One Million Bones

On May 6th, the One Million Bones project will come to the Torpedo Factory. Raising awareness about genocide that is happening all over the world today, this installation is made from over 1,000 ceramic bones created by different groups in the Northern Virginia area, including George Washington Middle School, Bishop McNamara High School, local recreation centers, churches, and more. This powerful installation will be on display through Friday, May 10th before it will be packed up to make its way across the river to join bones made from groups all of the country.

On June 8th and 9th, one million handmade bones crafted by students, artists and activists from around the world will be laid on the National Mall in Washington, DC. A striking symbol of our common humanity, these bones were made to honor those lost to genocide and mass atrocities and those still fighting to survive them in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and Somalia.

Special Thanks to Torpedo Factory Artists Lisa Schumaier, Robert Rosselle, and Jennifer Hatfield.

Beyond Funtion Opens on May 4th!

What: Beyond Function
When: Saturday, May 4th – Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
Reception: Thursday, May 9th, 6-8pm; juror talk with Novie Trump at 7pm, FREE

Target Gallery presents Beyond Function. From precariously stacked bowls to “inflatable” dinosaur sculptures, the exhibition features ceramic works that go beyond utility, seeking to be valued for their aesthetic quality over their usefulness. In addition, juror Novie Trump and Laurel Lukaszewski will create a site-specific ceramic installation outside of the gallery. Join us for a reception on Thursday, May 9th from 6-8pm to meet some of the artists and hear a juror talk at 7pm.

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(Alexandria, VA) The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery presents Beyond Function, which opens on May 4th and runs through June 2nd, 2013. Throughout time ceramics has been an important part of our daily lives. When one hears the word ceramics, their first thought often goes to items such as tableware, tiles, vases, etc. While it can be appreciated for its aesthetics, this work is most likely regarded first for functional quality over artistic merit. This exhibition examines how artists today are using this ancient medium and going beyond utilitarian connotations, creating work that seeks to be valued as pure form.

Beyond Function will feature a wide range of work by thirteen artists from across the United States, and one from Turin, Italy. Artist David Bogus, from Laredo Texas, will show his piece Optimist Luggage 1. Bogus uses the slip-cast method, which is traditionally used in the mass-production of pottery, using molds made from both found and rendered objects to achieve a sense of scale and repetition. He applies principles of graphic design and color to achieve a superficial attractiveness while their contents have purposely been obscured offering both psychological and nostalgic metaphors.

Brooklyn-based artist Phoenix Lindsey-Hall presents Extinguish, part of the larger body of work After Kempf, an exploration into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender hate crimes. Using mixed media, including ceramic, concrete, and found materials, Lindsey-Hall transforms everyday objects that have been used as weapons in specific hate crime cases. “Clay becomes skin as I press into the surface, leaving the trace of my hand and simultaneously representing the act of violence. Here the twisting, mutilation and ultimate undoing of the body is transferred to the objects. The disturbance of everyday objects calls into question the very system in which they exist.”

Selected artists include: David Bogus (TX), Jackie Brown (PA), Angela Carbone (TX), Mary K Cloonan (MD), Stephen Gian Mangione (CA), Clara Graziolino (Italy), Anita Holt (VA), Brett Kern (WV),  Phoenix Lindsey-Hall (NY), Shalya Marsh (PA), Lori Mills (NY), Tybre Newcomer (MI), Amanda Small (NC), Mary Sweeney (NY)

Juror Information – About Novie Trump
Novie Trump is a sculptor and installation artist working primarily in ceramic and mixed media. Formally trained in classical archaeology at the University of North Carolina, her work has been selected for juried and invitational exhibitions in the US and Europe and has been featured in numerous publications. Winner of the 2009 Strauss Fellowship, she has been awarded grants and commissions for several public art works, the most recent at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. Trump is the founder and director of Flux Studios, a contemporary art space in Mt. Rainier, MD.

Friends Mentor Program

Exhibition Dates: April 3rd – 7th, 2013
Reception: Sunday, April 7th; 2-4pm

Target Gallery presents an exhibition of the works created by participants in the Friends of the Torpedo Factory’s annual Mentorship Program for Alexandria high school students. Students are partnered with a Torpedo Factory artist and work with them through out the year to create the work that is then showcased in this exhibition.

Welcome Newly Juried Artists

Join us on March 30th from 3-5pm for a

reception to meet the artists! 

     

Exhibition Dates: March 23rd - 30th, 2013 

We are thrilled to welcomes the eighteen new artists of the Torpedo Factory Artists' Association (TFAA). These artists were selected through the TFAA's Annual Jury process, where an outside panel of art experts made the selections from among 80 applicants.

Click here to learn more!

March150 Fundraiser Returns!

March150 - 3rd Annual Exhibition Fundraiser
Saturday March 9th  -  Sunday, March 17th, 2013

The Target Gallery and the March of Dimes are teaming up to raise money for both organizations with our 3rd annual exhibition fundraiser March150 (formerly titled "March Madness"). The show includes 200 panels of artwork created by local artists, each only $150 (and only $100 the night of the Art Party on March 15th), and a free kids art activity on Sunday, March 10th.

Art Party Details: March 15th, 7-10pm / $15 advance or $20 at the door
Taking over the first floor of the Art Center, tickets to this festive event include:

*Artwork - only $100 each: over 200 panels created by local artists, each only $100, regularly $150

*Prizes & Raffle: Hidden behind select panels and also available for raffle are tickets to an exclusive dinner party where guests will enjoy each course in a different studio at the Torpedo Factory where they can meet the artists and learn more about their work.

*DIY and other Art Activities: The popular “Gum Art” painting is back, make your own wearable mini-collage at our button making station, and smile pretty in our custom photo-booth.

*Wing-Off Competition: Sample wings by Foster's Grill, Chadwicks, and Austin's Grille - then and vote for your favorite!

*Food & Drinks: Pizza provided by Bugsy’s, Cash Bar with beer by Port City Brewery, snacks and more!