With Due Thought & Careful Consideration, 2023 by Rodney “Buck” Herring (Photos ©2023 Arts in Foggy Bottom)Art, architecture and serenity all come together with the eighth Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Biennial. The award-winning arts program opens its brand new exhibition, Sites for Centering and Reflection, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The collection of original creations is curated by independent fine art consultant and National Museum of American History’s Jarvis DuBois and features one of the most diverse lineups of DMV-based artists in the biennial event’s history. See multi-material pieces by Rodney “Buck” Herring, whose work has been recognized by the NAACP image awards and featured on Netflix, Kokayi, a Grammy-nominated artist, producer, author, and creative consultant, Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ Jacqui Maggi, and more all installed throughout the yards and homes of the historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood.
“With issues such as political turmoil, climate change, and the pandemic always on the back of our minds, we need space to stand still for a moment more than ever,” said this year’s curator, Jarvis DuBois. “The artists included in the 2023 exhibition are not only exploring their own visual representation of respite, but are hopefully inspiring audiences to do the same.”
With Sites for Centering and Reflection, DuBois – who currently serves as a Museum Specialist at the National Museum of American History and Principal at J. DuBois Arts, LLC, a fine art consulting and curating company, and is known for curating exhibitions for the IA&A at Hillyer, Galerie Myrtis, and The District of Columbia Arts Center among others – gathered a group of artists influenced by acts of rest, healing, self care, and meditation. Covering topics such as sun worship, memorials to family and friends, the power of poetic words, indigenous energy, and the calming nature of water, and made from materials including LED lights, wood, stainless steel, bottles, shells, and tempered glass, audiences will have the chance to view works by
- Ajmal MAS MAN Millar
- Angelique Scott
- Asha Elana Casey
- Ayodele Mason
- Jabari Jefferson
- Jacqui Maggi
- Kokayi
- Mahari Chabwera
- Orlando Dominguez
- Paul Steinkoenig
- Rodney “Buck” Herring
- Scott Benjamin Tucker
Separate artist-led tours will take place on later dates, including
- A tour with Jacqui Maggi on June 10 at 11:00 am ET
- A tour with Paul Steinkoenig on July 8 at 11:00 am ET and August 12 at TBD
“We are so excited for audiences to engage with the 2023 exhibition and the creators behind it. Jarvis and the artists have taken the Arts in Foggy Bottom tradition of exploring pertinent social themes and approached it in a completely unique way. The range of perspectives and artistic expressions are unlike any of the sculpture biennials we have hosted since launching in 2008,” said Arts in Foggy Bottom Director Peter Maye.
For more information on Arts in Foggy Bottom and this year’s featured artists, visit http://artsinfoggybottom.com/.
About Arts in Foggy Bottom
Founded in 2007 by Foggy Bottom residents Jackie Lemire, Jill Nevius and Mary Kay Shaw, Arts in Foggy Bottom was formed to foster artistic expression and community engagement while highlighting the unique vibrancy of the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Since its first collection in 2008, the program has created a new exhibit every two years expanding its representation through new curators, artists, topics and art formats. In 2009, Arts in Foggy Bottom received the District of Columbia Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts and won the Foggy Bottom Association’s Olga Corey Spirit of Community Award in 2013.
The exhibition will be on display between 24th and 26th Streets NW and H and K Streets NW in Washington, DC. until October 21, 2023. In addition to visiting Sites for Centering and Reflection on their own with QR codes placed at each installation, audiences are also invited to participate in monthly guided tours. Marking the first year that the exhibition will include guided tours since COVID, Arts in Foggy celebrates the return of the beloved feature with an opening day tour led by the curator beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET at 842 New Hampshire Avenue NW.
