“The Unseen” Art Exhibit at Del Ray Artisans Gallery

Exhibit Dates: February 3–25, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, February 3, 7-9pm

“Forbidden Garden” by Betsy Mead

Join us for the opening reception of The Unseen art exhibit at Del Ray Artisans on Friday, February 3 between 7-9pm to meet the curator, Peter Michaels, and the artists. Mark your calendar now or set a reminder through Eventbrite. This exhibit reveals what we typically cannot see.

Juried by renowned scientist and artist Michal Gavish, who recently returned from a residency in Seoul and a one-person show in New York City. She received her MFA in Painting and previously earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry. The Unseen piggybacks off Dr. Gavish’s work with microscopic structures in her art.

Come explore the hidden, under the surface, microscopic, imagined, or dreamt that make life so much richer. Through the exhibit local artists take us to myriad places—in their minds, their dreams, their dives, their experiments, their hopes, and their fears.  Is the work of art what the artist intended or what you perceive…or both?  After all, as philosopher Roland Barthes exclaimed in his 1967 seminal essay “The Death of the Author,” there isn’t an ultimate meaning.  Come experience The Unseen for yourself!

Plus save the date for these upcoming creative workshops and programs from Del Ray Artisans in February:

Program details and workshop registration available at DelRayArtisans.org/programs.

The Unseen art exhibit runs February 3-25, 2023 at Del Ray Artisans gallery in the Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22301. Gallery hours are Thursday 12-6pm, Friday 12-9pm, Saturday 12-6pm, and Sunday 12-6pm (closed the last Sunday of the month). Face masks are recommended inside the gallery. The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible.

For more information, please visit DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits.


Del Ray Artisans, founded in 1992, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote art for the benefit of artists and the community.

Del Ray Artisans (DRA) appreciates the continued support from the City of Alexandria, Alexandria Commission for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts. DRA is a 501(c)(3) organization.


The Unseen postcard (front)The Unseen postcard (back)



Short Blurb – 35 words or fewer

“The Unseen” exhibit (February 3-25, 2023) reveals what is hidden, microscopic, imagined, or dreamt. Join the artists at Del Ray Artisans, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA. Opening: Friday February 3, 7-9pm. DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits

Synopsis – 75 words or fewer

“The Unseen” art exhibit (February 3-25, 2023) lets us see what we typically can’t see.  The artists explore the hidden, microscopic, imagined, or dreamt. Juried by renowned scientist and artist Michal Gavish, who recently concluded a residency in Seoul and a one-person show in NYC. Opening reception: Friday, February 3, 7-9pm at Del Ray Artisans, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA. Open Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-9pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm (Closed February 26). DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits


FEBRUARY 4, 2023 UPDATE:

Artist Awards

Best in Show: Dreaming of Spring by Archa Malhotra (acrylic on canvas)
1st Place: Dog Walker by Charles Farmer (acrylic on cotton canvas)
2nd Place: Wasp Building Nest by TJ Feeley (photography)
3rd Place: World’s End by Heidi Vatanka (mixed media on wood panel)

Honorable Mention:
RD31: 10.20.22 by John T Allen (digital collage)
The Fire Escape by Amy Kitchin Hower (hand-colored intaglio print (monoprint))
Bryce Canyon Sunrise by Camille Kouyoumdjian (acrylic/mixed media)
The Unseen by M. Pat Murphy (linoleum cut print)
Toad in a Hole by Kathy A Turner (mixed media on wood panel)

Curator’s Award:
Mini Square Studies Two by B A Hlioui (mixed media)
Untitled by Wolfram Brueckmann (photo)
On the street where you live by Jerry Desantis (Pastel)
Jellyfish by Stephanie Darlene Greenwald (colored pencil and ink)
Window or Wound? by Rusty Lynn (acrylic on canvas with collage)
L’Assassin de Cauchemar (nightmare killer) by Liz Martinez (mixed media, fiber)
Forbidden Garden by Betsy Guerry Mead (fused glass/imagery of deadly diseases)