Arts & Entertainment
SPRING ARTS 2020: Galleries galore
David Amoroso, Delita Martin, Volkmar Wentzel among artists in current exhibitions
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.
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.
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.
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.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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