Falls Church Arts: New Exhibit Opens July 20; Hamblin Wins Second Straight Top Prize

With its thriving membership, Falls Church Arts (FCA)  – the City’s showcase local arts institution at 700-B West Broad St. – scheduled two All Member, “all media” exhibitions this season divided alphabetically: the first for members with last names A-L ended yesterday; and the second for those from M-Z will open Saturday, July 20. 

Last week, FCA announced that in the first exhibition Dane Hamblin’s painting “Pomodori” earned the “People’s Choice Award” sponsored by Art and Frame of Falls Church. The award marked the second straight top prize for Hamblin who received the “Jurors’ Choice Award” for his painting “Dahlia” in the gallery’s “Flora and Fauna: Thriving or Threatened” exhibit in the Spring.

FCA described Hamlin’s recent winner “Pomodori” as “an oil painting on canvas,” about which Hamlin said: “‘Pomodori’ is Italian for tomatoes. I saw these tomatoes in a small grocery store in Rome, Italy, and was drawn to their subtle variations in color and the green vines that connected them. This painting will always remind me of the wonderfully fresh and delicious food of Italy.” 

The piece was “chosen by the visitors to Falls Church Arts as the People’s Choice Award winner,” FCA said in a press release. “Pomodori” is on sale at the gallery for $1,050. 

On his website, Hamblin's artist bio reads: "Dane Hamblin was born in Phoenix, Arizona... and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts specializing in painting from Arizona State University in 2002. Dane is an oil and watercolor painter who enjoy[s] the challenges of intensely realistic painting. [His] subject matter ranges widely to include still-life and wildlife paintings, but he considers himself to be first and foremost an urban landscape painter. He has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Arlington, Virginia; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Pretoria, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya. and Rome, Italy..."

On his Instagram account, Hamblin announced July 11 he’ll be opening a studio at the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Alexandria. “After much assessment, one of my dreams has become a reality!,” he posted, adding that the Alexandria gallery is “home to the largest collection of working artists’ open studios in the nation with 71 artists’ studios and 500,000 annual visitors.” 

Falls Church Arts All Member Show M-Z Opens July 20

From July 20 to Aug. 18, 76 local artists will “present their best work” in FCA’s All Member Show, from M-Z. A meet-the-artists reception will be held from 7-9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, according to FCA. The reception is free and open to the public.

The show will feature the “work of member artists from Falls Church Arts,” FCA announced, and it will encompass “an extensive range of media, from the more traditional watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, pastel, fused glass, oil, photography, and sculpture to a wide variety of mixed media, and printing techniques.” The art works are “varied and include a wide range of subjects from impressionist street scenes, animals in their natural habitat, and historical architecture, to landscapes, portraits, and abstract representations.”

The following works will be featured in the FCA's upcoming M-Z show:

On Aug. 10, the “People’s Choice Award” for the M-Z show will be announced. 

Artworks for the upcoming show will be available for viewing online at https://www.fallschurcharts.org. All pieces can be purchased at the gallery or on the website. 

The Falls Church Arts gallery is at 700-B West Broad St. (Route 7), Falls Church. Admission is free and the gallery is open Tuesdays-Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

By Christopher Jones