Header Image: Baltimore Beat, Artist Amy Sherald poses for a portrait at the Baltimore Museum of Art on October 10, 2025. Photograph Credit: SHAN Wallace/Baltimore Beat
This week’s news includes: Amy Sherald shines brightly in Baltimore, Hilton Carter makes his house a home, Inviting Light returns with a Wickerham & Lomax, John Akomfrah moving image + sound installation opens at the BMA, mayorial portraits unveiled at City Hall, Maryland Film Fest is here, Tony Foreman teams up with The Maryland Food Bank, MOCA Arlington Solos artists, and Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship Cohort — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.
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Amy Sherald brings ‘American Sublime’ to Baltimore, recalling how the city shaped her
by Wesley Case
Published November 2 in Baltimore Banner
More than two decades ago, Amy Sherald knew nothing about Maryland.
But a friend from Sherald’s alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, suggested the aspiring painter, then 28, check out Maryland Institute College of Art for graduate school.
“I was like, ‘Where is Baltimore?’ I had no idea,” Sherald said to laughs Sunday at the Baltimore Museum of Art during a sold-out Q&A with the museum’s director, Asma Naeem. “It was the best decision I ever made.”
Sherald, who lives in New York and works out of a New Jersey studio, was back in town for her midcareer retrospective, “American Sublime,” which opened to the public Sunday morning at the BMA. The exhibit, which requires a paid ticketed reservation, runs through April 5. (Admission is free on Thursday evenings and free all day on Jan. 15 and Feb. 19.)
On Sunday, the museum was abuzz with excitement for the opening — a major achievement for the BMA, which joined the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and New York’s Whitney Museum of Modern Art as the only American museums to host the 52-year-old’s acclaimed exhibition.
Initially, Baltimore was not its next destination. Things changed quickly in July, when Sherald pulled the scheduled midcareer survey from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington over potential censorship concerns regarding “Trans Forming Liberty,” her portrait of trans model Arewà Basit as the Statue of Liberty.
In September, the BMA announced it would host the exhibit that had the art world talking — in its entirety.
“This is where ‘American Sublime’ should have been all along,” Leslie King-Hammond, founding director of MICA’s Center for Race and Culture, said to cheers as she introduced Sherald and Naeem. Sherald lived in Baltimore from 2001 to 2018.
Located in the BMA’s Contemporary Wing, “American Sublime” features nearly 40 paintings that capture Sherald’s evolution as a master portraitist. They include the works that have made the Columbus, Georgia, native “one of the most important painters of our time,” according to Naeem, such as her portraits of first lady Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, the young Black woman killed by Kentucky police in 2020.
Roughly half of the portraits, which feature Sherald’s trademark style of using grayscale for skin color, were created in Baltimore with local sitters as the subjects. They include a young woman holding an oversize teacup for “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)” and a sharply dressed gentleman in a turquoise bow tie in “The Rabbit in the Hat.”
Sherald, who took the stage dancing to the booming bass of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli,” covered much ground in the wide-ranging, often funny conversation — though “Trans Forming Liberty” and her decision to pull the exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery did not come up.
For nearly an hour, Sherald discussed lessons she learned from artist Grace Hartigan at MICA, how she chooses her striking colors and what draws her to the people she paints.
“It’s facial features. It’s symmetry. Sometimes it’s asymmetry. Sometimes it’s just an energy or a presence,” she said. “Sometimes it’s beauty, sometimes it’s not, you know? It’s a little bit of everything.”
Baltimore artist Alma Roberts said the excitement over the arrival of “American Sublime” is palpable throughout the city. She said Sherald should be commended for the “amazing creativity of her artwork” and her decision to remove the exhibit in Washington amid the Trump administration’s criticism of “woke” art.
“She took a stand for the credibility of her work and the authenticity of her work — and for artists in general,” Roberts said. “For that, she has soared beyond even the wonderfulness of her work.”
Attendee Lisa White, a Baltimore resident who grew up in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, said she couldn’t wait to see the exhibit because Sherald’s paintings are filled with life and humanity. They are visually arresting and appealing, whether a viewer knows art history or not.
“She makes it exciting,” White said. “For people who really don’t do well with art, one way or another, she brings them in. I love that about her.”
During the talk, Naeem asked Sherald what she hopes young Black kids will think and feel after seeing “American Sublime.”
“Just joy. That’s all,” she replied.
Sherald is working on a theater project she “can’t speak too much about,” while she’s also interested in pursuing sculpture and photography.
Still, the portraitist inside Sherald is alive and well; she constantly keeps an eye out for the next subject that will spark her creativity. It still happens in Baltimore, as when she saw a woman last week at Mom’s Organic Market but “chickened out” before making an introduction.
“I should probably just spend a month here, once a year, and just roam the streets,” Sherald said. Applause immediately followed — a sign she should always feel free to come back home.
This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebanner.com for more.
:: See Also ::
The Baltimore Museum of Art offered to ‘move mountains’ to land the ‘Amy Sherald: American Sublime’ exhibit, director says
by Ed Gunts
Published October 31 in Baltimore Fishbowl
Epically, ecstatically, and sublimely Black: A reflection on Amy Sherald’s mid-career retrospective at the Baltimore Museum of Art
by Angela N. Carroll
Published November 4 in Baltimore Beat
Excerpt: Standing before Amy Sherald’s work, you must learn to stretch; many of her canvases require the reorientation of your perspective, inspire you to become more flexible about your vantage, crane your neck upward in reverence to the quiet opulence of lives well lived.
To see her defiantly whole and beaming portraits is like the first time you experience a sky free from light pollution. Humbled, you realize the absurdity of doubt.
It’s not just the immensity of the work that’s encouraging; it’s the way her portraiture expands our collective assessments about identity, so that the read becomes too broad, too complex, to be pigeonholed. Amy Sherald’s opus is so impressively generative, odd, and satisfying in its epic reflection of real people living real lives that it advances a triumphant acknowledgement. These renderings are more heroic than some will ever be willing to appraise.
:: See Also ::
Six Works You Can’t Miss at the BMA’s Amy Sherald Exhibit
by Lydia Woolever
Published October 29 in Baltimore Magazine
Hilton Carter’s New Book, ‘Unfurled,’ Shares a Very Special Home–His Own
by Janelle Erlichman Diamond | Photography by Hilton Carter
Published October 29 in Baltimore Magazine
Excerpt: It’s hard to miss Hilton Carter. Yes, the plant lover, author, and interior stylist is a big guy (6’5” to be exact) but he also just seems to be everywhere these days. On the Today show bantering with Craig Melvin and Al Roker; recording his podcast, Inside Hilton’s Head; and on Instagram (@hilton-carter) talking plant care, styling tips, and dad life to his 680,000 followers.
The fact that he has a few hours to spend at Artifact Coffee—looking fashion forward and fresh as usual in a philodendron-green terrycloth shirt, baseball cap with an embroidered H, and Birkenstock Boston clogs—almost seems impossible. There’s a calmness to him—and an ease that, yes, comes with age (he’s 45)—as well as a sense that he’s finally letting himself exhale.
This gigantic wave he’s been riding is, in fact, his career and not a passing fad about to crash ashore.
‘Inviting Light’ Public Art Initiative Celebrates Illuminating Baltimore’s Arts District
Press Release :: November 5
There’s a light going on in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District, as the fourth installation of the Inviting Light public art initiative, Soft Gym, will be unveiled during a public party the evening of Wed., Nov. 12 at the new Ynot Lot (101 North Ave.). The celebration marks not only the debut of the public space but also a celebration of the larger Inviting Light public art project.
Curated by Baltimore’s own Derrick Adams, and supported by a $1 million grant as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, Inviting Light uses creative lighting to continue efforts to revitalize Station North with five site-specific temporary public art installations and dynamic community programming.
Wickerham & Lomax, the duo of new media artists Daniel Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax, explore how culture shapes individuals and communities. Their Inviting Light installation, Soft Gym, transforms the 3,825 sq. ft. space by combining playground, training ground, and gathering spot, engaging both the body and the eyes in emotion, gesture, and movement.
With a Gym Rig, Stage, Marble Benches, Ice Bags, ONE/All (Stools), Padded Wall with Squeegee Sconces, Remnant Work (Window Display), and Coach, Trainer, Friend (Light Boxes), Soft Gym’s installation elements enhance the performance space at the newly reimagined Ynot Lot.
“Inviting Light represents Baltimore’s creativity, community, and connection through light and art,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “We saw a need to invest in lighting infrastructure in Station North, and thanks to our partners at Bloomberg Philanthropies, the vision of Derrick Adams and these talented artists, we were able to deliver these practical and beautiful installations. I look forward to celebrating Inviting Light on November 12th. Baltimore: show up, show out, and bring your light!”
November 12 Community Celebration
On Wed., Nov. 12, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., a community celebration at the new Ynot Lot will feature the opening of Soft Gym, along with exclusive guided tours to view all four Inviting Light installations currently on display throughout the neighborhood. Free to attend, guests will enjoy an evening of movement compositions choreographed by Babette Pendleton, accompanied by a sound score, and a sensory food tasting experience by Casa de la Crema (also known as Nina MK and Miigun), all inspired by Soft Gym. Additional small bites and beverages will be served across the street at Mobtown Ballroom & Cafe with music by DJ Chris Brooks. There will also be a special Inviting Light art activity to take home. Explore light projections and installations by digital artist Alec Sparks near neighboring Inviting Light sites in Station North. Remarks by Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, representatives from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the artists will begin at 6:15 p.m. RSVPs are encouraged: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soft-gym-opening-inviting-light-sites-celebration-tickets-1854913900409?aff=oddtdtcreator
About Inviting Light Baltimore
Inviting Light Baltimore is a citywide public art initiative supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge that explores how light can transform urban spaces and strengthen community connections after dark. Through a series of artist-designed installations across Baltimore neighborhoods, the project reimagines how lighting can promote safety, belonging, and joy. Since its February 2025 launch, Inviting Light has unveiled three out of five art installations across the Station North Arts District:
- Tony Shore’s Aurora
- Zoë Charlton’s Third Watch
- Phaan Howng’s Big Ass Snake (Plants) On a Plane
About the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge brings together cities and their leaders, residents, and artists to develop temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to apply for up to $1 million in funding. More than 150 cities from 40 U.S. states applied, and Bloomberg Philanthropies selected eight winning cities, including Baltimore, to develop projects. Since launching in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has spurred more than $100 million in economic benefits for participating cities and action across a range of civic issues.
BMA to Unveil New Immersive Moving Image and Sound Installation by Acclaimed Artist John Akomfrah
Press Release :: November 5
On November 16, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will open John Akomfrah: The Hour Of The Dog, a new immersive installation by the acclaimed artist and filmmaker that creates a dynamic dialogue between the powerful history of the Civil Rights Movement and contemporary experience. Co-commissioned by the BMA and the Menil Collection in Houston, and formally added to the BMA’s collection in 2021, the work engages viewers through moving images across six screens and a multi-channel soundscape. Drawing on archival materials as well as newly filmed footage, The Hour Of The Dog radiates the palpable energy of activist movements and invites reflection on memory, cultural authorship, and the fluidity between past and present. The installation will remain on view at the BMA through February 1, 2026, and then travel to the Menil Collection later in 2026. At the BMA, the presentation will be accompanied by interpretation and programs that highlight Civil Rights activists and campaigns in the Baltimore region, unearthing the global legacies of local actions.
“The 1960s in the U.S. have always featured heavily on the edges of my imagination,” said Akomfrah. “I grew up reading about figures from the Civil Rights Movement—people I absolutely idolized. It was not merely a time of protest, but a moment when Blackness articulated itself with a radical clarity. Returning to that moment, to those voices, is less about nostalgia and more about listening again—and differently.”
The Hour Of The Dog blends archival materials of events and collective actions undertaken by activists, especially young people, across the United States in the Civil Rights era with new footage captured across a range of locales, including fields at dawn, derelict civic buildings, and constructed interiors. The visual narrative, which flickers across time and experience, is amplified by an original soundscape composed of archival audio, fragments of music and people speaking, ambient sounds drawn from natural and urban environments, and original scores by the artist. Together, the six-channel installation creates a textured and encompassing environment that brings historical narratives into active conversation with the present moment.
As a contextual companion to Akomfrah’s work, the exhibition also includes a timeline created by the BMA and in collaboration with community partners, including Afro Charities, the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, documenting how civil rights activism in Baltimore and Maryland has sparked national change.
“The power of John Akomfrah’s work lives in his ability to leverage the moving image to bend time and place to capture the raw essence and emotion of a subject. The Hour Of The Dog is a brilliant reflection of his artistic prowess and speaks poignantly to the significance of the Civil Rights Movement within its historical moment and in the context of today’s socio-political climate,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “We are thrilled to have partnered with John and our colleagues at the Menil Collection to help bring this incredible work to fruition, and to now share it with our communities. I am also proud that Baltimore’s own rich history of civil rights activism will be featured as part of our ongoing commitment to celebrate the many people who have shaped this place.”
John Akomfrah: The Hour Of The Dog is co-curated by Cecilia Wichmann, BMA Curator and Department Head of Contemporary Art, and Michelle White, the Menil Collection Senior Curator, with Oscar Flores-Montero, BMA Curatorial Assistant of Contemporary Art.
Major support for this exhibition has been generously provided by Nancy Dorman and Stanley Mazaroff and the Suzanne F. Cohen Exhibition Fund. Free admission to this exhibition is provided by Nancy Dorman and Stanley Mazaroff. […]
Portraits of four former Baltimore mayors unveiled at City Hall
by Ed Gunts
Published November 3 in Baltimore Fishbowl
Excerpt: Mayor Brandon Scott unveiled the portraits of four former Baltimore mayors on Saturday in a City Hall ceremony called “Portraits of Power.”
“This collection of portraits will…add some much-needed diversity to the walls of City Hall, including of course the first three women and the best-looking bald head,” Scott said at the ceremony.
The portraits were the result of a competition that Scott launched last year to identify artists to paint the likenesses of former mayors not already represented in City Hall’s second-floor Hyman Aaron Pressman Board Room, where the Board of Estimates meets and which doubles as a mayoral portrait gallery.
Maryland Film Festival Announces Special Events, Special Guests and Special Screenings
Press Release :: November 5
Taking place Nov. 5-9 at The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theatre in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District, this year’s attendees of the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) will enjoy an abundance of special programs, guests, parties and free events.
“We have an especially robust line-up this fall, including a focus on emerging technologies and on student filmmakers who are creating fresh and exciting work that offers a glimpse into the future of moving images,” said KJ Mohr, Maryland Film Festival Director. “And we are fortunate to have some truly distinguished guests joining us this year. Along with a fantastic slate of special events, it is important to us as a festival to make our programming accessible to folks beyond the cinefiles who loyally attend year after year. By offering many free events and screenings, we hope more attendees will take advantage of a stimulating five days of bold films, community experiences and connections.”
SPECIAL EVENTS (Paid Admission Required)
Student Shorts for Everyone: This all-ages-appropriate program comprised of high school to MFA student film projects takes the viewer on a remarkable journey that highlights the power of human strength in the face of adversity, agility within struggle, and the benefits of positive thinking. Curated by the MdFF 2025 Student Programming Interns. Full program here.
Student Shorts for Adults:
Some of the most innovative filmmaking out there is being created by budding filmmakers like those featured in this program of extraordinary student films. Full program here.
MULTIPLE MANIACS – on 16mm! George Figgs, Susan Lowe and other special guests from the production will be in attendance
dir. John Waters, 1970, USA, 91 min.
Watch as the life of a leader of a menacing group of deviants explodes in a spectacle of debauchery. Accidentally filmed from beginning to end, on purpose. Come roll around in the filth with MdFF and the Sweet Sixteens Cinema Project as we present a super-rare 16mm print of MULTIPLE MANIACS from the godfather of filth himself, Baltimore’s own John Waters. Come for Lady Divine’s Cavalcade of Perversions, stay for the senseless murders and the film debut of Dame Edith Massey…it’s a celluloid atrocity presented on actual celluloid for the first time in the 21st century!
David Simon presents…
dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1957, USA, 88 min.
Sharing one of his very favorite films, Baltimore’s own David Simon will introduce for the MdFF audience Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 war epic Paths of Glory. The futility and irony of the war in the trenches in WWI is shown as a unit commander in the French army must deal with the mutiny of his men and a glory-seeking general after part of his force falls back under fire in an impossible attack. Starring Kirk Douglas.
Elissa Blount Moorhead presents…
dir. Christine Turner, 2025, USA, 84 min.
Poet, philosopher, Egyptologist, bandleader. Jazz visionary Sun Ra was all of these—and more. With his ever-evolving band the Sun Ra Arkestra, he produced more than 200 albums, stretching the boundaries of free-form jazz while weaving ancient Egypt, interstellar metaphors, and scientific musings into a singular musical and spiritual vision of Afrofuturism that continues to reverberate across generations. Director Christine Turner takes us on an illuminating journey through the life of this multi-faceted artist, gracefully balancing recollections from the Arkestra’s still-devout band members and dancers with insightful interviews from music scholars, and unforgettable film and performance footage of Sun Ra himself. The result is a portrait – informative, inspiring, and mind-bending – of a man whose audacious vision, otherworldly imagination, and uncompromising artistry helped shape not only the sound of jazz, but the cultural landscape of the 20th century and beyond. The screening will be followed by a conversation with editor Steven Golliday.
Silent Film Screening: HYPOCRITES with live score performed by Jessie Jing
dir. Lois Weber, 1915, USA, 54 min.
The most important and prolific of all American women directors of the silent era, Lois Weber was a well-known director when she made Hypocrites in 1914. An amazingly complex film in both narrative and technique, Hypocrites follows the parallel stories of an early Christian ascetic and a modern minister, with most actors in dual roles. Gabriel (Courtney Foote) is a medieval monk who devotes himself to completing a statue of “Truth,” only to be murdered by a mob when his work turns out to be an image of a naked woman. The contemporary Gabriel is the pastor of a large urban congregation for whom religion is a matter of appearances, not beliefs. The hypocrisy of the congregation is exposed by a series of vignettes in which the Naked Truth, literally portrayed by a nude woman, reveals their appetites for money, sex, and power.
FREE PROGRAMS
As part of the SNF Parkway’s Emerging Media pillar, CineTech highlights storytelling at the edge of technology – where film, gaming, and interactive art converge. This year’s free CineTech events invite audiences to experience new forms of narrative through play, participation, and choice. Join us for live gameplay, interactive screenings, and conversations that reveal how artists around the world are redefining what it means to watch and to be part of a story.
CineTech Live: Gaming Demo – Sat., Nov. 8, 11:00 a.m. in SNF Parkway Theatre Theatre 2
Step inside the world of Scent, a cinematic game by artist Alan Kwan that places players in the body of a dog wandering a war-torn city where they witness violence, loss, and fleeting hope. Join us for a live gameplay session led by the creator, followed by a Q&A about his process and the emotional language of interactive storytelling. The program will also feature curated cutscenes and gameplay from Relooted and Despelote, two international titles that explore culture, memory, and play through uniquely immersive worlds. (RSVP required)
CineTech Live: Interactive Demo – Sun., Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m. in SNF Parkway Theatre Theatre 2
Experience two interactive films that place audiences at the center of the story. In The Case of the Missing Afikomen, help guide a young boy’s search for meaning during a family Passover. In Palimpsest, trace America’s tangled history of fear and violence from the Cold War to today. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Zane Swift, exploring how interactivity reshapes empathy, agency, and narrative. (RSVP required)
Panels:
Sun. Nov. 9, 1:30 p.m. in Lazarus Auditorium
Crew Call: The Future of the Crew
Panel organized and presented by ALexandria Queen-Sneed and Crew Call
Sat. Nov. 8, 12:30 p.m. in Lazarus Auditorium
Shoot your film in Maryland: Spotlight on Independents
Panel organized and presented by the Maryland Film Industry Coalition
Shorts Programs:
All Ages Shorts: Sat. Nov 8, 10:30 a.m. in Parkway 1 (the Nov. 7, 5:30 showing is regular price).
This selection of narrative, documentary and animated shorts features something for everyone to enjoy, from tots to seniors. Full program here. (RSVP required)
Maryland Marvel Shorts: Sun. Nov. 9, 10:00 a.m. in Lazarus Auditorium (the Nov. 7, 4:15 p.m. showing is regular price). Find inspiration in this collection of family-friendly documentaries about extraordinary Marylanders. Full program here. Full program here. (RSVP required)
About the Maryland Film Festival
Founded in 1999, the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) is a vibrant cultural event that brings independent cinema, cutting-edge media, and unforgettable experiences to Baltimore each fall. Held at the historic SNF Parkway Theatre in the Station North Arts District, MdFF is more than a film festival—it’s a five-day celebration where film, music, food, art, gaming, parties, and creative technology converge. With bold programming, inclusive community engagement, and a laid-back vibe that reflects the spirit of Baltimore, MdFF welcomes cinephiles, creators, and the curious alike.
Tony Foreman Restaurants and the Maryland Food Bank team up to provide food assistance during SNAP crisis
by Ed Gunts
Published November 4 in Baltimore Fishbowl
Excerpt: Restaurateur Tony Foreman and the Maryland Food Bank are teaming up on a food collection effort to help families facing food insecurity due to the ongoing federal government shutdown and suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Beginning immediately and extending through the holidays at all restaurants and wine stores of the Tony Foreman + Co. group, patrons are being invited to donate shelf-stable food items. All contributions will be delivered to the Maryland Food Bank, where they will be distributed to Maryland families at risk of hunger.
Participating businesses include: Cinghiale, Petit Louis, Johnny’s, The Duchess, The Milton Inn, Bin 604 Wine & Spirits and Bin 201 Wine & Spirits in Annapolis.
Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington announces SOLOS 2026 awardees
Press Release :: November 5
Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington is proud to announce the artist awardees of the museum’s 2026 SOLOS exhibitions program. Artists Crasis (Andy P. Davis and Anne Lukins, Philadelphia, PA), Rowena Federico Finn (Virginia Beach, VA), Lou Haney (Charlottesville, VA), and James Stephen Terrell (Washington, DC) are all preparing for solo exhibitions at the museum in 2026.
James Stephen Terrell will have a solo exhibition at the museum from February 13 to May 31, 2026. Solo exhibitions by Crasis, Rowena Federico Finn, and Lou Haney will take place from June 19 to September 7, 2026. Including painting, installation, performance, sculpture, and mixed media work, the exhibition series covers a range of contemporary practices, highlighting artists working at the forefront of contemporary art.
Launched in 1988, SOLOS is one of MoCA Arlington’s longest running programs and its primary open call exhibition opportunity. The program invites artists based in the Mid-Atlantic to submit proposals for solo exhibitions in one of the museum’s nine gallery spaces. The 2026 SOLOS artist awardees were chosen by a selection panel comprised of national contemporary art sector professionals including Alexis Assam, Regenia A. Perry Assistant Curator of Global Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; Karyn Miller, Public Arts Manager, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC; and Will Hutnick, artist and Director of Artistic Programming, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY.
Through SOLOS, MoCA Arlington supports the careers and artistic practices of some of the Mid-Atlantic’s most cutting edge artists. The program invites early-career artists to have their first institutional solo show and gives mid-career artists the opportunity to exhibit ambitious new bodies of work and experiment with new directions in their practice. In both cases, the program acts as a crucial opportunity and stepping stone as artists develop their practices and thrive in their careers. The program reaffirms MoCA Arlington’s commitment to supporting contemporary artists, reflecting its legacy as the only museum in the DC metropolitan area founded by artists.
SOLOS 2026 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
February 13 – May 31, 2026: James Stephen Terrell (Washington, DC)
June 19 – September 6, 2026: Crasis (Philadelphia, PA), Rowena Federico Finn (Virginia Beach, VA), Lou Haney (Charlottesville, VA)
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Crasis (Andy P. Davis and Anne Lukins)
Andy P. Davis
Born 1989, Des Moines, IA
Based in Princeton, NJ & Philadelphia, PA
Anne Lukins
Born 1990, Seattle, WA
Based in Philadelphia, PA
Crasis (/krey-sis/ from the Greek κρᾶσις, “mixing”, “blending”) is a transdisciplinary duo made up of Andy P. Davis and Anne Lukins. They use sculpture, performance and video to engage with questions of transformation and human ecology. Collaborating since 2020, Crasis has held residencies including Galveston Artist Residency in Galveston, TX, Stove Works in Chattanooga, TN, and WheatonArts in Millville, NJ . Crasis has performed and exhibited at venues in the US and abroad including Blaffer Art Museum in Houston, TX, A Leste in Porto, Portugal, Vox Populi Gallery and Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA, and Yes We Cannibal in Baton Rouge, LA.
Rowena Federico Finn
Born 1976, Portsmouth, VA
Based in Virginia Beach, VA
Rowena Federico Finn is a mixed-media fiber artist whose work combines Philippine indigenous materials with American crafting traditions to create what she calls Filipina-Futurism: intricate, tactile pieces that create a new visual and cultural language—one that speaks to the experiences of being neither fully from one land nor the other—and forges a path that bridges histories and redefines tradition. Her artistic practice is grounded in her experiences as a mother, teacher, and community activist. Rowena serves as the president of the Virginia Coalition of Visual Artists, vice chair of the WHRO Community Advisory Board, and a Virginia Commission for the Arts Teaching Artist. She has won numerous awards and exhibited in shows all over the country. One of her signature pieces has recently been added to the permanent collection of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three children.
Lou Haney
Born 1977, Decatur, AL
Based in Charlottesville, VA
Lou Haney creates paintings of domestic spaces that employ nostalgia as a means of temporary escape from the corrupt and chaotic realities of present day life. Using oil, acrylic, fiber art, and mixed media, she explores themes of memory, yearning, and femininity to evoke tension between fantasy and reality.
Born in Decatur, Alabama, Haney received her BA from Rhodes College in Memphis and her MFA in Painting from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. Haney has attended MacDowell as well as the Vermont Studio Center. In 2022, she was a resident at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, VA. Haney was the recipient of the Mississippi Art Commission Individual Artist Fellowship in 2008. Her work has been exhibited in solo shows in California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky and in over 70 juried group exhibitions. Haney’s work was shown at the Spring/Break Art Fair in New York City in 2022, 2023 and 2025. In 2024, Haney had solo shows at Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, VA and Spectrum Fine Arts in Seattle, WA. Most recently, Lou’s work was featured in a solo exhibition at IA&A Hillyer in Washington, DC and One Rivers School of Art and Design in Hartsdale, NY. Haney currently teaches Studio Art and Art History at Piedmont Virginia Community College, Sweet Briar College, and Charlottesville Middle School. The artist lives and works in Charlottesville, Virginia.
James Stephen Terrell
Born 1976, Washington, DC
Based in Washington, DC
James Stephen Terrell is a painter and mixed media artist. His recent collage work incorporates line, shape and pattern, fused together with fabric, paint, and paper. Terrell’s collages are portals that propel the viewer to an otherworldly, ethereal, heavenly, magical, mystical, and supernatural existence.
James Stephen Terrell is a native Washingtonian who was reared in Ward 7. His parents are Rev. Dr. James E. Terrell, Pastor of historic Second Baptist Church of Washington D.C. and Retired Superior Court Associate Judge Mary A. Terrell of the Superior Court of Washington D.C. He received his high school diploma from Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. He received the Bachelor of Fine Art from Howard University, Master of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in New York City and the Master of Divinity Degree from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City with a concentration in Theology and the Fine Arts. While attending Union Theological Seminary, he pursued Fine Arts painting elective courses at Columbia University.
Terrell’s work has been acquired by museums and is in many prominent private collections. In addition to winning numerous awards for his artwork, Terrell has exhibited his work across the United States and has had multiple solo shows at numerous galleries, art centers, and museums. Terrell is married to artist Zsudayka Nzinga and together they have 3 children, Satra, James Prentice and Xiomara.
Hamiltonian Artists Announces 2025-2027 Fellowship Cohort
Press Release :: October 29
Hamiltonian Artists is excited to announce the new cohort of Hamiltonian Fellows for 2025–2027: Chidinma Dureke, Diego Borgsdorf Fuenzalida, Mallory Kimmel, Behrouz Vatankhah, and Tara Youngborg. Each artist will receive a $2,000 annual honorarium, access to studio space, connection to an expansive network of alumni and professional contacts, group exhibition participation, and a final solo exhibition at Hamiltonian Artists in 2027. The first exhibition of new fellows’ work will be in new.now., on view at Hamiltonian Artists February 7–March 14, 2026.
“Staying true to Hamiltonian’s values of keeping artists in DC and welcoming others in, each of these artists has a meaningful connection to the area and is as invested as we are in building networks that grow the ecosystem,” states Executive Director, Lily Siegel. “We are thrilled to continue working with such incredible artists and thinkers like Mallory, Diego, Tara, Behrouz, and Chidinma.”
The cohort was selected for their commitment to artistic excellence, growth potential, and alignment with Hamiltonian Artists’ value of community, by a panel of independent jurors: Patrick Bova, director and co-owner of april april, Pittsburgh, PA; Fabiola R. Delgado, independent curator and creative producer, Washington, DC; Shaunté Gates, artist, Washington, DC; Edgar Reyes, artist and Hamiltonian Artists fellowship alum, Baltimore, MD; and Emily Smith, executive director of 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA. For full juror bios, please visit https://hamiltonianartists.org/.
The returning 2024–2026 fellows are Sobia Ahmad, June Canedo de Souza, Jermaine “jET” Carter, Nilou Kazemzadeh, and Fargo Nissim Tbakhi.
Hamiltonian Artists fellows work to develop a single major project over the two-year program with guidance provided by mentors, Hamiltonian staff, peers, and other professional guests. Hamiltonian Artists provides expertise and resources to frame development from project idea to exhibition. Together, we help define the future of the field while providing the skills, knowledge, and resources to ensure the sustainability of independent artists as art professionals in their communities.
ABOUT THE FELLOWS
Chidinma Dureke works in painting, sculpture, and production design. Born in Washington, DC, to parents of Igbo descent, Dureke was raised between America and Nigeria. Her cross-cultural perspective characterizes her large scale oil on canvas paintings and sculptural installations that examine the liminal moments between two worlds and psychological spaces. Dureke has exhibited her work at The Peale Museum, Howard Community College, Yale University, Dwight Hall: Center for Public Service & Social Justice, New Haven, CT, Asian Fusion Gallery; Washington, DC, Super Wonder Gallery; Toronto, Canada, among others. She is the recipient of the Liu Shiming Art Grant, 2023 Cohort, New York, NY; Maryland Institute College of the Art 2024 Graduate Research Development Grant, Baltimore, MD; and the ColorCreative 2023 Find Your People Program Fellowship in Los Angeles, California. Recently, her work was commissioned by Issa Rae and Denise Davis for the Sony Pictures film One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, starring SZA and Keke Palmer. Dureke holds a BFA from Frostburg State University, and MFA from The LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Dureke lives and works in Maryland, where she serves as faculty at Maryland Institute College of Art.
Diego Borgsdorf Fuenzalida is an experimental ethnographic researcher and textile artist based between Los Angeles and Washington, DC. His work addresses the affective dimensions of post-dictatorship life in Chile and the diaspora, using traditional Andean textile methods and enlisting materials critical in the formation of political violence in South America such as sheep’s wool, copper, and salt. Borgsdorf Fuenzalida’s work has been exhibited at Wolfpack HQ through the Estate of Luchita Hurtado and Lee Mullican, Los Angeles; Glen Echo Arts Park, Rockville, Maryland; IA&A Hillyer Gallery, Washington DC, Room 3557, Los Angeles; Launch LA, Los Angeles; and Mile 44, Los Angeles. He was a 2024 Iburra Arts and Research Resident at the natural dye studio Blue Light Junction in Baltimore, and was a 2025 Bresler Artist in Resident at VisArts in Rockville, Maryland. They have published research contributions at the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, Santiago, Chile and an artist book entitled A House Containing with Wolfpack HQ sold at Artbook at Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles.
Mallory Kimmel is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and writer who makes socially engaged work addressing and eradicating exclusionary design practices in the built environment to make rest accessible to all. Her works have been exhibited in The U.S. State Department Inaugural Gallery, The University of Maryland, George Mason University, California College of the Arts, The Umbrella Art Fair, The Peale, and Minnesota Street Projects. Kimmel’s writing has been published by E-flux, The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, and BmoreArt Magazine. She has curated exhibitions collaboratively with The Phillips Collection, The Community College of Baltimore County, George Mason University, and Aggregate Space Gallery. She founded Do Less Press, a small press dedicated to artist literature on power, labor, rest, and healing. She teaches design at Lehigh University and serves on the Design Committee for the College Art Association. Her work was selected for residencies with The Nicholson Project, The Social Studies Residency, and the Outreach Artist Residency in the Arctic Circle, funded by the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Behrouz Vatankhah is an Iranian American visual artist based in Washington, DC, whose work transforms personal experiences of anxiety, displacement, and cultural transition into broader reflections on identity, human resilience, and belonging. He creates psychologically charged figures, spaces, and visual narratives that explore the intersections of emotion and memory. Trained in illustration and painting, and later in sculpture at the University of Art -Tehran, Vatankhah builds on this foundation through a dynamic practice that blends painting and three-dimensional forms. Vatankhah has exhibited his work in group shows across Iran, Turkey, and the United States. Recent highlights include juried group exhibitions Iteration Reiteration at Touchstone Gallery (Washington, DC), Tactile Expressions at Frederick Art Center Gallery, and a feature in FOA Magazine (Volume 21). Earlier exhibitions include Migration (Cafritz Arts Center Maze Gallery, 2017) and Uremtim Bandi (Eskişehir, Turkey, 2015).
Tara Youngborg is a Maryland-based artist, educator, curator, and arts administrator. She holds a BA in Art and Art History from St Mary’s College of Maryland and an MFA in Studio Art from Towson University. Her work uses digital technologies to create video and audio compositions that are combined into immersive installations that explore place, memory, and technology. She is also the manager of the Stamp Gallery and Studio A at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she directs the exhibition and educational programming and advises the Contemporary Art Purchase Program. Youngborg is a 2025-2026 Jack Straw New Media Gallery resident, was awarded second place for the 2025 Trawick prize, and was an Artist-in-Residence at the St Mary’s College Artist House. She has presented her work in exhibitions at the George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and the University of Mary Washington Media Wall, and in group exhibitions in the United States and abroad.
ABOUT HAMILTONIAN ARTISTS
Hamiltonian Artists’ mission is to nurture community and increase access to space, opportunity, and resources for emerging artists, through impactful programs and exhibitions.
The organization reaffirms and expands upon its originating vision as an incubator for the professional development of emerging visual artists, serving as a hub for Washington, DC’s, creative economy and a vibrant center for contemporary art in the DC area. With its unique investment in emerging artists, Hamiltonian Artists provides resources to aid their development in important business skills, professional experiences, and visibility to support and sustain their art career.
Through the fellowship program, exhibitions, studios, artist talks, public events, membership program for art collectors at all levels, and so much more, the organization contributes to the vitality of the area’s arts scene by deepening the appreciation for contemporary art and culture throughout Washington, DC, and beyond.
