Partners in Art (FULL)
2023-01-09 14:00 - 16:00, 2023-02-06 14:00 - 16:00, 2023-03-06 14:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-10 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
The afternoon program is FULL. If you would like to join the evening program, contact Michele Reday Cook (mredaycook@gmail.com) for information and registration.
Need support reaching your art related goals? Join this collegial group of artists to share your goals and get feedback on artwork. Monthly meetings include discussions on exhibit opportunities, the creative process and the local art scene. Artist can bring 1-2 works – complete or in progress – for feedback. All skill levels and media welcome.
This program is free, but donations ($1-3) are greatly appreciated. Contact Mila Mateu (milaenartes@gmail.com) or Suzanne Tillman (zannet@verizon.net) with questions about the afternoon program.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
View Upcoming Meetings

Mono Printing Fun with Gel Plates Workshop (SOLD OUT)
2023-01-12 18:00 - 21:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Instructor: Eileen O’Brien
Date: Thursday, January 12 from 6-9pm
Cost: $50 Del Ray Artisans member / $60 non-member, plus a $15 supply fee
Class size: 4-8 participants
(Register by midnight on January 9)
Interested in print-making? Using a gel plate is a fun and easy way to create one-of-a-kind prints that can be beautiful collage papers or stand on their own. Participants will learn how to pull prints with different papers and paints, and by using found objects, stamps, stencils and natural elements.
All materials will be supplied to use during the workshop. Plate kits will be available for purchase directly from the instructor for $20 if you wish to take the tools home. Participants will create multiple pieces in just three hours!
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

Life Drawing Session - Gesture and Short Pose
2023-01-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-02-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-03-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-04-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Drop-in and practice life drawing on one select Tuesday evening each month. Bring your supplies and join us at the gallery to draw or paint our nude model.
Traditional drawing media (such as pencils, pens, and charcoal) are welcome; and pastels, watercolor and ink are permissible. Please do not bring acrylics or oil paints. We don’t supply easels – only plenty of chairs – but you are welcome to bring your own easel if you want to use one. All skill levels are welcome.
The first part of this session will be focused on gesture poses (dynamic 1-5 minute poses) to loosen up and participate in a fun, fast-paced drawing experience. The second hour will be a few short poses for more detailed drawings.
Fee for each session is $8 for Del Ray Artisans members and $10 for non-members. Register now or pay at the gallery before the session. If you have any questions, please contact Erica Hughes at Programs@DelRayArtisans.org.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now | View Upcoming Sessions

Artwork credit: “To The Beat” by Katherine Rand

Victorian Inspired Earrings Workshop
2023-01-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Instructor: Y’vonne Page-Magnus
Date/Time: Saturday, January 21 from 6-9pm
Cost: $35 Del Ray Artisans member / $45 Non-member; plus a $25 Supply Fee
Class size: 4-20 participants
(Register by noon on January 20)
Step into a time period featuring the most diverse jewelry: 1837 – 1901. During this one-of-a-kind workshop, design and make four pairs of earrings using beautiful findings, semi-precious stones and crystals inspired by the Victorian Era. Add your own style to each pair of earrings with guided instruction along the way. Learn easy wire wrapping techniques that can also be applied to future jewelry making projects.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility, and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

Partners in Art Evening
2023-01-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-02-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-03-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Calling fellow artists, beginners to professionals, you are invited to join our art-support group, to share artistic goals, techniques, and the local art scene. Participants may show one or two artworks, any medium, in any stage, for advice and feedback.
To join our small, friendly, and supportive artists’ group, contact Michele Reday Cook at mredaycook@gmail.com for details and registration BEFORE the day of the meeting.
This program is free, but donations ($1-3) are greatly appreciated. Contact Michele Reday Cook (mredaycook@gmail.com) with questions.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
View Upcoming Meetings

The Unseen World of Extreme Diving (Free Zoom Talk)
2023-02-01 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Presenter: Matt Hansen
Date: Wednesday, February 1 from 7-8pm
Cost: None (FREE)
(Register by 6pm on February 1 to receive the connection info)
Join technical diving enthusiast Matt Hanson as he describes typically unseen environments in scuba. Matt will discuss the joys, hazards, and equipment associated with diving under ice or deeper than 130 feet. Divers must bring their own light and warmth, maintain the oxygen needed to support life while avoiding toxicity, and manage the risks as nitrogen goes from inert to both narcotic and hazardous. Matt will provide photographs, media, and stories from his own dives and resources for exploring the broader world of technical diving.
This free talk is held in conjunction with The Unseen art exhibit at Del Ray Artisans gallery (February 3-25, 2023).
The talk will be online through the Zoom platform. Registered participants will be sent the connection information via email one day in advance and approximately one hour before the talk. You may attend on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Register Now

View other upcoming programs on the Upcoming Programs page.

Creative Book Club - “The Secret Lives of Color” by Kassia St. Clair
2023-02-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Book: “The Secret Lives of Color” by Kassia St. Clair
Facilitator: Rusty Lynn
Meeting rescheduled to Saturday, February 11 from 10am-12pm
(Drop-in, set a reminder in Eventbrite)
The book for the first book club meeting of 2023 is The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair (published in 2016). The book is organized around the color groups and full of very interesting research about all the colors imaginable.
Since the book is all about colors, and most of us have a favorite color or two, please feel free to bring a piece of your artwork to share that uses one or more of your favorite colors to the discussion.
“The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso’s blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.”—Penguin Books (Publisher)
The Creative Book Club meets on select Saturday mornings to discuss readings by a variety of authors. The club is free and open to all who are interested in keeping their creative muse flowing and connecting with other creative people. Future book selections will be announced on this website and in the Weekly eNews email in advance.
If you have questions, please contact our book club leader Rusty Lynn at rustylynn@earthlink.net.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
.

Del Ray Urban Sketchers
2023-02-12 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-03-12 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-04-09 13:00 - 15:00 | St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, 2300 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Del Ray Urban Sketchers operates on a drop-in basis and meets the second Sunday of each month* at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Del Ray. Mark your calendar or set a reminder in Eventbrite.
Urban sketchbooking emphasizes storytelling that conveys a sense of place or a moment in time through drawings completed from direct observations.
Bring your supplies and join us outside at the cafe to produce still life, figure, or architecture subjects in your sketchbook. Participants will spend some time putting their skills into practice and then reconvene for a review of finished works.
This program is FREE! Donations appreciated. Meet outside at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub (2300 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301). Contact the organizer, Joan Bickelhaupt (joanbickelhaupt@gmail.com), with any questions.
View Upcoming Dates
*NOTE: Del Ray Urban Sketchers does not meet in July, August, and December.

Artwork credit: Detail of “Working Out (St. Elmo’s)” by Cathy Messina

RESCHEDULED - Beyond the Block: Experimenting With Nontraditional Printmaking Workshop (Sold Out)
2023-02-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Due to illness the Beyond the Block workshop is being rescheduled. New date TBD.
Instructor: Meredith D’Amore
Date: Saturday, February 18 from 10am-12pm
Cost: $15 Del Ray Artisans member / $25 non-member, plus $5 supply fee & bring required supplies
Class size: 3-10 participants
(Register by midnight on February 14)
Explore ways to make prints without purchasing tons of supplies. Use reclaimed materials to divert waste from landfills while creating prints that can stand alone or be incorporated into artwork from other disciplines.
Artists from all disciplines and experience levels are invited to explore ways to use found objects and upcycled materials to create nontraditional prints. Instructor Meredith D’Amore will demonstrate plate-making techniques with recycled packaging materials as well as how to ink plates to achieve different results without the need for a press. Students will create their own collagraphs and discuss ways to reduce the ecological footprint of our artmaking as we explore ways to make prints with what we already have.
Students are asked to pay a $5 supply fee for shared materials used in the workshop. Students must also bring their own supplies listed in the 2023 Beyond the Block Supply List (open document) and below.
Students must bring the following required supplies:

Xacto knife (with a sharp/new blade)
Cutting surface (back of your sketchbook, small cutting mat, or cutting board)
Scissors
Glue stick
Ruler/straight edge (metal works best)
Pencil and pen for sketching ideas
Sketchbook or paper for sketching ideas
Brayer
Speedball Water Soluble Block Printing Ink Starter Set – 6 bold colors with 1.25 tubes. If you don’t want the full starter set, at least purchase tubes of two colors. You may purchase inks from other brands, but make sure the inks are water soluble.
Wooden spoon or large metal spoon for burnishing prints
Printmaking paper (does not have to be expensive) – Suggested: Strathmore 333-11 300 Series Printmaking, Lightweight, 11 x 14 inches, 30 sheets; also recommended: Mulberry Paper
Stack of newspapers/magazine/phone book for scrap paper
1-2 Large zip-lock baggies (gallon size)

Optional Supplies:

Smock or apron (Water soluble ink should wash off clothing, but may not from certain fabrics.)
Scraps of textured paper, fabrics, aluminum foil, natural objects like textured leaves or feathers, tiny food boxes like raisin boxes, clean and dry food packaging like styrofoam takeout containers or flat clear plastic panels from clamshell containers.

Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

Member Meeting & Art Supplies Swap
2023-02-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Join fellow Del Ray Artisans members for the Member Meeting & Art Supplies Swap on Sunday, February 19 starting at 4pm.
Save the date for the first member meeting of 2023. Bring the supplies you no longer need and be ready to find a treasure in other’s discards.
We’ll begin with a short meeting, and then select “new to you” art supplies. Looking forward to seeing you at the gallery!
If you have any questions, please reach out the Membership Director, Kate Gibney, at Membership@DelRayArtisans.org.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.

Women with ADHD (Free Zoom Talk)
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Presenter: Faith Hendon
Date: Tuesday, February 21 from 7-8pm
Cost: None (FREE)
(Register by 6pm on February 21 to receive the connection info)
Women with ADHD are often unseen in medical literature. Only a few studies across a broad range of journals have attempted to research how hormonal increase during the menstrual period affects ADHD severity, and even fewer have focused on potentially how the hormonal change through menstrual cycles impacts medication efficacy or vitamin deficits.
Join Faith Hendon for a discussion and meta-analysis of current research within and external to the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) focusing on ADHD and women, with a secondary focus on cyclic (menstrual/hormonal) patterns of observable symptoms and behaviors.
This free talk is held in conjunction with The Unseen art exhibit at Del Ray Artisans gallery (February 3-25, 2023).
The talk will be online through the Zoom platform. Registered participants will be sent the connection information via email one day in advance and approximately one hour before the talk. You may attend on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Register Now
About the Presenter: Faith Hendon has an extensive background in technology and an established career in behavior analysis. She has been a practicing BCBA/LBA since November of 2019, and has worked in the field of ABA since 2017. She is currently pursuing her PhD in ABA from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with two published studies in behavioral journals. Faith provides current in-home services to families with autistic children and other developmental concerns requiring behavioral mitigation and education. Faith follows a modernized compassionate care approach in ABA treatment with full attention to the personhood and dignity of clients, focusing on relabeling deficits as potential superpowers, and helping families learn how to hone unique skills and abilities while increasing understanding of communication methods. Outside of the behavioral world, Faith is a musical, artistic, Mom-Solo with 3 cats and a giant floof-dog. She enjoys helping others and making the world more colorful and accepting for all.

Artwork credit: “Chaos Warrior” by Faith Andana

View other upcoming programs on the Upcoming Programs page.

Introduction to Paper Quilling Workshop (Sold Out)
2023-02-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Instructor: Erica Hughes
Date: Saturday, February 25 from 10am-12pm
Cost: $15 Del Ray Artisans member / $25 Non-member, plus $30 supply fee
Class size: 3-8 participants
(Register by midnight on February 22)
Learn the art of paper quilling! Students will be introduced to the tools and techniques of this ancient art form. The instructor will walk everyone through step-by-step basic scrolls and how to use each of the tools, demonstrate some flowers and animals, and guide participants through making their own paper quill.
All materials for the class will be provided, and the students will take home a full set of tools so they can continue creating fabulous flowers, animals, and whatever else they can imagine! Come learn a new skill that is as old as paper itself!
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

Beyond the Block: Experimenting With Nontraditional Printmaking Workshop
2023-03-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Instructor: Meredith D’Amore
Date: Saturday, March 4 from 10am-12pm
Cost: $15 Del Ray Artisans member / $25 non-member, plus $5 supply fee & bring required supplies
Class size: 3-10 participants
(Register in advance preferred)
Explore ways to make prints without purchasing tons of supplies. Use reclaimed materials to divert waste from landfills while creating prints that can stand alone or be incorporated into artwork from other disciplines.
Artists from all disciplines and experience levels are invited to explore ways to use found objects and upcycled materials to create nontraditional prints. Instructor Meredith D’Amore will demonstrate plate-making techniques with recycled packaging materials as well as how to ink plates to achieve different results without the need for a press. Students will create their own collagraphs and discuss ways to reduce the ecological footprint of our artmaking as we explore ways to make prints with what we already have.
Students are asked to pay a $5 supply fee for shared materials used in the workshop. Students must also bring their own supplies listed in the 2023 Beyond the Block Supply List (open document) and below.
Students must bring the following required supplies:

Xacto knife (with a sharp/new blade)
Cutting surface (back of your sketchbook, small cutting mat, or cutting board)
Scissors
Glue stick
Ruler/straight edge (metal works best)
Pencil and pen for sketching ideas
Sketchbook or paper for sketching ideas
Brayer
Speedball Water Soluble Block Printing Ink Starter Set – 6 bold colors with 1.25 tubes. If you don’t want the full starter set, at least purchase tubes of two colors. You may purchase inks from other brands, but make sure the inks are water soluble.
Wooden spoon or large metal spoon for burnishing prints
Printmaking paper (does not have to be expensive) – Suggested: Strathmore 333-11 300 Series Printmaking, Lightweight, 11 x 14 inches, 30 sheets; also recommended: Mulberry Paper
Stack of newspapers/magazine/phone book for scrap paper
1-2 Large zip-lock baggies (gallon size)

Optional Supplies:

Smock or apron (Water soluble ink should wash off clothing, but may not from certain fabrics.)
Scraps of textured paper, fabrics, aluminum foil, natural objects like textured leaves or feathers, tiny food boxes like raisin boxes, clean and dry food packaging like styrofoam takeout containers or flat clear plastic panels from clamshell containers.

Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

The Artist's Way 6-Week Zoom Class
2023-03-05 14:00 - 16:00 | Online
Instructor: Sharon J. Burton
Date/Time: Sundays from 2-4pm, March 5-April 16, 2023 (skip April 9)
Cost: $250 Del Ray Artisans member / $300 Non-member
Supplies: Students should purchase their own copy of the book
Class size: 4-12 participants
(Register by midnight on March 1)
The Artist’s Way, written by the brilliant Julia Cameron, is designed to help kickstart a creative life. It’s a wonderful course for aspiring writers, but also for dancers, cooks, lawyers, teachers, computer programmers, illustrators, parents, welders and anyone else looking to live a more well-rounded life.
Over the course of six weeks, we will be guided step by step through Cameron’s creative process. The book is divided into 12 chapters. Each week we’ll read two chapters to work through the exercises on our own, then meet the following Sunday for group discussion. These group meetings are powerful and healing…helping to shed our fears and blocks to our creativity and creative practice.
You will learn the power of two tools for creativity:

The daily Morning Pages – Three stream of consciousness written journal pages that empty your head and heart of everything on your mind before starting the day.
The weekly Artist’s Date – A once-weekly solo expedition to do something that enchants or interests you.

What you can expect from our 6 weeks together:

Learn to recognize, nurture and protect your inner artist.
Clarify your heart’s creative dreams, as we arrive at clarity, we create change.
Gain freedom from the constant demand for more validity outside ourselves and examine the idea that money concerns are the ultimate creative block.
Art is not about thinking something up. It’s the opposite: it’s about getting something down. Instead of reaching for inventions, we learn to listen.
Blocked artists are not lazy, they’re blocked. Procrastination is not laziness, it’s fear. The need to be a great artist makes it hard to be an artist at all. This week, you will learn tools that involve taking creative risks, and these small risks teach you the courage that it takes to create.
As an artist, self-respect comes from doing the work. Artists do not need to be rich, only richly supported. We kill parts of ourselves when we fail to nurture the artist within.

The course will be held online via Zoom on Sundays from 2-4pm, starting March 5 through April 16, 2023. (April 9th skipped due to Easter.) Participants will need to purchase their own copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility, and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

Post-Printing Party Workshop
2023-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Instructors: Ellen Rosenthal, Kitty Russell, Eileen O’Brien, Meredith D’Amore
Date: Saturday, March 18 from 10am-12pm
Cost: $5 Del Ray Artisans member / $10 non-member, plus $5 supply fee & bring scissors and prints
Class size: 5-14 participants
(Register by noon on March 17)
Got Prints? Maybe you’ve got some extra prints from your printmaking experiences lying around? Wondering what to do with them? During the Post-Printing Party Workshop, we will explore ways to give new life to those extra prints: mixed media, collage, paper weaving, foldables, and more! Each participant needs to bring at least one print (preferably more), a pair of scissors and, if possible, pieces or scraps of decorative paper.
This will be a fun and a creative time for all of us. In addition, an optional Print Exchange will take place: leave a print in the basket as you arrive and take a new one home at the end.
Where to exhibit your new creation(s)? Submit your artwork to the Prints in May @ DRA exhibit at Del Ray Artisans! The entry deadline is April 10, and the Call for Entry will be posted at DelRayArtisans.org/cfe when available.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
Register Now

View other upcoming workshops, information about the facility and policies on the Upcoming Workshops page.

First Thursday Postponed Until April 13 (Gallery Open 12-6pm)
2023-04-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the weather, First Thursday: A Cherry Blossom Celebration will be celebrated on Thursday, April 13 starting at 6pm. The gallery will close at 6pm on April 6, but be open late (until 9pm) on April 13.

Join us at Del Ray Artisans on Thursday, April 13 from 6-8pm for our outdoor activity creating Cherry Blossom Flowers!
Plus get a sneak peek of the A Tale of Two Studios art exhibit inside the gallery! Del Ray Artisans gallery is open 12-9pm on First Thursdays from April through September.

For the first First Thursday of 2023, the Del Ray Business Association presents First Thursday: A Cherry Blossom Celebration. Join the Del Ray community for live music by Mars Rodeo, themed activities, plus the Cherry Blossom Challenge scavenger hunt (March 30-April 15) featuring cherry blossom-inspired art by local artists. Participants are encouraged to bring individually-wrapped children’s snacks and juice boxes for the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club. Donations will be collected at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Oxford Avenues.

Every year from April through September Del Ray celebrates First Thursday, a Del Ray community event along Mount Vernon Avenue from 6pm until dusk on the first Thursday of the month. Join us for these neighborhood themes:

April 13, 2023 (rescheduled from April 6) – A Cherry Blossom Celebration
May is typically Dog Days in Del Ray
June is typically Unmask Your Superhero
July is typically Red, White, and Blue
August is typically Aloha Thursday
September is typically Show Your Spirit

Spring2ACTion 2023
2023-04-12 - 2023-04-26 | Online
Donate April 12–26
Starting Wednesday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (Giving Day) our community comes together to support the amazing work of Alexandria nonprofits through Spring2ACTion, hosted by ACT for Alexandria. Please remember Del Ray Artisans is one of those worthy causes!
Del Ray Artisans has been promoting art for the benefit of local artists and the community since 1992. Del Ray Artisans supports the development of artists at all levels and serves as a center for thriving artistic activity in Alexandria, Virginia.
During Spring2ACTion 2023, please give your support to Del Ray Artisans’ exhibits, programs, youth and outreach activities which help members of our community grow as individuals and as artists.
If you are in a position to do so, please donate to Del Ray Artisans nonprofit today. Other ways to support:

Buy artwork from local artists during our exhibits or from members’ websites.
Order your BLICK art materials through this link and Del Ray Artisans will receive a donation from BLICK.
Share our Spring2ACTion fundraising page with your network. Crowdsourcing adds up, and we absolutely appreciate every single donation and shout-out.
Register for a Creative Workshop or attend an upcoming Creative Program. Learn something new and have fun!

Please consider a tax-deductible donation and spread the word to friends and family. Every donation is appreciated. Thank you for supporting the arts!
Donate April 12–26

First Thursday: Create Cherry Blossoms 6-8pm (Gallery Open 12-9pm)
2023-04-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Due to the weather on April 6, First Thursday: A Cherry Blossom Celebration will be celebrated on Thursday, April 13 starting at 6pm.
Join us at Del Ray Artisans from 6-8pm for our outdoor activity creating paper Cherry Blossom Flowers!
Plus see the A Tale of Two Studios art exhibit inside the gallery! Del Ray Artisans gallery is open 12-9pm on First Thursdays from April through September.

For the first First Thursday of 2023, the Del Ray Business Association presents First Thursday: A Cherry Blossom Celebration. Join the Del Ray community for live music by Mars Rodeo, themed activities, plus the Cherry Blossom Challenge scavenger hunt (March 30-April 15) featuring cherry blossom-inspired art by local artists. Participants are encouraged to bring individually-wrapped children’s snacks and juice boxes for the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club. Donations will be collected at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Oxford Avenues.

Every year from April through September Del Ray Business Association celebrates First Thursday, a Del Ray community event along Mount Vernon Avenue from 6pm until dusk on the first Thursday of the month. Join us for these neighborhood themes:

April 13, 2023 (rescheduled from April 6 due to the rain) – A Cherry Blossom Celebration
May is typically Dog Days in Del Ray
June is typically Unmask Your Superhero
July is typically Red, White, and Blue
August is typically Aloha Thursday
September is typically Show Your Spirit

Creative Book Club - “Why A Painting Is Like A Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art” by Nancy G. Heller
2023-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22301, United States
Book: “Why A Painting Is Like A Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art” by Nancy G. Heller
Facilitator: Rusty Lynn
Meeting Date: Saturday, April 22 from 10am-12pm
(Drop-in, set a reminder in Eventbrite)
The book for our April 22nd discussion is Why A Painting Is Like A Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art by Nancy G. Heller.
“How is a painting like a pizza? Both depend on visual balance for much of their overall appeal and, though both can be judged by a set of established standards pizzas and paintings must ultimately be evaluated in terms of individual taste. By using such commonsense examples and making unexpected connections, this book helps even the most skeptical viewers feel comfortable around contemporary art and see aspects of it they would otherwise miss.” —Princeton University Press (Publisher)
The Creative Book Club meets on select Saturday mornings to discuss readings by a variety of authors. The club is drop-in, free, and open to all who are interested in keeping their creative muse flowing and connecting with other creative people. Future book selections will be announced on this website and in the Weekly eNews email in advance.
If you have questions, please contact our book club leader Rusty Lynn at rustylynn@earthlink.net.
Face masks are recommended inside the gallery.
.

Reception for Del Ray Artisans members at Art Enables
2023-04-22 14:00 - 17:00 | Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20018, United States
Del Ray Artisans members are invited to a special wine and cheese reception at Art Enables
Join us at Art Enables—DC’s only art studio and gallery dedicated to amplifying the creative careers of artists with disabilities—to learn more about their program and partnership with DRA, meet the resident artists, tour the gallery, and chat with Art Enables’ staff.
Saturday, April 22 | 2-5 p.m.
Art Enables | 2204 Rhode Island Ave NE
RSVP
Art Enables is dedicated to providing access to everyone. If you require accommodation during your visit, please contact Amy Kitchin, Operations Manager, akitchin@art-enables.org with your request.
Not a Del Ray Artisans member? Membership rates starts at $30 for student artists and $40 for supporter members. Join now!

This special event is being held in conjunction with the “A Tale of Two Studios” art exhibit. The exhibit runs April 7–29, 2023 at Del Ray Artisans gallery in the Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22301.

Artwork credit: “The Teleportal from Art Enables to Del Ray Artisans” by Shawn Payne, Art Enables
Tickets: https://secure.givelively.org/event/art-enables/support-art-enables/a-tale-of-two-studios-reception-at-art-enables.
