Collectors’ panel and gallery tour part of MPA’s inaugural MPA Inspires: A Weekend of Collecting and Connecting event
McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) will host an Art Insights Panel Discussion and Alumni Art Exhibition Showcase on Saturday, November 18, 2023 from 2-5pm. Part of MPA’s inaugural MPA Inspires: A Weekend of Collecting and Connecting celebration, the event will take place at MPA Downtown, the organization’s hoped-for new supplemental space located at 6910 Fleetwood Road in McLean, VA. The Alumni Art Exhibition Showcase will feature work by more than 60 MPA alumni artists.
“The 61 outstanding artists featured in the MPA Inspires Weekend have donated their works in support of the development of a new MPA Art and Education Center,” explained Helen Frederick, member of the MPA Board of Directors and member of the MPA Art and Education Curatorial Host Committee. “These dynamic artists are making this generous donation because they appreciate what MPA has done for them, and they want to support MPA as it plans to expand and offer more opportunities for the art community.”
Presented by The Mather, the Art Insights event will begin with a panel discussion featuring collectors Michael Abrams and Sandra Stewart, art advocate Nancy Hirshbein, and Eric Key, Arts Program Director at the University of Maryland University College.
Seasoned art collectors, Michael Abrams and Sandra Stewart have been collecting together for more than 15 years, with Abrams’ independent collection spanning more than 40 years. Abrams currently serves as Commissioner at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), and previously served on the boards of the Corcoran Museum, Photography Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago, and as past board chair of CulturalDC.
A passionate advocate for DC arts and artists, Nancy Hirshbein has served on the board of several DC arts organizations, including Hamiltonian Artists and Stable. She is also a docent at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as a volunteer at the National Gallery of Art.
An art lover, investor, and collector, Eric Key’s background includes more than 35 years of experience in art administration. Over his tenure in the art field, Key has served as curator for the African American Museum Dallas, Assistant Curator of African American History at Old City Park in Dallas, and Special Collections Librarian/University Archivist at Prairie View A&M University. Throughout his tenure, he has curated more than 200 culturally diverse exhibitions.
A ”Meet the Artists” session and gallery tour will follow the panel discussion. Guests will enjoy a unique opportunity to connect with the alumni artists about their work, providing a firsthand glimpse into the inspiration that fuels their artistic expressions. The event will conclude with a reception.
The Art Insights Panel Discussion and Alumni Art Exhibition is part of MPA’s inaugural MPA Inspires: A Weekend of Collecting and Connecting event. In addition to Saturday’s discussion and showcase, the weekend will feature an Art + Soul | Jazz Brunch on Sunday, November 19 from 11:30am until 2:30pm.
The Art + Soul portion of the weekend will also include a highly anticipated Collectors’ Drawing featuring 60 artworks generously contributed by generations of alumni artists who comprise MPA’s artistic legacy.
All artists featured in MPA Inspires: A Weekend of Collecting and Connecting have donated their works in support of the development of a new MPA Art and Education Center. A preview of donated artwork is available on the MPA website.
Featured artists include: Carol Barsha, Julia Bloom, Nikki Brugnoli, Renee Butler, David Carlson, Mei Mei Chang, Hsin-Hsi Chen, Joe Cortina, Patrick Craig, Sheila Crider, Joel D’Orazio, Elgon Daley, Richard Dana, Joan Danziger, Delna Dastur, Alonzo Davis, Catherine Day, Elsabe Johnson Dixon, Susan Eder, Nicole Fall, Annie Farrar, Cianne Fragione, Helen Frederick, Susan J. Goldman, Janis Goodman, Pat Goslee, Freya Grand, Francie Hester, Ellen Hill, Michael Janis, Barbara Januszkiewicz, Maria Karametou, Bridget Sue Lambert, Kyujin Lee, June Linowitz, Isabel Manalo, Matthew Mann, Anne Marchand, Madalyn Marcus, Michele Montalbano, Nahid Navab, Sam Noto, Betsy Packard, Susan Due Pearcy, Maryanne Pollock, Beverly Rest, Marc Robarge, Robin Rose, Wendy M. Ross, Deirdre Saunder, Gretchen Schermerhorn, Elzbieta Sikorska, Hillary Steel, Betsy Stewart, Eve Stockton, Nils Henrik Sundqvist, Patricia Underwood, Josh Whipkey, Joseph White, and Yuriko Yamaguchi.
There is no cost to attend Saturday’s Art Insights event, but reservations are required. Art + Soul Jazz Brunch tickets are available for $150 a person, and tickets for the Collectors’ Drawing are an additional $600. Ticket sales are limited to the first 60 collectors. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Visit mpaart.org for more information.
About McLean Project for the Arts
MPA Exhibits, Educates and Inspires
McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is one of the mid-Atlantic region’s most respected contemporary visual arts organizations. MPA provides high-quality art exhibitions showcasing the work of established and emerging artists, educational programs, art classes, MPAartfest, summer art camps, and ArtReach, an award-winning program serving students in grades K-12, seniors, and individuals with special needs. For more information, visit www.mpaart.org.
