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.
Friday, April 17
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7:00p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Saturday, April 18
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Sunday, April 19
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Lunch” at 11 a.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 20
“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, April 21
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.
Senior Self Defense Class with Avi Rome will be at 12:30 p.m. This inclusive and beginner-friendly class, led by Instructor Avi Rome, offers a light warm-up, stretching, and instruction in basic techniques, patterns, and striking padded targets. Each session is designed to be adaptable for all ability and mobility levels, creating a welcoming space for everyone to build strength, confidence, and community through martial arts. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Wednesday, April 22
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.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, April 23
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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, breath work 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.
Out & About
Team DC’s annual gala set for this weekend
LGBTQ sports organization to hold annual ‘Night of Champions’
Team DC will host “Night of Champions Gala” on Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Georgetown Marriott.
This will be an evening of celebration and inspiration as Team DC honors remarkable individuals and supports the next generation of LGBTQ student-athletes.
There will be opportunities to support Team DC through auctions. The Silent Auction items will offer an array of unique goods and experiences. Additionally, Team DC will feature an exclusive selection of live auction items for those looking to make a significant impact.
This year, Team DC will recognize six outstanding awardees who have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community and sports:
- Trailblazer Award – Adam Peck, District Wrestling
- Most Valuable Person Award – Sean Bartel (posthumously)
- Champion Award – Dan Martin
- Clark Ray Horizon Award – Manuel Montelongo, aka Mari Con Carne
- Bernard Jude Delia Award – Dr. Sara Varghai
- Platinum All Star Award – Centaur Motorcycle Club
To purchase tickets, visit Team DC’s website.
Television
‘The Pitt’ stars discuss what season two gets right about queer representation
Noah Wyle and Taylor Dearden spoke with Blade in LA
As season two of “The Pitt” comes to a close this Thursday, stars Noah Wyle and Taylor Dearden are looking back on what this season got right about queer representation.
“There is some intentionality behind it, but it’s not necessarily for the representation to be anything other than human or ubiquitous to anyone that would come into an emergency room,” Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Robby, told the Los Angeles Blade at PaleyFest event in Los Angeles on April 12. “I know that we’ve done some storylines with some gay couples, and we did a storyline in season 1 where a woman comes in who’s cut her arm, who’s trans. But in both of those storylines, that wasn’t the point.”
Wyle continues, “In doing it that way, and not making a point of orientation being part of the problem that brings you to the emergency room, we have been told in feedback that that has been extremely revolutionary, almost, and extremely appreciated. But that’s true whether we do storylines with any kind of minority or a person with a disability. We try to have a cosmology of cast and representation on the show that’s indicative of what you find in Pittsburgh.”
Dearden, who plays Dr. Mel King, echoed Wyle’s sentiment: “I think constantly battling tropes is always important. It’s not a show about romance; it’s a show about real life and a shift in the ER. The more we represent everyday people going through everyday life, they just happen to be queer, they just happen to be trans, and making it not the plot, is putting everyone on equal playing [field]. You don’t have to have a big coming out scene.”
Queer representation on “The Pitt” is also notable through the actual actors themselves, including openly queer actor Supriya Ganesh, who plays Dr. Samira Mohan (who didn’t attend PaleyFest after the news that she is not returning for season three), and Amielynn Abellera, who plays Perlah Alawi.
“Doctors don’t put value judgments on who they treat,” Wyle concludes. “That’s not a luxury extended to them, and so that’s not part of our storytelling.”
The season two finale will air Thursday, April 16, on HBO Max, while season three has already been confirmed and is currently being written.
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