News & Events

Artists & Makers Studios Presents
“Small Images Bring Joy”
with The Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association for the month of December. The exhibit will run from December 3rd through December 19th, with a First Friday opening on December 5th from 5-8pm. The Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association was founded in 1976 as a small group of artists residing in Gaithersburg. Over the years, the group has grown to include members throughout Montgomery County, Frederick and DC. GFAA provides educational programs plus promotional opportunities through exhibits. Members work in the classical mediums of two-dimensional art: oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, tempera, drawing, and the graphic arts. This past summer, many members took the opportunity to travel.  While away, they might have painted or sketched on location or captured memories using their cameras. These times are not forgotten, and GFAA members are excited to exhibit their work in a show titled “Small Images Bring Joy”.

A Mini-Solo exhibit for Cathy Hirsh and Nancy Jakubowski, titled “Over the Rainbow” will open in the Lounge Gallery. As the holiday season sweeps in each year, we all hope to share moments of joy, wonder, and inspiration with our family and friends. “Over the Rainbow” captures that spirit, offering an eclectic collection of artworks designed to delight, inspire, and spark conversation. Award-winning artists Cathy Hirsh and Nancy Jakubowski present a vibrant selection of paintings and ceramic wall art that are colorful, whimsical, and just plain fun—perfect for celebrating the holidays and any season of the year. Nancy Jakubowski is a clay artist who creates both functional and sculptural pieces, with a particular focus on wildlife. This body of work features wall pieces that combine bold colors, playful patterns, and natural textures with organic forms to create unique works that feel both earthy and fun. Folk art plays a big role in the inspiration behind several of these pieces. Cathy Hirsh’s award-winning artwork, collected both in the U.S. and internationally, has been described as stimulating, joyful, eclectic, and thought-provoking yet approachable. As a Resident Artist and Teacher at Artists & Makers Studios, Cathy works across multiple media, exploring landscapes, florals, and abstract forms. Her pieces are featured online, in galleries, and in solo and group exhibitions. Both artists are members of Gallery 209 at A&M Studios and were selected for Lenny Campello’s ground-breaking survey of notable female artists of the DMV area, being exhibited across more than 18 venues.

Enjoy a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists and makers. Delight in a visit from Butterfly Spirits – Butterfly Spirits is a Bethesda based craft liquor brand focused on botanically forward spirits with a vintage feel.  It was founded in 2018 by Montgomery County natives Alyssa and Josh Ammerman out of their shared love of cocktails and the complexity, beauty and joy they bring. The current Butterfly Spirits portfolio includes elderberry vodka, botanical liqueur, hazelnut whiskey and three vodka soda canned offerings. Once construction is completed on their new distillery space, a full line up of gins, whiskeys, and liqueurs will be available. The anticipated start of distillery tours and opening of the cocktail lounge is late 2025. Light fare generously sponsored by The Chesapeake Framing Company. For 40 years, Chesapeake Framing Company’s talented designers have made beautiful works of art even more noteworthy with the highest quality materials and our in-house production studio. Your artwork never leaves our store and is handled by trained, experienced artisans who value your work as much as you do.

The Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association “Small Images Bring Joy”
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Mini-Solo for Cathy Hirsh and Nancy Jakubowski “Over the Rainbow”
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen
The sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh

December Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, December 5th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Meet the Artists Saturday, December 13th, 1-3pm

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Friday, Saturday 11:00am – 3:00pm, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host Bridgette Guerzon Mills for the month of November. The exhibit will run from November 5th through November 25th, with a First Friday opening on November 7th from 5-8pm. Creating the work in “Touch the Earth” brought Bridgette a sense of grounding in these uncertain times. The idea of grounding is that when we physically touch the earth, skin to earth, there are benefits to our mental and physical health. Touching the earth brings one into the present moment. These pieces explore resilience, mindfulness and gratitude for the beauty and steadfastness of the often-overlooked details of the natural world. These works are about noticing the beauty and the profound in the mundane and fully embracing that mystery. If we allow the earth to hold us, we can reconnect to ourselves and can find stability in an unstable world. Enjoy a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare and beverages are generously sponsored by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Bridgette Guerzon Mills “Touch the Earth”
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen
The Sculptural Work of Francis Maduka Uduh

November First Friday Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, November 7th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Meet the Artist and an encaustic demo Saturday, November 22, 1-3pm

Artist Statement

I have always been drawn to the natural world, and my artwork is a personal dialogue with the cycles of life, memory and the passage of time. Often in my work there is a sense of longing and the desire and hopefulness to reconnect with the earth. Through both imagery and medium, I create organic pieces that speak to the interconnectedness of all living things.

My mixed media paintings incorporate moments captured by my photographs with the richness of paint. I lay down layers of paint and pieces of photo transfers, papers or fibers to create depth in both form and meaning. The canvas becomes a multilayered surface that speaks to both the visual and tactile senses. This integration of diverse layers creates an intimate connection that invites exploration. My artwork aims to reveal the beautiful melancholy and the fragile imperfection of the life around and within.

Bio

Bridgette Guerzon Mills is a multimedia artist whose work incorporates a variety of materials, including photography, paint, encaustic, textiles, as well as reclaimed materials. Her mixed media art often combines photography with encaustic to create a bridge between two worlds – the real and the reconstructed, while her landscapes are an attempt to capture a feeling of wonder, recognition and kinship with the land. Her outdoor installations, often created using foraged or salvaged materials, focus on environmental issues and seek to engage and educate the public about these concerns. She has been published in magazines and books and her work has been collected in the United States and internationally. She has lived in the east coast, midwest, and pacific northwest and currently resides in Towson, MD with her family.

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Friday, Saturday 11:00am – 3:00pm, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Artists & Makers Studios Presents
“Women Artists of the DMV”
Curated by Florencio Lennox Campello

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host the largest ever-curated fine arts multi-venue show in the U.S. coming this Fall to 18+ art venues around the Greater Washington, DC capital region as curator Florencio Lennox Campello surveys over 500+ female artists actively working around the DMV. The exhibit will run from September 4th through October 29th at Artists & Makers Studios with an opening on October 3rd from 5-8pm. Featuring the work of over 500+ women artists from the Greater Washington, DC capital region, this massive survey exhibition is curated by Florencio Lennox Campello, whose curatorial background extends to over 200 exhibitions over the past four decades. “This region is not only home to some of the best art museums in the world, dozens of commercial art galleries, non-profit art spaces, alternative art venues, embassy art spaces, and fine arts organizations, but it also supports and fertilizes some of the most unique and creative visual art scenes in the nation,” notes Campello. Why this show? To survey the key, established female artists of the capital region, mid-career artists, and just as important, identify the emerging female artists who can benefit from this large-scale exposure. All genres of the visual arts, to include public art, will be showcased and each selected artist will have one work selected by the curator. Enjoy a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare and beverages are sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Florencio Lennox Campello Curates “Women Artists of the DMV”
The Sculptural Work of Francis Maduka Uduh
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen

October Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, October 3rd, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

***Gallery Talk with Lenny Campello at 6:30pm to discuss how artists were chosen and placed***

Featured Artists:

Maremi Andreozzi

Erin Antognoli

Kate Barfield

Veronica Barker-Barzel

Lisa Battle

Jennifer Bishop

Jill Brabant

Patricia Buck

Diane Cooper Cabe

Jenny Davis

Tanya Davis

Sofia Gawer

Jean Hirons

Susan Hostetler

Sarah J. Hull

Teresa Jarzynski

Rachel Kerwin

Micheline Klagsbrun

Deborah Lash

Linda Lowery

Ruth Lozner

Lusmerlin

Suzanne Maggi

Lucinda Marshall

Phyllis Mayes

Marla McLean

Ally Morgan

Kimberly Nesci

Leslie Nolan

Shelley Picot

Maryanne Pollock

Erin Raedeke

Cindy K. Renteria

Sarah Rodman

Roxana Rojas-Luzon

Martina Sestakova

Elzbieta Sikorska

Eleanor Tanno

Marite Vidales

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard

Sharon Wolpoff

Sheri Youens-Un

Paula Zeller

Barbara Ziselberger

WomenArtistsoftheDMV.com

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

A&M

As a part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, Resident Artist Lea Craigie has been hired to help us celebrate this huge milestone – with a mural on the exterior of our much loved building.

Biography: Lea Craigie – Multidisciplinary Artist and Designer

Lea Craigie is an award-winning multidisciplinary public artist, fine artist, sculptor and designer rooted in the DMV region. Born in Falls Church, Virginia, raised between Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, and shaped by a childhood growing up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, her work blends urban vibrancy with a deep love of nature and history.

Her expansive body of work includes public art commissions, historical and contemporary murals, mosaic murals and sculptures, laser cut steel panel installations, suspended sculptures, molded resin sculptures, stained glass, acrylic panel sculptures, acrylic wall installations, sculptural installations, and fine art painting—many created in collaboration with local governments, nonprofits, developers, and communities.

Flourish: A Mural for Artists & Makers Studios

This mural, proposed for the exterior panels of Artists & Makers Studios, is inspired by the timeless botanical elegance of William Morris. Drawing from his rich legacy of pattern, flora, and hand-crafted beauty, the design is a joyful celebration of nature’s intricate rhythms — featuring bold blossoms, curling vines, and pollinators that evoke creativity, growth, and community.

Set against a warm terracotta backdrop, the flowing composition reflects the spirit of the studios within: vibrant, welcoming, and ever-blooming with artistic energy. The mural spans 18 panels, unifying the multiple entrances with color and movement while serving as a visual invitation to the public to engage with the creative work happening inside.

As an artist deeply committed to public art that uplifts and connects, I’m honored to bring this piece to a space that nurtures makers of all disciplines.

leacraigiestudios.com

www.instagram.com/bluehuestudio

WOMEN ARTISTS OF THE DMV: A 16+ GALLERY SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY FEMALE ARTISTS WORKING ACROSS THE GREATER CAPITAL REGION

Release: Immediate

Exhibition Contact: Lenny Campello email: lenny@lennycampello.com cell: 301/437-1054

Technology/Images Contact: Lenny Campello email: lenny@lennycampello.com cell: 301/437-1054

Exhibition Dates: Multiple dates starting in late August – early January, 2026.

Summary: The largest ever-curated fine arts multi-venue show in the U.S. comes this Fall to 16+ art venues around the Greater Washington, DC capital region as curator Florencio Lennox Campello surveys over 450 female artists actively working around the DMV.

Locations:

About the exhibitions: Featuring the work of over 450 women artists from the Greater Washington, DC capital region, this massive survey exhibition is curated by Florencio Lennox Campello, whose curatorial background extends to over 200 exhibitions over the past four decades. “This region is not only home to some of the best art museums in the world, dozens of commercial art galleries, non-profit art spaces, alternative art venues, embassy art spaces, and fine arts organizations, but it also supports and fertilizes some of the most unique and creative visual art scenes in the nation,” notes Campello.

Why this show? To survey the key, established female artists of the capital region, mid-career artists, and just as important, identify the emerging female artists who can benefit from this large-scale exposure. All genres of the visual arts, to include public art, will be showcased and each selected artist will have one work selected by the curator.

The Old Stove, Lansing – by Jennifer Bishop, alum of A&M

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host Master Printmaker Jun Lee and her new solo show, HIDE & SEEK. The exhibit will display printmaking and drawing that examine the different ways we can recover and seek comfort after a defeat. Her work uses animal imagery to explore the various ways that we recover, both individually and collectively, from a loss. Lee’s work will turn toward animals and the cultural narratives surrounding them, drawing on these stories to create new stories that reflect our own social dynamics, not just as a battleground for survival, but as a community striving to heal and protect those affected by conflict. The reduction woodcut technique mirrors this journey: once a decision is made, there’s no turning back, only moving forward. This process captures the essence of life. Once you act, you have no choice but to move forward with the result and adapt to the next challenge. Lee is a printmaker who works in large-format woodcut utilizing animals as metaphors to convey competition in our daily lives. Her print work has been exhibited and collected nationally and internationally. Lee was awarded DC Arts and Humanities Fellowship and DC Art Bank grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Enjoy additional exhibits with Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall, a mini-solo with Kerry Richardson in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare and drinks are sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Master Printmaker Jun Lee “Hide & Seek”
Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall
Mini-Solo with Kerry Richardson
The Sculptural Work of Francis Maduka Uduh
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, August 1st, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Meet the Artist with Jun Lee, August 16th between 11:00am – 3:00pm

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Artists & Makers Studios Presents
Thalia Doukas and Laurel B. Jensen
and their Exhibit “Impossible Dream House”
curated by Carol Rhodes Dyson for the Month of July

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host Thalia Doukas and Laurel B. Jensen in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of July. Their exhibit curated by Carol Rhodes Dyson runs from July 2nd through July 23rd, with an opening reception on July 11th from 5-8pm. Thalia’s Impossible Dream House collages transport the viewer to an alternative reality.  Seemingly simple compositions become deeply personal commentaries, connecting memory superimposed with current events.  The collaged images span decades, some taken from sources such as “Architectural Digest,” “Bon Appetit” and “Dick and Jane Reader” publications, that document an idyllic path toward the “American Dream” and transcend race and cultural assumptions. For many years, Thalia Doukas has created installations that feature mixed-media pieces in two and three dimensions.  She is known for combining found and recycled materials in her installations and workshops. Her artistic intentions are to repurpose, rethink and reveal inner truths that help transform one’s consciousness.

Meanwhile, Laurel Jensen has been photographing and writing about DC protesters and the eloquent messages on their handheld signs.  These images are taken from photographs of one protest on the National Mall, Washington, DC on March 14, 2025 when hundreds of veterans, active-duty service members and civil servants gathered to exercise freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances as codified in the US Constitution, First Amendment. Thalia and Laurel are partners who see their projects as two sides of the same aspirational coin, documenting the world here and now versus imagined alternatives. Enjoy additional exhibits with Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall, a mini-solo with Melinda Lowy in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, violin music, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare and drinks are sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Thalia Doukas and Laurel B. Jensen “Impossible Dream House” Curated by Carol Rhodes Dyson
Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall
Mini-Solo with Melinda Lowy
The Sculptural Work of Francis Maduka Uduh
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen
& Violin Music

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, July 11th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Artists & Makers Studios Welcomes
Laurel Lukaszewski and her Exhibit “Reiterations”
for the Month of June

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host Laurel Lukaszewski in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of June. The exhibit runs from June 4th through June 25th, with an opening reception on June 6th from 5-8pm. Laurel Lukaszewski’s latest solo show will present a new body of work focused on an ongoing exploration of materials that began in fall 2024 with a translation of her ceramic iconography into woodblock carvings and prints, cast glass and “printed” porcelain. This examination provides a fascinating look at how materials (clay, glass, wood and paper) can substantially change the viewer’s perception of a piece, even when it is a direct impression of the original. Laurel Lukaszewski is a ceramic artist who has shown nationally and internationally over the past two decades. Her work, whether abstract installations or figurative sculpture, is inspired by the natural world’s life and patterns in the garden and underwater.  It strives to capture movement at a precise moment in time—an attempt to still a single instant before it becomes a fading memory. Enjoy additional exhibits with Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall, a mini-solo with Anne Rickert in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the sculptural work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare and drinks are sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Laurel Lukaszewski “Reiterations”
Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall
Mini-Solo with Anne Rickert
The Sculptural Work of Francis Maduka Uduh
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, June 6th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Laurel Lukaszewski’s Pop-Up Sale 10:00am – 3:00pm, and Artist Talk 11:00am on June 21st, 2025

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

A&M

Artists & Makers Studios Welcomes Schroeder Cherry for the Month of May

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host Schroeder Cherry and his mixed media assemblages in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of May. The exhibit runs from April 30th through May 28th, with an opening reception on May 2nd from 5-8pm. Originally from Washington, DC, Schroeder Cherry is a Baltimore-based assemblage artist and puppeteer whose art captures everyday scenes of African diasporic life. His mixed media assemblage paintings on wood incorporate a variety of found and discarded objects and offer open-ended narratives inspired by travel, music, literature, folklore, and everyday events. Symbolic objects repeated in his work include: keys and locks, which represent tools of access; watermelons, which refute negative African-American stereotypes; as well as glass shards, buttons, playing cards, and other ephemera. Working in series allows Cherry to explore an idea in depth through multiple images.  Future Voter Series is inspired by young people experiencing the current political environment. They might not understand all that is going on but will reflect later when they come of voting age.  Barber Shop Series captures those places men visit to get their hair cut and face shaved. Angel Sconces depict images of spirit guides one calls upon when “in the thick of it.” Salvador Series is inspired by a recent rip to Brazil.

Cherry was a 2019 Janet and Walter Sondheim finalist, a 2021 Maryland State Art Council Independent Artist Award winner, and a 2023 Virginia Center for Creative Arts fellow. In 2024 he visited Salvador, Brazil Enjoyas a recipient of a Maryland Arts Society of Baltimore Travel Grant. Cherry earned a bachelor’s degree in painting and puppetry from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in museum education from George Washington University, and a doctorate in museum education from Columbia University. He is featured in the 2024 the PBS episode Play, by Craft in America.

Enjoy additional exhibits with Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall, a mini-solo with Gail Kaplan-Wassell in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, the work of Francis Maduka Uduh in studio 11C, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare is sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company.

Mixed Media Assemblages by Schroeder Cherry
Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall
Mini-Solo with Gail Kaplan- Wassell
The Work of Francis Maduka Uduh
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, May 2nd, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Artist Talk and Meet and Greet with Schroeder Cherry May 24th, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq. ft. of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Newly constructed two-story 9,508 sq. ft. studio space in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location is touring now, with construction set to begin shortly for the three-story 13,902 sq. ft. location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Artists & Makers Studios Presents the work of Eric Celarier
in the Gallery for the Month of April

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is pleased to host the work of artist Eric Celarier in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of April in Rockville. The exhibit featuring Eric’s drawings and prints “Living Mechanics” runs from April 2nd through April 23rd, with an opening reception on April 4th from 5-8pm. Celarier’s drawings and prints describe nature. Yet this is not the nature of common parlance, limited in scope to the rocks and trees, and the creatures living among them. The artist is concerned more comprehensively with the fundamental powers that govern everything, which not only include the flora and fauna of the Earth, but also mechanics that work upon those things, so he is not only interested in our immediate reality, but the universe as a whole. While primarily informed by the world’s ability to reinvent itself through biological evolution in the face of cataclysmic stress, his work now takes on the added interest of how those changes occur at all scales, from the atomic to the celestial. While dealing with the developments that we can see, such as wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, Celarier sketches out what the potential impact that a warming planet may have in store for us. He illustrates the interaction of these competing forces, along with those less noticeable ones, like gravity and friction, to portray the environments in which we live. Operating on the micro, meso, and macro scales, these pieces imagine multiple views of a surreal landscape brimming with energy. Eric is quick to point out that the Earth has been here before, surviving no less than five nearly fatal environmental cycles. Yet, rather than being consumed by heat, each time our planet has reshaped itself from these ashes into something familiar, but new. The last such cycle did away with the dinosaurs, making way for the evolution and survival of mammals, so the ramifications for any individual species living on the planet could be grave. Additionally, enjoy the latest work of our Resident Artists, a new gallery with Francis Maduka Uduh, a Mini-Solo with Christina Murray in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their work in the large gallery. Open Studios will welcome visitors to visit, shop, and learn. Support local working artists, makers, and creatives. Light fare and bubbly drinks are sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company and Clear Skies Meadery will sell their handcrafted meads.

Eric Celarier – “Living Mechanics”
The Latest Work of Resident Artists
Mini-Solo with Christina Murray
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Francis Maduka Uduh in Studio 11
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, April 4th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Artist Talk, April 5th from 1- 2pm, followed by a question-and-answer gallery hour from 2-3pm

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Good Afternoon All! From now until March 2026 we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary! At this time 10 years ago we were actively touring and cleaning up this building, getting keys made, and locks added or changed. Things were cleaned to within an inch of their life and then freshly painted. We started out with only sections A&B, and rapidly took over section C. We then added section B2 to make a total of 13,000 sq ft. We are so fortunate to have this space in Greater Rockville, a dedicated parking area for the building, and two large picnic tables outside for artists’ and visitors’ dining pleasure.

We survived the shutdown of the pandemic, providing safe, clean space to work in studios with plenty of ventilation during the worst of it…. and our Artist roster and depth of talent has never been better. We appreciate you all – your professionalism, positivity, dedication – and are so glad you all are with us. Thank you to all of our visitors who follow artists, buy their work, share their PR, and join us each month. Thank you to our sponsors – where would we be without you!! Happy, Happy Anniversary to us all!!

“Artists & Makers Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.”

Artists & Makers Studios Celebrates their 10^th Anniversary with the
WCADC, Dignitaries, and a Toast to the Artists

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host the Women’s Caucus for Art DC in the Invited Artist Gallery for the 10th Anniversary Celebrations in Rockville. The exhibit “Gift of Life” runs from March 5th through March 26th, with an opening reception on March 7th from 5-8pm with visiting dignitaries, remarks, and a toast at 7pm. Historian and author Cynthia Greenlee said, “Black women’s maternal death rate has been shockingly high for decades, with few voices outside public health communities calling for action. What will it take to get people to recognize not just the racial disparity in death rates but the disparity in concern over U.S. Black women’s health and lives?” The United States has the highest mortality rates of any developed country. While the crisis of maternal mortality in this country plagues us all, an acute burden is experienced disproportionately by Black, Indigenous, and other women of color. Beloved members of our community are dying at rates greater than any other high-wealth nation. The neurological and physiological effects of historic and systemic patriarchy and racism have dire consequences. Education alone cannot change the stats. These painful truths demand artists’ immediate attention: women shouldn’t die giving life. As a call to action, the Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC (WCADC) invited artists based in DC, Maryland, or Virginia to showcase work focused on the theme of maternal health. Through our art, we can raise awareness of and resources for this critical issue. Enjoy additional exhibits “Celebrating Ten Years with our Best” with Resident Artists, A group exhibit for student artists of Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda, a mini-solo with Kate Bramante in the Lounge Gallery, Pop-Ups with Niki Francesca and Naan Pocen, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare is sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company and Clear Skies Meadery will sell their handcrafted meads.

WCADC – “Gift of Life”
“Celebrating Ten Years with our Best” with Resident Artists
Mini-Solo with Kate Bramante
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Ups with Niki Francesca and Naan Pocen
Student Artists of Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, March 7th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Remarks from Honored Dignitaries and a Toast at 7pm

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq ft of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Construction is currently underway in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location, with construction set to begin shortly for the fourth location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

A&M

Artists & Makers Studios Celebrates their 10^th Anniversary with the
Women’s Caucus for Art DC, and Four More Fabulous Exhibits

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios is thrilled to host the Women’s Caucus for Art DC in the Invited Artist Gallery for the 10th Anniversary Celebrations in Rockville. The exhibit “Gift of Life” runs from March 5th through March 26th, with an opening reception on March 7th from 5-8pm with visiting dignitaries, remarks, and a toast at 7pm. Historian and author Cynthia Greenlee said, “Black women’s maternal death rate has been shockingly high for decades, with few voices outside public health communities calling for action. What will it take to get people to recognize not just the racial disparity in death rates but the disparity in concern over U.S. Black women’s health and lives?” The United States has the highest mortality rates of any developed country. While the crisis of maternal mortality in this country plagues us all, an acute burden is experienced disproportionately by Black, Indigenous, and other women of color. Beloved members of our community are dying at rates greater than any other high-wealth nation. The neurological and physiological effects of historic and systemic patriarchy and racism have dire consequences. Education alone cannot change the stats. These painful truths demand artists’ immediate attention: women shouldn’t die giving life. As a call to action, the Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC (WCADC) invited artists based in DC, Maryland, or Virginia to showcase work focused on the theme of maternal health. Through our art, we can raise awareness of and resources for this critical issue. Enjoy additional exhibits “Celebrating Ten Years with our Best” with Resident Artists, A group exhibit for student artists of Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda, a mini-solo with Kate Bramante in the Lounge Gallery, Pop-Ups with Niki Francesca and Naan Pocen, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building-wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare is sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company and Clear Skies Meadery will sell their handcrafted meads.

WCADC – “Gift of Life”
“Celebrating Ten Years with our Best” with Resident Artists
Mini-Solo with Kate Bramante
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Ups with Niki Francesca and Naan Pocen
Student Artists of Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, March 7th, 2025
Remarks from Honored Dignitaries and a Toast at 7pm

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq ft of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Construction is currently underway in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location, with construction set to begin shortly for the fourth location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Featured work by Marilyn Gates-Davis

Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville Presents
Steve Wanna and “Line, Circle, Ground”
for the Month of February

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville is thrilled to host Steve Wanna in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of February 2025. The exhibit runs from February 5th through February 26th, with an opening reception on First Friday, February 7th, 5 – 8pm. This exhibition features experimental techniques that push materials past their limits to yield unexpected, not entirely controllable results. Almost all the works use paper, pigment, and water as active mediums in an almost performative process. There’s a defining element shared among all the works of pigment that is pulled apart in unexpected fractures and bifurcations, creating organic patterns reminiscent of those in nature, such as in lightning or the branches and roots of trees. These works also speak to the behavior of water in different terrains such as sudden river formation in arid land. In some cases the paper is treated similar to soil, at times approached while completely dry and other times presoaked, each causing dramatic changes as the paper and the media that is applied to it react to water. Enjoy additional exhibits “Languaging Feelings in the Month of Hearts and Flowers” with Resident Artists, a mini-solo with Elizabeth Davison in the Lounge Gallery, Pop-Up with Naan Pocen, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare is sponsored monthly by The Chesapeake Framing Company – celebrating their 45th year. Wine by the glass and bottle by Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard.

Steve Wanna – “Line, Circle, Ground”
“Languaging Feelings in the Month of Hearts and Flowers” with Resident Artists
Mini-Solo with Elizabeth Davison
Pop-Up with Naan Pocen
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Theremin Music by Arthur Harrison

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, February 7th, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Meet the Artist 12:00pm – 2:00pm, Saturday, February 15th, 2025

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq ft of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Construction is currently underway in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location, with construction set to begin shortly for the fourth location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

A&M

Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville Presents
Bud Wilkinson’s “Artist Portraits Series”
for the Month of January

(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville is thrilled to host Bud Wilkinson in the Invited Artist Gallery for the month of January 2025. The exhibit runs from January 8th through January 29th, with an opening reception on Second Friday, January 10th, 5 – 8pm. “Artist Portraits” is a photographic survey of hundreds of DC area artists, presented in an immersive, celebratory, kaleidoscopic, multiscreen, environment. Bud Wilkinson began the project casually, taking photos of friends at galleries, until eventually, it snowballed into a project that lasted over ten years, and documented an era of artists and their activity at multiple DC venues. Bud Wilkinson is an artist and photographer, living in Arlington, Virginia. He shows his paintings regularly, is employed as a decorative artist, and has worked in the White House, State Department, and National Gallery of Art. Enjoy additional exhibits “Surreality” with Resident Artists in the Gallery Hall, a mini-solo with Brigitte Messali in the Lounge Gallery, a Pop-Up Shop with Colleen Darkow, along with nineteen Gallery 209 Member Artists exhibiting their latest work. Open Studios building wide will welcome visitors to visit and learn. Shop and support local working artists, makers, and professionals. Light fare sponsored by The Chesapeake Framing Company and mead will be offered for sale by Clear Skies Meadery – who invite you to Savor the Sweetness of Nature.

Bud Wilkinson – “Artist Portraits Series”
“Surreality” with Resident Artists
Mini-Solo with Brigitte Messali
The 19 Member Artists of Gallery 209
Pop-Up Shop with Colleen Darkow

Opening Reception
5:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, January 10, 2025

Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852

Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October of 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, as well as student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a four-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq ft of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Construction is currently underway in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location, with construction set to begin shortly for the fourth location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

Artists & Makers Studios is the
“Best Place to Experience Art”
according to the editors of the 2018 issue of
BEST OF BETHESDA MAGAZINE, JAN/FEB 2018

Featuring the studio of Kristina Penhoet
 Featuring Christine Cardellino (Torpedo Factory Artist) and her solo exhibit at A&M

“Want to try your hand at painting, glassmaking or even belly dancing? Artists & Makers Studios has offerings in everything from smartphone photography to doll-making and provides an outlet for all kinds of creative pursuits for beginners through professional artists……..”

Editor’s Pick PDF here

And Best Bets in the same issue of BEST OF BETHESDA MAGAZINE
Featuring the work of David Amoroso
and mentions for
Marily Mojica
&
Sergio and Claudia Olivos

“Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was known for her intense self-portraits, but an exhibitionat Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville shows how four local artists depict the famous painter, feminist and political activist. The Mexican holiday Day of the Dead is another common theme among the paintings and mixed-media artwork by David Amoroso, Marily Mojica and Sergio and Claudia Olivos on display in the exhibition Frida and the Day of the Dead……”

Best Bets PDF here