Broad Aperture
Christopher Baer steps back to examine one of his large paintings—a riotous field of chartreuse with hints of peach, lavender and pink dappled through—and…
Shouting at the Wind
Marc Castelli’s vivid watercolors evoke the lives of watermen on the Chesapeake with precision and atmosphere: Fishermen haul teeming nets onto boat decks; sloop-rigged…
Reclaimed Style
Wendy Umanoff’s first big lighting commission was a dream assignment. Asked to design a chandelier for The Valentine museum store in Richmond, she searched…
Forces of Nature
Together, nature and art can reframe perspectives, providing moments of release in troubled times. “Forces of Nature,” the ninth rendition of the Renwick Gallery’s…
Touch Wood
Growing up in Addis Ababa, Jomo Tariku liked to sketch the furniture and artifacts that his father, a military attaché for the Ethiopian government,…
Journey In Wood
A long a shaded garden path beside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, six rustic structures beckon visitors—some get off their scooters to…
Design from a Distance
OUTDOOR OASIS Glenstone has always practiced its own brand of social distancing. Since its inception, this private museum in Potomac has capped admissions so…
Street Fair
Editors note: At press time, it remains uncertain whether or not these events will take place in light of current stay-at-home policies due to…
Garden Party
Growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia, William McKinnon Massie, Jr., and Anne Harris Massie were immersed in classical beauty. Their parents nurtured family gardens and…
Paper Trail
Recapturing the sense of wonder inquisitive travelers experienced long ago, Kate Norris leads viewers on a path to discovery through the gentle art of…
Art Scene
From April 22 to 26, the National Building Museum will host the 38th Smithsonian Craft Show, a juried event spotlighting furniture, ceramics, fiber art,…
Gallery Talk
Visitors to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery will experience art on a monumental scale—while lying on a printed-textile floor. The brainchild of…
Glass Act
Inside a converted warehouse south of the James River in Richmond, a white-hot flame darts wildly from a hand-held torch. Sean Donlon, standing at…
Ebb and Flow
A spellbinding universe of majesty and wonder unfolds in the luminous paintings of Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi. As if viewed from the stars, fluid bodies interlace…
Angled Approach
A poster depicting the Vitra Design Museum’s iconic mid-century chair collection hangs in Christina Boy’s studio, located on her father-in-law’s farm in rural Madison, Virginia. These…
20 Years of Great Design: Local Treasures
DARRYL CARTER “In this age of ‘instant,’ the home should remain a bastion of tranquility,” opines prolific DC designer Darryl Carter (above, left),…
Layered Beauty
When Susan Goldman entered the studio-art program at Indiana University Bloomington, she planned to become a painter. That was before she took a required…
Organic Chemistry
A painting by Sibel Kocabasi makes a powerful first impression in the dining room of a grand Bethesda home. With a pattern that suggests…
Fiber Optics
On a quiet, wintry day, basket maker Tenisha Dotstry sits in the living room of her Capitol Hill apartment, yards of rope piled beside…
On Fire
Driving to Blanc Creatives, a producer of hand-crafted cookware and kitchen tools, you’re sure you’re lost when the GPS leads you down a bumpy…