Zenith is proud to present, “Artists Femina,” an exhibition celebrating women in the arts. All too often in Art History, women have been excluded from schools, events, and exhibitions, with only their bodies allowed as subject matter. Rising from the male gaze, but still inflicted by it, women have infiltrated the arts at a local, national and international level. Today we reflect on the impact that female artists from DC and beyond have made on the contemporary art scene. Owner/founder/Director of Zenith Gallery; Margery Goldberg, has been breaking down barriers in the arts her whole life. From operating the first all-female wood shop, to creating one of the longest running galleries in D.C., Ms. Goldberg has been an inspiration to female and male artists alike, and now feels compelled to highlight those who have continued the path that she has helped forge.

Administrative Director of Zenith Gallery’s non-profit organization, Zenith Community Arts Foundation (ZCAF), Elizabeth Ashe is a new addition to our gallery artists. Her sculptures and paintings highlight the drawn-to and repelled-from-danger safety dynamic in relationships and landscapes. Leda Black’s Fringe Series sublimely blends and bleeds nature and color, with definite elements rhyming with the indefinite.

Another newcomer to Zenith, Lea Craigie-Marshall not only experiments with a multitude of different mediums, but also plays with varied subjects from current political events to obscure natural images. Jessica Damen uses classical techniques and influences in her modern take of current socio-political issues. Elissa Farrow-Savos reflects a sense of womanhood through her mixed media sculptures that provokes feminine emotions with their titles. Susan Freda weaves fine metal wire to create airy, kinetic and organic-looking dresses. Julie Girardini incorporates her science background to create steel and glass marvels unlike any other sculptures around. Carolyn Goodridge, a founder of Art Impact USA, creates organic and spatially beautiful blooms using encaustic and glass that has a soothing feel.

Joan Konkel intricately places painted metal mesh onto playfully colorful canvas in a technique she developed, creating multi-dimensional wall art that invites the viewer into her pieces. Prominent writer and journalist Nancy Nesvet gives the environment a voice in her troubling yet beautiful arctic landscape paintings. Katharine Owens wields her scissors with precision in meticulously designed paper collages. NY based veteran artist SICA constructs her own metallic paper in abstract and symbolic designs in both sculpture and paintings. Installations by Elizabeth Ashe and Lea-Craigie-Marshall invite viewers’ participation to weave or narrate wishes. Together, these women artists represent their powerful journeys and exquisite talent through their art, ranging from subjects about women to nature to the abstract, making their very own contributions to women in the arts.

Join us on November 18th from 2-6 pm for a closing reception/artist talk from our "Artist Femina" artists. The talk will begin at 3 pm.