Red-Handed – Sudan: Don’t Turn Away

Red-Handed – Sudan: Don’t Turn Away

May 10 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Historic Christ Church Auditorium 

118 N. Washington Street Alexandria, Virginia

What we're told about this powerful exhibit:

Art you can walk on, art you should walk on. Art meant to open your eyes to a world tragedy going on right now.

An extraordinary one-day art installation by well-known artist Rosemary Feit Covey is coming to Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, May 10. She calls the work “Red-Handed.” Covey designed  the mixed-media installation to open our eyes to the suffering of people anywhere. It shows stylized bodies of hundreds of victims, each with hands dipped in red paint. 

The Alexandria installation, offered by American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans, is subtitled “Sudan: Don’t Turn Away.” It focuses on awareness of the tens of thousands killed, and the tens of millions displaced and starving in the continuing, often-overlooked two year civil war in Sudan. 

Red-Handed is a powerful and dark sight. It encourages us not to look away, especially from a humanitarian crisis on the level occurring in Sudan.

Rather than simply an exhibit of one abstract artwork for one cause, Covey explains, “I want my work to be a conduit to dialogue and awareness. The context changes the meaning of the work, the viewer becomes involved because walking on art, and on this particular image, is uncomfortable and meaningful.” And so, Covey collaborates with other artists and causes.

Red-Handed is designed to travel. Constructed in sections, it can change sizes and configurations from a simple wall poster to covering a ballroom floor to wrapping an exterior.

Red-Handed – Sudan: Don’t Turn Away will feature a 40 x 35-foot floor artwork meant to be walked on. Looking down, visitors will find ways to discover the toll of war in Sudan. Former U.S. Ambassadors will be on hand as well as members of the South Sudanese community to report what’s happening on the ground, and the American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans will offer ways to help.

The exhibit will be open Saturday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Historic Christ Church, 118 N. Washington Street (2nd Floor) Alexandria. Admission is free. Because of the intensity of the images, Red-Handed – Sudan: Don’t Turn Away is not suitable for young children. 

Update: Women Artists of the DMV!

Update on the Women Artists of the DMV survey show that I am curating: We're now up to 9 art venues & over 250 artists as I've just added Maryland Hall to the list of exhibition venues!

All the details here.

Art Scam Alert!

Be aware of this asswipe trying to scam artists:

From: Scott Carson -- scottcarson2906@gmail.com --​

Hello,I came across your profile on my feeds and I must say you're such a talented artist and I'll like to support you by purchasing some of your arts digitally, honestly this is so great and I'm really impressed with your kind of art 🎨

Beatrice Hamblett at The Writer's Center

Today I visited The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland to see “You Don’t Know Me,” a solo exhibition of photographs and stories by DC photographer, Beatrice Hamblett. The exhibition opened March 6 and will be on view until April 18 with an Artist Talk on March 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Joram Piatigorsky Gallery at the Center.

Ready for this? I was floored by this exhibition! In fact, this is easily one of the top, if not the best photography show that I have seen in a loooong time.

We are told that:

“You Don’t Know Me,” introduces viewers to a cross-section of people— fisherman, hunters, church-goers, people living in small towns and “hollers—who reflect the spirit of Appalachia. With this five-year project, Hamblett hopes to bridge the gap between urban and rural people at a time when division runs deep throughout the US. 

This show does that and more. The images are all memorable, and are all eye-opening to not only Americans, but to anyone who has never set foot in Appalachia and relies on Hollywood and politicians to describe a region and a people who are close to the heart beat of our nation.

In the show, Hamblett not only showcases her photographic skills - she's a darkroom photographer who flexes her old-school skills and displays that enviable geekyness of the silver gelatin crowd when she tells me that "all photos are silver gelatin prints, developed and printed in my own darkroom. Film: Ilford HP 5 120 shot with a Hasselblad 501 CM camera. Paper: Ilford Multigrade Fiber-based paper," but she also exposes her equally enviable ability to capture the essence and soul and presence of a special and important segment of our people in this great nation.

Andi Looks Up, Huttonsville, WV

Helping Hands, Squire, WV

You will come out of this exhibition not only lucky to have been exposed (no pun intended) to a great photographer, but you'll also will learn a lot about our fellow Americans from that fabled region; a beautiful and powerful presence in our nation, captured in intelligent and important photographs.

One of the walls at The Writer's Center 

Beatrice Hamblett is also one of the artists selected for the Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming later this September to eight DMV art venues, including The Writer's Center.

Yelp is hiring an intern

From Yelp:

We're officially hiring a new community intern for later 2025 when Riley's time comes to an unwanted end, and we're on the hunt for another perfect fit. As Elites, you know a ton of talented people so we're tapping on you to help us spread the word on this five-star opportunity. If you know someone that is the best at throwing parties, loves all things local, and has brand social media experience, have them apply at the link below.

Apply here.

A modern-day Greek tragedy’: the life and death of artist Thomas Kinkade

In that way, Art for Everybody makes the implicit argument that you can either make art that will win over the establishment or that will win over the greater population, but you can’t make both...

Read the most excellent ‘A modern-day Greek tragedy’: the life and death of artist Thomas Kinkade by Veronica Esposito here.

The crew at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City

Suzanne Yurdin, me, and Steve Wanna posing in front of the booth - missing from pic is the amazing Jeannette Herrera, who was helping out early in the week.

Suzanne Yurdin, Lenny Campello and Steve Wanna
at the 2025 Affordable Art Fair NYC