Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art

Bidding is now open! The Alloy Project is a unique fundraising initiative offering newly commissioned artworks for purchase through an online auction and ticketed evening Cocktail Event. Auction bidding is now open to all! Auction closes during the Benefit and Cocktail Event on October 3 at 9:15pm. View the auction and register to bid here: https://lnkd.in/efmGRa7A Want to see the artworks in person? Stop by Tephra ICA on Tuesday, September 24, 5:30–7:30pm for a special auction preview. Don't miss this chance to view these works up close! Wine and beer will be served. Help us celebrate our 50th anniversary by bidding on exclusive artwork from ten visionary artists, each reflecting on their journey with Tephra ICA. Support our future while celebrating our past—your purchase makes you a part of our story! Tickets can be purchased here: https://lnkd.in/eNN8K72V Featured artists: Ann Barbieri, Hillary Waters Fayle, Monroe Isenberg, Christopher Kardambikis, Dalya Luttwak, Jackie Milad, Katie O’Keefe, Anne C. Smith, Stephanie J. Williams, and Sue Wrbican. The auction also features lifestyle packages from Beloved Yoga, Lululemon, Verve Art Source, Red's Table, Broadway Gallery, and PaperKite Photography.

Join Tephra ICA for The Alloy Project: Annual Benefit and Cocktail Event! Thursday, October 3, 7pm–9:30pm | Reston Town Center Pavilion Join us for our most vibrant night of the year, where we'll gather to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art. Enjoy a delicious "dine by bite" experience sponsored by Pisco y Nazca, craft cocktails, and live music by DJ Oz. The evening also features an online auction, honored guests, artist dialogues, and a special site-specific installation. Read more and purchase your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/eNN8K72V General Admission | $100 Students & Artists | $65

It's been a wonderful month of welcoming FCPS students, teachers, and families into the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art gallery space to celebrate the Emerging Visions exhibition! Each year, Tephra ICA collaborates directly with Fairfax County Public Schools art educators to develop curricula for K-12 students that respond to an exhibition on view in the gallery. In addition to the lesson plans, participating schools also receive the opportunity to visit the gallery for in-person field trips, and to have featured artists visit their classrooms for workshops. It all culminates into an exhibition of student work on view each Summer! This year, we produced an exhibition catalog that highlights the artistic excellence of these students and their dedicated teachers. https://lnkd.in/enFxyXKH Developing this program and exhibition has been the highlight of my year, and seeing first-hand the immense impact of accessible art educational resources in FCPS makes me even more excited for the future of the program!

Still thinking about the Tephra team visit last Thursday to see the incredibly rich Multiplicity exhibition at The Phillips Collection and then catch the truly inspiring Subversive, Skilled, Sublime show at the Renwick Gallery. Now I’m even more excited for Ebony G. Patterson’s . . . three kings weep . . . to come to Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in September.

Today marks the official, public launch of the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign in celebration of our 50th anniversary. Having repositioned, and rebranded, as an Institute of Contemporary Art, we are thrilled to be able to deliver interdisciplinary experiences and programs, across age groups, that have earned regional and national recognition. Reston, Virginia is our home, and we’re excited to know that our reach and impact continues to extend to the broader Washington, DC metropolitan region, New York City, California, and beyond. Our last capital campaign was for our 40th anniversary, and 10 years later, we’re pleased to launch the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign with a $300,000 goal focused on the next phase of the Institute’s evolution: building our new home. This new facility will allow more space and resources to enhance exhibitions, education, and public programs; expand essential museum, university, and community partnerships; engage a broader audience in the power of contemporary art; and much more. More specifically, the campaign will address near-term infrastructure shortcomings at our current space, secure a needs assessment to aid in the longer-term search for a new home, and create a seed fund that will enable us to take advantage of the right opportunity once presented. With the dynamic, WMATA Metro-related development in Reston Town Center, Tephra ICA is already a part of ongoing discussions with developers about securing a possible new space, and it was through a developer proffer that we secured our current space 20 years ago. As reflected in our name, “tephra” – matter from geothermal eruptions that lands upon, nourishes, and changes the surrounding environment - emphasizes our belief in the combustibility of creativity and the generation of ideas and growth that the arts can provide. With your help, we’ll receive a similar outpouring of support to realize our ambitions and continue to build momentum in the next 50 years. Read more about the Tephra ICA at 50 Capital Campaign below.