at FLASHPOINT GALLERY
916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

OPENING RECEPTION:
05.23.13, THUR, 6 – 8pm

WASHINGTON, DC – Victoria Fu’s solo exhibition A Cloud is Not a Sphere mixes photographs and film projections. Opening Thursday, May 23, at CulturalDC’s Flashpoint Gallery, Fu’s colorful installation is an interplay between moving and still images, blurring boundaries between cinematic, digital and real space.

The artist explains, “Living in and through digital media has affected how we perceive and engage with images. This work mimics the way we digest endless images on screens—but in this case they are fragmented clips that coalesce into a narrative of a film. Situated behind these floating, stacked windows are colorful backgrounds that possess both the graphic flatness of screensavers and the atmospheric depth of color field painting. When installed, a merging occurs between the real and its representation—between the space of the actual gallery, its photographic reproduction, and the simulated space of cinema.”
The title references fractal structures, whose surfaces seem whole and singular to the eye, but beneath which are microscopic, endless copies of the original structure.

There will be an opening reception with the artist on Thursday, May 23 from 6-8pm. Victoria Fu will be giving a talk at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Center on Saturday, June 1 at 1:30pm.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Victoria Fu is a visual artist who films, photographs and draws the image. She received her MFA from CalArts, MA in Art History from University of Southern California, and BA in Art History from Stanford University. She attended the Whitney Independent Study Program and was a participant of Skowhegan in 2006. Recipient of a 2008 Art Matters Grant, Fu has been reviewed in The New York Times, Boston Globe and was featured in the “Cinematic” issue of ASPECT: Chronicle of New Media. She has a current solo exhibition, Lorem ipsum, at Marginal Utility in Philadelphia. Forthcoming shows include Approximately Infinite Universe at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (Summer 2013), a solo exhibition at the UC Irvine University Art Gallery (January 2014) and a show at the American University Museum at the Katzen Center (2014) here in D.C. This summer, she will be in residence at Fountainhead in Miami. Fu is currently Assistant Professor of Art at the University of San Diego.

More info: www.victoriafu.com and www.artoffice.org.

This exhibition was made possible in part by a Mellon Grant through American University and a University of San Diego Faculty Research Grant. The artist would like to thank Chautauqua Institution and Lois Jubeck, Cassidy Benson, Arden Cone and Julia Whitney.

ABOUT CULTURALDC’S VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM
CulturalDC operates Flashpoint Gallery and produces public art interventions throughout DC. We nurture talented emerging and mid-career artists by providing opportunities for peer learning and mentorship. At Flashpoint Gallery we showcase bold, new work from artists working in a variety of media including site-specific installations, performance pieces, new media and other experimental forms. As a nonprofit gallery free from the constraints of commercial expectations, Flashpoint provides artists and curators a unique opportunity to take creative risks. An advisory panel of noted artists and arts professionals makes programming recommendations for the gallery and provides mentorship and support to exhibiting artists.

Flashpoint Gallery is generously supported by Natalie and Paul Abrams and by DESHO Productions and The Washington Post Company. Marvin is CulturalDC’s 2012-13 Wine Partner.

Funding for CulturalDC is generously provided by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Kresge Foundation, the MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Prince Charitable Trusts, The Share Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and many other generous partners.

ABOUT FLASHPOINT
Flashpoint is a multi-disciplinary arts space. Flashpoint includes a contemporary art gallery, the 75-seat Mead Theatre Lab, the Coors Dance Studio and shared office space for arts organizations.

Victoria Fu: A Cloud is Not a Sphere
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 23, 6-8pm
Exhibition: May 23 – June 22, 2013
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12-6pm or by appointment
For more information: Call 202.315.1310 or visit culturaldc.org

CulturalDC • 916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
General: 202.315.1305 Press: 202.315.1310 Fax: 202.315.1303
Email: karyn@culturaldc.org

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CONNECT 4 artist Brian Davis invites viewers to interact with his current piece at the MLK Jr. Library. Learn more about what inspires him in our latest artist Q&A.

Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
It would have to be Roman Signer, because who couldn’t love the all of the explosions and things flying through the air?

Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
I am always surprised by how sublime Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work can be.

What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
Lots of tech-related podcasts and Girl Talk.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I almost switched my major in college to creative writing, which is ironic given how poor my typing skills are.

What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
One of the most interesting processes is how public art starts as an intrusive, unwelcome incursion into peoples’ space, but then slowly morphs into part of the accepted landscape as residents take ownership of the work.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
Taping an LCD screen to the front of a motorcycle helmet, feeding a live view from a camera into the screen and wandering around my suburban Virginia neighborhood, navigating by using the video alone.

What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
I always try and make the current work my favorite. It is too hard to keep motivated otherwise.

05.21.13
TUESDAY, 6-8PM
Daimler Rooftop | 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Twelve months ago, CulturalDC launched its new brand and a new membership program. It has been a great year! To celebrate, we will be hosting a rooftop cocktail reception generously hosted by David Trebing at Daimler’s roof deck overlooking the White House. We’ve also tweaked member benefits to offer more access to the arts and have added a new membership level. Come learn about the expanded membership program and get a sneak peek of upcoming exhibitions and performances!

Open to CulturalDC members and donors only. Click here to become a member.

To RSVP or request more information, please call Szu-han Chen at 202-315-1322 or email szuhan@culturaldc.org.

MEMBERS ONLY

Tickets $10 – $20
Click here to view the full performance schedule and buy tickets!

Artistic Blind Dates $10

Full-Length Plays & 10-Minute Plays $20

VIP Tickets $32 — Includes a reserved seat and a complimentary concession

Four-Play Package $55 — See four plays, bring your three best friends to see one performance or see two plays with a friend. The choice is yours!

All Access Pass $100 — Good for 9 tickets—enough to catch every performance of the 2013 Source Festival — three groups of 10-Minute Plays, three Full-Length Plays and three Artistic Blind Dates. Whether you chose to see it all, or share the tickets with a friend, this is the best way to get in on all the action!

Please Note: Tickets for the Opening Night, Saturday, June 8th performance of the ON THE CUSP 10-Minute Plays are available by invitation only. If you are interested in attending this performance, please contact Development Manager, Szu-han Chen.

Two additional projects will run through the summer. Sam Scharf will create a two-part installation called Sit Here and I See You that responds directly to the architecture and public nature of the space. Anna Tsouhlarakis will cap off the series with Sylleptic Thoughts, a project that explores the city through the lens of Native American literature and identity. Dates for those projects will be announced in spring 2013.

The Library is located at 901 G Street NW directly across the street from CulturalDC’s Flashpoint Gallery. CulturalDC will be launching a series of programs in conjunction with each exhibition, including a collaboration with the Library’s teen programs. The exhibitions will be viewable in the library’s first floor lobby during their regular hours. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is open Monday & Tuesday 12pm-9pm; Wednesday – Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm and Sunday 1pm – 5pm.

For more information: Call 202.315.1310 or visit culturaldc.org

CONNECT 4, a CulturalDC public art project is generously supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and by Timothy Hyde. In-kind support for Nekisha Durrett’s project was provided by CSI Printing & Graphics.

ABOUT CULTURALDC
CulturalDC creates opportunities for artists and arts organizations that stimulate economic development and improve the quality of life.

We make space for art. From working with developers on affordable housing for artists to offering key services to emerging arts organizations and expanding audiences for arts programming, CulturalDC grows DC’s arts industry and creative business infrastructure.

CulturalDC is generously supported by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Kresge Foundation, the MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Prince Charitable Trusts, The Share Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Washington Post Company and many other generous partners. Marvin is CulturalDC’s 2012-13 Wine Partner.

CULTURALDC
916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
General: 202-315-1305 Press: 202-315-1310 Fax: 202-315-1303
E-mail: karyn@culturaldc.org

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What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
Art is a forum for debate. It’s a place where people get enrichment and entertainment, and art stimulates creativity for artist and viewers alike.

What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
I’m often inspired by human-interest stories, visual arts, and writing more than music. The soundtracks that inspire me are stories from journalists. I LOVE music, but I don’t often listen to it intentionally to find inspiration for theater. The most motivating and inspiring encounter I’ve ever had with sound or music was when I was at Audium in San Francisco years ago. The artist surrounded the audience in a dome-shaped room, submerged in darkness, and he moved the composition around in space as part of his performance. It was incredible!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
I once got my face covered in dirt and chocolate during a photo shoot for a show that never actually happened. Our would-be ensemble laid on the floor covered in dried leaves and a chocolate/mud concoction was poured over our faces. It started dripping in our eyes and noses and stinging terribly. It was weird and hilarious. Then getting the chocolate/mud off was an ordeal, too. Fun times!

Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
I admire the work of Marc Chagall, Mary Cassatt, Alexander McQueen and many more. These three are such different artists, but they all inspire me. I love Chagall`s bursts of energy, colors and the stories that his paintings engender; I love the breathtaking technique of the oils Cassatt painted of mothers and their children; Alexander McQueen inspires my macabre side. I think I’m drawn to the sensual in all its forms.

What work are you most proud of?
I’m super proud of myself for getting over the stage fright I developed in high school. That was emotionally difficult work that took years to accomplish and the payoff has been enormous for me.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
If I wasn’t an artist, I wouldn`t be me. If I could be born differently, I would want to be a different species– maybe a monkey so I could play and swing from trees all day.

What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
I loved working with 500clown on a workshop performance of 500clown and the Elephant Deal. I also thoroughly enjoyed my time on dog & pony dc’s A Killing Game. In terms of puppetry,Kismet is the most complex and inspiring show that I’ve worked on thus far because we combine so many elements and modes of puppetry. With the experience and know-how of all involved, it’s turning into something AMAZING! It’s going to be on my list of favorites once we’re through–I know it.

Local artist Anna Tsouhlarakis will explore Native American identity and its relationship to contemporary life in Washington in her upcoming exhibition,In Other Words: A Native Primer. Learn more about her fascinating work in our most recent artist Q&A.

Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
David Hammons. When I discovered his work in college, the realm of possible materials opened up for me. His seeming casual approach to material and concept completely contrasted the Native ideas of artistry I grew up with, which are defined by craftsmanship and preciousness.

Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
I’ve always been enamored with the photographs of Horace Poolaw and Roy DeCarava. Both photographers created work about people and their surroundings without romantizing or belittling the subject matter. They captured the tenderness and realness of everyday moments in Native American and African-American life.

What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
Still love The Beta Band, The Cure and Dre from the 90s. I also listen to a lot of Native American music – my brother sings with a drum group called Young Bird, which is one of my favorites.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
It has never been an option. Creating art was one of my first memories and has continued to play a key role in my life ever since.

What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
I grew up learning about Native artists and media used by those artists. In college I was exposed to forms of art that were totally different and new to me. I learned about how the branches of art history grew within African-American and Latin American art, and I wondered where this branch was for Native American art. I saw the beginnings in the work of Jimmie Durham, James Luna, and similar artists, and I realized that I could help extend that branch; that I had something to add to the Native trajectory through installation and video. We know that art is a reflection of society and I hope that my work helps to not only expand understanding about Native ideas and creativity but also encourage younger Native artists to experiment even further and blur the boundaries that try to define Native American art.

How did you begin your work as an artist?
My father was a contractor and made jewelry in his free time before eventually becoming a full-time artist. He used to bring home scraps of wood that my brother and I would nail together and stack. In his studio, he would give us scraps of metal to do stamp work and smash in the vices. When visiting my grandmother in New Mexico, I would help her spin wool and watch her weave on her loom. I would also sit near her and build sheep and horse corrals out of mud and sticks. Ever since I can remember, I manipulated materials and built objects. I never had much interest in drawing or painting—it was always about constructing.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
I have been duct-taped, plastered and strung up. Walking through traffic with a travois on my back was also quite an experience.

What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
I once constructed a life-size, working rocketship that was used in a performance piece. It was created for the time when Earth’s resources are finally depleted. The idea is that most people would have access to fancy NASA-style spaceships, but some people would be left to fend for themselves. Native Americans would be on the reservation building their own ships that would hook onto the larger spaceships. The secret is that all of the Native ships would have hidden escape hatches in the bottom. As everyone else is leaving to head to their new homes, all of the Natives would slip out the bottom of their ships. While all of the other ships head into outer space, Natives would be putting their feet back on the ground, ready to reclaim and heal their land.

What work are you most proud of?
Last year, two weeks after my youngest daughter was born, I was on site in Santa Fe with her at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts for an outdoor sculptural installation. Since I was not able to physically work on the piece my father and uncle came to help with the construction. This piece was part of the state of New Mexico’s Temporary Installations Made for the Environment exhibition. The theme for the year focused on the Navajo Nation. For my piece, I surveyed over 40 Navajos about their beliefs concerning future worlds and how we, as a people, might find harmony. The narratives were then integrated into an installation made of found wood and aluminum signage. It was the first time I worked directly with my tribal community on a project. The opportunity to work with tribal members and my father, in addition to it being my 2-week-old daughter’s first outing, made the whole experience pretty amazing.

From April 26-May 19, Wit’s End Puppets will transform the Mead Theatre Lab into the fantasy world of The Amazing and Marvelous Cabinets of Kismet. Go inside the cabinets of co-creator Cecilia Cackley’s mind in our latest Artist Q&A. Read more about Cecilia’s collaborator, Genna Davidson, here.

Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
Illustrator, Shaun Tan, who inspired our show, is a huge favorite of mine. His images are, in his words, intended to be ‘clear and ambiguous’—rooted in the familiar but also mysterious. His stories provoke strong feelings in me and I read them over and over again, always noticing something new each time.

Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
Maurice Sendak, the author/illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are. His work (both words and images) reflects all the big emotions of life and I love that he doesn’t sugarcoat the experiences of childhood. His illustrations are dramatic, humorous, tragic and comforting all at once and I love that.

What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
I listen to a lot of songs in other languages while I’m working on puppets. NPR’s podcast Alt.Latino was a favorite while building the puppets for Kismet.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I can’t imagine not being an artist in some kind of way. I’ve been creating and telling stories for most of my life; at this point it’s habit. If I weren’t doing art full time, I’d probably be teaching elementary school, which is how I made my living for six years, and attempting to include projects and art in every subject.

What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
I think the best art takes you out of yourself, whether that’s in a group while you’re watching a play or just by yourself looking at a painting in a gallery. Being pulled out of your everyday world allows you to see the possibilities in yourself and others more clearly.

How did you begin your work as an artist?
When I was seven, my Brownie troupe performed an original play written by our troupe leaders (one of whom was my dad) about three sisters who run away and join the circus. I got to play the youngest sister and despite being a fairly shy kid, I got hooked on being in front of an audience.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
In college, I was part of the cast for a production of the play Marat/Sade, which takes place in an insane asylum. Everyone was assigned a particular mental illness, and one Saturday the cast went out into Colonial Williamsburg in character, which got lots of scared looks from the tourists.

What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
El Retablillo de Don Cristobal, a Spanish puppet play by Federico Garcia Lorca. I performed in it at GALA Theatre in 2010. The directors, Adhemar and Ximena Bianchi from Buenos Aires, were fantastic to work with, and since the setting was the Spanish Civil War, I learned a lot about a period of history that was unfamiliar to me.

What work are you most proud of?
The Amazing and Marvelous Cabinets of Kismet is about six times bigger than anything I’ve created before, and involves more people, puppets, and technical elements. I’ve never devised a puppet play before (everything else I’ve done has been scripted) and I’m so proud that we’ve brought this project to life. I hope the audience loves it too.

at FLASHPOINT GALLERY
916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

OPENING RECEPTION:
04.19.13, FRI, 6 – 8pm

WASHINGTON, DC – CulturalDC is pleased to announce In Other Words: A Native Primer with DC-based artist Anna Tsouhlarakis at Flashpoint Gallery. This exhibition, Tsouhlarakis’ first in Washington, DC, explores the diverse facets of Native American identity and its relationship to contemporary life in Washington. Tsouhlarakis merges data collected from the local Native community in an installation that integrates text and sculpture. The exhibition uses text as a dominant visual feature alongside artificial and natural materials and analyzes relationships of real and imagined language as both glyph and object.

Using found wood, tape and other objects the artist will respond to the surrounding dialogue and text that fills the exhibition space to create a visual conversation. In addition to the layering of languages, a shifting narrative of Native thoughts and experiences plays out as the installation progresses throughout the space.

There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, April 19 from 6-8pm. Anna Tsouhlarakis will be giving a talk at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Center on Sunday, April 28 at 1:30pm. Tsouhlarakis will also be participating in CONNECT 4, a series of public art projects at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Her project will open in September.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anna Tsouhlarakis is a sculpture, installation, video and performance artist. Originally from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, she received her BA from Dartmouth College in Native American Studies and Studio Art. She then attended Yale University and received her MFA in 2002. She has participated in various art residencies including Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and Yaddo. Her work has been shown at national and international venues including Rush Arts in New York, Dreamspace Gallery in London, McMaster University Art Museum in Ontario and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. She is currently part of an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe.

ABOUT CULTURALDC’S VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM
CulturalDC operates Flashpoint Gallery and produces public art interventions throughout DC. We nurture talented emerging and mid-career artists by providing opportunities for peer learning and mentorship. At Flashpoint Gallery we showcase bold, new work from artists working in a variety of media including site-specific installations, performance pieces, new media and other experimental forms. As a nonprofit gallery free from the constraints of commercial expectations, Flashpoint provides artists and curators a unique opportunity to take creative risks. An advisory panel of noted artists and arts professionals makes programming recommendations for the gallery and provides mentorship and support to exhibiting artists.

Flashpoint Gallery is generously supported by Natalie and Paul Abrams and by DESHO Productions and The Washington Post Company. Hotel Helix is Flashpoint’s 2012-13 Hotel Partner. Marvin is CulturalDC’s 2012-13 Wine Partner.

Funding for CulturalDC is generously provided by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Kresge Foundation, the MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Prince Charitable Trusts, The Share Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and many other generous partners.

ABOUT FLASHPOINT
Flashpoint is a multi-disciplinary arts space. Flashpoint includes a contemporary art gallery, the 75-seat Mead Theatre Lab, the Coors Dance Studio and shared office space for arts organizations.

Anna Tsouhlarakis: In Other Words: A Native Primer
Opening Reception: Friday, April 19, 6-8pm
Exhibition: April 19 – May 18, 2013
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12-6pm or by appointment
For more information: Call 202.315.1310 or visit culturaldc.org

CulturalDC • 916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
General: 202.315.1305 Press: 202.315.1310 Fax: 202.315.1303
Email: karyn@culturaldc.org

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