Arts & Entertainment
Pictures at an exhibition
Season’s gallery exhibits feature bounty of mixed-media wonders
‘The Good Switch’ is part of Rams Brisueño's ‘Conversations with Flowers’ series which will be on display as part of the "Travelin' Shoes" exhibit at Fleckenstein Gallery. It’s one of several gay offerings this fall. (Image courtesy Fleckenstein)
The Washington/Baltimore region, with its bounty of galleries, never ceases to astound with its endless bounty of art. Among the season’s highlights are:
The Fleckenstein Gallery (3316 Keswick Rd.) in Baltimore has a new exhibit, “Travelin’ Shoes” opening Oct. 5 featuring the work of Schroeder Cherry, Kylis Winborne and gay artist Rams Brisueño.
Brisueño portrays male and female figures, some asexual and some with gender-bending qualities. His profile on the Baker Artist Awards website says he uses collage and painting to show layers of experiences and differences.
“By organically letting the work be painted over, rubbed out or scribbled on top of, but with great attention to the surfaces of things … to texture and intuitive response, and with a conscientious distinction between spontaneous doodles and selected text, composition and personal associations come together in themes of mythmaking … and compositional unity through space, shape and color,” Brisueño says of his work.
This exhibit is in affiliation with the Black Male Identity Project and is part of Free Fall Baltimore.
Gallery plan b (1530 14th St., N.W.) has two exhibits scheduled to open this fall. The first, which opens today, will feature paintings by Kevin H. Adams. The second exhibit, which opens Oct. 19, will feature photographs by Kermit Berg and paintings by Delna Dastur.
Industry Gallery (1358 Florida Ave., N.E., Suite 200) presents “Meltdown” featuring new work by Tom Price, which opens Saturday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. This is the British artist and designer’s first U.S. solo exhibition. He specializes in modern furniture products, sculpture and lighting design.
“I like to think of myself as working in collaboration with materials, processes and phenomena and that the final physical outcome is a product of mutual consent,” Price says in a press release.
Zenith Gallery’s newest exhibit, which features monumental and pedestal sculpture and three-dimensional wall art by Julie Girardini, David Hubbard, Joan Konkel, Barton Rubenstein and Paul Martin Wolff, opened Thursday and will run through Jan. 7 at the Eleven Eleven Sculpture Gallery (1111 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.).
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (200 North Blvd.) in Richmond has several exhibits scheduled to open this fall. First up, opening today, is “Vision from the Congo,” a two-part installation of bear sculptures. The first section features four sculptures by artists from the Pende culture, of the Congo’s Kwilu and Kasai regions that relate to the disruptions experienced by the Pende in the early 20th century. The second part features life-size sculptures by Renée Stout and Alison Saar, who draw from African art and culture in creating their works.
Dec. 23 brings the opening of “Elvis at 21,” which features 57 photographs taken by Alfred Wertheimer when Elvis was on the brink of international stardom. For information on these exhibits and more, visit vmfa.museum/exhibitions.
The National Gallery of Art (4th and Constitution Ave., N.W.) has a new exhibit, “Warhol: Headlines” which opens Sept. 25. This is said to be the first exhibition to full examine the works Andy Warhol, who was gay, created on the theme of news headlines by present about 80 works including paintings, drawing, photographs and more based largely on tabloid news.
Warhol’s headline works also chart the shift in mainstream media’s ways of delivering the news from a printed format to an electronic format. The headline motif encompasses Warhol’s key subjects, including celebrity, death, disaster and contemporary events.
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full-time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
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