Join us to celebrate the work of artist Leonard Jewler, featured in the 50 for 50 Visual Artist Spotlight from March 22-28.

50 for 50 is an artist opportunity that invites 50 community artists to showcase their work at Touchstone throughout 2026, the year of Touchstone’s 50th anniversary. The Visual Artist Spotlight portion of this program features week-long single artist exhibitions.

About Leonard:

Leonard Jewler has had a lifelong interest in photography and has been able to pursue this morepurposely since retiring in 2015 from a career as a technology consultant and manager. Leonard was born in Washington, D.C. and, after living in Boston and New York, resides in his hometown. He received a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University and pursued graduate studies in regional planning at Harvard University. He studied photography at the Corcoran School of Art and at Photoworks in the DC area.

Over the last decade, Leonard’s photos have been accepted in approximately forty national and international juried exhibits in cities across the United States. On January 21, he concludes a two-part solo exhibition at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, titled “Washington Seen” which presents nine photos from April 1968 of 14th Street after the urban riots and another twelve photos that present scenes of the city over the last decade. A second solo exhibit is planned for the Glen Echo Stone Gallery in June 2026 which presents sixteen images of Washington in 1968 and 1969 that document political turbulence and everyday community life.

Join us on the final day of the current solo exhibitions I Am Every Woman by Susanne Tabet and Vocabulary by Jenny Singleton. Chat with the artists in informal discussions about their work and creative practice, plus see the work of Leonard Jewler in this week’s 50 for 50 Visual Artist Spotlight.

Join us to celebrate the work of artist Jacques Liautaud, featured in the 50 for 50 Visual Artist Spotlight from March 15-22.

50 for 50 is an artist opportunity that invites 50 community artists to showcase their work at Touchstone throughout 2026, the year of Touchstone’s 50th anniversary. The Visual Artist Spotlight portion of this program features week-long single artist exhibitions.

About Jacques:

Jacques Liautaud is a DC-based painter, born in Port-au-Prince in 1954. He started painting in 1979 in Montreal as a university student. He works in oils and most of his works are figurative. He participated in several shows in Haiti and in the US in the 80s and 90s, with the last one in taking place in 1995 in Miami Beach (Contemporary Expressions of Haitian Art), after which he stopped showing until 2024. He has participated in two recent shows at Touchstone Gallery: Iteration Reiteration (2024) and The District 51 (2025).

Join us to celebrate the work of artist Rebecca Karabin, featured in the 50 for 50 Visual Artist Spotlight from March 8-15.

50 for 50 is an artist opportunity that invites 50 community artists to showcase their work at Touchstone throughout 2026, the year of Touchstone’s 50th anniversary. The Visual Artist Spotlight portion of this program features week-long single artist exhibitions.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Karabin is a Painter and Printmaker from Alexandria, Virginia. Karabin recently completed her bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her work centers around the idea of alienation, using commonplace items and contorting their context, creating unrecognizable environments and specimens. Karabin's practice is primarily painting; however, she often experiments in many processes like monoprinting, etching, screenprinting, glass kilnwork, and metals. Her work has been shown across Virginia and DC, most recently at Touchstone Gallery, Olin Hall Gallery, and The Anderson.

Join us to celebrate the work of artist Nasim Kaheh, featured in the 50 for 50 Visual Artist Spotlight from March 1-7.

50 for 50 is an artist opportunity that invites 50 community artists to showcase their work at Touchstone throughout 2026, the year of Touchstone’s 50th anniversary. The Visual Artist Spotlight portion of this program features week-long single artist exhibitions.

About Nasim:

Nasim Kaheh is an Iranian-American visual artist working in collage and mixed media in Washington, D.C. Her practice examines human connection, inner worlds, and the subtle dynamics between people. By using faceless figures and layered silhouettes, Kaheh avoids singular narratives and makes space for viewers to project their own interpretations. Informed by experiences across cultures and by observing interpersonal complexity, her work remains quiet, restrained, and contemplative—inviting recognition rather than explanation.

Join us for a vibrant night of art as we celebrate the opening of new exhibitions. Come curious, leave inspired! 🎨✨

Susanne Tabet’s I Am Every Woman honors the multifaceted power of the female experience. Through expressive, figurative painting, Tabet explores strength, vulnerability, resilience, and grace, revealing how each woman carries her own story while reflecting the universal spirit of womanhood.

Jenny Singleton’s Vocabulary is a reference to her personal language of mark-making. Working in abstraction, she has developed a distinctive visual vocabulary that carries from one painting to the next, despite the clear differences between individual works. Singleton explores this vocabulary through tessellation, meandering calligraphic lines, starry skies, swirling backgrounds, semi-dry brushing, and multicolored tangles of paint set against white ground.

Plus, see the first 50 for 50 visual arts spotlight exhibition with painting and sculpture by Jaya Sullivan, and a group show featuring Touchstone artists.

Learn more about the artist’s behind the current solo exhibitions, Mary D. Ott’s RetroSpective and Veronica Barker-Barzel’s Chimeric Cartography on their final day.

Touchstone Gallery invites you to the first reception of 2026—Touchstone Gallery’s 50th Anniversary year! Explore RetroSpective by Mary D. Ott and Chimeric Cartography by Veronica Barker-Barzel. Explore the art, meet the artists, and connect with fellow art lovers while you enjoy a creative atmosphere and complimentary beverages. Plus, learn more about our current calls for art and year of anniversary programming!

Echoes & Future, a group exhibition by Touchstone artists will also be on view to usher in the New Year.

About the exhibitions:

Kicking off the 2026 celebration of Touchstone@50, Mary D. Ott’s RetroSpective includes paintings, drawings, and hand-pulled prints that span her career as a visual artist. Among the paintings are abstractions that comprise squiggly lines on a color field, rather than two-dimensional images. Prints include intaglios, lithographs, monotypes, photogravures, screenprints, and wax relief prints created during her 35 years as an artist, 25 of which have been with Touchstone.

Veronica Barker-Barzel’s paintings and artworks utilizing collage and original printmaking methods in Chimeric Cartography explore playful worlds of adventure. The imagery is inspired by the cultures of places she’s lived, traveled, and her immersion into classic European literature, fairy tales, and folklore. The viewer is invited to dive into a surreal realm where myth and adventure intertwine.

Join us for an engaging Zoom panel discussion that explores the creative processes, inspirations, and artistic journeys of abstract artists Amy Sabrin, Connie Elsberg, and Linda Bankerd, moderated by McCain McMurray. This conversation will explore each artist’s unique approach to abstraction, the materials and methods they use, and how they navigate intuition, form, and expression. Audience questions are encouraged!

Revisit the 2025 Abstraction Touchstone Talk with Tory Cowles, Debra Perkins, Marthe McGrath, moderated by Susan Dykeman on YouTube.

Touchstone Gallery invites you to the Opening Reception of Resilencia by Rosa Inés Veraand Serendipity by Tory Cowles. Explore the art, meet the artists, and connect with fellow art lovers while you enjoy a creative atmosphere and complimentary beverages.

A group show of Touchstone artists will also be on view, including a selection of small works that are perfect for holiday gifting!

About the exhibitions:

The paintings in Rosa Inés Vera's Resilencia explore the experiences of Latin American women. Many Latin American women, particularly those from impoverished backgrounds, face significant challenges in accessing education and personal freedoms. Persistent barriers to formal employment often lead women to participate in the informal economy and small businesses as a means of supporting themselves and their families.

Serendipity by Tory Cowles incorporates pieces ranging from sculpture to abstract expressionism, with several elements in between. Cowles works on pieces in both two- and three-dimensional forms simultaneously. She finds that serendipity often occurs when something interesting develops in one medium that suggests an idea to apply in the other.

Learn more about Elaine and Hernan’s solo exhibitions during this festive Small Business Saturday event! Join us in the Gallery for a cup of hot cocoa while you explore the artworks and chat with the artists.

This event also occurs during the CityCenterDC Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration, which takes place just one block away. The Downtown Holiday Market is also available for strolling, just a five minute walk away.

This event is for collectors & friends of Elaine and Hernan. Please contact them to RSVP.

Celebrate the opening of two new solo exhibitions by Touchstone artists Elaine Florimonte and Hernan Murno. In addition to the two solo exhibitions, the group show We the People: Exploring the Personal and Political through Art will also be on view. Join us for an afternoon of captivating art, complimentary beverages, and creative conversation.

That Far Away Blue by artist Elaine Florimonte features a series of mixed media paintings exploring the idea of a distant, unreachable blue—something that feels both comforting and liberating. Despite Florimonte’s original intention to work more abstractly in this body of work, each piece incorporates a horizon, beckoning the viewer into the gate that opens toward a far away place where one part closes and another begins.

Hernan Murno’s first solo show at Touchstone celebrates the artist’s freedom to paint whatever came to mind, without worrying about style or theme. What ties the work together is process—how each piece was made, the materials used, and the effects he explored. Some of the smaller series connect back to earlier bodies of work, creating new variations on past themes. Viewers are encouraged to delve into the process and follow the threads that run across series.

Learn more about artists Jill Brantley and Chris Tucker Haggerty on the final day of their solo exhibitions.

Join us for an engaging Zoom discussion exploring the captivating world of encaustic with artists Lesley Clarke and Anne Stine. Discover the unique processes and techniques behind their work as they share insights into how they create with wax, pigments, and mixed media.

REGISTER HERE

Celebrate the opening of two new solo exhibitions by Touchstone artists Jill Brantley and Chris Tucker Haggerty. In addition to the two solo exhibitions, there will also be a group show by Touchstone artists on view. Join us for an evening of captivating art, complimentary beverages, and creative conversation.

The portraits in Chris Tucker Haggery’s Women of Ellis Island honor the lives of women who journeyed to America in search of new beginnings. Based on photographs taken at Ellis Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, each painting is a tribute to the resilience, hope, and cultural richness these women carried with them.

The paintings presented in Jill Brantley’s Whimsy Reimagined are a continuation of the artist’s attempt to blend abstraction, realism, collage, line, pattern and color in her artwork. Brantley creates paintings intended to capture the interest and imagination of the viewer.

Learn more about the artist’s behind the current solo exhibitions, Janathel Shaw’s Hear Our Voices and Sufie Berger’s Genesis of Meaning, on their final day.

Janathel Shaw discusses her solo exhibition Hear Our Voices in a conversation with artist Neville Barbour. This artist talk will focus on creating art about the Black American experience and the powerful narratives these works convey. Viewers are encouraged to engage in rich and purposeful conversation with the artists.

Janathel Shaw is a ceramic sculptor and portrait artist who focuses on social justice and seeks to illustrate the "humanness" of Black Americans in her art. The themes of resilience, spiritual journeys, critical dialogue, and vision are incorporated. She examines the role "racism" plays in the lives of Black Americans in terms of perception, treatment, and as contributors to American society. In doing so, she invites understanding. The narrative is embedded in her body of art. Sometimes, the message is clear and may include clues that the viewer pieces together to form their opinion. 

Shaw's drawings and prints show an appreciation for the drawn mark, value, implied texture, and the texture of the paper. The lines, space, layers, and choice of materials act as the characters and storylines. Janathel's portfolio is a diary of her experiences and documentation of social history.

Neville Barbour is a DC native, primarily working with charcoal. He believes that our past remains with us for a reason: We must choose how to reinterpret it. We must process it so that it does not fester. He makes art that brings his past and others' past alive. He searches for the black, the white, and the “indelible” gray. 

Touchstone Gallery will be open from 6:00 - 7:00 pm for exhibition viewing

A Closer Look is sponsored by Touchstone Foundation for the Arts

Join Daryle Locko for a Touchstone Foundation for the Arts Art All Night Party! See the current Touchstone Gallery exhibitions, try your hand at the giant art puzzle or the emoji scavenger hunt, and participate in some artmaking activities, too!

Join us for the Opening Reception of two new solo exhibitions by Touchstone artists Janathel Shaw and Sufie Berger. Celebrate an afternoon of inspiring art and meet the artists behind the work!

Janathel Shaw’s Hear Our Voices is an exhibition drawings and ceramic sculptures that confront the effects of racism and division on our vulnerable democracy. Shaw’s portraits and figurative sculptures exhibit her need to connect through expression, direct gaze, texture, and, in some cases, color. The artist encourages the viewer to engage in an internal dialogue with the works and listen to their messages through the varied mediums.

Sufie Berger’s Genesis of Meaning shines a light on the gaps left in art by the lack of acknowledgement of the female artist and presence. Through many different mediums and techniques, she creates a multimedia showcase of the strong female figure and how she interprets its place in society. 

Don’t miss your chance to see Collab, a national juried open call exhibition featuring 53 artworks by 82 artists (with contributions from many more individuals), selected by jurors Jarvis DuBois, arts consultant and curator; Anna Kenneally, London-based artist; and Sergio Vazquez (Sergio Stuff), muralist & Illustrator.

Join us for special Monday hours on the closing day (open 12 pm - 5 pm) with complimentary beverages from 3-5 pm.

Join us for an engaging Zoom panel discussion that examines the creative processes, inspirations, and artistic journeys of the three Touchstone Foundation for the Arts Fellows, all of whom use collage in their work: Brittany Mona’, Jonathan Fuentes, and Jazz Williams. This conversation, moderated by Tory Cowles, will explore each artist’s unique approach to collage, the materials and methods they use, and how they navigate intuition, composition, and visual storytelling. Participant questions are encouraged!

Join us for the Opening Reception of Collab, an exhibition celebrating the creative relationships that shape artistic practice. Behind every finished piece of art is a network of influence, support, and inspiration—and Collab brings focus to these connections.

Featuring 53 artworks by 82 artists from all across the United States, this open call show highlights collaboration in its many forms, from direct partnerships to quiet presences.

Juried by Jarvis DuBois, Anna Kenneally, and Sergio Vazquez (Sergio Stuff).

🖼️ 🪩🎟️🥂 This art exhibition and summer soirée is an exclusive event that invites art enthusiasts to support artist-owned Touchstone Gallery and find new artwork to love. From vibrant paintings to thought-provoking photography and sculpture, included artworks showcase the diverse talents of Touchstone artists. All tickets include a fantastic, original piece of art!

Join us to celebrate the first Touchstone Gallery solo exhibition by artist Setareh Pourrajabi: Resonance in the Liminal—where the boundaries of being blur and the echoes of transformation reverberate. This exhibition showcases acrylic paintings enriched with collaged elements such as sponge, chaff, and other tactile materials.

Pourrajabi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Painting from Soore University of Art in Tehran, Iran. She moved to the United States in 2014 and has been a member of Touchstone Gallery since 2023.

Also on view will be the 2025 Attainable Art Show. These exhibitions will be on view from July 9 - August 2, 2025 (entrance on August 2 is for Attainable Art Party ticket holders only).

Learn more about the artist’s behind the current solo exhibitions, Marthe McGrath's Color, Unscripted and Dee Levinson's Egypt Revisited, on their final day.

Please RSVP to abbey@touchstonegallery.com

Learn more about the artistic processes of Susan Dykeman and Marcia Coppel on the final weekend of their solo exhibitions!