On a blustery Friday evening, the fogged windows of the DC Arts Center doubled as microscopic lenses that attempted to examine and deconstruct gender roles in art. This outwardly unassuming space teemed with viewers. Each held a pencil and ballot, each tried to decipher in paired paintings, drawings, and sculptures both the gender of the artist and which work was of better quality. The vote was less true evaluation, than a tool to illustrate ongoing questions relating to sex and gender in the art world and beyond.

The District of Ladies group is a spin-off from DC’s Ladyfest. With this show, the DoL made a valiantly presented argument, which wasn't necessarily resolved—a responsibility left in the hands of the audience. Some pairings’ gender origins appeared obvious, but viewers became riddled with doubt and suspicion. Quality sometimes took a back seat to this decision, but overall, the thirty-two artists juried by Clark and Felicity Hogan (from the Museum of Contemporary Art, DC) made a strong showing. By nature the exhibition was multidisciplinary and wide-ranging, from Pop paintings to comic book drawings to soft sculpture. As the "happening" aspect took over, the show’s intent became uncertain. At the end of the day, what is the true significance of choosing "boy" or "girl," masculine or feminine? As of this writing (the next morning), the tally is unpublished, though it will be posted. Depending on ballot accuracy, even more questions may surface for audience and artists alike.

After the DCAC event, the festivities moved to The Velvet Lounge, where another packed house offered a boy-band versus girl-band showdown. Local groups took the stage one after another, two by two, boys against girls, judged in between by applause. Like the visual art component, "winners" were again decided in good nature and camaraderie. This evening was much more about the practice of feminism’s essential definition—the equality of every gender—than division or superiority. The live music event felt like a celebration of important questions, which was a good follow-up to the slightly more academic visual exhibition.

If there was ever a time when gender and feminism fell into ambiguity and question, it's now. Contemporarily there is more than one definition and possibility for each; they sometimes defy explanation, and sometimes they are misrepresented or entitled or ignored. As with any disparity, the ideal may not be allowed or attainable. Evenings like Girls Against Boys, though controlled by a homogeneity of race and class, reach a happy medium, drawing on a gap that (one hopes) a creative community could bridge. Of course, more than a night or a lifetime would be required to fully examine human differences, but if this DC arts scene is any indication, there is at least a place to begin.