Previous Exhibitions

Sitar Arts Center’s The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Gallery hosts on-going exhibits of both professional and student work. Artists are selected through a submission process. 

Previous Juried Exhibition

14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition 

We proudly presented our 14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition. On display in our Cafritz Gallery from February 26 to April 24, 2024, the exhibition featured over 30 curated works from local, national, and international artists, including entries from California, Florida, Illinois, Portugal, and Switzerland. This exhibition’s theme, “Life in Color,” invited artists to explore emotion, play with dimensions and reimagine daily life with color. A variety of artistic media, ranging from photography to painting will be on display.  

Winners of the 14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition

Ages 22 and older 

1st Place: 
Ting Wang

2nd Place: 
Jeffrey Felten-Green

Young Adult 

1st Place: 
Kai Dixon

2nd Place: 
Sophia St. John

People’s Choice Award:  
Jeffrey Felten-Green

13th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition 

Sitar Arts Center celebrated art in the community with our 13th Annual Juried Exhibition. This Exhibition aims to feature work from emerging local artists, including members of our Sitar community, in a variety of mediums. The exhibit ran from March 2 – April 8, 2023.  

2023 Theme: UNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

We live in a world full of countless faces, spaces, cultures, and ideas that help inspire understanding and appreciation. These environments shape us into unique individuals which helps set the foundation for our future. The purpose of this exhibit is to give artists the space and platform to express themselves and represent an environment that calls for a voice. 

The theme does not solely focus on the environment but on how unity also plays a role. We encourage you to participate and take advantage of this opportunity to illustrate your views and values on the perplexing relationship between environment and unity. We are excited to see the story your art will tell. 

Winners of the 13th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition – UNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT! 

Ages 22 and older 

1st Place: 
Martina Loncar 

2nd Place: 
Gene Kluesner 

Young Adult 

1st Place: 
Taylor Banks 

2nd Place: 
Claire Perry 

People’s Choice Award:  
Josh Tetzlaff 
 

Previous Solo Exhibition

In the Company of Trees, Martina Loncar  

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 9, 2023 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm  

Exhibition Dates: November 8 – December 2, 2023

Sitar Arts Center is proud to celebrate artists of various backgrounds and communities. Join us as we showcase the marvelous work of Martina Loncar. Winner of the 13th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition.

Sitar Arts Center is proud to celebrate artists of various backgrounds and communities. Join us as we showcase the marvelous work of Martina Loncar. Winner of the 13th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition. Her work explores the connection between trees and humans to their environments through deep-rooted networks of care. Loncar describes her series as an ode to our silent companion citizens. We encourage you to explore the roots of her solo exhibition, In the Company of Trees.   

Multi-media artist, Martina Loncar explores themes revolving around the intricate relationship between trees and humans within their environments, described as a “deep-rooted network of care.” Specifically, her work uses the quiet interdependency of roots as a model for how humans may better support one another through times of hardships and uncertainty.   

Over the last few months, she has dedicated the time to further refining her series In the Company of Trees. Loncar views nature as a nurturing and humbling force from which humans can learn valuable lessons. Her expansive practice includes sculpture, paper-cutting, drawing, collage, video, and installation. In addition, Loncar writes and displays poetry in conjunction with her artwork. When asked about her initial spark and fascination for trees, she explained, “I am drawn to trees due to their tendency to live in communities and ability to support one another through their root systems”  

Loncar obtained her undergraduate degree from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, and completed her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art at the American University in Washington, DC. Previously, her work has been exhibited at Clifford Art Gallery in Hamilton, N.Y., Goodwin House in Alexandria, VA, DC Arts Center, and the Anacostia Arts Center in Washington, DC. Loncar’s artistic endeavors have even garnered attention from the Washington Post. You can also find her work in the permanent collection of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. 

This exhibition is an ode to our silent companion citizens. Like humans, trees form deep and intricate bonds with one another and thrive in community settings. Their rooted networks, concealed beneath the ground, can serve as a model for how humans can better support one another through times of hardship and uncertainty. Created through a laborious process of cutting, tearing, and repairing paper, the collages capture quiet scenes of interdependency and encourage us to reflect on how we, too, can nurture the bonds that tie us together. 

In the Company of Trees by Martina Loncar 

This exhibition is an ode to our silent companion citizens. Like humans, trees form deep and intricate bonds with one another and thrive in community settings. Their rooted networks, concealed beneath the ground, can serve as a model for how humans can better support one another through times of hardship and uncertainty. Created through a laborious process of cutting, tearing, and repairing paper, the collages capture quiet scenes of interdependency and encourage us to reflect on how we, too, can nurture the bonds that tie us together.   

To learn more about Martina Loncar and her upcoming shows be sure to check out her website. 

The exhibition “In the Company of Trees” displayed at the Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz Gallery from November 8 through December 2, 2023.  

EXISTENCE, Isiah Gatheright

Exhibition Dates: November 7th – December 1st , 2022

Sitar Arts Center presented EXISTENCE – a solo presentation including wax and oil-based paintings by Isiah Gatheright. This work displays the use of mixed media and hidden objects through abstraction, allowing Gatheright to test the limits of his artistry. His work evokes emotions while engaging its audience as they discover a world waiting to be explored.

Throughout his life, Gatheright has always been surrounded by secondhand items, taking inspiration from the concept of repurposing found objects. He used the juxtaposition of various materials to explore the possibilities of encaustic art. Gatheright used wax to embed objects into his pieces in order create movement and accentuate focal points. When asked about his choice of materials, Gatheright explains, “I always let the subject matter guide me to the material and methods used.” According to Gatheright, “curiosity first led me to encaustic art, but the versatility of the wax medium kept my interest. Wax allows for vertical hierarchy and an added dimension of depth.”    

As a firm believer in the natural order, Gatheright drifts with the flow of life and embraces entropy. All things are moving towards chaos, then eventually back to order. Observing these cycles has been essential to his existence and explorations as a young adult. For EXISTENCE, Gatheright explains that “the goal is to present chaos in arrangements that express the ever-changing tides of emotion while covering themes such as identity, consumerism, and value. The overall composition and the use of additives help draw viewers in, inviting the viewers to ponder the purpose, question its worth, and embrace a little disorder.

2021 Juried Exhibition

12th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition 

Sitar Arts Center celebrated art in the community with our 12th Annual Juried Exhibition. This Exhibition aims to feature work from emerging local artists, including members of our Sitar community, in a variety of mediums.

2021 Theme: EMOTION

The complexities of emotions are evident in its spheres of expression, perception, and awareness. Therefore, emotions are expressed and perceived differently. This exhibition gives the artist the opportunity to express various experiences, feelings and emotions through context such as image, composition, color and form. 

Winners of the 12th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition – EMOTION! 

Ages 22 and older 

1st Place: 
Isiah Gatheright  

2nd Place: 
Sarah Renzi Sanders 

Young Adult 

1st Place: 
Claire Perry 

2nd Place: 
Be’Len Rice 

People’s Choice Award:  
Jessica Leskin