Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville will welcome featured artist Travis Childers for his exhibit “Once in a Lifetime” with two additional exhibits and an Open Studio event. The October 7th First Friday evening opening will run from 5pm – 9pm and will usher in the gallery season and a return to First Fridays. Enjoy additional exhibits – “Running with Scissors” with Resident Artists, and Gallery 209 Artists exhibiting their latest work. Childers says: “We often use the phrase: Once in a Lifetime to signify some positive or miraculous moment in a history or a person’s life. These moments are forks in the road that redirect the individual on another path that they may have never dreamed of before. But a once in a lifetime moment can also refer to dramatic or tragic events in which case, we’re thankful they are only once in a lifetime. The recent pandemic was just such a paradigm for us as a society and individuals. Most of the works in this show came out of my time in isolation during the pandemic as I dealt with the medical, social and political upheavals we were confronted with. Some of the pieces deal with the psychological toll of being confronted with the instability of the systems and structures we’ve created to maintain order. Other pieces make comments about human nature and our relationship to others and nature. But all the works are a product of my attempt to make sense of it all. Maybe it’s not our destiny to figure it all out, but once in a lifetime we get a chance to slow down and try.”

“Once in a Lifetime” with featured artist Travis Childers
“Running with Scissors” with Resident Artists
The Artists of Gallery 209
Opening Reception
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, October 7th, 2022