Brentwood Arts Exchange at Gateway Arts Center

3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD
301-277-2863; TTY 301-446-6802

Located in the Gateway Arts Center, the Brentwood Arts Exchange offers visual arts classes for all ages, coupled with an art gallery displaying changing exhibitions by regional artists, and a store selling one-of-a-kind fine craft items by local artisans.

Gallery Hours:
Mondays-Fridays: 10 am-8 pm
Saturdays: 10 am-6 pm

Click here to download our 2010 Fall Program Booklet.

Current Exhibition

Monday, July 26 - Friday, September 3
Spectrum: Memories of Natural Forms and Light, Recent Paintings by Ellen Baer
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 7, 5-8 pm

Working from her paint-strewn storefront studio in Hyattsville, Ellen Baer has been busily paring down visual forms, creating paintings that are at once tense and serene, wedged among the interplay between surface and perceived space. The works in her exhibition at the Brentwood Arts Exchange developed from her desire to create spare, simple work. Yet, to the eyes of practiced students of painting, they retain distant hints of their origins in explorations of natural forms, floating on the canvas as singular responses to painters' perennial challenge of structuring space with color and economy.

Some seemingly as simple as a broad scrape made with a screen printer's squeegee, the paintings in Spectrum: Memories of Natural Forms and Light reveal their makings unpretentiously. Their process and simple forms liken them to post-minimalist painting - one-stroke descendants of Stella's pinstripe paintings. Visually, however, her paintings are as much in debt to Joseph Albers as Mark Rothko. And, much like that lofty heritage, Spectrum: Memories of Natural Forms and Light is a demanding exhibition. It demands that viewers pay attention to subtlety, slow down, and remove themselves from the clutter of the rest of the day. Those who do are rewarded with the pleasure of presence, a chance to return to the world outside the gallery with renewed openness and acuity.

Featured Events

Friday, October 8, 7-10 pm
Teen Open House Night Mural Collaboration
In conjunction with The M-NCPPC's Xtreme Teens / Pre-teens Open House night, the Brentwood Arts Exchange is hosting a collaborative mural painting night. Teen artists of all levels are welcome to collaborate, participate, paint alongside, and learn from renowned artist Alonzo Davis. Anyone ages 10 -18 is welcome to drop-in any time, or stay and paint for the entire evening.
This program is FREE
Course # 356264

Calls for Entry

All Mixed Up: A Juried Exhibition of Mixed Media Work
ALL MIXED UP is a juried exhibition of works in two or more media, sponsored by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. All artists 18 years of age or older who live, work, have a studio, or study in Prince George’s County, Maryland are eligible to apply.

Download exhibition information here.

Contemporary Crafts Store

The Contemporary Crafts Store is dedicated to showing, selling, and promoting fine crafts. With its cherrywood displays and illuminated glass shelving, the store merits a visit in its own right. Stop by to see the highest quality fine crafts produced by local artisans. Shop and find one-of-a-kind, beautiful ceramic, glass, and textile objects and functional and wearable art for gifts or for yourself.

Opportunities

Are you interested in exhibiting in the gallery or selling your fine crafts in our store? The Brentwood Arts Exchange accepts proposals from artists and artisans. Please call us for more information.

Need a Ride?

TheBus
Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA)