Jenny Wu

President

Jenny Wu is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and the chair of Touchstone Foundation for the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Wu’s work acknowledges the sensational and perceptual properties of materiality and then transforms the materials from their original forms and purpose to present them within new contexts. Her work has been reviewed by the Washington Post. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums including Denise Bibro Fine Art, Katzen Museum, Huntington Museum of Art, Reece Museum, Vilnius Academy of Arts in Lithuania, and CICA Museum in South Korea.

Wu’s works are in the permanent collections of Flamboyan Foundation, University of Maryland, College Park, Boston Consulting Group, Chautauqua Institution, DC Art Bank, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and so on.

Wu has participated in numerous Artist-In-Residence programs across the country; and has been awarded fellowships from Vermont Studio Center and funding from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Jenny Wu was born in Nanjing, China. She holds a B.A. from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Studio Art as well as in Architectural Studies, and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from American University. 

Rosemary Luckett

Secretary

Rosemary Luckett was born in Rupert, Idaho and grew up on a nearby farm before attending and graduating Saint Mary College (Bachelor of Science degree in biology and education.

She taught science in Seattle WA and Fairfax VA before marrying Charles Luckett, starting a family and studying art. Luckett opened her Second River Studio in Occoquan VA and taught children’s art there.

She joined the Art League School faculty in Alexandria, teaching there for 20 years. Luckett also has over 35 years of studio experience in painting, drawing, collage, and sculpting.

Focus and Techniques include narrative compositions, archetypal representations, environmental, nature, and gender themes. Techniques include collage, drawing, painting, assemblage, sculpture, and books of poetry and imagery.

In 2018 Luckett moved both her household and her Second River Studio to Wilmington DE. Exhibition venues include in the Woman Made Gallery Chicago, IL, Hoyt Institute of Art PA. DC exhibits include National Museum of Women in the Arts, Catholic University, and Dadian Gallery at Wesley Theological Seminary. Venues in other states include Delaplaine Art Center and Tevis Gallery (MD), Grounds for Sculpture (NJ), Visions Gallery (Albany, NY), Waddell Gallery at Loudon campus NOVA, Manassas Center for the Arts (ARTfactory), Hylton Performing Center, Manassas VA, The Art League Gallery, Alexandria VA. Touchstone Gallery, DC and DaVinci Art Alliance Gallery Philadelphia PA are her primary venues.

Luckett served on the Women’s Ordination Conference National Board and the Touchstone Gallery Board. She helped establish the Touchstone Foundation for the Arts and is currently serving on its Board.

Michele Cormier

Michele (she/her) is a Francophone Canadian visual artist living in British Columbia, Canada. She served in Canada’s federal public service for over 30 years, and is now pursuing her art full time from her home in North Vancouver. 

Michele was a member of the Touchstone Gallery from 2008 through 2011, during which time she served as Vice-President and then President. As President, Michele led the corporate transition and organizational design of the new gallery location. This shift resulted in the creation of a new modern gallery space in a prime retail area built on a sustainable financial footing and an increased membership by 30%. Touchstone celebrated the opening of its newest custom-built space at 901 New York Avenue NW in 2010. Touchstone Gallery provided a rewarding opportunity for Michele to work alongside and support new and established artists while building a strong artist community that supports each other. 

Michele works primarily in acrylic and uses mixed media to add dept in her art. She is inspired by weathered façades, erosion, and landscape detritus that evolve over time. These remnants offer evidence of life, and tell a story through layers of history while creating infinitely varying shapes and textures. Michele interprets these transformations through multiple layers of paint, glazes, imprints and random lines and gestures.

Michele’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Washington, DC, Bethesda, Maryland, Ottawa, Ontario, and in her Acadian hometown of Shediac, New Brunswick. Michele is fluent in both English and French. She was educated at l’Université de Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and a Master in Public Administration.

Tory Cowles

Grew up in Shelburne, Vermont and graduated from Bennington College. Worked for years as a carpenter and currently helps her husband with their organic farm in Frederick Co. Maryland.

She operated a studio in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria VA for many years and is now a member of Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC. She teaches abstract painting and collage at Glen Echo Park’s Yellow Barn Studios in Glen Echo Maryland and she has shown widely in the Washington DC and NYC areas.

Her work evolved from abstract expressionist painting in the 90’s to sculpture in the 2010’s. She is currently making sculpture and installations, sometimes combining them with dance.

Mike Lang

Michael Lang is an accomplished social documentary photographer living in the Washington area. His 1957 photo-essay, A Nice Clean Room, focused on a Baltimore poolroom known as Benny’s. He approached the subject as an outside observer, presenting atmospheric images of the poolroom and the people who hung out there using a hand held camera, available light, and black and white film. Lang has returned to the genre 50 years later with an essay, Be: There, about the Be Bar, a lounge in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, now undergoing a rebirth after the riots of the 1960s. Again Lang uses available light and a hand held camera; but now he employs digital techniques to capture the stark raw, color of the place and the people. He’s always there and not there at the same time, observing the community - the bar tenders, the drag queens, the go-go boys, and the people who gravitate to the atmosphere of the place. 

Ksenia Orel

Ksenia Grishkova Orol brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as a member of the Board of Directors at the Touchstone Foundation for the Arts. Having previously served as the Executive Director for several years, Ksenia has a deep understanding of the organization's mission and goals.

Currently, she holds the position of Senior Social Media Specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. With over 22 years of experience in the arts field, both in Washington, DC and internationally, Ksenia has consistently demonstrated her dedication to promoting and enriching the arts.

Under her leadership, the Touchstone Gallery gained recognition from D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser for its significant contribution to the local community through art. Throughout the pandemic, Ksenia adeptly organized and supervised numerous virtual art projects, programs, and exhibitions, ensuring the continued engagement of audiences.

Ksenia's impact extends beyond her roles at the Touchstone Foundation and the Smithsonian. She has served as a grant reviewer panelist with The D.C. Commissions for the Arts and Humanities, providing valuable insights and expertise. Additionally, she has acted as an art juror for the National Cherry Blossom Contest in collaboration with the Downtown Business Improvement District and various other art organizations.

Residing in Washington, DC for over a decade, Ksenia holds an M.A. equivalent in Arts Management from the Institute of Contemporary Art, along with a B.A. equivalent in Design from the State University of Design and Technology in Moscow.

With her extensive experience, unwavering passion for the arts, and commitment to community enrichment, Ksenia Grishkova Orol is a valuable asset to the Touchstone Foundation for the Arts and the wider arts community.

Abbey Alison McClain

Director

Abbey is a DC-based arts professional and travel enthusiast. She serves as a the Executive Director of Touchstone Gallery and is the founder & managing director of Art Roving—connecting working artists and art enthusiasts with new opportunities.

She previously served as the Executive Director for the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association (TFAA). Under her leadership, the TFAA expanded artist membership offerings, and opened two new art galleries. Abbey has also held positions with the National Building Museum, National Park Service, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.