Studio Gallery is open to the public Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays from 1pm to 6pm and on Saturdays from 11am to 6pm. Masks are recommended but optional. To schedule a guided visit, please contact director@studiogallerydc.com or call (202) 232-8734.

Wild

Wayne Paige

Curated by Adah Rose Bitterbaum

January 29th - February 22nd, 2025

Animal Kingdom was a pet shop a short walk from where I lived as a child in the Logan Square section of Chicago.  At the time, it provided a wealth of insight to an eight-year-old who enjoyed drawing real and imaginary animals. Initially, it opened as a conventional pet shop selling puppies, kittens, and tropical fish. Over several years, the shop expanded, and more non-traditional and exotic animals were added—Monkeys, tigers, bats, and exotic birds joined Dogs, cats, and goldfish. During this period, they were confined to cages and other restricted forms of captivity. This eventually ended with an outcry from an enlightened public. Nevertheless, I imagined them in the wild, uncaged, untamed, and drew them as such.

Since 1998, under a sky of imaginary comets and binary numbers, my drawings included mountains, waterways, and woodlands populated by bipedal beings engaged in multiple activities. Dragonflies appeared briefly and then exited during an interim between 2010 and 2011, embodying the natural state of our world’s creatures as unrestrained, wild, and free. Now, after a seventy-plus-year hiatus and unforeseen events, the animals of my youth have returned. They, along with spiritual entities, have taken over the landscape, diminishing the impact of the bipedal beings. Squirrels, bears, and a host of other creatures have taken over. By tapping into my childhood memory, the content of my work has expanded and yet remained consistent with the overall focus of my previous work, which is creating art that embraces conflict, dreams, and humor. All takes place under a moonlit sky and in the “Wild”.

My career as a Washington area artist extends back to the early-1970’s and includes thirty-plus solo and duo exhibitions, numerous gallery inclusions, and museum exhibitions that include The Corcoran Art Gallery and The Anderson Gallery in Richmond, Va., along with four exhibitions at American University Museum at the Katzen Center: “Elizabeth French Collection”, “Remember Marc and Komei”; “Washington Art Matters ll: 1940s – 1980s;” and “Communicating Vessels.” Awards include First Prize in The Fairfax Art Council awards, First Prize in The George Washington University Alumni Competition, Arlington Alliance, and a Special Recognition award from The Virginia Commission of the Arts. Collectors of my work include American University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Marymount University, the Elisabeth French Collection, Gudelsky Collection, Radio One, and Prudential.

Currently, I am employed as an adjunct art professor at Laurel Ridge Community College in Warrenton, Virginia, and live and work in Washington, D.C.

In the Lower Gallery

Reclamation

Fellows Group Show

Curated by Helen Frederick

January 29th - February 22nd, 2025

This exhibition delves into the intersection of protest, personal transformation, and the profound need to reclaim spaces of failure as places of security, healing, and empowerment. It is a collective reimagining of how safety and identity are not stagnant but continuously negotiated, resisted, and reclaimed in the face of external forces.

Each work reveals a journey toward reclaiming identity, agency, and belonging.

From intimate depictions of familiar and safe spaces to bold expressions of collective resistance, the artworks celebrate resilience and the human spirit’s capacity to redefine and renew. They invite viewers to reflect on the intersections of personal and communal narratives that show transformation begins with claiming one's voice and carving out spaces for liberation.

Through diverse mediums and perspectives, Reclamation becomes a testament to the unyielding pursuit of freedom and self-determination, offering a space for reflection, dialogue, and connection.

In the Garden Gallery

Fantasy Woods

Judy Bonderman

Curated by Iza Thomas and Robert Cwiok

January 29th - February 22nd, 2025

Long ago, a large old tree came down in the woods of the Tregaron Conservancy. Tree surgeons cut the trunk into thick slices and lined them up on the side of the foot path. Today they look like mini-tree stumps, full of rot and moss and other debris. I was curious about whether all this natural decay could be hiding any magical stories. In my digital imagination I explore this mystery, viewing each one as a stepping stone from the material world to the world of fantasy

Joan Mayfield

Curated by Iza Thomas and Robert Cwiok

January 29th - February 22nd, 2025

This collection presents Joan's recent works crafted from cardboard. By exploring texture, form, and layering, Joan transforms this simple material into intricate, thought-provoking pieces that challenge conventional ideas of artmaking. Through her innovative use of cardboard, she encourages viewers to rethink the beauty and potential of everyday objects in the creation of art.