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There are persistent romantic notions that the artist is a tortured soul, standing apart from social conventions and ordinary concerns. Popular media frequently depicts the artist as possessed by reckless freedom and lacking accountability. These generalizations are narrow and misguided. The contemporary artist is just as likely to be a good citizen as anyone else. Often an artist is the kind of person who asks, “how does what I do today contribute to what tomorrow might be?”

As we mark HEMPHILL’s 20th year, we are encouraged to think about the gallery’s investment in Washington—investment …