E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab

E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab is the 2026 edition of Transformer’s annual Exercises for Emerging Artists program, which each year focuses on a different artistic discipline. This year’s iteration explores comics and sequential art as a medium for storytelling, world-building, and visual invention. Over the course of biweekly mentorship sessions from mid-March through June, a cohort of four DMV-based artists — Yuki Clarke, Art Hondros, Linda Kuo, and Tia Wilson — worked under the lead mentorship of Adam Dwight Griffiths to create new comics-based works. Those works are presented in the culminating summer exhibition, Comics, et cetera, on view at Transformer’s gallery space. The exhibition runs from July 25 through September 12, 2026. Griffiths, a cartoonist, illustrator, and community leader based in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the founder and director of DWIGHTMESS, a comics compound that includes gallery spaces, a Risograph studio, a screen‑printing workshop, and a library of comics and zines. The program was coordinated by Transformer's Exhibitions & Programs Manager, Camille DeSanto, with additional guest mentorship from Corinne Halbert and Dana Jeri Maier.

Name: E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab

Venue: Transformer, Washington, D.C.

Dates: July 25 – September 12, 2026

Exhibition programming: The exhibition opens with a Community Open House Reception on Saturday, July 25 from 12 to 6 PM, followed by an Artist Talk moderated by Adam Griffiths from 1 to 2 PM. Additional programming includes: a Comic Reading with Tia Wilson on August 4 from 6 to 8 PM, featuring a projection and live reading of selected comics from the 1‑800‑DYKE series; a Q&A with Art Hondros on August 15 from 1 to 2 PM about his Dot comic book series and the process of fictionalizing biographical stories; a Comic Zine Workshop with Yuki Clarke on August 27 from 6 to 8 PM, teaching participants to create an eight‑page comic zine; a Sequential Constellations workshop led by Linda Kuo with guest facilitator Shreya Basu on September 3 from 6 to 8 PM, a collaborative zine‑making session exploring sequential art as a response; and an Introduction to Flipbooks workshop with Adam Griffiths on September 10 from 6 to 8 PM, covering basic animation techniques.

Featured Artists: Yuki Clarke, Art Hondros, Linda Kuo, Tia Wilson

Lead Mentor: Adam Dwight Griffiths

Run time: The exhibition is on view for approximately seven weeks; individual workshops and talks last one to two hours.

Ages: Not specified; likely all ages, but some content (e.g., comic readings) may be intended for adult audiences.

Tickets: Price is listed as not available; registration is required for several programmed events via RSVP links provided on the Transformer website.

Accessibility: Transformer’s gallery is wheelchair accessible. Specific accessibility accommodations for programming should be confirmed directly with Transformer.

Note: The Exercises for Emerging Artists program has been running since 2004, supporting DC‑area artists at pivotal career moments through peer mentorship, professional development, and a culminating exhibition. This year’s cohort worked with a focus on expanding the language of comics, experimenting with storytelling, world‑building, animation, and sculpture.