Auction on the Alley – Art for Everyone
Opening Reception
Friday, September 4, 5 to 8 p.m.

International Arts and Artists and the Hillyer contemporary art space invites collectors and art enthusiasts to Auction on the Alley 2026, an annual fundraiser and exhibition on view during the month of September. The auction highlights the best artists in the Washington DC metropolitan area, with a focus on artists who have previously exhibited at Hillyer. Throughout the evening, visitors can register for the auction, bid on works of art, listen to jazz by one of DC’s best performing artists, enjoy wine and refreshments, while mingling with friends and fellow collectors. To participate in the auction, visitors can go to the auction website or download the Givi app. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide assistance throughout the evening. 

Includes bar and refreshments (suggested donation of $5)

5 to 6 p.m.
Register for the auction, browse the works of art on view, and mingle with fellow collectors.

6 to 7:30 p.m.
Akua Allrich and the Tribe Trio

Akua Allrich is a jazz vocalist, composer, educator, and cultural curator known for her electrifying stage presence and genre-blending sound. A native of Washington, D.C., she fuses jazz with soul, blues, and Pan-African rhythms—what she calls “Jazz+.” A celebrated force in the D.C. music scene, Allrich is acclaimed for her powerful, soul-stirring live performances that uplift and inspire. Akua will be joined by Kriss Fun on bass, and Tyler Leak on drums.

7:30 - 8 p.m.
Visitors will have their last chance to place starting bids. 

Art All Night
Saturday, September 12, 2026, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Organized as a citywide celebration of creativity, culture, and community, “Art All Night” in Dupont Circle is truly electrifying, and Hillyer exemplifies this atmosphere of art, fun, and excitement. Throughout the evening, visitors will participate in an art auction using their mobile phones, listen to the Kweku Sumbry Trio, experience art, poetry, and music by DC’s very own State of Flow, and finish the night with cocktails, printmaking, and a final bid challenge for awards and prizes. 

Bar and refreshments will be provided ($5 suggested donation). Visit the official event page to learn more.

6 to 7 p.m
Art Auction and Exhibition

7 to 8:30 p.m.
Kweku Sumbry Trio

8:45 to 10:15 p.m.
State of Flow: Poetry, Music, Mindfulness

10:30 to 12 p.m.
Sip, Print, and Collect

The Art of Collecting
September 17, 2026, 5 to 8 p.m.

During our monthly “Third Thursday” programming, visitors will explore their taste in art, learn from experts about the art of collecting, and make their final judgment when deciding on a work of art they can add to their collection.

5 to 6 p.m.
A Matter of Taste

Aspiring collectors are invited to join us for champagne, while spending some meaningful time in the galleries to browse the works of art on view throughout the auction. Loosely inspired by Immanuel Kant’s notion of taste, collectors are encouraged to find one work of art that speaks to them on a subjective level, yet rising to the level of the “beautiful,” thus achieving the highest form of aesthetic judgement.

6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
The Art of Collecting Panel Discussion

After cultivating one’s taste for the beautiful in art, Juanita Hardy, co-founder of the Millennium Arts Salon, will facilitate a discussion about the art of collecting. The panelists will share their thoughts on how art they admired in a gallery or public art space becomes a part of their personal collection. Current panelists: George Hemphill, Joan Weber, and Nancy Hirshbein

7:15 to 8 p.m.
From Judgment to Collecting

Following the panel discussion, collectors and art enthusiasts will be encouraged to place bids on a work of art that warrants their highest and deepest admiration. Anyone who places a bid will receive a free Cosmopolitan membership to International Arts and Artists, plus swag such tote bags, buttons, and postcards. 

Auction Grand Finale
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 6:00-8:00 pm