Arts & Entertainment
Art of the matter
All the D.C.-regional galleries have bounteous fall exhibits planned
Many galleries have new exhibits opening this fall season including Touchstone Gallery’s ‘Color Grids’ featuring works by Charlie Dale such as ‘Chesapeake Waterman.’ (Photo courtesy Touchstone)
There are a lot of galleries all over the D.C. area and they all have new shows starting this fall season.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art (500 17th St., N.W.) has many events coming up. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., performer, choreographer and filmmaker Maida Withers will be giving an interactive performance with improvisation and a temporary installation. On Sep. 27 at 7 p.m. for Cosmo Couture 2012, the gallery will be holding “Fashion, Identity and Interiors: The Cosmo Couture Creative Process.” Tickets to this event are $15 for the public and $12 for members.
The gallery is having the first of what is planned to be an annual community day on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is free and for all ages. There will also be an exhibit entitled “Decades: 100 Years of Style and Fashion” on display on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
For more information on Corcoran and its upcoming events and exhibits, visit corcoran.org.
The Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler Gallery (105 Independence Ave., S.W.) has a variety of exhibits coming up this season.
On Sep. 28, the gallery will be hosting “Asia After Dark: Asian Soundscape with DJ Spooky” at 7 p.m. The event will feature music set against Asian silent films. Attendees will be able to make their own eco-friendly drum and learn how to play rhythms from Asia. Tickets are $25 in advance,$30 at the door and $15 for Silk Road Society members.
“Nomads and Networks: The Art and Culture of Ancient Kazakhstan” featuring gold objects and gilded horns will be on display through Nov. 12.
“Road of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” opens Nov. 17. It will feature recently discovered archaeological material never seen in the U.S. including alabaster bowls, glassware, earrings and more. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 24.
The Peacock Room will be on display, restored for the first time to its appearance in 1908. The room will be open through spring.
For more information, visit asia.si.edu.
Touchstone Gallery’s (901 New York Ave., N.W.) exhibits “Color Grids,” featuring paintings by Charlie Dale and “Seen/Unseen” featuring works by Rosemary Luckett, have already opened, but there will be an event on Sep. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
They gallery also has a few exhibits opening in October including a members show, Photoweek show and exhibits featuring work by Ai-Wen Wu Krats, Rhona Schonwald and Michael Lant. In November, a show featuring works by Gale Wallar opens.
For more information on Touchstone and the upcoming shows, visit touchstonegallery.com.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (200 North Blvd.) has multiple exhibits this season.
“Gesture: Judith Godwin and Abstract Expressionism” features 25 paintings by Godwin exploring a critical period in the artist’s development, will run through Jan. 27. “Fine Arts and Flowers” will feature work from more than 75 garden clubs through Virginia interpreting masterworks in VMFA’s collection with floral arrangements and will run through Oct. 28.
“Photography and Abstraction in the 1950s and ‘60s” will open Nov. 17 featuring work by photographers such as Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Minor White and Gita Lenz. The exhibit will be on display through July.
For more information, visit vmfa.museum/exhibitions.
Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) is celebrating its second anniversary weekend in October with several exhibits. Opening Oct. 4 is “Craig Colorusso: Sun Boxes” at Freedom Park and Waterview Plaza at Le Meridien Hotel. “Forro in the Dark and Alma Tropicalia,” a party featuring Brazilian music and more is Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. in the Ballroom. Tickets are $20. On Oct. 7, there will be a free family day open house from 1 to 4 p.m.
Artisphere will also be holding Yarn Bomb meet-ups and stitch sessions on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. starting Oct. 17.
There are a few exhibits currently on view that will run throughout the fall including “Beyond the Parking Lot: The Change and Re-Assesment of Our Modern Landscape” will run through Nov. 4 and was inspired by the Joni Mitchell song “Big Yellow Taxi” and features contemporary landscapes by artists who are observing these changes, exposing the use of the environment in compromising ways and instigates the discussion of “where do we go from here?”
For more information, visit artisphere.com.
Torpedo Factory (105 North Union St.) is having a free event during the Alexandria King Street Art Festival. The sixth annual Art Activated will give festival attendees not only a place to cool down, but also several hands-on activities. Visitors can do screen-printing, bubble gum art, create their own button and more. There will also be a Q-Art Code Scavenger Hunt with a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to the Torpedo Factory.
For more information, visit torpedofactory.org/artactivated.
Other galleries that always have interesting exhibits and are worth checking out include Aaron Gallery at 2101 L Street NW (aarongallerydc.com), The Art League in Alexandria at 105 North Union Street (theartleague.org), Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens at 4155 Linnean Ave., N.W. (hillwoodmuseum.org), the Fridge D.C. at 516 8th Street, S.E. (thefridgedc.com) the Kreeger Museum at 2401 Foxhall Road, N.W. (kreegermuseum.org), the National Gallery of Art at 4th and Constitution Ave., N.W. (nga.gov) and the brand new Northern Virginia Art Center at 2120-A Crystal Plaza Arcade in Arlington (novaartcenter.org).
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center is marking a milestone year in its new home with a vibrant birthday celebration, inviting the community, allies, and media to join the festivities on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.
Since opening its doors in Shaw, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center has become a hub of support, advocacy, and celebration for LGBTQ+ residents across the District.
The birthday bash promises a day of programming including Yoga (Center Wellness), Micro Bouquet Making (Center Social), Zine Making (Center Arts), and so much more. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Center’s expanded facilities, showcasing spaces for programs, services, and community events.
Since relocating, the Center has expanded its programs, providing critical services. The birthday bash underscores the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s commitment to creating an inclusive space where everyone regardless of identity, age, or background can find community and empowerment.
For more details, contact Paul Marengo at 202-705-2890.
Friday, April 24
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.
Lesbian Visibility Week will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. There will be a special screening of “Ahead of the Curve.” Enjoy an evening of film, conversation, and community, with cocktails and beverages available throughout the night For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, April 25
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.
Sunday, April 26
Nellie’s Sports Bar will host “Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets start at $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 27
“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]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, April 28
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Candlelight Vigil” at 6:30 p.m. This is a vigil centered on reflection, support, and collective care. Attendees are encouraged to gather at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m. and concluding by 8 p.m. The event will take place on the closed-off Wiltberger Street, providing a dedicated and intimate space for remembrance. Electronic candle lights will be available to participants. For those seeking additional support or who have questions ahead of the event, please contact [email protected].
Wednesday, April 29
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.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, April 30
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 p.m. 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.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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