A few miles apart, two Montgomery County arts spaces are commemorating themselves in contrary ways. “Recollections” at the BlackRock Center for the Arts is a straightforward view of artists over 15 years of exhibitions. “Deep Flash” at VisArts marks the venue’s 30th anniversary with sidelong glances through the eyes of 11 outside curators.
The largest piece is by Scherezade Garcia, a Brooklynite originally from the Dominican Republic. She surrounds two paintings, inspired by the transatlantic slave trade, with six inflatable life-preserver rings. The rings are gold but splashed with blue, picking up colors from the pictures. The history is grim, yet the palette is upbeat.
