Arts & Entertainment
SPRING ARTS 2016: galleries
‘Abstraction’ at Hillyer, ‘Turquoise Mountain’ at Sackler among season’s highlights

A work from ‘Typecast,’ an LGBT-themed exhibit that runs all month at Hillyer Art Space. (Image courtesy Hillyer)
Gay curator Jarvis DuBois displays his exhibit “Typecast” at Hillyer Art Space (9 Hillyer Ct., N.W.) running from Friday, March 4 through Saturday, March 26. Work from 33 artists will be displayed that explore sexuality, gender, race, religion and more from local and national artists.
Hillyer Art Space will also display “Embracing Abstraction,” an abstract painting exhibit, by artist Lina Alattar. The exhibit focuses on rootlessness, belonging, identity and the shared human experience. The exhibit will also run Friday, March 4 through Saturday March 26. For more information, visit hillyerartspace.org.
“Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan” runs at the International Gallery at Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (1050 Independence Ave., S.W.) from Saturday, March 5 through early 2017. Turquoise Mountain is an organization dedicated to teaching Afghan artists in woodwork, calligraphy, ceramics and more.The exhibit will feature Afghan artists from Kabul who will showcase their art.For more details, visit asia.si.edu.
Exposed D.C. presents its 10th annual Exposed D.C. Photography Show hosted by the Historical Society of Washington at Carnegie Library (801 K St., N.W.) from Thursday, March 10 through Friday, April 1. Forty-seven photographs were chosen from a contest presenting D.C. not as a tourist attraction but as a place people live, work and play. All photographs will be for sale.The exhibit will run Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, March 10 from 6-10 p.m. Awards will be given to photographers featured in the exhibit and there will be music by DJ Neville C. Advance adult tickets are $45, under 21 tickets are $20 and children 12 and under are free. Adult door tickets are $45, under 21 tickets are $30 and children under 12 are free. For more details, exposed.com.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery also displays “Symbolic Cities: The Work of Ahmed Mater” from Saturday, March 19 through Sept. 18. Mater’s work chronicles the transformation economically and urbanely of Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit asia.si.edu.
The National Gallery of Art (6th and Constitution Ave., N.W.) presents “Three Centuries of American Prints” from Sunday, April 3 through July 24. Highlights from the Gallery’s collection of American prints from the early 18th century through the present. Some featured work will include John Simon’s “Four Indian Kings” and Karen Walker’s “no world.” For details, visit nga.gov.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (1250 New York Ave., N.W.) showcases “She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World” from Friday, April 8 through July 31. Women photographers’s work will present their home regions in the Middle East in work ranging from fine art to photojournalism. For more information, visit nnwa.org.
The National Building Museum presents “Small Stories: At Home in a Dollhouse” from Saturday, May 21 through early 2017. The dollhouses come from the Victoria & Albert Museum and feature suburban villas, high-rise apartments, country mansions and more. Characters who inhabit the dollhouses will also describe their lives including a woman who runs a lodging house and a surgeon. For more details, visit nbm.org.
“Martin Puryear: Multiple Dimensions” runs at the American Art Museum (8th and F St., N.W.) from Friday, May 27-Sept. 5. The exhibit features work from Puryear and includes more than 50 drawings and prints and 12 sculptures. Puryear is a local artist who had his first solo exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1977. For more details, visit americanart.si.edu.
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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