"All the months are crude experiments, out of which the perfect September is made." -- Virginia Woolf
A lovely September is ahead, and while each month has unique features, once we arrive here, it does feel like all others are preludes to perfection. This is a good opportunity to discover what about art intrigues you.
We have artists celebrating other artists, a focus on the skies from different perspectives, as well as celebrations of the Chesapeake and prominent waterfowl. Travel back through time and around the world to pave the way for creating new paths for the future through art.
For a focus on medium, printmakers have presented outstanding work this month, along with masters in oil painting, and exhibits providing a multitude of media for those who crave to see and learn about new and wonderful techniques and contemporary art. Enjoy this transitional month.
Annapolis Pearl Gallery's featured artist of the month is Joe Foley, who will appear on the Pearl Gallery's Facebook page at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Foley will provide a brief history of how he came to use lasers as tools to create laser cut and engraved art. He will describe his process in creating very intricate wooden mandalas.
Jo Fleming Contemporary Art presents "Dialogue of Clouds" paintings by Murray Taylor and Marc Roman with sculpture by Susan Hostetler, open through Oct. 25. Taylor says about his skies, "Everyone who has ever lived has gazed at the sky and the sky looks much the same as it does in paintings from hundreds of years ago. I hope my work has passages that lead the viewer to their own meditation."
Roman's "inspiration is the clash of light and shadow, color and form, the basics of any good landscape painting, and aspects that are ever changing and fleeting. I work to balance abstraction and representation." Hostetler's work has evolved to include large wall installations of clay sculptures, specifically birds. Her fascination with murmuration, flight patterns and patterns in bird songs inspire her latest works in sculptural room installations. The Chesapeake Bay continually inspires this eco-artist with a series related to life within the tidal marshes and wetlands. Meet the artists at a reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, with an artist talk at 6 p.m.
The Galleries at Quiet Waters Park is hosting two exhibits through Oct. 5. Join them for an opening reception for both exhibitions from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the visitor center:
The $6 per vehicle entrance fee to Quiet Waters Park is waived for the art reception only.
McBride Gallery hosts "Each One Invites One," an exhibit opening Sept. 19. Three of the gallery's top artists have been asked to invite an artist they believe deserves recognition for their accomplishments and skills. Oil and pastel painter Maria Marino has invited Jill Basham, an oil painter celebrated for her expansive scenes. Oil painter Lois Engberg has invited Kathryn Enberg, a pfigurative oil painter. Graphite artist Terry Miller has invited Paul Rhymer, an acclaimed bronze sculptor. Join them for an opening reception from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 20.
MFA Circle Gallery presents "The Changing Americas," open through Sept. 20. This national juried exhibition celebrates the beauty and complexity of landscapes across North America, Hawaii, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. This collection of works explores the perpetual change terrains face at the hands of human and natural transformation. The 58 works were selected by Mitchell Joachim, co-founder of Terreform ONE and professor of practice at New York University. Meet many of the artists at the closing reception at Circle Gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 20.
On Sept. 18, /m (the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum at St. John's College) opens a new exhibition titled "Lost at Sea (Ulysses)," timed for the Annapolis Boat Shows. It presents the sea as a merciless foe and the ocean as a poignant metaphor for the human psyche. It is a story of adventure, courage, tragedy and unspeakable loss, in which people grapple for direction and meaning, communication and connection, amidst the erosion of language and logic. Homer's Ulysses, who spent 10 harrowing years simply trying to sail home after the battle of Troy, is referenced in the title parenthetically and appears in the exhibition in battered abstract portrait. Like other /m exhibitions, "Lost at Sea (Ulysses)" asks a simple philosophical question with not so simple answers: "Can art save us?" Expect to see films, paintings, sculpture and prints by 10 artists from the U.S., U.K. and South America, including Felix González-Torres and Renée Green. The show will be on view through Dec. 7.
Annapolis Marine Art Gallery is celebrating the artist of the year chosen by the Easton Waterfowl Festival. Al Barker has been creating his miniature oil paintings for more than 40 years, and his work can be identified by the tiny red dots that speckle his atmospheric bay scenes.
MFA at Maryland Hall continues two shows in the EARL and Martino Galleries through Sept. 25.
MFA at Paul's Homewood Café presents a joint exhibition by Harriet Smith and Jeffrey Krimmel through November. Smith's series "Chasing Color" explores the emotional responses to color and how they are experienced and perceived through her thought-provoking abstract paintings. Krimmel's abstract works are composed through processes of experimentation where he builds shape and color to represent people, places, and personal reflections.
49 West continues the exhibition of MFA member artists Sarah Matthews and Barg. Through various printmaking techniques, Sarah Matthews confronts themes of social injustice including conversations of race, gender and equality. She hopes to empower her viewers and challenge stereotypes in these works. Barg's graphic works use powerful gestural lines to illustrate the invisible threads that tie together people, nature and cultural diversity. Enjoy these works while dining through September.
Continuing this month, the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum's "Sacred Spaces" exhibition features the artwork of Jabari Jefferson, showcasing never-before-seen works on canvas, striking sculptures and a large-scale community installation created in collaboration with Annapolis students and residents. As featured in national publications including EBONY, The New York Times, and Whitehot Magazine, this new body of work by Jefferson is a powerful meditation on history, memory and the continuing power of Black cultural spaces. At 1 p.m. on Oct. 11 will be a Sacred Spaces Artist Talk: Featuring Jabari Jefferson and cultural curator Rush Baker IV. "Sacred Spaces" is open through December 2025.
The Yumi Hogan International Art Gallery at BWI Airport, "Reflections of Maryland: Art, People, and Place" showcases the work of Maryland-based African American artists who explore the state's diverse cultural and environmental landscapes. Curated by the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum -- a historic institution dedicated to preserving and amplifying the African American experience in Maryland -- the exhibition brings together significant works from the museum's collection alongside contemporary pieces to highlight the enduring impact of African American heritage on the state's identity and legacy. It is next to Security Checkpoint D/E through September.
The Annapolis Arts Alliance Gallery 57 West visual merchandising team is showcasing the "Artists' Choice" window display. Each artist has selected a personal favorite piece to share -- artworks that best represent their skill, creativity and connection to their medium, and features a variety of artwork, including paintings, jewelry, pottery, wood and glass pieces. Some works challenge the limits of the artist's technical ability, while others tell compelling stories or capture the beauty of Annapolis in
unexpected ways. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 29.