Art Collecting

Now in its 10th year, the [The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards](https://www.strathmore.org/nurturing-artists/bernardebb-songwriting-awards/ "Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards") showcases some of the most compelling emerging songwriters from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Finalists take the stage at Strathmore to perform their original work before judges select this year’s winners. The competition awards a $10,000 grand prize plus studio recording support, along with a $2,500 award to one talented songwriter under 17. All finalists in both the adult and youth categories receive additional cash prizes. Tickets are as low as $20 and include a dessert reception after which is very nice to socialize. **[Click here](https://www.strathmore.org/nurturing-artists/bernardebb-songwriting-awards/bernardebb-songwriting-awards-concert/)** to purchase tickets. Price goes up $5 the week of the event. The evening offers a rare chance to hear fresh, original music from artists on the rise and to celebrate the region’s vibrant songwriting community.

ALMOST QUEEN Buy tickets here: https://freshtix.queue-it.net/?c=freshtix&e=43c3139ac2e85dacb2b&ver=v3-javascript-3.6.3&cver=334&man=Whole%20Site%20Safety%20Net&l=Custom%20Theme&t=https%3A%2F%2Fthestatetheatre.freshtix.com%2Fevents%2Falmostqueen424&kupver=cloudflare-1.2.0

[Book Your Classes by Clicking This Link! ](https://crowndancestudio.com/group-classes/) Friday: Advanced Expression End the work week with high-energy **Advanced Rhythm** from **7:00 PM to 8:30 PM**. This session dives deep into the technicalities of Latin and Ballroom styles like Rumba, Samba, or Mambo, designed for dancers who value precision and artistic expression. For $25, you'll receive intensive instruction that pushes your physical boundaries and refines your competitive or performance edge in a high-vibe atmosphere. **When: Every Friday** **Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.** **1 Dances per month:** **\*Please check the flyer on the group class page for the dance of the month. Or contact us to find out.** **Cost:$25 per person for 90 min.**

Join us for a fun and creative Sip & Paint Night on April 24 at 7:30 PM! 🎨✨ Unwind, relax, and tap into your artistic side in a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned painter, this experience is all about good vibes, great company, and expressing yourself through art.

Your cat might be under 21, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t drink! We are bringing the cats to the beer garden. Feel free to come with or without a cat and get ready to socialize and raise a glass with fellow cat lovers! 🍻 This is a great opportunity to make new friends. I will be bringing one or both of my cats and they would love to meet you! If you bring your cat, make sure they are wearing a collar, harness, leash, in a backpack, carrier, and/or stroller. We will be meeting in the side tent called the “special events tent” opposite of the entrance. We have the tent fully reserved for our group! 🅿️: From the Shipgarten website, “Our free parking can be found at 1700 Old Meadow Rd McLean, VA 22102. We have a complimentary shuttle which has continuous service after 3pm on weekdays and starting at 11am on weekends.” Ⓜ️: The venue is a 7 minute walk from the McLean station on the silver line.

[Book Your Classes by Clicking This Link! ](https://crowndancestudio.com/group-classes/) Finish your week strong with a dance instruction that blends technical skill with pure social joy. This Friday session is a favorite for single moms and retirees to practice their new moves, and enjoy a vibrant community atmosphere before the weekend begins. We make it easy for every student to stroll across the dance floor with some American Smooth from **11 AM to 12 PM.** Price: $25 Drop-in / Membership **DOES NOT** include this class!

Visit Artistic Artifacts on Saturday, April 25 from 1:00–4:00 pm for live demonstrations on our BERNINA sergers/overlock machines! Our BERNINA staff will be demonstrating on several of the machines, sharing lots of ideas of how useful these machines can be in your sewing room. April is **[BERNINA National Serger Month](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/promo)**, so **stop by and see how these machines have advanced from the sergers of yesteryear that we all loved to avoid!** This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and see what a serger can do for you. Not only do BERNINA Sergers trim, sew, and finish seams simultaneously, but they also come with built-in tutorials, so every change is effortless. Quilters can use the serger straight stitch with endless bobbin for piecing patchwork, perfect binding and more. Built-in features give you unexpected precision and creativity with innovative techniques and texture! (*Note*, if you are thinking about upgrading, Artistic Artifacts does accept trade-ins of your older model serger.)

We will go to Emissary Café DuPont next. We've been there before and it was wonderful. They have a great menu and I think we'll have a lot of fun. I look forward to drawing with you soon! [http://www.emissarydc.com/](http://www.emissarydc.com/)

Covid Alert: We will start having classes again at Canal Park on Wednesdays and the dojo on Saturdays. Please bring your own hand sanitizer, and a mask are a must! We'll practice from a safe distance from each other; and progress from there. On Saturdays, class is limited to the first 5 persons to rsvp (until further notice) "DC Kali" is an official training group for FCS Kali. Our curriculum includes knifes, swords, stick-fighting, striking, and grappling; but we place a special emphasis on edged weapons. Please come out and learn some Kali. Our aim is to train hard, learn some sound defense strategies, and make friends along the way. Although FCS Kali is a combat-oriented systems that involves edged weapons, we provide a safe environment for learning w/o sacrificing realism in our training. We teach in small semi-private groups, allowing each individual student to progress as quickly as he or she can absorb the info being taught. Hope to see you all there. Mosi K. Jack, Esq. Training Group Instructor · FCS Manong (under Tuhon Ray Dionaldo) http://www.fcskali.com/ ) Filipino Combat Systems is an organization dedicated the preservation and promotion of all Filipino Martial Arts. Filipino Combat Systems(FCS) is an organization/system with members from around the world. FCS is based on Tuhon Ray Dionaldo's over 35 years of practicing various FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) styles. He's combine elements of each, into one system that's efficient, fast, concise, and logical. FCS members have extremely diverse backgrounds, and Martial Arts systems. We’ve all come together because of our love of the Filipino Martial Arts, and our unwillingness to become involved in the politics that has so often stifled our growth. Please pick one of the following class and fee combos: Drop-In Fee: $25/per class (after 1st free Saturday class) Monthly fees: $80/month (Wednesday park classes included for free), or Quarterly fees: $210/every 3 months (which comes to $70/month; includes the Wednesday park classes), or Wednesday Park only: $50/month • Cash and Paypal are preferred method of payment (online payments via Square are available at: https://squareup.com/market/dc-kali ) • One free trial class is permitted (but must rsvp ahead of class) • Equipment: if you have training knives, rattan sticks, training swords, and/or mma gloves bring them. If not, we may have a few extra. Training Videos http://www.fcskaliphilippines.com/fcs-curriculum-videos.html http://www.bloodnbonesgear.com/id5.html

🔥 **Wood Burning: Craft Your Own Personalized Wooden Spoons** 🔥Ignite your creativity and personalize your kitchenware! 👉**Registration** is **Online Only** at: [https://portal.nova-labs.org/event-6616434](https://portal.nova-labs.org/event-6616434) ***(No drop-ins accepted.)*** 🕒**When:** Sunday, **26 Apr 2026**, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM 📍**Where:** Nova Labs, 3850 Jermantown Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030 **Details:** Join us for a hands-on project class where you'll learn the beautiful art of wood burning. We will guide you through the basics as you permanently etch your own unique designs onto a wooden spoon. Whether you’re looking to create a decorative addition to your kitchen or a thoughtful, handmade gift, this class is the perfect way to make a custom keepsake! ⚠️ HOW TO REGISTER An RSVP on Meetup does NOT reserve your spot. **Please register via the link below** to attend. ***(No drop-ins accepted.)*** 👉[https://portal.nova-labs.org/event-6616434](https://portal.nova-labs.org/event-6616434) Hope to see you there!

Come Craft with us at either the MLK Library or the Kogod atrium of the Portrait Gallery. There are generally knitters/crocheters/needle workers in both places. Our success has made us a fairly large group so we are meeting in both places on Saturdays. Don't let the lack of RSVPs stop you, they aren't required, nor is membership to our group. Bring your project and join a boisterous group of crafters in first floor of either building.

Welcome to the Art School - 20's & 30's artists Meetup group! This is a community for young artists who are passionate about exploring different mediums and techniques in the world of art. Whether you're a painter, sculptor, photographer, or mixed media artist, this group is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals, have a space to work on your craft, and showcase your work. Let's inspire and support each other on our artistic journeys! Whether you're a novice or a seasoned artist, all skill levels are welcome. Join us and unleash your creativity! Afterwards, we will have time to work on our individual art projects, hang out, and if anyone is interested in feedback on their work, there will be time for that as well.

If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you. We are a local chapter of Bogleheads, whose investment strategy can be found here: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here: https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php I look forward to seeing you there. Mark Vonder Haar

**Welcome to the Women’s Columbus Bogleheads® Sub-Group** This sub-group is for **women who want to learn and discuss finances in a safe, supportive space**. For those interested in moving towards financial independence and retirement by learning investment basics, choosing your 401(k) investments, minimizing taxes, and more. We’re a local chapter of **Bogleheads®**, following a long-term, practical investment philosophy: [Investment Philosophy](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy): https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy [Bogleheads Forum](https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php): https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php No question is too small, and no experience is too simple. Share, ask, and learn — at your own pace, without judgment, in a group of like-minded women. Let’s build confidence and knowledge **together**!

A WiA Collective Wisdom Exchange At the start of this year, we gathered to look back, set intentions, and imagine the next chapter. This is the follow-up. Not a check-in. Not a progress report. A small, facilitated circle to reconnect with what you said mattered — and honestly explore what’s actually happening now. Together, we’ll explore: • What you intended at the start of this year - and what that looks like three months in • What’s surprised you, supported you, or shifted • What the next chapter needs now that you know what you know If you were at our January gathering, bring whatever you made or wrote — your word, your artifact, your intention. We’ll look at it with fresh eyes. If this is your first time, you belong here too. You’ll start where we all started: with what’s true right now. Optional art materials will be available for anyone who wants to reflect creatively alongside conversation. If you brought something home from January, you’re warmly invited to bring it back. The intention is the same as always: everyone leaves feeling more clear, more connected, and a little lighter. Space is intentionally limited to keep the experience intimate. What to Expect • A small, welcoming circle (not a large meetup) • Structured conversation so everyone has space to speak • Reflection, listening, and lived experience — not advice-giving • Optional creative reflection alongside conversation • A calm, supportive environment Who This Is For Women and underrepresented folks working in or around agile, product, technology, leadership, or organizational change — especially those looking for honest conversation and community beyond frameworks and buzzwords. Good to Know • No preparation required • If you attended in January, we invite you to bring anything you created or wrote (or something that represents your intention at the start of the year) - it’s optional but invited • Participation is invitational; listening is always welcome • Creative activities are optional

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.