Inside Outside, Upside Down
Juried Invitational
Featuring dynamic work across media by 64 artists of the greater DC region, this juried invitational celebrates The Phillips Collection’s 100th anniversary, building on the legacy of founder Duncan Phillips and his commitment to presenting, acquiring, and promoting the work of artists of the greater DC region.
Inside Outside, Upside Down offers a slice of the turbulent past year, one that left us confused, battered, and disoriented. Out of the palpable thoughts and feelings expressed in the works on view, five themes emerged: “Innocence Interrupted” recognizes the young children and young adults whose lives were upended by the constant fear and uncertainty brought on by so much violence and death; “Days of Reckoning and the Right to ‘Be’” speaks to the forced realization that our country is at a major crossroads, as many long-established societal systems have become increasingly out of touch, obsolete, and even detrimental to a population whose needs are constantly evolving; “Bearing Witness” represents the artists who document the times in which they live, making sure that we record, reflect, and remember; “Introspection and Reflection” examines what happens when Washington, DC, is forced to come to a standstill, with some of us sitting quietly with ourselves, while others had to confront the dynamics of their relationships; and “Hope and Healing” illustrates how art has the ability to help us process and heal in times of pain and great loss, allowing us to celebrate the simple joys in life.
Taken together, the works in this exhibition affirm the human need to make sense of traumatic experiences and ultimately transcend them, either by creating from that place or in spite of it. In this way, these works offer a collective call for healing. They invite us to appreciate the beauty in the world around us, find comfort in our family and friends, and unearth the things that are revealed to each of us when life requires us to sit still with ourselves.
Featured Artists
- Cathy Abramson
Simone Agoussoye
Maremi Andreozzi
Carol Antezana
Desmond Beach
Julia Bloom
Michael Booker
Kimberly Brammer
Nikki Brugnoli
Florencio Campello
Carlos Carmonamedina
Sandra Chen Weinstein
Peter Cizmadia
Wesley Clark
Dominick Cocozza
Robin Croft
Sora DeVore
Sarah Dolan
Mike Dowley
Nekisha Durrett
Tae Edell
Bria Edwards
Kate Fleming
Chawky Frenn
Amelia Hankin
Michael Hantman
Leslie Holt
Michael Janis
Jane Kell
Jean Jinho Kim
Katherine Knight
Ara Koh
Kokayi
Gary Kret
Kate Kretz
Catherine Levinson
Kirsty Little
Kim Llerena
Aaron Maier-Carretero
Timothy Makepeace
David Mordini
Barbara Muth
Werllayne Nunes
Zsudayka Nzinga
Jennifer O’Connell
John Pan
Judith Peck
Shedrick Pelt
Kristina Penhoet
Marta Pérez García
Lydia Peters
Junko Pinkowski
Dominick Rabrun
Mojdeh Rezaeipour
Marie Ringwald
Janathel Shaw
Joseph Shetler
Nicolas F. Shi
Tim Tate
Julio Valdez
Jessica Valoris
Ian White
Richard L. Williams Jr.
Colin Winterbottom
Take a 360-degree tour of the exhibition
Digital Publication
FIRST PRIZE: Dominick Rabrun, Dr. LaSalle, The Spider Queen, and Me, 2021
SECOND PRIZE: Kristina Penhoet, How Many More?, 2020
HONORABLE MENTION: Desmond Beach, #SAYTHEIRNAMES2, 2021
HONORABLE MENTION: Marta Pérez García, Your Hand, 2020
HONORABLE MENTION: Richard L. Williams, Claudette, Roman and Rashard—February 2021, 2021
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD:
Simone Agoussoye, Beauty Mark, 2021
Jurors
- Phil Hutinet, Founding Publisher of East City Art
- Abigail McEwen, Associate Professor of Latin American Art, University of Maryland
- Elsa Smithgall, Senior Curator, The Phillips Collection
- Renée Stout, DC-based Artist
Guest Curator
Renée Stout is an internationally renowned artist who has been based in Washington, DC, since 1985. Originally trained as a painter with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Stout currently works across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, photography, and installation. She is the recipient of many awards, including an Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Award and the Women’s Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award.
IMAGES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:1. Kim Llerena, Stonewall Jackson (dismantled), Monument Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, 2020, Archival pigment print, 20 x 16 in., Courtesy of the artist; 2. Desmond Beach, #SayTheirNames 2, 2021, Fabric and paper, 25 x 21 1/2 in., Courtesy of the artist; 3. Joseph Shetler, Untitled (quiet in the city), 2020, Mixed acrylic ground, graphite powder, marble dust, and silverpoint on panel, 48 x 32 x 2 in., Courtesy of the artist; 4: Kristina Penhoet, How Many More?, 2020, Fiber, dimensions variable, Courtesy of the artist; 5. Nicolas Shi, I Am Not A Virus, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 x 1 1/2 in., Courtesy of the artist; 6. Carol Antezana, Las Gingas, 2021, Digital photographic print, 20 x 16 in., Courtesy of the artist
Inside Outside, Upside Down is organized by The Phillips Collection.
This juried invitational is part of the museum’s centennial exhibition, Seeing Differently: The Phillips Collects for a New Century. As such we recognize the following sponsors.
The exhibition is generously supported by a lead gift from the Henry Luce Foundation.
With significant contributions from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Charles McKittrick, Jr., the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Ednah Root Foundation, the Frauke de Looper Trust, and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation
Made possible by the Carolyn Alper Fund for Contemporary Art and The Phillips Collection’s Exhibitions Endowment Fund, which is generously supported by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Michelle and Glenn Engelmann, Robert and Debra Drumheller, and The Marion F. Goldin Charitable Fund
Special thanks to our key academic partner, University of Maryland, a global leader in research, entrepreneurship, and innovation
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In-kind contributions provided by
The wall colors in this exhibition: Cabbage White (No. 269), Down Pipe (No. 26), Inchyra Blue (No. 289), Railings (No. 31)
