Pop-Ups for Art and Culture
The Pavilion Pop-Up, formerly a T-Mobile store, offers 2,113 square feet in the Chevy Chase Pavilion retail center. In fall 2025, the Friendship Heights Alliance transformed the space into a “third place” with a gallery, reading room, and lounge areas for creative and interactive programming. Open to the public multiple days a week, it will provide a free, indoor gathering spot for the neighborhood. The Pavilion Pop-Up is at 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, next to the office lobby; enter via the Cheesecake Factory entrance.
TRACE: A Gallery Pop-Up:
Featuring local DC artists Lely Constantinople, Martina Fornace, Claire Packer, and Antonia Tricarico, the exhibition explores human presence, memory, and the traces we leave behind through portraiture, landscapes, and mixed media.
Visit the event calendar to learn more about each event:
Opening: October 4, 2025, 5-7 pm
Artist talk: October 18, 2025, 6-8 pm
Zine workshop: November 8 2025, 2-4 pm
Weekly Gallery Open Hours:
- Saturday, November 15 from 11am - 2pm
- Sunday, November 16 from 11am - 2pm
- Saturday, November 22 from 11am - 2pm
- Sunday, November 23 from 11am - 2pm
- Saturday, December 6 from 11am - 2pm
- Sunday, December 7 from 11am - 2pm
- Saturday, December 13 from 11am - 2pm
- Sunday, December 14 from 11am - 2pm
Closing event: January 10, 2026, 5-7 pm
More Activations
Pinball Pop-Up: 2024-Present
VÜK Pinball brings 40 pinball machines and classic arcade games to the Metro level of Chevy Chase Pavilion. Games range from 1970s-era classics to modern high-tech releases, set at just 50 cents per play. The arcade is open daily from 7 am to 11 pm, offering a nostalgic “mall arcade” experience. It has become a lively, low-cost entertainment option for all ages in Friendship Heights.
Milk Tree: A Creative Space by Robin Bell: 2025-Present
Robin Bell and Sorane Yamahira have transformed a vacant storefront at 5221 Wisconsin Avenue NW into an installation blending lighting, video, and the tropical plant Milk Tree. The space serves as a studio, gallery, and event venue, with periodic special events. The project builds on Bell’s earlier Friendship Heights exhibit, attracting visitors and supporting local businesses. It reflects the Alliance’s mission to bring art and community together in creative spaces.
Turning the Page: 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
In May 2023, the Alliance partnered with Turning the Page to open a Carpe Librum used bookstore at 5221 Wisconsin Avenue NW. The shop offered thousands of high-quality, affordable books, with proceeds benefiting educational programs for public school families. Grosvenor donated the space, continuing its collaboration with the Alliance on public realm improvements. The bookstore became a welcoming gathering place and a hub for local partnerships.