Past Exhibitions

The Inner Lobby Gallery of the Playhouse serves as a wonderful venue for the exhibition of work by Prince George’s County resident artists. The gallery is open during regular business hours and during scheduled performances. For alternative arrangements please contact the Playhouse at 301-277-1711.

May 4 - June 23, 2018 Katherine Hart Artist Reception: Thursday, May 10, 7–9 pm Hart works with encaustic techniques to cast stories among layers of pigment and wax. Inspired by everything that surrounds or encounters her, she does not premeditate, but rather lets the materials direct the course of the work. The result is a composition emboldened by her organic pursuit, the inherent emotions and challenges of that pursuit—a vivid example of art imitating life.

March 2 - April 27, 2018 Local Women in Abstraction Artist Reception: Tuesday, March 13, 7–9 pm In recent years, many art institutions have sought to give recognition to women artists who historically were not represented in important collections, exhibitions, or books. This exhibition seeks to build on this momentum by celebrating local female artists investigating various mediums and modes of abstract expression. Line, shape, color, texture, space and form are the universal tools that these artists employ to communicate the ethereal, the mundane and the simply sublime.

January 26 - February 23, 2018 Janelle Washington: a Special Exhibition in honor of Black History Month Artist Reception: Tuesday February 6, 7–9 pm With detailed, colorful cuts on paper, Janelle Washington celebrates “African American beauty, rich culture, and history.” As she seeks to “empower [the individual] to move forward in greatness”, her work gives a contemporary refresh to traditional silhouette portraiture, making it accessible to audiences of all ages and creating a bridge between the old and the new.

November 27, 2017 - January 19, 2018 Michael Moses Artist Reception: Thursday, December 7, 7–9 pm Michael’s background in the plastic arts has given him a fascination with materials that compels a closer look. He magnifies a minute area of a painting, to reveal abstract compositions that occur organically in the work. Alluring patterns, colors and textures are center stage in his photography, seeking to lure and tantalize the eye.

September 15 - November 10, 2017 Alma Selimovic Selimovic is a local artist investigating the “humanness” of diverse peoples and communities. An immigrant from Bosnia, she seeks to present the beauty and uniqueness of individuals, the liveliness that persist despite the struggles of migration, exclusion and even oppression. Through a dynamic mix of media, she invites the viewer to experience the vivid and often complex fabric that forms contemporary communities across the world.

Thursday, April 6, 6 pm Artist Reception: Past as Prologue: Portals and Doors by Julee Dickerson-Thompson With over 44 years of experience using found objects in her artistic process, local artist Julee Dickerson-Thompson creates multi-media works that seek to record recent histories, physically involved the audience into her artmaking, and create a bridge to access past histories. In Past as Prologue: Portals and Doors, she vibrantly composes narratives using doors and half doors to create series of colorful portals. Using Adinkra symbols, she layers the stories that have “touched her soul” and invites the viewer to navigate the realm of the stories presented. Come meet the artist and learn more about her work. Thursday, April 6, 6 pm - 8 pm FREE

Thursday, March 9, 7 pm Artist Reception: J’nell Jordan Often focusing on festive environments, the work of Hyattsville based artist, J’Nell Jordan, captures her subjects amidst “feel good” moments. Etching, wiping and pressing against layers of oil and metallic acrylics, her paintings reveal the intricacies and patterns of metallic colors as they vibrantly interact with the light. Revel in the joyful vibe of J’Nell’s paintings, brewed in the spirit of music, posing, flirting which will bring a smile to your face. FREE

Friday, April 1, 1:30 pm Exhibition: Acquaetta Williams Acquaetta Williams is a sculptor/glassblower. She has seen her work evolve from her vision of women and African Images through glass with work featuring Giraffe Neck Women and Women Who Carry, and then into Timekeepers and Deconstructing Time: Memories. The Faceless Melodies collages convey the human spirit, the emotional agitation and sensitivity. It’s the music … balancing repetitive curves, slash canvases that reveal more physical form, gritty textures, sharp bold colors that speak to us with compassion and love. Who are those who orchestrate this music, “I am homeless.” They are faceless, vulnerable and fragile. These urban dwellers have only the repetitive voice of a broken record. Exhibition: April 1-June 22, 2016 Artist Reception: Sunday, May 1, 1:30-3 pm

Exhibition: January-March 30, 2016 Artist Reception: Saturday, March 19, 2016, 6-7:30 pm Exhibition: Ulysses Marshall Ulysses Marshall works principally in collage (paperdolls): paper and mixed media. Many of his works are narratives and colorful, frequently featuring the figure. Marshall's works are included in several museums and private collections. Marshall says his goal as an artist is to “use story tales as a tool to share the plight of the almost forgotten colored people. I wish to preserve the pride, dignity, courage and strength of a people's journey from slave to slavery to slave. A people whose lives have been bent but not broken.” Artist Reception: Saturday, March 19, 2016, 6-7:30 pm

Friday, October 16, 6 am Jordan Shackleford: To Be Young Drawings, oil paintings, and mixed media works on wood depict carefree childhood memories created by Cheverly native and Suitland High alumnus Jordan Shackleford. Exhibit: Friday, October 16-January 9, 2016 Public Reception: Saturday, December 5, 2015, 6-7:30 pm

July 1, 2015 - October 13, 2015 Lynda Payton Lynda Payton is an artist who creates work in her own trademarked medium, trans photo digital artistry.™ Her abstract portraiture and graphic works employ traditional photographic media paired with layered digital files of photograph captures, vector art (or 3D rendered imagery). Payton feels that an artist’s responsibility is to be a reflection of society. That is why, her work provokes viewers to draw from their memories--a place, time, or moment from which they can connect. A native of Chicago, Payton currently resides in Maryland. Public Reception: Sunday, October 10, 2015 6-7:30 pm. For information on purchasing or exhibiting art at the Publick Playhouse, contact: La'Tasha Banks 301-446-3242 LaTasha.Banks@pgparks.com

Exhibit: March 15, 2014-June 30, 2015 Patrick Delaney: Art Ascending Artist Reception: Saturday, May 9, 2015 6:45 pm Patrick Delaney is not a slave to his medium; whether it is mixing acrylic with ink or markers with ink pens. His work speaks freely allowing the mind to actively wander each time the eye confronts a piece of his work. More so, his work conveys an innate sense of continuous motion, evoking both physical and emotional reactions to his work. As Delaney rightfully describes his work, “It’s almost as if I am taking shallow breaths and suddenly I get a burst of fresh sea air. It invigorates my whole body, but in particular, it invigorates my mind.”

Exhibition: January 6, 2015 - March 13, 2015 Black Artists of DC Artist Reception: Saturday, February 7, 2014 6:45 pm Established in 1999, Black Artists of DC is comprised of artists at different stages of artistic development. Their work spans all media, subject matter, and style, with membership inclusive in age, gender and ethnicity. The common bonds between the artists is their African descent, love of art, a commitment to people, and an intuitive understanding that there can be a profound bond among artists of African descent in the Diaspora.

Exhibition: October 14, 2014 - January 5, 2015 Luis Peralta Artist Reception: Friday, November 7, 2014 6:45 pm Born in Nicaragua, Luis Peralta moved to the United States at the age of 5 and began painting murals by age 13. Studying at Bell Multicultural High and Corcoran College, his style merges graffiti art with both surreal and traditional concepts and techniques. His current work entitled the Freedom Series blends iconic American symbols of democracy into a representation of the freedom that we are able to achieve. In doing so, it reminds the viewer that freedom is within all of us; we must work toward releasing and maintaining it. And, that freedom is not static, but a dynamic, continuous process.

Exhibition: August 15, 2014-October 13, 2014 Gina Marie Lewis Artist Reception: Friday, September 19, 2014 5:30 pm Working in many different materials, including paint, plaster, paper and mylar, Gina Marie Lewis creates two and three-dimensional painted constructions. These constructions explore notions of created, interrupted, and fragmented space. Her work depends upon minimal relationships among the elements, and Lewis seeks to advance an open approach to art that allows the answers to “what is next,” to develop through the process of creating the work. Lewis earned her BFA from Howard University and has been living and working in the DC area for 15 years.

Friday, March 15, 10 am HIS PALETTE: BY CALVIN COLEMAN The Publick Playhouse proudly presents the work of painter Calvin Coleman. According to Mr. Coleman, the title His Palette speaks to the use of the various colors that are expressed in his work. As a self-taught artist, Coleman builds upon the canvas with an assemblage of heavy body acrylic paint, a variety of textiles and other mediums to embellish his uninhibited style of painting. Coleman allows his life experiences, spirituality, appreciation for nature and love of music to inspire his work. In Art Matters, January 2007, art critic Wuanda Walls stated, “Calvin’s work is endowed with an aura of originality and poetic whimsy.” The Hampton, Virginia native possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Lincoln University. In 2004, Coleman transitioned from a fourteen year career in teaching to painting fulltime. Calvin’s paintings have shown in a number of galleries throughout the United States and across Europe, France, and Italy. This exhibition is presented by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. Arts programs of the Department of Parks and Recreation are supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Exhibition is now open at the Publick Playhouse and will close on Saturday, June 15. The show can be viewed Monday- Friday, 10 am-5 pm Artist Reception will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 7-8:00 PM

Midweek Matinee Wednesday, January 23, 10 am SENEGAL AND BEYOND: PAINTINGS BY VALERIE WATSON The Publick Playhouse proudly presents the work of painter Valerie Watson. Ms. Watson created the body of work as a response to the photographs taken on her trip to Senegal, Africa. She pushes the boundaries of color, space and light to create larger than life size street and outdoor scenes. Known for her large-scale watercolors, Watson has been awarded an Individual Artist Grant Award by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Governor’s Award of Merit. Her paintings have been featured in regional solo shows and internationally in Havana, Cuba, Asuncion, Paraguay and Rangoon, Burma, through the U. S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program. Watson served as the Visual Arts Specialist of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission for many years and is now an adjunct professor of art at Prince George’s Community College, teaching watercolor. She also serves as a visual art consultant to the Prince George’s County Public Schools. Most recently, Watson served as the artist-in-residence at the Gateway Art Center located in Brentwood, Maryland and now maintains her professional art studio there. This exhibition is presented by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. Arts programs of the Department of Parks and Recreation are supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Exhibition is now open at the Publick Playhouse and will close on Tuesday, March 12. The show can be viewed Monday- Friday, 10 am-5 pm Artist Reception will be held on February 14th from 6pm-7:30pm.

12/3/2012 through 1/9/2013 Inner Lobby 10 am-5pm Monday-Friday Winston Harris -Preview to Retro (Preview to Retrospective) Preview to Retro (Preview to Retrospective) assembles a preview of artwork for an upcoming solo exhibition created and inspired though working with various artists and artist in residency programs. This is my recognition of past, present and future mentors that has tailored the development of my creative process, under the tutelage from these artistic professionals by serving as my career advisors. By working with a selected group of established painters, sculptors and digital printmakers this collaboration with past artists/administrators such as Thomas DeSmitt, Dr. Murry Depillars, and Dr. Alvin Loving, I learned to lay my canvas flat and build a textured surface. Also, by working under the tutelage of artists/administrators Sam Gilliam, Jr., Michael Platt, and Percy Martin, along with conducting artist in residencies, I worked to combine traditional and non-traditional techniques to create a contemporary experimentation in printmaking which produced 2D and 3D art

Monday, March 5-Monday, April 30 Pete and Alison Duvall Pete and Alison Duvall are well known throughout the area, especially within the arts community, for the photographic services and teaching they provide through their company, Anything Photographic. The Publick Playhouse presents their own artworks, a chance to see the incredible knowledge required for their company expanded into deeply expressive photos and photomontages.

Midweek Matinee Tuesday, May 10, 1 pm Test Please disregard.