Celebrate the opening of two new exhibitions at Touchstone Gallery on Saturday, June 3 from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Persian Perspectives: Celebrating Iranian Women Artists of DC

Touchstone Gallery, in collaboration with Touchstone Foundation for the Arts, announces the exhibition Persian Perspectives: Celebrating Iranian Women Artists of DC. This survey exhibition features works from artists Parinaz Ziai Bahadori, Saya Behnam, Katty Biglari, Roya Chadab, Setareh Pourrajabi, and Maryam Rassapour. Viewers are invited to experience selections from the vibrant and diverse world of contemporary Iranian artists working in the Washington, DC area—honoring the powerful voices and narratives of these women.

Through their work, participating artists reveal how their heritage, experiences, and cultural background have shaped their artistic careers. Selected works explore themes of identity, gender, tradition, nature, resilience, and empowerment.  

A panel discussion with the participating artists will be held on Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 pm, moderated by Washington Post reporter Miriam Berger, who covers international news and the Middle East.  

River  Trees  Sky
A Solo Exhibition by Mary Lagnaoui

Inspired by how the weather and season radically change the colors of the landscape, in River  Trees  Sky, Touchstone artist Mary Lagnaoui presents a series of acrylic paintings that pull inspiration from her own immersion in the natural world, with additional influences from the works of Arthur Dove and Paul Klee.

“As often as I can, I walk along the Potomac River and more frequently, along the river in the park near my home. In this series, I tried to paint the way I feel when I am there, or what I sense strongly on a particular visit to those places,” says Lagnaoui. “Some days I am moved by the abundance of one lone color; other days I notice the movement around me as a strong wind stirs even the strongest tree limbs. At times I sense something soulful in the peace of an area where I walk. No matter what the day is like at the river, I always return from my walk restored, with a calmer mind and a lighter heart. All these are feelings and observations I sought to bring together when I was back at my easel.”