While the shopping opportunities on Wisconsin Ave. and M St. are the best around, art galleries in Georgetown are somewhat sparse. You have to look a little harder in order to find some substance beneath the overpriced clothes and trendy restaraunts. The Addison/Ripley Georgetown gallery on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Reservoir Road fits nicely into the void left by these other shops. With its tidy open space, interesting and unique art, and exhibits that range from glass sculpture to still life, this gallery is a choice destination for anyone looking for some culture without venturing too far from campus.
One is initially struck by the minimal set-up—white walls and partitions designed to increase the amount of available wall space, worn blonde-wood floors and huge windows that allow both light and the gazes of passers-by to filter into the gallery. While small, it makes the most of the space, utilizing the partitions, hallways, and offices in order to house and display as many pieces as possible. The lack of clutter in such a petite gallery is impressive, as the space is set up in such a way as to accomodate both the greatest number of pieces and people.
A collection of blown glass sculptures by Graham Caldwell is currently on display. Each piece consists of a number of smaller blown-glass components precariously fixed to one another. The colorful pieces range in size from manageably small to the immense—the largest of which covers the entire wall facing the gallery’s entrance. The larger ones are intricate and beautiful works suspended from the ceiling and each other via wires woven through the gallery. Clear teardrop shaped pieces of glass the size of canteloupes flow into one another to form a mesh that distorts the background on which it rests. The smaller pieces are willowy works in opaque shades of browns, yellows and reds, remiscient of the autumn foliage that covered the ground only a few weeks ago. Though there are only ten of Caldwell’s pieces on display, each one is carefully laid out in order to highlight its own stylistic nuances.
The Caldwell exhibit on blown glass will be up until Dec. 28. Upcoming exhibits include a Jan. 11 to 18 display with works by Wayne Theibaud and Robert Rauchenberg, among others, and still life paintings by Roberto Azank from Feb. 15 through March 15.
The gallery’s small size and condensed exhibit area prove to be its greatest assets, allowing patrons to stroll in without spending a lot of time. The ease with which the viewer moves through the collection makes the gallery a great place to just stop in for a nice breath of fresh art. If you find yourself on Wisconsin Avenue with some time on your hands you might want to pass by some of the other stores and “culture yourself” at the Addison/Ripley Georgetown Gallery.
The Addison/Ripley Georgetown Gallery is located at 1670 Wisconsin Ave., and is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more info, see www.addisonripleyfineart.com.
