Mythos and Nature: Exploring the Mystical Connection by Teresa Oaxaca is a Touchstone Foundation for the Arts (TFA) sponsored exhibition. This collection of oil paintings delves into the captivating realms of mythology, ancestral belief systems, and the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world. Through sophisticated details, rich colors, and a high decorative style, viewers are invited to immerse themselves in a visual narrative that evokes a sense of wonder and contemplation.

Each painting invites viewers into a world where mythological figures come to life, revealing stories of gods, heroes, and mythical creatures. Drawing inspiration from various mythologies, including Greek, Biblical, and indigenous traditions, Oaxaca explores the universal themes and archetypes that have shaped our understanding of the divine and our connection to nature.

The paintings in this series are infused with symbolism, inviting viewers to interpret and engage with the deeper layers of meaning. By incorporating elements of nature, such as trees, flora, fauna and landscapes, Oaxaca aims to emphasize the inseparable relationship between mankind and the environment—encouraging reflection on the human role as steward of the natural world.

An Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, March 2 from 4-7 pm.

This exhibition was selected from a TFA open call for exhibition proposals by DC-area artists, juried by Allison Nance, Managing Director of The Nicholson Project and Tim Wright, Founder of Attucks Adams; museum educator & historian.

The main body of work in Shapes and Colors experiments with cold wax, oil paints, and how they can be used together to the best advantage. The nature of the combination, which is slow drying, allows Kerxton to scratch through to layers below—adding hidden colors and interest to the finished painting. Since her last solo exhibition in March 2022, she has stepped outside her typical style and experimented with more organic shapes, using Gessoed paper, line drawing, and acrylics.

An Opening Reception will be on Saturday, March 2 from 4-7 pm.

Growing Pains is a juried student art exhibition that encouraged student artists to submit work that explores ideas revolving around themes of growing up and experiencing childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. How much can a person transform throughout these years? How are we the same? How are we different? How do we metamorphose? 

Featured artists: Erick Buendía, Melissa Cho, Arwen Clemans, MC Daubendiek, Fallon Geisler, Gabriela Gutierrez, Alara Kaplanoğlu, Ava Martin, Mei Matute, Emmy Numann, Ruhi Parakh, Camille Perry, Lily Raines, James Shelton, Charlie Sisson, Danielle Towers, De’Azia Washington, Carolyn Watson, Lo Younge, and Kaiden J. Yu.

A reception will be held on Saturday, February 24 from 3-5 pm.

Growing Pains jurors were:

• Alicia Perkovich, NMWA Public Programs

• Daryle Locko, National Gallery of Art Retail Programs & Touchstone Gallery Assistant

• Julia Canora, Artist and Touchstone Gallery Curatorial Intern

Image: The Portrait of a Mother by Gabriela Gutierrez

figure is an exhibition juried by Lyndon Barrois Jr, Lizzy Lunday, and Sheldon Scott. Artists were invited to consider the role of the human form in contemporary art. What bodies and persons do we see, showcase, hide, define, abstract, or obscure through the expressions and interpretations of art?

Comprised of a gallery show on view at Touchstone from January 12 - February 19, 2024 and an online exhibition on view from January 12 - March 31, figure includes the work of more than 80 artists from 31 states and the District of Columbia. An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 12 from 5 - 8 pm.

Participating artists include: Alanna Betts, Alexis Joseph, Allison Scarry, Annemarie Baldauf,  Anthony Le, B J Novak, Benjamin Charles, Bria Edwards, C.S. Corbin, Camille Kouyoumdjian, Cathy Wilkin, Chloe Gagin, Christopher Cooper, Chris Corson, Chrys Corn Goodman, Ciaran Freeman, Danyela J Brown, Dave Hanson, Deanna Lamour, Dee Levinson, Delaney Conner, Eric Dwyer, Eric Zuccola, Esperanza Alzona, Georgi, Gianluca Giarrizzo, Hannah Ghafary, Jackson Wrede, Jada Plummer, Jamie Hurst, Janathel Shaw, Jason Andrew Hammond, Jazz Williams, Jennifer McBrien, Jill Brantley, Jill Finsen, Joan Stolz, Judith Peck, Julie Byrne, Kaffee Kang, Katharine Boyd, Ken Brotherton, Ken “Tsunami” Shep, Kevin Jacobs, Kimberley Harding, L Staiger, Leslie Getz, Limor Dekel, Linda Button, Linda Hunsaker, Marcia Coppel, Matt Pinney, Maureen S Farrell, Mike Gordon, Mike O., Mychelle Moritz, Natalie Schorr, Nathan J Baker, Nicole Maloof, Njari Anderson, Omari Jesse, Patrick Webb, Rachel Mindrup,  Rhonda J. Smith, Ron Meick, Ronald Gonzalez, Rosa Vera, Rosemary A Luckett, Ryan Michael Schroeder, Sally Dion, Samantha H.E. Hand, Sandy Palasti, Shahrzad Heyat Jalinous, Sharon Malley, Sufie Berger, Teresa Jade Jarzynski, Thea Canlas, Theresa Auricchio, Tom Greaves, Tory Cowles, Troy C. Johnson, Virginia McConnell, William A. Karaffa, William Lemke, and Zhanna Martin.

See art from the December Group Exhibition, featuring art by over 30 Touchstone artists. This exhibition was curated by our intern team Cathleen, Hazel, and Julia.

Touchstone Foundation for the Arts presents the solo exhibition Bloodlines by Sanah Brown-Bowers.

Brown-Bowers’ artistic endeavors are an exploration of the concept of family. Her objective is to offer viewers an intimate glimpse into her own family’s joyous and everyday experiences. Skillfully fusing nostalgia with elements of realism and fantasy, the artworks conjure memories from the cartoons, cinematic references, and text used. Employing acrylic, oil, pray paints, paper collage, typography, assemblage art, LED lighting, film, video, and sound, she creates her “family altars.” These altars offer a contemplative space for viewers to connect with their own childhood recollections. Central to the concept of the family altar is the conviction that every life story carries significance, and the narratives of the living are equally deserving of being heard.

An Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 4-7 pm. There will also be an artist talk on Saturday, January 6 at 3:00 pm

This exhibition was selected from a TFA open call for exhibition proposals by DC-area artists, juried by Allison Nance, Managing Director of The Nicholson Project and Tim Wright, Founder of Attucks Adams; museum educator & historian.

The paintings in Passageways are a homage to local waterways. Vera paints the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers—reflecting their transformation and that of surrounding wetlands thanks to recent efforts to clean the water and build tunnels to absorb sewage spills.

Much of Vera’s recent work focuses on landscapes semi-abstractly depicting the beauty of nature. “Our relationship to nature is an ancient one and something which we have neglected,” says Vera. “Many of my landscape pieces are about my feelings toward local places: marshes, forests, rivers, and the sea. The wetlands absorb floods and provide nourishment during droughts and are vital to our urban areas. I look for the beauty in these waterways—while knowing the threats that are ahead.”

Join us for a Meet the Artists Open House on Saturday, November 25

In the paintings and mixed media works of Lost and Found, Florimonte utilizes found or overlooked materials as collage elements. Discarded maps, aged book pages, shopping bags, and old sketches are combined with layers of color and brush work to create unexpected compositions and connections. The completed works are intended as a reflection on the inherent impermanence of the world.

Florimonte states “I paint from fragments of my memory: the space between two people, a smooth sea, the sound of the wind, reflections of light, the fall of a shadow, and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed. These are the facets of nature that are impermanent, that are lost as time passes. The concept of ‘lost and found’ in my work is an exploration of the ephemeral and the enduring.”

Join us for a Meet the Artists Open House on Saturday, November 25

Transformations is a group show with works from more than 30 Touchstone Artists.

Dana Brotman's unleaving (to hold in mind what is and what was) takes its title from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, Spring and Fall. Unleaving refers to the trees losing their leaves in autumn but also to the passage of time and loss. For Brotman, the word “unleaving” is packed with meaning. Taken literally, it is the opposite of loss. It is a transformation of loss into something else, something new. Brotman’s unleaving juxtaposes her traditional use of real and imagined faces with a variety of objects: used-up notepads, old tabletops, discarded paintings, tree limbs populated with dried up lichen, and more.

• Exhibtion Dates: October 4-29, 2023

• Reception: Saturday, October 14, 4-7 pm (click to view details & RSVP)

• View the press kit

Debra Perkins' Lines Matter: The Stories They Tell features paintings inspired by the importance of critical social justice issues. Perkins employs lines as instruments to craft and convey her subject matter. “Jean-Michel Basquiat’s quote that ‘every single line means something’ captures the importance of lines in my paintings,” says Perkins. “Every line, be it straight or curved, thick or thin, pristine or textured, is integral to visual storytelling or evoking an emotion. Lines create or traverse boundaries, overlay entrenched perspectives, and forge paths to follow.” She adds color and texture to highlight the variety of societal challenges faced and the many ways to tackle them—metaphorically revealing the opportunity to make positive changes.

• Exhibtion Dates: October 4-29, 2023

• Reception: Saturday, October 14, 4-7 pm (click to view details & RSVP)

• View the press kit

Weavings & Musings is a solo exhibition by Tory Cowles. The pieces weave together diverse materials to make new identities, and often incorporate woven fabrics that mirror the larger weavings.

Cowles states "they have evolved organically and with joy. While musing about my place in our complex and confusing world, I find solace in acting positively in very local and concrete ways, specifically in the direct control I have over my work."

Weavings & Musings will be on view from August 30 - October 1. An artist's reception will take place on Saturday, September 9 from 4-7 pm. View the press release here.

People and The Planet is a juried exhibiton that invited artists to think about our world and the humanity within it—how humans interact with the earth and all of its inhabitants. Artists were encouraged to submit pieces that explore: environmental & social issues, human interactions with nature, travel, climate change, natural materials & resources, population & development, Indigenous perspectives, changing landscapes, connections to the land, new discoveries, and more.

Participating Artists: Adrian Hatfield, Amy K. Wendland, Ann McCray, Anne Garretson, Anne Stine, Anne-Katrin Speiss, Brandin Barón, Brianne Anderson, Camille Kouyoumdjian, Carrie and Eric Tomberlin, Catherine Shelton Jones, Catherine Toulsaly, Cathy Wilkin, Ceci Cole McInturff, Chloe Gagin, Cindy Lemmon, Connor Czora, Daniel Horowitz, Deborah Rhode, Debra Perkins, Donna Coleman, Doug Billings, Elena Niermann, Emberly Zellars, Emily Loughlin, Emon Surakitkoson, Gale Wallar, George Lorio, Haley McKey, Heather McMordie & Edward Landa, Hui Tian, Jack Straton, Jennifer Newberry, Jeri Hillis, Jessy DeSantis, Jim Resnick, Judith Peck, Julia Dzikiewicz, Julia Paul, K. C. Bailey, Karen Joy, Kathy Smith, Kendra Shedenhelm, Kevin R. Frech, Laura Thompson, Laurie Hoen, Lenore Solmo, Lesley Clarke, Mallory Kimmel, Marcel Artes Deolazo, Maria A. Brito, Maria Coletsis, Marsha Biderman, Mary . Noosh, Matt McEntee, Mia Cinelli, Michael White, Nafia Syeed, Neha Misra नेहा मिश्रा, Nicole Cooper, Nilou Moochhala, Nitashia Johnson, Peter Towson, Rachel Ivanyi, Raymond Bonavida, Robert Arbogast, Robert S. Hunter, Rosemary A Luckett, Sally JK Davies, Samantha Van Heest, Sarah Bachinger, Sarah Smith, Sheila Gotti, Shelby Prindaville, Shirley Nannini, Solarpunk Surf Club, Star Padilla, Sufie Berger, Susan Brandt, Susan Finer, Taina Litwak, Tanya Piatz, Toxic/Nature Studios, Vanessa Sweet, and Yuko Mizobuchi.

People and The Planet was juried by

Karine Aigner, International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) Associate Fellow, 2022 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Alan C. Braddock, Professor of Art History at William & Mary; co-curator of Nature's Nation: American Art and Environment

Tarah Hogue, Curator of Indigenous Contemporary Art at Remai Modern, Métis Nation citizen

Robert Yi, Assistant Director of the School of Art & Interim Director of Painting and Drawing at George Mason University

Touchstone Gallery presents the Attainable Art Show and Party—an art exhibition and summer soirée. This exclusive event invites art enthusiasts to support the artist-owned Touchstone Gallery and find new artwork to love. From vibrant paintings to thought-provoking photography and sculpture, the collection of works showcase the diverse talents of Touchstone members. 

View the exhibition at Touchstone Gallery from July 19-28 during regular gallery hours (12 - 5 pm Wednesday through Sunday) plus special evening hours from 5 - 9 pm on Wednesday, July 19 and Friday, July 28. 

See more >>>

Touchstone Gallery is pleased to announce a New Member Showcase, featuring a selection of works by ten recently juried member artists.

Artists featured in the New Member Showcase include Brianne Anderson, Neville Barbour, Sufie Berger, Susan Dykeman, Connie Elsberg, Marthe McGrath, Hernan Murno, Setareh Pourrajabi, Anne Stine, and Elena Tchernomazova.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, July 7 from 4-7 pm.

Calendar image: Meditation by Connie Elsberg, 30” x 24” acrylic collage

Inspired by the canvas staining techniques and paintings of Helen Frankenthaler and the Washington Color School artists, Kelly Irvine’s paintings pull the viewer into a world of lush color, using sheer, overlapping hues, gestural brushwork, flowing movement, and repeating motifs.

Drawn to translucent color, she layers organic form that flow and overlap to create new hues. Hard edges contrast with areas of variation in color intensity. Experimentation with materials, tools, substrates and techniques often drives the progression of her work.

Kelly Irvine is an abstract color field artist living and working in Baltimore, MD. She has received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and has also studied painting at Yellow Barn Studios, Montpelier Arts Center, and the Washington Studio School. Her work has been shown in juried exhibitions for Friends of Yellow Barn, Glen Echo Park, Columbia Art Center, and the Delaplaine Art Center. Irvine is a 2023 Maryland State Arts Council Grants for Artists recipient.

View works from more than 40 Touchstone Member artists. Click here to see the exhibition online or download the catalogue.

Inspired by how the weather and season radically change the colors of the landscape, in River Trees Sky, 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.”

View the Press Release

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 3 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.

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.

View the Exhibition Gallery ・See the Press Release

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 3 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Panel Discussion: Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 pm, moderated by Washington Post reporter Miriam Berger, who covers international news and the Middle East.

Meet the Artist Days: TBD

The paintings Jill Brantley is presenting in her solo exhibition, Whimsy, were created during and after the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown. Brantley explores a variety of materials, such as acrylic paints, alcohol inks, oil pastels, charcoal, crayons, various papers, and found objects. She uses this mix of media to create abstract works full of color, patterns, lines, and textures that are both imaginative and whimsical.  

“During the pandemic, we were all burdened by the restraints and restrictions placed upon us. Painting provided me with a way to feel some freedom during that time. I was free to paint whatever, however, and whenever I wanted without the production time constraints of an upcoming art show or class,” says Brantley. “I paint because it brings me joy; I hope the artwork in Whimsy brings some joy to the viewer too!”

Whimsy will be on view from May 3 - 29, 2023. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. There will also be a Meet the Artist event, in conjunction with Marcia Coppel, on Sunday, May 21 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

Marcia Coppel’s new paintings are based on her love for the people, rich color, and landscape of Mexico. Her recent work was made using line drawings done “on the spot” before, during, and after the height of Covid-19. The color was added later in her studio.

“At times, painting was difficult or impossible. However, when I could paint, I was able to resume with my sense of  whimsy and use rich colors,” says Coppel. Underneath the humor, she is concerned with communication, isolation, laughter,  healing.

Renewal will be on view from May 3 - 29, 2023. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. There will also be a Meet the Artist event, in conjunction with Jill Brantley, on Sunday, May 21 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 1, 4:00-7:00 pm

Meet the Artist: Sunday, April 23, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Colorfully portrayed collage, poems, and painted figures keep company with mixed media sculptures in Rosemary Luckett’s solo exhibition, Her Garden House: Unearthed Metaphors. 

Her poems and figures are metaphors unearthed from “those countless wild gardens and natural biomes in need of restorative care on the island house of gardens we call Mother Earth. Human gardeners, in tandem with the insects, birds and other wildlife, nurture their small individual plots while also being healed in the process; thus, perpetuating this magnificent web of seen and unseen, physical and spiritual life,” states Luckett.

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 1, 4:00-7:00 pm

Meet the Artist: Sunday, April 23, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Printmaker Mary D. Ott’s latest solo exhibition at Touchstone Gallery features more than 30 monotypes and intaglios celebrating the beauty of grasses, trees, and leaves. 

The intaglios include both drypoints and etchings. Some of the etchings are monochromatic, while others such as Sweet Gum Leaves I (pictured) are multicolored. Her Blue Bouquet Series of monotypes was created using inked ornamental grasses as stencils. "My work is inspired by the design of ornamental grasses, the stately structure of trees, and the variations in color and subtle details of leaves” says Ott.

Emergence celebrates spring, new growth, personal journeys, and our ever evolving progress. This group show features Touchstone Gallery members, including six new members: Brianne Anderson, Neville Barbour, Susan Dykeman, Setareh Pourrajabi, Anne Stine, and Elena Tchernomazova. 

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 4, 4:00 - 7:00 pm

In her first solo exhibition at Touchstone Gallery,  Sharon Malley presents paintings that evoke her deep reverence for and connection to the forces of nature, manifested in movements of air. The Wind We Cannot See features 19 paintings and mixed media pieces created with oil, collage, and cold wax. 

Malley states “The wind can be fierce and graceful, sublime, and holy. In some cultures, wind is the divine fount of all things. It is our first breath, the source of earth’s weather, and yet elusive, transient, and intangible. A question for our times: as humans, how much wind can we take?”

The Wind We Cannot See will be on view from March 1 through March 26, 2023.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 4 • 4-7 pm RSVP

Meet the Artist: Sunday, March 19 • 2-4 pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 21, 4-7 pm. Click to RSVP

Click to access the full SEQUENCE page

Art can be created with order or disorder; a plan or in chaos. Technology-based art can embrace or ignore process in new and intriguing methods. SEQUENCE at Touchstone Gallery was an international open call which invited artists to submit works created with, or influenced by, technology. The resulting exhibition includes a gallery show, a virtual show, and a series of performances featuring 44 artists from 14 states (plus the District of Columbia), Scotland, and Japan.

SEQUENCE was juried by Maleke Glee, Director of Art + Programming STABLE; Lauren Leving, Curator at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland; and Roddy Schrock, Executive Director, Eyebeam.

Featured Artists: Atinuke Adeleke, Erin Austin, Annemarie Baldauf, Jenny E. Balisle, Alexandra Basford, Sophy Bevan, Robin Bell, Kimberly Callas, Ceci Cole McInturff, Chris Combs, Gary Duehr, Mat Duncan, Pam Eichner, Lucia Enriquez, Erin McGee Ferrell, Jayne Gaskins, Julia Gutman, A.D. Herzel, Homosocial, Felicia Jordan, Toby Kaufmann-Buhler, Wobbe F. Koning, May-Mei Lee, Gregory Little, K J May, Jeffrey Mumford, Jeremy Newman, Mary . Noosh, Izzy Osborn, Julia Paul, Adam Porter, Andrew Reach, Michelle Robinson, Dave Ryan, Steve Ryan, Lucia Sheppard, Ann Stoddard, Bill Tavis, Erin Harper Vernon, Gaylia Wagner, Andrew Wharton, Seitaro Yamazaki, and Drew Zimmerman.

See over 100 small works from dozens of Touchstone Member artists. This holiday season, shop small! Support our artist-owned gallery with the purchase of an original art piece. Prices start at just $25. This exhibition was designed and curated by Gallery Assistant interns Daryle Locko, Maddie Martin, and Alicia Perkovich.

Featured artists: Linda Bankerd, Valerie Bernat, Dana Brotman, Jill Brantley, Rick Braswell, Marcia Coppel, Tory Cowles, Elaine Florimonte, Chris Tucker Haggerty, Cookie Kerxton, Mary Lagnaoui, Dee Levinson, Rosemary Luckett, Sharon Malley, McCain McMurray, Sonya Michel, Mary Ott, Debra Perkins, Amy Sabrin, Claudia Samper, Jenny Singleton, Rosa Vera, Gale Wallar, and Patricia Williams.

Click to shop Daryle’s favorites from Off the Grid

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3, 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Meet the Artist: Sunday, January 8, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Linda Bankerd’s Nothing Is Real is entirely abstract; a group of paintings that do not relate to reality in any way. She has utilized shape, color, form, line, and gestural marks to produce works that exist in and by themselves.

“Abstraction was not easily achieved. I’ve never striven for or succumbed to realism. Figures, landscapes, still lives, and interiors were evident in my past work, more often than not,” Bankerd says. “In this exhibition, I’ve finally been able to leave the “real” or some iteration of it. Nothing real needed or wanted.”

Bankerd has been making art for many years. Initially, she worked in silkscreen, producing multi-colored transparent abstract artworks. It proved to be an interesting change from making multiples—all exactly the same—to placing the paper under the prepared screen differently for each pass; therefore coming up with unexpected and innovative results. This experimentation in  printmaking led her to try painting. 

Expression through paint and brush proved to be much more direct for Bankerd than making screens and passing paper through them. She also found acrylic paint a forgiving medium, as it can be transparent or thick, shiny or dull; plus one can easily add other elements such as collage, pastel, crayon, ink, charcoal etc..

Note: Touchstone Gallery will be closed December 23-January 4.