> Department of Parks and Recreation | Arts > Our Facilities > Brentwood Arts Exchange at Gateway Arts Center > Past Events and Performances

Past Events

Saturday, February 10, 2018, 2 pm
Unshrink My Heart

The DIY arts and crafts icon from the 80’s is back! And nothing says “love” like a hand-made pre-shrunk Valentine. Families are invited to create beautiful jewelry, key chains, and other Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones.

Children will receive their first 2 sheets of blank Shrinky Dinks free, additional sheets will be available to purchase for 50 cents each.

Saturday, December 16, 2017, 2 pm
Holiday Ornament Workshop

This FREE family-friendly, workshop provides the opportunity to create paper ornaments for the Holiday season. All materials are provided. If you have special paper you would like to use, feel free to bring it the day of the event. No registration required. We look forward to sharing the Holidays with you.

Friday, December 15, 2017, 8 pm
Ballad Of at the Listening Room

Ballad Of is a DC-based quartet that offers a wide range of musical styles that are strategically intertwined to make engaging and unique musical compositions. Their style slams together vocal harmonies, guitars, banjos, cello/fiddles, and both traditional and non-traditional percussion instruments for a truly engaging performance. https://www.facebook.com/pg/Balladve/about/?ref=page_internal

Tickets $15

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 11 am
Brentwood Arts Exchange Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge

Don’t get stuck at crowded malls this season buying generic gift sets for your loved ones… Come to the Brentwood Arts Exchange Holiday Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge! Craft artisans from our community will display their items for sale inside our warm and cozy gallery environs.

A wide selection of unique craft items will be available, including pottery, jewelry, textiles, glass, ornaments, and much more. While you finish your holiday shopping, stop by the beer tasting lounge.

Friday, November 24, 2017, 10 am
Black Friday Sale

This is what holiday shopping was meant to be: calm, friendly, local, and full of beautiful items. One day a year, fittingly the day after Thanksgiving, we reduce our commission on sales and mark down everything in the Brentwood Arts Exchange Fine Craft Store 20% - but still pay the artists the same as with a regular sale.

Support artists who are of course themselves also small businesses. Our Craft Store features unique, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, blown glass, ceramics, handbags, cards, and more.

Saturday, November 18, 2017, 2 pm
Thanksgiving Glitterfest

A FREE one-day workshop for young artists and families to decorate sparkling centerpieces with glitter for their Thanksgiving table. Nothing says "Thanks!" like glitter - and all the mess can stay in our classroom. Families are encouraged to bring their own items to decorate, but can also choose from a limited selection of free centerpiece items at the workshop.

Friday, November 17, 2017, 8 pm
J Pope and the HearNow at the Listening Room

J Pope and the HearNow is a hip-hop/alt-Soul/funk group from Baltimore. Known for their high energy performances and intense, rigorous compositions, the group released their album Soul Searching in June 2017. The band calls Soul Searching a “snapshot of a period that saw shifting band members, failed experiments, and lessons learned, but also intense moments of inspiration and clarity.”

J Pope and the HearNow have received generous recognition around the Baltimore music scene in publications like Baltimore Magazine and the Baltimore Times. https://www.facebook.com/pg/JPopeandtheHearNow/about/?ref=page_internal

Tickets $15

Saturday, November 11, 2017, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Splash: Attitude and Process

Attitudes are catalysts for new processes, and re-envisioned ways of making. To use any material, or even to make work that is ethereal, arises from widely varied practices, but always embodies the artist’s attitude about creating. Furthermore, to act with style and intention in creating articulates and shares the position of the artist. Pushing the boundaries of art informs not only making art but also seeing it.

Featuring:
Maryamm Abdullah, James Coley, Felicia Cowser, Lindsay D’Andelet, Elliott Hamilton, Tom Hill, Paul Hrusa, Michael Janis, Khadija Khaalis, Aselin Lands, Rashad Muhammad, Sarah O’Donoghue, John Paradiso, Jose Piedra, Mary Celestine Ranney-Howes, Federico Ruiz, Tina Silverman, Ronnie Spiewak, Kim Thorpe, and Acquaetta Williams

Saturday, November 4, 2017, 2 pm
Press Outreach Tool Kit

Artists and arts organizations are invited to attend this information session on streamlining how artists promote their press releases as well as adjust their research and strategy to shape their business models towards local, regional, and national outreach.

This free workshop is part of the Making it as an Artist professional development series at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 7 pm
"Present" in Print

Presented at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center

In a combination lecture and demonstration, join Pyramid Atlantic and the Brentwood Arts Exchange for a talk about printmaking and its role in feminism and social justice. After the talk, check out Pyramid's Letterpress Studio for a demonstration, and walk away with a printed poster. This event is FREE, but advance registration is required. Register at: pyramidatlanticartcenter.org

This event is proudly presented in coordination of Now Be Here #4 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Check out nowbeherela.com for more info about how you can support women artists.

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
4318 Gallatin Street
Hyattsville, MD 20781

Saturday, October 21, 2017, 2 pm
Calabash Carnage Pumpkin Carving

Celebrate Halloween and have lots of fun at the Brentwood Arts Exchange! Your family is invited to join us for a Pumpkin Carving Workshop. Use your imagination and create your own designs. Admission is free. Pumpkins are sold at cost, $5 each.

Saturday, October 14, 2017, 2 pm
Artists Talk: Methods

Methods explores formal, material, and conceptual approaches to investigating identity as personal narrative and shared experience. Featuring artists from across the DMV, Methods challenges the boundaries of traditional media and found materials to reexamine how we see form and understand meaning in art.

Featuring: Roxana Alger Geffen, Rodrigo Carazas, Chanel Compton, and Wayson R. Jones.

Friday, October 13, 2017, 8 pm
Dom Flemons at the Listening Room

Dom Flemons is a Grammy Award winning musician from Phoenix Arizona. Dom Flemons’ interesting blend of music utilizes older, historically rooted styles while also riding the line of contemporary trends to make a fresh, contemporary style of folk. His most recent solo-album Prospect Hill mixes an eclectic blend ragtime, spirituals, Piedmont blues, and many other genres, recognized by publications like Paste Magazine and Living Blues Magazine.

As a multi-instrumentalist, you can expect Dom Flemons to break out a multitude of instruments from banjos, guitars, drums, and more for an engaging and provocative performance. He is currently working on a new album to be released via Smithsonian Folkways that will be centered on the songs and stories of the black cowboys. https://theamericansongster.com/

Tickets $20

Thursday, October 12, 2017, 6:30 pm
Hispanic Heritage Film Series: El mar la mar

Dir. Joshua Bonnetta, J.P. Sniadecki (2017), US, 94 minutes.

From Harvard University’s Sensory Ethnography Lab, known for pushing the boundaries of aesthetics and nonfiction films, El mar la mar explores the US/Mexico Sonoran desert border with an experimental approach that at times borders on total abstraction while touching on the narratives and experiences of the migrants and border patrol agents that traverse the region.

Saturday, October 7, 2017, 2 pm
Taxes and Legal Issues for Artists

Beyond creative production, succeeding as an artist requires navigating aspects of the business and legal world that can often be complex and seem overwhelming. Kent L. Killelea will discuss common legal issues for artists related to taxes, contracts, the implications of working as an employee vs. independent contractor, and more.

This free workshop is part of the Making it as an Artist professional development series at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, September 30, 2017, 2 pm
Boot Camp for Artists with F. Lennox Campello

Ever wonder how to maximize the attention your work gets from the press, galleries, and museum curators? How to present your work in a professional manner and save money in the process? How to tap into grants, awards, and residences? How to approach a gallery? Then this free seminar is for you!

Thursday, September 21, 2017, 6:30 pm
Hispanic Heritage Film Series: Aquí y Allá

Dir. Antonio Méndez Esparza(2012), US/Spain/Mexico, 110 minutes.

Aquí: Pedro returns home to a small mountain village in Guerrero, Mexico after years of working in the US. He finds his daughters older, and more distant than he imagined. His wife still has the same smile. Having saved earnings from trips to the US, he hopes to now finally make a better life, and to pursue his dreams of starting a band. Allá: The villagers think this year’s crop will be bountiful. There is also good work in a growing city an hour away. But the locals are wise to a life of insecurity, and their thoughts are often of family members or opportunities far away, north of the border.

Friday, September 15, 2017, 8 pm
Gregory Cornell at the Listening Room

Gregory Cornell, a singer-songwriter hailing from Brooklyn, NYC, is an ambitious roots musician that has crafted vivid music that is reflective of his knowledge. Through his life lessons and experiences, he has created a contemporary sound that is fueled by his passion for Americana music.

He has performed his dynamic blend of country, blues, bluegrass, and old-time music at venues throughout the region. http://www.cornellbrothers.com/

Tickets $15.

Thursday, September 14, 2017, 6:30 pm
Hispanic Heritage Film Series: María in Nobody's Land/María en tierra de nadie

Dir. Marcela Zamora Chamorro (2010), El Salvador/Mexico, 86 minutes.

MARIA IN NOBODY'S LAND is an unprecedented and intimate look at the illegal and extremely dangerous journey of three Salvadoran women to the US. Doña Inés, a 60 year old woman, has been looking for her daughter for five years and is following the same route her daughter took. Marta and Sandra, tired of the violence from their husbands and wanting to overcome poverty, decide to leave their families behind to travel to America - with only thirty dollars in their pockets.

Saturday, September 9, 2017, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Methods

Saturday, July 22, 2017, 12 am
Southside Music & Skateboarding Series

A skateboarding competition event with cash prizes in four competition categories. No entry fee. Guest Judges: DC Wheels.

Onsite Registration: noon - 12:45 pm.

Presented by CrackWood Productions and the Brentwood Arts Exchange

Videos and information online:
SouthsideMusicAndSkateboarding

Mt. Rainier Skate Park
3792 Otis Street
(corner of Otis & Wells)
Mount Rainier, MD 20712
301-277-2863

Friday, July 7, 2017, 8 pm
Zodiak at the Listening Room

In a cool and dark basement, under the light of the Wolf Moon, five intergalactic spirits joined forces to form a magnificent creature: Zodiak. Cemented together by an invincible weld of funk and soul, the young band is on a mission to gift her audience with a spellbinding experience of intimacy. With members hailing from the District and Baltimore regions, Zodiak boasts a unique audible experience: a sonic blend of existing genres like funk, rhythm and blues, and go-go.

Their freshman album, Basement Brew, “has what it takes to be in heavy rotation on anyone’s iPod” (VibesAndVino.com, 2016). And, though the studio album has been received with great warmth, Zodiak ’s strength lies in their live shows. They bring love and light to all their performances and have captivated audiences all along the East Coast. Hear Zodiak at zodiakdc.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Friday, July 7, 2017, 8 pm
Zodiak at the Listening Room

In a cool and dark basement, under the light of the Wolf Moon, five intergalactic spirits joined forces to form a magnificent creature: Zodiak. Cemented together by an invincible weld of funk and soul, the young band is on a mission to gift her audience with a spellbinding experience of intimacy. With members hailing from the District and Baltimore regions, Zodiak boasts a unique audible experience: a sonic blend of existing genres like funk, rhythm and blues, and go-go.

Their freshman album, Basement Brew, “has what it takes to be in heavy rotation on anyone’s iPod” (VibesAndVino.com, 2016). And, though the studio album has been received with great warmth, Zodiak ’s strength lies in their live shows. They bring love and light to all their performances and have captivated audiences all along the East Coast. Hear Zodiak at www.zodiakdc.com
Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-store or at the door.

Friday, June 23, 2017, 8 pm
Be Steadwell at the Listening Room

Be Steadwell is a singer-songwriter from Washington DC. With roots in jazz, a cappella, and folk, Be composes a soulful blend of genres into what she calls queer pop. Be's work has caught the attention of many throughout the East Coast and the DMW where she has been awarded an Artist fellowship from DC commission in the Arts and has been an artist in residence at The Strathmore Performing Arts Center.

In her live performances, she utilizes loop pedal vocal layering and beat boxing to compose her songs on stage. Be's self-produced albums feature her earnest lyricism, proud LGBTQ content, unapologetic silliness, and the art of the simple love song. Hear Be Steadwell at besteadwell.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store..

Saturday, June 17, 2017, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Material-Object-Form

Featuring: Leda Black, Melissa Burley, Eric Celarier, Katie Dell Kaufman, Annie Farrar, Zofie Lang, and Fabiola Yuricisin.

Attaching meaning to the things around us among the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be human. We value many things not for what they are, but for where they came from, who gave them to us, or what they help us remember. Other things take on spiritual meaning, or link us to histories and traditions. Material – Object – Form explores the ways that artists use these relationships to develop the content of their artwork.

Saturday, May 27, 2017, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Re-Locations

Join us with Morgan Craig, Joey Manlapaz, and Trevor Young to hear their thoughts and reflections about their artistic process.

Re-Locations explores the way that representation influences our understanding of place. Artists Morgan Craig, Joey Manlapaz, and Trevor Young each address our relationship with the spaces around us through representational painting. Yet, each of their approaches creates a very different understanding of what their subject mean to us as a places – Craig with lush, saturated colors evocative of decay, Manlapaz with a precision that can be at once familiar and distant, and Young with an uncanny use of light to create emotional charge. Together, their grouping of work in Re-Locations focuses a spotlight on the power of artists to interpret and imbue our lived environment with meaning.

Saturday, May 13, 2017, 12 am
Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour

The 13th annual Gateway Arts District Open Studios tour features more than 100 artists, group studios, art galleries and organizations, and more along the Rhode Island/Baltimore Ave. corridor through Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Hyattsville, and Edmonston. It's our region's largest artists open studio event and your best opportunity to meet local artists.

Join us all day to see Re-Locations and to shop in our craft store.

Join us 5-8 pm as we co-host the Open Studio Tour After Party with the 39th Street Gallery.

More information is at gatewayopenstudios.org

Friday, April 21, 2017, 8 pm
District Nomad at the Listening Room

District Nomad formed in 2013 while playing at The Kreeger Museum in Northwest Washington DC. Made up of four musicians with a variety of musical backgrounds, the quartet draws inspiration from the classical repertoire, traditional jazz standards, experimental and other world music. The group will perform a re-orchestration of Olivier Messiaen's work The Quartet for the End of Time for Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Percussion and Violin which seeks to expand on the sentiments expressed in the music by further exploring the timbral and dynamic possibilities offered by modern instruments.

Musicians Gary Prince, Chris Brown, Sarah Foard and Manny Arciniega offer an exciting re-interpretation of this ‘timeless’ piece as the human race faces new threats of intolerance and fascism, serving as a reminder that music can overcome any obstacle and soar above any wall.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, April 8, 2017, 2 pm
Easter Egg Decorating!

Create beautiful decorated eggs that will impress your friends and even the Easter Bunny. Fun, glitter, eggs! We promise all three at this free family-friendly workshop at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Children will receive their first two eggs for free. Additional eggs will be available to purchase 2 for $1.

Saturday, April 1, 2017, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Re-Locations

Re-Locations explores the way that representation influences our understanding of place. Artists Morgan Craig, Joey Manlapaz, and Trevor Young each address our relationship with the spaces around us through representational painting. Yet, each of their approaches creates a very different understanding of what their subject mean to us as a places – Craig with lush, saturated colors evocative of decay, Manlapaz with a precision that can be at once familiar and distant, and Young with an uncanny use of light to create emotional charge. Together, their grouping of work in Re-Locations focuses a spotlight on the power of artists to interpret and imbue our lived environment with meaning.

Saturday, March 18, 2017, 10 am
Boundaries - A One Day Video Art Exhibition

Boundaries is a pop-up, single day exhibition of video art and installation, Boundaries investigates identities and conditions that emerge as a result of fluid spaces that are geographic, political, and even metaphysical. The environments in these videos are created via perspectives within global communities, and "boundaries" is a term indicative of both the real and constructed nature of spaces that affect our external as well as internal experience.

Artists include: Sama Alshaibi, Ryan Buyssens, Maria Dumlao, Ieva Epnere, Kei It, Khaled Jarrer, Arthur Liou, Tim McLoraine, Ryan Murray, Isabela Prado.

Curated by Erin Devine and Phil Davis

Friday, March 10, 2017, 8 pm
Sara Curtin Five at the Listening Room

Sara Curtin is a CMJ.com premiered artist and her album "Michigan Lilium" charted on the CMJ Top 200 charts. That Music Magazine calls her "a gifted songwriter who understands that you don’t write because you want to say something, but because you have something to say and she sure as heck says it exquisitely." Brightest Young Things names her “One of D.C.’s finest.”

Sara made a name for herself in the folk scene with her duo The Sweater Set, but NPR’s WAMU Bandwidth describes her solo project led by “Summer”, the first “slow and sultry” single from new album Michigan Lilium, as having more in common “with Sade or Sharon Van Etten than D.C.’s long folk tradition.” American Songwriter recently featured “Summer” as a Daily Discovery. Hear Sara Curtin at saracurtin.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store.

Thursday, February 23, 2017, 6:30 pm
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty - Afrofuturism on Film

Directed by Terrance Nance. 2013. (89 min)

Executive producers Jay-Z, Dream Hampton, and Wyatt Cenac present Terence Nance's explosively creative debut feature, AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY. With arresting insight, vulnerability, and a delightful sense of humor, the film documents the relationship between Terence (Nance) and a lovely young woman (Namik Minter) as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic.

Utilizing a tapestry of live action and multiple styles of animation, the film blurs the line between narrative, documentary, and experimental film as it explores the fantasies, emotions, and memories that race through Terence's mind as he examines and re-examines a singular moment in time.

Free. Open to the Public.

Thursday, February 16, 2017, 6:30 pm
The Last Angel of History - Afrofuturism on Film

Directed by John Akomfrah. 1996. (45 min)

This cinematic essay posits science fiction (with tropes such as alien abduction, estrangement, and genetic engineering) as a metaphor for the Pan-African experience of forced displacement, cultural alienation, and otherness. Akomfrah's analysis is rooted in an exploration of the cultural works of Pan-African artists, such as funk-master George Clinton and his Mothership Connection, Sun Ra's use of extraterrestrial iconography, and the very explicit connection drawn between these issues in the writings of black science fiction authors Samuel R. Delaney and Octavia Butler. Free. Open to the Public.

Saturday, February 11, 2017, 2 pm
Unshrink My Heart

Thursday, February 9, 2017, 6:30 pm
Crumbs - Afrofuturism on Film

Directed by Miguel Llansó. 2015. (68 min)

Crumbs is set against the background of spectacular post-apocalyptic Ethiopian landscapes, where the film finds a strange-looking scrap collector, Gagano (played by the charismatic Daniel Tadesse). Alternately gripped by daydreams and constant fears, the diminutive Gagano has had enough of collecting the priceless crumbs of decayed civilization, including the most valuable: merchandise from Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.

When a spaceship that has been hovering high in the sky for years starts showing signs of activity, Gagano has to overcome his fears – as well as a witch, Santa Claus and second-generation Nazis – to discover things aren't quite the way he thought.

Free. Open to the public.

Saturday, January 21, 2017, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Drawn Out, Drawn Over: Mapping the Territory of Experience

Drawn Out, Drawn Over: Mapping the Territory of Experience aims to field a visual conversation about drawing approaches by featuring 18 selected artists living throughout the United States, most of who have had devoted careers as academics. Their institutions range from small liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and some of the largest research institutions in the country.

Participating artists include:

Lisa Austin, Pati Beachley, Carol Brode, Carmon Colangelo, Alan Crockett, Kathy Dlugos, Casey Doyle, Helen Frederick, Carole Garmon, Janis Goodman, Rebecca Kamen, Walter Kravitz, Michael Pestel, Matt Pinney, Bev Ress, Buzz Spector, Sergio Soave, Sunny Belliston Taylor

Saturday, December 17, 2016, 2 pm
Paper Ornament Workshop

Saturday, December 10, 2016, 11 am
Brentwood Arts Exchange Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge

Saturday, December 3, 2016, 2 pm
Intro to 3D Modeling

Are you interested in learning 3D design? Would you like to learn how to use a 3D printer?

Free class for teens! Come check out Brentwood Arts Exchange’s new MakerBot and learn the basics of 3D printing. You’ll come away from this class with your very own three dimensional object!

Ages 16 and up. The afternoon workshop is free. Registration is required and seating is limited. Call 301-277-2863 or In-Person at the Brentwood Arts Exchange to Register.

Saturday, December 3, 2016, 1 pm
Opening Reception: Get to Know Your Wild Neighbor

This exhibition will feature work from the children's wildlife program, "Get to Know." This educational wildlife organization was founded in 1999 by painter and naturalist Robert Bateman.

During this program children have the opportunity to engage with nature in a way that may not be built into their daily lives. "Get to Know" encourages an active lifestyle while interacting with nature. The connections and discoveries made outdoors will be explored through artistic projects and exhibited in our gallery.

Friday, December 2, 2016, 8 pm
Humble Fire Live at the Listening Room

D.C. rock outfit Humble Fire delivers irresistible jangly, dreamy rock songwriting. Comprised of David Epley (guitar, backup vocals), Nefra Faltas (lead vocals, violin, glockenspiel), Xaq Rothman (bass, backup vocals) and Adam Stern (drums)-just released their debut album, The Great Resolve in 2014, and have become one of the most sought after bands the D.C.-area. Hear samples at https://humblefire.bandcamp.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Friday, November 25, 2016, 10 am
Black Friday Sale

Saturday, November 19, 2016, 2 pm
Thanksgiving Glitterfest

Friday, November 18, 2016, 8 pm
Nicole Saphos Live at the Listening Room

Jazz Vocalist and Bassist, Nicole Saphos honed her skills at Temple University prior to emerging onto the DC jazz scene in 2012. The bold bass playing songstress has since established herself as a compelling performer. Drawing upon her unique collection of influences, ranging from Charles Mingus to Fiona Apple, Saphos couples a strong sense of musicality with her achingly nostalgic sound and inventively hypnotic and rhythmically driven arrangements. Hear samples at http://www.nicolesaphos.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, October 22, 2016, 2 pm
Calabash Carnage Pumpkin Carving

Friday, October 21, 2016, 8 pm
Jonny Grave Live at the Listening Room

Jonny Grave is a guitarist, songwriter, singer, bandleader, teacher, musical historian, journalist, photographer, and Bluesman from Washington DC. Growing up in a very musical family, Grave was introduced to the sounds of American traditional folk music early on. At age fifteen he found himself learning slide guitar techniques from old Blues records, and by seventeen he was performing them live. Hear samples at http://www.jonnygrave.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Thursday, October 13, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Serrano Shoots Cuba

Andres Serrano has come a long way since the 1980’s culture wars. We followed the controversial artist around Cuba as he created a new body of work, photographing the country's influential figures, political leaders, the poor, the rich, and the dead. Vice Media. 2015. 41 minutes

Saturday, October 8, 2016, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Other Worlds of Imagination and Wonder

Join us as curator Jennifer Lindsay and artist Joseph Corcoran and Laurel Lukaszewski discuss the exhibition Other Worlds of Imagination and Wonder.

Friday, September 30, 2016, 8 pm
Kino Musica Live at the Listening Room

Kino Musica is an evolving voyage of musical and cultural discovery undertaken by four friends and veterans of the DC music scene. With members of East African descent, Kino employs melodies from the Horn of Africa as a creative stepping stone to tell honest and personal stories. They instinctively combine these sounds with Cuban and Cape Verdean rhythms into a style beholden to no flag. Here more at http://www.kinomusica.com

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Thursday, September 29, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Visions of Aztlán

Visions of Aztlán explores the Chicano Art art movement that flowered amid the confrontations and turbulent street demonstrations of the 1960s. Directed by veteran Chicano filmmaker Jesús Salvador Treviño, Visions of Aztlán introduces us to a generation of Mexican-American artists who were inspired by the Chicano Civil Rights Movement to portray Mexican-American life at a time when the community was largely invisible in the popular culture. 2010. 58 minutes.

Thursday, September 15, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Piñero

Piñero tells the story of the explosive life of a Latino icon, the poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero, whose urban poetry is recognized as a pre-cursor to rap and hip-hop.

After doing time in hard-core Sing-Sing for petty thefts and drug dealing, Piñero's prison experiences developed into the 1974 Tony-nominated play Short Eyes. The resulting notoriety and fame was too much for the Latino bad-boy genius who retreated to the darker corners of New York City. Miramax. 2001. 103 minutes

Saturday, September 10, 2016, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Other Worlds of Imagination and Wonder

Opening Reception: Other Worlds of Imagination and Wonder

Curator Jennifer Lindsay brings together two sculptors, Laurel Lukaszewski (ceramics) and Joseph A. Corcoran (glass) to create site-specific installations for the Brentwood Arts Exchange. Using collaborative installations as a way to intensify the viewer’s immersion in a transformative or revelatory experience, Lindsay will juxtapose works by both artists, from miniature to monumental, illuminating each artist’s individual responses to materials, nature, culture, and the environment.

Saturday, August 20, 2016, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Jackie Brown - Between the Real and the Imagined

Jackie Brown works to create imagined biological systems that suggest growth, movement, and expansion. It's often ambiguous as to whether her forms are benign or toxic, and she hope to suggest mutation, as if systems are melding into new and uncertain growths. While each work is imaginative, the ideas that are central to the work reference real phenomenon, and Brown is increasingly interested in experiments that involve the human manipulation of living systems.

Saturday, July 23, 2016, 10 am
Drawing on History: A Day of Drawing at the Riversdale House Museum

The Riversdale House Museum and the Brentwood Arts Exchange are partnering to encourage history enthusiasts and artists of all levels to draw inside the Riversdale House Museum. Timed to coincide with the exhibition, Some of the Finest Paintings Ever in America, this rare chance to draw inside the house is also a rare opportunity to create drawings inspired by reproductions of European Old Master paintings from the collection of the Peeters and Stier families.

Drawing on History is free, open to the public, and will feature drawing activities inside the mansion as well as outside in the gardens. Limited supplies will be provided to children on a first come, first serve basis.

Located at the Riversdale House Museum
4811 Riverdale Rd.
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 864-0420

Saturday, July 16, 2016, 12 am
Southside Mt. Rainier Music & Skateboarding Series

A FREE skateboarding competition event with cash prizes, DJ sets throughout, & live music! No entry fee. Guest Judges: DC Wheels! Onsite Registration & Free skate: Noon - 12:45 pm. Rain date: July 23.

Presented by CrackWood Productions in partnership with the Brentwood Arts Exchange

Mt. Rainier Skate Park
3792 Otis Street
(corner of Otis & Wells)
Mount Rainier, MD 20712
301-277-2863

Saturday, June 25, 2016, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Carol Barsha - Between the Real and the Imagined

Carol Barsha’s work consists of closely observed studies from nature that, once distilled, undergo a transformation into larger-than-life versions of themselves. Her aim is to explore the exquisite beauty of simple and complex structures in the visual world, and to express her own wonder by capturing the essence of some detail — be it a bird’s nest or a flower — and to recreate it in a new way.

She has been pursuing this method since the 1970’s when she studied with mentor and teacher Philip Guston, who contributed always reminding her of the absolute necessity of being brutally honest with oneself. “I want to paint a world as if it has never been seen before, for the first time” he said, “that’s what I have to do to make painting worthwhile.”

Saturday, June 11, 2016, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Between the Real and the Imagined: New Work by Jackie Brown and Carol Barsha

Between the Real and the Imagined explores the interpretation of nature in imaginary and fantastical forms. It uses imagination, observation, and invention to transport us to a place where things we recognize as nature blur seamlessly into places we know aren’t real.

Chevy Chase, MD-based artist Carol Barsha creates colorful paintings of garden scenes that are as enjoyable in their playful, painterly style as they are in their stylized depictions. Brunswick, ME-based Jackie Brown constructs sculptural biomorphic installations that evoke mutation, growth, and movement, and expansion with an ambiguity that hovers between playfulness and malignance.

Friday, June 3, 2016, 8 pm
Louis Weeks

Louis Weeks is an award-winning DC-based composer and performer. His music mixes acoustic performances with electronic soundscapes and production. Louis's two full-length albums, "shift/away" (2014) and "haha" (2015), have been featured on NPR, The Washington Post, and Washington City Paper.

When he's not performing or making records, Louis writes music for film and television. Currently, Louis is working on his next release, which will be out later in 2016.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, May 14, 2016, 12 am
Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour

The 12th annual Gateway Arts District Open Studios tour features more than 100 artists, group studios, art galleries and organizations, and more along the Rhode Island/Baltimore Ave. corridor through Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Hyattsville, and Edmonston. It's our region's largest artists open studio event and your best opportunity to meet local artists.

Join us all day to see Boundless: Aging and Creativity, curated by University of Maryland Students and to shop in our craft store.

Join us 2-5 pm for free family art activities in our classroom

Join us 5-8 pm as we co-host the Open Studio Tour After Party with the 39th Street Gallery.

More information is at gatewayopenstudios.org

Saturday, May 7, 2016, 5 pm
Book Reading and Discussion with: Wendy Miller, co-author of Sky Above Clouds: Finding our Way through Creativity, Aging, and Illness (Oxford University Press - 3/2016)

Book Reading and Discussion with: Wendy Miller, co-author of Sky Above Clouds: Finding our Way through Creativity, Aging, and Illness (Oxford University Press - 3/2016)

Presented as part of Boundless: Aging and Creativity exhibition. Expressive arts therapist and writer Dr. Wendy Miller shares a story written with her late husband, Dr. Gene Cohen, a pioneering psychiatrist, researcher and writer about creative aging, from the intersection of medical science and life's meaning--a story of love and family, life and death, and the healing power of creativity through illness and adversity.

Friday, May 6, 2016, 8 pm
Eze Jackson

An independent hip hop lyricist from Baltimore, MD, Eze Jackson delivers the spoken word with lyrical prowess using rap and singing. Eze studied hip hop at the University of Hard Knocks.

Also the emcee and frontman for rap band Soul Cannon, Eze’s passion is spitting into a microphone, sharing the music he believes in, and bringing the best songs to his audience. Eze was named The Baltimore Crown Awards 2014 "Hip Hop (male) Artist of the Year."

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, April 30, 2016, 2 pm
Opening Reception: The Art of Freedom: War, Peace, and Everything in Between

Prince George’s County has a long history of supporting our military personnel. This exhibition seeks to cultivate artistic support for veterans and active duty members to highlight the role art can play in the healing process of returning from deployment.

The exhibition will showcase artwork by veterans and the military community using the creative process to promote healing, and provide insight into artistic expression as a tool for understanding the transition from military to civilian life.

Opening Reception held at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD (301-583-2400)

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Boundless: Aging and Creativity

It's said that the arts require a lifetime to master, and learning must continue throughout our lives. "Boundless: Aging and Creativity" explores the benefits of lifelong learning and the relationship that the stages of our lives have with artistic creation. Curated by students at the University of Maryland College Park, this exhibition features four Maryland-based artists who have had very different, but highly accomplished career paths and who are in creative prime: Alonzo Davis, Dorothy Fall, Bertrand Mao, and Valerie Watson. Supported in part by the Foxworth Creative Enterprise Initiative at the University of Maryland.

Friday, April 1, 2016, 8 pm
Elena & Los Fulanos

Elena & Los Fulanos is a bilingual folk rock band based in Washington, DC. Since 2011, they have been creating music that ranges from twangy, heartbreak-themed folk Americana, to soothing, introspective, violin-infused Latin rock.

Influenced by front-woman Elena Lacayo’s experience growing up in two cultures (Nicaraguan and American), Elena & Los Fulanos creates a world where language and tradition meld with catchy melodies and inventive chords to enhance appreciation for diversity in an increasingly multi-cultural world. In 2014 they released their debut Wammy-nominated album, Miel Venenosa.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, March 19, 2016, 2 pm
Easter Egg Decorating!

Fun, glitter, eggs! We promise all three at this free family-friendly workshop at the Brentwood Arts Exchange. Create beautiful decorated eggs that will impress your friends and even the Easter Bunny. Children will receive their first two eggs for free. Additional eggs will be available to purchase 2 for $1.

Friday, March 11, 2016, 8 pm
UltraFaux featuring Michael Joseph Harris

Baltimore band UltraFaux performs original acoustic music with Romani,
Sinti, Manouche, blues, be-bop, swing, and musette influences.
The group is an acoustic powerhouse of two guitars and upright bass.
Sami Arefin and Michael Joseph Harris trade dazzling leads and
harmonize together on rich gypsy-inspired melodies.

The dynamic Eddie Hrybyk on upright bass holds down the steady swinging pulse and brings his passion for improvisation to the group.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Thursday, March 10, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Depictions of Bedouin Culture

Theeb (100 min, 2014). Directed by Naji Abu Nowar. The spellbinding Jordanian adventure film Theeb is a story set in the farthest reaches of the Ottoman Empire in 1916. A sinister and seriously wounded man and a preadolescent boy play cat and mouse as they help each other stay alive in a do-or-die struggle.

The movie is set in a period known as the Arab Revolt, when Arab nationalists sought independence from the Ottoman Turks. Events are seen through the eyes of Theeb (Jacir Eid), a Bedouin child who has had no contact with the world outside his desert community. During these years, traditional Bedouin culture was disrupted by a railway, nicknamed the Iron Donkey Trail. Connecting Damascus and Medina, it would soon eliminate the need for Bedouin pilgrim guides.

Followed by a discussion with Valerie Anishchenkova, U. MD. Director of Arabic Programs about Theeb’s depictions of Bedouin culture.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Reconciliation in Al-Mutanabbi Street

Forgive but Never Forget; Reconciliation in Al-Mutanabbi Street is a documentary film that follows the story of Al-Mutanabbi street in Baghdad, a street famed in Iraq for its Friday book auction and commitment to literature.
In 2007, the street was hit by a terror attack, destroying the Alshabander Cafe, one of the street’s central social points. The owner of the cafe, Muhammed Alkshali, lost five sons in the attack. Despite this, he rebuilt the cafe and it has become a focal point of reconciliation in Baghdad.

The film shows the story of the street before and after the attack, along with illustrations of the lives of those who live and work in the street. By doing so, it showcases the street as a beacon of hope in this dark time in Iraq's history.

Followed by a discussion with poet Amal Al-Jubouri about the film and the literary culture represented by Al-Mutanabbi Street.

March 5-6, 2016
Transformational Painting

This two-day workshop will teach you how to develop your own painting process by connecting your intuition with your creativity. Have fun with large format acrylic painting, movement, music, and introduction to mythology. Emphasizing an intuitive approach to painting, rather than technique or product, instructor Ellen O'Hanlon will help you liberate your inner artist and tap your creative potential. No painting experience necessary.

All levels welcome. Take home your finished canvas and digital images of your original work. Fee includes all materials plus breakfast and lunch both days. Click here for registration information.

Thursday, March 3, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Depictions of Egypt on the Verge of Revolution

Garbage Dreams (79 min, 2009). Directed by Mai Iskander. Cairo is one of the largest cities in Egypt, but for decades there was no formal garbage collection system in most of the city; instead, many neighborhoods were kept clean by zaballeen, or "garbage people." The zaballeen would pick up trash from the streets, sometimes being paid a few pennies for their efforts, but most would support themselves by selling cans, bottles, and other materials they found to recycling firms.

This makeshift system proved to be surprisingly effective and efficient, but when Cairo's local government entered into a contract with an international sanitation firm to collect the city's trash, some 60,000 zaballeen suddenly found themselves without a livelihood. Filmmaker Mai Iskander examines the culture of Cairo's "garbage people" through the lives of three young men who collect and recycle trash in the documentary Garbage Dreams. Iskander spent four years following and filming quick-witted 16-year-old Osama, class-conscious 18-year-old Nabil, and bright 17-year-old Adham as they struggle to make a living and a future in a profession whose days are numbered.

Followed by a discussion with Valerie Anishchenkova, U. MD. Director of Arabic Programs about Garbage Dreams’ depictions of Egypt on the verge of revolution.

Thursday, February 25, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screening: Depictions of Women and the City of Beirut

Caramel (95 min, 2007). Directed by Nadine Labaki. A beauty salon in Beirut is a community center of sorts, where five Lebanese women share their friendships and trust each other with their deepest secrets. A romantic comedy at first glance, the film has heartbreaking drama at its core. The complexity of women’s lives and relationships showcases the cultural density of their native city that saw its share of human suffering.

The salon owner Layale, played by the director Nadine Labaki has an affair with a married man and spends anxious hours waiting for him to call, ignoring the attentions of a handsome traffic policeman who is obviously smitten with her. Layale’s friends and co-workers are supportive and tolerant of her, and also have troubles of their own. Jamale (Gisèle Aouad) is a recently divorced actress made frantic by the necessity of competing with younger women for work in television commercials. Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri), a Muslim, is engaged and is worried about what will happen if her future husband discovers that she isn’t a virgin. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel), who cleans up around the shop and washes hair, develops a crush on an elegant client. And then there is Aunt Rose (Siham Haddad), a seamstress who lives down the street from Layale’s shop with her demanding, mentally disabled sister, Lili (Aziza Semaan). With the support of their friends in their familiar salon, the women search for the answers to questions of life, love and happiness.

Followed by a discussion with Valerie Anishchenkova, U. MD. Director of Arabic Programs about Caramel’s depictions of women and the city of Beirut.

Saturday, February 20, 2016, 1 pm
Creative Dialogue: Innovator Talk With Lola Bloom of City Blossoms

Lola Bloom, co-founder and co-director of City Blossoms, will talk about her work with City Blossoms, connecting communities through interdisciplinary methods of environmental education, holistic health, and artistic expression. The spaces created with City Blossoms are kid-driven and incorporate concepts from installation and performance art in order to stay vibrant and sustainable.

After a group discussion on successful practices in community arts, participants will collaborate in a hands-on exercise in the style of City Blossoms.

Thursday, February 18, 2016, 6:30 pm
Film Screenings: Cultural Representations of Conflict in Palestine and Iraq.

A Candle for the Shabandar Café (23 min). Directed by Emad Ali at the Independent Film and Television College of Baghdad (2007.) Shabandar Café in Al Mutanabbi Street in the heart of the old centre of Baghdad, was a cultural landmark where generations of Iraqis came to discuss and debate literature and politics. In March 2007, a massive car bomb destroyed the Shabandar Café, all the bookshops on Al Mutanabbi Street and killed and wounded scores of people. Days later, Baghdad’s poets and artists held a wake in the ruins of the street they loved so much and Emad took a small camera and went back to film. As he was leaving he was attacked, his camera stolen and he was shot in the legs and chest, and his own story is an epilogue to his film about the Shabandar Café and Mutanabbi Street.

My Neighborhood (26 min, 2013). Directed by Julia Bacha and Rebekah Wingert-Jabi. Tells the story of Mohammed El Kurd, a Palestinian teenager growing up in the heart of East Jerusalem. When Mohammed's family is forced to give up a part of their home to Israeli settlers, local residents begin peaceful protests, and in a surprising turn, are quickly joined by scores of Israeli supporters. Mohammed comes of age in the face of unrelenting tension with his neighbors and unexpected co-operation with Israeli allies in his backyard.

Followed by a discussion with filmmaker and co-director of "My Neighborhood," Rebekah Wingert-Jabi and Valerie Anishchenkova, U. MD. Director of Arabic Programs about cultural representations of conflict in Palestine and Iraq.

Saturday, February 13, 2016, 2 pm
Unshrink my Heart

Saturday, February 6, 2016, 1 pm
All-Screened Video Fest

Video Fest is an open-call feature of short film and video work by regional producers. Presented to the public in a social and appreciative atmosphere, the one-day festival is a showcase of known and unknown talent alike.

All entries received will be shown, and a panel of judges will select one work to receive the title of “Best in Festival” and a $300 cash prize.

Video Fest Call for Entry details.

Saturday, January 30, 2016, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here is a book arts and cultural festival planned for January through March, 2016, throughout the Washington, DC area, organized under the auspices of George Mason University, a charter committee of non-profit organizations including McLean Project for the Arts, Brentwood Arts Exchange, Cultural DC, Split This Rock, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, Martin Luther King Public Library, Arab America, and Busboys and Poets.

This exhibition at the Brentwood Arts Exchange features artists’ books, broadsides, and letterpress work created for related Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here festivals in San Francisco and Boston. The art, related exhibits, programs, and events were inspired to commemorate the 2007 suicide bombing of Baghdad’s historic bookselling street by celebrating the free exchange of ideas and knowledge and standing in solidarity with people everywhere that free expression is threatened.

Thursday, December 17, 2015, 6:30 pm
Artists Talk for Looking Back/Looking Forward: 15 Years of Millennium Arts Salon

Looking Back/Looking Forward celebrates 15 years of Millennium Arts Salon's commitment to advancing cultural literacy through programs that include salon talks, exhibitions, tours and special events.

Millennium programs are educational in nature, and designed to raise awareness and stimulate exchange on topics of art and culture while building bridges between communities and inspiring positive action and contribute to the greater Washington good. Join us to meet and hear from some of the artists in the exhibition.

Saturday, December 12, 2015, 11 am
Brentwood Arts Exchange Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge

Friday, December 11, 2015, 8 pm
Sam McCormally and Friends

Sam McCormally is songwriter, singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. Sam was the lead singer and songwriter for Ugly Purple Sweater and currently plays with Fellow Creatures. Sam has composed music for a number of documentaries and collaborated on the score for the play "Meena's Dream." Sam lives in Mount Rainier, Maryland with his parter Rachel and their daughter Simone.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, December 5, 2015, 2 pm
Paper Ornament Workshop

This FREE family-friendly, workshop provides the opportunity to create paper ornaments for the Holiday season. All materials are provided. If you have special paper you would like to use, feel free to bring it the day of the event. No registration required. We look forward to sharing the Holidays with you.

Friday, November 27, 2015, 10 am
Black Friday Sale

Saturday, November 21, 2015, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Looking Back/Looking Forward: 15 Years of Millennium Arts Salon

This exhibition commemorates Millennium Arts Salon’s (MAS) commitment to art and culture in the Washington, DC area for over fifteen years. Participating artists featured in this exhibition foster the dialogue between cultural consciousness, social expectations, and human emotion.

Abstract forms, fictional characters, and symbolic representations give us an entry point to an open-ended exchange about human connectivity.
Participating artists include:

Holly Bass, Joan Belmar, Anne Bouie, Welsey Clark, Nekisha Durrett, Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, Wayson Jones, Anne Marchand, EJ Montgomery, Ellington Robinson, Sheldon Scott, Stan Squirewell

For more information about Millennium Arts Salon (MAS) and its programming, please visit: MAS

Saturday, November 21, 2015, 2 pm
Thanksgiving Glitter Fest

This FREE workshop for young artists and families promises to enhance your Thanksgiving table decor. Nothing says "Thanks!" like glitter - and all the mess can stay in our classroom.

Families are encouraged to bring their own items to decorate, but can also choose from a limited selection of free centerpiece items at the workshop.

Saturday, November 21, 2015, 12 am
Gateway Arts Center & EZ Storage Open Studio Tour

The Gateway Arts Center and EZ Storage Studios - just a few hundred feet apart - are home to dozens of sculptors, painters, paper-makers, photographers, doll-makers, and more - not to mention the Brentwood Arts Exchange and 39th Street Gallery.

Meet the artists, see their work spaces, get to know what inspires them, and dare we say it... start your holiday shopping early. Then, join us at 5pm for the after party/opening reception for the Millennium Arts Salon 15 Year Anniversary exhibition at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Friday, November 20, 2015, 8 pm
The Honey Dewdrops

The duo Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish are The Honey Dewdrops and their original songs can be described as a mix between narrative and prose. The Honey Dewdrops’ folk & country music exudes musical chemistry with shared vocals and guitars creating a sound that captivates audiences. Their live performances are not to be missed.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, October 24, 2015, 2 pm
Calabash Carnage Pumpkin Carving

Celebrate Halloween with the Brentwood Arts Exchange. This family-friendly event is not a trick but a treat, and is your chance to leave the pumpkin mess at our house rather than yours.

Use your imagination and bring your jack-o-lantern to life. Admission is free. Pumpkins are $5 each.

Friday, October 23, 2015, 8 pm
Washington Samulnori!

Get ready for an entertaining, interactive performance of traditional Korean percussion! The Washington Samulnori will delight you with their repertoire integrating influences of folk and religious music from Korea. The origins of their music can be traced to farmers’ band music and ceremonial music, however, their intricate rhythms have become quite uniquely their own.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, October 17, 2015, 6:30 pm
Art Night Out

Imagine a creative, fun evening of Art Night Out with local artist Ellen Cornett! Ellen is known for her pastel drawings and rich colors in playful renderings of classic folk tales. Hang out with Ellen and other art enthusiasts mixing, mingling, and making hands-on art.

Abstract expression, realism, or whatever your style, join us for Art Night Out at the Brentwood Arts Exchange. All materials and refreshments included. Tickets $25. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, October 10, 2015, 2 pm
Artists Talk: Ellen Cornett, The Art of the Tale and Allen Alexopulos

Ellen Cornett, winner of the 2014 Project America's Next Top Master Artist competition will discuss how her drawings and paintings are inspired by the comic humor and serious, sometimes tragic undertone of certain poems, short stories and fairy tales.

She’s joined by Front Window Featured Artist Allen Alexopulos as he explains his creative process of turning unique objects from trees that have been cut down and usually destined for disposal in a fireplace or trash dump.

Friday, September 18, 2015, 8 pm
Brazilian Musicians Richard Miller, Kay Lyra, & Mauricio Maestro Performing Live

Brentwood Arts Exchange Listening Room presents Brazilian music at its best! Don’t miss this live performance by a dynamic trio…Brazilian finger-style guitarist Richard Miller, bossa nova singer/composer Kay Lyra, and the rich Brazilian rhythms and melodies of Mauricio Maestro.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation E-Store

Saturday, September 12, 2015, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Ellen Cornett, The Art of the Tale

Ellen Cornett, winner of the 2014 Project America's Next Top Master Artist competition will present The Art of the Tale. This exhibition will feature several drawings and paintings by Ellen including The Juniper Tree, a 44"x90" charcoal on paper triptych.

Ellen's drawings and paintings are inspired by the comic humor and serious,sometimes tragic undertone of certain poems, short stories and fairy tales. She strives to make something intriguing and meaningful from well-recognized sources, manipulating characters into odd vignettes of conflict, misunderstanding, and relationships gone awry.

Monday, August 24, 2015, 12 am
The Arc Prince George's County, Brentwood Arts Exchange: Mosaic Mural Dedication

Join us to celebrate the dedication of a new mural created by Arc
Prince George’s County Largo Day Program participants in classes held at the
Brentwood Arts Exchange.

During the spring of 2015, students from The Arc’s Largo, Laurel, and Temple Hills Day Programs collaborated to create multi-panel mosaic murals using Mardi Gras beads with the inspiration of Lead Artist Educator Rachel Cross and Teaching Artist Siham Yassine. Together, we will dedicate the Largo mural in honor of the Arc’s artists who created murals that have been installed at three
of the participating Day Programs.

The Mosaic Mural Dedication ceremony will be held at the The Arc Prince George's County Largo Day Program, 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 220, Largo, MD 20774.

Saturday, July 18, 2015, 12 am
Southside Mt. Rainier Music and Skate Series

Our popular summer concert/
skateboarding competition is back!

This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

Trio Lee, Blackwood, and Graham perform their signature gritty, funk-inspired improvisations to warm up the competitors and the crowd from
12:00 – 1:00 pm.

The skate competition starts at 1:00 pm accompanied by live announcers and local DJs spinning drum n bass, dubstep, and more.

Listen to the music and enjoy watching the art and athleticism of skateboarding.

Friday, July 10, 2015, 8 pm
Justin Hoben – Singer/Songwriters

Singer/Songwriter Justin Hoben is best known for his work with the Washington, DC folk-rock collective The Deadmen, who released their debut EP in March 2014 to enthusiastic reviews. This EP was followed months later with their alternately rumbling and sweeping 7-inch record Crystal/Sunday Afternoons.

Join us to hear Justin pare things down to show his own influences.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation
E-Store

Friday, June 5, 2015, 8 pm
Thad Wilson and Friends

Thad Wilson's music is best described in one word: Authentic.

Born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, Wilson studied with Jimmy Owens before spending many nights playing at jam sessions at the Village Door, Village Gate, Blue Note, Visiones, Smalls, and other NYC clubs.

In addition to composing and touring, Thad currently teaches Jazz Studies at George Washington University. This is your chance to catch Thad up close right here in Brentwood, MD.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation
E-Store

Wednesday, June 3, 2015, 6 pm
PRISMS An IMPACT Public Art Project by Becky Borlan

June 3rd from 6 - 8 pm
Food | Drinks | Conversation | Art

Join Gateway CDC, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Neighborhood Design Center, Maryland Art Place, Brentwood Arts Exchange and Landex in the unveiling of artist Becky Borlan’s public art piece, PRISMS at the site of Studio 3807.

Site also features banner wraps of Gateway Arts District artists from the Art Lives Here photoshoots. This project was made possible by funding from Maryland Art Place, Art Lives Here and Neighborhood Design Center.

Saturday, May 30, 2015, 5 pm
Opening Reception for At War with Ourselves - A Visual Art Response

At War with Ourselves is part of a year-long series of programs investigating and learning from the legacy of the Civil War on race in America presented across regional partnerships with the Clarice Smith Performing Art Center and centered on a new work of poetry The Clarice commissioned by Nikki Finney.

This exhibition invited members of Black Artists of DC to respond through visual art to Nikky Finney's poem - released to artists before its official publication - utilizing art to contribute to the national conversation about the history and experience of being a black male in the United States.

Friday, May 22, 2015, 8 pm
The Shoestring Bandits

The Shoestring Bandits toe the line between Irish, and old time. The band features David McKindley-Ward on mandolin, guitar, and bouzouki, Anders Fahey on banjo and guitar, Marty Frye on guitar, flute, tin whistle, shruti box, and tenor banjo, and cellist Jonathan Een. Joined by special guest Shannon Dunn on concertina and percussive dance.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation
E-Store

Saturday, May 9, 2015, 12 am
Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour

You don’t want to miss this event! Explore the rich artistic life of the Gateway Arts District. More than 125 artists in the neighborhood will open their studios. Celebrate and peruse the abundance of art and culture in an area unlike any other in our region.

Gateway Community Development Corporation welcomes you to the 11th Annual Gateway Open Studio Tour in the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District, home to the DC metro areas’ most innovative and creative artist community.

On May 9th, 2015, from 12-5 pm, Gateway Arts District artists, studios, and galleries will open their doors to the public.

Come spend the day exploring our creative spaces!

4/26/2015. 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Riversdale in Bloom

Celebrate the beauty of the garden and the fresh blooms of spring! The Riversdale House Museum and the Brentwood Arts Exchange are partnering to encourage nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and artists of all levels to create artwork in the gardens of the Riversdale House Museum.

Riversdale in Bloom will feature a day of making art in all media, free children's art activities, and free guided tours by Riversdale's master gardener. Bring your own supplies if you have them. Limited supplies will be provided to children on a first come, first served basis.

Bring your family and enjoy the beauty of the spring gardens and make art.

FREE. Open to the Public

Located at the Riversdale House Museum
4811 Riverdale Rd.
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 864-0420
www.pgelegantsettings.com

Friday, April 17, 2015, 8 pm
Steve Olson Trio

Jazz lovers will not want to miss this concert!

New Windsor, Maryland-based drummer, percussionist, and composer Steve Olson brings his Trio to perform modern free improvisational jazz in our intimate, art gallery setting.

Olson’s most recent recording, “Conversations”, a collection of freely improvised duets with jazz artists Michael Formanek, Dave Ballou, Tony Martucci and others was nominated as the 2014 Jazz Recording of the Year by the Washington Area Music Association.

Tickets $15. Available on the Parks and Recreation
E-Store

Saturday, April 4, 2015, 1 pm
Artists of the Arc of Prince George's County III

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 4, 2015; 1-3 pm

The Brentwood Arts Exchange and The Arc of Prince George’s County celebrate three years of making art together. This exhibition of original artwork is created by The Arc’s Day Center participants in classes held at the Brentwood Arts Exchange as well as Arc Day Centers. The Arc is the world's largest grassroots organization committed to the welfare of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc of Prince George’s County’s members include people with developmental disabilities, their families and friends, the professionals who work with them, and other concerned citizens. Our partnership in making art together is a demonstration of the talent and creativity of our often underserved neighbors, friends, and family. Exhibition and Opening Reception both held at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD (301-583-2400)

Saturday, March 28, 2015, 1 pm
Easter Egg Decorating

Saturday, March 21, 2015, 5 pm
Brentwood Arts Exchange 5th Anniversary Reception

Once an abandoned building, now a hub for the vibrant, dynamic Gateway Arts District Community - Brentwood Arts Exchange, 39th Street Gallery, and Gateway Arts Center brings together selected artists from its exhibitions over the past 5 years. The reception reflects and celebrates where Brentwood Arts Exchange has been and looks forward to where it's going.

Saturday, February 14, 2015, 1 pm
Unshrink my Heart

The DIY arts and crafts icon from the 80’s is back! And nothing says “love” like a hand-made pre-shrunk Valentine. Families are invited to create beautiful jewelry, key chains, and other Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones. Children will receive their first 2 sheets of blank Shrinky Dinks free, additional sheets will be available to purchase for 50 cents each.

Saturday, February 7, 2015, 10 am
All-Screened Videofest

Videofest is an open-call feature of short film and video work by regional producers. Presented to the public in a social and appreciative atmosphere, the one-day festival is a showcase of known and unknown talent alike. All entries received will be shown, and a panel of judges will select one work to receive the title of “Best in Festival” and a $300 cash prize.

Saturday, January 31, 2015, 1 pm
Artist Talk - Artists of Unmapped and the Ragbaby Exchange

Join us to meet the artists in our concurrent exhibition and front window feature, and hear directly from them about their inspirations and practices. Ellyn Weiss and Pat Goslee will speak about their work in the exhibition, "Unmapped." Sherri Lumpkin will speak about her work helping women across the region through the Ragbaby Exchange.

Saturday, January 17, 2015, 5 pm
Unmapped opening reception

People often speak of taking a “journey” through art. It’s been said enough that in our fast-paced information environment where it’s more normal to scan and move on than to consider things deeply, it’s easy to forget what that really means. Artists Pat Goslee, Ellyn Weiss, and Sally Resnik Rockriver each use art as a method of discovery, responding to forms and materials then building on them to find what’s there. Whether it’s finding the balance in giving up control to a chemical reaction, investigating material properties, or the conscious act of constructing energetic movement through paint, all three artists make provocative statements about the ways that meaning is created through the interaction of process with form. Together, their exhibition invites us to open up to things we don’t know, things that aren’t written out first then repeated as art, where our paradigms don’t fit, areas Unmapped.
Opening reception from 5-8pm

Saturday, January 17, 2015, 1 pm
Sally Resnik Rockriver glassblowing demo at DC Glassworks

Sally Resnik Rockriver will demonstrate her geochemical glassblowing of
Otherworldly Specimens. Educated in Fine Art, Ceramics, and Glass, Rockriver's unique blowing and casting techniques are self-taught. She is known for generating chemical reactions that make crystalline growths from other planets. She will blow work encrusted with ceramic glazes and cast her fume blown world onto the piece during the breakoff period. Rockriver will also demonstrate geo-cores, clear columns infused with geological growths. She will address her intergrated use of the gloryhole floor and refractory materials. Rockriver approaches glass from a conceptual view with an emphasis in material realism. She will discuss how she discovered her own solutions to technical and creative problems, while encouraging students to find their own path.
This event will be held at DC Glassworks

Saturday, December 13, 2014. 11 am - 4 pm
Brentwood Arts Exchange Holiday Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge

Don’t get stuck at crowded malls this season buying generic gift sets for your loved ones… Come to the Brentwood Arts Exchange Holiday Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge! Thirteen Fine Craft artisans from the community will be displaying their items for sale inside our warm and cozy gallery and classroom. A wide selection of fine craft items will be available such as pottery, jewelry, textiles, glass, ornaments, and much more. In addition to the craft sale, there will be a beer tasting lounge sponsored by Town Center Market and Wilford's Upholstery. Tastings are for adults ages 21+ and are limited to 2 tastings per person.

Thursday, December 11, 2014, 6 pm
Paper Ornament Workshop

This FREE one-night workshop provides the opportunity to create paper ornaments with your loved ones, young and old. All materials are provided. If you have special paper you would like to use, feel free to bring it the day of the event. No registration required. We look forward to sharing the Holidays with you.

Friday, November 28. 10 am-7 pm
Black Friday Sale

This is what holiday shopping was meant to be: calm, friendly, full of beautiful things, and local. One day a year, fittingly the day after Thanksgiving, we reduce our commission on sales mark down everything in the Fine Craft Store 20% - but still pay the artists the same as with a regular sale. Support artists who are of course themselves also small businesses. Featuring hand made jewelry, blown glass, ceramics, handbags, cards, and more.

Saturday, November 22. 11 am - 2 pm
2nd Annual Thanksgiving Glitter Fest

A FREE one-day workshop for young artists and families to decorate sparkling centerpieces with glitter for their Thanksgiving table. Nothing says "Thanks!" like glitter - and all the mess can stay in our classroom.

Families are encouraged to bring their own items to decorate, but can also choose from a limited selection of free centerpiece items at the workshop.

Saturday, November 8. 5-8pm
Opening Reception for Prince George's Sampler

The annual Prince George's County Juried Exhibition, hosted at different sites each year by the Department of Parks and Recreation Arts and Cultural Heritage Division, presents the best of emerging and mid-career artists in the County. Celebrate the exhibition's return to the Gateway Arts District with this year's iteration, "Prince George's Sampler", featuring work in all media and forms by artists who live, work, or study in the county. Spend your afternoon touring the open studios at the Gateway Arts Center and EZ Storage Studios, then spend the evening with us celebrating all our county has to offer.

Saturday, November 8. 1-5pm
Gateway Arts Center and EZ Storage Studios Fall Open Studio Day

The Gateway Arts Center and EZ Storage Studios - just a few hundred feet apart - are home to dozens of sculptors, painters, paper-makers, photographers, doll-makers, and more - not to mention the Brentwood Arts Exchange, 39th Street Gallery, and Zimstone Gallery. Meet the artists, see their work spaces, get to know what inspires them, and dare we say it... start your holiday shopping early. Then, cap off the day at 5pm with the after party/opening reception for "Prince George's Sampler" at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, October 25, 2014, 11 am
Calabash Carnage Family Pumpkin Carving

Celebrate Halloween with the Brentwood Arts Exchange. Your family is invited to join us for a Pumpkin Carving Workshop. Use your imagination and create your own designs. Admission is free. Pumpkins are sold at cost, $5 each.

Saturday, October 4, 2014, 2 pm
Axis Artists' Talk

Axis presents video, drawing, sculpture, painting, sound art, and poetry by 13 artists, musicians, and poets who are former fellows of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. A selection of artists in the exhibition will join us to discuss their ideas, processes, and inspirations. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, September 6, 2014, 5 pm
Opening Reception for Axis

Axis is an exhibition of visual and literary arts created by 13 artists linked into an alliance by having been fellows at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. The title of the show, "Axis," suggests a center or core that is capable of connecting, changing, and moving things, people and ideas to create a multitude of possibilities and alliances; it is a crucial transformative concept at this point in history. The artists in the exhibition live across the United States and come from diverse backgrounds to comment on the meaning of "axis" through means ranging from formal explorations to philosophical, social, and political interpretations. Their media includes contemporary and interdisciplinary practices in drawing, painting and sculpture, video, sound, poetry, and installation.

7/19/2014. 5-8pm
Grand Finale: Project America's Next Top Master Artist

At least inside the Brentwood Arts Exchange, your vote counts. The suspense ends on July 19. Join us in celebration as we announce who will be America's Top Master Artist. Bring flowers and tell people you knew them before they were famous, because after this night, based solely on your votes, America's Top Master Artist wins $500 and a solo exhibition.
Free. Open to the Public.

6/28/2014. 5-8pm
Face the Judges Night

Judges' Questions start at 5:30pm.

Project America's Next Top Master Artist jumps into the 3rd and final round with "Face the Judges Night." Our esteemed judges panel - Jose Dominguez, Tuliza Fleming, and Gerald Ross - will ask each artist questions about their artwork in front of you, our live studio audience. Find out how each artist works, what inspires them, and how they see their own work before you cast your final vote to crown America's Top Master Artist.
Free. Open to the Public

June 21st July 12th August 2nd
Southside Mt. Rainier Music and Skateboarding Series

The Brentwood Arts Exchange, along with Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation’s Youth Services Division are teaming up to sponsor the “Southside Mt. Rainier Music and Skateboarding Series.” Presented by local musician Marc Blackwood, the three-part series will be hosted at the Mount Rainier Skate Park. Marc and his band, Inner Loop, will perform live music at each event. The June 21st event will feature a skills clinic with a professional skateboarder. The July 12th event will feature a skateboard painting workshop with free decks and paint, and will be followed an all-day skate competition that is part of a county-wide series presented by Parks and Recreation. Finally, August 2nd will feature a skate competition that is traditional to the series. Charcoal grills will be available to use across the street at Red Dirt – BYO grillables. All of the events run from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

6/7/2014. 5-8pm
Meet The Artists Night

Round 2 of Project America's Next Top Master Artist launches with "Meet the Artists Night." You voted, artists have gone home, half remain. Meet them in person, give them your best Simon Cowell inquisition, or just be a decent human and talk to them about their art. Then, vote again to decide who makes it to Round 3.

July 28 - August 16, 2014
Youth PhotoVoice Project Reception

The Youth PhotoVoice Project Reception exhibits photos from three TNI (Transforming Neighborhood Initiative) neighborhoods - Suitland, Langley Park, and Bladensburg. Twenty youth in each came together in each community to participate in this project to identify barriers to safe recreation. Each participant then chose one photo to celebrate his/her experience.

Join us to see the photos and celebrate the contributions each participant made to the overall Safe Access to Recreation Opportunities project.

Saturday, May 10, 2014, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Project America's Next Top Master Artist

Culminating the 2014 Gateway Arts District Open Studios Day, join us as we kick-off what as far as we know is the first merger of "Reality" with the gallery. Project America's Next Top Master Artist is an elimination-style exhibition presented in three rounds. Each round, visitors to the gallery and fans at home will vote here and online to determine who will stay and which artists will go home. Cast your votes to crown America's Top Master Artist - who will win $500 and a solo exhibition at the Brentwood Arts Exchange

5/10/2014. 12-5pm
2014 Gateway Arts District Open Studios Tour

The event of the season in the Gateway Arts District is back on May 10. Over 150 artists and all of the area arts organizations open our doors to celebrate the abundance of art and culture in an area unlike any other in our region. Meet singers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists working in all media. Learn about glassblowing, ceramics, you name it... Start by picking up a map at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, where you can also find out more info from Gateway Community Development Corporation Open Studio Tour volunteers. Come back at the end of the day for the kick-off to Project America's Next Top Master Artist

4/12/2014. 11 am-2 pm
Easter Egg Decorating

Impress your friends and even the Easter Bunny himself with the beautiful decorated eggs you’ll create at this free, family-friendly workshop! We promise glitter. Children will receive their first two eggs for free. Additional eggs will be available to purchase 2 for $1.

Saturday, April 5, 2014, 5 pm
OPENING RECEPTION: Exchanged III: New work by Grad and Undergrad students at George Mason University and James Madison University

George Mason and James Madison Universities have a long-established reputation for excellence in the arts. Exchanged III brings art students from both universities together in the Gateway Arts District for the first time. This eclectic group of artists will present artwork in variety of media and viewpoints in this top-notch showcase of art by regional college students.. FREE and open to the public.

Saturday, April 5, 2014, 10 am
Riversdale in Bloom

Each year in early spring, the gardens at the Riversdale House Museum come alive with color in honor of the history and tradition of tulip growing on the estate. On April 5, the Museum and the Brentwood Arts Exchange partner to encourage nature lovers, history enthusiast, and artists of all levels to create artwork in the gardens of the Riversdale House Museum. Then participants in Riversdale in Bloom are invited to apply to an exhibition of artworks depicting or created in the gardens presented May 1 through June 7. Come and let your creativity bloom.

Saturday, February 22, 2014, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Bill Harris

Using powerful symbols such as flight, bullets, arrows, African masks and military-style medals, Bill Harris aims to depict freedom and social struggle in relation to the community and history. By combining his printmaking skills with wood turning techniques, Harris creates masterful wall-mounted sculptures that contrast exacting technical precision with vibrant color. Through its powerful, clear-eyed social commentary and consummate craftsmanship, Bill Harris' exhibition engages, challenges, offers space for interpretation and might even teach you something. We invite you to join us for a presentation and discussion with the artist about his work.

Saturday, February 15, 2014, 4 pm
Artists' Talk - Resident Artists of the Art Glass Center at Glen Echo Park

Artists

The Art Glass Center at Glen Echo is a school, resource center, and gallery for kiln-formed glass serving the Washington metropolitan area. The Center is devoted to teaching and promoting kiln-formed glass and encouraging artists to explore its many facets.

The Brentwood Arts Exchange is featuring Art Glass Center Resident Artists Diane Cooper Cabe, Christine T. Hekimian, Sue Hill, Michele Rubin, Sherry G. Selevan, and Janet Wittenberg in the front windows January 13 - March 8. Join us to learn from each of these artists about their artwork.

Saturday, February 8, 2014, 1 pm
Valentine Shrinky-Dink Workshop

The DIY arts and crafts icon from the 80’s is back! And nothing says “love” like a hand-made pre-shrunk Valentine. Families are invited to create beautiful jewelry, key chains, and other Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones. Children will receive their first 2 sheets of blank Shrinky Dinks free, additional sheets will be available to purchase for 50 cents each.

Saturday, February 1, 2014, 1 pm
Brentwood Arts Exchange All-Screened Video Fest

This one-day video fest will feature short film and video work by regional producers and artists. Presented to the public in a social and appreciative atmosphere, this event will showcase known and unknown talent alike. All entries received will be shown, and a panel of judges will select one work to receive the title of “Best in Festival” and a cash prize. The call for entries can be downloaded here. FREE and open to the public.

Saturday, January 18, 2014, 5 pm
Opening Reception - The Commentary: Bill Harris

On Saturday, January 18, 2014 join us for the opening of Bill Harris’ solo exhibition. Perhaps best known as a printmaker, he is also an accomplished wood turner, and brings the two processes together in masterful wall-mounted sculptures that contrast exacting technical precision with vibrant color in complex, dynamic form. Given command of the entire Brentwood Arts Exchange gallery, Harris’ exhibition engages, challenges, offers space for interpretation, and if you’re open to it, teaches. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, December 7, 2013, 2 pm
Artists Talk: Cianne Fragione and Ellyn Weiss

Exhibition artists Cianne Fragione and Ellyn Weiss discuss their work.

Friday, November 29, 2013, 10 am
Black Friday Sale

Come in and shop for beautiful hand-made crafts from local artisans. All prices reduced all day long.

Saturday, November 23, 2013, 11 am
Family Thanksgiving Glitter Workshop

Create one of a kind table ornaments for your Thanksgiving feast.

Saturday, November 9, 2013, 5 pm
Opening Reception: My Haiku

Join the Brentwood Arts Exchange Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 5pm -8pm for the opening of our winter exhibition featuring artwork by Cianne Fragione. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, October 12, 2013, 3 pm
All Wrapped Up

An event featuring sari and lungi wrapping for women, men, and children, Bengali writing workshops on handmade paper, and a reception with food from Bangladesh. All ages welcome!

Thursday, September 26, 2013, 6:30 pm
Artivism: Can Art Effect Social Change?

Please join us for a panel discussion moderated by Helen Frederick about the evolving role of art, and social practice art in particular, in raising awareness of social issues and influencing policy and social change.

Saturday, September 14, 2013, 5 pm
Opening Reception for Layer by Layer: Storytelling with Saris

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the opening of Her Words, Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 5-8. Her Words is a printmaking and story project, led by artist Monica Jahan Bose, celebrating women’s literacy in the remote island of Katakhali, Bangladesh. The women of Katakhali have recently learned to read in order to empower themselves after devastating cyclones in 2008 and 2009. Bose has collaborated with 12 of these courageous women to create 18-foot-long woodblock prints on saris using words they have learned along with designs and images. The visual presentation of this project at the Brentwood Arts Exchange marks its debut in the United States. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, July 20, 2013, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Nostalgia Structures

Join us Saturday, July 20, 2013 from 5-8pm for the opening of Nostalgia Structures featuring artists Si Jae Byun, Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, Megan Mueller and Rachel Schmidt. The exhibition features site specific installations, sculptures, and 2-dimensional works that address the concept of nostalgia, with a heavy lean toward the autobiographical and becomes a dialogue between the artists speaking to fundamental concepts about how we see our life-scapes and how we choose to live within them. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Unreal

The Brentwood Arts Exchange invites you to the opening of Unreal, featuring artworks by ceramic sculptor Christina Osheim, painter Benedict Oddi, and sculptor/draftsman Allen Linder. Influenced by early-mid 20th century surrealism each artist explores the human imagination using various contemporary forms and media. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 12 am
The 9th Annual Gateway Arts District Open Studios Day

The Gateway Arts District is one of the Greater Metropolitan area's most up-and-coming arts and cultural destinations in Prince George’s County. Home to more than 100 artists, the Gateway Arts District currently boasts a growing number of performing and visual arts venues and artists' studios. As part of the Arts District’s Annual Open Studio, on May 11, we invite you to stop by to visit us and our neighbors in the Gateway Arts Center including the 39th Street Gallery, twelve artist studios and Gallery 110. We also invite you to attend the opening of our Spring Exhibition featuring works by Allen Linder, Benedict Oddi, and Christina Osheim at 5pm.

Saturday, April 27, 2013, 5 pm
Closing Reception: FAST FOWARD: Corcoran College of Art and Design 2013 Graduates, a Pop-up Exhibition

Join us Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 5-8pm for the closing of our first pop-up exhibition featuring art by Corcoran College of Art and Design’s 2013 graduates. This one-week show is in celebration of the art and design school's outgoing class and features their artwork. This is a free event all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, March 16, 2013, 3 pm
Her Words: Storytelling with Saris: Artist’s Talk & Printmaking Demonstration

Please join us for a project update & printmaking demonstration with artist, Monica Jahan Bose, Saturday, March 16 from 3-5pm in the Brentwood Arts Exchange gallery. Last month Bose, traveled to the remote island of Katakhali, Bangladesh with the Maryland-based non-profit, Samhati, where she collaborated with 12 women to create sari prints, collect oral histories, and celebrate their achievements in learning to read and improve their communities. The visual culmination of the project, which includes 18-foot-long saris containing woodblock prints of the words they have learned as well as photo and video footage documenting Bose’s work with the women, premieres at the Brentwood Arts Exchange as Her Words in September.

Saturday, March 9, 2013, 2 pm
Meet the Artists: Show me what you’re working with!

Meet the artists of "Show Me What You’re Working With!" and hear their inspirations during a casual panel discussion in the gallery Saturday, March 9 from 2-4pm. Featured artists include Daniel Brooking, Melvin Campbell, Jay Durrah, T.H. Gomillion, Carolyn Goodridge, Wanda Hardy, Francine Haskins, Esther Iverem, Hubert Jackson, Gloria Kirk, Jacqueline Lee, Magruder Murray, Victoria Paytonwebber, Russell Simmons, Simone Spruce-Torres, Eugene Vango & Ann Marie Williams. This is a free event. All ages are welcome.

Saturday, February 16, 2013, 5 pm
Show Me What You're Working With! An Exhibition by members of The Black Artists of DC

The Brentwood Arts Exchange invites you to the opening of "Show Me What You're Working With!," Saturday, February 16 from 5-8pm. Presented in partnership with Black Artists of DC, this exhibition is specifically intended to give artists a chance to present themselves as who they are and what they do, rather than limiting or interpreting work to fit a specific theme. It's a chance to see what each artist considers as his/her best work, how they see the world, in celebration of the many voices and visions that comprise The Black Artists of DC.

Featured artists include Daniel Brooking, Melvin Campbell, Jay Durrah, TH Gomillion, Carolyn Goodridge, Wanda Hardy, Francine Haskins, Esther Iverem, Hubert Jackson, Gloria Kirk, Jacqueline Lee, Magruder Murray, Victoria Paytonwebber, Russell Simmons, Simone Spruce-Torres, Eugene Vango & Ann Marie Williams.

Friday, December 7, 2012, 6 pm
Opening Reception: Mentor + Mentee II: Maryland Edition

Join us for the opening of “Mentor + Mentee II: Maryland Edition” Friday, December 7, 2012 from 6-9pm. Presented in partnership with the Washington Printmakers Gallery, "Mentor + Mentee II" chronicles artwork by ten of the gallery’s members as well as the artwork of their mentors and/or students. First presented by WPG in the fall of 2009, “Mentor + Mentee II: Maryland Edition” is a continuation on the theme which emphasizes the group’s Maryland membership. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity view the artwork and see the exchange between student and teacher.

Friday, November 23, 2012, 10 am
Black Friday Sale - Brentwood Arts Exchange Craft Store

Stop by The Brentwood Arts Exchange craft store Friday, November 23, from 10am – 7pm, for our first Black Friday Sale. For one day only, customers will find the store’s line of fine ceramic ware, hand-made jewelry, glass-blown vases, hand painted silk scarves, and handbags available at a 20% discount. The Brentwood Arts Exchange craft store features a dynamic display of fashionable and functional items by local artists and is a favorite stop for customers looking to buy one of-a-kind gifts for their friends and loved ones and support the local arts community. At this year’s inaugural event over 90% of the sales on each item will go directly to the artists.

Featured artists include: Arnold Hurley, Belle Hinnefeld, Christopher Stever, Diane Tuckman, Elsie Klumpner, Falani Spivey, Fran Asbeck, Gary Irby, Hsin-Hsi Chen, James Landry, Jose Piedra, Karen Arrington, Karen Clark, Leo Lex, Lucy Reedy, Mary Giammatteo, Michael Brehl, Nancy Donnelly, Ronnie Spiewak, Sharon Keyser-Jackson

Saturday, November 17, 2012, 3 pm
A Scholar's Talk with Juror Teresia Bush, Howard University. Art Dept.

Join Howard University Assistant Professor of Art History, Teresia Bush, in the gallery Saturday, November 17 at 3pm, for a scholarly talk exploring the artwork and themes behind "Agendas: Concepts and Thematics in Sculpture’s Expanded Field – Community Engagement."

The exhibition, presented in partnership with Washington Sculptors Group (WSG) and juried by Ms. Bush, presents art’s socio-political nature through an engaging exhibition of contemporary sculpture by WSG members. Each of the artworks presented in "Agendas" speaks to the current and varied concerns of groups at home and around the world, along with its socio-political undertones, "Agendas" continues the ongoing debate around the classification of sculpture.

Here’s your chance to view the artwork, mingle and add your voice to the growing debate around society and art. This is a free event, all ages are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Saturday, October 20, 2012, 4 pm
To Cuba and Back: Black Artists of DC debrief on 11th Havana Biennial Trip

Members of Black Artists of DC joined art lovers and practitioners from around the world for the 11th Havana Biennial, held in Cuba this past summer. Join them on Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 4-6pm as they share their thoughts and photos from the month long arts festival. Members will also discuss how to acquire a visa to travel to Cuba.

Come be inspired to travel the world and experience art in all its different forms!

Saturday, September 22, 2012, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Agendas: Concepts and Thematics in Sculpture’s Expanded Field-Community Engagement

The Brentwood Arts Exchange and the Washington Sculptors Group invite you to join us for the opening of “Agendas” Saturday, September 22, 2012 from 5-8pm. Juried by Howard University Assistant Professor of Art History, Teresia Bush, “Agendas” is a sculptural study on the exchange, adaptation and interpretation of culture in a global society by sculptors from across the region. Guests are invited to add to the discussion as they interact with the works throughout the night and mingle with the artists and juror while enjoying refreshments.

Saturday, June 30, 2012, 4 pm
Opening Reception: Express Yourself! A Teen Juried Exhibition

Join us for a small reception and awards ceremony, Saturday, June 30 from 4pm-7pm, as we celebrate the opening of our first teen exhibition, Express Yourself! and award cash prizes to three lucky teens. Judged by Artist and Corcoran College of Art & Design Associate Faculty member, Joey P. Mánlapaz, Express Yourself! features artwork in all media by teens from across the region. Guests will have the opportunity to meet with the artists and judge, while partaking in refreshments compliments of the Brentwood Arts Exchange.
Free. All ages welcome.

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 12 am
8th Annual Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour

The Gateway Arts District is one of the Greater Metropolitan area's most up-and-coming arts and cultural destinations in Prince George’s County. Home to more than 100 artists, the Gateway Arts District currently boasts a growing number of performing and visual arts venues and artists' studios. Located in the Gateway Arts Center, the Brentwood Arts Exchange features a visual arts gallery and fine craft showcase. As part of the Arts District’s Annual Open Studio, from 12 noon to 5 pm on May 12, we invite you to stop by to visit us and our neighbors at the Gateway Arts Center which include the 39th Street Gallery, twelve artist studios and the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center. At the end of the studio tour, please feel free to stop by 39th Street Gallery for an After Party from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Gateway Open Studio Tour

Saturday, May 5, 2012, 1 pm
Artists’ Talks: Forest of the Mind: Laura G. Thorne and Marcia Wolfson-Ray

Laura G. Thorne and Marcia Wolfson-Ray share the floor in this round of gallery talks to discuss the art and inspiration behind Forest of the Mind, Saturday, May 5, 1pm. Listeners will also have the opportunity to learn more about each of the artists work and backgrounds as professional artists.
D.C. based artist Laura G. Thorne creates sculpture, monotypes, silk screen prints and furniture. Her artwork can be found in numerous public, corporate and private collections. Baltimore-based Marcia Wolfson-Ray creates sculpture from organic materials such as wood, reeds, dog fennel, straw and grasses. Rays sculpture has been exhibited in the Greater Mid-Atlantic Region.
Come join in on the discussion, mingle and enjoy refreshments and beverages on us.

Saturday, April 28, 2012, 4 pm
Opening Reception: Langley Park Community Center Craft Showcase Store-Wide Feature

Join us for a small reception celebrating our first store-wide feature of fine craft and functional art by Langley Park Community Center Ceramicists, Saturday, April 28. 4-7pm. Here's your chance to meet the artists and instructors, learn about their inspirations and find out more about Langley Park Community Center's ceramics program. It will also be your best chance to collect some of their work for yourself, before the Mother's day crowd.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 5 pm
Opening Reception: Forest of the Mind

Join us for the opening of Forest of the Mind, Saturday, April 21 2012; 5-8pm. The exhibition features sculptural installations composed of found organic and man-made material by D.C.-based Laura G. Thorne and Baltimore-based Marcia Wolfson-Ray.
Come view the art, meet the artists, mingle and enjoy refreshments and beverages on us.

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 1 pm
Copyright for Artists - Presented by Stephen Slusher

Your art is unique and creative and your own. Learn how to ensure that it stays that way by attending a workshop on artists' copyright issues.

Presented in partnership with the Gateway CDC.

Advance registration is required. Register online at http://smartlink.pgparks.com/smartlink, or call us at 301-277-2863. SMARTlink # 883667.

Saturday, March 3, 2012, 1 pm
A Discussion with Lilian T. Burwell

Please join us to hear Lilian Burwell talk about her art and her life in her own words.

Lilian Thomas Burwell attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and the Arts Students League in NYC. She received her BA from DC Teachers College and her MFA from Catholic University. Formally trained as a painter, Ms. Burwell taught for a time at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts as the Design and Painting instructor she also worked as the Master Art Teacher in the DC Public Schools. Aside from her work as an educator Lilian has also worked as a curator, director and activist in the arts. Ms. Burwell’s works also appear in numerous collections at home and aboard. Such collections include the David C. Driskell Center, W. Phillips Collection in DC, Hampton University Museum in Hampton, VA and El Paraiso Collection in Huelva, Spain.

Saturday, February 25, 2012, 1 pm
A Discussion with E.J. Montgomery

Please join us as we listen and talk with EJ Montgomery about her art, life, and career.

Evangeline Juliette Montgomery, or EJ as she’s more fondly referred, received
her BFA from California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland. Aside from her work as a print maker, metal smith, and textile artist Ms. Montgomery has worked as an arts administrator, curator, lecturer, collector and cultural activist. EJ’s works have appeared in a number of group exhibitions on a national and international scale and have appeared in a number of private and public collections such as Howard University Gallery, Oakland Museum of the National Center for Afro American Artists in Boston and the Paul Jones Collection at the University of Delaware. Ms. Montgomery has also been a recipient of several awards.

Saturday, February 18, 2012, 3 pm
Artist's Talk with Susan O'Brien

Artist

We invite you to our first Front Window Featured Artists' Talk, featuring the ornate, playful ceramics of Susan O'Brien. O'Brien is the Artist in Residence at Red Dirt Studio, and teaches ceramics at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. Her work has been cited in The Art of Contemporary Pottery, The Contemporary Potter, Ceramics Art & Perception, and Ceramics Monthly, among others.

Susan O'Brien's work combines ornamentation, function and a playful sense of humor, all informed by the history and evolution of dining wares and rituals. Sources such as eighteenth-century silver, Faberge' eggs, architecture and the female form are referenced and exaggerated with impeccable attention to detail and aesthetic sensitivity. Associated with the realm of domesticity, O'Brien says that the very nature of functional ceramics is to be viewed and interacted with through touch and use. Paradoxically, she invites the viewer to engage with unorthodox textures and anatomy in a public setting, calling our attention to ideas and experiences often thought of only in more intimate contexts.

Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1 am
Artists' Boot Camp - Presented by Lenny Campello

For all visual artists interested in taking their careers to the next level. Learn how to maximize the attentiion an artist's work gets from the press, galleries, museum curators, and much more.

Presented in partnership with the Gateway CDC.

Advance registration is required.

2/4/12. 4-7pm
Rivers and Memories Opening Reception

Please Join us as we celebrate the art of E.J. Montgomery and Lilian T. Burwell, two long-time, prominent artists who have had great influence on our art community. Each with their own approach, their artworks are a lyrical, rich, and highly developed explorations into the expressive potential of color and space that make the exhibition "Rivers and Memories" a show that can't be missed.

Saturday, December 17, 2011, 3 pm
Artist's Talk and Discussion with Tad Lapinski

Artist

Please join us for a close-up discussion with Tad Lapinski. This afternoon presentation will be a rare opportunity to hear from the artist amidst his own works as he recounts his inspirations and recollects decades of experience as an internationally acclaimed artist as well as an educator.

12/9/2011, 6-9 pm
Tad Lapinski Opening Reception

After serving nearly four decades as a Professor of Art at the University of Maryland, Tad Lapinksi has left an indelible mark on the art community and built an inestimable legacy of influence on countless students. In collaboration with the UMCP Art Department, the Brentwood Arts Exchange honors Mr. Lapinski’s contributions with a solo exhibition of his brightly colored, vibrant abstract prints.

Saturday, September 10, 2011, 5 pm
The Sky's the Limit Opening Reception

The Sky

Photographic imagery is ubiquitous in nearly every aspect of our lives, from billboards. It’s no coincidence that it is just as pervasive throughout contemporary art – even in media that are thought of in contrast to traditional photography. The Sky’s the Limit presents a glimpse of the ways photography employs itself throughout the visual arts, here and now. Juried by Michael the exhibition presents the best art by artists who live, work, or study in Prince George’s County. It is our chance to show off the important contributions that artists in our county make to contemporary art.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 7 pm
Walking Off the Artistic Cliff - A Panel Discussion

Making good art requires taking risks. Join us as with Jack Rasmussen, Welmoed Laanstra, Claudia Rousseau, and Ellyn Weiss as they explore what it means to commit to the new and unknown.

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 4 pm
Join the Community Spirit

Talk, ask, and listen in a dialogue with Susan Finsen, Sondra N. Arkin, and Ellyn Weiss about their collaborative art work Community Spirit, a site-specific installation in which you are invited to leave your mark. This dialogue is presented in conjunction with Gateway Arts District Open Studios Day.

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 2 pm
Artists' Talk with Ellyn Weiss, Sondra N. Arkin, and Susan Finsen.

Artists

Sondra N. Arkin, Susan Finsen, & Ellyn Weiss will talk about their art work and walk guests through their exhibition. This artists' talk is presented in conjunction with Gateway Arts District Open Studios Day.

Saturday, May 7, 2011, 5 pm
Big Ideas Opening Reception

Big Ideas celebrates the beginning of the Brentwood Arts Exchange and Gateway Arts Center's second year of operation with an exhibition by Sondra N. Arkin, Susan Finsen and Ellyn Weiss. Featuring a collaborative site-specific installation, Big Ideas engages as it aims to survey and embody a collective mindset within the Gateway Arts District.