Welcome to the theaters.

Little theaters. Stages. They are, says the Art Registry gallery of Washington, D.C., "wall-hanging sculptures in the form of assemblage shadow boxes."

"The proscenium arch is the box," the Registry says. "What happens inside is the artistic production directed by Huffman. The sculptures are whimsical, enigmatic and address the formal elements of art: Line, color and form. Huffman’s expertise in art design for international and national newspapers is evident in his fine art."

Click on a thumbnail image below and you will see an enlarged view. (Gallery updated February 2012). The new stuff? Go to the bottom and scroll up.)

- ACQUISITION: Nearly 50 works have found good homes. If you would like one of these works, please inquire. Prices begin at $300 and are available upon request. Note that if "private collection" is included in the description of the art, the work is no longer available from the artist.
Commissions are invited. Contact jfordh@earthlink.net

- EXHIBITION:
SOLO: "New Year, New Art." Kafe Leopold's L2, Georgetown, D.C. 20 works. 11 Jan-15 Jan. 2012.
SOLO: "The White Houses." Kafe Leopold's L2, Georgetown, D.C., 28 Sept.-2 Oct. 2011. 13 works.
SOLO: "Food for Thought," Busboys and Poets, Shirlington (Arlington, Va.). 3 June through 22 Aug 2011 (extended from 4 Aug.) 26 works.
SOLO: "J. Ford Huffman." 16 of 31 pieces sell in curated Art Registry Gallery show 3 Nov 2009 - 3 Jan 2010, Georgetown, D.C.
GROUP: "Summer Sculpture," Watergate Gallery, Washington. 23 July through (extended) Sep 2011. Five works.
GROUP: "Cinco de Mayo 2011," Art Registry at 1010 Wisconsin Ave., Georgetown, one-night-only. 18 works.
GROUP: "Furious Dancing" curated show at Busboys and Poets, 5th and K Streets NW, Washington. 9 Sep 2010 - 28 Feb 2011. Five works.
GROUP: "Pandora's Box" curated show at Target Gallery, Alexandria, Va. 10 Dec 2009 - 10 Jan 2010. Two works.
GROUP: "Stimulus" curated group show at Nevin Kelly Gallery, Columbia Heights, D.C. 16 June - 19 July 2009. Three works.
FESTIVAL: 17th Street Arts Festival, D.C., juried exhibit of 40+ artists (chosen from 70+ applicants). 25 Sep 2010.

- CONCEPTUALIZATION: Inside a theater, the proscenium arch frames the stage, which is the venue for a play.
In this series of assemblages, each box acts as a proscenium arch for the stage set inside the box -- and as a frame for your imagination's vision. Each work is a little theater. Each box is a visual narrative. Sometimes representational, sometimes abstract.
Most of the little theaters are inspired by an image or an object and then developed and executed. (Sometimes the box itself is the inspiration for what is inside.) Each stage offers objects, colors and textures as references, as guides and as invitations to help your mind create a story based on the visual elements.
You don't have to think of a story. It's all right if you just look.

- EXECUTION: Elements are grouped according to theme and tone and according to shape, color, size and spatial relationship. The objective is to make the art work together as design and as content, aesthetically and technically. A work-in-progress can take days or months. The evolution from concept to execution is affected by process and materials. Usually several stages are in development simultaneously.

- ATTRIBUTION: The artist is an editor, art director, writer and designer. Also, he makes drawings, photographs and photo compositions. Photographs by Matthew J. Hevezi, Patrick King and J. Ford Huffman