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Potomac River Life
A River Runs Through Me (Us?)
Cathy Abbott
(detail shot of artwork)
Mixed Media (Joomchi with mulberry & art paper, thread)
34” x 29”
$2,500
This tapestry, with its elements of joy and wonder juxtaposed with wounds and cuts of grief, contains both the darkness and the light. The repetitive actions of making the Joomchi paper and hand sewing become a ritual that transforms pain, suffering and loss into new life. Detail of larger tapestry.
The Waterfall Series and the River Tapestry celebrate the life-giving qualities of the Potomac River. During the pandemic, my young granddaughter and I would go on adventures to the Potomac to play “splash.” The water healed my broken heart and soothed my troubled spirit. A small waterfall at Turkey Run gave birth to the playful Waterfall Series, with its teaming life. The Waterfall series evoke memories of my family vacations to national parks and water’s role in the creation stories of many religious traditions. Water is the “source of life” and necessary for humans to thrive. These works have a playful quality, evoking the abundance of creation. Both works employ Joomchi, a traditional Korean paper manipulation process, which combines mulberry paper and water to create a fabric-like material. In Japan, Shinto shrines use paper to communicate the sacredness of nature, especially rocks and trees. Similarly, I use fabric and paper to convey the restorative power of water.
(detail shot of artwork)
Mixed Media (Joomchi with mulberry & art paper, thread)
34” x 29”
$2,500
This tapestry, with its elements of joy and wonder juxtaposed with wounds and cuts of grief, contains both the darkness and the light. The repetitive actions of making the Joomchi paper and hand sewing become a ritual that transforms pain, suffering and loss into new life. Detail of larger tapestry.
The Waterfall Series and the River Tapestry celebrate the life-giving qualities of the Potomac River. During the pandemic, my young granddaughter and I would go on adventures to the Potomac to play “splash.” The water healed my broken heart and soothed my troubled spirit. A small waterfall at Turkey Run gave birth to the playful Waterfall Series, with its teaming life. The Waterfall series evoke memories of my family vacations to national parks and water’s role in the creation stories of many religious traditions. Water is the “source of life” and necessary for humans to thrive. These works have a playful quality, evoking the abundance of creation. Both works employ Joomchi, a traditional Korean paper manipulation process, which combines mulberry paper and water to create a fabric-like material. In Japan, Shinto shrines use paper to communicate the sacredness of nature, especially rocks and trees. Similarly, I use fabric and paper to convey the restorative power of water.
Indigo
Kim Abraham
Oil on paper
7” x 9.5”
$750
I have always been deeply influenced by the nature of place, and I often return to the direct study of nature. My observations have informed a perspective on landscape, and as I paint, I think less about capturing a passive pastoral view and more about framing an active concept of time and space. An exploration of what lies at the heart of a place is what concerns me most. I see a sometimes chaotic world with layers of meaning magnified in a drop of water, electrified through the energy of an insect swarm, or swirled about with distant timeless galactic images. I choose to explore and confront chaos as a constant that forms the underpinnings of life and most things we observe. We often crave order, finding celestial constellations and pursuing beguiling sunsets, but I seek traces of complexity that I cannot label or quantify, like the flight of a dragonfly. These traces guide me to explore new paths and inspire me to paint.
Oil on paper
7” x 9.5”
$750
I have always been deeply influenced by the nature of place, and I often return to the direct study of nature. My observations have informed a perspective on landscape, and as I paint, I think less about capturing a passive pastoral view and more about framing an active concept of time and space. An exploration of what lies at the heart of a place is what concerns me most. I see a sometimes chaotic world with layers of meaning magnified in a drop of water, electrified through the energy of an insect swarm, or swirled about with distant timeless galactic images. I choose to explore and confront chaos as a constant that forms the underpinnings of life and most things we observe. We often crave order, finding celestial constellations and pursuing beguiling sunsets, but I seek traces of complexity that I cannot label or quantify, like the flight of a dragonfly. These traces guide me to explore new paths and inspire me to paint.
Glen Echo Heights
Kenneth Bachman
Oil on canvas
18" x 24"
$695
I enjoy painting scenes along the Potomac River and nearby on the Maryland and Virginia sides.
Oil on canvas
18" x 24"
$695
I enjoy painting scenes along the Potomac River and nearby on the Maryland and Virginia sides.
Dockin' it
Christina Blake
Oil on panel
10" x 10"
$525
The balance of simplifying and capturing the essence of the subject is what fascinates me about painting. Inspired by the variety of subject matter found in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia), I seek out everyday objects or scenes and attempt to capture a narrative of simplicity and familiarity.
Oil on panel
10" x 10"
$525
The balance of simplifying and capturing the essence of the subject is what fascinates me about painting. Inspired by the variety of subject matter found in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia), I seek out everyday objects or scenes and attempt to capture a narrative of simplicity and familiarity.
September on the Potomac
Christina Blake
Oil on panel
14" x 11"
$675
The balance of simplifying and capturing the essence of the subject is what fascinates me about painting. Inspired by the variety of subject matter found in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia), I seek out everyday objects or scenes and attempt to capture a narrative of simplicity and familiarity.
Oil on panel
14" x 11"
$675
The balance of simplifying and capturing the essence of the subject is what fascinates me about painting. Inspired by the variety of subject matter found in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia), I seek out everyday objects or scenes and attempt to capture a narrative of simplicity and familiarity.
Belle Haven
Jill Brabant
Oil on canvas
20” x 20”
$1,850
As a contemporary artist, the theme of the fragility and beauty of the Potomac River was exciting to take on. Just like the movement of the water, I found that I painted with a looser, atmospheric and more abstract quality. I strived to recreate the quiet tranquility of the water and natural beauty that is so important to preserve.
Oil on canvas
20” x 20”
$1,850
As a contemporary artist, the theme of the fragility and beauty of the Potomac River was exciting to take on. Just like the movement of the water, I found that I painted with a looser, atmospheric and more abstract quality. I strived to recreate the quiet tranquility of the water and natural beauty that is so important to preserve.
To the Sea
Georgia Nassikas
Encaustic on panel
48” x 42”
$6,300
The painting I am submitting focuses on different aspects, day and night, of the beautiful natural world along the Potomac River: its deep rock-lined gorge, tall river grasses, and multi-colored fields. An underlying tension of invasive species, a changing climate, and development pressures subtly challenges the raw elemental beauty of our Nation's river.
Encaustic on panel
48” x 42”
$6,300
The painting I am submitting focuses on different aspects, day and night, of the beautiful natural world along the Potomac River: its deep rock-lined gorge, tall river grasses, and multi-colored fields. An underlying tension of invasive species, a changing climate, and development pressures subtly challenges the raw elemental beauty of our Nation's river.
Great Falls
Ron Colbroth
Archival photograph
24" x 20"
$575
Soaring above a buzzard surveys the territory below as Potomac River water rushes over the rocks at Great Falls, Virginia. A great place to hike, picnic, or just take in the beauty of the Great Falls National Park. It is a wonderful place to watch world-class kayaks train for competition.
Archival photograph
24" x 20"
$575
Soaring above a buzzard surveys the territory below as Potomac River water rushes over the rocks at Great Falls, Virginia. A great place to hike, picnic, or just take in the beauty of the Great Falls National Park. It is a wonderful place to watch world-class kayaks train for competition.
Fishing Inlet on the Potomac
Debra Dartez
Oil on panel
11” x 14”
$400
This quiet inlet where you can fish large carp and bass is nestled on the Potomac. It was painted on location, on a beautiful and serene summer day.
Oil on panel
11” x 14”
$400
This quiet inlet where you can fish large carp and bass is nestled on the Potomac. It was painted on location, on a beautiful and serene summer day.
Sun Breaking Through on Dyke Marsh
Debra Dartez
Oil on panel
16” x 20”
$525
I hiked out to Dyke Marsh on the Potomac to Plein Air paint on a cloudy winter day. The sun broke through in stunning rays just at the right moment. The original colors and feel in the study from that day directly informed this beautiful studio piece.
Oil on panel
16” x 20”
$525
I hiked out to Dyke Marsh on the Potomac to Plein Air paint on a cloudy winter day. The sun broke through in stunning rays just at the right moment. The original colors and feel in the study from that day directly informed this beautiful studio piece.
River City, Circa 1835
Karen Deans
Oil, encaustic, cold wax and paper collage on panel
30” x 30”
$3,600
After moving to the DC area, I became intrigued by the contrast between the rigid, man-made boundaries imposed on the city's geography, and the elegant, flowing Potomac River that serves as its southwest border. Was our capital always this shape? "river city, circa 1835" was inspired by a Library of Congress map drafted in 1835, showing the original boundaries of our capital city: a hundred-square-mile diamond of land initially laid out by George Washington in 1791. In this map I saw something beautiful: the controlled lines and geometry designated by our founding father as he envisioned a nation of prosperity, and this sinuous, untamed river that flowed through it with a riches all its own. My painting suggests the unexpected and generous nature of the land and river, and the ways man has tried to control it by carving it into neat little fragments. This river has forever been here and, if we love it and let it, will continue to flow for as long as the earth spins on its axis.
Oil, encaustic, cold wax and paper collage on panel
30” x 30”
$3,600
After moving to the DC area, I became intrigued by the contrast between the rigid, man-made boundaries imposed on the city's geography, and the elegant, flowing Potomac River that serves as its southwest border. Was our capital always this shape? "river city, circa 1835" was inspired by a Library of Congress map drafted in 1835, showing the original boundaries of our capital city: a hundred-square-mile diamond of land initially laid out by George Washington in 1791. In this map I saw something beautiful: the controlled lines and geometry designated by our founding father as he envisioned a nation of prosperity, and this sinuous, untamed river that flowed through it with a riches all its own. My painting suggests the unexpected and generous nature of the land and river, and the ways man has tried to control it by carving it into neat little fragments. This river has forever been here and, if we love it and let it, will continue to flow for as long as the earth spins on its axis.
Crystal Clear School
Marcel Deolazo
Recycled plastics and wire
24” x 20”
$1,650
The continued research into work from the previous year and sculptural installations of the fish in our rivers and streams. The work is a solution to making a sculptural installation that can hang easily on a wall with the problems of how to create a relatively light pieces that individually have character and style, and together as a body of work in different found materials create harmony between themselves. Plastics in our waterways is still my main focus as I explore more creative ways to bring attention to this cause that is close to my heart.
Recycled plastics and wire
24” x 20”
$1,650
The continued research into work from the previous year and sculptural installations of the fish in our rivers and streams. The work is a solution to making a sculptural installation that can hang easily on a wall with the problems of how to create a relatively light pieces that individually have character and style, and together as a body of work in different found materials create harmony between themselves. Plastics in our waterways is still my main focus as I explore more creative ways to bring attention to this cause that is close to my heart.
Machines Learn from the River 1.4
Billy Friebele
Natural materials from the river combined with paint and AI-generated digital image
12” x 12”
$1,400
A digital image generated by an AI that was trained on images above and below the water surface of the Anacostia River is juxtaposed with natural materials collected from the river. Materials: water, soil, algae samples from the Anacostia River, paint, mirror, Plexiglas, resin, digital print.
I have been exploring the Anacostia River with a pair of waterproof video cameras attached to a flotation device over the last nine months, starting in Riverdale, MD, and drifting downstream to Washington, DC. This apparatus reveals a mesmerizing, interconnected ecosystem above and below the water surface. The footage acts as a catalyst for my creative process, leading me to discover poetic spaces between humans, technology, and the natural world. In Machines Learn from the River, I trained an AI on video stills captured by waterproof cameras. It generated a distorted rendering of underwater and above-water textures. I then combine paint, algae, water, and soil samples from the river to mimic the patterns generated by the AI. In Shad Run, I used a 3D printer to create a school of fish. These pieces draw parallels between digital technologies that surpass human capabilities (AI and 3D printing) and the wider perceptual fields experienced by the creatures living on the river.
Natural materials from the river combined with paint and AI-generated digital image
12” x 12”
$1,400
A digital image generated by an AI that was trained on images above and below the water surface of the Anacostia River is juxtaposed with natural materials collected from the river. Materials: water, soil, algae samples from the Anacostia River, paint, mirror, Plexiglas, resin, digital print.
I have been exploring the Anacostia River with a pair of waterproof video cameras attached to a flotation device over the last nine months, starting in Riverdale, MD, and drifting downstream to Washington, DC. This apparatus reveals a mesmerizing, interconnected ecosystem above and below the water surface. The footage acts as a catalyst for my creative process, leading me to discover poetic spaces between humans, technology, and the natural world. In Machines Learn from the River, I trained an AI on video stills captured by waterproof cameras. It generated a distorted rendering of underwater and above-water textures. I then combine paint, algae, water, and soil samples from the river to mimic the patterns generated by the AI. In Shad Run, I used a 3D printer to create a school of fish. These pieces draw parallels between digital technologies that surpass human capabilities (AI and 3D printing) and the wider perceptual fields experienced by the creatures living on the river.
Ice on the Potomac River
Caitlin Garvey
photograph
12” x 18”
$300
An unusually cold winter caused ice to form on the Potomac River. Great sheets of broken pieces of ice lined the shoreline and made a tempting scene for children.
My work acknowledges the unsettled awkwardness of what it means to be human, desiring to be grounded in ourselves while striving for something beyond. We all desire to be at home in ourselves and seek a sense of belonging amidst our community and environment. My art often focuses on nature as a means to explore these concepts, as the natural world well illustrates that what first seems simple is often not simple at all. The incongruity of deep, universal truths hiding behind the seemingly simple or obvious inspires me. I recognize that identity is often tied into things not immediately visible, which lends itself well to my use of infrared photography since infrared captures light invisible to the human eye. This process serves as a metaphor and reflects how the concept of self truly extends deep into familial and cultural history. I am inspired to study how we relate to ourselves and our surroundings. This spurs my ongoing search for authenticity and connection.
photograph
12” x 18”
$300
An unusually cold winter caused ice to form on the Potomac River. Great sheets of broken pieces of ice lined the shoreline and made a tempting scene for children.
My work acknowledges the unsettled awkwardness of what it means to be human, desiring to be grounded in ourselves while striving for something beyond. We all desire to be at home in ourselves and seek a sense of belonging amidst our community and environment. My art often focuses on nature as a means to explore these concepts, as the natural world well illustrates that what first seems simple is often not simple at all. The incongruity of deep, universal truths hiding behind the seemingly simple or obvious inspires me. I recognize that identity is often tied into things not immediately visible, which lends itself well to my use of infrared photography since infrared captures light invisible to the human eye. This process serves as a metaphor and reflects how the concept of self truly extends deep into familial and cultural history. I am inspired to study how we relate to ourselves and our surroundings. This spurs my ongoing search for authenticity and connection.
River Vessel
Michael Gessner
Potomac driftwood and cast paper
14” x 42”
$900
Being by the river has a reverential feeling for me, of how important the watershed is to our lives in so many ways. I wanted to communicate this emotion in my works using the Potomac driftwood I found there. One, River Totem, expresses the overwhelming power of the water flowing relentlessly. The other, River Vessel, conveys the nurturing, symbiotic aspect of the river; like we are all on that boat.
Potomac driftwood and cast paper
14” x 42”
$900
Being by the river has a reverential feeling for me, of how important the watershed is to our lives in so many ways. I wanted to communicate this emotion in my works using the Potomac driftwood I found there. One, River Totem, expresses the overwhelming power of the water flowing relentlessly. The other, River Vessel, conveys the nurturing, symbiotic aspect of the river; like we are all on that boat.
Healing the Tar Sand
Patricia Goslee
Acrylic on wood
16" x 16"
$600
This painting is symbolically referencing the continued need for a public health focus on harmful discharges into the river that can cause infertility and cancer. This is an urgent call for the continued infrastructure improvements to preserve the human species.
Acrylic on wood
16" x 16"
$600
This painting is symbolically referencing the continued need for a public health focus on harmful discharges into the river that can cause infertility and cancer. This is an urgent call for the continued infrastructure improvements to preserve the human species.
Play by the Potomac
Kristina Hagman
Oil on canvas
48”x 36”
$2,000
The theme of this exhibition “Potomac River Life” is exciting as it offers the opportunity for artists like me to highlight the myriad of experiences we all have with the river. Life along the Potomac provides a place to play and recover from the stresses of everyday life. It is grand intimidating and even overwhelming when it overtops its shores. It is vulnerable and changing. And it needs our help to become cleaner if we wish to ensure our water is safe for people and aquatic life.
I have been gardening with other volunteers in Founders Park and I love to see the children play by the water’s edge. Seeing them interacting with nature brings me hope and inspires me to protect both nature and children.
Oil on canvas
48”x 36”
$2,000
The theme of this exhibition “Potomac River Life” is exciting as it offers the opportunity for artists like me to highlight the myriad of experiences we all have with the river. Life along the Potomac provides a place to play and recover from the stresses of everyday life. It is grand intimidating and even overwhelming when it overtops its shores. It is vulnerable and changing. And it needs our help to become cleaner if we wish to ensure our water is safe for people and aquatic life.
I have been gardening with other volunteers in Founders Park and I love to see the children play by the water’s edge. Seeing them interacting with nature brings me hope and inspires me to protect both nature and children.
River Farm View
Judy Heiser
Oil on canvas
36” x 48”
$5,000
The closing of River Farm to the public has been devastating; as a Plein Air painter I worked with community leaders, elected officials and supporters to Save River Farm ~ Successfully! This scene with a view of the Potomac river captures beginnings and endings of seasonal changes.
Oil on canvas
36” x 48”
$5,000
The closing of River Farm to the public has been devastating; as a Plein Air painter I worked with community leaders, elected officials and supporters to Save River Farm ~ Successfully! This scene with a view of the Potomac river captures beginnings and endings of seasonal changes.
Potomac River 01
Jack Hornady
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 24”
$2,000
Whether working on location or in the studio, he strives to capture the way light interacts with structures in the landscape. The contrast of nature and humans’ influence on the environment often informs his work. Subject matter include the areas people usually walk by without noticing or the quiet corners of our lives.
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 24”
$2,000
Whether working on location or in the studio, he strives to capture the way light interacts with structures in the landscape. The contrast of nature and humans’ influence on the environment often informs his work. Subject matter include the areas people usually walk by without noticing or the quiet corners of our lives.
Divided Flow, Great Falls
Daniel Horowitz
Photograph, archival pigment print
20” x 26”
$400
The Potomac has represented the main artery, the aorta, of Washington’s life for centuries, the source of trade, food, recreation, solace. As an Alexandria-based photographer, it’s the scene I’m drawn to time and again. The river is moody and ever-changing: often dark, calm, and reflective – sometimes stormy and turbulent – occasionally still and icebound. The three images I submitted for this show depict different aspects of the river’s life and demeanor, but it’s the image I titled “Synchrony” that seeks to show the complementary, harmonious relationship that can exist between the human life on the surface and the river beneath, as the motions of the rowers produce beautiful patterns in the water. I hope it’s a metaphor for how we can treat the river better in the future.
Photograph, archival pigment print
20” x 26”
$400
The Potomac has represented the main artery, the aorta, of Washington’s life for centuries, the source of trade, food, recreation, solace. As an Alexandria-based photographer, it’s the scene I’m drawn to time and again. The river is moody and ever-changing: often dark, calm, and reflective – sometimes stormy and turbulent – occasionally still and icebound. The three images I submitted for this show depict different aspects of the river’s life and demeanor, but it’s the image I titled “Synchrony” that seeks to show the complementary, harmonious relationship that can exist between the human life on the surface and the river beneath, as the motions of the rowers produce beautiful patterns in the water. I hope it’s a metaphor for how we can treat the river better in the future.
Largemouth Bass
Eric Jackson
Batik on cotton
30” x 44”
$1,400
My work has its soul in naturalist illustrations of fish and waterfowl in the Chesapeake. Unlike in traditional illustration, I render my subjects using traditional wax and dye batik processes. The combination of these pastimes results in a contemporary aesthetic; one in which the fine craft of batik and the fine art of wildlife illustration push one another into new territory. In terms of form, my work has a very distinct surface quality, characterized by the heavy marbling in the wax. The semi-controlled cracking results in opportunities for the fluid dyes to create unexpected outcomes. Much like the path of a winding river, these are outcomes which I embrace. In terms of content, my work is about making connections to the ecology of the Chesapeake. While the subjects are highlighted in each image, the quality of the water itself is also a major element in my work. Water samples from across the watershed are used in the dye batches to tell the story of the piece.
Batik on cotton
30” x 44”
$1,400
My work has its soul in naturalist illustrations of fish and waterfowl in the Chesapeake. Unlike in traditional illustration, I render my subjects using traditional wax and dye batik processes. The combination of these pastimes results in a contemporary aesthetic; one in which the fine craft of batik and the fine art of wildlife illustration push one another into new territory. In terms of form, my work has a very distinct surface quality, characterized by the heavy marbling in the wax. The semi-controlled cracking results in opportunities for the fluid dyes to create unexpected outcomes. Much like the path of a winding river, these are outcomes which I embrace. In terms of content, my work is about making connections to the ecology of the Chesapeake. While the subjects are highlighted in each image, the quality of the water itself is also a major element in my work. Water samples from across the watershed are used in the dye batches to tell the story of the piece.
C&O Canal, Mile 51: Scattered Trash at the
Mouth of Catoctin (Jug) Creek and the
Potomac River
Franz Jantzen
Fiberbased toned silver gelatin print (sold un-
framed)
16” x 20”
$1,675
The C&O Canal Series The C&O Canal ended nearly a century of service in 1924 and has slowly been “melting into nature” ever since, a wonderful phrase from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Ode to Beauty.” I was fascinated by this 186-mile-long ruin and photographed it extensively between 1992-2003. I was surprised to find it challenged me, but I eventually found my voice with antique yard sale lenses for my large format camera, and split-toning techniques for my resulting prints. These indirect references to antiquated photographic processes felt appropriate for a series which caused me to contemplate the experiences of the very earliest photographers and to ask myself, how does one see photographically for the first time?
Fiberbased toned silver gelatin print (sold un-
framed)
16” x 20”
$1,675
The C&O Canal Series The C&O Canal ended nearly a century of service in 1924 and has slowly been “melting into nature” ever since, a wonderful phrase from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Ode to Beauty.” I was fascinated by this 186-mile-long ruin and photographed it extensively between 1992-2003. I was surprised to find it challenged me, but I eventually found my voice with antique yard sale lenses for my large format camera, and split-toning techniques for my resulting prints. These indirect references to antiquated photographic processes felt appropriate for a series which caused me to contemplate the experiences of the very earliest photographers and to ask myself, how does one see photographically for the first time?
Potomac Fever
Joanne Kent
Oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$900
My first job in Washington, DC, when I moved here years ago was at a newspaper located in the National Press Building. My intention was to remain here for a few months. But I gradually became infected with a strange condition known as "Potomac Fever." The National Press Building to me was the center of the universe, and Washington the center of all power and policy, and, being in a swamp, was/is rife with its attendant downside. My painting, Potomac Fever, expresses the tropical conditions favorable for a fever to thrive, plus its lushness and beauty, and the hope that the power and policy will continue to improve in honor of our beautiful river and environment. My painting "Troubled Waters" expresses the recent murky and troubled conditions and policies at play on the banks of our Potomac, involving an attempted coup, war, corruption, etc. etc. etc.
Oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$900
My first job in Washington, DC, when I moved here years ago was at a newspaper located in the National Press Building. My intention was to remain here for a few months. But I gradually became infected with a strange condition known as "Potomac Fever." The National Press Building to me was the center of the universe, and Washington the center of all power and policy, and, being in a swamp, was/is rife with its attendant downside. My painting, Potomac Fever, expresses the tropical conditions favorable for a fever to thrive, plus its lushness and beauty, and the hope that the power and policy will continue to improve in honor of our beautiful river and environment. My painting "Troubled Waters" expresses the recent murky and troubled conditions and policies at play on the banks of our Potomac, involving an attempted coup, war, corruption, etc. etc. etc.
SW Waterfront View from the 11th St. Bridge
Martin Kotler
Oil on linen
16” x 48”
$11,500
My paintings seek to capture the light and forms of Washington’s 21st century dynamic urban environment. Counter to my streetscapes are the many premier coup paintings of varied subjects, whether capturing a winter scene of light and life unfolding along the Potomac River, the train tracks behind Union Station or a single pink rose in spring, painted en plein air. I have studied, taught and traveled throughout my career.
Oil on linen
16” x 48”
$11,500
My paintings seek to capture the light and forms of Washington’s 21st century dynamic urban environment. Counter to my streetscapes are the many premier coup paintings of varied subjects, whether capturing a winter scene of light and life unfolding along the Potomac River, the train tracks behind Union Station or a single pink rose in spring, painted en plein air. I have studied, taught and traveled throughout my career.
Portion of 1 Trillion (micro plastics)
Kirsty Little
Various fish/crabs, found single use plastic
7” x 22” x 3”
NFS
Do you know how many zeros there are in a Trillion? - I didn’t. Investigating plastic pollution in
our oceans, I came up against huge numbers in the media that I couldn’t really comprehend.
Refuse? is a visual representation of the 12 zeros making up a trillion. I want people to think
about how many plastic items they use once for a few minutes and then thoughtlessly discard to
permanent pollution. I want to create discussions of the problems & help create a pollution free
future for our children.
Various fish/crabs, found single use plastic
7” x 22” x 3”
NFS
Do you know how many zeros there are in a Trillion? - I didn’t. Investigating plastic pollution in
our oceans, I came up against huge numbers in the media that I couldn’t really comprehend.
Refuse? is a visual representation of the 12 zeros making up a trillion. I want people to think
about how many plastic items they use once for a few minutes and then thoughtlessly discard to
permanent pollution. I want to create discussions of the problems & help create a pollution free
future for our children.
About the Show:
The Potomac River Life exhibition is a relevant and current commentary on the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act enactment and our interaction with one of the most prominent bodies of water in our region, the Potomac River. There are 40 participating local artists from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, whose work was selected from an open call. This exhibition is a collaboration with The Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRN). A portion of the sales commission from the artworks will go to this organization and its efforts to maintain a clean and sustainable Potomac River.
Interesting topics you can explore via artworks in this exhibit include:
-
Depiction of life in and on the Potomac’s water
-
Inspiring, motivational, and educational work regarding the importance of river health
-
The fragility of the Potomac River and its role in our regional ecosystem
-
Creative solutions for improving river cleanliness and sustainability
-
The beauty of the Potomac River and its surrounding natural environment
If you'd like to inquire about any of these works or if you're interested in purchasing them, please email veronica@nvfaa.org.
To view the exhibit, click on the arrows next to the images. Double click on the image to view the full artwork description.
Exhibition Events
We invite you to attend the Potomac River Life Exhibit Reception on Sunday, July 17 from 4 - 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, July 20th at 7 p.m. we will host a moderated conversation in the gallery with leaders from the Potomac Riverkeepers’ Network and the Potomac Conservancy to discuss the status and health of the Potomac, efforts to improve it, and the possibility of a swimmable Potomac in the near future.
Please also mark your calendar for the upcoming Potomac Watershed Puzzle Project Family Workshop, on Sunday, July 31, 1 - 3 p.m. These are all free events. For more information about the panel talk and the workshop, please visit our event page.
The exhibition runs through August 21, 2022.
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