By F. Lennox Campello

As I have previously mentioned in this column, I have been curating a major survey show as a snapshot in time of the women artists working in the Greater Washington, DC region. One of the great joys in an otherwise immense amount of work required to curate and organize such a major undertaking (I am told that this is the largest ever curated visual art show in the capital region) spread across 8 venues, is the “discovery” of new artists – at least “new” to me!

One such discovery is the work of DC-born artist Esperanza Alzona.

For the “Women Artists of the DMV” survey, I selected a powerful 2020 sculpture titled “Nevertheless She Persisted,” which was created in cast aluminum. Alzona describes the work as “a pair of bare feet plunging through the wall, representing the naked strength and determination of the female spirit penetrating the barriers placed upon us by society.”

Alzona brings an exceptionally diverse and interesting set of life experiences to the table, and which clearly exert a crucial influence on her work.

At age 19 she already had a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and then she spent the next two decades as a professional dancer and choreographer, while also competing as a nationally-ranked fencer. She then returned to school and earned a master’s degree in public communication, which was followed by working as the executive director of the Loudoun Symphony, and then as director of operations for the Shepherd University School of Music.

It was while at Sheperd that Alzona began to discover her passion and natural talent (my opinion) for sculpture.

In a newspaper story about her a few years ago, she noted that “As a dancer, you are a 3D artist, actually a 4D artist or 5D if you want to think about that,” she said. “Besides those regular physical dimensions, you have time and you have movement and music.”

Alzona’s work will be showcased for the survey show at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center next September.

One of the great resources for an artist’s development is learning about other artists, and in our region, we’re are lucky to have an excellent resource in Art Clinic Online (ACO) where J. Jordan Bruns (who is a very talented artist with a fantastic set of technical and observational skills) runs a bi-weekly program of artists discussing and presenting their work in an hour-long live online discussion. I highly recommend visiting www.jjbruns.com to sign up for the alerts for upcoming interviews, but also to see and listen to past ones, which include such well-known DMV area artists like Akemi Maegawa, Ellyn Weiss, Steve Wanna, Teresa Oaxaca, and many others

In the District, Hemphill Fine Arts has a must-see exhibition through April 26 which showcases the work of Leon Berkowitz, one of the legendary members of the Washington Color School in the halcyon days of Washington painting, and Wayson Jones, representing the contemporary DMV area painters keeping the painting reputation of our region on fire and moving forward.

I’ve been following Jones’ work for over a decade now, since it was brought to my attention by my good friend and legendary DMV printmaker Lou Stovall, and a few years ago I noted in a review of his work about the “refined works of Wayson R. Jones, whose technique and presentation just keeps getting better and sharper! This is a key DMV artist deserving of more attention by the curatorial cabal of our area.”

Clearly Jones has accomplished that, as exhibiting in a gallery of the caliber and standing of Hemphill’s, is proof that an artist has “arrived” in our art scene.

And when that artist is paired with a legendary name such as Leon Berkowitz, it adds even more “oomph!” to that artistic presence.

Enough has been written about the great artists of the Washington Color School, and none more informative than Walter Hopps’ “An Interview with Gene Davis,” where we learned that the Washington Color School “members” did not feel much camaraderie, with each other, and perhaps even a sense of jealousy of Berkowitz’s works and relative success.

This is an important show which deserves attention not only because of the historical and documented importance of Berkowitz, but also and equally of note, a new and just as important footprint by Wayson Jones, a superbly talented contemporary artist whom I believe represents a 21st century continuation of the great days of Washington painting.

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.