News & Events
Sitar Arts Center Announces Winners of the 15th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2025 – Sitar Arts Center is pleased to announce the winners of its 15th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition “Reflections,” now on display at Sitar’s Cafritz Gallery through April 25, 2025.
Established in 2010, the Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition honors Sitar’s namesake and deepens the Center’s commitment to fostering a creative community of learning and belonging. It provides emerging artists a valuable platform to showcase their work and engage with an audience that celebrates the transformational power of the arts.
This year’s exhibition, which coincides with Sitar’s 25th anniversary, features over 30 curated works from local, national, and international artists, each exploring the theme of “Reflections” through a dynamic range of media, including paintings, photographs, drawings, collages, ceramic sculpture, digital art, an interactive digital portrait installation, and video. Through these works, artists invite viewers to consider the ways reflections—both literal and metaphorical—shape their identities, perceptions, and journeys.
A distinguished panel of jurors oversaw the selection process, including abstract artist Jeffrey Felten-Green, Sahtiya Hosoda Hammel, education specialist at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and artist Martha Spak, founder of Martha Spak Fine Arts, LLC.
Ceramist and mixed media artist Jennifer Wessmiller won first place in the adult category for her 3-D sculpture “Grief.” Eduardo Mejia Gonzalez claimed second place inthe adult category for his mixed media piece “Currents of Identity 00, 01 and 03.” In the young adult category, the first place honor went to Taylor Banks for the drawing “Looking Past the Lens,” and second place went to Skylar Ogunshakin-White for the painting “When I Die, Bury Me in a Flower Garden.” The People’s Choice award went to Mareya Benson for the drawing “Overflow.”
Wessmiller, expressed appreciation for winning first place in the Adult Category, sharing: “Creating ‘Grief’ was a very personal process, so having it recognized and knowing it resonated with others is particularly meaningful. I’m honored to be included among such a talented group of artists, and grateful to Sitar for giving us the opportunity to share our work with the community.”
Sitar Arts Center is celebrating 25 years of offering high-quality, accessible arts education to children, teens, and young adults from every ward of Washington, D.C. Fostering a creative community of learning and belonging, Sitar Arts Center removes financial and cultural barriers to arts education and career training and believes everyone should have access to quality arts education.
Maureen Dwyer, executive director of Sitar Arts Center, stated: “Each year, the Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition reminds us of the profound power of art to inspire, connect, and reflect our shared humanity. This year’s theme, “Reflections”, has brought forth an extraordinary array of talent, creativity, and personal storytelling from artists near and far. At Sitar Arts Center, we are proud to provide a platform where emerging voices can be celebrated and where art serves as a bridge to deeper understanding and belonging. Congratulations to all the winners and participants for sharing their remarkable visions with our community.”
Select artwork from the exhibition is available for collectors to acquire. Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz Gallery, located at 1700 Kalorama Road NW, Suite 101 in Washington, D.C., is open Monday through Friday from noon to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
“Reflections” and Sitar Arts Center’s 2024-2025 Gallery Series are supported by the Corcoran Women’s Committee.
For more information, visit Sitar Arts Center’s website at www.sitarartscenter.org.
About Sitar Arts Center
Founded in 2000, Sitar Arts Center advances equitable access to high quality education and workforce development in the visual, performing, and digital arts. Sitar Arts Center engages D.C. youth, from early childhood to young adulthood, in building a creative community of learning and belonging that removes financial and cultural barriers to arts education and career training. Sitar envisions a city in which all young people experience transformative moments through quality, accessible arts education, and career training, and are supported on their path to discover their creativity and achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.sitarartscenter.org.
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