“Hello February, please be good to me.” — Unknown

I imagine I’m not the only one this quote speaks to, given the freezing temperatures we’ve had. When I think about artists who make their living creating outdoor murals or work plein air, I am keenly aware they are made of stronger stuff than I. Looks like we might be warming up, but I don’t want to jinx it.

The good thing is if it is cold outside, it’s warm in the galleries and a great place to be, especially if you’re looking for something unique. If there is a theme to the visual art offerings in Annapolis this month, it is variety. There is such a broad range of media and depth of context, it is hard to know what to miss. Hopefully not any of them. Stay warm, come inside and enjoy the art.

The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum opens its latest exhibition “Sacred Spaces” featuring the artwork of Jabari Jefferson on Saturday. Through his innovative approach to oil paint, mixed media and augmented reality, Jefferson masterfully transforms salvaged materials, including textiles, books, soil and clothing, into provocative works that challenge our notions of value and disposability. This new work by Jefferson is a powerful meditation on history, memory and the continuing power of Black cultural spaces.

This exhibition will include never-before-seen works on canvas, striking sculptures and a large-scale community installation created in collaboration with local Annapolis students and residents. “Sacred Spaces” celebrates African American heritage while advocating for sustainability in art. This exhibition bridges history and innovation, offering visitors a transformative year-long experience. Exhibition highlights include interactive augmented reality (AR) elements created in collaboration with Baltimore artist Scott Tucker, workshops with the youth of the BDTM Robinwood Arts Leadership Program and free exhibition-related programming throughout the year. Visit bdtmuseum.maryland.gov to register for the opening reception from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Maryland Hall presents three new exhibitions from Jan. 24 through March 31, with a free public reception with refreshments from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Openshaw Gallery:

• Martino Gallery: “Mind and Care” exhibition was curated by former Maryland Hall Artist-in-Residence Annika Marthinuss and features 12 artists who explore how art is used as a form of care for others and oneself. These works explore art as a coping mechanism and as a window into the mind, thoughts and feelings of each artist. The process of creating these artworks — either through painting, drawing, collaging or sculpting — is meditative and healing for these artists.
• Earl Gallery: “Environment(al)” is an exhibition curated by Maryland based artist Christopher Fish and brings together artists whose work captures the drama of climate change and ecological shifts. It offers sweeping and intimate perspectives on the connections between humans and the natural world. Featuring artists Selin Balci, Gary Jameson, Dimitri Fotos and Jenee Mateer.
• Openshaw Gallery: An exhibition by new Maryland Hall Artist-in-Residence Elijah Trice. Trice thoughtfully renders hyper-realistic portraits of black subjects using oil sticks and paint, creating vibrant images that address the complexities of the black experience.

Annapolis Pearl Gallery’s featured artists of the month are two jewelers, Patrice Aquilina and Sonia Holleman, who will appear on the Annapolis Pearl Gallery Facebook page at 4 p.m. on  Feb. 11. Aquilina will discuss her journey into jewelry design, and how she incorporates traditional materials in new ways to create classic jewelry with a modern twist. Holleman of Archeologico Jewelry will talk about why each piece of jewelry she creates is accompanied by a story card that gives some folklore or history about the stone or pendant piece. Visit the gallery’s Facebook page for other events in February.

MFA Circle Gallery presents “Digital Directions,” an exhibition that asked artists to push the boundaries of digital work. Computer software and technology have expanded the ways artists capture and produce their work. Artists can weave together scenes in photoshop, produce paintings through a screen, create videos, animations and projections that transport us to new worlds, or even sculpt using a 3D printer. Juried by Jennifer Figg, associate professor and 3D Foundations area coordinator at Towson University, this exhibition is on display through Feb. 22. Join them for a closing reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 22.

Showing at the Willow Gallery at Quiet Waters Park from Feb. 19 and through March 30 is the exhibition of The Maryland Society of Portrait Painters, a non-profit organization founded in 1982 for the purpose of promoting and encouraging the development of portraiture. An opening reception will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 23.  View the exhibition at the Galleries in the Visitor Center that is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends.

MFA at 49 West presents a new exhibition opening Thursday featuring MFA members Barbara Barrett and Evelyn Brumwell. Barrett and Brumwell practice art in multiple media. Barrett’s recent work emphasizes her interest in the form and dynamics of the figure in space. Brumwell’s new work is created using multiple layers scraping away images and experimenting with textures and the images that remain and others that appear. Her work is visceral and dreamlike, and she hopes the viewer is drawn in and forms their own interpretation. The exhibition runs through April 1. Join them for an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 2.

Washington, D.C., artist Ray Hart has a style that is open, somewhat abstract and somewhat surreal. He captures every day moments in life with bold brush strokes that reveal striking images that make one pause and enjoy. Hart’s poetic paintings continue to attract a diverse group of collectors throughout the US and abroad. His work will showcase at the Annapolis Collection Gallery from Feb. 10 to March 14.

McBride Gallery’s popular “Small Gems” exhibition will continue throughout February. Whether you want to celebrate the beauty of winter or surprise your sweetheart with a Valentine’s delight, McBride has a plethora of gorgeous art to suit your style and preference from this exhibition and other work by their acclaimed artists.

Jo Fleming Contemporary Art is open by appointment only in February. The gallery is being used by artist/owner as studio space until the first programmed exhibition of 2025 is hung at the end of the month. Stay tuned for details in the March Gallery Column.

MFA has been invited to display an expanded exhibition of 80 works of art at the Lowe House of Delegates Building in Annapolis during the 2025 Legislative Session. As visitors walk through the main hallway on the first floor and the Anne Arundel County wing, they will see art from MFA members and Anne Arundel County residents. Juried by Leora Maltz-Leca, art professor and curator of contemporary projects at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD, this exhibition is available to see in person and online. To see in person, visit Lowe House between now and April 8, during regular weekday business hours. A government-issued ID is required to enter the building.

Paul’s Homewood Café presents an MFA member exhibition of works by Angela Petruncio and Marie Antoinette. Both artists have been heavily influenced by the world around them and they have become experts in their unique crafts. Petruncio is a long-time member of MFA and is best known for her intricate and charming assemblage creations. In her work, you can see different items used to push a narrative, yet she says she believes there is no right or wrong interpretation of her work. Antoinette is a mixed media artist who “paints with paper.” She is heavily inspired by her travels, cultural influences and ancestry and expresses these things with bold patterns and bright colors. Opening Thursday, you can see their work through April. Opening reception date TBD.

This February, Annapolis Marine Art Gallery is highlighting works by visual artist Ken Stetz. Stetz is a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists as well as an official artist for the US Coast Guard. Many of his drawings and paintings have appeared on the pages of books and magazines by publishers such as Herald Press and McGraw/Hill.

Two related exhibitions are on view this month at /m (the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum at St. John’s College). In the main gallery, “Nature’s Readymades presents gongshi” (Chinese scholars’ rocks or viewing stones) drawn from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C. Carved by nature, these paradoxical objects are worlds in miniature, presenting the vital energy of the universe in a hardened, static form. In the smaller gallery, the video “Kimsooja: A Homeless Women — Cairo” depicts the artist lying as motionless as a stone on a busy sidewalk while a growing crowd of onlookers tries to make sense of her presence. Kimsooja practices a principle of “non-doing” and “non-making.” She intends to make aware what already exists without the intent of making it.

MFA Online presents “In the City,” opening Feb. 14. Skylines, crosswalks, alleyways and shops; bright lights, buses, taxis and crowds. These are just a small list of elements that create the essence of an urban environment. Some aspects of city life are universal and can represent any city, from a large metropolis to a small town. Juried by Christina Gome, a professor of liberal arts and director of academic affairs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, view it through March 31 on the MFA website.

Patrice Drago is a painter and writer in Annapolis. Her website is www.patricedrago.com. This column is written in cooperation with the Annapolis Gallery Association. Contact her at [email protected].