The power of art continues to flourish in Germantown with the Imperfect Gallery’s highly-anticipated exhibit, ‘The Freedom Show,’ an upcoming, five-week display featuring various works from local and international artists.
The opening event of the 12th Annual Freedom Show, which will be held on Saturday, October 5, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., has historically been a celebratory reception where artists come together to pack the gallery, express themselves through their work, and support one another in a non-formal, lively environment.
“It’s a party to celebrate the fact that five weeks will be dedicated to this group of people. Let’s raise a cup to all of these crazy artists that do everything we do to be a part of the culture,” said Imperfect Gallery’s co-owner, Renny Molenaar. “It’s a celebration of artists and our diversity of culture, diversity of technique, diversity of race, diversity of financial standing, and more.”
Pieces of art that consist of paintings, sculptures, collages, pottery, CGI, and photography will come in many different styles and hang and stand throughout the gallery from its opening show until its closing on November 9. 116 artists are participating in the show to showcase their art.
There’s also historically been much diversity in the age of participants, consisting of people as young as ten to older adults in their 80s.
Molenaar, alongside his wife and the gallery’s co-owner, Rocio Cabello, has been heavily motivated by the platform they’re able to give artists through Imperfect Gallery since its opening in 2012.
“It’s all about generating opportunities, and it’s a way of communicating to the community that this matters,” Molenaar said. “A lot of people know that art is important, but they don’t understand why; art affects every aspect of society.”
“This is a baby step in the direction of education and clarification,” Molenaar added.
Every year during the summer, they announce an open call for submissions on their website and social media pages, encouraging people to submit work with no intention of turning anyone down.
“There’s no judge and no jury,” Molenaar said. “You have very successful artists with international careers mixed in with people who are doing their first pieces and have no idea about the art world but have that desire to make art.”
A network of artists has steadily formed and grown within the space that Cabello and Moleenar offer in their Fall exhibits, as both returning and new participants are always welcomed. They have an active network of over 1,000 artists.
One of the artists participating in the show, Frederick Omega Pye, is a longtime artist with a strong connection to the gallery. This year, he submitted a piece to the exhibit for the first time. It’s a violin created out of a wire hanger, which is a style of art he’s been working on since his childhood.
“[Imperfect Gallery] is the heartbeat of the community and a great headquarters,” Pye said. “Renny and Rocio are like the roots, and then you see the blossom; all of our artwork is the fruit.”
During the five-week duration, viewers will be able to visit the exhibit during the gallery’s listed open hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. and can reach out to Moleenar and Cabello for more information on scheduling a visit. Their contact information is available on the website.
The last day of the exhibit will also feature a reception that will offer another socializing and networking opportunity for the artists.
Throughout the duration of the exhibit, there will be other activities and events hosted by the gallery, such as an author’s book launch with details coming soon, a music-themed event with live bands and a DJ, and a roundtable talk. A calendar with more details will be released about a week after the opening event.
“We have a very collective program—sometimes we don’t even know what we’re going to do,” Cabello said. “People walk in the door and ask if we can do something in particular that we never thought about; if a person wants to have something, we say ‘OK, if we can work it out, then we’ll do it.”
A highlight of their programming will be an October 19 interactive festival, where they will invite artists to do live art-making, spanning from Armat Street to School House Lane.
“It’s the same as [The Freedom Show], but instead of inviting them to bring their work, we’re inviting them to come and do their work outside,” Cabello said. “This is so the neighborhood can see how artists create because that’s such a private thing sometimes.”
More details about the event will be announced soon.
“Shows like [The Freedom Show] are so complex and diverse that no matter who you are, there’s going to be stuff in here that you’ll react to,” Molenaar said.” [There’s art] that you’re going to have questions about, be pleased with, or maybe upset about, but that’s what it’s all about.”
Note: This article was updated on Friday, October 4, 2024 to reflect the correct date from Friday, October 5 to Saturday, October 5.
