Artful Weekend June 25-26 – The Art League

Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.

 

This weekend: The June 2022 Landscape Exhibit, The Spirit of Carnival by Beverly Valdez, and the 2022 Student/Faculty Show at the League; Solstice Saturday at the Smithsonian; the Folklife Festival returns; and Phaan Howng’s Cornflower Canopy at CityCenterDC.

  

 

 

June 2022 Landscape Exhibit

For the June 2022 Landscape Exhibit, League member artists present works that capture a sense of place. From quiet countrysides and majestic mountains, to lively streetscapes and varied bodies of water, artists expressed their visions in acrylic, collage, mixed media, oil, photography, printmaking, watercolor, and sculpture. A mix of 94 figurative and abstract artworks are featured. It was juried by Thaisa Way, the director of garden and landscape studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C.; and landscape architecture photographer Sahar Coston-Hardy.

 

 

The Spirit of Carnival by Beverly Valdez

 

In The Spirit of Carnival, June’s solo artist Beverly Valdez conveys the essence of carnival culture in her homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. Valdez’s series of brilliant, abstract paintings speak to this popular event’s history, symbolism, nuances, and iconic themes. They are joyous, musical, and dynamic! The Spirit of Carnival is on view through July 3.

 

2022 Student/Faculty Show

 

Our annual Student/Faculty Show gives our student body and instructors an opportunity to shine! This year it returns online and includes artworks completed by students between the March 2020 and Winter 2022 terms, as well as signature works by instructors. It was juried by Scott Hutchison, an Associate Professor of Practice in painting and drawing at Georgetown University and former Art League painting and drawing instructor, and is on view through July 15.

Join us via Zoom as we celebrate these artists during the Virtual Reception and Awards Ceremony Sunday, July 10, 2–3:30 pm. RSVP here.

 

 

Smithsonian Solstice Saturday

 

 

June 25, 2022, the Smithsonian marks the first Saturday of summer—Solstice Saturday—by staying open late and hosting parties, programs, and performances, including a free concert on the National Mall hosted by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a late-night garden dance party with glow yoga, a wellness day, and more. The following museums will be open until midnight: Smithsonian Castle and Haupt Garden, Arts and Industries Building, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of Asian Art, and the National Museum of Natural History. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (passes not required after 5:30 p.m.) and the Hirshhorn Museum will be open until 8 p.m. Check out the many activities going on here.

 

 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

 

 

After a two-year hiatus the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is back! Spend time this weekend at the National Mall enjoying music and dance performances, craft workshops, kitchen demonstrations, hands-on family activities, and much more—all free and open to the public. The festival is open this weekend through Monday, June 27, and Thursday, June 30, through Monday, July 4. Check the schedule for all of the exciting happenings at this year’s Folklife Festival.

 

 

Cornflower Canopy by Phaan Howng

 

Coneflower Canopy is a climate intervention and sculpture installation by artist Phaan Howng, curated by Latela Curatorial for CityCenterDC. Howng’s practice brings attention to the critical role native plants play in local ecology, as well as the consequences of their removal. To do this, she often creates surreal, future versions of local flora that have learned to camouflage with synthetic colors as a survival tactic. A fantastical canopy of 230 neon coneflowers, Coneflower Canopy invokes a future world in which coneflowers have climbed to the canopy layer of their biome and assumed neon colors to warn other species about increased development and plastic use. Coneflower Canopy is on view through August 31 in CityCenterDC’s Palmer Alley located at 934 Palmer Alley NW.

 

Enjoy the weekend!