Rowena Federico Finn: [fab-ri-keyt]
Rowena Federico Finn’s [fab-ri-keyt] is a mixed-media exhibition examining cultural displacement, colonial histories, and the ways shared narratives shape cultural identity. Finn combines capiz shells and piña fabric—both major Philippine exports—with vintage maps, fairytale illustrations, found images, quilts, and historical texts, including the U.S. Constitution.
Drawing on her Filipina heritage and upbringing in Virginia, Finn reflects on feeling distanced both from cultural traditions of the American South and from the Philippines and Filipino-diasporic communities. Her quilt-like works consider how stories, maps, texts, images, and material traditions pass values and ideas from one generation to the next, while also proposing that new histories and common values can be created through collective storytelling.
The exhibition is part of MoCA Arlington’s SOLOS 2026 series, a long-running program established in 1988 that presents solo exhibitions by contemporary artists based in the Mid-Atlantic region.
When: June 27–September 13, 2026
Venue: Chairmen’s Gallery, main level, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington
Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 12 p.m.–5 p.m., or by appointment
Tickets: Price not available
Opening Program: Art After Hours takes place Saturday, June 27, from 5–8 p.m.
Artist: Rowena Federico Finn is a Filipina-American multidisciplinary artist, educator, and community advocate based in Virginia. Her practice centers on community engagement, education, dialogue, and collective storytelling, with particular attention to cultural memory, visibility, representation, and belonging.
Artist Background: Finn’s work has been recognized regionally and nationally, including through the Chrysler Museum of Art’s acquisition of *Anitos Quilt*. She has received support from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, the Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, the Virginia Beach Department of Cultural Affairs, and Virginia Tech’s Diverse Voices and Perspectives program. Her residencies include the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hermitage Museum & Gardens.
Logistics: MoCA Arlington is located at 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22201. The museum can be reached at 703-248-6800.
Transit: The museum is accessible via the Orange and Silver Metro lines at Virginia Square Station, as well as Metrobus A76 and ART Line 41.