'Riparian' | Opening Reception at Long View Gallery

Long View Gallery, long regarded as a foundation of Washington, DC’s contemporary art scene, returns in force this winter, reviving the city’s post‑Covid creative energy with a fresh, hip, yet timeless vision. Under new ownership and a renewed curatorial direction, Long View reopens its iconic Blagden Alley space with Riparian, a powerful exhibition of new landscape paintings by Virginia-based artists Ed Trask and Caesar. Two cult-followed figures in DC, VA, and beyond.

Set against the exposed brick and soaring ceilings that made Long View an anchor of the district’s art community, Riparian celebrates the in-between spaces—where city meets wild, memory meets moment, and music, and fine art collide. Trask and Caesar both came of age in the DC suburbs, spending their teenage years immersed in the electric sound and color of the city’s 1980s and 90s music and art scenes. That raw, unfiltered energy runs directly through the work on view.

About Ed TraskA celebrated painter and musician, Ed Trask is as legendary for his drumming as he is for his canvases. He has performed with iconic bands including Avail, Kepone, and the recently reunited Dischord Records group Holy Rollers. A driving force in the hardcore and punk scenes, Trask channels that same kinetic intensity into his paintings: dazzling, fast, and loose visions of the American landscape.

His murals have shaped the Richmond skyline for decades, and his studio work has been featured in numerous successful gallery exhibitions. Collectors seek out his wildly colorful pieces across the country; one of his signature paintings is part of the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA).

About CaesarKnown in equal measure as a graffiti writer, muralist, and fine artist, Caesar is celebrated for his mastery of style, line, and color. With three decades of graffiti practice and five years painting billboards in New York City, his paintings carry a highly trained hand and a fearless sense of form.

Caesar’s work has been shown in galleries nationwide, including a large-scale installation at Wayne Coyne’s WOMB Gallery in Oklahoma City. Here in the DMV, he’s also a dedicated educator and community figure as a faculty member of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, where he shares his experience and techniques with emerging artists of all ages.

A 20-Year Creative DialogueTrask and Caesar’s relationship spans more than twenty years, forged through countless mural projects across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. Their visual languages are distinct yet deeply compatible – Trask’s sweeping, emotive vistas and Caesar’s sharp, stylized structures and gestures create a dynamic rhythm on the walls of Long View.

In Riparian, their new paintings converse: rivers, bridges, overpasses, and edges—those liminal, often overlooked spaces—become sites of memory, rebellion, and renewal. The result is a cohesive, high-impact presentation that carries all the hallmarks of seasoned professionals at the height of their powers.

About Long View GalleryLocated in historic Blagden Alley in Northwest DC, Long View Gallery has been a cornerstone of the city’s contemporary art landscape for years, championing innovative artists and memorable large-scale exhibitions. Now, in a revitalized chapter, Long View is recommitting to DC as a cultural capital, spotlighting artists with deep roots in the region and strong, dedicated followings well beyond it.

Riparian marks the beginning of this new era: a bold, energetic, and authentic re‑entry into a city ready for what’s next.