Stitches, Scars, and Survival: Mending Takes Center Stage at The DC Arts Center

Walking up 18th Street in Adams Morgan, you often wonder about the spaces on the second floor of the buildings lining the sidewalks. Beyond the popular storefronts and restaurants, what lies above? Apartments, offices, maybe a vacant space waiting to be filled. But on February 13, two banners flow over the roof to the second floor of 2438 18th St. NW, catching the eye of many a pedestrian. Backlit by the glow of yellow windows, they read: “WE MEND IN END TIMES.”

There’s no check-in at the top of the narrow staircase that ejects curious passersby into the center of a wide room. Rather than a traditional information desk, you feel as though you are entering a treehouse on a ladder through a hole in the floor. Classic white walls and exposed brick are typical to a traditional gallery, but the experience is anything but traditional. The art is not encased in ornate frames from a bygone era; rather, the textile art pieces physically overflow onto the light hardwood floors. The lighting design serves as the frames, with spotlights throwing pools of light around the array of projects on the walls.