Alexandria, VA – The NEW YEAR at NEPENTHE
Nepenthe Gallery knows how to soirée and their New Year’s exhibit, Winter Solstice 2026, celebrates the art of six local artists: Erika James-Jackson, John Minarcik, Harry Moxley, Cynthia Schoeppel, Jennifer Smith, and Sarah White. The breadth of expertise across the variety of media, including two dynamic ceramic artists, is outstanding.
Noteworthy is the art backstory of Erika James-Jackson, who only began painting in 2024. Self-describing her art as bold, vibrant, eclectic, and imperfect, she exclaims that it was “love at first brushstroke.” Her fearlessness and courage reflect 20 years managing the daunting challenges of multiple sclerosis. Erika explains, “Painting gives me joy that MS can’t steal and purpose within my abilities.” #BRAVA!
The Winter Solstice exhibit is on view through February 18, at Nepenthe 7918 Fort Hunt Road. Meantime, consider February’s Thursday ART + WINE + CHEESE special events:
* 2/5 at 6 p.m. NYC-based artist Lucienne Mettam’s cross-disciplinary work opening reception. Her compellingly unique compositions can be seen through March 4.
* 2/12 at 6 p.m. AWC night takes Nepenthe on the road with a field trip to the home of a collector. Nepenthe curator Beth Hamed gives guests a tour of notable acquisitions with “Nepenthe at Home.” Phone or email Carrie Garland at 703-856-5277 or [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
* 2/19 at 6 p.m. The opening reception for new Nepenthe artist Shona D’Cruz whose exquisite glass art will beg you to take them home!
* 2/26 at 6 p.m. Join the conversation for a gallery discussion about Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole’s Study for Voyage of Life, c. 1840. The Voyage of Life series is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The original “Study for the Voyage of Life” will be on view at Nepenthe. The gallery curator/artist Patty Owens, a former docent at the NGA for over 40 years, will act as a guide on the allegorical journey of life Cole painted that evening.
* Mar. 5 at 6 p.m. Nepenthe Gallery will honor the late Robert F. Murray at a special ART + WINE + CHEESE. All are welcome to join in celebrating his life and art.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Del Ray Artisans presents Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse, February 6-28, 2026 with a reception Feb. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. Curated by Morgan Parr, the exhibit celebrates the epic symbolism of the power and beauty of horses throughout art history, as well as the Lunar New Year cultural traditions across the Asian diaspora.
Pamela Day of Printmakers, Inc. at the Torpedo Factory Art Center kicked off the New Year with Still Life: Studies in Color. The enchanting exhibit of color-forward dynamic monotypes and etchings will reinvent your expectations of the printing press AND still life art. Inspired by the paintings and prints of Giorgio Morandi, Ms. Day explores the effect of how colors mix overprinted using a multi-color subtractive technique. There’s an opening reception on February 1 and a closing one February 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.
LAST CALL
The revelatory, once-in-a-lifetime expansive exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, “The Stars We Do Not See,” closes Sunday, March 1, 2026. The connecting thread of Australian indigenous visual art on exhibit, representing about 200 works spanning the cultural consciousness of more than 250 nations across 65,000 years, is transformative.
Quoting the National Gallery of Art exhibit guide, “You’ll meet iconic artists who maintain and reinvigorate Ancestral traditions – revealing the rich, living history of creativity behind the world’s longest continuous culture.”
Go soon and go often. You’ll thank me later.
Artist Talk at Falls Church Arts
Join the conversation among select artists on exhibit at the gallery as part of the Women Artists of the DMV survey exhibition curated by Lenny Campello. On Sunday, February 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., eight fabulous female artists will share their creative process, aesthetic inspirations, and artistic vision with a post-presentation audience and artist Q&A. The event is free with an RSVP on the gallery website: fallschurcharts.org Light refreshments will be served.
