Art Opening Nights in OldTown Alexandria

The wonderful Principle Gallery and the nearby Torpedo Factory don't often have opening OldTown receptions the same night but they do on this Friday the 13th!

In Arboreal Light and Magic at Principle, Gilbert Gorski presents landscapes that exist somewhere between the familiar and the imagined. And at Torpedo Factory it's customer appreciation night with many openings, led by Art League. Steve Mabley's The Social Vibe (pictured above) is a mix of place, mood, light, and people enjoying each other in conversation; an air of receptive friendliness and warmth that rejuvenates and renews.

We'll meet around 6:15 at Principle and then go over to Torpedo Factory around 7. This is a pretty relaxed and social evening as opposed to dupont walks where we move pretty quickly. Plenty of dinner options if people want to do that after.

Mabley explores and celebrates the places, faces, warmth, and festive feeling of the social scene through this series of expressive and gestural oil paintings, painted on-scene and alla prima (“all at once”) at various DC gathering places. The immediacy and presence of the artist’s approach translate to works rich with gesture, movement, and color harmony, all of which evoke the magic and warmth and uplifting feelings of interpersonal connection.

At Principle, towering trees, winding paths, and distant horizons begin in places that seem recognizable, yet through Gilbert’s heightened color and extraordinary sense of scale, they become something altogether more mysterious. His landscapes feel rooted in our world while offering a glimpse into another.

Gilbert Gorski reminds us that wonder does not belong solely to childhood or fantasy. It can be found in the landscapes around us, if we remain willing to look for it. His paintings invite us to linger, to wander, and perhaps to see the familiar world with a little more imagination.