First Friday Dupont Circle: Art Walk

The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office is hosting a special exhibition to celebrate Human Rights! This is being presented by United for Human Rights and the Youth for Human Rights DC Chapter and Art Impact® International. The show features seven artists with a variety of styles who will be at the exhibition in person to discuss their art. Come and meet the artists!

The featured artists include: Brenda D. Chandler - digital media artist; Efrain M. Guervara - contemporary abstract and objective artists; Erica H. Ling, AIA LEED AP - architectural & floral landscape watercolorist; David J. McKenzie - designer, painter and photographer; Sharon Robinson – monoprint and collage artist and instructor; Chris Winther – photorealism oil painter; and Patricia Witalka – watercolorist.

The Heurich House Museum will be open on First Friday, May 2nd! Stop in and see the first floor of the Heurich House Museum to view the decorative arts of this intact Victorian marvel, known as the brewmaster’s castle filled with the latest technology of the time. The Heurich House Museum is located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW.

IA&A at Hillyer presents Auction on the Alley. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, International Arts & Artists is pleased to announce an art auction, fundraiser, and exhibition held at the Hillyer Contemporary Art Space during the month of May. The exhibition and auction will feature over 50 works of art. Funds raised support the non-profit mission of IA&A and the Hillyer Contemporary Art Space. In addition to the auction, Hillyer will feature solo artists Dawn Flores, “Unification: Where Past Meets Present the Future is Born,” and Sheila Crider, “Way Finding.” The auction and exhibitions are free to the public (a suggested donation of $10).

Register in advance to bid on art. IA&A at Hillyer is located at 9 Hillyer Ct. NW.

The Korean Cultural Center is presenting “Unfolding Korean-ness: Exploring Identity in the Age of Migration,” a KCCDC open call winning project from the Architect and Curator Sang Dae Lee bringing six multidisciplinary artists representing the meaning of “Korean-ness.” Through their individual research and creative interpretations, each artist presents unique perspectives shaped by their personal lives and experiences. This project showcases 15 artworks that weave personal narratives, collective histories, and cross-cultural dialogues, with intention of expanding identity beyond a fixed concept and into a fluid and multi-layered meaning. The curator tour begins at 6:10 pm. The Korean Cultural Center is located at 2370 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.

The MEI Art Gallery presents “Maximal Miniatures,” which showcases 13 leading contemporary Iranian artists who draw from the classical genre of Persian miniature painting to create new interpretations of this rich visual tradition in color, scale, and form. Curated by Donna Honarpisheh, associate curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, the exhibition references Persian history, poetry, and stories from the Book of Kings (Shahnameh) to explore questions of identity, gender, diaspora, and the mythologies that form past and present lives. The MEI Art Gallery is located at 1763 N Street, NW.

Join us at the Museum of the Palestinian People for our powerful new exhibition, “Gaza Remains the Story.” Gaza Remains the Story” is an exhibition that centers Gaza’s cultural heritage, resilience, and lived experience amid genocide, war, and ethnic cleansing. Featuring historical archives, contemporary artworks, and community-based scholarship, the exhibition bears witness to ongoing devastation while honoring the enduring creativity of the Palestinian people. Curated by the Palestinian Museum, this adaptation includes expanded research and pressing questions around cultural preservation, exile, and memory. It calls on U.S. audiences—especially those in Washington, DC—to reflect on their role in protecting Palestinian cultural identity, preventing erasure, and bearing witness with care and responsibility. The Museum of the Palestinian People is located at 1900 18^th Street, NW.

Barbara Bennett and Q Street Fine Art Gallery are pleased to show the new paintings of Rafael Gallardo, featured artist. Join us surrounded by works of art of vibrant colors as we welcome spring. This hidden gallery is a gem located in a Carriage House behind Saint Matthews Cathedral at 1 Saint Matthew's Court NW. Please call if further directions are needed: 202 255 2893.

Studio Gallery presents “Writ on Water” by Micheline Klagsbrun. Writ on Water explores the instability of memory and identity. In recent years, Klagsbrun’s focus on immigration and displacement has deepened her awareness of the significance of ”papers”— documents of passage (visas, letters), family photographs, spiritual texts — fragile yet integral to our sense of self. In their lower gallery, Conceal Reveal by Robert Cwiok, which continues Cwiok’s interest in collage and the use of envelope materials that have had a real-world use.  His intent is to transform the security patterns designs which conceal the contents and reveal something else through unique collage compositions. Studio Gallery is an arts cooperative located at 2108 R Street, NW.

The Washington Center of ADA, ADA Art Gallery, presents its May 2025 exhibition: The Shape of Things, by Kenneth Carbone. Kenneth Carbone is a New York visual artist whose work explores the use of shape, color and contrast for their abstract beauty. Although inspired by what’s seen in nature, he offers no defined narrative. In a world of turmoil, he wants this body of work to invite personal interpretation and introspection to provide a respite from the clamor of contemporary life. You can find the Washington Center of the ADA Art Gallery at 1627 21st Street, NW on Gallery Row.

Join the Washington Studio School in our gallery this upcoming First Friday on May 2nd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as we honor and pay homage to Robert D'Arista, artist and professor of Washington Studio School founders. Come and see where it all began! As part of WSS’ 40th Anniversary Fundraiser, a limited number of D'Arista's original prints will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go to the Washington Studio School. Don't miss the chance to see this show! Click here to RSVP. The Washington Studio School is located at 2129 S Street, NW.