Artist talk: Earth Day Celebration

Show dates: April 12- May 4, 2024

At 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC, 20012

Speakers/Demostrators: Lea Craigie-Marshall, Sofia Gawer, Kirsty Little

Featuring Artists: Jonathan Bessaci, Lea Craigie-Marshall, Luc-Alain Fiedler, Sofia Gawer, Margery Goldberg, Bianca Kolonusz-Partee, Kirsty Little, Ellen Sinel, Bradley Stevens, Luther Wright

Our planet’s environmental crisis is not new, and everyday becomes more critical. It will determine our future. The enormity of the crisis is daunting, but that cannot stop us from acting. To slow down and reverse the process of degradation to our planet we need to rethink the ways in which we live. While dreaming of the pristine past or hoping the future might be uplifting, it is merely passive thought. Through this exhibition we explore images that inspire action and protest.

~ NEW ARTIST ~ Bianca Kolonusz-Partee work is a call to action to find a balance between the obsession with consumerism and preserving our world for future generations. “I focus on industrial shipping ports. My perspective is unique in that the natural landscape comes across as more powerful than the industrial landscape. I build my work out of recycled product packages and pin them directly to the wall. In that way the gallery walls become the sky and water. The viewer has that much more ability to enter into these spaces. It ties together the installation work that I love and the magic I have always found looking at 2D work.”

~ NEW ARTIST ~ Luther Wright's artistic practice is characterized by his multidisciplinary approach and his passion for creating surface and wall murals using various mediums. As a muralist, Luther has transformed public spaces with his vibrant and captivating artworks. His murals can be found in numerous states and throughout the DMV area, leaving a lasting impact on the communities they adorn. He believes in the power of art to bring people together, spark conversations, and inspire positive change. Through his community involvement, Luther strives to create opportunities for artistic expression and engagement, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural enrichment.

Joanathan Bessaci moved to the District of Columbia from France, where he was born and grew up. He currently works with antique maps (from roughly 1920 to 1970) which he uses because of their color and texture but also because, they symbolize the roads people travel and their journeys and struggles for a better life. He uses maps as his medium because he spent his childhood around these objects in Lyon’s largest flea market where his family members had stands. As an immigrant working in Washington D.C., he brings a unique multicultural perspective to projects. “My work presently consists of cutting portraits and other images into several maps and layering them to create depth and texture with the geographic specificities of each map”

Lea Craigie-Marshall A natural creative spirit, Craigie-Marshall spent time taking private art lessons with her mother at home as well as in the mountains of scenic West Virginia with her grandmother, both artists. These strong female influences helped mold and inspire Lea to be the dynamic, multifaceted, feminist artist she is today. She has taught art in private schools and through private lessons for the past 15 years. Her work is heavily influenced by the natural world, our current political climate, and socio-economic/civil rights issues. Craigie-Marshall, who works with mediums ranging from stained glass to digital art, was chosen as the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival’s official artist.

Luc-Alain Fiedler has exhibited all over the United States, particularly in Washington and California. His sculptures often combine a variety of media, chiefly stone and metals, and they are inspired by science and nature. “In my own way I use Einstein’s theory of relativity to show the interrelationship of all things - where science and inner and outer space meet - and coexist in a frozen moment of sculpture. Therefore, many of the forms within the compositions are either found in nature, or are elements associated to man and industry.”

Sofia Gawer taught art workshops at different sites in the Washington DC area, such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Art Museum of the Americas, The Washington International School, The Sidwell Friends Lower School and teaches at the Enrichment Program of Janney Elementary School in Washington DC.Inspired by nature, Gawer loves to experiment with combinations of paints and mediums, recycled materials and other objects that add layers and textures to her work.

Margery Goldberg “I think of trees as our ancestors and family. Trees can live without people, but people cannot live without trees. Trees are our partners on this planet, and without trees there would be no shelter, books, habitat for our entire ecosystem including the air we breathe. Exotic and domestic hardwoods are my medium. Laminating and carving are my process. The result is sensuous, warm and unique, tactile and inviting. Each tree and the wood therein are unique, like humans no two are alike. Whether I carve a single piece of wood or laminate the wood for sculpture and furniture, carve and fabricate from logs or combine with neon, like the ancient carvers, I let the spirit out of the wood. I consider myself a wood whisperer.”

Ellen Sinel “Inspired by the quiet of the Virginia countryside and the beauty and force of the Cape Cod lands and waters, my paintings focus on nature and its constant changes. Painting landscapes has drawn me into observing more closely than I otherwise would have, the increasing instability of our environment, and the beginning of the impact of global warming. Our nature has become tempestuous.” Sinel’s work is found in the Embassy of Nepal, Katmandu, Nepal Freedom House, Washington, DC, Time Life, Inc., Alexandria, VA, and other prestigious collections throughout the US.

Bradley Stevens “Of the myriad and obvious reasons D.C. is such a wonderful place to live––the vibrant artistic and cultural life, the monuments, the neighborhoods, the Potomac River and Rock Creek––the city’s unique quality of light is often overlooked. Rare among the world’s great capitals, D.C. isn’t dwarfed by monoliths blocking sunlight to the web of life below. We who live, work and play here can witness the ever-changing light show that plays upon the city’s architecture and surrounding landscape. It is this beautiful illumination of some of our city’s most treasured spots that I attempt to capture in these paintings.”

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Zenith Gallery, 1429 Iris Street Northwest, Washington, United States