Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Zenith Continues
May 5, 2009
Dearest Friends of Zenith Gallery:
As many of you know, this past week marked Zenith Gallery’s last days at 413 Seventh Street NW and the end of an era for me, our patrons, artists and staff. It has been an extraordinary 23 years, operating a six-day-a-week retail business in Penn Quarter, a place I’ve watched change and grow, where I’ve been able to exhibit and sell art, make friends and establish my home-away-from-home.
Truth be told, I’ve spent more waking hours in Penn Quarter in the past two-plus decades … working, hosting openings and events, dining, going to meetings, and shopping … than at my residence in northwest Washington.
All of us at Zenith leave Seventh Street with fond memories and an enduring passion for art. So even though we’re changing the way we do business and moving from our physical location, we’ll continue to present, provide and promote art via our online gallery, in our private northwest Washington showroom and in venues throughout the Washington area and beyond.
Projects already in the works in Penn Quarter include:
· Fabricated and Cast, featuring works by Amanda Richardson and Paul Martin Wolff, at the
Sculpture Gallery at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, open week days and weekends by appointment
· Annual Food Glorious Food Calendar & Show launch party at Woolly Mammoth Theatre on December 3
presented by the Zenith Community Arts Foundation
· Lit Stages, a display of Philip Hazard’s neon art at TICKETPLACE, 407 7th Street NW, WDC
· A Taste of Zenith, Art displayed in the windows at the north west corner of 7th & "D" Streets NW, and the windows on the south side of "D" Street, NW between 7th & 8th ("D" Street side of Market Square)
Looking ahead, we’re excited about stepping into a new era that will enable us to be more flexible and focus on projects we’ve wanted to pursue for years, but not had time given the demands of operating a storefront gallery … for a total of 31+ years when you count our early days on Rhode Island Avenue, where Zenith opened in 1978.
In fact, we expect to be as busy as ever as we expand our acquisition, consulting and commissioning business; curate and organize art shows, programs and artist studio tours in and beyond Washington. I’m especially looking forward to having more time to spend with our clients, and to nurturing our artists and discovering new talent. Through the Zenith Community Arts Foundation (ZCAF), we’ll also concentrate on fostering creative alliances aimed at developing art projects to benefit the community.
In closing, I thank you for your patronage and support over the years, including our landlords and the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association. We intend to stay accessible in your lives by appointment and through invitations, emails, our blog and website where you can check for the latest information about all we do.
My associates and I look forward to seeing you at our events and shows, at your homes and offices.
Meanwhile, please note our contact information and website remain the same; only our mailing address has changed.
Thank you for 31 Memorable Years.
Margery E. Goldberg
Founder/Director
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Remembering Zenith- Toasts to Margery Goldberg
Remembering Zenith Square
1978-1985
“Zenith” What does the word Zenith bring to mind? The top, the best, the pinnacle?
For me, as an artist, that is exactly what Zenith has been! In 1977, I graduated from the University of Georgia with my Bachelors in Fine Arts in Sculpture. It was a great education but to say that I was a bit in culture shock, living in Athens, GA for four years, is an understatement. As an artist, with an artists way of thinking & being, I always felt different, thought differently and growing up, was always made to feel a little weirder than the rest. When I was about to graduate, my two girlfriends and I were sitting around talking about what comes next. I actually said to them that I wanted to come back to DC to become an apprentice to a female wood sculptor & furniture designer. Well lo and behold, after lasting a month as the hostess for the omelet room at Clydes of Georgetown, I met Liz, the Sous chef, who told me that, that was exactly what she did. She told me that I just had to meet the boss of her other job, Margery Goldberg. Little did I know at that moment, that Margery Goldberg would not only become my boss, but would also become my teacher, my mentor, my best friend and sister. In the four and a half years that I was Margery’s apprentice, I learned how to work hard and long to produce and succeed. I learned how to use every piece of machinery, electric and handheld in a wood shop. I learned how to laminate and make wood sculptures and furniture that were perfectly polished to a sheen. I learned the names of every exotic African & American wood and what it takes to carry and re-carry a barn load of that wood. I also learned how to build a gallery, run a gallery, hang and sell art. Most importantly, I learned what it takes to create and build a strong, compassionate community of artists! Zenith in the early days was a lot like a “Field of Dreams”. Build it and they will come. Come they did! Painters, sculptors, wood & metal workers, jewelers, photographers, print makers, potters, writers and musicians. In the very beginning, Margery had her two-story shop in the carriage house, Liz Lehrman was there with her dancers, prior to creating The Dance Exchange and Joy Zinoman was there with her actors, prior to creating Studio Theater. Above Margery’s studio, with studios of their own were artists, Geoffrey Carter, Carol Dyer, Suzanne Codi, Dennis Story, Margery Berringer and Carol McKelvey. When Margery & Michael Kline decided to build the Zenith Gallery, they brought in the design talents of Terry Lewis and Bradley Sanders. The beautiful two story Zenith Gallery was right next to Margery’s wood shop. Life was very busy. We could be covered in wood dust from head to toe and an hour later be dressed and ready for an opening. Zenith evolved. Liz & Joy moved on to create their own artistic empires and after a days work, we artists would gravitate to Geoffrey’s studio and start dreaming, thinking and planning about the other carriage house and the four vacant townhouses on Rhode Island Ave. also owned by our landlord and patron, Stuart Bloch. Stuart was the best kind of landlord! An art collector who bartered! After a number of “mezcal moments” (and a fight for the worm), we decided that it would be amazingly cool to renovate the townhouses and turn those into studios as well. Zenith Square was born! Four town houses and two carriage houses filled with studios. It was an artists dream. To surround your self with artists, 24 hours a day was the best and we knew it and appreciated it! If you ever had a technical or design question, you had wise advise, great resources and help wherever you looked. Together, we became best friends, fabulous artists and a visionary tribal family of sorts. Incredible cutting edge art, Amazing parties, Fabulous food, Renaissance fairs, Wearable art shows, Fantastic friendships and Magical moments that will be remembered for a lifetime. None of it would have been possible without Margery Goldberg!
She has been a phenomenal leader for hundreds of artists. Her will, her mind and her heart have helped launch hundreds of careers. I personally don’t know what I would have done without her. I owe so much to her. She is an Artist’s, artist and a one of a kind person. Thank you Margery for being you and for taking us along for the ride! We love You!
Just one story, that represents the kind of magic that we experienced living and working at Zenith square. One spring evening after a brief thunderstorm, a bunch of us went out onto the adjoining roof of 1445 & 1447 R.I. Ave. There was a gorgeous sunset,
a huge full moon and a magnificent rainbow in the sky, all at the same time. In true Zenithian fashion, we played “Tubular Bells’ loudly and howled like wolves!
In moving the Zenith Gallery to 7th & D, we extended a wonderful world of art for a total of 31 amazing years. This location may be going away but Zenith and all it stands for will never go away. It will just transform into a new form, in the same way that artists transform their art and in the same way that art transforms our world!
Carol Newmyer
1978-1985
“Zenith” What does the word Zenith bring to mind? The top, the best, the pinnacle?
For me, as an artist, that is exactly what Zenith has been! In 1977, I graduated from the University of Georgia with my Bachelors in Fine Arts in Sculpture. It was a great education but to say that I was a bit in culture shock, living in Athens, GA for four years, is an understatement. As an artist, with an artists way of thinking & being, I always felt different, thought differently and growing up, was always made to feel a little weirder than the rest. When I was about to graduate, my two girlfriends and I were sitting around talking about what comes next. I actually said to them that I wanted to come back to DC to become an apprentice to a female wood sculptor & furniture designer. Well lo and behold, after lasting a month as the hostess for the omelet room at Clydes of Georgetown, I met Liz, the Sous chef, who told me that, that was exactly what she did. She told me that I just had to meet the boss of her other job, Margery Goldberg. Little did I know at that moment, that Margery Goldberg would not only become my boss, but would also become my teacher, my mentor, my best friend and sister. In the four and a half years that I was Margery’s apprentice, I learned how to work hard and long to produce and succeed. I learned how to use every piece of machinery, electric and handheld in a wood shop. I learned how to laminate and make wood sculptures and furniture that were perfectly polished to a sheen. I learned the names of every exotic African & American wood and what it takes to carry and re-carry a barn load of that wood. I also learned how to build a gallery, run a gallery, hang and sell art. Most importantly, I learned what it takes to create and build a strong, compassionate community of artists! Zenith in the early days was a lot like a “Field of Dreams”. Build it and they will come. Come they did! Painters, sculptors, wood & metal workers, jewelers, photographers, print makers, potters, writers and musicians. In the very beginning, Margery had her two-story shop in the carriage house, Liz Lehrman was there with her dancers, prior to creating The Dance Exchange and Joy Zinoman was there with her actors, prior to creating Studio Theater. Above Margery’s studio, with studios of their own were artists, Geoffrey Carter, Carol Dyer, Suzanne Codi, Dennis Story, Margery Berringer and Carol McKelvey. When Margery & Michael Kline decided to build the Zenith Gallery, they brought in the design talents of Terry Lewis and Bradley Sanders. The beautiful two story Zenith Gallery was right next to Margery’s wood shop. Life was very busy. We could be covered in wood dust from head to toe and an hour later be dressed and ready for an opening. Zenith evolved. Liz & Joy moved on to create their own artistic empires and after a days work, we artists would gravitate to Geoffrey’s studio and start dreaming, thinking and planning about the other carriage house and the four vacant townhouses on Rhode Island Ave. also owned by our landlord and patron, Stuart Bloch. Stuart was the best kind of landlord! An art collector who bartered! After a number of “mezcal moments” (and a fight for the worm), we decided that it would be amazingly cool to renovate the townhouses and turn those into studios as well. Zenith Square was born! Four town houses and two carriage houses filled with studios. It was an artists dream. To surround your self with artists, 24 hours a day was the best and we knew it and appreciated it! If you ever had a technical or design question, you had wise advise, great resources and help wherever you looked. Together, we became best friends, fabulous artists and a visionary tribal family of sorts. Incredible cutting edge art, Amazing parties, Fabulous food, Renaissance fairs, Wearable art shows, Fantastic friendships and Magical moments that will be remembered for a lifetime. None of it would have been possible without Margery Goldberg!
She has been a phenomenal leader for hundreds of artists. Her will, her mind and her heart have helped launch hundreds of careers. I personally don’t know what I would have done without her. I owe so much to her. She is an Artist’s, artist and a one of a kind person. Thank you Margery for being you and for taking us along for the ride! We love You!
Just one story, that represents the kind of magic that we experienced living and working at Zenith square. One spring evening after a brief thunderstorm, a bunch of us went out onto the adjoining roof of 1445 & 1447 R.I. Ave. There was a gorgeous sunset,
a huge full moon and a magnificent rainbow in the sky, all at the same time. In true Zenithian fashion, we played “Tubular Bells’ loudly and howled like wolves!
In moving the Zenith Gallery to 7th & D, we extended a wonderful world of art for a total of 31 amazing years. This location may be going away but Zenith and all it stands for will never go away. It will just transform into a new form, in the same way that artists transform their art and in the same way that art transforms our world!
Carol Newmyer
Monday, March 2, 2009
MARGERY GOLDBERG INVITES YOUto Zenith Gallery's
Grand Finale Party on 7th Street!!
Saturday, March 7, 7-10pm
Food provided by Food Calendar Sponsors and Penn Quarter neighbors:
OYAMEL , ZATINYA, TEAISM, "701", RASKIKA, BLACK SALT
and other area restaurants
Grand Finale Sales
15%-75% off, February 15 – March 29, 2009
PARTIAL LIST OF ARTISTS
John Aaron Beatriz Blanco Gloria Cesal Francois Chauvin
Patrick Cochran Renee duRocher Drew Ernst Leslie Exton
Robert Freeman Cassandra Gillens Julie & Ken Girardini
David Glick Margery E. Goldberg Brenda Gordon John Grazier
Stephen Hansen Philip Hazard Chris Hayman Frank Holmes
Robert C. Jackson jodi William King Susan Klebanoff Lucartha Kohler
Joan Konkel Shelley Laffal William Ludwig Jill Mackie Michael Madzo
Stephen Maffin Vincent Magni Michaela Mansuino Davis Morton
Elizabeth Raphael Amanda Richardson David Richardson
Guenther Riess Ron Schwerin Sica Ellen Sinel Bradley Stevens
Bill Suworoff Cassie Taggart Ray Wiger Paul Martin Wolff
Michael Young Joyce Zipperer
After 30 years at the forefront of Washington’s art scene, Zenith Gallery is holding its first-ever sale, giving collectors and occasional buyers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to purchase paintings, sculpture, mixed-media pieces, neon art, furniture, photographs and jewelry from its storewide collection and coveted vaults at discounts ranging from 15% to 75%.
VIEW PRESS RELEASE
VIEW SALE INVENTORY
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