This is a small, unassuming gallery and frame shop and most of you have probably never heard of…read moreOrchard Gallery because as far as I know it has never been written about in any of the local press. Part of that is because the owners, a very nice and unassuming Korean couple, don't seem to be too concerned with the press. As far as I know, they don't even send out press releases (at least to me), although they do participate in the monthly Bethesda Art Walks. But they are doing something right that seems to have escaped most galleries these days: they are selling a lot of artwork. When I first walked into Orchard a few years ago, I was expecting to find the usual mediocre art that one finds on the walls of most art venues that rely on framing as a business. I was pleasantly surprised not only by the quality of the artwork (at the time they were showing a recent MICA MFA graduate whose name escapes me now), but also by the fact that the framing business does not interfere with the art gallery space at all. It's a clean, minimalist art space. The owners were very nice and warm, and were genuinely surprised when I identified myself (they had no idea who I was anyway), described what I do, and then told them that I really liked the work. I also noted that there were a lot of red dots. Over the next couple of years, every time that I find myself around Norfolk Avenue, I drop by into Orchard to check out their shows. I haven't been WOW'd every time, but I've never been disappointed. It is clear that the owners have a particular taste and sensibility that is working for them. And I've always seen a lot of red dots. What's even more refreshing is that in these times of austere fiscal environments, when galleries are closing all over the nation, and where they turn away new artists by the droves, Orchard's website still says: "We encourage local and emerging artists to contact us for details on our monthly gallery exhibits." Orchard, my kudos to you. Keep doing whatever you are doing to put original artwork on peoples' walls.

A friend and I visited the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center today, and it was a…read morereally cool museum. The museum hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art from around the world, and it was larger than I expected (three floors). The highlights when we visited were an exhibit on Aboriginal Australian bark painting, an exhibit of the works of two WWII photojournalists, and an exhibit of artists who are past winners of the Trawick Prize (recognizing and supporting DC, MD, and VA artists since its creation in 2002). The museum is free to visit and has a parking garage below which is free on weekends. This is not your typical art museum, but that's kind of what made it great to visit today. It pushed me out of my art comfort zone and exposed me to some new artists! Definitely visit if you're in the area and love an art experience.

I have driven by this building a lot. I always thought it looked unique. What a treasure! The…read moreuniversity is conveniently on Massachusetts Ave. The metro stop is also on the campus. If you use the museum garage on Sundays, it is free. The space is large. There are currently three exhibits in the museum. There is also a lovely sculpture garden. It is wonderful sitting outside in the sun. The garden has a wonderful floral scent. The views take you out of DC for a minute. The staff members are nice. There are handouts or brochures on each exhibit. You can also see the works on line. The artists sometimes give Q & A sessions about their paintings or photographs. It would be easy to visit several times a month. You don't have to be a student to appreciate the arts. You don't have to take the steps. There are elevators. You will want to walk outside to see the sculpture displays. The current exhibits are: Val Lewton: From Hollywood to Breezewood, States of Mind: Cuba and North Korea and Fred Kellogg: Works in oil and water. They were all unique and interesting. The works are on display until August 13th and then new projects will be shown. It is worth a visit, or ten.

The Art Soiree's "Grand Launch Fine Art's Series" at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown has finally won…read moreme over... Yes, I went to their Oscar Viewing Party at the same location almost a year ago, and yes, (or no) they still can not get seats, sofas or anything to SIT on in the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz in G'twn.... Having said that... the driving force behind this, 30-something Sandro Kereselidze, is one tough customer... Did you know that The Art Soiree is celebrating their 4th anniversary in Wash DC this Sunday? How many clubs and after-hours boutiques can say that?! In a city where where disposable income flirts with every new restaurant opening, and just as quickly moves on to the next "hot spot," that is quite the accomplishment! I like to think that I "made my bones" in Yelp by giving the "true scoop" on anything and everything happening in the DC area... Well folks, here it is: NEWSFLASH: Art Soiree is slowly, but surely, reshaping the DC landscape for the arts: Sandro & Company is relentless in his quest to bring and showcase art & artists in the Washington DC area... That is not only a good thing, but as a DC native myself, I can say that Sandro has achieved in 4 short years what all the NSO (National Symphony Orchestra) galas and Kennedy center events have yet to attain: a truly "grass-roots appeal." Tonight's art exhibition featured Pakistani artist and long-time DC area resident, Sandar Aziz. You can view his work at: sandargallery.com. His hauntingly impressionistic DC landscapes offer something for everyone's budget, with paintings ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. As an investor with some experience (and a lot of luck!), this is an investment opportunity that will only go up in value! *(see below) Elegant in it's simplicity, the Ritz's upper ballroom in Georgetown was host to another Art Soiree event with beautiful canvases adorning the walls in a stylistic and casual chic atmosphere. Yep, this is definitely what DC has been missing: Art presented in casual, yet sophisticated, venue... kinda cool to NOT be in NYC and say that 'eh? I've only got one question: what does it take to get some sofas and chairs?? First time I went to Chanel in Bal Harbor, Fl., I was ushered to a back room, seated on a sofa and served complimentary Moet Champagne... Now that left a lasting impression.... Hint: Throw in some comfy seating, some fine Bordeaux, Napa Cabs, or champagne, and next thing your know, people are reaching for their checkbook! Gotta give props to Sandro & Co. for cleverly and persistently either creating, or capitalizing on the DC market appetite for art and artistic expression. Now if they could only get some comfortable seating at these events, I will 5-star them in a "DC minute"! * (opinion of reviewer)

I went to VOYO WOO art show at Art Soiree in Georgetown and it was AMAZING! I really loved the…read morepaper artwork and the presentation of everything was top notch! Easily one of the best shows I have been to in the DC area. ART Soiree is truly a leader in the emerging DC art scene and I can't say enough good things about them. I highly recommend you go to their events because you are sure to have a good time. Trust me. Just go. Chris

This museum is small and free, but not really worth the time to go through security for. It's only…read moreopen on weekdays. It's a small exhibit with an overview of this catch all department and its focuses over time, but that takes about 10 minutes to look over the timeline. The second room has a couple of large and beautiful paintings, and that's about it. Half the room is vacant. I don't know if it's in transition, but there's not much here. It's quiet, so if you need somewhere to sit awhile inside, it does do that well, and there are chargers around. No gift shop. Just not a lot to note here, so was pretty disappointed.

The United States National Parks Service, a sub department of The United States Department of The…read moreInterior, is the administration in charge of The National Parks Passport Program . Since 1986, national park visitors have turned to the Passport To Your National Parks program to preserve memories of their park travels by collecting ink cancellations at every national park they visit.There are three styles of Passport books, a special Junior Ranger Passport for kids, and colorful commemorative stickers. There is also a collection of accessories and gear so you can proudly show off your love of our national parks wherever you go! You bring your National Parks Passport® with you when you visit a national park, then use the free ink Passport cancellation stamp in the visitor center or park store to capture the date and location of your visit. You can also personalize your Passport book by adding stickers, logging the trails you hiked, or any other way that helps you preserve your memories. When you participate in the Passport To Your National Parks program, you help support the people, places, and stories that matter at America's national parks.100% of the proceeds from the Passport program support important education and preservation programs at national parks, ensuring future generations will enjoy our natural, historical, and cultural treasures. . . . . #usdeptoftheinterior #nationalparksystem #thenationalparksservice #nationalparks #unitedstates #ilovetheusa #ilovethenationalparks #seenationalparks #nationalparkspassportprogram #usa1 #godblessamerica #washingtondc #waynesalvatti #photografxworldwide

I have two dear friends who are history nerds like me, and one of them found out about the tours of…read morethis historic place. We went on 10/31 - BOO! We arrived early and spent several minutes enjoying the displays in the small visitor center. There is so much history there, we were surprised to keep discovering things none of us knew before. And one minored in history in college! After reading and admiring most of the displays, it was time to start the tour. It's a short walk from the visitor center, along a path made of oyster shells, to the house itself. It must have been so grand back in the 1800's - it's huge and the sweeping front drive would allow one to see the entire front of the building. We had a docent and their "shadow", a new docent learning the ropes, who were very informative and easy to be around. The tour actually starts in the "dependency", which we learned is just a fancy word for "outbuilding". ;) Fascinating to see how the enslaved persons would have cooked on a fireplace, although we weren't there for a demonstration. They do have those, though, so check for dates and times. Next was the big house and we covered the main rooms and a few rooms upstairs. Each room that is furnished had a story about the people who lived or visited. Many of the furnishings are original pieces; some returned from people who had acquired them over time, and some that remained when the last owner lived there. It's well worth an hour of your time if you like history and seeing some beautiful architecture, furnishings, and the like.

I enjoyed the demonstration. Kathy and Barbra taught me a lot. Between the cooking it felt like a…read morehistory lesson on much more, while also feeling like we were gossiping in the kitchen

A historic building with an ostentatious name which has somehow eluded my attention until now. It…read morehouses a free (!) art gallery, which is just a big room with a little add-on at street level. The basement is open and is also visibly historic, but doesn't have much in the way of art. It does have cool air and a restroom. The scope of the art gallery clearly isn't large (bearing in mind that a free art gallery the size of a mansion is ho-hum by DC standards), but I enjoyed what they had and it was a perfect use of the time I had to spend on it. Surprisingly enough, they seem to allow people to bring their dogs inside.

All of the Athenaeum staff was excellent to work with. During the initial planning stages, Veronica…read moreand Richard were my main points of contact, both of whom were very helpful answering questions. They were happy to entertain our questions both via email and during the various trips to check out the space. The contract process was fairly straight forward and fortunately renting out the space includes both the art gallery and the outside garden (it rained on our wedding day and the ceremony was initially going to take place in the garden). A few days before the wedding, we were informed that Amanda would be the staffer on hand on the actual wedding day. I sent Amanda my proposed timeline and we reviewed it over the phone. She was willing to assist with flow of show and confirming chair and floral deliveries/set up. She advised us of some renovations that were taking place in the alley behind the garden, which is where the ceremony was originally going to take place. While the staff had not previously informed us of the planned renovation, it all worked out in the end. Amanda emailed me photos of the renovations, offered alternate solutions to ensure the scaffolding wouldn't be as visible, emailed the contractor to ensure they would be done with the renovations for the day prior to our scheduled photo time and ceremony start time, and offered to be at the venue early to ensure that everything was clean. When I realized it was likely going to rain on the wedding day, I emailed Amanda asking for a quick discussion on a rain plan. She contacted me right away to confirm a time and we spoke the morning of the wedding to come up with a rain plan. She handled the new set up with both the chair rental company and the florist. The set up came out beautifully. Also, one of the photographers left a water behind and Amanda emailed me about the item so I was able to retrieve it the next day. I would definitely rent this space again!

I went years ahi and had a wonderful experience. To be the mother of two gifted children in the…read morearts, I was blown away to see such great talent displayed. It may me think where they could have ended up with their GOD given talents, but respected their art nonetheless. Highly recommend everyone visits at least once.

When I was little, I had the most amazing dollhouse. The dollhouse had 2 staircases, one of which…read morewas a spiral staircase! The roof had actual tiles on it, and the windows had shutters. I found out later on that my parents had bought the house for me at a prison gallery. The Prisons Gallery Of Art is to display the talents of men and women in prison. Some of the profits from the sale of their art goes to the artists directly and another portion goes towards the Prisons Foundation. The Foundation has an ongoing effort to promote the arts and education in prison as well as investigating options to incarceration. At the Gallery, the first Sunday (2-5pm) of each month is Justice Sunday. On that Sunday there is live music and justice advocates who speak and take questions.

During the last sunny weekend, my family and I did a little Church street stroll and stumbled…read moreacross the Freeman Store & Museum which is located right next to the W&OD trail. Not only did it provide a nice, quiet respite from the heat we had tons of fun exploring the remnants of the old post office, ogling over the old-fashioned candy aisle, and browsing through the great used book store selection in the basement. Both of my girls found a current children's book to bring home, and at 25 cents a piece it was a steal! I loved browsing through all of the Vienna ornaments, stickers, and other home goods they sold from local artisans. The back opens up to the town green and I saw lots of people enjoying having picnics on the tables. The shopkeep was so nice! I truly felt like I was in an episode of Gilmore Girls or Hart of Dixie while walking around.

So adorable! Amazing service, everyone is so friendly. The used book store in the basement is…read morestocked!!