Young Artists Gallery: We Belong

We Belong

Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church

The theme of this exhibition is “We Belong,” a reference to their church and to the broader question of where each of us feels the greatest sense of who we are and where we see connections.

The artists worked at home and coordinated with Rev. Rachel Vaagenes, CHPC’s pastor, and Paul Beckett, church elder. They were invited to submit works in any medium, as long as the work conveys what belonging means to them—maybe where they live, where they have visited, the place they like best, or a different sense altogether of what belonging means. This theme is especially resonant as the church, which has been serving the Capitol Hill community since 1864, is undergoing a major renovation that will involve finding a new home for six months next year while construction work is underway. The young artists produced works with a variety of interpretations.

“Nature and lakes make me feel happy because I can discover lots of new things,” said Ben aged 6. His older sister, Eliza, aged 10, drew a picture of Camp Merrie-Woode in North Carolina. “Camp Merrie-Woode makes me feel that I belong because I have people to back me up when I need it,” she said.

Micah, aged 15, is a keen photographer in Washington, D.C., whose work shows his affinity for his hometown. His photograph evokes the belonging felt by “many different people sitting together on the National Mall before the annual Fourth of July fireworks display,” he said. Eva, 14, is showing four related cyanotypes; each is different but the method is the same, so she sees them as belonging together. “Belonging is about being who you are, wherever you are,” said Eva. Her two other pieces depict the universe (where we all belong) and an urban landscape.

The church’s membership includes a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. In recognition that generations belong together, two other artists affiliated with the church submitted pieces as well. Ida May Mantel’s painting, “Morning Light,” evokes a sense of calmness and belonging–and possibly wishful thinking as fall approaches! And the church to which they all belong is represented by Beckett’s black and white pointillist drawing.

The CHPC artists’ work is on view at Hill Center until mid-November.