Creativity on display at the Mason District Art Festival in Annandale
Creativity in many forms – paintings, photography, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry – was on display Saturday at the Mason District Art Festival at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space in Annandale.
Thirty-some artists participated – and in some cases, sold their creations – at the event, which also featured music, dance, and poetry performances along with several booths hosted by art-related groups.
Several artists specialized in works created from found objects.
Ursula Seckel of Springfield exhibited colorful artworks made from trash. She makes use of detritus found while dumpster diving, as well as toys and other objects people have collected for her.
Alan Ladwig, a member of the Lake Barcroft Art League, displayed whimsical collages made from tin cans, glass, ceramics, and found objects attached to recycled wood. Many of Alan’s works have space themes, which he says are inspired by his career at NASA. Other pieces feature fish and mermaids.
Sisters Lynh, Anh, and Van Nguyen exhibited paintings, sculptures, and mosaics. One of their pieces on display was a large vase made from mosaics assembled from recycled materials, including pieces of broken plates.
The Nguyen sisters have their own art gallery, Mosaic Arts, at The Parc, an exhibit space operated by Celebrate Fairfax in Tysons.
Sarah Bever specializes in “expressionistic watercolors.” She showcased paintings she described as “vibrant and peaceful,” featuring nature and scenes from Old Town Alexandria.
“Painting is therapeutic, calming, and peaceful for me, too,” says Sarah, who ramped up her art practice during the pandemic.
Annandale resident Tarik Gil showed photographs of sunsets taken on “extreme hiking trips.” Tarik’s works are all about “capturing the moment to share with people who can’t get to those places.”
Rockeats Alcoreza of Arlington describes his paintings as “urban street art mixed with realism.” He uses spray paint, acrylics, and sometimes charcoal to depict characters from popular culture in unlikely settings.
The artist behind Art AF (Art Against Fascism) exhibited metal sculptures created in opposition to the political climate ushered in by Trump’s 2024 election.
The Art Festival was a huge success, says James Albright, chair of the Mason District Arts Advisory Council, who organized the event with assistance from ArtsFairfax and others.
There was just one hiccup – the landing of the police department’s Fairfax 1 helicopter next door for the fire station’s open house knocked down some of the artists’ tents. All was quickly restored, and the festival continued without further incident.
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