Gallery 209 Welcomes Artists Lisa Bernstein, John Fehringer, Sandra Fritter, Grace Newcomer, Naan Pocen, and Alexandra Treadaway-Hoare

By Cathy Hirsh, Gallery Manager (11/30/2025)

With our December 2025 show we welcome six new artists to Gallery 209. All are recognized award-winners and we are sure you will enjoy their unique styles along with the work of our other returning Gallery 209 artists. 

Please welcome the following new artists to Gallery 209:

• Lisa Bernstein - paints in watercolor and oil. A member of many local art organizations, she shows regularly at juried exhibitions in the DC metropolitan area. She studied at L’Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, the Washington Studio School, Smithsonian Associates, and The Art League in Alexandria. Lisa's style is impressionistic, combining representational and abstract elements with subjects ranging from flowers and still life to figures, portraits, landscapes, and cityscapes.

• John Fehringer - paints a variety of subjects using primarily acrylics. He has always enjoyed art and has a background in nuclear science as well as service in the navy. Exhibits on Picasso and Van Gogh at the National Gallery inspired him to begin painting classes at the National Gallery in the late 1990's, and he has been painting ever since. He enjoys abstract realism and hopes his works bring a smile and memories of pleasant things to his viewers.

• Sandra Fritter - specializes in plein air, figure, and still life paintings using oil. She is a member of, and exhibits frequently with, a number of local art associations. About her work, she says, "I am searching for a freshness and immediateness in my work. My best work reflects the ‘dance’ that happens when I apply pieces of color quickly, catching light and dark, warm and cool."

• Grace Newcomer - is a representational artist who works in pastel. She loves the vibrant colors and hands-on application that allows a connection which isn't as possible for her with a paint brush. She likes to paint many things but leans toward portraits and landscapes. A signature member of the Maryland Pastel Society, she is also a member of, and exhibitor with, a number of other art associations where she frequently receives awards, including "Best in Show".

• Naan Pocen - is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice moves between wearable art, mixed-media sculpture, and narrative expression. Her work is rooted in the belief that art is both a mirror and a compass--a way of remembering one's origins while shaping the path ahead. Her process blends traditional craft techniques with contemporary experimentation. Whether she's stitching, sculpting, or writing, her focus remains the same: to honor the handmade, to elevate the mundane, and to create work that carries both story and soul. She also shares her process through workshops, storytelling, and collaborative projects that explore identity, belonging, and the slow art of becoming.

• Alexandra Treadaway-Hoare - paints in watercolor combining technical precision and layers of paint to depict emotional depth and vibrant color. Born in Manila to Canadian parents and raised in multiple countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Morocco, Germany, England, and Scotland, her work is influenced by themes of cultural diversity and the passage of time. In addition to local recognition and membership in various art societies, she has won awards in prestigious international competitions in Malaysia and Portugal. Outside the studio, she also fields nationally ranked whippets in dog show competitions.

Be sure to check out the work of these new, and all the, artists of Gallery 209 this month and in 2026!