Pictured above: Michele Banks: Growth Vessel, Watercolor on Clayboard 20 x 16 inches; Venue: McLean Project for the Arts

By F. Lennox Campello

By the time that this article is published, about 12 of the 18 art openings for the epic Women Artists of the DMV survey show will have happened, with openings remaining at the ACM Galleries inside the beautiful National Children’s Hospital in DC, at the Strathmore Galleries in Rockville (Opening: October 4th, 1:00pm), at the Earl Gallery at Maryland Hall for the Arts in Annapolis (Opening: October 8th, 5:30–7:00pm), at the Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery in Front Royal, Virginia (Opening: October 18th), at the Nepenthe Gallery in Alexandria (Opening: December 4th) and at the gorgeous and new ARTSpiration location in Frederick, Maryland (Opening: Nov. 1st, 2-6 pm).

And there is also a second opening at the DMV art jewel known as Artists & Makers in Rockville, where a packed first initial opening took place already in September and Judith Heartsong has a second one planned for October 3rd from 5-8PM.

Thus, about two thirds of the openings have happened and the shows are on the wall – so far, the openings have been amazing and well attended! In fact, I am told that the opening at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, DC set new attendance records.

While the survey exhibitions have received a substantial amount of press attention, including a two-page review in the Washington Post, I am still struggling to understand the apathy and lack of attention displayed by the DMV museum establishment, starting with the Smithsonian Institution declining to accept a gift of the digital record of the survey, which I believe fits perfectly as part of the generous Terra Foundation initiative to digitally archive American art, but as the Smithsonian told me, belongs more in the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

So, according to the Smithsonian honchos, this is “Women’s art”… not “American art”… cough… cough…

I’ve approached the National Museum of Women in the Arts on a separate tangent, offering to take their curators through guided tours of the exhibit, with the hope that they might find some works which could be added to their collection and improve their holdings of DMV area female artists. So far that has just echoed in the empty chambers of email servers.

Enough complaining, let’s talk about some of the amazing artists in this show – rapidly closing on 600 across the 18 venues.

Some favorites from the work that I’ve selected for this show.

Over at Artists & Makers in Rockville, there’s a very impressive ceramic work by Lisa Battle titled “Flow” which showcases what an artist armed with artistic superpowers can deliver, in this case and organic three-dimensional work which hints of living forms, ranging from small organism to planetary scales.  It is a prime example of what human hands can create when an artist has a vision and the skills to deliver it.

At Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, in the Helen Frederick Gallery – which currently has my vote as the most beautiful art space in the area (perhaps the nation) as a result of the recent expansion, Kate Taylor Davis and Jeanna Davis have assembled a spectacular display of art power.  The walls and pedestals are full of brilliant work by the likes of Janathel Shaw, Margaret Boozer, Katherine Mann, Joyce Zipperer and many other well-known artists around the area. I was especially taken with Lisa K. Rosenstein’s work titled “Goddess”, a sculptural three-dimensional painting full of delicate nuances which nonetheless deliver powerful visual imagery. The work flexes impressive muscles in the marriage of texture and form, as the rectangular forms are projected from the substrate and end up surprising the viewer in the final level with the round elements – orderly and straight down the center and exploding in a riot of forms at the top.

Finally, at the McLean Project for the Arts, I cannot say enough good things about that powerful triad of Lori Carbonneau, Nancy Sausser and Jen Lillis. All of the women artists being showcased there and I owe this hard-working trio a debt of “thank you’s” for their efficient and experienced assistance in hosting this exhibition. As the curator, I am clearly attracted to the work of every artist selected for this show – and yet at McLean I must highlight Holly Bass, Anne Calamucci, Melissa Burley, Irene Clouthier and many others. Every artist in this show is a marvel of creativity and a perfect example of why this exhibition is so important. While you’re there, witness the hardest working artist in the DMV: Michelle Banks.

Her work in this show is “Growth Vessel”, a cool (mostly blues) watercolor on clayboard that, if you know Banks’ work over the years, might at first be mistaken for an elegant abstract work (it is), or a composition of forms and shapes (it is), or just an artist showcasing her power over color (it is).  What it is also, is an extension of Banks’ exploration of biological forms, viruses, fungi and other assorted things that exist all around us – often at a microscopic level, sometimes as a terrifying presence, such as a virus. Or as part of us, such as (I think) this piece represents (and I use that last word purposefully). What it also delivers is an elegant, smart and memorable work of art.

Come see the artwork of nearly 600 women at 18 venues – visit http://www.womenartistsofthedmv.com for all the details.

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.