 Maro Vandorou’s photographs will be on display at Hillyer Art Space. |
Arts lovers, we hope you’ve cleared your calendar for the next two weekends. The 2008-2009 season kicks off en masse with nearly every gallery in the region opening new exhibits. Both Dupont and the 7th Street corridor are coordinating openings this weekend, so let’s see what they’ve got:
Dupont Circle:
This weekend is First Friday, and it looks like the consortium of galleries has launched a new, more informative web site this year. The Galleries page lists each venue and its art focus, along with regular business hours, a link to its web site, and an contact email. Their handy, redesigned map even makes north face up now, hooray!
>> We recommend starting with Hillyer Art Space, which is featuring an exhibition put on by International Art & Artists in conjunction with the Embassy of Greece. Maro Vandorou’s medium format photographs (pictured right) in Fragmented Light are worth seeing not only for their subject matter but for her intricate techniques. Vandarou photographed the ancient Keramicos cemetery in Athens, Greece and created a classic sense of life, death and passing time by contact printing the images “as Platinotypes on a rare, handmade paper made from the fibers of the Gampi bush found only in the wild, mountainous regions of Japan.” The opening features music by DJ SteveLove and catering by Zaytinya. 6 to 9 p.m.
>> Then move over to Foundry Gallery, which is holding Hush!, a silent auction to benefit the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Over 30 works are up for bidding, including pieces by Marina Reiter and 2007 DCist Exposed winner Brett Davis. The bidding continues throughout the month, until the closing reception on September 27. 6 to 8 p.m.
>> A couple more picks in Dupont: Marsha Mateyka Gallery opens Three American Masters featuring color school heavyweights Gene Davis, Sam Gilliam and Nathan Oliveira. Jane Halsam Gallery has the extraordinary and intricate work of printmaker/etcher Peter Milton.
7th Street NW Corridor:
>> Also on Friday, Civilian Art Projects opens Way Down in New Orleans on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Nearly 40 artists and other creatives collaborated for this exhibit, each one affected by the storm or its aftermath. With this show, Civilian launches its new initiative, Art4Rights, “that will serve as a gateway to exploring crucial issues and stimulating change.” Tonight they’re partnering with DCAC to host a preview fundraiser with food, drinks, and music, with proceeds going to the New Orleans Kid Camera Project. Fundraiser is 7 to 10 p.m., $40 at the door. Free public reception is tomorrow, 7 to 9 p.m.
