Current Exhibits
In the Shaira Ali Gallery
Back to the Drawing Board
April 2 - June 11, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 16, 6-7:30pm
Arlington Center for the Arts (ACA) is pleased to present Back to the Drawing Board, a body of work that celebrates one of the core creative processes we interact with. Through line, space, shape, value, form, texture and color, artists explore perspectives and experiences with complex and thought provoking results. Drawing is the foundational skill for most other forms of art, and this exhibition brings us back to the basics, skillfully demonstrated in this diverse body of work. We invite you to study the mark making, composition, color selection and subject matter of our artists, and to learn new things about how drawing captures both our real life experiences and our imaginations in carefully crafted detail.
Special thanks to our jurors of this exhibition, Sue Rice and Leah Francis-Wright!
Exhibiting Artists:
Angela Ackerman | Larry Backus | Conor Ebbs | Claire Forrest | Alex Gerasev Hillary Irvine | Melissa Kulig | Peter Lehman | Sophie Lucas | Frances Ludwig Kristina Martino | Katherine McGough | Beryl Minkle | Erin Packard | Edward Page Anna Papok | Holly Erin Ponichtera | Pam Shanley | Karen Stark | Duck Watson Mark Zieff
Programs + Events:
Performance by Garrison Quartet
Thursday, April 30, 6:30pm in the Shaira Ali Gallery
Ticket Price: $15
Join ACA in welcoming Brookline-based Garrison Quartet as they present an evening of music amongst the works in the Back to the Drawing Board exhibition.
This performance will spotlight the fascinating artistic legacy of the Mendelssohn family and, in particular, the connection between music and visual art in their lives. Fanny Mendelssohn, an increasingly celebrated composer whose works were historically overshadowed by her brother Felix, will be featured through her colorful and deeply romantic String Quartet in E-flat Major. Fanny’s quartet is complemented by Felix’s reaction to her death in his stormy f minor String Quartet, and the program is rounded out by Devin Cholodenko’s new piece, Cracks in the Sky.
Garrison Quartet presents dynamic programming that highlights essential but underperformed voices, while contextualizing repertoire in ways that engage both new and seasoned audiences. The quartet has performed throughout the region, including at NEC’s Jordan Hall in Boston and Red Door Chamber Music in Provincetown, MA, and is passionate about expanding access to chamber music through curated thematic programs.
Its members — violinists Christopher Nelson and Carson Howell, violist Sachin Shukla, and cellist Tyler Michael James — perform with orchestras throughout New England, including the Boston Philharmonic, Boston Festival Orchestra, Albany Symphony, and Cape Symphony, and are faculty members at many of Boston’s community music schools, including Powers Music School, Attacca School of Music, Project STEP, Boston String Academy, and the Boston Music Project.
In the Hallway Gallery
We do not currently have an exhibit on display in our Hallway Gallery. Please check back soon!
Gallery Information
Gallery Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, + Friday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Wednesday
9:00AM - 7:00PM (Masked-Only Hours 5-7PM)
Saturday
1:00PM - 5:00PM
Sunday
CLOSED
Please visit our Event Calendar for any exceptions to our weekly Gallery Hours.
(Evening and weekend visits may be possible by appointment. Please email info@acarts.org to inquire.)
Purchasing Artwork:
To inquire on purchasing artwork exhibited in this show, please email ACA's Education and Programs Director Delia Tharnish at delia@acarts.org