In 2026, the United States is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding. The U.S. Semiquincentennial is the theme of “250 and Counting” at Falls Church Arts Gallery and, as is usual for the venue, presents a wide swath of takes on the given theme. Artworks with historical, cultural, and political allusions abound, all in a variety of media.
An enjoyable historically themed portrait with a local setting features subjects dressed in 1776-era historical costume in Falls Church in Rajendra KC’s vivid watercolor “Independence Shared in Falls Church.” It commemorates September 10, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was read publicly at the front entrance of The Falls Church, the church which gave the community its name.
America is a land of capitalism and consumerism, and this was reflected in artworks featuring Marlboro cigarettes, McDonalds’ French fries (Alexa Hanisch’s oil painting “The Golden Order”), and Brown’s Hardware, late of Falls Church. Of course, capitalism and consumerism can blend into communities with local establishments and their demise. Recently, the Falls Church community lost its iconic hardware establishment of more than 140 years. Susan Updike’s linocut “Brown’s Hardware” beautifully and warmly memorializes this community icon as it had been for generations, so that even now as it is no more, it never truly will be gone.
Another Updike linocut of interest is “Thomas Point.” This time the subject is an American lighthouse, namely a close-to-water screw-pile lighthouse using anchors drilled down into the ground below to affix themselves to the seafloor. For many, the scene will remind them of the scenic waterways of the U.S., such as the Chesapeake Bay, the location of “Thomas Point.”
The Nation’s Capital is on display in “Monumental Reflections,” Amy Woodhouse’s mixed media conception of the Washington Monument,”; and two views of Washington in cherry blossom time; Nancy M. Patrick’s broad acrylic “Cherry Blossoms”; and Ann Tannous’ beautiful oil painting, “Hello Jefferson,” with the cherry blossoms among the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.
In the exhibition, moments from American history are showcased. We were particularly reminded of the history of Marion Anderson in Merete Evans’ poignant watercolor “When the Nation Listened.” The gallery card reads: “Marion Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 75,000 people and was broadcast to millions of listeners nationwide.” This followed the Daughters of the American Revolution’s denial to the singer of “permission to perform at Constitutional Hall because of her race.” The painting depicts not only the celebrated contralto but also the statue of the seated Lincoln in the background, a piano, and radio microphones.
Xianling Liu’s watercolor “Walking for Peace” presents “a group of Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington, D.C.,” an event in recent memory which many readers will likely recall. Other artworks in the collection present the freedom to demonstrate and protest, which is a vital part of American democracy.
Finally, patriotism is on display in Miguel Hobbs’ mixed media on canvas “Threads of Service,” which reflects his experience as a soldier who once wore the uniform of the U.S. armed services. Threads of cloth colored in the red, white, and blue of the American flag and with the emblems of the various service branches reflect, according to the artist, “honoring national ideals” as well as “the bodies and minds I saw changed by war.”
“250 and Counting,” on exhibition through May 31, 2026, will give visitors much to contemplate in terms of American ideals, scenery, cities, communities, and historical events.
