Falls Church Arts Presents “Through the Artist’s Eye”

ArtSpace Falls Church has been transformed into a multimedia art gallery for the Falls Church Arts 2012 All-Member Show, “Through the Artist’s Eye.”

The annual showcase, which runs through Sunday, April 22, highlights the work of 55 FCA artists. The all-media show includes everything from photography, paintings and colored pencil drawings to linoleum block prints, modern sculptures and off-beat pop art.

“The quality and variety is very important,” said FCA President Barb Cram. “There’s modern, traditional, interpretative and all-media art. I really like that. We even have a child’s drawing in the show.”

This April marks the ninth annual all-member show for the non-profit arts organization and the third held at ArtSpace Falls Church. Artist and FCA member Deborah Conn has been co-chair of the show for six years.

“I think this is a beautiful show,” Conn said. “It really came out well.”

Conn worked with co-chair and former FCA president Marty Meserve to hang all of the artwork for the show.

“It’s really amazing because you get all of these completely different works of art and you have to try to find some kind of harmony and somehow it always comes together,” Conn said. “I never realized it before doing this show but hanging is an art.”

Conn and Cram are both thrilled with the eclectic mix of artwork on display and the wide variety of artists who are participating in the show. Almost 40 percent of FCA members are City of Falls Church residents and the other artists live in Northern Virginia or Washington, D.C.

“It is local though and you see people who are your friends showing here,” Conn said. “The local nature of it is very nice. You get to know people as you volunteer to work on shows and so it’s a real community builder. I think it’s just a wonderful asset for Falls Church to have.”

Cram has been pushing for more FCA shows and programs to promote the artists and to stay involved in the local community.

“We keep turning the shows over because there’s higher energy,” she said. “I’m really committed to that because I feel like the artists need options.”

Conn agreed by saying, “It’s really nice to have outlets for showing your work.”

With 18 months as president under her belt, Cram has promoted many successful shows, events and programs including art classes, field trips and summer camps. Post-retirement has left the FCA president itching to keep busy and devote time to promoting something that she loves: the arts.

“It is shows like this where people who have another business get ideas and talk to other artists,” she said. “People are learning to use the arts in their business and then we constantly patronize local businesses to the extent that we can so that people are more aware of the arts. We’re making inroads where people are using our artists for other things.”

Conn said what sets FCA apart from other local galleries is the overwhelming talent of each artist.

“The quality of the art keeps getting better and better,” she said. “Artists who’ve been around for awhile are getting better and we’re attracting really fine artists because they see the quality of the work and they don’t mind hanging next to it.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the artwork is fairly priced, according to Cram.

“The other thing is we’re very friendly and low-key,” she said. “People are very supportive of each other which is nice.”

Through Sunday, April 22; Fridays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturdays, 12-2 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m., Sundays, 12-2 p.m.; Free
410 S. Maple Ave.; info@fallschurcharts.org