Art Enables Opening Reception

Saturday, June 22

5-7 p.m.

🎵 Summer, Summer, Summertime 🎵 

Art Enables is ready to celebrate the sweetness of Summer with three new exhibitions! Usher in the new season at our opening reception for “RSVP,” “Elastic Tactics,” and “Summer Showcase” on Saturday, June 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. 

You’re invited to rejoice in the creative revelry with light bites and libations and a chance to mix and mingle with the resident artists of Art Enables and their collaborators from STABLE and Red Dirt studios, as well as Baltimore-based visiting artist Lolo Gem.

In “Elastic Tactics” Art Enables artists and Baltimore-based artist Lolo Gem collaborate to create an energetic landscape full of whimsical characters acting as guides and mirrors for a wide-range of emotions. The feelings conjured by each work mingle, evoking a giddiness that could tip over into joy or anxiety. Elasticity pervades here in the cartoonish sense of matter stretching, comically exaggerated. In an emotional sense, it recalls plunging into and bouncing back from a spectrum of intense experiences: the vast and flexible capacities of the heart.

In “RSVP,” an evolving installation, the artists of Art Enables, Red Dirt, and STABLE studios will expand on the imagery and mark-making they find on large sheets of paper lining the gallery walls. Taking inspiration from the existing imagery and offering their own in turn, the artists will work together throughout the summer to create a space that immerses you in playful call-and-response dialogue. Watch the exhibition unfold in an increasingly-rich accumulation of colorful voices, and don’t miss a few of the artists working on the installation live during the opening reception!

Coming in hot is “Summer Showcase,” an exhibition boasting work from 36 Art Enables resident artists, including some new to the program! Most works were completed in the last year, representing both the artists’ calling cards as well as new developments in their practices. Art Enables resident artists continue to be some of the most dedicated artists in the DC area, committed to artistic growth and connecting with the public through their work. We invite you to get a taste of the diverse range of styles the works demonstrate and explore more of any artist’s portfolio through our extensive flat files.

Art Enables openings are free, family-friendly, and open to everyone. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Art Enables is committed to providing access to everyone. If you require accommodation during your visit, please make a note in the RSVP or email us at info@art-enables.org.

Art Enables mission to amplify the creative careers of artists with disabilities is only possible because of the generous support of people like you! If you would like to support our work, please include a donation with your RSVP. A gift of any amount helps champion the work of our resident artists.