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Open Studio DC officially became part of the Trinidad neighborhood February 1, 2011. The fourth visual arts venue to open on the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE just a block off of H Street NE, Open Studio DC specializes in screenprinting for artists. Carolyn Hartmann, a screenprinter and adjunct professor at the Corcoran School of Art + Design, owns and operates the space. She opened the space to meet the growing demand for screenprinting by local artists. She and I both had a good laugh about the previous state of the building’s interior which I had seen last spring with the building’s owner. It needed a complete renovation as it lacked everything from floors to working plumbing. The renovations are complete and the inviting well-lit interior will serve as another welcomed arts resource for the H Street Corridor and Trinidad communities.
On the evening of May 14, a Super Saturday as we like to call it here at East City Art, I was thrilled to finally meet Hartmann and to view the studio space for the first time. Brigitte Reyes, owner of the downtown gallery Reyes + Davis was also present. Reyes had curated a “pop-up” show by Pepa Leon, a local DC artist whom Reyes + Davis represents, in Open Studio DC’s main room. Splashed on the neutral colored walls, Leon’s brightly colored and playful paintings seemingly burst out and into the space like a spring garden. Leon, who was in attendance, is Open Studio DC’s current artist-in-residency, a program Harmann wishes to continue moving forward.
Hartmann plans to show more work by local artists and will give priority to Open Studio DC screenprinting members. The space offers a number of different options for artists who are interested in the screenprinting medium including annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly memberships. Open Studio DC’s facilities and equipment have been specifically chosen to allow artists to work in large and small formats. Their exposure unit is a massive 50″ x 70″ inches, facilitating the use of very large film positives or negatives in one’s artistic process. The studio also provides other vital equipment and supplies, including photo emulsion, cleaning solvents, squeegees, scoop coaters, a power washer, and a washout booth. In the future, openstudioDC will also provide a computer and printer to enable artists to produce transparency films while at the studio.
Hartmann plans on holding workshops for both beginning and advanced screenprinters. As previously mentioned, she also intends to continue using Open Studio DC’s main room for pop-up shows and they will coincide with opening nights at neighboring Conner, G Fine Art and Industry galleries. Naturally, we will keep you up to date on all Open Studio DC workshops and scheduled openings here on East City Art.
For more information about Open Studio DC visit their website at www.openstudiodc.com, call them at 202.670.4650 or email Carolyn Hartmann at [email protected]. Open Studio DC is located at 1348 Florida Avenue NE.
Hours of operation are as follows:
Mon: Closed for printing. Reserved for lectures, workshops, and classes.
Tue: 10a – 10p
Wed: 10a – 10p
Thu: 10a – 10p
Fri: Closed for printing. Reserved for shows, rentals, workshops, and classes.
Sat: 10a – 10p
Sun: 12p – 8p
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