Arts scene emerges in Mason District
By James Albright, chair of the Mason District Arts Council
A healthy arts scene is emerging here in Annandale, as the Mason District Arts Council is attracting and supporting new collaborations and events.
One of the goals of the Arts Council is to encourage more art and cultural activities in the community by committing to an arts-forward agenda. The council’s early fall calendar features some new and dramatically different opportunities for community members to engage in the arts.
DMV creative chats
The Community Studio at John Calvin Presbyterian Church at 6531 Columbia Pike in Annandale is hosting DMV Creative Chats on Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. This new initiative consists of monthly panel discussions and networking sessions that connect creative professionals across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
This month’s topic, “Diaspora Arts: Inherited, Adapted, Reimagined,” is led by the voluble Alexander Golob and features interviews with Virginia-based artists, who will discuss “What does it mean to carry a culture within you? And to pass it on?”
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Three practitioners who have spent their careers engaging with these questions will participate in the discussion:
- Ant Honey, a drag performer, painter, member of the Viet Place Collective, and co-founder of Vagabondzine.
- Lorena Saavedra Smith, a Peruvian-American poet who writes between languages, migrations, and ancestries; an ecopsychologist; and co-chair of the Mount Vernon District Arts Advisory Council.
- Omaid Sharifi, co-founder of ArtLords, a global art practice that turns public walls into platforms for courage.
DMV Chats are free. The registration link
is available on Instagram at @DMVCreativeChats.
Art classes
The Community Studio offers classes on Monday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m., at John Calvin Presbyterian Church.
Upcoming sessions include:
- Sept. 28 – The Joy of Felting led by fiber artist Rachael Wood.
- Oct. 5 and Oct. 28 – Therapeutic Artmaking with ArtLords.
- Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 – Play and Possibility: Gel Making.
Pre-registration is required. Each session is $30.
Art Festival
The Mason District Art Festival will be held on Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space at 7200 Columbia Pike in Annandale.
This event is the main activity of the Mason District Art Council. This year, we doubled the number of artists and presenters and included several accessible art-making activities led by local artists.
There will be music, dance, and theater performances throughout the festival. Coffee from Beanetics and food will be available as well.
The festival is free to the public and will be held rain or shine. Check out the list of artists and performers on the Art Festival page.
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