Mid City Fall Open Studios
Oct. 15th, 2012 04:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vamysteryfanI had a wonderful time visiting the Mid City Artists Fall Open Studios. The weather was gorgeous - perfect for walking around. Some of the studios were in the artists' homes. In other places, the artists had clubbed together and rented joint space. They were all quite welcoming and patient with questions. I asked the artists to pick a piece to pose near for a photo. They very kindly indulged me.
The first studios were near U Street/Cardozo. T Street has a number of markers for Duke Ellington and other historic sites. Chuck Baxter had these wonderfully whimsical found media pieces. Next door, George Smith-Shomari had turned the first floor of his home into an exhibit space for seven artists. I had fun talking to both of them.
I walked down T Street to the next group of studios on 14th. One benefit from taking the walking tours last month was being able to appreciate the architectural details in the neighborhoods I visited.
Miguel Perez Lem had lovely pictures where he used silver and mica in the paints to add dimensions to his art. Another set looked like a fairy tale forest. There was one where the longer I looked at it, the more figures emerged from a cloud. The second floor had a great vintage clothing store.
Colin Winterbottom's studio was in the lower level of a home design studio. He had beautifully detailed photos of DC locations. We had an interesting conversation about photo techniques. He'd done some photography of the Washington Monument during its last renovation in the 90s. The current team has asked to see them for information to help with the current renovations.
Regina Miele was also one of my favorites. She's been painting in and around 14th Street for more than ten years. She posed with her most recent work, set on T Street around the corner.
Another studio hosted seven artists on one floor. Sally Kauffman had some very vibrant works.
Robert Wiener had beautiful glasswork, including some Christmas ornaments I coveted.
My final stop for the day was Sondra Arkin. I saw her exhibit at the Longview Gallery so I was looking forward to talking to her. One of the works on the wall looked familiar. Turned out I'd seen it at the Estonian Embassy last May where it had been hanging as part of an Art in the Embassies program. Neat! She uses an encaustic technique involving many layers.
My knees were tired and my brain had a lot to absorb. I only made it to about half the studios. Fortunately, they do the open studios twice a year. I'll definitely do it again.
And just for fun - don't you just love this postbox?
The first studios were near U Street/Cardozo. T Street has a number of markers for Duke Ellington and other historic sites. Chuck Baxter had these wonderfully whimsical found media pieces. Next door, George Smith-Shomari had turned the first floor of his home into an exhibit space for seven artists. I had fun talking to both of them.
I walked down T Street to the next group of studios on 14th. One benefit from taking the walking tours last month was being able to appreciate the architectural details in the neighborhoods I visited.
Miguel Perez Lem had lovely pictures where he used silver and mica in the paints to add dimensions to his art. Another set looked like a fairy tale forest. There was one where the longer I looked at it, the more figures emerged from a cloud. The second floor had a great vintage clothing store.
Colin Winterbottom's studio was in the lower level of a home design studio. He had beautifully detailed photos of DC locations. We had an interesting conversation about photo techniques. He'd done some photography of the Washington Monument during its last renovation in the 90s. The current team has asked to see them for information to help with the current renovations.
Regina Miele was also one of my favorites. She's been painting in and around 14th Street for more than ten years. She posed with her most recent work, set on T Street around the corner.
Another studio hosted seven artists on one floor. Sally Kauffman had some very vibrant works.
Robert Wiener had beautiful glasswork, including some Christmas ornaments I coveted.
My final stop for the day was Sondra Arkin. I saw her exhibit at the Longview Gallery so I was looking forward to talking to her. One of the works on the wall looked familiar. Turned out I'd seen it at the Estonian Embassy last May where it had been hanging as part of an Art in the Embassies program. Neat! She uses an encaustic technique involving many layers.
My knees were tired and my brain had a lot to absorb. I only made it to about half the studios. Fortunately, they do the open studios twice a year. I'll definitely do it again.
And just for fun - don't you just love this postbox?
