By F. Lennox Campello

One of the most beautiful exhibition spaces in the entire nation is inside one of the most gorgeous examples of Greek revival architecture on the planet.  I am referring to the Athenaeum at the intersection of Lee and Prince streets in Old Town Alexandria, and home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), which owns the building and host fine arts exhibitions and events there throughout the year.

Last month the Athenaeum featured Eclipse: An Athenaeum Sculpture Invitational curated by well-known artist Alison Sigethy.

This was Sigethy’s first venture into curating a fine arts exhibition and she put together a show which already leads the pack for one of the top 10 art shows in the area! In Eclipse, Sigethy used all four unique spaces within the building — including the seldom used lower level and urban courtyard, where on opening night Jennifer Schwed, a video artist, had a special debut viewing of her short video i would give you the moon in the courtyard. I am told the work is “surreal, poetic, and lovely.”

The exhibition included work by the three main principals of the Washington Glass School, Erwin Timmers, Mike Janis, and Tim Tate, which as usual delivered exceptional entries by artists who have now for decades led the drive to drag art glass away from the genre of crafts and into the rarified artmosphere of the fine arts.

I am also very familiar and a fan of Michael Enn Sirvet’s sculptures, whose visual delicacy and sense of “lightness” has evolved over the decades to an impressive point where Sirvet dominates the marriage of actual sculptural strength with a sense of visual fragility. Ditto for Lori Katz (who has a studio at the nearby Torpedo Factory) and who exhibited an elegant climbing group of ceramic blocks that spills onto the floor and also speaks of this talented artist’s superb manipulation of volume and space.

Many of the artists in this exceptional show were “new to me”, which is always a great reward for visiting a curated group show, and in this show, all of them deliver!

Sarah Hood Salomon’s Timber is an intelligent work made of multiple photographs that have been sliced and covered with resin to once again touch on a sense of fragility while at the same time exploring the super power of talented artists to constantly deliver new processes to deliver art!

Carol Prusa’s Wellspring (Silverpoint, graphite, acrylic and aluminum leaf on Yupo paper) dominates the exhibition from a viewing standpoint due not only to its central location on the back wall facing the entrance, but also by the elegant way in which it “flows” from the wall and onto the floor. I also liked her wall sculptures with trapped light from within.

At the risk of using the theme of fragility too often, the team of Salih Zeki Sayar and Murat Sener (MUSZ Studio) was represented by delicate sculptures about which the artists note that “MUSZ artwork is rooted in a deep reverence for the natural world. Inspired by its intricate patterns, gentle asymmetry, and profound tranquility, MUSZ seeks to transfer these elements into ceramics that evoke emotions and narratives. Nature is both our muse and mentor, guiding us to find authenticity in our artistic expression.”

I also liked Maduka Francis Uduh representing… cough… cough… representational art! In See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil she replaces the ubiquitous monkeys with emaciated human figures.  Mike Price’s wall wire sculptures rounded up what was an absolutely fantastic group show!

Next at The Athenaeum is work by Jeff Bohlander – that show runs through April 6, 2025 and I highly encourage a visit to see this Maryland Institute College of Art graduate’s work!

Bohlander has had the kind of interesting and successful career that characterizes a hard-working artist. He is not only a highly respected arts educator, but also a superb fine artist, and a very well-known commercial illustrator with clients such as U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, Fortune, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Money magazine, Smart Money, Popular Science, Continental Airlines, The Discovery Channel, Harvard University, Columbia University and many others. Do not miss this show!

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.