Join Dumbarton House for the opening of multi-media artist, Curtis Woody’s A Sketch of Slavery in the District of Columbia. Woody has created work specifically for Dumbarton House to reflect upon the experience of slavery in the District of Columbia during the founding of our nation. His exhibit opens in conjunction with two other exhibitions that explore the history of slavery in Georgetown. The evening will also include performing artists, who explore issues of race and gender. Tour the museum, explore art, and enjoy wine and cheese.
Woody’s artist statement: Life is a circle and I take pleasure in salvaging the old to create something new, asking the viewer to recognize the past while appreciating the here and now. My paintings are research-based collages and layers which are fabricated in a variety of ways. I highlight impactful images and also play close attention to minute details. Some paintings starts with hand cut museum board blocks that are painted, embellished, scratched and merged together. I used found materials (old books, aged photographs, buttons, letters, vintage newspapers, rusty metal) combined with an assortment of artistic mediums. The meaning of the attached elements often becomes clearer to me as they are assembled. The result is a continual search for balance between spontaneity and historical relevance.