Celebrating Area Artists
From limestone sculptures and stained glass, to photos from as far away as the Galapagos, to paintings that detail faces old and young, to poems that evoke love and loss, more than 900 paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and poems poured into the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts — our art competition for amateurs over 50. Not only was the number of entries impressive; the... READ MORE
Painters pick up a palette after long careers
The winners of the Painting and Drawing division of the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts competition prove the adage “it’s never too late.” Three winners and 12 honorable mentions were selected from among 418 entries in the competition. Most of these talented painters had long, fulfilling careers in other fields. Only after retirement did our top winners take up the art form as a ... READ MORE
Winning photographers’ unique worldview
Whether they’re exploring the world at large or right outside their window, the award-winning photographers of the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts see the world through a different lens — both literally and figuratively. Whether you’re inspired, entertained, enchanted or awe-struck, you will be sure to be touched by what they have seen and chosen to show us. The following... READ MORE
Multi-dimensional artists show their skill
Sculpture, jewelry, pottery, mixed-media and more comprised the 172 entries in the Sculpture/Jewelry/Pottery/Mixed Media category of the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts. Here’s a look at the three top winners. First place Nathalie Pouliquen, Bethesda, Md. “I intend to pay tribute to the reality of the world, to its beauty — apparent or hidden,” said painter-sculptor... READ MORE
Wide variety of creative poetry submitted
From children’s poems to narrative-style storytelling, the poetry category of the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts saw many submissions from all types of poets, each with their unique style and themes. There were no restrictions on the genre of poetry, and poets did not disappoint with their creativity. The 124 entries were judged by Wendy R. Kaplan, poet laureate of the City of... READ MORE
A tough job faced the Celebration’s jurors
With more than 900 paintings, drawings, photos, sculptures, poems and other works of art submitted to the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts, the four jurors had their work cut out for them. “It’s refreshing to see unique perspectives of how people view and document the world,” said Noe Todorovich, executive director of Exposed DC, who judged the more than 200 entries in the... READ MORE
Members of the Celebration advisory board
In addition to the jurors, profiled here, a panel of advisors from a spectrum of organizations and companies helped shape and support the Celebration of the Arts. Members are: • Rosie Allen-Herring, president and CEO of the United Way of the National Capital Area. Formerly, she was the Managing Director of the Community Investment and Engagement Division at Fannie Mae. Allen-Herring... READ MORE
Meet the artists; view their winning entries
The first place, second place, third place and honorable mention winners in the Celebration of the Arts competition will be receiving their awards at the Beacon's 50+Expos, which will take place in Springfield, Va., from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, and in Silver Spring, Md., from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14. Click here for details on the 50+ Expos. All readers are invited... READ MORE
How do garden plants get their names?
Most plants have common names. However, these can be inexact. For example, is a “snowball bush” a viburnum or a hydrangea? The plant kingdom contains about 300,000 species. In the 1700s, Carl Linnaeus devised a method to classify and name them. The method of identification and classification (taxonomy) is the basis for plant names (nomenclature). You might say, “That’s Greek... READ MORE
Grow your family tree
If everything else is equal, you can even select a plant because of its name. To honor my minister father, whose name was Jack, I selected native Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) for its common name. For my daughter, I’ve planted Tradescantia x andersoniana, ‘Sweet Kate,’ for the cultivar name (definitely not because of its icky common name — spiderwort). Since my... READ MORE
