Sara Dittrich – The Tender IntervalOpening: Friday, April 21 at 7pm
The DC Arts Center, located in the heart of Adams Morgan, is proud to present the first exhibition of the 2023 Curatorial Initiative, A Shared Sense of Time, curated by Jeffry Cudlin and assisted by apprentice curators Benedetta Castrioto and FAITH (Eleisha Faith McCorkle). The exhibition features Sara Dittrich, Ledah Fincke, Imka, Amy Reid, Davis Sailsbury (Dais Queue), Joana Stillwell. The exhibition brings together six DMV-based visual artists and musicians who use unique rhythms and concepts of tempo to create disorienting, altered states of consciousness.
The featured artists use field recordings, found biological rhythms, or rules-based improvisation to create extraordinary aesthetic experiences out of ordinary, everyday phenomena. The exhibition encourages visitors to engage in a process of exploration, much like author V.S. Naipaul’s description of “finding experience where I thought there had been nothing.” Through their innovative use of rhythm, sound, and image, the six featured artists in A Shared Sense of Time creates a dynamic interplay between the domestic and natural worlds, inviting visitors to contemplate their place within the larger scheme of things.
Program Manager Jerry Truong explains, “In working with Jeffry to organize this exhibition, I was drawn to his commitment to seeking out artists who are not only working in a conceptually challenging way, but also pushing the envelope in terms of interactivity. We hope that visitors to this show will discover a unique and captivating experience.”
“Jeffry is expanding the ways in which our patrons and audiences experience art in the District by bringing together a multitude of art forms,” said Executive Director Sean Elias. “Just as we, here at The DC Arts Center, continue to expand our programming and offerings to foster underrepresented artists in as many artistic disciplines as possible.”
Join them in celebrating the opening of A Shared Sense of Time on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 7:00 PM. The exhibition runs through May 21, 2023.
ABOUT JEFFRY CUDLIN
Since 2011, Washington, D.C.-based artist, critic, and curator Jeffry Cudlin has worked with students on hands-on, real-world projects in MICA’s first-in-the-nation MFA in Curatorial Practice program founded by visionary curator George Ciscle.
Cudlin previously served as Director of Exhibitions for the Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia, and as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Contemporary, Baltimore’s nomadic art museum without walls. Cudlin has also worked as a performance artist, independent curator, painter, alternative comics artist, and musician.
His exhibition reviews have appeared in The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, and Sculpture Magazine. Cudlin served as museum critic for Washington City Paper for thirteen years, starting in 2004. In 2009 and 2008, Cudlin was awarded back-to-back national First Place Altweekly Awards for Arts Criticism in papers with circulation greater than 50,000. In 2006, he took Third Place for the same category.
Cudlin received his M.F.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.
IMPORTANT DATES
A Shared Sense of Time
Curated by Jeffry Cudlin
April 21 – May 21, 2023
Wednesday – Sunday, 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Opening Celebration: Friday, April 21, 2023, at 7:00 PM
- Free. Light refreshments and beverages provided.
- Artist Talk: Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 3:00 PM
- Closing Reception: Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 6:00 PM
- Free. Light refreshments and beverages provided.
ABOUT THE CURATORIAL INITIATIVE
The Curatorial Initiative reflects The DC Arts Center’s commitment to fostering underrepresented artists by offering a rare, paid, year-long opportunity to develop the fundamental skills of artistic curation. Each year one to two Apprentice Curators are selected to work alongside a professional Mentor Curator in planning and mounting two full-scale exhibitions at The DC Arts Center.
First, with the assistance of the Apprentice Curator, the Mentor Curator leads the curatorial process — honing vision, selecting artists, crafting a catalog, and bringing an exhibition from concept to installation. Then the roles are reversed, and the Apprentice Curator leads the curatorial process with the assistance and advice of the Mentor Curator.
The Curatorial Initiative offers the next generation of diverse curators the chance to develop a critical and practical understanding of artistic curation while simultaneously developing an essential professional relationship with an industry-leading curator. Combined, one’s newly developed skillset, relationship, and experience make a future in artistic curation possible.
ABOUT THE DC ARTS CENTER
The DC Arts Center (DCAC) is the only institution solely dedicated to fostering underrepresented artists in the greater Washington, D.C., area. We believe that by encouraging artists of all types and all levels to pursue their passion, community transformation is possible. Located in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s vibrant Adams Morgan neighborhood, DCAC operates a small arts facility that includes two art galleries, a 41-seat black box theater, and office space. Founded in 1989 as an accessible alternative arts center in response to eroding support for local artists, DCAC has since become a hub of creativity in the visual and performing arts, receiving local, national, and international attention. Artists of all types, including poets, painters, actors, storytellers, sculptors, and performance artists, have been drawn to DCAC from as close as around the corner to as far as from other continents.
