Main Gallery
The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective
Presents
Sign of
the Times
A Response
to Current Culture
NOV. 15 - DEC. 15, 2024
Opening Celebration
November 15, 2024
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Artist Talk
December 8, 2024
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Closing Reception
December 15, 2024
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Rashad Muhammad
Back to Pink, 2024
Mixed media collage on wood
22” diameter
$2,000
Curated by
Eric Celarier
Featured Artists
Yerke Abuova
Nikki Brooks
Mentwab Easwaran
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn
Rashad Ali Muhammad
Kristina Penhoet
Lucas J. Rougeux
Dina AZ. Salem
Samantha Van Heest
Quick Links
About the Exhibition
Sign of the Times describes this point in human history as pivotal. In a world of competing values, how we organize ourselves going forward is up for grabs. In this context of radical climate change, both meteorological and societal, the artists of DCAC’s Sparkplug operate. Affirming that such instability demands that the inner self seek some sort of solace, many of these artists recount the importance of companionship, spiritual warmth, and expression. This exhibition does not provide any easy answers, because there aren’t any. While maintaining that things may work out for the better, it acknowledges that the obstacles are real, and how we negotiate them is likely to have repercussions going forward.
Given the scope of these developments, no one point of view could cover them all. As one of the most diverse cohorts of DCAC’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, exhibiting artists Yerke Abuova, Nikki Brooks, Mentwab Easwaran, Katie (Magician) Macyshyn, Rashad Ali Muhammad, Kristina Penhoet, Lucas J. Rougeux, Dina AZ. Salem, and Samantha Van Heest, are in a good position to give us an overview. By delivering a mosaic of perspectives, this show, when taken as a whole, provides an overall picture of how things are developing. As viewers, we can better anticipate the possibilities that confront us when they are played out before us in the gallery, positioning us to better survive them.
Sign of the Times reacts to this atmosphere of uncertainty, delivering visions that characterize ideals, seek sanctuary, and provide hope, while recognizing the challenges before us.
NOV. 15 - DEC. 15, 2024
Main Gallery
The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective
Presents
Sign of the Times
A Response to Current Culture
Curated by
Eric Celarier
Quick Links
Featured Artists
Yerke Abuova
Nikki Brooks
Mentwab Easwaran
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn
Rashad Ali Muhammad
Kristina Penhoet
Lucas J. Rougeux
Dina AZ. Salem
Samantha Van Heest
Rashad Muhammad
Back to Pink, 2024
Mixed media collage on wood
22” diameter
$2,000
Opening Celebration
November 15, 2024
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Artist Talk
December 8, 2024
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Closing Reception
December 15, 2024
6:00 - 7:00 PM
About the Exhibition
Sign of the Times describes this point in human history as pivotal. In a world of competing values, how we organize ourselves going forward is up for grabs. In this context of radical climate change, both meteorological and societal, the artists of DCAC’s Sparkplug operate. Affirming that such instability demands that the inner self seek some sort of solace, many of these artists recount the importance of companionship, spiritual warmth, and expression. This exhibition does not provide any easy answers, because there aren’t any. While maintaining that things may work out for the better, it acknowledges that the obstacles are real, and how we negotiate them is likely to have repercussions going forward.
Given the scope of these developments, no one point of view could cover them all. As one of the most diverse cohorts of DCAC’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, exhibiting artists Yerke Abuova, Nikki Brooks, Mentwab Easwaran, Katie (Magician) Macyshyn, Rashad Ali Muhammad, Kristina Penhoet, Lucas J. Rougeux, Dina AZ. Salem, and Samantha Van Heest, are in a good position to give us an overview. By delivering a mosaic of perspectives, this show, when taken as a whole, provides an overall picture of how things are developing. As viewers, we can better anticipate the possibilities that confront us when they are played out before us in the gallery, positioning us to better survive them.
Sign of the Times reacts to this atmosphere of uncertainty, delivering visions that characterize ideals, seek sanctuary, and provide hope, while recognizing the challenges before us.
NOV. 15 - DEC. 15, 2024
Main Gallery
The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective
Presents
Sign of the Times
A Response to Current Culture
Curated by
Eric Celarier
Quick Links
Featured Artists
Yerke Abuova
Nikki Brooks
Mentwab Easwaran
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn
Rashad Ali Muhammad
Kristina Penhoet
Lucas J. Rougeux
Dina AZ. Salem
Samantha Van Heest
Rashad Muhammad
Back to Pink, 2024
Mixed media collage on wood
22” diameter
$2,000
Opening Celebration
November 15, 2024
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Artist Talk
December 8, 2024
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Closing Reception
December 15, 2024
6:00 - 7:00 PM
About the Exhibition
Sign of the Times describes this point in human history as pivotal. In a world of competing values, how we organize ourselves going forward is up for grabs. In this context of radical climate change, both meteorological and societal, the artists of DCAC’s Sparkplug operate. Affirming that such instability demands that the inner self seek some sort of solace, many of these artists recount the importance of companionship, spiritual warmth, and expression. This exhibition does not provide any easy answers, because there aren’t any. While maintaining that things may work out for the better, it acknowledges that the obstacles are real, and how we negotiate them is likely to have repercussions going forward.
Given the scope of these developments, no one point of view could cover them all. As one of the most diverse cohorts of DCAC’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, exhibiting artists Yerke Abuova, Nikki Brooks, Mentwab Easwaran, Katie (Magician) Macyshyn, Rashad Ali Muhammad, Kristina Penhoet, Lucas J. Rougeux, Dina AZ. Salem, and Samantha Van Heest, are in a good position to give us an overview. By delivering a mosaic of perspectives, this show, when taken as a whole, provides an overall picture of how things are developing. As viewers, we can better anticipate the possibilities that confront us when they are played out before us in the gallery, positioning us to better survive them.
Sign of the Times reacts to this atmosphere of uncertainty, delivering visions that characterize ideals, seek sanctuary, and provide hope, while recognizing the challenges before us.
Yerke Abuova, The Gift
Dina AZ. Salem, imˈpərfək(t)_ IV
Samantha Van Heest, Still Life With Minions
Nikki Brown, St. Sylvester
Lucas J. Rougeux, Living in the Memory of Martyrs
Kristina Penhoet, Malignant
We live in times of great flux, where social and scientific change demand that we reevaluate some of life's most basic assumptions, providing us with new choices in how we live, how we love, and how we connect. Sign of the Times, showcasing the artists of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, presents a scattershot of perspectives that coalesce around the theme of charting new courses through this unfamiliar and unstable landscape.
Uncertainty breeds angst, so contemporary art, as a reflection of our lived experience, will embody those doubts. Picked for its diversity, the art seen here does not deliver a uniform view of our circumstances, but offers a more comprehensive set of snapshots of this moment, thereby, exposing the agitation that accompanies it. Whether questioning the value of implementing all scientific breakthroughs, emphasizing the inherent uneasiness of our consumptive habits, describing the apprehension of relocating to a new country, witnessing the erosion of equity gains in gender, race, and sexual identity, or recording the horror of war, this exhibition reveals a deep anxiety running through our culture.
Yet, Sign of the Times is not singularly pessimistic. Often citing hope, healing, and connection as the generating force behind their work, many of these artists express their personal need for redemption. Whether overcoming the stress of everyday life, finding solace in family and friends, celebrating heritage, expressing faith, or communicating their true selves without fear of retribution, many of these artists transcend their circumstances through protest, community, and self-care.
Employing a full range of tactics, from eclectic performances to traditional oil painting, the members of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective allow for multiple interpretations of specific topics that could only exist in this time and space. The future is not guaranteed in a world that cannot be sure of its direction. Sign of the Times does what it should, allowing us to see the world as others see it so we can negotiate a challenging road ahead.
Eric Celarier
Curator, Sign of the Times
Sparkplug Artists’ Collective 2024
Mentwab Eawaran
Echoes of Kindness, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
48" x 72"
$7,000
From the Curator
We live in times of great flux, where social and scientific change demand that we reevaluate some of life's most basic assumptions, providing us with new choices in how we live, how we love, and how we connect. Sign of the Times, showcasing the artists of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, presents a scattershot of perspectives that coalesce around the theme of charting new courses through this unfamiliar and unstable landscape.
Uncertainty breeds angst, so contemporary art, as a reflection of our lived experience, will embody those doubts. Picked for its diversity, the art seen here does not deliver a uniform view of our circumstances, but offers a more comprehensive set of snapshots of this moment, thereby, exposing the agitation that accompanies it. Whether questioning the value of implementing all scientific breakthroughs, emphasizing the inherent uneasiness of our consumptive habits, describing the apprehension of relocating to a new country, witnessing the erosion of equity gains in gender, race, and sexual identity, or recording the horror of war, this exhibition reveals a deep anxiety running through our culture.
Yet, Sign of the Times is not singularly pessimistic. Often citing hope, healing, and connection as the generating force behind their work, many of these artists express their personal need for redemption. Whether overcoming the stress of everyday life, finding solace in family and friends, celebrating heritage, expressing faith, or communicating their true selves without fear of retribution, many of these artists transcend their circumstances through protest, community, and self-care.
Employing a full range of tactics, from eclectic performances to traditional oil painting, the members of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective allow for multiple interpretations of specific topics that could only exist in this time and space. The future is not guaranteed in a world that cannot be sure of its direction. Sign of the Times does what it should, allowing us to see the world as others see it so we can negotiate a challenging road ahead.
Eric Celarier
Curator, Sign of the Times
Sparkplug Artists’ Collective 2024
Mentwab Eawaran
Echoes of Kindness, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
48" x 72"
$7,000
From the Curator
From the
Curator
We live in times of great flux, where social and scientific change demand that we reevaluate some of life's most basic assumptions, providing us with new choices in how we live, how we love, and how we connect. Sign of the Times, showcasing the artists of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists’ Collective, presents a scattershot of perspectives that coalesce around the theme of charting new courses through this unfamiliar and unstable landscape.
Uncertainty breeds angst, so contemporary art, as a reflection of our lived experience, will embody those doubts. Picked for its diversity, the art seen here does not deliver a uniform view of our circumstances, but offers a more comprehensive set of snapshots of this moment, thereby, exposing the agitation that accompanies it. Whether questioning the value of implementing all scientific breakthroughs, emphasizing the inherent uneasiness of our consumptive habits, describing the apprehension of relocating to a new country, witnessing the erosion of equity gains in gender, race, and sexual identity, or recording the horror of war, this exhibition reveals a deep anxiety running through our culture.
Yet, Sign of the Times is not singularly pessimistic. Often citing hope, healing, and connection as the generating force behind their work, many of these artists express their personal need for redemption. Whether overcoming the stress of everyday life, finding solace in family and friends, celebrating heritage, expressing faith, or communicating their true selves without fear of retribution, many of these artists transcend their circumstances through protest, community, and self-care.
Employing a full range of tactics, from eclectic performances to traditional oil painting, the members of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Artists Collective allow for multiple interpretations of specific topics that could only exist in this time and space. The future is not guaranteed in a world that cannot be sure of its direction. Sign of the Times does what it should, allowing us to see the world as others see it so we can negotiate a challenging road ahead.
Eric Celarier
Curator, Sign of the Times
Sparkplug Artists’ Collective 2024
Mentwab Eawaran
Echoes of Kindness, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
48" x 72"
$7,000
Yerke Abuova, Various Shown
Lucas J. Rougeux, There/Here
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn, _The 8 Ball
Rashad Ali Muhammad, Finding Hope In A Time of Despair
Samantha Van Heest, Two Pasties, One Worn
Mentwab Easwaran, Unity In Adversity
Artist
Biographies
Curator
Eric
Celarier
-
Eric Celarier was born, lives, and works in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland in 1991 and his Master’s in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati in 1997.
His most immediate activities include: participating in a solo show at NIH, Machine, a two-person show, Super Natural, with Stuart Diekmeyer at Portico Gallery, a solo show, Future World, at Mosaic Arts Gallery, a group show, WOW Part 5, curated by Kirsty Little, as well as curating the Human Nature show at DCAC gallery, and hosting the Becoming a Professional in the Art World Series for Washington’s Sculptors Group.
In addition to making artwork, Celarier writes for East City Art & the Washington Sculptor. He is active in the Washington Sculptors Group, as a member of its board, and currently facilitates the Sparkplug Artists Collective for The DC Arts Center.
Artist
Katie Macyshyn
-
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn (they/she) is an artiste and play practitioner. Their collaborative new media art creates communal rituals exploring alienation and reconciliation. Macyshyn holds a B.F.A. from the Corcoran College of Art + Design. They have been featured in performance art festivals, DIY venues, and galleries such as Transformer DC, MoCA Arlington, VisArts, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. As an interdisciplinary arts facilitator, Macyshyn has organized multi-media performance events at Furthermore Gallery and was the creative force behind the SPECTRAL Performance Art Festival. Macyshyn is also an art instructor and songstrix, specializing in the therapeutic benefits of expressive play and rhythm in early childhood. She is a fixture at experimental performance venue Rhizome DC, is on the VisArts Craft Advisory Council, and is a member of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Collective. They live in Mount Rainier, MD, and are from Toms River, NJ.
Artist
Dina AZ
Salem
-
Dina AZ. Salem, born in Alexandria, Egypt, is an abstract artist whose work delves into themes of healing and emotional resilience. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, her early talent for representational art was recognized and nurtured by her late father, Ahmed Zaki, whose initials she signs on every piece to honor his legacy. Dina has exhibited widely, with solo exhibitions including "/mend/" (2023) and "Here, but not here"(2021) at Homme Gallery in Washington, DC. Her work has also appeared in notable group shows, such as "Exchange 2024" at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD, and "Artists’ Choice: Regional Juried Group Show"at Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC.
Dina’s public art contributions include her work on the Graffiti Without Border mural in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently a member of the Sparkplug Collective at The DC Arts Center.
Artist
Yerke
Abuova
-
Yerkezhan Abuova is a visual artist who primarily focuses on oil painting, sculpture, and public art. Originally from Kazakhstan in Central Asia, Abuova moved to the United States during her early childhood and is now based in the
greater Washington DC area. In her works, Abuova depicts fantastical environments that invent their own logic while
creating new rules for scale and color. She received her B.F.A. from Cornell University in 2023. Abuova has participated in group exhibitions at the Education Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, and in the galleries at Cornell University. Her mural projects can be found throughout upstate New York and in Washington, DC.
Artist
Rashad A. Muhammad
-
Rashad Ali Muhammad is a multidisciplinary artist of the African diaspora, based in Maryland and Virginia. His practice delves into the intersections of culture, ethnicity, spirituality, identity, and nature, celebrating the vastness of the human spirit. His work reinforces notions of authenticity, self-love, and connection, inviting viewers to engage in deeper understanding while addressing stereotypes and misconceptions faced by people of color and the queer community today.
Working primarily in mixed media collage, Muhammad merges intention, investigation, and invention, dissecting established references and reassembling them into compelling new visions. His ongoing journey to expand emotional intelligence fuels his exploration of the intricacies of human experience and the expansive intersections that shape our lives.
The clarity and refinement of Muhammad's work reflect his formal education in graphic design and photography. In addition to his art practice, he works as a creative director and graphic designer, where his contemporary artistic sensibilities and classic design training foster a whimsical and innovative approach.
Muhammad is a resident artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA.
Artist
Samantha
Van Heest
-
Samantha Van Heest is an artist and art educator currently residing in the greater Washington, DC area. She has exhibited her work across the United States and Europe. Her debut solo exhibition, DEEP/CLEAN, opened in February 2023 at HOMME Gallery in Washington, DC. Samantha has been included in various group shows at spaces such as UMBRELLA Art Fair (Washington DC); Hamiltonian Artists (Washington DC); Magma Maria (Offenbach am Main, Germany); McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA); The University of Maryland (College Park, MD); among others. She was featured in New American Paintings South #148 and has worked for the contemporary painter Amy Sherald. She is a member of the 2024 Sparkplug Artists’ Collective at The DC Arts Center, and a Post-Graduate Resident at the Torpedo Factory (Alexandria, VA). She teaches art in the Greater DC area with a focus on drawing, painting, and portfolio development. Van Heest earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Mary Washington.
Artist
Nikki
Brooks
-
Nikki Brooks is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, teaching artist, and art educator; born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Spotsylvania County, VA, whose artistic journey spans over 25 years. She holds a B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.F.A. from Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work integrates a variety of media, including digital and audio elements, large-scale murals, painting, sculpted text, and collage. Known for her installations and assemblages, Nikki’s art explores storytelling, shared dialogue, and emotion. She creates workshops and spaces that champion diversity, inclusion, and truth-telling, fostering deep connections with her audience.
Artist
Kristina Penhoet
-
Kristina began working with fiber and textiles as a small child. Growing up in Oregon, she learned to crochet and sew from her grandmother, when visiting the family farm in the Pacific Northwest. As an adult, she earned an undergraduate degree in biology from University of Southern California and studied sculpture and environmental design at the Otis College of Art and Design. While working in art installation, stage design, and film production, she enhanced her design skills and education by obtaining a master's degree from Southern California Institute of Architecture. After working in architecture for a number of years, she rediscovered fiber as a medium when she became a mother. She now lives in Washington, DC, showing her textile work at national and international art venues including the Phillips Collection and Museu Têxtil in São Paulo, Brazil.
Artist
Mentwab
Easwaran
-
Mentwab Easwaran, known as Mentu, is a dynamic multi-disciplinary artist with an ever-evolving style rooted in storytelling. Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she embarked on a transformative journey, immigrating to the United States at the age of 20 and earning a B.F.A. in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design. Mentu's art reflects her rich upbringing and the vibrant tapestry of her community. She has discovered her artistic niche in a style that seamlessly blends her present surroundings with the natural world, employing paint brushes, knives, and an array of materials, including texture, spray paint, jute, and clay. Starting each artwork without a predetermined destination, Mentu consistently gravitates toward three central themes: womanhood, the immigrant experience, and love. These narratives are deeply ingrained in her psyche, and she takes the responsibility of presenting them with unadorned honesty and her unique perspective. In her art, she invites you to explore the intricacies of her experiences and emotions, creating a raw and sincere portrait of the human condition.
Artist
Lucas J. Rougeux
-
Lucas J Rougeux (he/she/they), born in Niagara Falls, NY in 1995, is a queer interdisciplinary artist and curator currently living and working in Washington DC. They acquired a Bachelor of Arts in 2017 at Alfred University with a focus in interdisciplinary art. They have worked professionally in the DC art world as a museum professional and art handler since 2018. THE SOUL GRAVITY-GUIDED TO BLACK, Lucas’s first solo exhibition, was mounted at Rhizome in DC in 2022. She was a Post-Graduate Resident at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in early 2024 and is the current Artist in Residence at Montgomery County Community College. Their queer curatorial experience includes the acclaimed Existence as Protest group exhibition at Rhizome DC and the Queer Art Salon at PlayHaus. Through his practice, Lucas explores themes of queer body, chronic pain, spirituality, apocalypse, and the unknown.
Artist
Biographies
Curator
-
Eric Celarier was born, lives, and works in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland in 1991 and his Master’s in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati in 1997.
His most immediate activities include: participating in a solo show at NIH, Machine, a two-person show, Super Natural, with Stuart Diekmeyer at Portico Gallery, a solo show, Future World, at Mosaic Arts Gallery, a group show, WOW Part 5, curated by Kirsty Little, as well as curating the Human Nature show at DCAC gallery, and hosting the Becoming a Professional in the Art World Series for Washington’s Sculptors Group.
In addition to making artwork, Celarier writes for East City Art & the Washington Sculptor. He is active in the Washington Sculptors Group, as a member of its board, and currently facilitates the Sparkplug Artists Collective for The DC Arts Center.
Eric Celarier
Artist
-
Yerkezhan Abuova is a visual artist who primarily focuses on oil painting, sculpture, and public art. Originally from Kazakhstan in Central Asia, Abuova moved to the United States during her early childhood and is now based in the
greater Washington DC area. In her works, Abuova depicts fantastical environments that invent their own logic while
creating new rules for scale and color. She received her B.F.A. from Cornell University in 2023. Abuova has participated in group exhibitions at the Education Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, and in the galleries at Cornell University. Her mural projects can be found throughout upstate New York and in Washington, DC.
Yerke Abuova
Artist
-
Nikki Brooks is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, teaching artist, and art educator; born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Spotsylvania County, VA, whose artistic journey spans over 25 years. She holds a B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.F.A. from Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work integrates a variety of media, including digital and audio elements, large-scale murals, painting, sculpted text, and collage. Known for her installations and assemblages, Nikki’s art explores storytelling, shared dialogue, and emotion. She creates workshops and spaces that champion diversity, inclusion, and truth-telling, fostering deep connections with her audience.
Nikki Brooks
Artist
-
Mentwab Easwaran, known as Mentu, is a dynamic multi-disciplinary artist with an ever-evolving style rooted in storytelling. Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she embarked on a transformative journey, immigrating to the United States at the age of 20 and earning a B.F.A. in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design. Mentu's art reflects her rich upbringing and the vibrant tapestry of her community. She has discovered her artistic niche in a style that seamlessly blends her present surroundings with the natural world, employing paint brushes, knives, and an array of materials, including texture, spray paint, jute, and clay. Starting each artwork without a predetermined destination, Mentu consistently gravitates toward three central themes: womanhood, the immigrant experience, and love. These narratives are deeply ingrained in her psyche, and she takes the responsibility of presenting them with unadorned honesty and her unique perspective. In her art, she invites you to explore the intricacies of her experiences and emotions, creating a raw and sincere portrait of the human condition.
Mentwab Easwaran
Artist
-
Katie (Magician) Macyshyn (they/she) is an artiste and play practitioner. Their collaborative new media art creates communal rituals exploring alienation and reconciliation. Macyshyn holds a B.F.A. from the Corcoran College of Art + Design. They have been featured in performance art festivals, DIY venues, and galleries such as Transformer DC, MoCA Arlington, VisArts, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. As an interdisciplinary arts facilitator, Macyshyn has organized multi-media performance events at Furthermore Gallery and was the creative force behind the SPECTRAL Performance Art Festival. Macyshyn is also an art instructor and songstrix, specializing in the therapeutic benefits of expressive play and rhythm in early childhood. She is a fixture at experimental performance venue Rhizome DC, is on the VisArts Craft Advisory Council, and is a member of The DC Arts Center’s Sparkplug Collective. They live in Mount Rainier, MD, and are from Toms River, NJ.
Katie Macyshyn
Artist
-
Rashad Ali Muhammad is a multidisciplinary artist of the African diaspora, based in Maryland and Virginia. His practice delves into the intersections of culture, ethnicity, spirituality, identity, and nature, celebrating the vastness of the human spirit. His work reinforces notions of authenticity, self-love, and connection, inviting viewers to engage in deeper understanding while addressing stereotypes and misconceptions faced by people of color and the queer community today.
Working primarily in mixed media collage, Muhammad merges intention, investigation, and invention, dissecting established references and reassembling them into compelling new visions. His ongoing journey to expand emotional intelligence fuels his exploration of the intricacies of human experience and the expansive intersections that shape our lives.
The clarity and refinement of Muhammad's work reflect his formal education in graphic design and photography. In addition to his art practice, he works as a creative director and graphic designer, where his contemporary artistic sensibilities and classic design training foster a whimsical and innovative approach.
Muhammad is a resident artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA.
Rashad A. Muhammad
Artist
-
Kristina began working with fiber and textiles as a small child. Growing up in Oregon, she learned to crochet and sew from her grandmother, when visiting the family farm in the Pacific Northwest. As an adult, she earned an undergraduate degree in biology from University of Southern California and studied sculpture and environmental design at the Otis College of Art and Design. While working in art installation, stage design, and film production, she enhanced her design skills and education by obtaining a master's degree from Southern California Institute of Architecture. After working in architecture for a number of years, she rediscovered fiber as a medium when she became a mother. She now lives in Washington, DC, showing her textile work at national and international art venues including the Phillips Collection and Museu Têxtil in São Paulo, Brazil.
Kristina Penhoet
Artist
-
Lucas J Rougeux (he/she/they), born in Niagara Falls, NY in 1995, is a queer interdisciplinary artist and curator currently living and working in Washington DC. They acquired a Bachelor of Arts in 2017 at Alfred University with a focus in interdisciplinary art. They have worked professionally in the DC art world as a museum professional and art handler since 2018. THE SOUL GRAVITY-GUIDED TO BLACK, Lucas’s first solo exhibition, was mounted at Rhizome in DC in 2022. She was a Post-Graduate Resident at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in early 2024 and is the current Artist in Residence at Montgomery County Community College. Their queer curatorial experience includes the acclaimed Existence as Protest group exhibition at Rhizome DC and the Queer Art Salon at PlayHaus. Through his practice, Lucas explores themes of queer body, chronic pain, spirituality, apocalypse, and the unknown.
Lucas J. Rougeux
Artist
-
Dina AZ. Salem, born in Alexandria, Egypt, is an abstract artist whose work delves into themes of healing and emotional resilience. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, her early talent for representational art was recognized and nurtured by her late father, Ahmed Zaki, whose initials she signs on every piece to honor his legacy. Dina has exhibited widely, with solo exhibitions including "/mend/" (2023) and "Here, but not here"(2021) at Homme Gallery in Washington, DC. Her work has also appeared in notable group shows, such as "Exchange 2024" at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD, and "Artists’ Choice: Regional Juried Group Show"at Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC.
Dina’s public art contributions include her work on the Graffiti Without Border mural in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently a member of the Sparkplug Collective at The DC Arts Center.
Dina AZ Salem
Artist
-
Samantha Van Heest is an artist and art educator currently residing in the greater Washington, DC area. She has exhibited her work across the United States and Europe. Her debut solo exhibition, DEEP/CLEAN, opened in February 2023 at HOMME Gallery in Washington, DC. Samantha has been included in various group shows at spaces such as UMBRELLA Art Fair (Washington DC); Hamiltonian Artists (Washington DC); Magma Maria (Offenbach am Main, Germany); McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA); The University of Maryland (College Park, MD); among others. She was featured in New American Paintings South #148 and has worked for the contemporary painter Amy Sherald. She is a member of the 2024 Sparkplug Artists’ Collective at The DC Arts Center, and a Post-Graduate Resident at the Torpedo Factory (Alexandria, VA). She teaches art in the Greater DC area with a focus on drawing, painting, and portfolio development. Van Heest earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Mary Washington.
Samantha Van Heest
←
You Can Find
Us Here.
We’re located on the second floor of the building on 18th Street above Mola Empanada and Shiva Tobacco. We’re in between the Jerk Pit and Code Red and located across the street from Tryst. We’re the center door on the ground floor.
Nearest Metro Station
Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)
Metrobus Routes
90, 92, or L2