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After seven decades without a permanent gallery, the McLean Art Society has opened a temporary home in the reimagined Chesterbrook Shopping Center on Old Dominion Drive.
The gallery celebrated its grand opening Oct. 10 with an evening reception featuring dozens of local artists, live jazz guitar and a crowd large enough to leave drivers circling the parking lot. By 6 p.m., a front-door counter had recorded 184 visitors.
The space is currently a pop-up secured through the end of the year, according to artist and five-year society member Mike Potashnik. Its future beyond December remains uncertain, but Potashnik said the opening-night turnout demonstrated strong community interest.
Guests moved among watercolors, charcoal drawings, mixed-media works, collages, acrylic paintings and other pieces while guitarist Billy Shelton performed. Thirty-five artists participated in the exhibition, each invited to contribute six works. The show was open to any of the society’s more than 70 members who wanted to exhibit.
Gallery Director Jane McElvany Coonce said the organization learned in June that it would receive the Chesterbrook space. Members spent July and August preparing it, borrowing display walls and gathering hooks, cleaning supplies and other necessities. The gallery opened unofficially Sept. 15.
Two additional exhibitions were being planned for the first Fridays in November and December, each featuring an entirely new selection of work. McElvany Coonce said pieces appeared to be selling briskly during the grand opening.
Potashnik, a McLean resident, displayed an abstract work titled “Quadrants.” He said he does not plan what will appear in each section before painting, instead allowing the composition to develop as he works. Five potential buyers had expressed interest in the piece.
He also oversees an educational program intended to enrich society members through monthly meetings, where visiting artists discuss techniques and other subjects. The organization also encourages homeowners undertaking renovations to consider ways of incorporating art into their spaces.
Among the opening-night visitors was Arlington resident Diane Evans-Gayer, who came to see watercolors by Tom Neville, her art instructor of 15 years.
McLean resident Milka Taherian attended with her daughter, Samantha. The pair had visited regularly since the gallery’s unofficial opening and had already purchased several glass pieces. Taherian praised the reasonable prices and the sense of community surrounding the gallery, noting that local restaurants had donated hummus, grape leaves and sweets for the celebration.
The McLean Art Society welcomes art enthusiasts of all experience levels. In addition to its meetings and exhibitions, the organization presents rotating displays at local recreation centers.