therapeutic benefits of painting outside the lines

When it comes to the splattering experience, here are a couple of things to know.

• While the paint is washable and nontoxic, guests are encouraged to dress for a mess and not wear expensive or irreplaceable clothing.

• Each participant in the splatter room experience receives a poncho with a hood, eye glasses and two booties for their shoes.

• The basic package gets each participant four colors, out of about 25 to chose from, including black-light colors. More colors may be added on in the future.

• Each room has its own Bluetooth speaker, so folks can listen to their favorite music as they throw paint.

• All valuables are kept safe and splatter-free in a plastic bin in the room.

Frederick that encourages visitors to be creative but, above all, have fun.

ed, [thinking], ‘Oh, I am not creative.’ That is what most people normally say. I don’t want you to feel that way when you come to this studio. There is something here for everyone and ev- eryone can participate and make something unique and beautiful.”

After flicking and flinging paint at a canvas, guests do not clean up; those brushes and splatters are left for staff to manage. Patrons may go to the bathroom to take off their protective gear and wash off any excess paint. Each participant walks out with their painting in a box to avoid getting paint on their vehi- cle’s interior.

“Overall, I want people to feel free,” Harper said, “and I want them to be able to feel like they were able to express themselves one way or another creativity.”

“Beneath the Forest” — through Jan. 27 at the FAC Art Center at 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Pamela Moulton’s solo show makes use of textiles and found materials to weave a narrative about connectivity and environmentalism. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 301-662-4190, frederickartscouncil.org.

”Winter Nights, Winter Lights” — through Jan. 29 at The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., City Park, Hagerstown. Valley Art Association members’ show. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. valleyartassoc. org or 301-797-2867.

“Concinnity” — through Jan. 29, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Paintings by Kesra Hoffman and photographs by Teke Hoffman that consider those moments that arrest our attention and call us to stop and take a breath. 301-471-7124.

Frederick County Art Association Members Exhibition — through Jan. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Artworks in a variety of media, including fiber, photography, sculpture, and more from their approximately 100 members, who range from casual artist to full–time professionals. Vote for your favorite piece at the front desk; the artwork with the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Dimensions In Between” — through Jan. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. In this exhibition, Virginia Warwick creates work with familiar materials combined with themes inspired by the natural world to elevate nature and animals to a human level, and create a bridge connecting the two worlds. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”From the Pages of PAN: Art Nouveau Prints, 1895-1900” — through Jan. 29, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Lithographs, etchings and woodcuts by renowned artists such as Auguste Rodin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Käthe Kollwitz, Peter Behrens and Aubrey Beardsley, among others. From the collection of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions. Free admission. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. wcmfa.org.

“Crosscurrents: Works by Emma

‘Natural Selection’

Barnes, Madeleine Speicher-Willis, and Billy Friebele” — through Feb. 3, King Street Gallery at Montgomery College, 930 King St., Silver Spring. Includes a broad range of mediums, from traditional painterly processes to cast concrete to video. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-567-1374, cms.montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/ exhibitions.

”Natural Selection: Experiencing Change” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by S. Manya Stoumen–Tolino. In this series, Stoumen-Tolino reflects on major forms, lines, and color experienced in the natural world that express the inherent changes constantly occurring in all living things. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Drifting Through Deep Time” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Keith Kozloff. A reflection on “deep time,” a term applied to how we conceive of geological timescales. Constructing a photographic narrative loosely based on the protocontinent Avalonia, his work is a reflection on human attention and humanity’s capacity to understand Earth’s life support systems. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” — through Feb. 26, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Features nine artists from the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. Call 301-473-7680 for gallery hours or visit frederickuu.org.

Brad Blair: “Divergent Entities” — Feb. 4 to 26. Artist talk on Feb. 4. Blair’s curiosity of the unknown, paired with a strong imagination and an inquisitive mindset, leads him to create art what provides wonder and examination. His ceramic work in this exhibition are obscure oddities that help convey a message regarding this mysterious life we live, in a universe yet to be explored fully. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. delaplaine.org. “When A Tree Falls” — Feb. 4 to 26. Selected woodturners from throughout Maryland join artistic forces with local Frederick artists for a tree-themed exhibition of handcrafted woodturnings, presented alongside paintings, carvings and prints. Art Matters Artist Talk at 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. delaplaine.org. ”Behind the Fold” — through March 5, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Showcasing the works of nationally known sculptor, amateur magician, and former Carnegie Melon professor, Dan Droz. Artist talk Feb. 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 301528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

“Community Threads: Connectivity through Creativity” — Feb. 1 to 26, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. A vignette showcase that reflects the array of creativity within the Frederick County Art Association, with work by 16 members. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11. Districtarts.com.

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions — Feb. 7 through April 23, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This juried exhibition features 95 pieces of art and photography from artists who live in the Quad-State area. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

”Scents of It All” — Feb. 8 through March 3, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Explore the artists interruption of scent, evoking emotional memory and transporting self through space and time. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 301-215-6660.