NextGen

NextGen offers a unique opportunity for aspiring Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC-area artists (ages 17-27) with little or no exhibition experience to show their work in a professional gallery and participate in related programming, including an opening celebration and artist talks, conversations with other emerging artists, critiques with local curators and arts administrators who work with young artists, and additional professional development opportunities.

This year’s exhibition, NextGen 12.0, will be presented in the Kaplan Gallery from May 30–July 20, 2025.

The jurors for this year’s show were Alex Ebstein, an artist, independent curator, and senior program manager for the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and Anisa Olufemi M., an artist, curator, and director of programs for  Hamiltonian Artists.

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In each iteration, the NextGen exhibition continues to impress and inspire. A rising generation is hard at work making powerful, thoughtful, and excellent artwork. Behind every aspect of this exhibition is a passionate team of interns and volunteers committed to bringing the work of promising artists into the light of the community.

— Susan Main, VisArts’ former Curatorial + Galleries Program Consultant