A Fairfax mixed-media artist has landed a prime location to showcase her latest work at Springfield Town Center.
Precious Burger’s exhibition “Through Me: Where Wonder Finds a Way” will be officially unveiled during an opening reception at the mall tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5 p.m. Available to view through March 31, 2027, the exhibit features large, colorful paintings that express people’s sense of wonder and curiosity.
Burger got the idea for “Through Me” from a book she read called “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by the music producer Rick Rubin, who explores how people can find creative inspiration within themselves and how they relate to the world around them.
“With ‘Through Me: Where Wonder Finds a Way,’ instead of forcing what my painting should look like, it became more about allowing it to emerge in a way that is more organic and fluid,” Burger said.
An intuitive painter who includes mixed media and collage, Burger said each layer in her work creates a unique history.
Earlier this year, she was approached about sharing her work at Springfield Town Center (6500 Springfield Mall) while at an ArtsFairfax event. Burger said she was excited about the prospect of displaying her work in a big space like the town center.
“I’m an excitable person,” she told FFXnow. “One of the things that I realized was that you have to be patient because everything takes time in the art world to kind of evolve and get to where you need to be.”
Burger’s art is part of a partnership between ArtsFairfax and Springfield Town Center to showcase local artists around Fairfax County.
Stuart Holt, president and CEO of ArtsFairfax, said what intrigued him about her art is the fearlessness.
“There’s many textures and layers that really explore the idea of organic creativity, which I think makes her work very accessible and relatable,” Holt said. “We’ve all been a kid, and we’ve all had that joy of just diving into our creativity and creating something where we don’t have to worry about sort of restrictions or parameters.”
It is the second year of ArtsFairfax’s partnership with Springfield Town Center as part of the “ArtsFairfax Presents” initiative, which has also brought local artists into new venues like the Braddock District Office and Lincolnia Senior Center.
Holt said the nonprofit arts agency worked with the mall to exhibit and give different kinds of audiences an opportunity to engage with the work.
“We really want to bring art to where people already are, because it’s our goal to reduce any barrier to art access, and having art on exhibition in these spaces really accomplishes that work,” he said.
Burger, who was an art educator for three decades, will also lead two free workshops at Springfield Town Center this winter in which she will use her paintings. It will give her an opportunity to work with the community. She hopes to help kids and adults “create a sense of wonder for them and let them play and experiment.”
“[Art] plays a role in our daily life,” Burger said. “We all are creative and we need to nurture that because that’s where we regulate our central nervous system … To be able to give back to the community, it brings me joy and it gives me hope that maybe I can help others find their joy and connection through the art.”
