The McLean Project for the Arts is going downtown, at least for a weekend, though it hopes to stay longer.
The nonprofit will launch an inaugural “MPA Inspires” celebration of art and jazz on Nov. 18-19 that will also serve as its introduction to a new space at The Signet (6910 Fleetwood Road), a seven-story condominium building with some ground-floor retail space.
Known for now as “MPA Downtown,” the facility is envisioned as a supplement to MPA’s main galleries and offices in the McLean Community Center at 1234 Ingleside Avenue, according to MPA communications director Deb Bissen.
“MPA has been looking for a way to have additional space to provide more arts education opportunities for our community as well as an expanded exhibition and events space,” Bissen told FFXnow.
While the organization isn’t ready to discuss details yet, Bissen confirmed it’s pursuing a space in downtown McLean in place of the arts center that the Fairfax County Park Authority board approved last year last year as an option for future development at Clemyjontri Park.
That proposal — the crux of a revised master plan for the 6317 Georgetown Pike park best known for its disability-inclusive playground — “has now been set aside,” she said.
In addition to being more accessible than Clemyjontri for pedestrians in McLean’s redeveloping downtown, The Signet has a courtyard and Elm Street Park across the street that could support outdoor exhibitions and events, according to Bissen.
“We’re excited about the potential of this idea, and hoping our community of supporters will embrace it as well during this weekend of celebrating MPA’s artistic legacy and our exciting plans to expand our presence within the vibrant D.C. arts community,” she said.
MPA Inspires will kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 with an Art Insights panel and reception featuring art collectors Michael Abrams and Sandra Stewart, art advocate Nancy Hirshbein, and University of Maryland University College Arts Program Director Eric Key.
Following the panel, attendees can get a gallery tour and meet the artists showcased in a new alumni exhibition that will be open for viewing from 2-4 p.m. this Thursday (Nov. 9), Sunday (Nov. 12), Nov. 14 and Nov. 17.
Sunday, Nov. 19 will bring an Art + Soul Jazz Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to raise funds for MPA’s new space. It will feature live music by saxophonist Langston Hughes II, bass player Chris Hon and guitarist Jan Knutson, along with a Collectors’ Drawing for the more than 60 works donated to the alumni exhibition.
While the panel event is free, the brunch will cost $150 per person, and the 60 tickets available for the drawing are an additional $600, covering the purchase of the artwork. Sponsorships are also being offered, starting at $1,000 for four brunch tickets.
Proceeds will go to “the development of a new MPA Art and Education Center,” the event website says.
“We are thrilled this weekend will bring such a group of dynamic artists, each esteemed alumni of MPA’s exhibition program, together with our warm and engaged community of supporters,” MPA Executive Director Lori Carbonneau said. “…This moment stands as one of the most remarkable milestones in MPA’s 61-year history, and a celebration of our continued leadership in McLean and the wider regional arts scene.”
Image via Google Maps
Art will take over McLean Central Park this weekend with the return of MPAartfest.
Now in its 17th year, the annual festival from the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) will be back on Sunday (Oct. 1), promising dozens of artists, food trucks and live entertainment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This will be a comeback for the festival after the prospect of Hurricane Ian canceled its 2022 iteration. Fortunately, a repeat appears unlikely, as the National Weather Service is forecasting clear and sunny skies for Sunday.
“Each fall MPAartfest celebrates our community and the arts in the beautiful setting of McLean Central Park,” MPA Executive Director Lori Carbonneau said. “We are so appreciative of our lead community sponsor, the McLean Community Center, and of all the generous community sponsors who help to make this event possible. We invite all the community to join us for a relaxing and inspiring day of art in the park!”
The event’s centerpiece will be a juried fine arts show featuring more than 35 visual artists from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Their work will be available for sale and on display in mini galleries spread throughout the park at 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd.
The festival will also bring musical guests, food vendors, children’s activities and an outdoor gallery showcasing work by local students, according to a press release from MPA:
MPAartfest will again offer a full day of lively and varied musical performances. Sponsored by Mars and curated by Music Director Ken Avis, radio host of Antidote WERA 96.7 FM and a performing musician with the award-winning band Veronneau, this year’s performers include: Blues Alley Youth Jazz Orchestra (10am), Alison Crockett (11am), Bobby Thompson (12pm), Little Red and the Renegades (1pm), The Honey Larks (2pm), and Taisha Estrada (3pm).
Sponsored by BOWA, Deirdre Maull Orthodontics, McLean Community Foundation, and TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, the MPAartfest Children’s Activity Tents will feature a variety of art-based activities and learning stations. Other art highlights include the New Dominion Women’s Club Children’s Art Walk, a juried open-air gallery displaying artwork from local public and private elementary school students.
On the food front, MPAartfest will once again feature the much-loved Café Beret (sponsored by The Mather) where guests can enjoy wine and beer provided by The Wine Outlet. The event will also offer food from a variety of food trucks and eateries, including Rocklands BBQ, Pikoteo, Timber Pizza, Kona Ice, and MooThru.
Admission to MPAartfest is free. Parking will be available at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue), along with overflow lots at Capital One Bank (6890 Elm Street) and FitzGerald Properties (1446 Dolley Madison Blvd).
MPA’s latest exhibition, “(Not) Strictly Painting,” remains on display inside the community center. Accompanied by an artist talk scheduled for Oct. 19, the biennial showcase of painters from around the region will stay open through Nov. 11.
The newest exhibition curated by the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is all about painting.
The local arts organization will launch the 14th iteration of “(Not) Strictly Painting” — its biennial showcase of work from artists based in the Mid-Atlantic region — with an opening reception from 7-9 p.m. tonight (Thursday).
According to MPA, the exhibit will highlight the “depth and breadth” of paintings and other pieces that are somehow related to painting from 50 different artists. It’s being juried by Tim Brown, director of the D.C.-based nonprofit art gallery IA&A at Hillyer.
“Now in it’s 14th incarnation, (Not) Strictly Painting will exhibit works by some of the most interesting and innovative artists currently active in the Mid-Atlantic region,” Nancy Sausser, MPA’s director of exhibitions and curator, said.
Recurring every two years, (Not) Strictly Painting last returned in September 2021, when MPA was still capping its galleries at six visitors at a time to encourage social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19.
Located in the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue), the organization’s Atrium Gallery is open during the community center’s operating hours, and the Emerson Gallery is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
In addition to tonight’s opening reception, MPA will celebrate the new exhibition with an in-person artist talk at 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19.
Artists featured in the current iteration of (Not) Strictly Painting include:
Maremi Andreozzi, Sondra Arkin, MK Bailey, Julia Bloom, Maria Brito, Nikki Brugnoli, Tory Cowles, Pamela Crockett, Delna Dastur, Anna Davis, Thomas Drymon, Gayle Friedman, Genie Ghim, Jane Godfrey, Pat Goslee, Reni Gower, Freya Grand, Lou Haney, Amelia Hankin, Tom Hill, Andrew Hladky, Leslie Holt, Sabiha Iqbal, Barbara Januszkiewicz, Wayson Jones, Joanne Kent, Pamela Keravuori, Chee Kung, Ruth Lozner, Matthew Malone, Nicole Maloof, Nipun Manda, Sasha-Loriene McClain, Begona Morton, Olivia Niuman, Cory Oberndorfer, Sookkyung Park, Judith Pratt, Sharon Robinson, Violet Simulation, Kanika Sircar, Marsha Staiger, Ann Stoddard, Monica Stroik, Terry Thompson, Roderick Turner, Jessica van Brakle, Ashley Joi Whitley, Sharon Wolpoff, and Debra Wright.
The exhibition will be on display through Nov. 11.
Before enduring the indignities of modern airport security, people flying out of Dulles can now calm their nerves by taking in the artistic talents of Fairfax County’s students.
A youth art exhibition from the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is now on display in the check-in area of Dulles International Airport, the nonprofit announced last week.
All of the featured work was created by local students at public and private schools. The pieces were going to be included in the Children’s Art Walk that’s typically displayed during the organization’s annual MPAartfest, but the festival got rained out last year.
“We are thrilled to have the artwork of some of our community’s talented young artists on display at Dulles Airport,” MPA Executive Director Lori Carbonneau said. “This is a wonderful example of the community building at the heart of our programming at McLean Project for the Arts.”
The idea of a youth art exhibit at Dulles took root last summer, before the remnants of Hurricane Ian washed out MPAartfest.
As a supporter of MPA’s community arts programming, Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34) invited its leaders to talk to Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) staff, according to the nonprofit. The delegate sits on the group’s advisory board, and her husband William Sudow also happens to chair the MWAA Board of Directors.
“There was a preliminary call late in the summer about [Murphy and Sudow’s] idea to feature youth art from county school students at Dulles,” MPA said, noting that Reagan National Airport is hosting a similar exhibit featuring student artists from D.C.
MPA suggested using art intended for the Children’s Art Walk, which is sponsored by the New Dominion Women’s Club of McLean and compiles work shared by local art teachers.
The final exhibit was assembled by MWAA staff.
“The support of our advisory board member Delegate Kathleen Murphy and her husband, Bill Sudow…led to this opportunity to share art and information about MPA with travelers to and from the D.C. area,” Carbonneau said.
The display can be found by the Transportation Security Administration’s west precheck security checkpoint on the airport’s departures level. For now, the artwork will remain for an indefinite period of time.
“They don’t have a date for when it would be switched out,” MPA spokesperson Deborah Bissen said.
Updated at 2:45 p.m. on 9/28/2022 — MPAartfest has been canceled due to potential inclement weather from Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Florida today (Wednesday). Organizers are looking at options for an alternative fall event, the McLean Project for the Arts said.
Earlier: The McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is kicking off fall with a celebration of the culinary, visual, and musical arts.
The McLean Project for the Arts will bring its annual MPAartfest back early next month. The 16th annual MPAartfest is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, in McLean Central Park (1468 Dolley Madison Blvd).
“This year’s event will feature a diverse group of more than 35 juried artists from across the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as a world of music curated by MPA Music Director Ken Avis, the beloved Children’s Art Walk, food vendors, children’s art activities, and more,” the MPA said in a release.
New highlights include a juried gallery displaying art from local elementary school students.
In terms of food, a wine and beer stand called Café Beret will return, along with a variety of local food trucks. The event will also feature live music throughout the day.
“A one-day juried fine art show and sale, MPAartfest transforms McLean Central Park into a lively landscape of mini art galleries showcasing and offering for sale the work of acclaimed artists from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond,” the release said.
Admission to the MPAartfest is free and parking will be available at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue).
“Each fall MPAartfest celebrates our community and the arts in the beautiful setting of McLean Central Park,” MPA Executive Director Lori Carbonneau said. “We are so appreciative of our lead community sponsor, the McLean Community Center, and of all the generous community sponsors who help to make this event possible. We invite all the community to join us for a relaxing and inspiring day of art in the park!”
McLean Project for the Arts is going to Tysons for its diamond jubilee.
The nonprofit will celebrate six decades of supporting and showcasing the work of artists in the mid-Atlantic region with a 60th anniversary gala at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) on Sept. 18.
Announced yesterday (Tuesday), the celebration will be highlighted by an augmented reality exhibit crafted especially for the occasion by Arlington painter and digital artist Joseph Cortina, whose work was previously displayed by MPA at its Emerson Gallery in December 2020.
“We are delighted to include this new work by McLean area artist Joseph Cortina as we celebrate sixty years of exhibitions at MPA,” Executive Director Lori Carbonneau said in a press release. “After exhibiting Joe’s work in our MPA galleries and seeing his company’s (Cortina Productions’) installations in museums in Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans, we are thrilled for it to be a highlight of our 60th anniversary year and a centerpiece of our…celebration.”
Titled “Illusion of Depth,” the installation will serve “as a reflection on the meanings of depth, from seeing into and beyond the obvious limits,” building on “fascination with the concept and dimensions of depth and its effects on visual experience,” according to the press release.
In addition to the art exhibit, the gala will feature a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres and “light fare,” dancing, and live music by the band Round Midnight.
MPA is currently fundraising for the gala, reporting $239,000 raised toward its goal of $350,000, as of Aug. 18, according to the event page.
MPA has two galleries in the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue), where it regularly puts on contemporary art exhibitions from both emerging and established creators from around the region. It also offers classes, summer camps and the annual MPAartfest at McLean Central Park.
Man Dies After Crash in Oakton — “A 78-year-old man has died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash that occurred at 2:01 p.m. on March 30 in Oakton. Thomas Peregoy of Alexandria was driving eastbound on Lawyers Road near Kedge Drive when his 2014 Toyota Tacoma drifted off the roadway to the right, striking a tree head on.” [FCPD]
Genomic Sequencing Could Help ID “Christmas Tree Lady” — “For 25 years, the Fairfax County police have tried and failed to identify ‘the Christmas Tree Lady,’ so named because she placed an 8-inch Christmas tree with gold balls and red ribbons on the clear plastic sheet she put on the ground…She is the only person to die by suicide in Fairfax whom authorities have been unable to identify, before or since.” [The Washington Post]
County Launches Month-Long Solar Energy Campaign — “Fairfax County is pleased and proud to participate in the annual Solarize campaign, which brings residents and businesses bulk discounts on solar systems…Through the program, you can receive a free satellite assessment of your property to determine if it is suitable for solar.” [Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination]
Fort Belvoir Hospital Trauma Center Verified — “Fort Belvoir Community Hospital has received Level lll Trauma Center verification after demonstrating its ability to provide prompt assessment, surgery, intensive care and emergency operations…The only other verified trauma center in Northern Virginia is Inova Fairfax Hospital, a Level I facility.” [Inside NoVA]
Carjacking Reported in Mount Vernon — A man was driving in the 3700 block of Rolling Hills Avenue on March 26 when four men in a brown Nissan Altima blocked his vehicle. “The men then got out of the Altima, displayed a firearm and assaulted the victim,” police say. “The men then left the area in the victim’s car. The victim was treated for injuries not considered life threatening.” [FCPD]
McLean Arts Nonprofit Plans Spring Shows — The McLean Project for the Arts will host its first-ever “Spring Solo” exhibitions starting on April 14. The nonprofit received over 130 proposals, according to its artistic director and curator. Work from three artists, two from D.C. and one from Arlington, will be on display through June 11. [Sun Gazette]
Reston Community Center Announces Spring Programming — “Some of RCC’s most popular seasonal experiences are already sold out (Eggnormous Egg Hunt, Crafternoons), so don’t wait to enroll in the activities that still have space for children and their families!” [RCC]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 34. Sunrise at 6:50 a.m. and sunset at 7:36 p.m. [Weather.gov]
