Strathmore Exhibits: You Might Need a Magnifying Glass

"From Forge to Form: Modern Ironwork" and "The 78th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature," on display now through Dec. 30 at the Mansion at Strathmore, feature the largest 3-D installation pieces and the smallest works ever displayed at the mansion.

On Saturday, Strathmore offers two tours to better acquaint visitors with the exhibits: A Children's Talk and Tour for up to 15 families at 10:15 a.m. and an Art Talk and Tour at 1 p.m. for up to 60 adults. The tours are free and open to the public. The Children's Talk and Tour requires a reservation by calling 301-581-5109.

The guided walking tours cover both exhibits and topics such as the history of fine art ironwork and miniature rendering, the steps and processes of the art forms, the biographies and journeys of featured artists and a curatorial narrative of the exhibition, said Holly Haliniewski, Strathmore's fine art program and education manager.

Frederic Crist and Nol Putnam are featured in "From Forge to Form: Modern Ironwork." Both artists use traditional blacksmithing tools to create ornate, delicate sculptures that defy historic preconceptions about the purely rustic or industrial applications of the trade. Crist is known for creating a cross for Trinity Church in New York City using wreckage from the World Trade Center. Putnam is renowned for his work on the Folger, Claggett and Brown gates at the Washington National Cathedral. Both artists are from Virginia.

"The 78th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature" features the work of 252 members of The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. and includes more than 600 individual miniatures. Artists from Australia, Canada, Germany, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom are represented. Beverly Abbott, a miniaturist of international renown, juried participants. Viewers are encouraged to use provided magnifying glasses to examine the detailed intricacies of the artwork.

Tour participants do not have to have seen the exhibits in advance, as the tours provide enough exposure to the exhibits through question-and-answer sessions and hands-on activities, Haliniewski said.

"I hope participants will take away a greater understanding of why Strathmore Visual Art is devoting focus to a specific artistic medium and [of] how to interact with and learn from the exhibition narrative," she said.

Gallery hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Mansion at Strathmore is located at 10701 Rockville Pike and is accessible via Metro's Red Line at the Grosvenor-Strathmore station.