Alexandria, VA – Summer is back with a vengeance. What better way to beat the heat and escape the humidity than gallery hop – and shop? The new solo show at The Art League Gallery of the Torpedo Factory Art Center will be sure to make you smile out loud. Smiles are painted right in!
Nancy M. Patrick has been preparing paintings for her first solo show at the Art League for two years. “Smiles Welcomed,” on exhibit July 9 – August 9, 2026, takes the largely landscape and floral portfolio she has amassed in the few years that she has been painting professionally into a fantastical realm of wonder. Nancy is a prodigious painter, exhibiting in group and solo shows all over the DMV, including the recent Women Artists of the DMV Exhibition.
Meet Nancy for an artist talk at the opening reception and escape from the daily grind, if only for a little while, Friday, July 10 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. As Nancy explains, “My art is not thought provoking or controversial… described instead as playful and cute. We need less seriousness in our lives. My art offers that alternative. Hopefully ‘Smiles Welcomed’ can give people a short break from reality!”
From the funtastic to the compelling: Nepenthe Gallery has it all going on with the continuation of “Important, Inspiring, and Joyful Artworks by Black Artists” on exhibit through July 15. Last month, gallerist and collector Kali Jones from the Stella Jones Gallery in New Orleans spoke about selected works on exhibit by Sarah Albritton, Richard Dempsey, and Gwen Knight.
What signifies Black art as being unique from other American art forms? A sense of place and being seen are universal expressions and expositions of theme and composition. Romare Bearden’s masterpiece The Piano Lesson (Homage to Mary Lou), also on exhibit, is a monumental example.
July WINE + ART + CHEESE receptions are especially inviting this month:
July 2 ~ Fine Art appraiser Jeff Trafidlo discusses self-taught, southern artist Purvis Young.
July 9 ~ Victoria Ekpuk, a world-renowned artist whose 3-dimensional work is on display, will give a gallery talk.
July 16 ~ Alexandria artist Lori Welch Brown exhibits a new collection of marvelous mixed media work. Meet her!
July 23 ~ The 5th annual Student Art Anthology showcases local high school and college work.
And for the July 30 finale, don’t miss the first Nepenthe Open Mic Night. Come for the art plus the wine and cheese. Stay for the smiles!
At the Capitol Hill Art League gallery, the new member-only juried Abstract theme invited artists to delve into reimagined representation. Artwork on exhibit exceeds depictions of external reality, seeking instead to achieve aesthetic effects using shape, line, form, and color. Abstract, juried by Kelly MacConomy, runs July 13 – August 22, 2026, with a reception on July 18 from 5:30 to 7p.m.
Speaking of elevated interpretation of visual reality, the Alcove Gallery at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church continues to exhibit Jeanne McIntyre’s elegant and eloquent watercolor paintings through July. To make an appointment to view Jeanne’s artistry other than during Sunday’s service, contact [email protected] or [email protected].
