Events

Montpelier Arts Center strives to foster a positive, creative environment in which young and emerging artists realize their full potential. Now in its 13th year, this annual exhibition spotlights the talents of visual artists ages 13–18 from the Washington, D.C., area. The juror will award prizes based on artistic excellence, with cash prizes for first, second, and third place. Beginning in winter 2024, interested teens may submit work online for consideration at montpelierartscenter.submittable.com.

Join us as national recording artist Jamar Dukes, Reggie Baker, and Bryan Fox will perform some of Bobby Womacks greatest hits such as: “If You Think You’re Lonely Now,” “Harry Hippie,” “That’s The Way I Feel About Cha,” “Woman’s Gotta Have It”, and many more. If you are a fan of Bobby Womack’s music, then this is a tribute you do not want to miss!

Vibe/Vibrance, a group exhibit featuring Chee Kung, Jenny Nordstrom, Sookkyung Park, Alexandra Sherman, and April Wright, will create a zestful and immersive environment – encompassing various disciplines and filling the main gallery with color and purpose. Kung’s geometrical assemblages provide structure and chaos, where Nordstrum’s photographs depict aged, but resonant structures from around the world. Park and Wright extend their artwork beyond the walls, creating an expansive viewing experience, while Sherman’s drawings bring an otherworldly, yet semi-historical perspective to the earth and what lies within. Together, these artists provide illustrious approaches to their craft that combine into a beautiful, yet unexplainable story.

Curated by Monica Sklar, Assistant Professor & Director/Coordinator of the Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection, University of Georgia, The Sound of DC: A Visual History of Fashion explores the layered influences of fashion in and from the Punk and Go-Go music scenes rooted in the DMV.

Weight of the World: A Reckoning by Alexandra N. Sherman is an exhibition that mirrors our world’s current state. Through collages and installations, it grapples with existential threats: climate change, war, partisanship, and our relationship with nature. Sherman’s mixed media collages are rooted in antique ledgers—literal reckonings—while their symbolic elements transcend into 3D installations. Viewers are invited to overlay their own narratives, exploring themes of nature, history, empires, and change. As an artist specializing in collage, installation, and watercolor, Sherman offers an intimate experience, delving into life’s uncertainty and mystery. Conservation and environmental awareness permeate her work.

Parks and Gardens of the Nation, a collection of acrylic paintings by Ariana Progri, serves as both a tribute to nature and a plea for its preservation. Through a combination of various techniques, every art piece strives to capture the beauty and organic chaos of the natural world and offer viewers a serene escape from the stresses of modern life. Ariana is a dynamic artist working with the mediums of two-dimensional art and the written word. She studied painting in Mexico City and filmmaking in Los Angeles. Naturally curious, she immerses herself in diverse cultures and places. Each collection she creates is inspired by her travels and experiences.

Led by baritone saxophonist Leigh Pilzer, Seven Pointed Star is one of the region’s hottest new jazz groups, featuring some of the most accomplished jazz women on the planet. The repertory features Pilzer’s arrangements of her own original songs and those of other band members, selections from the Great American Songbook, and jazz standards, all performed with electrifying energy, joy, and stellar musicianship.

Weight of the World: A Reckoning by Alexandra N. Sherman is an exhibition that mirrors our world’s current state. Through collages and installations, it grapples with existential threats: climate change, war, partisanship, and our relationship with nature. Sherman’s mixed media collages are rooted in antique ledgers—literal reckonings—while their symbolic elements transcend into 3D installations. Viewers are invited to overlay their own narratives, exploring themes of nature, history, empires, and change. As an artist specializing in collage, installation, and watercolor, Sherman offers an intimate experience, delving into life’s uncertainty and mystery. Conservation and environmental awareness permeate her work.