Calendar 2023

2017 Events | 2016 Events | 2015 Events | 2014 Events | 2013 Events

Here you can find details about receptions, classes etc.

June 2023

The Ethereal Marine: The Art of Joey Gagliardi

A pop-up show and Reception at
Studio PAUSE, Wed June 7, 2023.

Reception: 7-8:30 pm

e·the·re·al
adjective
extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

Through extensive therapy after his years as a US Marine, Joey discovered his inner artist and became a professional performing and visual artist. His paintings, based on the daydreams of a US Marine in Iraq, reflect his struggles. He mixes spray painting and technology to “shed light” on the stories of so many Veterans and how the same stories are seen differently by different people. As most people do not have the advantage of different points of view, Joey found a way to show the different perspectives creatively through his paintings making it into a performance and a unique experience.

Joey Gagliardi was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. He deployed to the Iraq War twice in 2 years, left active duty in 2008, and struggled mightily in the civilian world immediately. The death of his little Sister, Christine had caused C-PTSD that plagued him, and got worse through his time in the Marines. His life turned around when he met his lovely wife Priscilla and began seeking help for his mental and emotional struggles. He lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife and son, and works as a full-time artist.

April 2023

Windblown Leaves Emerging Roots, a selected translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s songs and poetry by Avik Chatterjee with art by Sushmita Mazumdar

Register via Eventbrite

Date: Sat, April 22 • Time: 5-6:30 pm

“It is difficult to overstate the impact of the (largely self-taught) polymath Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) on modern Indian (particularly Eastern Indian) and Bangladeshi cultural forms, norms, thought, and language. The poetry, operatic dramas, and songs (especially songs!) composed by Tagore created an ecosystem for expression in Bengali whose ubiquity is exceeded only by the marigold-garlanded portrait busts in his homeland. Cultural, seasonal, and folk events, social gatherings, school performances, indeed every ritual and celebration in the life of Bengal flows to his verses, many of which are widely known by heart. Today, his oeuvre is deeply ingrained in the subsoil of the Bengali psyche.” ~ Avik Chaterjee

Join us to celebrate National Poetry Month, and listen to the story of how Avik and Sushmita, two strangers who met in front of a scroll of Japanese poem done in calligraphy, and two Bengalis living in the US for decades, celebrate Tagore’s poetry. One translates his favorite Tagore poems into English in a special way because nobody had done that before. And those translations led the other to want to re-learn how to write her mother tongue and mix them with her paintings. We will also have DJ Brian Heilman play some of the original songs by Tagore.

A Book: The Handmade Storybook Windblown Leaves Emerging Roots hopes to share their joy with people who read English and Bangla, and live in the US or elsewhere.

Buy the Book!  Available till supplies last.

March 2023

Unplugging Artist’s Block: Vintage Bathrooms By Elizabeth Isaac 

Reception: Fri, March 10, 2023, 7-8:30 pm

“Many artists experience a form of artist’s block, whether it be a song lyric, tune, model for a sketch, or in my case, a new muse that inspires a painting. Though, it eventually came to me, under my nose as I was passing my bathroom at home. The bathroom is covered with light pink tiles lined in solid black, which was a very popular style for mid century homes. The room’s statement piece was the baby blue colored tub, which inspired me to indulge myself in the idea of vintage bathrooms. From there, I created seven paintings based off of the room itself. I truly enjoyed this theme because although many may find it silly, it shows that you don’t need to look very hard to find beauty. In fact, there is no need to overthink the unique, beautiful things in your life since they could be right in front of you.”

Elizabeth specifically chose inspiration from multiple vintage bathrooms originating from the 1950s through 1970s because of their creative and unique foundation. She studied many styles and color pairings that were popular back then and realized these designs are more unorthodox to today’s preferences. And that could just be another reason why she chose this subject:  remembering forgotten creativity. 

Elizabeth Isaac is a Junior at James Madison High School.  She enjoys being around her friends and making them laugh and she likes to drink tea while she goes about her day. 

Sept 2022

Celebrating Year 10 & Crossing Borders: The Art of Ken Krafchek 

Reception: Fri, Sept 23, 6:30-8:30 pm • Location: Studio PAUSE

I am thrilled to welcome you to join us as we celebrate the start of Year 10 of Studio PAUSE! We are so lucky to have Marga Fripp, who spoke at our opening and will speak to start off our Year 10 as well (photo, above, lower right). She is the founder of Empowered Women International, the organization where I trained to be an entrepreneur and the organization which helped me apply for the Kiva Zip micro loan to open Studio PAUSE. As EWI celebrates its 20th year, I am thrilled to still be here, celebrating the start of Year 10. You can see my interview on EWI’s Legacy Videos project here.

The show at the Studio’s grand opening was by artist Mary Louise Marino (photo above, top right), the Program Manager at EWI. When I told her my plan for the Studio and asked if she made art, she quietly admitted to it. And I asked her to do the show. It was amazing and she has been my mentor since. 

So earlier this year, when a person I knew well asked to join the Studio community as he had just retired and had the time for it, I welcomed him and asked him if he’d like to have a show. A professional artist and academic, and founder of MICA’s MFA in Community Art program, he graciously agreed. I welcome Ken Krafchek to the Studio, and am thrilled to introduce him to the Studio community by opening Year 10, and our first solo show after the lockdown, with his stunning work which teaches us new ways to navigate new territories. 

Crossing Borders: Art of Ken Krafchek

Here and there, earth and sky, push and pull, good and bad, yes and no, you and me, yin and yang….

“My work is contingent upon a relationship to others—”meaning and being” a transient process. It is based on a give and take, call and response in dialogue with the universe.

For this exhibit, I invite attendees to enter a space of dialogue. My artwork may provoke, but you, “the seer,” are the maker of (your own) truth. Please join me for an evening of respectful engagement utilizing inviting, open ended methods towards critical thought and hoped-for new insights.” – Ken Krafchek

Ken Krafchek, Professor Emeritus at the Maryland Institute College of Art, retired this past July after serving 36 years as a faculty member and program director—receiving the Trustee Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching in 1998.  During this time, Ken founded and served as director of MICA’s Office of Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) and MA/MFA in Community Arts programs. Ken continues to work within the local, national, and international community as a practicing artist and advocate for the arts, social justice, and education fields. 

Studio PAUSE Connection: Ken was born in the Buckingham neighborhood where the Studio is located, and lives a mile from the Studio. He was PAUSEr Sughra Hussainy’s program director and advisor for her MFA in Community Arts from MICA. (Sughra has been a collaborator with Sushmita and a PAUSEr since 2017.) I also interviewed Ken for the Columbia Pike Documentary Project’s TRANSITIONS project in 2019. You can read that story here.

June 2022

PLAY • PRINT • SHARE: BYB Monoprinting Art PAUSE with Ken Krafchek, May 2022

Reception: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 • Time: 6:30-8 pm • Location: Studio PAUSE
Ken Krafchek lead the youth of Buckingham Youth Brigade in an interactive art-making experience utilizing the quickest and most intuitive of printmaking techniques called “monoprints.”  Students met once a week for three, 90-minute sessions to learn this new technique and play in various ways. They curated the exhibit, picking prints which could tell their stories through a mini exhibition. The age range is from three years to a parent who got roped into the process by her kids when she came to pick them up. An alum of the BYB, Geo, also showed up to play. He remembered his time with BYB and Studio PAUSE fondly—2015-2016—and was excited to collaborate with the present class which includes elementary school, middle school, and high school students who live in the neighborhood. Program manager Mireya and her daughter also participated.

The reception, our first since the pandemic lockdown, was for BYB families and a few PAUSErs. Ken invited the children to show their parents how to make monoprints too! Check out the photos on our Facebook page here.

MAY 2021

Zoomception, Fri, May 21, 7 pm-8:30 pm
Art as Voice: Ella Endo

When the pandemic hit, Ella’s senior year in high school came to an abrupt end. Senior events were cancelled, books were left in lockers, and interaction turned virtual. Three days after she finished classes, her hometown of Minneapolis experienced an event that shook the community. George Floyd was murdered by the city police. Amidst a nation-wide lockdown, doors opened and the streets of Minneapolis suddenly flooded with people. Ella watched her community transform in reaction to the event; voices belonging to a myriad of people came together to protest the pressing injustice that plagues society. In this exhibit, Ella will share about the challenges and experiences during this past year that have helped her find her own voice.

Ella Endo is an 18-year-old Japanese-American, mixed artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ella graduated from Washburn High School in 2020, and due to the Pandemic, she took a gap year which she spent exploring her interests, interning with StudioPAUSE and AHC Inc. (both in Arlington, VA), and earning money for college. This fall, she will be attending Occidental College in Los Angeles to take classes in the liberal arts and play soccer. Ella took a variety of art courses in high school, but could never ground herself—and never felt the need to do so—in one medium or style. Over the years, she has learned to use art as a way of exploring her identity and advocating for change in her community.

Zoom link here.

FEB 2021

Zoomception: Thu, Feb 11, 7:00-8:30 pm

The Year of “Quintessential Quotes” in a Pandemic: Calligraphy by Felecia Brice McFail

Felecia Brice McFail started as a self-taught hand-lettering artist before attending the Corcoran School of the Art. After completing several calligraphy courses, she started From One Hand To Another —The FOHTA Collection, a calligraphy business that turns the spoken word into visual art and promotes good handwriting. She expanded her company by opening The FOHTA Gallery in 2007 in Arlington’s historic Green Valley neighborhood. She is a graduate of Norfolk State University and a two-time recipient of the Hermann Zapf Scholarship and currently serves as an Arts Commissioner for Arlington County.
Join us via Zoom (link) as Felecia shows us how she documented the events of the constantly challenging and terrifying year 2020 through her work. For Studio PAUSE, she has picked to showcase some choice words to remember it by, making them all memorable and beautiful, something art is always here to do, even in the most turbulent times.

Welcome to Year 8 of the Studio!

SEPT 2020

Zoomception: Thu Sept 10, 7 -8:30 pm:
Decathalon: Poetry by Howard Lee Feinstein. 

What better person to kick off Year 8 of Studio Pause with, than PAUSEr Howard Lee Feinstein, a.k.a. Howie!

Some of you have met him before, in 2013, when he shared with us about becoming a writer and then did a reading from his memoir, Fire on the Bayou: True Tales From The Civil Rights Battlefront, when it came out. Today he shares with us his first foray into poetry! Join us for his poetry and music, and some much needed hope in these times.
BUY a BOOK to support Howie’s Fundraiser and read along with him at the Zoomception 

ZOOM link:

May-June 2020

Series: “Estoy por aquí” ©2019 Susan Sterner
This image is provided for exhibit promotion only for Studio Pause 2020. Any other usage of this or related images must be approved directly with Susan Sterner, the creator of this work. SusanSterner@me.com 703-963-5147
“Estoy por aquí”
This work explores the lives of a group of Salvadoran market women and the informal economy they sustain to hold their families and community together in the face of cyclical waves of emigration, gang violence, discrimination and poor educational opportunities. The aprons they wear signal they are women in business – plying a ware or service – and earn them the respect of the town as resourceful and sources of stability. As much as the aprons signal their work, the women themselves symbolize survival.

Reception, Thu Feb 27, 7-8:30 pm
Public/Private: Aprons Carry Our Stories by Susan Sterner

The apron is an everyday piece of clothing we all know. Perhaps we slide into one for our daily routines — or, maybe remember them wrapped around our grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and sisters as they cooked holiday favorites and sustaining comfort food. In El Salvador the apron, or delantal, takes the same practical form and symbolizes domestic authority and knowledge. But is it also a sign that a woman is in business within the informal economy of the markets, pop-up food stands, and sidewalk commerce. A delantal signals that a woman is sustaining her family and community.

In this exhibit, an excerpt from a larger body of work Estoy por aquí/I am here, photographer and educator Susan Sterner invites the audience to settle their gaze on the simultaneously most powerful and most vulnerable part of a women’s body wrapped in these beautiful colors and textures, and to consider the public and private stories each of theses women carry and how we connect to them. This work is on exhibit as a space for contemplation and creation for a joint project with Studio Pause, Susan Sterner, and the women of the Rinker Center tailoring class. Over the last few months Susan has learned to sew and has in turn invited the tailoring class to collaborate in making autobiographical aprons to tell the stories of their of their dreams, family, home, journeys and the women who have sustained them. Susan Sterner comes from a long line of apron-wearing superwomen.

 

Elizabeth’s Show reception: Fri, June 7, 6:30-8:30 pm

Vlad’s Show reception: Fri, June 14, 6:30-8:30 pm

The World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland, proclaimed June 1 to be International Children’s Day in 1925. It is usually marked with speeches on children’s rights and wellbeing, and other events involving or dedicated to children. At Studio PAUSE we will celebrate with 2 shows and 2 receptions, hoping we can get a chance to see how children work with creativity and explore the arts in so many ways!

 

Elizabeth Isaac has been a regular at Writing Pause which she attended with her mom. A shy 11 year-old when she started, she soon got comfortable sharing her work with adults and getting their feedback, and inspiring them. Soon she came in with her camera and documented moments at the Studio. She even interviewd Sush for her school paper. Eventually she started to bring in her artworks to share with the PAUSErs. It took a while but then she agreed to have a show.

Vlad Forrest’s sister, Katarina, had a show at the Studio in January and Vlad helped her set up, and they even came in for Art PAUSE a couple times. I asked him if he did art too and when he said yes, I asked if he would share some with me. When he brought it in, I noticed his portfolio was bursting with art and ribbons he had won. He was ready the moment I invited him to have a show. Photo: Eagle, by Vlad Forrest.

Two very different children and two very different stories of creativity and how it informs young lives. Something all adults should get a peek at and learn tips and tricks from!

Pop-Up show, Reception & Bookmaking:
Wed, June 12, 6-9 pm

Kenmore Middle School, Arlington VA
What Stories will we Build Our City with?
Last chance to add YOUR story to the City of Stories display! Then the show moves to the lobby of the Bozman Government center, Courthouse, VA for the summer. Read the stories shared by APS extended day staff, members of the public, and Arlington Public School students the APS Extended Day staff worked with!

 

May 2019

Pop-Up show, Reception & Bookmaking:
Thu, May 30, 6:30-8:30 pm

April 2019

Reception & Bookmaking: Sun, April 14, 4-6 pm

What Stories will we Build Our City with?
Learning ways to tell our stories, so we can encourage others to share theirs, and they can teach others to share theirs…

The Project:

We learn about the lives of great people and know everything about celebrities, but where can we learn the stories of everyday people in our community? And how can they inspire us to share our own? In the City of Stories project, artist Sushmita Mazumdar creates art inspired by stories from the community. See the art, the stories, and the house-shaped storybooks created through her collaboration with Arlington Public School’s Out of School Time (OST) staff. “The City of Stories display visually celebrates what unites us as well as what distinguishes us from one another.”

~ Sushmita Mazumdar, artist.

The Community:

City of Stories is a collaboration between artist Sushmita Mazumdar and Michael Swisher, Chair of the Out of School Time Council’s Professional Development Committee (OSTPD). “The City Of Stories project is important to the OST community because it provides a unique and creative way for young people to share their stories. Even better, it raises the profile and value of many of the staff who come from different cultural backgrounds and for whom English is a second (or third!) language. By deliberately engaging these staff the project allows them an opportunity to share their personal stories and cultures with children and families of Arlington Public Schools, as well as their peers.”
~ Michael Swisher

 

Next: Thu, May 30, 7-9 pm

At our second reception and bookmaking event you can see the books OST staff taught APS students to make! Join us for a Reception & Bookmaking on Thu, May 30, 7-9 pm at the Community Room, Rinker Community Center, Gates of Ballston community, 4108 4th St N, Arlington, VA 22203

Come celebrate the stories – and pick one that inspires you, learn to make it into a house-shaped book, and add it to the City of Stories!

City of Stories is Sushmita Mazumdar’s 2018 Arlington Individual Artist’s Grant project. This program is supported in part by Arlington County through the Arlington Cultural Affairs division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts. https://arts.arlingtonva.us

March 2019

Reception, Fri, March 15, 7 pm
Monsters, Flight, and Other Dreams: Paintings and Poems by Yessania Arias
Yessenia Arias is a Bolivian American writer born and raised in Arlington, VA. She attended the College of William and Mary and completed her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College. She is currently working in Falls Church, VA as a Bilingual Mental Health Counselor. 

Yessania’s writing and art are centered primarily on the fictional touching on depictions of mental health issues and social justice activism. She finds inspiration in the everyday experiences of people and occasionally from odd dreams and vivid nightmares.

 Thu, Mar 28, 7 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Join us for poetry, stories, and art. Bring open minds, curious ideas, food to share.

February 2019

Reception, Thu, Feb 21, 7 pm
Leaves and Stories – by Hamed Farmand
Have you lost any of the loved ones in your life?
Has someone you care about left you?
Have you seen a leaf stick to the tree forever?
Have you ever heard the stories of the leaves?
Come join our “Leaves and Stories” show and share your stories with us!

Thu, Feb 28, 7 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Join us for poetry, stories, and art. Bring open minds, curious ideas, food to share.

January 2019

Reception: Thu Jan 10, 7 pm
Colors Anywhere You Go! – Paintings by Katerina Forrest
After graduating from Arlington’s Washington-Lee High School where she studied art, Katerina studies art at university and hopes to continue sharing her paintings with the community that she is inspired by! She loves telling stories through color and symbolism and is still developing her voice as an artist. Her absolute favorite thing to do is paint what she hears, sees, touches, and feels! Texture and color are her main thing!

Join us for an artist’s talk, writing, and refreshments.

Saturday, January 26 & Feb 9
Handmade Storybooks Workshops: Smithsonian Associates

Thu Jan 31st, 7 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Join us for poetry, stories, and art. Bring open minds, curious ideas, food to share.

November 2018

NEW DATE! Reception: Fri, Nov 2, 7-8:30 pm

Plurality & Tolerance: Photos by Kurdistan Photo Organization
Kurdistan Photo is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. it has members in most of the Kurdish cities of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

Members of the organization are from different nationalities, and religions, such as Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Muslims, and Christians

Kurdistan Photo Organization focuses on pluralism, and tolerance. The staff and all the members are working voluntary. We have opened many photo exhibition inside, and outside the region, we have trained tons of photographer as well.

The photos visit Studio Pause for a one-evening show so join us!

 

Art PAUSE Friday! Nov 9, 7 pm-9 pm

Make A-Book-A-Month with Sushmita Mazumdar

Celebrate the month of Diwali, The Indian Festival of Light, with learning how to make your own copy of Little Lantern & The Dark and Moonless Night, a Handmade Storybook by Sushmita Mazumdar. Using handmade paper from around the world make a storybook that looks like a Rangoli and add add the text in English or Spanish, as the book was recently translated by Studio artist-in-residence, Ruben Villalta. See photos of the book here. Register here!

OFF-SITE: Workshop at George Mason University WGST Conference,
Fri. Nov 16, 9:15-10:15 am 

Reception, Sat Nov 17, 1-3 pm
Arabians & More: Artworks by Ahmad Abumraighi
“My last show, Poetry in Motion, was at point in my life where I was sure of everything. I thought I had it all. This probably showed in my work too—the lines in my drawings were sharp, all shapes were precisely defined. Only now though am I seeing the irony between the “motion” that is implied and the symmetry that overwhelmed it. Almost two years later, I am sure of much less, and that much more confident.” – Ahmad A.

October 2018

Art PAUSE Saturday! Oct 6, 11am-1pm

 

Reception, Fri Oct 26, 11 am-1pm

White & Black: Artworks by ArlingtonWeaves Etc

Please join us for the 3rd annual reception and exhibition featuring White & Black inspired artwork by the participants and staff of ArlingtonWeaves Etc.,

a signature program of Arlington Department of Human Services and implemented by ServiceSource.

Arlington Weaves, Etc. provides support to adults with developmental disabilities by teaching them technical and social skills and by helping to improve their self-sufficiency.

Participants in this unique program produce sophisticated hand-woven items ranging from yoga mat straps and tea towels to weekend tote bags. In addition to items in the holiday market at the Plaza Shop, more products are available in the studio.

Participants also visit Studio PAUSE once a month to do other creative activities, and visit the Freer Sackler Galleries of Art for tours with Sushmita. This is their first show at the Studio so please join us to celebrate!

September 2018

Art PAUSE: A- Book-A-Month with Sushmita Mazumdar 

Sign up for 1 or all 4 Art PAUSEs where you make one book a month with artist Sushmita Mazumdar. Make one of Sush’s Handmade Storybooks each month adding your own art and creativity to each taking home unique creations each time. SEPT BOOK: Mangli, The Very Special Goat. Supplies included. Max 10 seats. Gates residents: Free! Non-Residents: $30

Sat, Sept 15, 11:00-1:00: Celebrate Coloring with Mangli the Very Special Goat, (photo)  

Sat, Oct 6, 11:00-1:00: Celebrate the Scary with Bhoot! Story of a Boy’s Fear. Photos at www.Studiopause.com/handmadestorybooks

Fri, Nov 9, 7-9 pm: Celebrate Light with Little Lantern & The Dark and Moonless Night (A Diwali Story). Photos at www.Studiopause.com/handmadestorybooks

Fri, Dec 7, 7-9 pm: Celebrate Love with Thou Art: The Beauty of Identity. More at www.Studiopause.com/projects/thouart

Book your spot for 1 session or more.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Z7ESJHEM8ZR7S

Reception, Wed, Sept 26, 10 am-12 pm
Appreciating Handmade: The Enjoyment & Creativity of the COP Tailoring Class

The tailoring class of Arlington County’s Community Outreach Program in the Buckingham community started in March 2016. The goal of the program is to help individuals learn the basics of a trade, to become self-sufficient, and to provide them with the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and creativity. The free classes are offered at the Gates of Ballston Community Center on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and have been taught by several volunteers.

When they started in the program, many of the participants had never touched a sewing machine before. Now, they are able to make dresses, blouses, skirts, and different crafts such us Christmas stockings, oven mittens, skirts for the Christmas tree, napkins, pillows, bags, and much more.  Our students have developed a great camaraderie and many come to the class not only to learn but to enjoy the company of others. We are always looking for volunteers who can teach our students new trends to keep them interested in the program.

Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Join Gates resident slam poet Hanan at the monthly series she hosts at the Studio. Bring your art, poetry, and stories to share.

August 2018

Reception: Fri, Aug 3, 6:30-8:30 pm
Celebrating Black & White: Photographs by the Positive Printers
This is our 4^th show at Studio Pause for the Positive Printers, Black & White photography group. We came from the Arlington Career Center Adult Ed photography class.  For the last twenty-two years I have taught and facilitated this class.  The big news is that the Career Center has closed the darkroom and our official class has ended.

In May, Jim Magee our friend and former photo teacher passed away.  We all decided that we should celebrate the life and work of our talented friend, Jim.

The other part of the show highlights the talents of our group and some former students.  As always the photographers demonstrate a proficiency in their execution of printing and a diverse choice of subjects and techniques.

The Positive Printers is starting a new chapter and I know that we will still seek out new ways to produce our photography.  We want to thank Sush for all of her support. ~Andrea V. Uravitch

Reception: Thu, Aug 16, 7 pm – 8:30pm
FILM: Heart of the Forest
Join us at Studio Pause for a screening of Aidan Endo and Maddy Miller’s short film, Heart of the Forest, an animated story about the joy of overcoming fears.

Aidan, (who recently did his high school senior experience at the Studio,) and Maddy are recent graduates of Washington-Lee high school. They enjoy creating and experiencing art in many forms, and are friends of the Studio.

June 2018

Reception: Thu, June 14, 6:30-8:30 pm
Meet Colors! A Millennial & Her 7-year-old iPhone 4
With her antique iPhone 4, YinYing Chen is an amateur phonetographer who has lived in 4 cities on 3 different continents. Born and raised in Taiwan, she is a trilingual islander who loves nothing as much as exploring local markets, collecting postcards, traveling and cooking. She got her first smartphone 7 years ago in Tokyo, and it has been an integral part of her life since then. There are more than 3,200 images in her iPhone 4 photo archive now. While it is true that many of the photos are repetition of cliches, some of them do act as a historian to document dying cultures or fleeting moments that embody stories. After graduating from Georgetown last summer, she finally had time to launch ojiichanphonestory, an Instagram account sharing the moments captured in her antique smartphone. Click the link to meet colors: https://www.instagram.com/ojiichanphonestory/

JUNE: The Art of Illumination with Sughra Hussainy

Freer Sackler Gallery

Saturday, June 16, 2018, 1 – 4 pm. Click here for more.

 

JULY: Introduction to Afghan Manuscript Illumination with Sughra Hussainy,

Smithsonian Associates
6-sessions, Sat, July 14 to August 18, 2018 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Click here for more.

 

AUGUST: Handmade Storybooks Mixed-Media Workshop with Sushmita Mazumdar,
Smithsonian Associates
1-session, Sat, August 4/August 11, 2018 – 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Click here for more.

 

Award Ceremony, Tue, June 26, 7 pm, Arlington Economic Development, 1100 N Glebe Road.
Arlington picks three women to win Woman of Vision 2018 Award!

Women of Vision awards are presented each year by the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women as part of the celebration of Women’s History Month. The awards are given to individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to women’s issues and have, over time, developed and communicated their vision for women and engaged community members and other leaders in order to realize this vision.

This year, the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women has named Sushmita Mazumdar, Lauren Stienstra and Adrienne Griffen as 2018 Arlington County Women of Vision, and will honor them at a community gathering later this month.

 

Mazumdar is an Arlington-based artist, writer, educator and founder of Studio Pause, a space where everyday people are invited to make time for creativity and celebrate community.

Stienstra is senior manager for research and policy for the Arlington County Department of Public Safety, Communications and Emergency Management, and is the founder and program manager for HERricane Arlington, a summer camp and continuing-education program designed to give high-school-aged girls the skills to survive disasters and to consider careers in emergency management and allied fields.

Griffen is the founder and executive director of Postpartum Support Virginia, which provides information, outreach and support to new mothers and the health-care providers who serve them.

More

May 2018

Sat. May 5, 12, 19, 26. 2-3:30 pm
Illumination with Sughra Hussainy
Illumination with Sughra is back by popular demand! Learn how graph paper and tracing paper help create endless combinations of beautiful designs used to adorn religious and secular manuscripts from centuries-old Islamic traditions. Students create geometric, vegetal, and floral motifs and nature-based designs and color the designs with opaque watercolors, outline them in black ink, and apply illuminations using gold paint.

Reception, Thu May 10, 7-8:30 pm
“What Would You Do If…”
In this Interactive Storytelling Session with Hamed Farmand you will hear true stories of some children whose parents were arrested or are in prison, and you will be asked to tell us what you would do if you were present there. It’s the first step of Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI)’s next advocacy project; an informal education program to reduce the “empathy gap” between society and families with incarcerated loved ones.

April 2018

Monday, Apr 2, 7-9 pm
Mason Night Market: Kickoff Event for APAHM
Studio Pause was invited to design activities for the first Mason Night Market at George Mason University to kick-off their Asian Pacific American Heritage Month programs. Studio members shared the word for ME! in various Asian languages and scripts or guests to write onto buttons collaged with Asian handmade papers. Check out the photos here!

Tuesday, Apr 3, 7-8 pm
Poetry PAUSE with Hanan Seid: Oakridge Elementary School After an amazing event last year when 11 poets from the Studio community read their Thou Art poems to students and families Studio Pause was invited by Oakridge Elementary School, Arlington, to celebrate National Poetry Month and the school’s Mosaic Project with students and families. The turn-out was great and there were poems read by students, parents, community members, and teachers. This year we shared poems in English, Welsh, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi too! Thanks to the PTA for supporting the Mosaic project!
Check out photos here.

Reception & Reading, Sun Apr 15, 4-6 pm,
Center Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA
Baked Clay/Endless Sky: Celebrating 5 Years of Studio Pause Five years ago, a small space in South Arlington, Studio Pause, became a refuge and place of celebration for anyone who wanted to explore and share their art and stories. Over the years writers, researchers, storytellers, students, lawyers, moms, and visual artists have gathered regularly to make time for creativity and to build community. They listen, ask questions, learn, and encourage. The studio has since moved to the Gates of Ballston community, a couple miles away; nevertheless, the PAUSErs remain inspired… by the Studio’s wall colors in particular: Baked Clay, a rich, warm orangey-brown, and Endless Sky, a lovely, light, expansive blue.

In this show, I invite PAUSErs to explore what those two colors and the Studio means to them. As founder Sushmita Mazumdar says, “We are all creative. We just don’t have the time to explore how we can share our stories. And we don’t think anyone will care. But what happens if we CAN make the time and people DO care? What do we learn about our community then?” ~ Carson Herrington, curator. 

Mar 2018

Extended! Sat Mar 10, 17. 1-2:30 pm
Open Studio with Sughra Hussainy
Explore the art of illumination with Afghan artist Sughra Hussainy at the Studio. Learn how graph paper and tracing paper help create endless combinations of beautiful designs used to adorn  religious and secular manuscripts from centuries-old Islamic traditions. Students create geometric, vegetal, and floral motifs and nature-based designs and color the designs with opaque watercolors, outline them in black ink, and apply illuminations using gold paint.
Fee: $20/session

Mon, March 12, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid is now on Mondays! Join local slam poet Hanan at the monthly series she hosts at the Studio. Bring your art, poetry, and stories to share. 

Reception & Writing Pause, Thu, March 15, 6:30-8:30 pm
In Cahoots, Again: Fiber Art by Andrea Blackmon
In 2008, Andrea Blackmon did a show with her friend Susanne (Susie) Crane called “In Cahoots”. Susie is a painter and Andrea works in fiber. Ten years later, they are at it again with a show called “Squaring Off.” They both are creating works that reflect their interpretations of fifteen different themes.

“Every piece has to be in a square format. As an added challenge, each of us has to do one piece in the other artist’s preferred medium,” Andrea says.

Squaring Off will be at the Freeborn County Arts Initiative in Albert Lea, Minnesota from May 3, 2018 – June 23, 2018. “Because my friends here in the DC region are not likely to travel to Minnesota this Spring, I wanted to show some of the works that will be on display.”

Feb 2018

Sat Feb 10, 17, 24 and Mar 3, 1-2:30 pm
Open Studio with Sughra Hussainy
Explore the art of illumination with Afghan artist Sughra Hussainy at the Studio. Learn how graph paper and tracing paper help create endless combinations of beautiful designs used to adorn  religious and secular manuscripts from centuries-old Islamic traditions. Students create geometric, vegetal, and floral motifs and nature-based designs and color the designs with opaque watercolors, outline them in black ink, and apply illuminations using gold paint. Fee: $20/session, 4 sessions.

Reception, Thu, Feb 15, 7-8:30 pm
Accepting Death: Drawings by Rubén Villalta
“Death is a taboo subject in many cultures, and it is one of the points that brings us closer, as human beings, and our political and religious persuasions, basically, don’t matter,” explains Ruben, the Studio’s artist-in-residence for 2018. In this show, through the depiction of rotten fruit Villalta tries to symbolize our perishable nature and invites the viewer to accept it. “We can achieve that acceptance not by avoiding “what happens when we die” but by asking “how can I accept it.”

Rubén Villalta was born in 1995, three years after the end of the civil war in his country El Salvador, and lives in the Unites States.

Monday, Feb 26, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid is now on Mondays! Join local slam poet Hanan at the monthly series she hosts at the Studio. Bring your art, poetry, and stories to share.

Jan 2018

Sat, Jan 6, 11 am-4 pm
National Building Museum, Washington DC
1968: Shaping the District Presented by the National Building Museum and the 1968-2018 Collaborative, explore D.C. as it was in 1968 through music, talks, tours, and hands-on activities for all ages. We welcome open dialogue and hope that this program can be a catalyst to engage, reflect, and build deeper connections to the city and its history.
City of Stories Make a house-shaped book with artist Sushmita Mazumdar and share your creation in an ongoing display, creating a “city” of collective stories that express thoughts, feelings, and ideas about Washington, D.C. – then or now.

Thu, Jan 11, 6:30-8:30 pm, Studio Pause
Reception & Writing PAUSE
Unfinished/Unfolding: Artworks by Mary Louise Marino
Mary Louise Marino’s continuing influence of nature in her artwork takes her to a new medium, hand stitching, where she explores rhythm and appliqué in a series of ‘unfinished’ pieces. She shares how what she sees in nature also influenced her photography, mark-making and expressive drawing, as well as her work in handmade textiles.
“Seeing in one medium unfolds in unexpected ways of seeing in another,” Mary says. While her hand stitching work in particular appears ‘unfinished’, she invites us to reconsider the value of things unfinished. “Much like nature, and ourselves, it leaves an opening to discover more or make connections that unfold into something unexpected.”
You can find Mary on Instagram @marylouisemarino

Sun, Jan 21-March 18, 10:30 am-1:00 pm (ex Feb 18)
Smithsonian Associates, Ripley Center, Washington DC
Exploring Eastern Calligraphy: Persian, Arabic, and Devnagari Script
Discover the relationship between the Eastern traditions of Afghanistan and India as you explore calligraphy’s connection to language, literary arts, religion, popular culture, memory, and art. For more and to register click here.

Wed, Jan 31, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid 

Dec 2017

Thu, Dec 14, 6:30-8:30
5 Years of PAUSE: Art Reception + Writing + Mic-Less Night!
A Reception: At an early Studio Pause art reception, a friend had said to the artist whose work was on view: I am an artist too. But I don’t have a job so no money to buy your art, which I love. The artist said: Pay $10 for it now. Give me the rest when you get a job.

A Writing PAUSE: Studio members will be at the event and we will write too, like we do weekly at Writing PAUSE, with the art as our prompt. We will share it with the artist and guests so everyone can see how the art inspires others. PAUSE Cards ($30 for 2 sessions, $60 for 4 sessions) will be available for purchase if you want to try out/give a gift of Writing PAUSE. Email me if you’d like one.

Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid: If you haven’t attended our monthly open mic with a twist, you’ll get a taste of that too with studio artist-in-residence, Hanan Seid. Professional slam poets, high-schoolers, aspiring artists, and others will show their work, mix ideas, and share dreams.

See photos from our last Mic-Less Night here.

And of course there will be food! So come join us!

 

PLUS!

ORDER A BOOK: If you still want a copy of our community poetry book Thou Art: The Beauty of Identity, you can order the second edition here. While supplies last!

 

SIGN UP FOR A WORKSHOP: 

Eastern Calligraphy Workshop: Persian, Arabic, and Devnagari Script at Smithsonian Associates

Join artists Sughra Hussainy and Sushmita Mazumdar to discover the relationship between the Eastern traditions of Afghanistan and India as you explore calligraphy’s connection to language, literary arts, religion, popular culture, memory, and art.

8-Session Weekend Course Sunday, January 21 to March 18, 2018 – 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (no class Feb. 18)

Nov 2017

Sat Nov 11, Sun Nov 12, Freer Sackler Gallery of Art ImaginAsia Studio
Family Workshop: Celebrate Diwali
Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in this family workshop (Sat) and teen workshop (Sun). Explore artworks from the Indian subcontinent on an educator-led tour. Then, return to the studio to create your own colorful book featuring a traditional rangoli design with teaching artist Sushmita Mazumdar from Studio PAUSE. This program is designed for children ages six to twelve and adults to enjoy together.
Register here!

Sat, Nov 18, 10:30 am-12 pm, Alexandria Black History Museum
Family Legends Bookmaking Workshop: Thanksgiving Stories
Family Legends, a project of Living Legends of Alexandria, is hosting a book-making workshop to introduce young people to identifying their own personal living legends and chronicling those stories. Led by artist and educator Sushmita Mazumdar of StudioPause, the workshop is aimed at kids ages 7 to 12 (with parents invited to work alongside them).  Suggested donation of $5 at the door helps defray materials costs and supports the Living Legends of Alexandria. Advance registration is appreciated so please reserve your spot today! Photo, Nina Tisara

Wed, Nov 29, 7-8:30 pm, Studio Pause
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Bring your poems, art, music to share in a mic-free space where all voices are welcome! Or come to listen, ask questions, meet the poets and join in the fun.

Oct 2017

Sat, Oct 14, 9-1 pm
HOME @Arlington! at Marymount Farmer’s Market

Sun, Oct 15, 2-6 pm
HOME @Arlington! at Latino American Festival

Tue, Oct 17, 3-7 pm (Last chance to join in!)
HOME @Arlington! at Crystal City Farmer’s Market

Sept 2017

Fri, Sept 15, 10 am-2 pm
HOME @Arlington! at PARK(ing) Day

Sat, Sept 16, noon-4 pm
HOME @Arlington at the Nauck Pride Day

Reception, Thu Sept 21, 6:30-8:30 pm
Ephemera: Drawings by Marlene Terreros
“Capturing an elusive moment, navigating an emotion, portraying a message are some of the reasons that urge me to sketch.  The labor of capturing it on paper can prove consuming.  Drawing gives me the means to reflect and to produce a tangible response to my search,” says Arlington Historic Preservation inspector Marlene Terreros.

With degrees in architecture and historic preservation her masters in Fine Arts got buried. But Marlene keeps index cards and pencils handy. “There are certain moments which you never want to forget—I try to snatch them and turn them into quick drawings. Imagination lets you capture it and help it materialize so you can stay there and see it again and again. We are finite and we are constantly trying to understand the infinite,” Marlene explains.

Wed, Sept 27, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid
Bring your poems, art, music to share in a mic-free space where all voices are welcome! Or come to listen, ask questions, meet the poets and join in the fun.

August 2017

Sun, Aug 6, 9 am-1 pm
HOME @Arlington at Columbia Pike Farmer’s Market

Sun, Aug 20, noon-4 pm
HOME @Arlington at the Arlington County Fair

Sun, Aug 27, 1-6 pm
HOME @Arlington at the Buckingham Community Festival

The installation for HOME @Arlington is up on view at Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington VA 22201. Go check out the responses by the public and show yours to your friends and family if its up!

July 2017

July 13, 14, 19
HOME @Arlington 2017: A Community Art Project by Sushmita Mazumdar
Ever wanted to ask questions on Public Art or give your ideas to your community?Arlington’s Public Art Master Plan (PAMP) is getting an update! Adopted in 2004, it outlines a strategy for how public art will improve the quality of Arlington’s public spaces and facilities.

Join in and let your art be your voice! More…

Reception, Sat. July 15, 12-2 pm
Positive Printers 2017: A Show of Darkroom Prints 

Thursday, July 20 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM

June 2017

Sat. June 10, 10-2 pm, 3700 Four Mile Run Dr, Arlington VA
MAKE your MARK! Join us for Arlington Arts’s first Maker event! Make awesome stuff with many Makers including 7 Studio Pause Makers-Ahmad Abumraighi, Anamaria Estrada, Carmen Lynette, Sharmila Karamchandani, Sughra Hussainy, Jillian Neri, and Sushmita Mazumdar. Recycle, upcycle, reuse, and create! Join multicultural artists and makers as they come together to inspire their community and share their original art ideas in creative ways. Participants include  Arlington County CostumeLab, ArlingtonWeaves, Etc., BLOOM,  DC Modern Quilt Guild,  Lee Arts Center,  Studio PAUSE, TEN09 Collective – GMU, and makers and artists  Melanie Kehoss, Felecia Brice McFail,  and Natsag Gankhuyag.

Thu, June 22, 6:30-8 pm
Indigo Lion Writing PAUSE: Explore Tai Lue Textiles from Laos

PAUSE for writing and conversation, inspired by handmade.

What happens when you hold handmade craft in your hands. What will it inspire you to write?
This is what we’ll explore together, letting writing take us to memories, lead to associations, and create stories.
We’ll be focusing on the extraordinary textiles from the Tai Lue ethnic group from Laos. Discover motifs and patterns from unique weaving traditions and sense the indigenous plants that yield subtle natural colors and textures.
The textiles, stories, and photos we’ll be sharing offers a glimpse into Laos village life, bringing you closer to inspiring women, nature’s gifts, and cultural expression both traditional and present. More…

 

Wed, June 28, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night with Hanan Seid: Bring us your art, poetry, and stories! Join host Hanan Seid for a night of voices being heard and community. Bring a dish to share! Free and open to the public. See photos from our past Mic-Less Nights on Facebook.

 

 

 

Fri, June 30, 6:30 pm
Taste of Egypt: Food & Art come together in a Planner/Recipe Book
You are invited to the launch of Heart to Heart: An Egyptian Experience, an 18-month planner and recipe book by local culinary entreprenur Aida Mady with art by local artist and art educator Sharmila Karamchandani.  Come and share an experience of Egypt–enjoy a light vegetarian dinner from recipes in the book, and listen to stories of the art-making journey and how the two women collaborated to follow their passions and create something new. More …

Menu:

1) Mosakaa

2) cheese pie

3) rice pudding

4) tea with fresh mint

Planners, bookmarks, and other items will be for sale. Please rsvp here as space is limited.

May 2017

Wed., May 17, 2017, 7-8:30 pm
One year of Mic-Less Night Series! Join us to celebrate one year of our Mic-Less Night Series with a potluck. Hosted by local slam poet Hanan Seid, Mic-Less Night invites you to bring your poems, your art, your song, your heart, and your acceptance.
Enjoy photos from our Mic-Less Nights on our Facebook page here.

Reception, Thursday, May 18, 2017, 6:30pm 8:00pm
Indigo Lion Book Launch Last fall Indigo Lion Global Handmade invited us to “pause” together to hold handmade craft and write. We discovered our inner prose and glimpsed into another part of the globe. Now it all comes together in a collection of the inspired writings and many photos in the book, Curating Beautiful Conversations: what happens when you hold handmade craft in your hands?

Join us for a gathering of readings, new photos and videos, and find out what happened when we shared a draft of the book with artisan enterprises and weavers on Indigo Lion’s recent trip back to Cambodia and Laos.

Book specifications: 8’x10′, 45 pages, softcover, full color printing. Get your copy of the book at the event. All writers get a discount!

Handmade textiles accessories and accents from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar that inspired the writings will also be available for purchase.

May 29-June 12, 2017
Thou Art travels to Virginia Foundation of the Humanities So excited to share with you an article written by David Bearinger, director of grants and community programs at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, about our project Thou Art: The Beauty of Identity. The article will be on the Global Virginia page of their website. At the end of May the artwork will travel from UUCA where it is now on view to Charlottesville, VA to be exhibited at the VFH from May 29-June 12, 2017. Read the article here.

Above, photo from our amazing show reception, reading, and bookmaking at UUCA where 17 of the 25 Thou Art poets attended and read their poems! From left, Yuri, Sush, Arpita, Sughra, Courtney, Mary, Sharmila, Nakshin, Tannia, Kim, Rachel, Kori, Susan, and Marga. Others who read but are not in the photo: Howie, Carson, Eva, Rosa. See more photos here and thank you so much for joining us and telling us how the project connected with you! I am documenting all your feedback and conversations as Thou Art is so much more than just a book for me.

Mar/Apr events      

FEB 2017

Reception: Sat., Feb 18, 2-4 pm
Reconstructing The Spirit: Mosaics and Paintings by Micheline Lavalle
“Through my artwork in mosaic glass mirrors, I try and capture the unique beauty of the self. The harmonious and instinctual placement of beautifully colored glass reconstructs what is lost and brings joy and peace to the spirit. My love of color was inspired by the enormous beauty if southern Chile, where I spent my early childhood”, Micheline Lavalle says.

“My paintings—they are real places – made from photographs that I have taken or that I have found and liked. What I love about painting is creating something beautiful where there was nothing – I like the process of filling the paper or canvas with colors and shapes and creating something beautiful. I find satisfaction in that.  When I paint I am transported temporarily to that place.”

Wed. Feb 22, 7-8:30 pm
Mic-Less Night Series with Hanan Seid Join us for Studio artist-in-residence Hanan Seid’s Mic-Less Night, a monthly feature at Studio Pause, where drop-in guests share poetry, art, and more. See fun photos on our Facebook page.

JAN 2017

Wed, Jan 25, 7-8:30 pm, Studio Pause Ballston
Mic-Less Night Series Join us for Studio artist-in-residence Hanan Seid’s Mic-Less Night, a monthly feature at Studio Pause, where drop-in guests share poetry, art, and more. More here. See pics from our Nov Mic-Less Night here.

Reception: Sat, Jan 28, 2-4 pm

Color Everywhere: Paintings, Shoes, & Woolens by Anamaria Estrada 

My name is Anamaria, and I am the mother of one girl—she is my treasure.

I enjoy every single way possible to create pieces of art —painting, knitting, doodling, sewing—since it always brings me peace of mind and joy. And why joy? Just because my subject matter is about people, their daily routine, places, and human nature—just simple normal life.

The repetitive action of knitting helps to release all my tensions and make something great out of it, producing a piece that someone will wear and enjoy. And doodling, for me, is just a happy and cute way of making things new with my drawings.

For me, art is diversity and art can be everywhere. My influences are foremost things I see, feel, and experience—and that inspires me to put colors together in different ways everywhere! Every piece I create I make with love, and every piece has a different meaning not just for me but for the viewer too, and I like that. Art frees my imagination and provides many opportunities for happy accidents and grace to influence the finished product.