DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to Present RIP! TEAR! COLLAGE AS CRITIQUE Exhibition

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities will present present Rip! Tear! Collage as Critique, a group exhibition featuring 23 DC-based artists who use collage not just as a technique, but as a conceptual framework for understanding the fractured and often contradictory nature of American history and contemporary life. The resulting body of work pushes collage forward as an expressive, culturally engaged, and politically resonant practice.

The exhibit runs June 11–August 7, 2026, at the CAH Eye Street Gallery. Funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Juried Exhibition Grant Program. Rip! Tear! was juried by Helina Metaferia, Zoe Charlton, and Teri Henderson, and curated by Michelle May-Curry, Ph.D., Curator at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
“Often one of the earliest art projects we do as children is learning how to cut shapes into paper and glue them together. To break apart materials and bring them back together is a fundamental building block of honing your own creativity. This exhibition takes that premise and applies it to our social fabric,.” said CAH Curator Michelle May-Curry, Ph.D., “I hope people leave the exhibition with a renewed sense of how artists in DC are in many ways front line cultural workers and how CAH is uniquely positioned to exhibit work that responds to society’s biggest questions.”

“The agency is committed to supporting work that sparks conversation and brings people together,” said CAH Executive Director Aaron Myers. “Rip! Tear! reflects our agency’s mission to invest in artists who are pushing boundaries, telling urgent stories, and offering perspectives that deepen our understanding of the world around us. We are honored to support this work and to share it with the city.

Key events below:

Opening Reception

Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m.
CAH Eye Street Gallery, 200 I (Eye) Street SE
RSVP: www.tinyurl.com/RipTearOpen

Layers: Multidimensional Sound as Collage with King Britt

Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
CAH Community Room, 200 I (Eye) Street SE
RSVP: www.tinyurl.com/RipTearDJ

This lecture and live demonstration by King Britt explores DJ culture as a form of sonic collage. Through mixing, sampling, and recontextualizing familiar sounds, Britt traces the innovations of artists—particularly innovators of color—who helped shape electronic music across genres. Visitors are invited to enjoy the exhibition with a live DJ set following the program.

Closing Reception and Collage Workshop with Exhibiting Artists

Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m.
CAH Community Room, 200 I Street SE
RSVP: www.tinyurl.com/RipTearWorkshop

Participants will join exhibiting artists Helen Zughaib, Rebecca Perez, and Zsudayka Nzinga for a community collage workshop featuring hands-on paper and fabric collage activities inspired by their artistic practices. All ages and experience levels are welcome as we celebrate the closing of the exhibition in community.

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