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Azriel Awret

Sculpture

Azriel Awret was born in Lodz, Poland, and moved to Belgium where he lived in Brussels. He married an Aryan woman, Anna Louisa Bonhiere, which saved him from deportation. But in January 1943 he was interned in Malines camp. Awret was an engineer, so he was given employment as an electrician. While in Malines he met Irène Spicker, who was working in the Mahlerstube (art workshop). They married after the war and moved to Israel, settling in Safed and continuing their artistic activity.

Marcia Billig

Sculpture

Art has always been a major pursuit for me. I try to express a sense of joy and movement in my figurative works. I have been creating public and private sculptures for many years. All of my commissions, both public and private have involved the input of the people who would be enjoying the space or the facility. In each case, whether it was a library, school court yard, public park, subway station, or an arts center, I first met with a committee representing the local arts community, the business representatives directly involved with the project, and friends from the “neighborhood.” I received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture from American University, a Master in Education with a major in art from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Five of my sculptures installed in the Washington area are pictured and described in the revised 2008 edition, “Washington Sculpture, A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation’s Capital.” by James Goode, historian, and former staff member of the Smithsonian Institution. My sculptures included are: “BALANCE,” “GRANDDAUGHTERS,” “LIFT OFF,’’ “THE JUGGLER,’’ and “THE COMMUTER.’’

Leila Cabib

Illustrator; Teacher/Instructor; cartoonist & animator

Leila Cabib is a professional cartoonist, illustrator, and animator. Her clients include The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Gannett newspapers, Time-Life Books, and many other publications and organizations. She has written and illustrated two nationally syndicated comic strips. She has been teaching cartooning in after-school programs for 29 years and cartooning and animation as an artist in residence in elementary, middle, and high schools (grades 2-12) for 20 years. She also teaches children and senior citizens in partnership with Montgomery County Public Libraries. Her students’ animated videos have been honored with several national awards and shown at international film festivals. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Leila speaks fluent Spanish and has taught her classes in both English and Spanish. In addition to cartooning, Leila enjoys sketching historic residential architecture on site.

Alyscia Cunningham

Artist of Color; Author/Writer; Director; Filmmaker; Photographer; Tactile

Personally, Alyscia Cunningham is a granddaughter, daughter, wife, mother of 3, sister, aunty, friend, artist, advocate, writer, Pisces, dreamer, truth seeker, positive thinker, adventurer, traveler, hiker, teacher, student...and her journey continues. Professionally, Alyscia is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, filmmaker, and photographer who has contributed to National Geographic, Discovery Channel, America Online and the Smithsonian Institution. Alyscia is also the Founder of Her House Media and the CEO of a Maryland Home Improvement company, Uprising Builders, LLC. Her work focuses on changing the dialogue around beauty standards for women. After the success of Alyscia's first book, Feminine Transitions: A Photographic Celebration of Natural Beauty she became one of the FrontLine Voices for Stop the Beauty Madness, a campaign focused on changing the dynamics of beauty globally. She continues her contribution to social change with her documentary film and photography book, I Am More Than My Hair. Alyscia also co-organized Reel Moms, a supportive community for working Moms and Caregivers in the film and TV industry, in partnership with Women in Film and Video. Her goal is to continue producing documentary films and photo books. With the completion and direction provided through the Horror/Psychological Thriller workshop with Sundance Institute, she plans to also write and direct Horror films.

Felisa Federman

Mixed Media Artist

My goal is to create a diffuse atmospheric space where people can be drawn in, and find the possibility to see or not to see...remote memories, object with lost meanings, archeological discoveries, deep questions, symbols which can be traced from the past, icons from the present and the future, or fragments of coded texts. These images and objects arise from the depth of my mind, where history, legend and fantasy are mixed. I invite the viewer to image what could be deciphered under the apparent scene. The compositions are planned like puzzles to attract the viewer’s attention make them think and provoke intrigue and getting them into a fragile world full of strong sensory atmosphere. Abstract art is something that few people can understand, so I use simple and familiar images to engage them.

Arlette Jassel

Muralist; Painter; Sculpture; layered wood wall mounted

Dance was my first love and discipline which I had to abandon when a hip joint disease stopped me dancing. I transferred my passion for movement and expression to painting. Color and music energize my work. I create the human figure that weaves in and out of abstracted shapes to show energy in a two dimensional way. I studied art at Hunter College in NYC earning a BFA in painting. At the University of Chicago I received an MAT in art teaching. Many more courses and schools have added to my artistic vocabulary. Political art in particular and narrative art generally have been my focus. Flowers always pop up within my narrative window. Those essential issues of our time that include feminism in the 1970's and 80's, homelessness in the 1990's, wars and blithe disregard for human life in 2000's, the demeaning of people with disabilities, the marginalization of bodies not like our own, and the horrors of our democracy under savage attack through the willingness of the social media platforms, all surfaced in my work. Climate change is chronicled as well. I have a positive spirit, so recently, even after exposing the inequities of the pandemic sufferers, I have painted a series of Dances Through the Flowers. I celebrate a new spring of the human spirit.

Fleur Louise

Photographer

I use photography to capture joy, love and connection. I also like to capture realness, which is not always picture-perfect. My project, Positive Light, offers family portrait sessions to capture the loving moments of the individuals and families served by non-profit organizations in the Greater Washington DC region. Using lifestyle and documentary photography, Positive Light helps non-profits move away from pity-based storytelling, toward respectful human-connection story-telling. Positive Light aims to change community perceptions about the underserved, and helps to highlight the important work of human service non-profit organizations.

Greg Mort

Muralist; Painter; Sculpture

Artist Statement - Greg Mort The Arts have always had the ability to transcend language, culture, and the centuries. Since the dawn of our collective human memory, art in its myriad forms has expressed our hopes, our fears, and our loves while also serving as an interpretive record of the world around us. Then as now, the voice of Art remains a powerful communicative tool. In this, the new millennium, the realization that we indeed live on “One World” carries with it responsibilities never dreamt of by our distant ancestors as they expressed their visions on cave walls and with carved fertility icons. We now recognize the fragility of our planetary home and the profound role each of us plays in the drama of life on Earth. Now more than ever the “Artist” will play an ever-increasing part in a cast that must include…all of humanity. The visual arts are in fact a calling out to those who speak the language that is universally understood. One that has the potential to raise awareness, inspire and celebrate our role as “Stewards” of our tiny oasis in space. At this point in history no challenge is more important or more immediate in nature. Our very survival depends on it. As an artist my goal is to use my creative tools to bring the notion of “Stewardship of our Earth” to the forefront of our conversations and consciousness.

Adrienne Moumin

Constructions/Collage; Mixed Media Artist; Multiple Art Forms; Photographer

I am a visual artist based in Wheaton, MD, and part-time in NYC. I work in hand-printed B&W photography and photo-based collage. I am best known for my "Architextures" handmade gelatin silver photo collage series, ongoing since 2000. These 2-D and 3-D geometric abstract B&W photo collages are inspired by the architecture and urban landscapes of Manhattan. I also use images of other subjects which evoke strong feelings of a time or place. I have exhibited my work for over twenty years in solo and group shows in New York, DC, and nationwide, and my work is in numerous public and private collections. I was awarded a 2021 Artists and Scholars Grant by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (MD), for the creation of several large-scale Architextures photo collages. I was also awarded a 2021 Maryland State Arts Council Regional Independent Artist Award. I served as an Artist Design Consultant for the recently-installed public art installation in downtown Wheaton, MD. I recently had a 3-month solo exhibit, Analog, at Portico Gallery in Brentwood, MD, which was reviewed favorably by Mark Jenkins of the Washington Post.

Sandra Pérez-Ramos

Mixed Media Artist; Muralist; Painter; Sculpture

Sandra Pérez-Ramos is a Puerto Rican artist working in the DMV area. She invents whimsical narratives, exploring fantasy or mystical and natural connections. She's inspired by mythology, Design from the 1950-70's, traditional arts and textiles. Her public art is uplifting, encourages healing and celebrates diversity. Art Critic Lennox Campello described her paintings in an article for the Alexandria Old Town Crier: “Pérez-Ramos channels her Caribbean upbringing in her accomplished works. Her artistic pedigree is evident in her gifted use of color and form to deliver highly stylized imagery, which over the years has grown into one of the hardest achievements in the art world: a completely distinct style and ritual.” The founder of The Art + Walkability Project in Silver Spring, MD, Margaret Rifkin, described her public artworks: “Her art is for everyone, one of the most democratic ways to bring beauty to the body politic, both the marginalized and mainstream”. In DC and MD, her works have been acquired for the permanent collection of the Children's National Hospital, The Marie Reed Project for Community Of Hope, Artists & Makers Studios 1 and by Mayor Tracey Furman for the Kensington Town Hall. Past roles: Membership Committee Chair for Montgomery Art Association, Leader of Wheaton Area Latinx Artists & Tableaux Vivant for Wheaton Arts Parade, Exhibition Installation Manager for WAP Gallery, Co-founder of The Latino Art League of Greater Washington DC.

Martina Sestakova

Artisan; Mixed Media Artist; Painter; Teacher/Instructor

Martina Sestakova is the owner at RADOST (est. 2016). The name of her company means ‘joy’ in Czech. Martina engages in three areas of creative exploration: textile design, painting, and art education. As a textile designer, Martina invokes short stories from life experiences, which then inspire her paintings turned into textiles. She gives specific names to the fabrics as they are visual manifestations of actual moments. Her scarves have been featured on Voice of America, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (DC), the American Horticultural Society (VA), the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (IO), and an array of shops across the United States. Martina’s design practice intertwines with her acrylic/watercolor paintings on yupo. In the series, “Visual Insights into Life’s Beauty,” she communicates words and their associated emotions through colors, shapes, and textures. Her artworks have been exhibited at venues, such as the Adah Rose Gallery (MD), Latela Curatorial (DC), and Emerge Gallery (NY). As an art educator, Martina connects with her students through exploratory workshops. Her healthcare background allows her to share her elder care expertise in art classes in independent and assisted living communities. Martina brings creative projects to communities with limited access to the arts, such as individuals in correctional institutions and non-English speaking communities. She offers online sessions through her small business.

Erwin Timmers

Glass Artist; Mixed Media Artist; Sculpture; Teacher/Instructor

Erwin Timmers is Co-founder and Director of the Washington Glass School and one of the DC area’s leading ‘eco-artists’. Recycling, waste and how they relate to society are recurring themes in his work. Erwin’s main medium is one of the least recycled materials; float glass or window glass, and he has had to develop new techniques to exploit the properties of this material. His approach to art is multi-faceted, incorporating metalwork, innovative lighting and glass design. His sculptural artwork has been on display in an increasing number of local, regional and national galleries. He has received multiple public art commissions and is also featured in numerous private collections. He has been featured in numerous books, notably “100 Mid-Atlantic Artists” by Ashley Rooney, “Cast” by Jen Townsend and Renée Zettle-Sterling. Montgomery County honored Erwin Timmers as the county’s “Outstanding Artist” in 2018.

Carol Vogel

Illustrator; Multiple Art Forms; Painter; Teacher/Instructor

Award winning, classical still life and pet and people portrait painter, I am known for myrealistic and expressive paintings. Paintings that dance with energy, color, and form with a remembrance for the classical style of the old masters best describe my interest and painting style. I especially enjoy painting portraits of people and pets and bringing their spirit to life on canvas. A love of collecting vintage glass and ceramics inspire my still life paintings along with a passion for travel to international locations. My still life paintings reflect a mood and feeling often with lush pattern backgrounds, vivid color, and unusual combination of supports and collectible items. Humanitarianism combined with a love of people inspire my pastel, oil, and pencil portraits. There is a depth of beauty in every face that reflects an inner soul. Capturing the inner soul is an inborn ability for me that is reflected in my representational and expressive portrait paintings. EDUCATION American University Art League School of Alexandria, Va. Schuler School of Fine Art

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard

Mixed Media Artist; Painter; Teacher/Instructor

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard received her B.A. from the University of Maryland in Studio Art and studied Fine Art & Illustration at the Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her paintings in encaustic (wax) and mixed media have been exhibited widely on the East Coast. Marcie is an instructor at Glen Echo Park, Yellow Barn Studios, The Smithsonian, and has transitioned to teaching virtually from her studio. 'Students come together to focus on art in what feels like an art community--- bringing people out of isolation and getting together to make art. Working with my students has also fueled me in this time of sadness and uncertainty. The attention to art has lifted anxiety and inspired us all to continue creating.” I have always loved to draw- maybe as a connection to the world, my response, or appreciation. My intimate, quiet observing connects me with my subjects. What captivates me about encaustic painting is the surface. The painting is a play of light, with a surface you want to touch. Added texture, luminosity, and dimension all help in my construction or building of my artwork. I add, and take away, sometimes making the painting more of a sculptural form. The carving away is another form of drawing.

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