Award presentation Sept 30th during the opening reception of the 2023 East of the River Exhibition at Honfleur Gallery in Historic Anacostia

Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell, a multi-disciplinary fine artist, curator, and educator, to receive the 2023 East Of The River Distinguished Artist Award. The annual award presented by Honfleur Gallery in memory of Sharon Hughes Gautier honors a living artist in Wards 7 or 8 for creative excellence while significantly impacting the cultural landscape of Washington, DC. The recipient receives a $5,000 honorarium. 

"Zsudayka's mixed media pieces tell stories of the African American family life and experiences. Each piece's bold colors, textures, perspectives, and intricate patterns create a narrative of their power, unity, dignity, beauty, and resilience.", says artist Luis Del Valle, recipient of the 2013 EotR Distinguished Artist Award. "Her impact and contribution to our community and culture cannot be denied."

From Aurora, CO, Zsudayka Nzinga's work is largely focused on mixed media portraiture of American life, including themes of motherhood and culture and identity. Her pieces explore patterns and textures using acrylic, oil, decorative and hand-dyed paper, fabric, thread, and ink on canvas. She uses photography and video to tell stories behind her work. She is a proud mother of 3 children and wife to artist James Terrell.

Says Terrell, "I've lived in DC for 12 years, 8 East of the River. It is a community I have fallen in love with for its resilience and history. I always jokingly call it the authentic part of DC because it's real families who have been here for generations. It's a deep culture that has begun to seep into my work. It's a place that deserves incredible advocates, access, and care. It is my hope that I live my life in a way that creates opportunities, particularly in the arts, for the people on this side of the river who have so much vibrant art to offer the world."

In addition to receiving the 2023 East of the River Distinguished Artist Award, Terrell curated this year's East of the River Exhibition, "Interlocked" by the Infinity Collective. The exhibit explores the connections forged between groups of people working in unison towards a common goal. The show features works of talented black women artists, including Camille Angel, Sanah Brown-Bowers, Shante Bullock, Bria Edwards, Artiste Fletcher, Dany Green, Joy Nutt, Reshada Pullen, Liz Stewart, Chantae Sudlow, Candice Tavares, and Vanessa Villareal.

Award Ceremony and Opening Reception, Saturday, September 30th, 2023, 7-9pm at Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Road, SE; Washington, DC 20020. RSVP at bit.ly/INTERLOCKED. Show details available at honfleurgallerydc.com. Terrell bio and inventory available at terrellartsdc.com.

Honfleur Gallery is a contemporary art space located in the Historic Anacostia neighborhood. The gallery is free and open to the public. Honfleur maintains a rigorous schedule of exhibitions and programming focusing on cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions by artists from east of the Anacostia River, the United States, and abroad. Experimental media and installation works are welcome at Honfleur alongside more traditional art media. Implementing diverse projects is a consistent goal with exhibitions ranging between thematic exhibitions, group shows, international residencies, solo exhibitions, experimental projects, and artist collaborations. Arts grants are awarded annually.

Zsudayka Nzinga is a multi-disciplinary fine artist, curator and arts educator from Aurora, CO living in Washington, DC. Nzinga started out as a spoken word artist and performer. She self- published 3 books of her work while touring the country performing, hosting and curating spoken word and special arts events before focusing on her own art. She considers her work social cultural anthropology exploring identity, history and culture of Black Americans. She has shown her work and performed in galleries and museums all over the country and been featured internationally in blogs and reviews. She has curated multiple exhibitions, received a curatorial grant and a grant to help Black women artists in the DC area thrive. She is a proud wife and mother of 3.