Pattern & Place

Pattern & Place is a two-person exhibition at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art’s satellite gallery, Tephra ICA at Signature, featuring the work of artists Maryamm Abdullah and Gloria Ann Shows. The exhibition examines how pattern can evoke a sense of place, with each artist approaching the theme through a distinct medium—ceramics for Abdullah and printmaking for Shows. Abdullah’s ceramic pieces draw on the Moorish aesthetic of Spain, using a gestural geometry inspired by the tilework and architecture of sites such as the Grand Mezquita of Córdoba and the Alhambra Palace, a style she developed during the COVID-19 pandemic after returning to ceramics following a twenty-year break. Shows, a print-focused artist and educator, creates layered landscapes through printmaking and collage, exploring the porous boundary between external landscape and inner memory. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is held in several public collections.

When: June 25 through September 26, 2026.
Showtimes: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets: Free and open to the public; no admission charge.
Lineup: Artists Maryamm Abdullah and Gloria Ann Shows.
Venue: Tephra ICA at Signature, located inside the Signature apartment building at 11850 Freedom Drive, Reston, VA.
Note: The exhibition is presented in partnership with Sterling Investors and Simpson Housing, with generous sponsorship from Reston Community Center. Tephra ICA at Signature offers year-round rotating exhibitions of local and regional artists selected by Tephra ICA curatorial staff.