The McLean Project for the Arts will celebrate the realization of its anticipated downtown expansion with a tribute to the power of the abstract.
The late abstract painter Yasmine C. Iskander will headline the inaugural exhibition at the MPA Berlage Arts and Education Center, which is set to open at 6910 Fleetwood Road with an 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow (Thursday).
Just 26 when she died on April 22, 2024, Iskander became a devoted supporter of MPA after she was selected for inclusion in the nonprofit’s annual MPAartfest in 2017. Her work was later displayed at galleries across the D.C. region and around the country, including at the Kennedy Center.
Titled “Life Through the Power of Color,” the new exhibit at the Berlage center will highlight Iskander’s use of bright colors and geometric shapes, an approach influenced in part by her deafness, according to a press release.
“My art expresses my feelings about the happy moments in my life, but also about the difficult times I have had, especially my many heart and brain surgeries,” Iskander once said. “When I paint, I feel strong, excited, exuberant and emotions flow as colors! I feel it in my heart. The colors and shapes that guide my work pop into my head.”
An opening reception for “Life Through the Power of Color” will be held on May 14 from 7-9 p.m.
The exhibition will occupy one of three galleries in the new Berlage center, a 6,100-square-foot facility that will also offer a ceramics studio, meeting and teaching spaces, and a cafe and bistro.
Operated by Knead Hospitality and Design, Cafe Monet won’t be available for tomorrow’s ribbon-cutting, an MPA spokesperson confirmed. The eatery is expected to open sometime in early May, per its website, and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full bar.
Primarily based at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue), where it has office space and two galleries, MPA had spent years searching for an additional location that would allow it to expand its programming and reach new audiences.
After initially exploring a possible arts center at Clemyjontri Park, the nonprofit saw an opportunity to purchase the commercial condominium on the ground floor of The Signet, which had originally intended the space for a restaurant or other retail but never found a buyer.
With support from a variety of donors, including namesake and board member Bruce L. Berlage and a $500,000 contribution from Fairfax County’s Economic Opportunity Reserve fund, MPA was able to buy the condo in September 2024. The acquisition and buildout amounted to a total investment of $6.5 million.
In addition to its 900-square-foot main gallery, the Berlage center has a black box-style installation gallery that can host digital and media displays, movie screenings and even concerts. The nonprofit also hopes to provide some outdoor programming, taking advantage of the site’s proximity to Elm Street Park.
