Arts & Entertainment

SPRING ARTS 2020: Galleries galore

David Amoroso, Delita Martin, Volkmar Wentzel among artists in current exhibitions

Published

6 years ago

March 13, 2020

galleries, gay news, Washington Blade — **Agnes Moorhead** as Endora on ‘Bewitched.’ Painting by David Amoroso from his exhibit ‘Raised by TV on display now at Artists & Makers Studios. (Image courtesy Amoroso)

Local gay artist David Amoroso pays homage to ’70s TV with his exhibit “Raised by TV” at Artists & Makers Studios (11810 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, Md.) featuring paintings of Agnes Moorehead (“Bewitched”), Florence Henderson (“The Brady Bunch”), Fred Rogers (“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”), Bea Arthur (“Maude”), the cast of “The Jeffersons,” the cast of “Charlie’s Angels,” Carol Burnett, Jean Stapleton (“All in the Family”), Mary Tyler Moore and more. The exhibit runs through March 26. Amoroso also displays his work in the back room at Miss Pixie’s.

The Teresa Lozano Long Gallery of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (1250 New York Ave., N.W.) displays “Delita Martin: Calling Down the Spirits” through April 19. This exhibit contains seven large prints of black individuals, which Martin created and decorated using a variety of means in order to “create a new iconography for African Americans based on African tradition, personal recollections and physical materials.” Admission is $10 for adults, with discounts for students and seniors. Members and those 18 and under enter free.

‘Soul Keeper,’ a 2016 gelatin printing, acrylic, conté, hand stitching and decorative papers on paper by Delita Martin. (Photo by Joshua Asante; courtesy National Museum of Women in the Arts)

The American University Museum at the Katzen Art Center (4400 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) exhibits both the paintings of late AU Professor Emeritus Robert Franklin Gates (in a showing titled “Paint What You See”) and the work of late National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel through May 24. The AU Museum is open to the public and admission is free.

The National Gallery of Art (6th and Constitution Ave., N.W.) hosts “True to Nature: Open-Air Painting in Europe, 1780–1870” through May 3 in the inner tier of the ground floor of its West Building. This exhibit features around 100 oil sketches of landscapes across Europe, created by artists among the likes of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, John Constable, Simon Denis, Jules Coignet and André Giroux. Admission is free.

CulturalDC presents “Rendition” by Zoë Charlton at CulturalDC’s Mobile Art Gallery in Union Market (5th and Neal St., N.E.) through March 22. According to CulturalDC, this collection of sculptures and assorted artwork “addresses cultural identity, race, commodity and cultural tokenism.” Admission is free.

The Phillips Collection (1600 21st St., N.W.) showcases “Moira Dryer: Back in Business” through April 19, describing the assortment of paintings and sculptures as “the first comprehensive museum exhibition to consider the early work of Moira Dryer.” Admission to this exhibit and other ticketed exhibits is $12 for adults, with discounts for students and seniors. Museum members and those 18 and under enter free.

Zenith Gallery’s Upper Northwest Gallery (1429 Iris St., N.W.) displays “Carl Alexander: The Last Washington Color School Painter” through March 21, on which day a closing reception will be held from 2-6 p.m. Alexander studied under famous artist Morris Louis as an early member of the Washington Color School movement, which went on to become world-renowned. Admission is free.

‘Yellow, Pink, Blue and Purple,’ a work by Carl Alexander in display at Zenith Gallery. (Image courtesy Zenith)

Hillwood Museum (4155 Linnean Ave., N.W.) exhibits “Natural Beauties: Exquisite Works of Minerals and Gems” through June 7. The items presented in this showing “are crafted from materials like jade, agate, onyx, rock crystal, amethyst, jasper, malachite and lapis lazuli.” Suggested donation is $18 for adults, with lesser amounts requested of seniors, college students and children ages 6-18. Children under 6 and Hillwood members are not asked to donate.

The National Gallery of Art (6th and Constitution Ave., N.W.) hosts “Raphael and His Circle” through June 14 in Gallery 22 on the ground floor of its West Building. The gallery celebrates the 500th anniversary of the artistic great’s death with a display of 25 artworks, including four drawings and five paintings by Raphael himself. Admission is free.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery (17th and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) presents “Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists” through May 17. The Renwick Gallery refers to this exhibit — a collection of more than 80 artworks crafted through varied means throughout history — as “the first major thematic show to explore the artistic achievements of Native women.” Admission is free.

The Textile Museum at the George Washington University Museum (701 21st St., N.W.) showcases “Delight in Discovery: The Global Collections of Lloyd Cotsen” through July 5. Cotsen “assembled thousands of textile fragments, garments and other artworks that reflected his admiration for indigenous cultures and vanishing artistic traditions,” with the intent “to create opportunities for a wider audience to appreciate 3,000 years of human creativity.” Suggested donation is $8 for adults. Museum members, children and current GW students, faculty and staff are not asked to donate.

ARTECHOUSE (1238 Maryland Ave., S.W.) displays “Hanami: Beyond the Blooms” through May 25. According to ARTECHOUSE, in this exhibit, “hand-made ink illustrations by Yuko Shimizu are transformed digitally to follow vibrant cherry blossom flowers on an exciting and interactive journey through land, sea and air” — just in time for cherry blossom season. Admission is $20 for adults with discounts for students, seniors, military members, children and tickets purchased online.

After being closed to the public for almost four months to allow for repairs, the National Building Museum (401 F St., N.W.) reopens today with “The Architects’ Photographer,” which will be exhibited through March, 2021. According to the National Building Museum, this showcase will both feature the work of professional architectural photographer Alan Karchmer and examine “the practice of architectural photography writ large.”

Transformer (1404 P St., N.W.) hosts “Which yesterday is tomorrow?” by Dahlia Elsayed and Andrew Demirjian from March 14-April 25. According to Transformer, this exhibit “reimagines the Silk Road caravanserai as a potential site for the exchange of ideas and culture,” taking over the interior of Transformer with its furnishings, soundtrack and aromas in the process. An opening reception will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.

The Kreeger Museum (2401 Foxhall Rd., N.W.) presents “Objects from the Studio: The Sculptor’s Process” from March 17-May 23, describing it as a showing that “brings together maquettes, sketches and other objects from sculptors’ studios to explore how outdoor sculptures are made, focusing on works from The Kreeger Museum’s Sculpture Garden.” The “suggested donation” is $10 for adults, with less requested of students, seniors and military members. Members are not asked to donate.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F St., N.W.) showcases “Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature and Culture” from March 20-Aug. 16. This exhibit is the first to examine the impact that Humboldt, a famous Prussian explorer, had on “the visual arts, sciences, literature, politics and exploration” between 1804-1903. Admission is free.

The National Gallery of Art (6th and Constitution Ave., N.W.) displays the work of Lynda Benglis from March 22-Jan. 24, 2021. It displays 33 works made between 1966-2003 revealing “how Benglis has forged new forms by constantly exploring different techniques, materials and mediums.” Admission is free.

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (1050 Independence Ave., S.W.) exhibits “Meeting Tessai: Modern Japanese Art from the Cowles Collection” from March 28-Aug. 2, describing this showcase as “the first one held at a major museum in the United States in more than 50 years to explore the significance of pan-East Asian influences — a pertinent topic in today’s interconnected world — through the work of Tessai and modern Japanese painting.” Admission is free.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery (17th and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) is suspending “1.8 Renwick,” an installation by Janet Echelman, from the ceiling of the Rubenstein Grand Salon from April 3-Aug. 14, 2022. This massive work consists of “knotted and braided fiber with programmable lighting and wind movement above printed textile flooring,” with a shape inspired by data gathered from the earthquake that rocked Japan on March 11, 2011. Admission is free.

Hirshhorn Museum (7th and Independence Ave., N.W.) presents “One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection” from April 4-Sept. 20. Describing Yayoi Kusama as “a visionary artist whose revelatory practice has captivated audiences around the world,” the Hirshhorn Museum announced that this showing would “affirm Kusama’s legacy within the Museum’s collection and art history with three significant new acquisitions.” Admission is free, but due to this exhibit’s inclusion of small, enclosed spaces, same-day timed passes — available at the Hirshhorn Museum on a first-come, first-serve basis — are required for exhibit entry.

Waverly Street Gallery (4600 East-West Hwy #102, Bethesda, Md.) showcases “Visual Paradise” by Stephane Themeze from April 5-May 2, with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. on April 10 and an artist’s reception from 1-3 p.m. on April 26. According to Waverly Street Gallery, the works in this photography exhibit encapsulate Themeze’s conviction that “there is visual pleasure to be had at almost every corner and moment of one’s daily life.” Admission is free.

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Photos

PHOTOS: The Bonnet Ball

Annual celebration held at JR.’s

Published

1 day ago

April 5, 2026

Michael Key

Sirene Noir Sidora Jackson dances at The Bonnet Ball at JR.'s Bar on Sunday, April 5. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Bonnet Ball was held at JR.’s Bar (1519 17th St., N.W.) on Sunday.

(Washington Blade photos and video by Michael Key)

Books

Risking it all for love during World War II

New book follows story of Black, gay expat in Paris

Published

1 day ago

April 5, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy Viking)

‘The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram’
By Ethelene Whitmire
c.2026, Viking
$30/308 pages

You couldn’t escape it.

When you fell in love, that was it: you were there for good. Leaving your amour’s side was unthinkable, turning away was impossible. You’d do anything for that person you loved – even, as in the new biography, “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram” by Ethelene Whitmire, you’d escape toward danger.

On Aug. 28, 1938, Reed Peggram boarded a ship from Hoboken, N.J., hoping to “become a proper gentleman” and fulfill his dreams. A prolific writer and Harvard scholar of comparative literature, he’d recently been awarded the Rosenwald Fellowship, which put him in the company of literary stars like Du Bois, Hurston, and Hughes.

Both Peggram’s mother and grandmother were then domestic workers, and they had big expectations for him. Reed himself was eager to study abroad, for professional and personal reasons; he was “determined to become a French professor and an accomplished linguist” and “He also hoped to find love.”

What better place to do it than in Paris?

Outgoing and confident, Peggram made friends easily and had no trouble moving “through the world of his white male peers.” Where he faltered was in his lack of funds. He relied on the kindness of his many friends – one of whom introduced Peggram to a “man who would become so pivotal in his life,” a Danish man named Arne.

Peggram and Arne had a lot in common, and they began to enmesh their lives and dreams of living in the United States. But there were complications: homosexuality was largely forbidden, World War II was in its early stages, and it quickly became apparent that it was dangerous to stay in Europe.

And yet, Peggram loved Arne. He refused to leave without him and so, while most visiting Black Americans fled the war in Europe, “Reed was trying to stay.”

There’s so much more to the story inside “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram,” so much to know about Reed himself. Problem is, it’s a long haul to get to the good stuff.

In her introduction, author Ethelene Whitmire explains how she came to this tale and yes, it needs telling but probably not with the staggering number of inconsequential details here. Peggram moved homes a lot, and many people were involved in keeping him in Europe. That alone can be overwhelming; add the fact that costs and other monetary issues are mentioned in what seems like nearly every page, and you may wonder if you’ll ever find the reason for the book’s subtitle.

It’s there, nearly halfway through the book, which is when the tale takes a tender, urgent turn — albeit one with determination, rashness, and a dash of faux nonchalance. Also, if you’re expecting an unhappily-ever-after because, after all, it’s a World War II tale, don’t assume anything.

Reading this book will take a certain amount of patience, so skip it if you don’t have that fortitude. If you’re OK with minuscule details and want a heart-pounder, though, “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram” might be a good escape.

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Theater

Iconic Eddie Izzard takes on 23 characters in ‘Hamlet’

Energized take on role offers accessible way to enjoy Shakespeare

Published

2 days ago

April 4, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Eddie Izzard in ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet.’ (Photo by Carol Rosegg)

‘The Tragedy of Hamlet’
Through April 11
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Tickets start at $90
Shakespearetheatre.org

Eddie Izzard is an icon.

Best known for her innovative standup and film roles, the famed British performer is also a queer activist who over the years has good-naturedly shared details from her decades long trans journey. What’s more, Izzard has remarkably run 43 marathons in 51 days for charity.

And now, Izzard finds a towering new challenge with the worldwide tour of “The Tragedy of Hamlet” (at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre through April 11), in which she plays 23 characters (Hamlet, King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, the ghost, etc.) in a solo performance running just over two hours.

At a recent performance, Izzard, before slipping into character, appeared on the unadorned stage to say that though infused with comedy, “Hamlet” is definitely a tragedy, a story of a family and country both tearing themselves apart. She also warns that there’ll be a lot of breaking the fourth wall. After all, it didn’t exist in 1600 around the time when “Hamlet” was written.

The play unfolds in flurry of movement and scandal as the Danish prince begins to plot revenge after learning that his father, the old king was conspired against and murdered.

While some of Izzard’s character shifts are shown only by a subtle change in stance or modulation of voice, others are more obviously displayed like court sycophant Polonius walking with a stiff leg and mimed cane, or his ill-fated daughter Ophelia trotting girlishly across the upstage platform.

Delivered downstage at the intimate Klein venue, Izzard’s Hamlet soliloquies are performed with striking clarity. The one actor play is adapted and edited by Mark Izzard (the star’s older brother) and directed by Selina Cadell who successfully fosters the visceral connection between the actor and the house. Directly addressing an audience is something Izzard does exceedingly well. You feel as if she’s looking at/speaking to only you.

Cuts and choices are made that might not please traditionalists. The stabbing of eavesdropping Polonius might prove disappointingly underplayed to some. Whereas, the subsequent satisfying dual/death scene is long and precisely choreographed. Fear not, Izzard doesn’t flag a bit, not even when battling a cough (as was the case on the night of No Kings Day).

Not surprisingly, Izzard leans into the comedy. Her deliciously placed pauses, lines read ironically, and double takes, all gifts of comedy sharpened to perfection over a long career that kicked off as a street performer in the early eighties in London’s Covent Garden.

The play within a play scene finds Hamlet slyly rattling the conscience of King Claudius. As played by Izzard, it’s wickedly delightful and especially good. And the back and forth between the grave diggers done as a clever Cockney and his green assistant is a master class in how to play a Shakespearean clown.

Kitted out in a black peplum jacket over leather leggings and boots, Izzard gives gender fluid shades of contemporary diehard scenester and a Renaissance courtier. (Design and styling by Tom Piper and Libby DaCosta)

Attention has been paid to the blonde high ponytail, crimson lips and matching lacquered nails. The hands are important. Whether balled into fists or fingers fluttering, they’re in use, especially when playing Hamlet’s ex-friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (a clever surprise that can’t be spoiled).

Tom Piper’s set is wonderfully minimal. It’s an empty white walled space with three narrow windows that appear cut deeply into stone like those of a castle. These white flats serve as the ideal canvas for lighting designer Tyler Elich’s looming shadows, ghostly green light, and other unexpected flourishes of drama.

Izzard fills the stage. Her presence is huge, and her acting first-rate. At times, you forget it’s a one-person show.

I’d like to say, prior knowledge of the Bard’s best tragedy isn’t necessary to enjoy this fast-paced production. Despite a halved runtime and obscure words replaced with modern equivalents (“tedious old git” Hamlet says of Polonius), familiarity with the play is helpful.

With “The Tragedy of Hamlet,” Izzard secures a place among fellow queer Brits like Miriam Margolyes (“Dickens’ Women”), Sir Ian Mckellan (“Ian McKellen on Stage”), and more recently Andrew Scott (“Vanya”) in the solo players’ pantheon.

Izzard’s energized take on Hamlet is terrific. The way her powerful public persona bleeds into the work without taking over is exciting, and a uniquely accessible way to enjoy Shakespeare.