Art Exhibits

Nataliya Gurshman: Paintings

Published: August 27, 2019

On exhibit at the Westover Branch Library, August 27 - October 14, 2019.

Artist Statement

I am a very intuitive and emotional being, and my art reflects that. I create my work in a single breath, without any pause, so that I do not lose any drop of that inspiration. I am so caught up in the moment of creation that I forget where I am—nothing can distract me from this euphoria. Whatever I am painting, I must be in love with my subject.

Lately, I have been attracted to nature even more and create my impression of the subject that reflect my background, my emotional state at the moment by utilizing new artistic techniques. I choose bold brush strokes of opaque lights to express my energy juxtaposed against transparent cooler shadows, and scraping some translucency into the mysterious darks with the palette knife.

Since I grew up in the northern part of the former Soviet Union, in the beautiful city of Leningrad, winter and snow were a big part of my life. I keep coming back to it more often than not. Some pieces are more realistic, when others are more abstract. However, I express my energy and love for snow and nature equally well in both. Many of these works are inspired either by a real place or my childhood memories and emotions.

Learn more at www.natikart.com

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Artists contribute 20% of sales made during their exhibit to the Friends of the Arlington County Public Library, to help support Library programming.

Mac Cosgrove-Davies: Photographs

Published: August 5, 2019

Pictorialist Arlington and Beyond

On exhibit at the Westover Branch Library, June 18 – August 20, 2019.

Artist statement:

Although there is no standard definition of ‘Pictorialism,’ it generally refers to a style in which the photographer has manipulated what would otherwise be a straightforward photograph as a means of "creating" an image rather than simply recording it. Here I have included photographic prints made with ‘pictorialist’ photo processes such as gum bichromate, cyanotype, oil printing, and carbon printing. All of these are ‘hands-on’ printing methods using readily available materials and equipment. They do not require a darkroom, and can be practiced almost anywhere. Subjects are largely but not exclusively Arlington, VA and the DC area.

Please also have a look at the antique and hand-made cameras in the front display cases. The photos shown here were taken with these cameras or other similar ones in my collection.

The frames for these photographs are made with repurposed floorboards from a neighborhood house recently torn down. Glass is from old storm windows.

About the artist:

Mac Cosgrove-Davies is a self-taught photographer who since 1978 has been practicing historic photographic processes including gum bichromate, cyanotype, VanDyke, palladium, oil printing, and carbon printing. Mac’s images are inspired by his extensive travel to developing countries as well as everyday life in Arlington, VA and elsewhere. Using antique and hand-made film cameras in various large & panoramic formats he seeks to match the image to the beauty and elegance of the selected photographic process.

In addition to building the occasional camera, printing frame, picture frame, or other photographic gadget, he also creates books, boxes, and presentation portfolios for his prints. He is represented in various collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Library of Congress, Maier Museum, and Lehigh University Art Galleries. Mac teaches these printing methods at PhotoWorks in Glen Echo Park.

Additional photographs may be seen by appointment. Contact gummist@gmail.com.

Rhys Conlon: Paintings

Published: July 9, 2019

Impulse and Calculation

On exhibit at the Shirlington Branch Library, July 1 - September 1, 2019.

Artist statement:

Nature—in the broadest sense—is the driving force behind this body of work. Part impulse and part calculation, each painting slowly evolves. At inception, I typically have an image at hand, but this is merely a place to start. The canvas quickly fills with patches of color, shapes, and distinctly textured areas. Then, the contemplation and editing begins. Lines form; marks disappear; pigments mix and change. Layering is where I discover those compositions that my imagination could never conjure up on its own—that is, without paint. As I account for balance and strive to create an engaging rhythm, there is often a sense of struggle, but eventually I am faced with a finished surface.

About the artist:

Rhys Conlon majored in fine art and creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University and later earned an MA in art history at Hunter College, City University of New York. In addition to working as an artist, she has held positions at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Today, she serves as head of publications at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Rhys is an active member of the Columbia Pike Artist Studios in Arlington, Virginia.

Wayne Wittig: Sculpture

Published: May 16, 2019

On exhibit at the Connection: Crystal City Pop-up Library from May 1 - 31, 2019.

Artist statement:

Our mind has the ability to differentiate human and animal shapes from inanimate objects around them. This ability may have developed as a self-defense mechanism to ward off potential threats. However it arose, it permits us to see or create human form in abstraction. My sculptures attempt to stimulate insights into how we see human and animal forms in the abstract. I want to have fun with this attribute to see representations and movements through dynamic positioning.

Wayne A. Wittig retired some time ago after an international career that allowed him the time to add his own creations to an eclectic art collection.

Meryl Silver: Photographs

Published: May 13, 2019

On exhibit at the Shirlington Branch Library, May 1 - 28, 2019.

Photographs taken in the Ethiopian highlands

This series of photographs was taken in the Ethiopian Highlands.

Artist statement:

Most of my early work, shooting in black and white film, was documentary, focusing on the people and street scenes in my hometown, New York City. For example, I completed a major project on the homeless who spent their nights in a church on Park Avenue, where, over a period of years, I came to know the nightly inhabitants. I also did a photo series on Coney Island, where locals ranged from old and grizzled chess players to young working-class parents with their kids. In these projects, I tried to capture the timelessness of the places and the warmth of its inhabitants.

After moving to DC, I switched to digital photography, and much of my focus shifted from documentary towards fine art. Fine art photography allows me to capture details of a subject from a more abstract perspective, and reveal a world that usually goes undetected as life rushes by.

Whereas my focus continues to be mostly on more abstract subjects, I recently had the opportunity to travel to several small villages in the Ethiopian Highlands and briefly return to my documentary photographic roots. Although the culture and environment were completely foreign to me, I was once again enthralled with the timelessness of the landscape and the warmth of the inhabitants. I connected with people living as they had for hundreds of years, working in villages that had changed little for generations. For me personally, the parallels between the quintessentially urban New York City environments and the open, rural villages of Ethiopia represent a striking reminder that, despite differences among people and cultures, we are all fundamentally the same.

In this photo essay of the Ethiopian Highlands, I hope the viewer feels the warmth, hope and humanity that I felt among the people, and within an environment, that were totally foreign to me yet unmistakably reminiscent of my New York City childhood home.

Backyard Critters: Photographs

Published: May 1, 2019

On exhibit at the Cherrydale Branch Library from March 19 - June 17, 2019.

photo by Kim Abod

photo by Robin Kent

photo by Scott Springston

As the population of the Northern Virginia suburbs expands, many local fauna have adapted to the expanding human presence. Sightings of foxes, deer, hawks, owls, and other creatures have proliferated in Arlington and the outer suburbs in recent years. This exhibit comprises photographs illustrating this phenomenon.

These photographs were taken in Arlington by Scott Springston and in Great Falls by Kim Abod and Robin Kent.

Christina Girardi: Paintings

Published: April 22, 2019

En Plein Air

On exhibit at the Westover Branch Library, Tuesday April 16 - Monday June 10, 2019.

Christina Girardi is an artist who grew up in the Washington, DC area and works as an artist in Arlington, VA, continuing to draw inspiration from her hometown. With a focus on local landscapes and portraiture, her approach incorporates the freshness of observation from life, with a unique perspective that inspires new ways of looking.

“All my work is from life, as I feel that is the richest inspiration. My aim is simple: to capture the character of my subject through direct observation. I seek out unique perspectives to represent my subjects, although they may be iconic or familiar locales. My goal is to connect with the viewer by inspiring a memory or deeper connection to the landscape.

I paint “en plein air,” directly from the landscape, and I love the challenge of translating the emotional and physical presence of the scene into my paintings. With the limited time due to changing light and changing weather, these constraints force me to capture just the right amount of detail to impart a unique sense of place, through time of day or season it was painted in. I also infuse my portraiture with this direct approach of painting from life.

The sights around my neighborhood in Arlington, VA and Washington, DC inspire my work, and I aim to continue to document this exciting and evolving area through plein air. ”

You can learn more about Christina and her work at christinagirardi.com or Instagram @christina_girardi.

Sunhee Jung: Paintings

Published: March 25, 2019

Sanctuary

On exhibit at the Aurora Hills Branch Library, Monday April 1 - Friday, May 31, 2019.

Painting of a mouse standing in front of a farm house

Artist Statement:

Traveling is one of my passions, and after having been to many parts of the world, saw that it is quite common for someone to desire to move to his/her “dream” place. This could be realized by immigrating to that dream place, working hard to settle down, trying to immerse and assimilate to his/her new surroundings. Witnessing a lot of people doing this gave me the opportunity to reflect my own self as a first generation immigrant, in the same shoes.

The mouse you see in my painting is not welcomed by anyone nor like very much. It symbolizes “immigrants” working hard and trying to overcome various socio-economic challenges. The mouse is “afraid” and “weak” but is treated at the same time as a “character” with its own idiosyncratic feelings. It gets assimilated to nature and gets healed by nature just as we do.

The title of my piece is “Sanctuary.” It is part of a series. It is my sincere wish that the feelings of “freedom” and “restfulness” I felt while I worked get conveyed to all who are looking at my piece.

Learn more about the artist at SunheeKimJung.com.

Deandra Tan: Comics

Published: February 13, 2019

On exhibit at the Aurora Hills Branch Library, February 6 - March 31.

Artist Statement:

Deandra "Nika" Tan is a Virginia-based writer and artist who primarily leverages the medium of comics to tell her stories. Her visual art style combines elements of Japanese manga and vintage art illustrations, which she then further adapts to fit the tone of whatever project she's working on. Initial concept work is done traditionally with a pen and paper, whereupon the comic is drafted and completed on a tablet computer. Recurring themes in her stories explore the tensions between romantic and familial relationships and the desire for societal recognition.

Rose Avent: 3D Collage

Published: January 4, 2019

Small Art Makes You Happy!

On exhibit at the Westover Branch Library, December 4, 2018 - March 5, 2019.

Artist Statement:

"Small art makes you happy!" I believe that all art should be accessible and doesn't have to be grandiose. My 3" x 3" mixed-media and 3- dimensional collage art grows from a respect for nature. I am inspired by the natural elements of earth , air, fire and water.

Each canvas is displayed on its own easel.

Nataliya Gurshman: Paintings