By F.Lennox Campello

As September arrives in the DMV, it marks the beginning of another “art season”, which these days have somewhat returned to old-fashioned openings where people mingle, discuss art and get their creative juice flowing!

Over at Foundry Gallery in the District, and with an opening reception on Saturday, September 9, 4-6 pm, we have “Selected Works” by John Charles Koebert.  According to the gallery’s news release, “the work of John Charles Koebert represents a decades-long commitment to craftsmanship. Evolving each geometric work from a painstaking study, the larger piece represents a leap in scope and artistic precision. However, the inspiration for each piece is part of Koebert’s personal history. Every shape, color, and line call back to a story carried across years of artistic discovery.”

The works show impeccable technical skill, and in spite of their apparent abstraction, Koebert says, “The exhibit is personal statement about my life and my commitment to art. All of the pieces have a story to tell.”

The exhibition runs through October 1, 2023.

Congratulations to Zenith Gallery, also in DC, which was recently voted as the “Best Gallery in DC” by the readers of the Washington City Paper – it is a well-deserved win for Zenith and its super-hard working owner and director Margery Goldberg!

Next at Zenith is work by the immensely talented Stephen Hansen, as his GREAT MOMENTS IN ART, VI runs from September 8 – October 9, 2023.  The opening is Friday, September 8, 4-8 pm & Sunday, September 9, 2-6 pm at Zenith’s 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC, 20012 location.

This show marks Stephen Hansen’s sixth “Great Moments in Art” exhibition at Zenith Gallery, and in this exhibition Stephen Hansen has “meticulously recreated selections from centuries of painting and added his signature paper mâché painters interacting with the paintings in ways both witty and surprising.”

Hansen says, “I started the Great Moments series in 2014, to take a break from sculpture. I then decided I wanted to paint more. After nine years, it still resonates with me. Through this series I have developed late-in-life art appreciation.”

Hansen is a one-of-a-kind fine artists – something really hard to be these days, as he has sculpted (no pun intended) an unique niche in the rarified world of the fine arts and has had one-man shows in galleries and museums in Detroit, Chicago, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Scottsdale, Palm Beach, and New York.

His unique papier mâché sculptures are included in museum, corporate, private, and government collections including the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection in Santa Fe, The Federal Reserve and Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and United States Embassies in Naples, Italy and Caracas, Venezuela. I expect to see another great entertaining show!

In nearby Bethesda, mark your calendars for the 21st exhibition of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., were juried by Brandon Morse, Jon-Phillip Sheridan, and Naoco Wowsugi. Eight artists were selected to exhibit at Gallery B from Sept. 7 – October 1, 2023. The Best in Show winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize.

The opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 8 from 6-8pm, and Gallery B is located in the former spaces of the iconic Fraser Gallery at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The finalists are: Rush Baker IV, Riverdale Park, MD; Rex Delafkaran, Washington, D.C.; Stephanie Garon, Baltimore, MD; Kei Ito, Baltimore MD; Megan Koeppel, Hyattsville, MD; Giulia Livi, Baltimore, MD; Charles Mason III, Baltimore, MD; and Fanxi Sun, Richmond, VA.

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello’s art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area has been a premier source for the art community for over 20 years. Since 2003, his blog has been the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet with over SIX million visitors.