Time Out Washington D.C.

The current Timeout 2004 guide for Washington, DC has really good coverage of DC art galleries; in fact it is the only DC guide that offers any decent "guiding" to Washington area galleries. It is written by Jessica Dawson, who also pens the "Galleries" column for the Washington Post. She has a good introduction and even lists her favorites for 2004 under "Names of the Game." Jessica nails it when she recognizes in her intro that a new "optimism" is kindling a really good art scene in the Washington, DC region. Unfortunately, throughout the pages dedicated to the galleries, and as it is to be expected, there are quite a few comparisons to New York this, New York that all over the place. And reading through Jessica's descriptions of the various galleries also offers an honest and rare insight as to how this critic evaluates and views (she seems to have something about "safe art," whatever that is) most of the Greater Washington, DC region's art galleries. For example Dawson praises Zenith Gallery's Margery Goldberg for her "tireless activism," but describes the gallery as "while influential in the neon art scene, consistently shows mediocre painting and craft." Addison/Ripley is praised for selling "high-calibre paintings, photography and prints," but "their selections, while lovely, are awfully safe." Cheryl Numark is "Washington's power dealer", while Leigh Conner shows work by the "kind of cutting-edge artists that Washingtonians usually travel to New York to see." MOCA is "DC's answer to the hip, alternative galleries of New York." Fraser Gallery (which I co-own) "concentrates on photography, but occasionally shows innovative sculpture and work in other media," while our Bethesda outpost is a "bright, glass-walled gallery [that] exhibits realist painting and photography." Hemphill Fine Arts "plays host to many of Washington's strongest artists," but "the art here tends towards the decorative." Fusebox is "sharp and savvy," and has "raised the bar for visual art in Washington," and their openings are "events to see and be seen at." Anyway... Bravo Timeout!

I just moved to DC, and I was really lost here until I picked up this thing. The reviewers selected great activities, restaurants, places, etc. Each one I have tried has been worth my time, if not really outstanding. I've asked long-time locals about some of the highly recommended but low-profile places, and they have agreed that those are hot spots. The maps are very nice, and the style is extremely readable. If you need one guide to the city, this is as good a choice as any.