It was so great to curate, interview and edit the catalog for the Alper Initiative for Washington Art (June 14 – August 10, 2025) the exhibition Intersections which brings together the poetic vision of Northern Virginia artist David A. Douglas, whose large-scale works blend drawing, painting, and photography to explore memory and place. Through landscapes and interior scenes glimpsed through windows, doors, and thresholds, Douglas invites viewers into layered environments that feel both deeply personal and universally familiar.
At the heart of Douglas’s work is a compelling question: Who are we, and how do we fit into the places we inhabit? His images reflect a deep engagement with the natural world, yet always with traces of human presence—benches, houses, clotheslines, and quiet figures—that hint at stories unfolding across time. These are not literal depictions of specific locations, but imaginative composites drawn from fragments of memory and observation. The result is a body of work that feels timeless, introspective, and emotionally resonant.
Ultimately, Intersections is an exploration of what it means to be a human being on this planet—connected to home, landscape, memory, and one another. The works ask gently profound questions: What makes a place meaningful? What does it mean to belong? What do we notice, and why? Through this exhibition, viewers are encouraged to slow down, reflect, and perhaps see themselves in a new way—not just in relation to the art, but in relation to their own lives, communities, and the world around them. Engaging, contemplative, and quietly powerful, Douglas’ art opens a space for wonder and self-inquiry.
David A. Douglas and his family live in Alexandria, VA and Easton, MD.
Look out for Gallery Talk – Intersections
Friday July 25, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Anke Van Wagenberg, PhD, is Senior Curator & Head of International Collaborations at the American Federation of Arts in New York and lives in Talbot County, MD.
