliza Clifford talks with moderator Leslie Mounaime, curator of exhibitions, about her experiences during her time in the Post-Grad Studio. Hear her speak about how her residency inspired her work and process and hear more about her explorations in printmaking have gone into new mediums such as fiber and cyanotypes as well as her interest in sustainability, identity, and the intimates spaces that make up home.

Workshops on the Waterfront: Glass Art Demonstrations with Alison Sigethy

Enjoy a free demonstration with a Torpedo Factory Art Center artist at the Waterfront entrance of the Art Center. There will be a different project every third Saturday of the month from April – October, 1 – 3 pm.

Join us for sunshine, artmaking, and fun!

September’s Workshop: Glass Art Demonstrations with Alison Sigethy (Studio 335)

Join artist Alison Sigethy (Studio 335) on the Waterfront as she provides demonstrations of her glass art making process!

“I have always been excited by sculpture — particularly kinetic sculpture. I vividly remember the first time I saw Robert Breer’s Floats — large, sleek domes that move slowly and silently until they touch something, which causes them to pause, then change direction. I was probably about eight years old, and these beautiful, magical, moving things caught my eye and imagination like nothing had before. It felt like the artist created life. I was captivated, delighted, and inspired. At the time, I had no idea the importance of that encounter, but I recognize it now as one of the most profound experiences of my childhood — one that would hold my interest and guide my artwork to this day.

“I make art because I want to create life. My sculptures are oil-filled kinetic glass cylinders I call Sea Cores. The name and shape are loosely based on core samples scientist take to study the ocean, but I make no attempt to represent any known sea life. Instead, I invent my own inhabitants for these magical worlds. I choose glass as my medium because it allows me to manipulate the color and transparency of each individual creature. Since Sea Cores are designed to be looked through, rather than simply looked at, the transparent colors blend and form new colors from every vantage point. I focus on the movement of the air bubbles, and the patterns created by the bubbles as they weave through the glass and travel up the core. I plan the placement of each suspended creature in the bubble path to get subtle lifelike movement throughout the sculpture. This allows me to create living environments that generate the same excitement I felt as a child.”

Hypotheses

Hypotheses

September 11 – October 31
Reception: Friday, October 8, 7pm
Juror: Sue Wrbican 

Summary:

Target Gallery presents a new group exhibition Hypotheses. This exhibition is all about the process of intellectual experimentation and/or the exploration of new ideas and techniques in an artist’s practice.

The goal of this theme is to create a dialogue of work in conversation with each other about embarking outside one’s traditional boundaries of understanding. Whether it be based in cerebral or scientific research or experimenting with a new technique or conceptual idea, each work in the exhibition will embody this concept of questioning and discovery.

Participating Artists:
Adam Bradley
Thea Clark
Julia Clouser
Sasha de Koninck
Gregory Logan Dunn
Mira Hecht
Samantha Holmes
Yingheng Huang
Jang Soon Im
Dave Kube
Jayne Matricardi
Stephen Nakatani
Tamao Nakayama
Julia Paul
Mia Rollins
Fanni Somogyi
Liz Stewart
Joshua Unikel
Barg Upender
Winnie van der Rijn
Jeff Che Yeh
Anne Yoncha

 

Image Credit: Fanni Somogyi, Cross Species Connection, 2021.

The Late Shift Online

The Late Shift Online: Art & Allies 3

Join us from the comfort of your home for a special live virtual panel conversation.

Titled “Arts and Allies,” this is the third in a series of art talks started last year focused on BIPOC artists and their experiences providing and receiving allyship to other minority artists in the Alexandria/DC region, as well as their accounts of the arts scene — where it’s improved, where it needs improvement, and where it can go from here.

Registration requested for this virtual talk:

Register

 

About the “Art & Allies” Panelists

Nicole Wandera

Nicole Wandera is an artist and activist from Nairobi, Kenya, based in Northern Virginia. She studied at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her BFA in Communication Arts. Her African heritage is a vital source of inspiration, and she uses acrylic or digital mediums to capture the richness of her culture. Her work revolves around social justice and equality. She uses art as a form of catharsis to express her frustrations with oppression she faces as a black woman. Her goal is to create a visual dialogue around social justice, equality, and a future where we all prosper regardless of our race, ethnicity, whom we love, religious beliefs, and economic status. She believes in activism through creative expression.

 


Taryn Harris

Born and raised in Prince George’s County Maryland, Taryn Harris is a visual artist with a passion for abstraction. Since studying chemistry, studio art and poetry at the University of Maryland she has continued her exploration of painting by working as an assistant to various DC area painters and as a museum docent. Abstraction has always been key to her work and she cites the improvisational tradition of jazz, abstract painting, language poetry and meditation among ideologies influential in her artistic development. Taking cues from abstractionists like Mildred Thompson, Gertrude Stein, Sam Gilliam, Joan Mitchell, Clyfford Still, Kandinsky, and others, she follows the age old traditions of exploring the both individual, and the collective consciousness through the medium of paint.

Her work often foregoes image in favor of the most basic interactions between colors, shapes and textures that stimulate our emotions and inner dialogues. In many ways subverting traditional image vocabulary as outlined by the canon & in other ways drawing upon formal elements of established visual language from mannerism to cubism to lyrical abstraction.

 

 


Kimchi Juice

Julia Chon, also known as Kimchi Juice, is a painter, muralist, and entrepreneur. At the age of 16, Chon started her art career creating watercolors of animals “flipping the bird” for global chefs including Rene Redzepi, Jacques Pepin, and Kwame Onwuachi. She explores the world of fine art with paintings that are heavily influenced by her Korean heritage. As a young Asian-American female raised by a mother who is one of seven girls, Chon felt impressed to portray strong, powerful Asian women like the ones she knows. Depicted in traditional Korean dress, these modern women redefine what it means to be a “good Asian girl”. She has transformed some of these paintings into murals in Baltimore, MD; Austin, TX; and Richmond, VA.Chon’s works have been exhibited in group and solo shows in Worcester, MA; Richmond, VA; and Washington DC. She has collaborated with the Korean Cultural Center, DC United, ‘47, and Apple.

Helen Criales

Helen Criales is an artist, art consultant and curator based in Washington DC. Through the Latela Curatorial Apprenticeship Program, she curated her first exhibition Spiritual Wanderlust in 2019 which was featured in the Washington Post. Since, Helen has worked with Latela Curatorial on a variety of curatorial projects, including their Superfine! DC 2019 Art Fair booth which was selected by Hirshhorn Curators as one of the top booths in the fair. Helen has also worked on a variety of art sourcing projects with Latela Curatorial, mainly Avec on H. Helen is a guest lecturer for The Artist Course: Being & Business and a member of the GLB Memorial Fund for the Arts Curatorial Selection Committee. She has a Visual Communication degree with a concentration in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Helen’s artwork has been exhibited in and outside of the Washington DC area, and focuses on performance and self-portraiture.

 

 

 

Moderated by Kristen Jeffers

Kristen Jeffers was one of the first people to bring the concept of Black urbanism to the internet and social media in 2010 by purchasing and launching The Black Urbanist domain name, which in its 11th year continues to be an online resource for Black urbanism at the intersection of feminism and queer/trans life. She is the author of the forthcoming A Black Urbanist Journey to a Queer Feminist Future, a memoir/manifesto for Black queer feminist urbanism. She is the creator of the K. Jeffers Index for Black Queer Feminist Urbanism, a guide, measure, and data center to assess the thrivance of black queer feminist urbanist people globally and curator of the Black Queer Feminist Urbanist Book Cannon and School. Finally, under the banner of Kristpattern, she shares her own journey into sustainable fashion and invites others to do the same. A sought-after public speaker and workshop leader, she makes her home just outside of Washington, DC and is a native of Greensboro, NC.

Workshops on the Waterfront: Watercolor paper postcards with Joey Wade

POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, AUGUST 22.

Enjoy a free demonstration or hands-on project with a Torpedo Factory Art Center artist at the Waterfront entrance of the Art Center. There will be a different project every third Saturday of the month from April – October, 1 – 3 pm.

Join us for sunshine, artmaking, and fun!

August’s Workshop: Watercolor paper postcards with Joey Wade (Studio 307)

Join artist Joey Wade (Studio 307) as he talks about patterns and nature in design and how he uses theses inspirations in wood carvings.

Joey will provide demos of pattern designs with crayons, using a wax resist technique with watercolors and water-soluble markers. Take part in creating watercolor paper postcards to send to friends.

Joey Wade is an award-winning scenic designer, artist, and art educator based in Studio 307 at Torpedo Factory Art Center. He has taught woodworking and sculpture in Chicago and scenic design and stage management at the University of Illinois in Chicago before moving to the D.C. area in 2014.  A native of Atlanta, Joey’s design credits include scenic designs for theatre, film, opera, and dance in Chicago, as well as in D.C., New York, North Carolina, Indiana, and the US Virgin Islands. He teaches sculpture and ceramics at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes in Alexandria, Virginia.

12th Annual Alexandria Sidewalk Sale

In celebration of the 12th Annual Alexandria Sidewalk Sale, Torpedo Factory Art Center is offering select artworks from our resident artists up to 20% off. Explore both our Union Street and Waterfront boardwalk entrances. Additional artworks will be available to browse inside.

Explore our list of artists here before you come visit!

 

The Late Shift: REFRESH

Second Fridays through October 

The Art Center’s signature evening series returns with 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. 

End the summer with a time to reset and recharge. Enjoy conversation, music, and art activities at the Late Shift’s REFRESH.  Target Gallery presents an artist talk about the all-media group exhibition “A Year In,” bid farewell to the loading dock mural “Beaded Curtain,” take part in hands-on projects, and visit open studios throughout the halls.

Masks are required for all visitors.

RSVPs requested. This event is free and open to the public. 

RSVP Now 

 

SCHEDULE

UNION STREET (OUTSIDE)

  • 9 pm: Beaded Curtain Farewell Vigil

 GRAND HALL (INSIDE) 

  • 7:30 – 8:30 pm: “A Year In” Reception and Artist Talk
  • 7 – 10 pm: Community Art Project in Grand Hall
  • 7 – 10 pm: Live Music

EXHIBITIONS & ARTIST PROJECTS  

image: Mark Armbruster, 82 rolls, 397 days, 2021. Archival Pigment Print.


TARGET GALLERY
RECEPTION AND TALK: A YEAR IN
7:00 – 8:30 P.M. 

Target Gallery presents an all-media group exhibition that marks one year since COVID-19 led to shut-downs and major shifts in the U.S. This exhibition provides catharsis and an opportunity for artists to share how this year has influenced their artist practice. All works are connected to events that have happened since March 2020.

Join us for a talk at 7:30 P.M. with several participating artists in the show, as well as the exhibition juror Nancy Daly. Stay after the talk to view the exhibition up close and talk with the artists in-person.

Participating Artists are:

Kelli Rae Adams
Mark Armbruster
Jaqui Falkenheim
Jacob Foster
Christian Hastad
Juan Hinojosa
Amanda Hodes
Dayna Leavitt
Mei Wu Lemmon
Weina Li
Ron Longsdorf
George Lorio
Katy McCarthy
Manuela Mourao
Meredith Starr
Betty Vera
Sarah K Williams
Abby Zhang

About the Juror:

Nancy Daly is an artist and curator based in Washington D.C. Her current body of work examines how the development of the online social world is affecting identity and social behavior. By creating interactive machines reminiscent of outdated technology, she addresses the contradictions present in various social media that are at once ephemeral and entirely permanent. Interactivity and the vocabulary of minimalist sculpture are key elements of her installations that challenge the viewer to look beyond the user-friendliness of online technology and consider what their participation in social media means.
Nancy Daly is a graduate of the Photographic and Electronic Media MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She lives and works in Washington, D.C. where she teaches Photography, Visual Literacy, 2D Design and 3D Design at American University and George Mason University.

 

image: Michelle Bosch @boschstudios

 

UNION STREET ART PROJECT: BEADED CURTAIN
7 – 10 P.M.
FAREWELL VIGIL: 9:00 P.M.

Join visitors on the Union Street side of the Art Center to take part in a hands-on art project and to say goodbye to an old friend. 

Last month, a car collision irreparably damaged the loading dock roll-up door, home to the popular mural “Beaded Curtain” by artist Erin Curtis. The Art Center would like to invite the Alexandria community to join us outside for a final chance to celebrate Beaded Curtain as it is deinstalled this month after 5 years of unforgettable selfie moments. Contribute to the project and then join us by the loading dock entrance at 9pm to offer a farewell to the work and hear about the upcoming plans for a new mural project.

Interested in learning more about this call for art and other art opportunities? Sign up for our newsletter!

 

Untitled by Ryan Burnett, Virginia Tech

NEW PROJECT STUDIO (Studio 9)
On View 
7:00 – 10:00 P.M.
Exhibition extended through August

Now through the end of August! The New Project Studio hosts an exhibition of the 2021 AIA Virginia Prize competition. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Jan. 22–25, 2021 — was inspired by the Equal Justice Initiative’s Community Remembrance Project and challenged students to design a pillar installation for the City of Alexandria’s Market Square. 

Conducted simultaneously at Hampton University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, the competition engaged students at all of the accredited schools of architecture in Virginia. Students were given the competition program on a Friday afternoon and had until the following Monday to submit their designs. Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury. 

 

A Year In

Gallery Reception: Friday, August 13 @ 7pm

Target Gallery presents an all-media group exhibition that marks one year since COVID-19 led to shut-downs and major shifts in the U.S. This exhibition provides catharsis and an opportunity for artists to share how this year has influenced their artist practice. All works is connected to events that have happened since March 2020.

Participating Artists are:

Kelli Rae Adams
Mark Armbruster
Jaqui Falkenheim
Jacob Foster
Christian Hastad
Juan Hinojosa
Amanda Hodes
Dayna Leavitt
Mei Wu Lemmon
Weina Li
Ron Longsdorf
George Lorio
Katy McCarthy
Manuela Mourao
Meredith Starr
Betty Vera
Sarah K Williams
Abby Zhang

About the Juror:

Nancy Daly is an artist and curator based in Washington D.C. Her current body of work examines how the development of the online social world is affecting identity and social behavior. By creating interactive machines reminiscent of outdated technology, she addresses the contradictions present in various social media that are at once ephemeral and entirely permanent. Interactivity and the vocabulary of minimalist sculpture are key elements of her installations that challenge the viewer to look beyond the user-friendliness of online technology and consider what their participation in social media means.
Nancy Daly is a graduate of the Photographic and Electronic Media MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She lives and works in Washington, D.C. where she teaches Photography, Visual Literacy, 2D Design and 3D Design at American University and George Mason University.
Image Credit: Mark Armbruster, 82 rolls, 397 days, 2021. Archival Pigment Print.

Workshops on the Waterfront: Tintype Photos with Jenny Ruley

Enjoy a free hands-on demonstration with a Torpedo Factory Art Center artist at the Waterfront entrance of the Art Center. There will be a different project every third Saturday of the month from April – October, 1 – 3 pm.

Join us for sunshine, artmaking, and fun! No reservations needed.

July’s Workshop: Tintype Photos with Jenny Ruley

Learn about the tintype photo process and try a demonstration yourself! The tintype technique was invented in the 1850s. Each image is made directly onto a coated aluminum plate prepared right before the image is taken.

Jenny Ruley (@unruleymoments) is a fine art photographer who specializes in monochrome photography. She uses film and pre-film era methods including dry plate or wet plate (glass and tintype) with medium and large format camera. She likes images of nature and portraits. She makes her own prints with various alternative printing techniques, like Van Dyke, Cyanotype, Platinum printing. She is obsessed with Wet Plate Collodion portraits.