The Tephra Institute of Contemporary Arts (Tephra ICA) annual arts festival will return to Reston Town Center on May 20 through 21.

The event — formerly known as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — brings together more than 200 contemporary artists and artisans from around the country to present artwork in front of audiences.

This year, more than 200 artists from 32 states across the U.S. and Canada will take part in the event.

“This community event is an incredible opportunity to have direct contact with great contemporary artists and artisans,” Tephra ICA Associate Curator and Festival Director Hannah Barco said. “One doesn’t often get a chance to meet the artist while looking at their work, and that’s what this event is all about. Then when you decide to bring that work home, you’re not just making a purchase, you’re continuing a relationship with that artist.”

Hoesy Corona, a Baltimore-based queer Latino artist, will perform a site-specific artwork that explores the immigrant experience. It is presented by Reston Community Center.

This year’s festival will also feature the launch of Reston Town Center Association’s annual Reston Concerts on the Town series, which was canceled last year because the town center’s pavilion was undergoing renovations.

“There is something for everyone at the Tephra ICA Arts Festival. Artwork in more than 10 mediums, live performances, family friendly art activities, and more,” Jaynelle Hazard, executive director and curator of Tephra ICA, said in a statement. “This year, we’re thrilled for the addition of a free, public concert…The concert will take place on Saturday evening, and we look forward to welcoming new audiences to the event.”

Here’s the planned schedule of events for the festival:

Saturday, May 20

• Artist Booths: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Family Art Park: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Sponsored by Microsoft
• Hoesy Corona Performances: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. | Presented by Reston Community Center
• Festival Cocktail Hour and Award Ceremony: 6:30 p.m. | Sponsored by the Hyatt
• Reston Concerts on the Town: Dance Candy! 7:30 p.m. | Presented by Reston Town Center Association

Sunday, May 21

• Artist Booths: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Family Art Park: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Hoesy Corona Performances: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

A new exhibit opening this week at Reston’s Tephra Institute for Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) celebrates the richness and complexity of the immigrant experience.

Partly powered by a partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute of Mexico’s embassy in the U.S., the exhibit “Hacia la Vida/Toward Life” features work from artists of Mexican descent: Baltimore-based Hoesy Corono and the California duo Cognate Collective.

The exhibit, which opens on Saturday (March 11), aims to create a new framework to understand the position of immigrants. Registration for the free event is open online.

“There is a fearlessness in this exhibition that I find so compelling,” Tephra ICA Associate Curator & Festival Director Hannah Barco said. “Just as these artists do not shy away from the daunting political issues of immigration and climate change, they are not afraid to be bold, colorful, and vibrant; and to work with the quotidian, the simple objects, and materials around them. They are not afraid to follow their joy.”

The exhibit is the first of three planned to mark the 50th anniversary of Tephra, which launched in 1974 as the Greater Reston Arts Center.

This is Tephra’s first time partnering with the Mexican Cultural Institute. It will host workshops with the artist team during the exhibit.

“The Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, DC is committed to enriching the relationship between Mexico and the United States and we are very excited to partner for the first time with Tephra ICA for this program celebrating life, art, and its 50th anniversary,” said Min. Ix-Nic Iruegas Peón, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Institute.

Corona will headline a performance at this year’s Tephra ICA Arts Festival — formerly known as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — on May 20 and 21.

The festival, which is presented by Reston Community Center (RCC), will feature an artistic performance that explores migration and displacement caused by climate change.

“RCC is delighted to present a riveting and spectacular performing arts experience in combination with this exceptional Festival,” RCC Board Chair Beverly Cosham. “We look forward to immersing ourselves in beauty and thought-provoking creativity at Reston Town Center.”

Cognate Collective primarily develops research projects, public interventions and experimental teaching programs with communities across the U.S. and Mexico border.

A workshop with the collective is slated for March 11 from 11-12:30 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Institute in D.C. A date for the workshop with Corona has not yet been announced.

An artist talk and opening reception is slated for March 11 from 5-7 p.m. at Tephra ICA (12001 Market Street, Suite 103). Visitors will active the installation by lighting a candle and reciting an incantation to express solidarity with migrants. Cognate Collective will lead the interactive performance.

A new exhibit featuring intricate embroidery on leaves is set to open soon at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art‘s satellite gallery in Reston Town Center.

Artist Hillary Waters Fayle’s work, “Remnants and Echoes,” will open tomorrow (Friday) at 6 p.m. at the Signature apartment building’s ground-floor gallery. There will be a members-only preview from 5:30-6 p.m. with the institute’s curatorial staff.

The exhibit features samples from two of Fayle’s series: Stitched Botanicals, that includes intricate embroidery on individual leaves, and “Portraits of Place,” which includes botanical samples and large mandala-inspired arrangements of the samples.

Here’s more from Tephra on the exhibit:

This exhibition shows examples from these two series and takes a broader look at the variety of modes of making that comprise her practice, including cyanotypes, collage work, patterns cut into leaves, hand-drawn quilt squares, and composition studies sewn from fabric scraps – many of which have not previously been shown publicly. Through this survey of material processes, Remnants and Echoes traces the artist’s exploration of naturally occurring patterns and savors the revelatory potential of her deliberately slow pace.

The exhibit is free and open to all. Visitors are welcome to the building at 111850 Freedom Drive on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fayle is an assistant professor and directs the fiber program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her work focuses on bringing elements of humanity and the physical world together.

“We all have a deep historical and lived experience with cloth- powerful and ever present. Plants and cloth both represent specific and symbolic connections to place, time, people and memory,” Fayle said.

A new group exhibit organized by Reston’s Tephra Institute of Contemporary Arts is set to open this weekend.

“Between a rock and a soft place” aims to reframe the concept of rest as a practice on its own and irrespective of the concept of work, a press release said. An opening reception is slated for tomorrow (Saturday) from 5-7 p.m.

In the exhibit, five regional, contemporary artists — Holly Bass, Adjoa Burrowes, Deborah R. Grayson, Katie O’Keefe, and Britt Sankofa — reflect on the structures that stand between the subject and a life of ease, exploring topics such as who gets rest and when, what is restorative, and how do individuals allow themselves to slow down.

Each artist was asked to response to exhibition prompts that explored what being well-rested looks like from different perspectives.

Here’s what the exhibit’s guest curator, Deirdre Darden, said about the theme and process:

When the pandemic forced me to rest, I realized that it was the essential missing piece of my practice. As independent curators and artists, we’re always thinking of the next deadline while trying to meet the current one. It’s a cyclical life that leaves little time for reprieve. As I worked with Tephra ICA to develop the theme of the [open] call, I settled on the idea of rest. Research led me to understand this idea of creating art around ‘burnout’ wasn’t just a pandemic trend. Many contemporary artists have started to adjust their subject matter to reflect the need to see people, especially black people, disabled people, and more marginalized folks at ease. Domestic scenes, peering out a window, moments of joy, tending a garden. This is the art of the rest revolution.

The exhibit is a product of the institute’s Mary B. Howard Invitational, a biennial program that supports collaborative exhibition-making and “the development and public presentation of innovative new work,” per the exhibit website. It was named after an artist and longtime board member and is funded in part by ArtsFairfax.

The presentation is free and open to all. RSVPs are encouraged in advance online.

The exhibit is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery will be closed on Dec. 13-15, 24, and 31.

The Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston will peer into the future with its latest exhibit.

Featuring an all-female roster of artists, “Forecast” collects 22 images and text works that are meant to “speak to our collective futures,” the institute proclaims.

“Far from a singular vision, these predictions span the range from willing the utopic into existence to raising the alarm bells about what may be to come,” Tephra ICA said in a news release.

The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 3 through Jan. 22, features predictions — dubbed “Buoyant Oracles” — created by female artists in response to Sue Wrbican’s public sculpture “Buoyant Force,” located in Reston Town Square Park.

“From Asha Santee’s vision of a black queer woman as president to Laure Drogoul’s cryptic, ‘Yes..No..Goodbye..,’ or Nina Q. Allen’s plea, ‘I want you to live…don’t sink in sadness,’ these forecasts are unapologetically emotional,” Tephra said.

“Buoyant Oracle” is an interactive feature activated by scanning a QR code. It allows viewers to chat with “Buoyant Force” and receive a reading of paired poetry and images. The installation also features an evolving cast of guest oracles and narratives.

An opening reception is planned for Friday (Nov. 4) from 6-8 p.m.

The full list of featured artists is below:

• Rahne Alexander
• Nina Q. Allen
• Laure Drogoul
• Cheryl Edwards
• Heloisa Escudero
• Maggie Gourlay
• Mira Hecht
• Kay Hwang
• Veronica Jackson
• Isabel Manalo
• Zia Palmer
• Judith Pratt
• Asha Santee
• Kat Thompson
• Jessica Valoris
• Naoko Wowsugi
• Jessica Kallista
• Maria Karametou
• Ceci Cole McInturff
• Meeting Ground (Susan Main and MJ Neuberg)
• Lisa Rosenstein
• Nicole Salimbene

(Updated at 11:40 a.m. on 8/30/2022) Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston will feature the first-ever solo exhibition of figurative painter Dominic Chambers next month.

The exhibit, “What Makes the Earth Shake,” takes its inspiration from literature — especially the genre of magical realism and the symbolism of the veil. The exhibit, which runs from Sept. 10 through Nov. 20, highlights the “surreal conditions pervading black life.”

“The veil, a product of racial injustice serving as a metaphorical lens through which black bodies are observed and experienced, appear throughout the artist’s work such akin the large swatch of color that obscure the figures,” event organizers said.

Chambers was born in 1993 in St. Louis and works in New Haven, Connecticut. His work features vibrant paintings that explore art historical models, color field theory, contemporary concerns about race, identity and the importance of leisure.

Here’s more from Tephra on Chambers’ background:

Chambers’ work can be found in a number of private and public collections, including the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Miami, NY; Green Family Foundation, Dallas, TX; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA; and Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL. He is represented by Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York, NY and Luce Gallery in Torino, Italy.

An opening reception and artist talk is planned on Sept. 10 from 6-8 p.m. The institute’s executive director and curator, Jaynelle Hazard, will also attend the artist talk and opening reception. RSVPs are also encouraged via email at rsvp@tephraica.org.

Five regional contemporary artists will highlight Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art‘s bi-annual Mary B. Howard Invitational.

The group exhibition — slated to take place at the institute’s Reston Town Center gallery from Dec. 10 through Feb. 26 — features the work of regional artists selected through a months-long application process.

“In acknowledge of the many traumas that have been endured individually and collectively over the past two years, this exhibition will explore the concepts of rest and reprise as a starting point for the artistic process,” event organizers said.

Guest curator Dierdre Darden will work with the selected artists to develop their work.

Holly Bass — a visual artist, writer and director — will explore unspoken social codes surrounding gender, class and race. Adjoa Burrowes, a county resident, works with sculptures, prints and paintings to explore themes of personal and cultural identity.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Deborah Grayson uses photographs from the early 20th century as source material. Katie O’Keefe, who lives in Baltimore and has been combating chronic lyme chronic disease, uses threads to explore her own dexterity.

Finally, the exhibit will feature the work of Britt Sankofa, a filmmaker and installation artist from the District who uses film and video to explore her African American heritage, according to Tephra.

A new exhibit that strips the functionality of instructional diagrams or objects is coming this week to Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art‘s satellite gallery in Reston Town Center.

Baltimore-based artist Danni O’Brien will bring her work, “Cross Sections,” for display at the Signature Apartments at 11850 Freedom Drive from Thursday (July 14) through Oct. 11. An in-person reception and talk with the artist is set for Thursday, August 4 at 6 p.m. in the building’s courtyard.

Some of O’Brien’s work is inspired by recent political discourse, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.

“The tensions and contradictions that play out abstractly in these works become poignant in the context of our current political discourse,” Hannah Barco, curator of the exhibition, said. “For example, in O’Brien’s most recently completed work, Homemade Barriers, the diagram is sourced from the book ‘Contraception Naturally!’ where the embedded objects include silicone foods trays and a brush used for baby care.”

O’Brien’s work is rooted in play, queerness and irreverence. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, with shows at the Arlington Arts Center, Hillyer Arts Space, Latela Curatorial, Current Space, Terrault, School 33 Art Center, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.

Here’s more from Tephra on the artistic elements of the exhibit:

In Cross Sections, interdisciplinary artist Danni O’Brien (she/they) has built each artwork around a lifted instructional diagram or a found object, carefully stripping away their original functions. O’Brien uses the act of decontextualization deliberately, creating wall hung constructions that become disconcertingly familiar, yet they resist recognition. Within the visceral surfaces and quasi-bodily forms, the compositional logic of systems and mechanisms prevail. And in each work lies the energy of an imminent break–something that is roiling but withheld, constrained but about to break through.

To RSVP for the artist talk, email rsvp@tephraica.org.

Robots that have graced the screens of Hollywood will appear at the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art’s annual arts festival in Reston this year from May 20-22.

The technology, which is owned by event sponsor Peraton, is called Remotec robot systems and has appeared in “The Hurt Locker,” “CSI” and “Seinfield.” The robot also provided the sound for the title robot in Pixar’s “WALL-E.”

“With more than 6,000 of our employees in the DC metro area, it’s important for Peraton to support initiatives like the Festival across the communities in which we live and work,” said Matt McQueen, Peraton’s Chief Communications and Engagement Officer. “Tephra ICA promotes innovation, creativity, and the impact art can have on the way we think, act, and grow. In a world where boundaries are blurring between traditional and non-traditional security concerns, it is important to support those who encourage us to think creatively, and the arts is a wonderful vehicle for spurring the imagination.”

Peraton Remotec is a mobile robot system used especially for hazardous duty operations. It was acquired by the company through the purchase of Northrop Grumman’s integrated mission support and IT solutions business.

The company plans to display its robot system and provide opportunities for festival-goers to interact with the technology.

Jaynelle Hazard, Tephra’s executive director and curator, said Peraton’s support as title sponsor has been “invaluable.”

“Peraton’s commitment to and championship of veteran and servicemember artists aligns with our mission and the important ways we are expanding our reach within the field and into the community,” she wrote in a statement.

This year, more than 200 artists will travel from 30 states and two international locations to exhibit their work at the festival. It was formerly known as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

Performances are planned throughout the weekend. This year, the Trisha Brown Dance Company, a contemporary dance company dedicated to the work of founding artistic director and choreographer Trisha Brown, is also scheduled to perform. The performance is presented by Reston Community Center.

“Our excitement is growing in anticipation of this event where we will fill the streets with artwork and people, celebrating the resilience of artistic practice and creating opportunities for visitors to bring artwork home,” said Tephra’s new Associate Curator and Festival Director, Hannah Barco.

Photo via Peraton