Join us in celebrating our 3 new summer shows on Saturday, June 21 from 5 – 7pm. See our first animated show - "The House Protects the Dreamer" - with large projections on the gallery walls, browse our “Yard Sale,” co-curated by Art Enables resident artist Eileen Schofield, and discover playful new works in “Summer Showcase” in our studio gallery.
~Classic summer vibes ONLY~ for this reception - grab a beer and some popcorn to watch the projections in our darkened gallery, hunt for treasures in our yard sale, find your favorite penny candy from our selection on hand, and celebrate the first (full) day of summer with us! Free and open to the public.
More about each exhibition below.
Art Enables is having a yard sale! All the normal yard sale ephemera - homeware, t-shirts, old records, books, furniture, and more - has been made into functional art by the Art Enables artists. Co-curated by Art Enables resident artist and yard sale expert Eileen Schofield, this not-to-be missed show promises totally unique items you won't find in any other home or yard. Like with a regular yard sale, the early bird gets the worm - stop by our opening reception early to claim your treasures!
Artwork by Art Enables artists
Animation by Shreya Basu
“If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace. ” – Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space
A safe space for dreaming - one of Art Enables’ most treasured values as an art studio and gallery - is visualized as the foundation of our first collaborative animation. The artists’ drawings and paintings have been collaged and gently activated into 7 short scenes that wrap around a corner of the gallery.
A man dreaming soundly in his house initiates a visual journey for the viewer. A caterpillar breaks free from its colorful patchwork to explore new terrain. Ice cream and cake flowers bloom in a lush medieval garden to feed a Pegasus. A disco ball descends with nightfall, prompting a royal dance party. “Sea monkeys,” corn chip fish, and singing narwhals go about their day on the ocean floor, where mermaids play chess and greet aliens. Large abstract shapes breathe and squirm, and a disembodied, golden eye blinks and multiplies in a landscape of swirling energies.
In a final scene, more houses emerge from the night. New fantasies bubble into the sky above them, imagining the diverse ideas that can spring into the world when everyone is safe, supported, and free to dream.
SUMMER SHOWCASE
Hot, hot, hot! Our “Summer Showcase” exhibition boasts work from 34 Art Enables resident artists. 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 visitors 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.
Image: artwork detail of Matt Schwab's "Astronomy Water Park"