- July 13, 2026
- By Sala Levin ’10
“Another hundred people just got off of the train,” sings Marta, a fast-talking New Yorker in Stephen Sondheim’s urban musical, “Company.” The ode to the blur of humanity—all together in one place but still entirely separate—could be the theme song for “Basement,” a new exhibition that opens Monday in the Stamp Gallery.
Curated by Sydney Feurer ’29, in one of two undergraduate-curated exhibitions held every summer at the gallery, “Basement” strives to get to know some of the nameless people who scurry by us as we keep our faces glued to our phones. “It’s a way to recognize that the people that you walk by have a life and are part of a community,” said Feurer. (The name of the exhibition, said Feurer, is a nod to an invisible but essential foundation—like the lives led by people we don’t know.)
Feurer wanted to highlight some of Washington, D.C.’s photographers and photojournalists, a nod to her sister and father, both photographers, and the University of Maryland’s journalism students. She’d also noticed that most recent student-curated Stamp Gallery exhibits hadn’t included much photography.
Here, Feurer shares some of her favorite photos—and strangers—from the exhibition.
“Kids in Summer,” DiAnte Jenkins, 2024
This image of children sitting on a curb eating popsicles is “raw and authentic,” said Feurer. Its depiction of youthful fun on a sticky summer day runs counter to the buttoned-up, productivity-maximizing image many people have of Washingtonians. “At the end of the day, the city is still a place where people grow up,” said Feurer.
Untitled, Sofía Sebastián, 2021
Since 1986, stilettoed runners have gathered on 17th Street in Northwest D.C. every October to take part in the High Heel Drag Race. The one-and-a-half block race, held the Tuesday before Halloween, is an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that has long been anchored in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. In this image, one of the participants gets ready for the mad dash. “I wanted to capture a space where people can be themselves, dress up how they want and have fun,” said Feurer.
Untitled, Jim Saah, undated
Photojournalist Jim Saah was a regular at legendary venues like the Black Cat and the 9:30 Club, where he documented the city’s thriving punk scene in the ’80s and ’90s. Feurer wanted to highlight the longtime presence of sub-cultures that monument- and museum-hoppers might not know about, she said. “We focused on the little moments that we don’t really get to see as tourists or visitors,” she said.
“Cinco de Mayo,” JR Landolina, 2024
In this photo taken at a Cinco de Mayo celebration, photographer JR Landolina focuses on a very human interaction as a mother tends to her crying child. “It’s something that we see every day, but it’s giving them their own space in an area that’s so crowded and bustling,” said Feurer. “It makes the city feel not so cold.”
“Basement” runs July 13-Aug. 14. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. July 13. The Stamp Gallery’s summer hours are noon-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.