Exhibit Dates: June 4–26, 2021
Opening Day Appointments: Friday, June 4 from 12-8pm
Come see The Naked and the Newt: Studies in Human and Herpeton Anatomy art exhibit to see how artists explore the human body and reptiles / amphibians / herpetons. This exhibition investigates conceptions of anatomy, texture, and conservation with our partners, the Virginia Herpetological Society, and runs June 4-26, 2021 at Del Ray Artisans gallery in the Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22301. Gallery hours are Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-6pm, and Saturdays 12-4pm. The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible.
Reserve a ticket for a half-hour viewing during the extended hours on opening day: Friday, June 4 between 12-8pm. Opening day tickets are not required, but ticket holders have priority entry. The gallery capacity is limited to 10 people at any one time in order to facilitate social distancing.
Also in June, workshops taught by local artists and free talks by the Virginia Herpetological Society are offered in conjunction with the exhibit, including:
ONLINE TALK: Our National Symbol – an evidence based argument for why salamanders should replace the bald eagle on Thursday, June 10 from 6:30-7:30pm. The bald eagle has long been our national symbol – a species common throughout North America. But Americans are a more unique breed, and our symbol should reflect that. Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina are blessed with being the global biodiversity hotspot for salamanders. Erin Anthony, Vice President of the Virginia Herpetological Society, will tell you why Americans are better represented by salamanders than by the bald eagle. (FREE! Register by 4:30pm on June 10)
OUTDOOR EVENT: Live Animal Drawing on Saturday, June 12 from 11am-5pm in half-hour shifts. Come practice sketching or painting natural textures with live models Persephone (Gila Monster), Flicker (Blue tongue Skink), Pyxel (African Pixie Frog), Cookie (Western Hognose Snake) and two more snakes (a Rat Snake and Timber Rattlesnake). Six socially-distanced chairs will be set up around a critter-containing vivarium under a canopy outdoors near the gallery. (Just $7 for a half-hour! Register by June 9)
IN-PERSON WORKSHOP: Playing with Resin on Sunday, June 13 from 6-9pm. Mixed media artist Tracy Wilkerson will teach you the ins and outs of mixing resin and using it in your artwork as an adhesive, a covering, or the main medium. You’ll leave your finished masterpieces to set at the gallery at the end of the workshop, and pick them up during gallery hours later in the week. (Register by June 10)
ONLINE WORKSHOP: Crochet for Beginners on Saturday, June 19 from 1-3pm. Instructor Elaine Hood will guide participants through the fundamentals of crochet – chain stitch, single crochet, project planning and more, as time and interests permit. Students will leave the class with the skills to complete their first project – a pot holder, headband, or fingerless gloves – and the resources to continue their journey through the world of fiber arts. Purchase the $15 crochet kit when registering (pick up at the gallery in advance) or use your own materials. (Register by June 12)
ONLINE WORKSHOP: Draw the Human Figure – Anatomical Sketching on Sunday, June 20 from 1-3pm. During this course, instructor Michael Sherman will guide students on HOW to draw a body in an environment. Students will observe proportion, positioning, and how the body interacts with the environment. (Register by June 13)
ONLINE TALK: Turtles of Virginia – Life History and Conservation on Friday, June 25 from 6:30-7:30pm. Who doesn’t love turtles? Unlike their reptilian cousins (snakes, crocodilians and lizards), most everyone finds turtles to be appealing. Whether it’s the story of the tortoise and the hare or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, we have appreciated and revered turtles in folklore, culture and religion. JD Kleopfer, the State Herpetologist of Virginia, will discuss the various species of turtle inhabiting Virginia and their general ecology and conservation. (FREE! Register by 5pm on June 25)
Register in advance for workshops and talks at DelRayArtisans.org/workshops/
Del Ray Artisans is ALX Promise certified and is committed to the health and safety of our visitors. Please wear a face mask and maintain 6′ of personal space.
For more information on The Naked and the Newt art exhibit, visit DelRayArtisans.org/event/naked-and-newt or contact the curator Dr. Erica Hughes (zarathustraspeaks@msn.com) or Director of Curating Kelly Postula (Curating@DelRayArtisans.org).
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.
Short Blurb – 35 words or fewer
“The Naked and the Newt: Studies in Human and Herpeton Anatomy” explores human and animal bodies (June 4-26), investigating conceptions of anatomy, texture, and conservation with partner, the Virginia Herpetological Society. www.DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits
Synopsis – 75 words or fewer
“The Naked and the Newt: Studies in Human and Herpeton Anatomy” art exhibit explores human and animal bodies, investigating conceptions of anatomy, texture, and conservation with our partner, the Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS). Special workshops taught by local artists and free talks by VHS are offered in conjunction with the theme. The exhibit runs June 4-26, 2021 at Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA. Details at www.DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits
An Interview with the Curator, Dr. Erica Hughes
By Todd Shiba
TS: So, how long have you been with Del Ray Artisans?
EH: Less than a year – I think. I joined almost as a lark, then loved what they did and how they engaged with the community. In no time at all, I had volunteered to curate a gallery exhibition and then found myself on the Board of Directors.
TS: Your show – The Naked and the Newt – is open to the public June 4. Tell me about the name.
EH: Any excuse for a good pun. Many scholars and artists have explored the boundaries between nudity and nakedness, particularly with reference to social mores. More of this; less of that. When does art transgress into the obscene? These are the types of questions I wished to breach in a more uncomfortable way by adding in the supertext of other phyla. We think of the reptilian cortex as something beneath our level of cognition, a kind of latent variable subtly influencing our behaviors. To, um, dissect, let’s say, our own bodies, we must try to make sense of as many of the contributing factors to our thoughts and actions as possible.
TS: I see that Del Ray Artisans has partnered with the Virginia Herpetological Society for this show.
EH: Oh yes! I saw this as a fabulous opportunity for interdisciplinary engagement. People who might not be interested in mosaics or paintings but that keep snakes and gila monsters would have the opportunity to broaden their experiences with the things they love. Similarly, how many artists have the ability to practice their craft with a live salamander model? Thanks to Larry Mendoza and Bonnie Keller from VHS, several animals will be available for the public to sketch or photograph on June 12. If you have never seen an African Pixie Frog up close, your life is incomplete. Other texture- and body- focused classes and free talks are also available to the public through the Del Ray Artisans website and Facebook page.
TS: How does this fit in with your previous work? Several years ago, as a postdoctoral fellow at the Koç University Center for Anatolian Studies, you drew scholars from around the world to Istanbul for a three-day conference to investigate the Embodiment of Identity in Archaeological and Art Historical research. Do you find The Naked and the Newt is a continuation of that somehow?
EH: Yes and no. In my eyes, all inquiry is anthropology. That is, we are investigating what an “anthropos” can “logos”. Nuclear Physics, Music Theory, Epistemology, Lathe Turning – all of these are sciences, are crafts that can tell us more about what it is to be human.
TS: How does this show differ from your previous attempts to discover what it is to be human?
EH: This was an open call for entry. Any artist who heard about the show could have submitted an artwork in any medium.
TS: Any?
EH: Yes, but luckily I did not have to bone up on sight-reading sheet music! Perhaps next time…
The Naked and the Newt exhibit is at Del Ray Artisans gallery in the Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22301. Gallery hours are Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-6pm, and Saturdays 12-4pm. The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible.