A bounty of visual delights
As 2024 began, we started building momentum in the art community, and in March we are there and riding the wave. While it is a relatively quiet month for receptions, there are several events, and they are quite notable.
If you missed any of the receptions last month, you have a wonderful opportunity to visit the exhibitions and really enjoy the works. On a personal note, I attended a number of the receptions, and they were energizing and thought-provoking. I had in-depth conversations with fabulous people and enjoyed hearing stories about the artists and their processes. It left me wanting for more, and now I can go back and linger over the work to see what really moves me.
The exhibits are vibrating with energy. I feel strongly there are some works in the galleries I can’t live without. In the museums, we have an opportunity to see through the lens of others and to enjoy the idea of art as story, and textiles as art.
There is an abundance of visual stimulation and new restaurants to visit while you’re out and about. This is the best of Annapolis. Enjoy!
Paul’s Homewood Cafe presents a MFA member exhibition of works by artists Nancy Fine and NL Walsh. Fine is an oil painter who uses plein air painting to express her love of the outdoors and the awareness of nature. As a longtime resident of northern Baltimore County, Fine is inspired by the views around her. NL Walsh begins all her images with a photograph, which serves as a starting point or inspiration. The process is unique to each piece of art, but her goal in all her work is to create interesting, visually pleasing, and unique compositions that draw from the everyday to the exotic. Their work will be on display while you dine at Paul’s starting Wednesday, and running through the end of April. Join them for a reception at Paul’s from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday.
MFA Circle Gallery presents its annual small group shows, “Mélange I” and “Mélange II,” to thank artist members who have supported MFA through their time and talent. A true mélange, this show features 13 randomly selected MFA artist members who donated a piece of their work to MFA’s annual fundraiser, “Collector’s Choice,” entered a juried exhibition, and volunteered within the past year. Artists working in a wide range of mediums will have a full collection of their work on display. Plan to visit Circle Gallery twice this month, as the exhibits run one after the other and both are only up for two weeks. If you missed the “Mélange I” reception yesterday, it is on display now March 10. The “Mélange II” exhibition is March 13-24, with an in-person reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 16.
Gallery 57 West will feature art talks by three Annapolis Arts Alliance members, Regina Labofish, Robert Neales, and Sonja Holleman, at 5:30 p.m. on March 19. Labofish will talk about how she started designing and making maps out of wood and the inspiration behind them. Neales will discuss what inspired him to start working with metal and the technique he uses to achieve his mixed media artwork. Holleman will talk about her collections of birthstone jewelry in addition to the creative process behind the story cards she creates that accompany every piece of Archeologico jewelry. “Revisit/Reimagine: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today” continues this month at the Banneker-Douglass Museum commemorating Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights. Curated by Thomas James, this meditative multidisciplinary exhibition recalls the legacies of civil rights leaders and their effect on Black Marylanders and the country. In collaboration with Afro Charities, images of nationally and locally recognized civil rights leaders from the AFRO American Newspapers will be on display accompanied by the work of 13 contemporary artists living and working in Maryland. On March 23, join in on docent-led tours offered as a part of the Maryland Day celebration on March 23. Learn more at bdmuseum.maryland.gov. 49 West and MFA continues the exhibit of photographic art by the Digital Photography Club of Annapolis. The club is a diverse group of photographers at all levels of expertise united by their love of photography. Since 2005, the DPCA’s mission has been to educate members and the public on photography as both a documentary and artistic medium. This show presents photos of the members interests and interpretations of the world around them. This exhibit is open now, and you will be able to dine and see their work through April 2.
West Annapolis Artworks is showcasing two young emerging artists, Alexa Marshall, whose drawing incorporates a unique illustrative quality, and Sarah McLaughlin, an accomplished pet portrait artist who works by commission. West
Annapolis Artworks considers itself lucky to have both of them on the team at the gallery. While their styles differ, both show a freshness and assuredness in their techniques. The exhibit runs through March.
McBride Gallery is continuing “New in the New Year,” featuring newly represented artist Kathy Daywalt, an award-winning and prolific artist with years of successful experience. The show also features new work by Bruce Handford, Michael Godfrey, John Ebersberger, Maria Marino, Jacalyn Beam, Terry Miller, Liz Lescault ceramics, and bronze sculpture by Stewart and Steven Wegner. The exhibition continues through March 30.
Jo Fleming Contemporary Art continues with Jeanne Gentry Keck / Circle Play until March 30. Her vibrant circular abstractions present a glimpse into a complex inner life and playful interpretation of poems and play on words. Alongside Gentry Keck’s paintings are translucent floating glass wall installation and sculpture by Tim McFadden using Murano and Venetian glass techniques. The new space at JFCA, Gallery 2, features abstract expressionist compositions inspired by nature from Maryland artist Beckie Laughlin.
Two exhibits recently opened in the Galleries at Quiet Waters Park, that will continue through March 24.
“Indigenous” is an exhibit of photography by Jack Wildlife (aka Jack Turner), highlighting the fascinating local wildlife that inhabit Quiet Waters Park and the Chesapeake Bay. Animals of all kinds lead complex lives right in our own communities. Jack captures the big and tiny moments that can go unnoticed in our daily lives, bringing environmental stewardship to the forefront of the conversation. Turner is an environmental scientist and lives in Annapolis.
Artist Georgia Rounds’ exhibit, “Dreams and Visions,” presents two- and three-dimensional artworks of paintings and ceramics. Georgia explores the intersection of light and color in her abstract and realistic oil and acrylic paintings. With ceramics, she prefers the muted tonal quality seen in her gas-fired pieces.
Opening March 27 are new exhibits in both galleries: Lars Westby will hang large non-objective and abstract work along with ceramics in the Willow Gallery. Tommy Roberts and Matt Fenton will hang a variety of large canvases, realistic and impressionistic oil, acrylic, pastel and charcoal in the Garden Gallery. Their openings will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on April 7.
Maryland Hall’s Openshaw Balcony Gallery
proudly showcases “Peace on Earth,” a juried photographic odyssey curated by Bill Gaskins. Celebrating visions of harmony, this exhibition, open from February through March, spotlights global narratives of tranquility through the camera’s eye. Gaskins, esteemed for his narratives on American life and African American identity, has handpicked each piece. With Maryland Hall’s dedication to the arts, a 20% commission from sales goes toward nurturing creative endeavors.
Darin Gilliam, owner of AND Creative, curated “This Art is for Sale,” on display in the
Earl and Martino Galleries at Maryland Hall, through April 1. This innovative exhibition challenges the notion of artwork as mere creative output, asserting its worth as labor deserving rightful remuneration. It’s an artistic call to action, affirming that art, in its myriad forms, from functional design to fashion, holds significant economic and cultural value.
MFA continues the exhibition of artwork by members and Anne Arundel County at the Lowe House of Delegates office building. Forty works by 28 artists were selected by juror Dawn Bond, professor of Visual Arts at Anne Arundel Community College. Works are on display on the first floor Anne Arundel County office hallway. This exhibition is open to the public Monday through Friday during regular business hours through April 8, the end of the legislative session. Visitors must have a driver’s license or another form of government-issued ID to enter the building.
To kick off what is promising to be an early spring, Annapolis Marine Art Gallery is celebrating works by New England marine artist Paul Landry (1931-2018). Landry captured the atmosphere of coastal New England, expressing the essence of springblue hydrangeas, the new blooms on the rose arbor, and the light dappling a classic Cape Cod shingled roof, always against a maritime backdrop.
In its main gallery, the
Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum (/m)
presents “Polly Apfelbaum: Sampling a Sampler Sampling,” an expansive new artwork made from 35 fabric samples arranged on the museum’s floor. The exhibition is on view through April 21. In the side gallery, /m presents “Librería Donceles: A Project by Pablo Helguera,” an installation-cumSpanish-language-used-book store, which will be on view through May.