Programs
Gallery Exhibitions
Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz Gallery celebrates not only the artwork of our students, faculty, and staff, but our community as well. The Gallery Series aims to educate the Sitar Arts Center community about the visual arts from both the artist and viewer’s perspective, while giving young emerging artists the opportunity to exhibit professionally.
Operating for more than 15 years, the Cafritz Gallery is an intimate space that exhibits a variety of mediums and styles of 2D and 3D work. With six showcases a year, we offer young artists opportunities to feature and sell their work through solo and group exhibitions. Additionally, young artists can learn from more seasoned artists through juried exhibitions, faculty showcases, and artists talks.
Each year the Cafritz Gallery hosts a juried exhibition that is open to the public. This juried exhibition presents artists with a new theme and a new group of jurors to review the work. Jurors are practicing visual artists and arts professionals working in various organizations and positions within the DC community.
For questions about how to exhibit or interest in being a juror, please contact Gisselle Cardona at gisselle@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 797-2145, ext. 120
Current Exhibition
Introspective by Héctor Rafael
Exhibition Dates: September 26 – November 1, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 3, 2024, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sitar Arts Center Cafritz Gallery is proud to celebrate the incredible work of Héctor Rafael, a talented artist hailing from Puerto Rico. His series, featuring graphite drawings and oil paintings, delves deeply into themes of mental health and self-identity. Each piece offers a profound exploration of the human psyche. Immerse yourself in the many layers of “Introspective”.
“The exhibition is a series of self-portraits that invites viewers to reflect on anxiety, depression, body image, and self-acceptance. While the starting point of the series is deeply personal, it touches on experiences that are universally relatable. Through these works, I aim to open a dialogue about mental health and the complexities of self-perception, encouraging others to confront and embrace their own struggles.” – Héctor Rafael
“Introspective” will be on display at Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz Gallery from September 26 until November 1. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, from noon – 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. – noon.
This exhibit and Sitar Arts Center’s 2024-2025 Gallery Series are supported by the Corcoran Women’s Committee.
About Héctor Rafael
The past two years have been pivotal for Héctor Rafael, marked by overcoming a series of hardships and moments of self-discovery. His irrational imagery evokes the unconscious mind, sparking conversations about gender, sexuality, spirituality, and mental health. Héctor Rafael’s series redefines masculinity, aiming to foster dialogue about mental health and utilizing the creative process as a path to wellness. His work not only challenges traditional norms but also invites viewers to engage with their own inner experiences.
His art style can be described as Caribbean Queer Neo-Surrealism, blending queer perspectives with contemporary surrealist techniques. This style reflects a profound exploration of identity and the human experience. At a crucial point in his life, Héctor took time for personal growth, and it was during this period that he found the inspiration to bring this transformative series to life. His unique vision offers a refreshing and thought-provoking approach to contemporary art.
Héctor Rafael earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Painting from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and a Master of Art Education from Universidad Ana G. Méndez in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is currently the Head of the Art Department at Colegio Católico Notre Dame in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
To learn more about Héctor Rafael and his upcoming shows be sure to check out his website.
Próxima exposición
Introspective de Héctor Rafael
Fechas de la exposición: 26 de septiembre – 1 de noviembre
Recepción de apertura: Jueves, 3 de octubre de 2024, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sitar Arts Center se enorgullece de celebrar el increíble trabajo de Héctor Rafael, un talentoso artista originario de Puerto Rico. Su serie, que incluye dibujos en grafito y pinturas al óleo, profundiza en temas de salud mental y autoidentidad. Cada obra ofrece una profunda exploración de la psique humana. Sumérjase en las múltiples capas de Introspective.
“La exposición es una serie de autorretratos que invita al espectador a reflexionar sobre la ansiedad, la depresión, la imagen corporal y la autoaceptación. Aunque el punto de partida de la serie es profundamente personal, habla de experiencias que son universales. Con estas obras pretendo abrir un diálogo sobre la salud mental y la complejidad de la percepción de uno mismo, exhortando a los demás a afrontar y aceptar sus propias luchas.” – Héctor Rafael
Acompáñenos en la recepción inaugural.
“Introspective” se expondrá en Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz Gallery del 26 de septiembre al 1 de noviembre. La galería está abierta de lunes a viernes, de 12:00 a 6:00 p.m., y los sábados, de 10:00 a.m. a 12:00 p.m.
Esta exposición y la Serie de Galerías 2024-2025 del Sitar Arts Center cuentan con el apoyo del Corcoran Women’s Committee.
Sobre Héctor Rafael
Los dos últimos años han sido cruciales para Héctor Rafael, marcados por la superación de una serie de dificultades y momentos de autodescubrimiento. Sus imágenes irracionales evocan la mente inconsciente, suscitando conversaciones sobre género, sexualidad, espiritualidad y salud mental. Las series de Héctor Rafael redefinen la masculinidad, con el objetivo de fomentar el diálogo sobre la salud mental y utilizar el proceso creativo como vía hacia el bienestar. Su obra no sólo desafía las normas tradicionales, sino que también invita a los espectadores a comprometerse con sus propias experiencias interiores.
Su estilo artístico puede describirse como neosurrealismo queer caribeño, que combina perspectivas queer con técnicas surrealistas contemporáneas. Este estilo refleja una profunda exploración de la identidad y la experiencia humana. En un momento crucial de su vida, Héctor Rafael se tomó un tiempo para su crecimiento personal y fue durante este periodo cuando encontró la inspiración para dar vida a esta serie transformadora. Su visión única ofrece un enfoque refrescante y sugerente del arte contemporáneo.
Héctor Rafael cuenta con un Bachillerato en Bellas Artes con especialización en Pintura por la Facultad de Artes Visuales y Escénicas de la Universidad de Syracuse (Nueva York) y posee una Maestría en Educación Artística por la Universidad Ana G. Méndez de San Juan (Puerto Rico). Actualmente es el Director del Departamento de Arte del Colegio Católico Notre Dame de Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Para saber más información sobre Héctor Rafael y sus próximas exposiciones, visita su sitio web.
Previous Exhibitions
Chain Reaction
“Chain Reaction,” a captivating 100-piece art exhibit by the 14-member International Online Art Collective (IOAC), was on display in our Cafritz Gallery May 24 – June 22, 2024 . Two years in the making, “Chain Reaction” is the collective’s most ambitious project yet. Starting with just one piece, a chain of artwork inspired by each other culminated in 100 pieces assembled into one multi-media installation.
Founded in the spring of 2020, IOAC artists reside in eight different countries. Operating entirely online until recently, as their name implies, the International Online Art Collective is now embarking on a series of live exhibitions around the world, with Sitar Arts Center hosting their second in-person show.
“Chain Reaction” and Sitar Arts Center’s 2024-2025 Gallery Series is supported by the Corcoran Women’s Committee.
14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition
We proudly presented our 14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition. On display in our Cafritz Gallery from February 26 to April 24, 2024, the exhibition featured over 30 curated works from local, national, and international artists, including entries from California, Florida, Illinois, Portugal, and Switzerland. This exhibition’s theme, “Life in Color,” invited artists to explore emotion, play with dimensions and reimagine daily life with color.
Winners of the 14th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition
Ages 22 and older
1st Place:
Ting Wang
2nd Place:
Jeffrey Felten-Green
Young Adult
1st Place:
Kai Dixon
2nd Place:
Sophia St. John
People’s Choice Award:
Jeffrey Felten-Green
