Female artists ‘forecast’ future in Reston exhibit debuting this week

The Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston will peer into the future with its latest exhibit.

Featuring an all-female roster of artists, “Forecast” collects 22 images and text works that are meant to “speak to our collective futures,” the institute proclaims.

“Far from a singular vision, these predictions span the range from willing the utopic into existence to raising the alarm bells about what may be to come,” Tephra ICA said in a news release.

The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 3 through Jan. 22, features predictions — dubbed “Buoyant Oracles” — created by female artists in response to Sue Wrbican’s public sculpture “Buoyant Force,” located in Reston Town Square Park.

“From Asha Santee’s vision of a black queer woman as president to Laure Drogoul’s cryptic, ‘Yes..No..Goodbye..,’ or Nina Q. Allen’s plea, ‘I want you to live…don’t sink in sadness,’ these forecasts are unapologetically emotional,” Tephra said.

“Buoyant Oracle” is an interactive feature activated by scanning a QR code. It allows viewers to chat with “Buoyant Force” and receive a reading of paired poetry and images. The installation also features an evolving cast of guest oracles and narratives.

An opening reception is planned for Friday (Nov. 4) from 6-8 p.m.

The full list of featured artists is below:

• Rahne Alexander
• Nina Q. Allen
• Laure Drogoul
• Cheryl Edwards
• Heloisa Escudero
• Maggie Gourlay
• Mira Hecht
• Kay Hwang
• Veronica Jackson
• Isabel Manalo
• Zia Palmer
• Judith Pratt
• Asha Santee
• Kat Thompson
• Jessica Valoris
• Naoko Wowsugi
• Jessica Kallista
• Maria Karametou
• Ceci Cole McInturff
• Meeting Ground (Susan Main and MJ Neuberg)
• Lisa Rosenstein
• Nicole Salimbene

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