Past Events - 2025
January - Sip 'n Share
Participants at this membership meeting got lots of inspiration from hearing about each other’s projects, with topics ranging from glass work, sewing and other fiber arts, painting, and ceramics to wood burning. natural sculptures and a novel about to be published.
February - Valentine’s Day Exchange
More than 20 AAA members reached inside colorful decorated bags to find a surprise gift ranging from stained glass to ceramics to paintings at the fun-filled Valentine’s exchange.
April - Painting with Cold Wax Workshop
AAA member Daniel Wise led a fascinating workshop on painting with cold wax. Combining the cold wax with acrylic paint yielded luminous and thickly textured paint that could be applied with spatulas and palette knives.
April- Spring Field Trip to Smithsonian Craft Show
A group of members were inspired by amazing crafts in all mediums at the Smithsonian Craft Show, then enjoyed lunch together at Zaytinya.
May- Membership Meeting at Bellevue Historic Plantation
Members gathered at historic Bellevue plantation in Accokeek, enjoying a tour of the landscaped grounds before sharing appetizers, wine, and their current artistic work. Highlights included ceramics, jewelry, paintings, a new novel, and an original song.
June - Shibori Workshop
Led by AAA cofounder Peggy Reichard, 10 AAA members explored this traditional Japanese dyeing technique to create their own unique fabrics and garments..
August - Natural Inks Workshop
Led by AAA artist Candice Bigelow, participants discovered how fun it is to make natural dyes and inks from foraged items and grocery finds like flowers and blueberries. They also manipulated the resulting inks by changing their pH.
September - Sip ‘n Share Membership Meeting
Members gathered at the Wagner Center for an inspiring afternoon of socializing and sharing of their latest arty projects. For example, an original song, oil paintings, and a hand crafted garment were featured. Afterwards. a swap of art materials offered various supplies a second chance for purpose.
October - Fall Wreath Workshop
With the guidance of floral designed Patrick Heydt, workshop enrollees made their own stunning floral wreaths from a large array of everlasting materials, such as exotic lotus pods and dried orange quince slices
November - Winter Market
The two-day annual Winter Market brought participation by 22 artists and record sales thanks to community support and enthusiasm. Wares ranged from knitted mittens and ceramic mugs to art glass and homemade knives. The reception on Saturday drew a large crowd as well.
December - Sip ‘n Share Membership Meeting and Cookie Exchange
Members shared their latest works and took part in our first ever cookie exchange.
Highlights included a stained glass bird, original pastels, a watercolor portrait, and a delicious array of homemade treats like gooey butter cake, peanut butter truffles and gochujang caramel cookies, accompanied by their recipes
