First Friday: Art Walk

The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office is hosting a special exhibition presented by United for Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights DC Chapter, and Art Impact® International to celebrate Spring and human rights! Come and enjoy this springtime artwork. The show features three artists with a variety of styles who will be present to discuss their art with you. Patrick Smith • Modern Art Portraitist, J. Thomas Wells • Assemblage Artist, and Hu Zeqian • Abstract Painter Fine Artist. The Church of Scientology, National Affairs Office is located at 1701 20^th St. NW.

Join the Heurich House Museum for First Friday! Stop in and view the first floor of the Heurich House Museum to see its vast collection of decorative arts. The museum’s biergarten, 1921, will be open until 8:00 pm, enjoy a rotating list of fresh local craft beer from DC breweries and beer brands, craft cocktails and wine from the area’s best beverage producers, and Senate Beer, the museum’s historic revival with Right Proper Brewing Company. The Heurich House Museum is located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW.

During the months of April and May, IA&A at Hillyer will present “Modern Movements: Selections of Latin American and Caribbean Art from the Art Museum of the Americas." Held in all three galleries, “Modern Movements” will feature works of art by Roberto Matta, Sara Grilo, Joaquin Torres-Garcia, and Manabu Mabe, among others. Admission is free but a $10 donation is suggested. IA&A at Hillyer is located at 9 Hillyer Court NW.

The MEI Art Gallery, in collaboration with AlSadu Society in Kuwait, is proud to present our latest exhibition, Beyond the Weave: Contemporary Dialogues with AlSadu; an exhibition of contemporary art from Kuwait, inspired by the ancient craft of textile Sadu weaving. Sadu is a traditional weaving practice shaped by nomadic desert life and sustained by generations of women makers. Woven from sheep and camel wool, its vivid geometric bands translate inherited knowledge into a visual language of movement, memory, and identity, transforming practical necessity into a lasting cultural symbol. This exhibition brings together 12 Kuwaiti artists whose works reinterpret Sadu’s patterns, materials, and meanings, tracing a dynamic dialogue between past and present and affirming tradition as a living, evolving practice. The MEI Art Gallery is located at 1763 N St. NW.

The Museum of the Palestinian People welcomes you to see our new cycling exhibit titled, Why We Record: Defying Fragmentation and Erasure in Palestine. In light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the cultural erasure of the Palestinian people, it is important to highlight and platform the Palestinian narrative. The exhibit's overall aim is to educate and portray the struggle, fragmentation, and resilience of the Palestinian people. The Museum of the Palestinian People is located at 1900 18th St. NW.

The National League of American Pen Women is pleased to participate in this month’s DuPont First Friday Art Walk, presenting a distinguished exhibition curated by Art Chair Joan Applebaum

This special showcase highlights the winners of the Pen Women Biennial Art Competition, featuring a diverse and compelling collection of works selected through a national juried process. The exhibition brings together exceptional pieces from Pen Women artists across the United States, reflecting a wide range of styles, mediums, and creative voices.

Guests are invited to experience this dynamic collection during the DuPont Art Walk, where all featured works will be available for viewing and purchase. This exhibition not only celebrates artistic excellence but also supports and promotes the continued contributions of women in the arts nationwide. (We are using 1701 N st dc entrance) The National League of American Pen Women is located at 1701 N St. NW.

After more than a decade of participating in the Dupont Circle First Friday Art Walk, Q Street Fine Art and Barbara Bennett will host one of its last events on First Friday May First. We hope you will join us on May First and reminisce over such wonderful collaborations and art shows that highlighted the paintings of Rafael Gallardo and others over the years. Look for other invitations for some special final sales events with prices that will make you want to take home some lovely art pieces. Our address is 1 Saint Matthew's Court, NW 20036 and the gallery is nestled in a courtyard behind an Iron Gate behind Saint Matthew's Cathedral!

Studio Gallery presents Rock Stars by Lois Kampinsky, curated by Mira Hecht. What could be more mundane and ubiquitous than rocks? Yet, their varieties, colors, shapes, textures, combinations, and configurations can result in fascinating pileups of sculptural forms. Think of water rushing through the stone outcroppings of Rio, the statue-like structures along the rivers of Vietnam, the dramatic arches in America’s southwest. Presented here are my painted takes on real scenes witnessed in Spain, the US West, and China plus even more imaginative leaps involving pebbles, rocks, slopes, and sand. Studio Gallery is located at 2108 R Street, NW.

Join Vika Gallery at the closing reception of Search for an Honest Man. This is your final opportunity to experience Ram’s powerful exhibition—and to meet the artist himself. Spend the evening connecting, reflecting, and witnessing the creative process up close. Ram will be working live on new collage pieces, giving you a rare glimpse into his practice in real time. Come see the layers, the textures, and the intention unfold right before your eyes. Don’t miss this intimate and inspiring close to an incredible show. Vika Gallery is located down the stairs at 1700 Connecticut Avenue, NW. 

Dial 100# on the buzzer to enter the building and make your way to the lower level.

The Washington Center of ADA University, ADA Art Gallery invites you to their Spring 2026 Exhibition, Finding Joy: E Street Artist. Thirteen artists gathered in this exhibition share more than a dedication to painting - they share a history. They met in a painting class at the Corcoran College of Arts and Design, taught by DC artist Mira Hecht. This exhibition marks fifteen years of a shared commitment to ongoing study and dialogue. Joy is found in the making as well as in the community they have forged together. The ADA Art Gallery is located at 1627 21st Street, NW on the corner of 21st & R Street NW.

Washington Project for the Arts presents One Stroke at a Time, organized by DC-based artist duo Lorenzo Holder III and Dr. Vicenzio Holder-Perkins. Nephew (Holder) and uncle (Perkins)—an artist and a psychiatrist— began collaborating through art therapy following a stroke experienced by Perkins in 2018. During his recovery, Perkins started sketching, while his nephew responded through color, mark-making, and composition. Together they have formed a collaboration that operates across age, ability, and life experience to build a shared language rooted in mutual care. Washington Project for the Arts is located at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW (Storefront, left of lobby).

Join us at the Washington Studio School gallery on Friday, May 1st from 6PM to 8PM to view REND, a special exhibition by former WSS Artistic Director Jill Phillips. Explore the literal and figurative weaving of narratives across generations in this body of work. By utilizing thread as both a conceptual tool and a nod to her lineage of textile merchants, Jill explores the act of mending through fixing, healing, and bridging the gap between fiber and memory. Experience a profound intersection of drawing, painting, and textile art. Washington Studio School is located at 2129 S Street NW, Washington, DC.

Wise & Partners will have its new show “Tina Palmer: Private Grounds” on display. Tina Palmer paints all original work. Mostly landscapes with trees. She also has a range of other work that is collected by many. Wise & Partners is located at 1740 N St. NW.