7/27-8/2
This week: Explore how Black craftspeople fought for freedom through their art, catch boundary-pushing films that blur the lines between animation, and more.
Climate Mandalas In A Burning World: Portals of Transformation [Exhibition] July 27-August 16 | Hamiltonian Artists | FREE
After 2024 emerged as the hottest year on planetary record, artist Neha Misra decided to explore something radical: healing through sacred geometry. Misra's painted tapestries engage with Ayurveda's "Panchabhutas," or earth, water, fire, air, and ether, reimagined through symbolism that highlights the connections between planet and people. What makes this exhibition truly special is that the works are created using upcycled fabric from the artist’s mothers, sisters, and aunts, transforming sarees into hanging tapestries with new meaning. The works are also accompanied by an ambient soundscape produced with Tvameva and Priya Parrotta. Info
Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence [Exhibition] July 27-December 31 | DAR National Headquarters | FREE
The Founding Fathers' cries for "liberty from tyranny" had unintentionally resonated deeply with Black craftspeople who embraced these ideals while fighting for their own freedom. The exhibition spans from the Revolutionary War through today, featuring over 50 objects that tell the stories of both free and enslaved artisans who pursued agency and independence through their craft. From furniture and metals to ceramics, textiles, and personal accessories, these pieces reveal how African Americans used their skills to create not just objects, but freedom itself in numerous forms. The exhibition is a display of how the pursuit of liberty has always been a driving force for Black creativity and resistance. Visit
Curator-Led Tour of The Shape of Power [Museum Tour] July 29, 5:30 PM | Smithsonian American Art Museum | FREE
This SAAM exhibition gets the VIP treatment with this curator-led tour of 82 sculptures that explore how art has shaped and reflected attitudes about race in America. Created between 1792 and 2023, these works range from coins to monumental statues made from bronze, marble, shoes, paper, and even hair. The juxtaposition between historical and contemporary pieces displayed together sparks a dialogue about power, identity, and resistance. This visual conversation prompts the viewer to reflect on how sculpture has served as both oppression and empowerment throughout American history. Info
Opening Reception: Jeremy Bolen, Jake Lahah, and Terence Nicholson [Gallery Opening] August 1, 6-8 PM | IA&A at Hillyer | FREE ($10 donation suggested)
This show features three artists with three completely different approaches to urgent contemporary issues. Jeremy Bolen's "Future Weather" presents documentary works that imagine the aesthetics of a geo-engineered future while confronting the realities of our climate crisis. Jake Lahah's "Double Entendre" creates an unexpected connection between the AIDS crisis and policy, health, and environmental destruction through the lens of resource extraction and mining industries. Terence Nicholson's "The Eternal Echo" explores the idea that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, pushing past boundaries of race, class, and genealogy. These thought-provoking works prove that contemporary art is grappling with some of the biggest questions of our time. Visit
International Shorts: Program One [Film Screening] August 2, 2-4 PM | National Gallery of Art East Building Auditorium | FREE
The best of the Thomas Edison Film Festival comes to DC with two standout shorts that redefine documentary and animation. "Art21: Amy Sherald" follows the artist's journey from being virtually unknown to painting Michelle Obama's official portrait. "Assemblages" uses digital stop motion, found footage, and collage to explore how different objects trigger our core memories. These innovative shorts push the boundaries of what film can do. Register
Looking Ahead
International Shorts: Program Two [Film Screening] August 3, 2-4 PM | National Gallery of Art East Building Auditorium | FREE
Sunday brings another dose of creative short films that prove animation and documentary can be anything you want them to be. "Hunky Dory" is a visual feast that contrasts animal life with human existence through meticulously hand-drawn animation set to banjo music by Béla Fleck. It's quirky, unexpected, and surprisingly moving. "Old Girl in a Tutu" follows retired feminist scholar Susan Rennie as she uses iPhone photography to insert her own body into masterworks of art, disrupting art history one selfie at a time. Both films challenge conventions about who gets to make art and how stories get told. Register