The Montpelier Arts Center: 8th venue added to Women Artists of the DMV survey show!

We are now up to eight art spaces to exhibit what is now the largest ever curated fine arts exhibition in the history of the DMV!

The art exhibition spaces at the Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD confirmed yesterday that they will participate in the survey exhibition -- that means that I can now curate about 30-40 more female artists for this DMV-wide show.

The Center is located at 9652 Muirkirk Road in Laurel, MD and online here.

The eight confirmed venues are:

• The American University Art Museum at the Katzen - Washington, DC
• The Athenaeum - Alexandria, VA
• The McLean Project for the Arts - McLean, VA
• The Strathmore Mansion Art Galleries - Rockville, MD
• The Artists & Makers Studios and Galleries in Rockville, MD
• The Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center - Hyattsville, MD
• The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD
• The Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD

RFQ: Ceiling-based/hanging & wall artwork at New Highmark Stadium

Entry Deadline: 3/24/25

Budget: $200,000 to $250,000

The Buffalo Bills Public Art Program seeks to commission professional visual artists, or artist teams, to create site-specific public artwork(s) to be placed in (new) Highmark Stadium. This artwork will be thematic, public-facing, and part of the permanent collection at the Stadium.

Through an open Call for Artists Request for Qualifications (RFQ) /  Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the Public Art Program will solicit applicants, review portfolios, and select qualified artists or artist teams who can innovatively and thoughtfully design within the context of the new stadium.

Over three separate Calls for Artists, the Buffalo Bills Public Art Program will be seeking sculptural ceiling art, murals, and wall-based artworks of various sizes and budgets to be curated on multiple levels of the Stadium.

The public art at Highmark Stadium should reflect the city’s diverse demographics, team and fan engagement, and be welcoming to travelers of all backgrounds to experience artwork in an inclusive environment. Arts and sports are universal languages that allow people to express themselves and connect with others across communities, cultures, and generations.

About the Buffalo Bills Public Art Program & General Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are located at https://www.buffalobills.com/new-stadium/public-art-program

The Buffalo Bills Public Art Program at Highmark Stadium is for new site-specific work created to best fit each stadium location.

Please do not send portfolios or links directly to us. Applications will only be accepted through the CallForEntry.org platform. Creating a profile and applying is free.

Details here.

Separate call for wall based artwork at https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=15001

Open letter to Montgomery County Council

Variations of this letter were both mailed and emailed to most members of the Montgomery County Council as well as Marc Ehrlich, the Montgomery County Executive.

This coming September, the largest ever area-wide curated art show will be coming to six art venues in the DMV, including two art spaces in Montgomery County!  I am currently curating this survey show, which will feature over 225 women artists from the Greater DC area, including around 40 or so Montgomery County female artists. They show will be spread to six venues: The American University Art Museum at the Katzen Art Center in Washington, DC; the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean, VA; the Athenaeum in Alexandria; the Strathmore Mansion Galleries and the Artists & Makers Gallery (both in Rockville) and the Pyramid Arts Center in Hyattsville.

I am contacting you in the hope that your office can work with Suzan E. Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (I have been in touch with her) to endorse a "Montgomery County Art Award" for one of the county's artists in the survey show. At the very least an award ribbon, in an ideal world acquiring one work for the county's art collection.

Thank you for your time and attention, and maybe we'll see you at one of the openings!

Very Respectfully,

Lenny Campello

Cell: 301/__________

Everything that you'd need to know about the show is here: https://dcartnews.blogspot.com/2025/01/women-artists-of-dmv-all-that-you-need.html

The Writer's Center: A new art exhibition venue added to Women Artists of the DMV survey show!

We are now up to seven art spaces to exhibit what is now the largest ever curated fine arts exhibition in the history of the DMV!

The art exhibition spaces at the Writer's Center in Bethesda confirmed yesterday that they will participate in the survey exhibition -- that means that I can ow curate about 20-24 more female artists for this DMV-wide show! Below is an image of the show spaces from the recent "Panorama" exhibition by the very talented DMV area artist Sophia McCrocklin, who (by the way) creates artwork that is not only socially important and superbly done, but also defies categorization!

The Center is located at 4508 Walsh Street in Bethesda MD 20815 and online here.

The seven confirmed venues are:

• The American University Art Museum at the Katzen - Washington, DC
• The Athenaeum - Alexandria, VA
• The McLean Project for the Arts - McLean, VA
• The Strathmore Mansion Art Galleries - Rockville, MD
• The Artists & Makers Studios and Galleries in Rockville, MD
• The Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center - Hyattsville, MD
• The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD

Participating in Art Fairs 101

"Participating in Art Fairs 101" with yours truly as the host - 12 February at 8pm on Google Meet. 

I'm going to go over the process and answer questions about entering outdoor art fairs. I will cover applications, logistics, sales and much more! 

Contact info@artomatic.org to register and submit your questions in advance.

Google Meet joining info: Email info@artomatic.org for Video call link or dial: ‪(US) +1 551-900-1744‬ PIN: ‪447 552 265#

Ally Morgan and the delivery of ideas

I'm always discussing and identifying some of the super powers that great artists have in their arsenal of artistic weapons. Ally Morgan is one of those artists who is lucky enough to have multiple superpowers, but in my opinion, first and foremost is her superpower to visually transmit ideas onto a visual artwork in such a way that the idea stops the viewer, mesmerizes the frontal lobe (which in men doesn't fully develop until their 30s - sorry dudes) and reaches deep into the solar plexus of the mind.

That's a lot of art lingo... Ally says:

"I’ve long been captivated by the American Southwest. In 2011, I moved to Arizona to pursue my master’s degree, and during my time there, I immersed myself in exploring the vast, rugged beauty of the desert landscape. While many might view the desert as a harsh, barren place, I have always found it to be meditative, beautiful, and deeply spiritual. It’s a space that has inspired countless historical prophets who sought enlightenment through its solitude. 

“I Can See Through the Rain” is a gouache painting that reflects my interpretation of the contemporary West. The work focuses on the color blue, a hue rich with symbolic meaning, and features figures bathed in various shades of blue, quietly lost in thought within a flat, simplified, surreal landscape. These figures are surrounded by golden raindrops, which hover between the real and the metaphysical—a visual representation of both the tangible and the spiritual realms. 

When my father passed away in 2020, I began painting raindrops as a way to process my grief and express my emotions surrounding his death. In this piece, “I Can See Through the Rain” continues that symbolism. Where raindrops once embodied sorrow, here they have transformed into symbols of spiritual peace and healing."

Behold “I Can See Through the Rain” by Ally Morgan , 2024, Gouache on panel, 10"x8" and it will be at the Women Artists of the DMV survey show!

I Can See Through the Rain by Ally Morgan
Gouache on panel 10"x8"

Rejected!

Another example of why artists need to have thick skins! I've been rejected from an outdoor art festival -- one which I've done for many years, and one for which I have won multiple awards in the past, and one for which I was one of the jurors in the past!

But... we must all understand that jurors are people, and thus subjective - and the three jurors this year (Jordan Brown from the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Nicola Charles, who worked at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and whom I knew from the many years that I've been at the Affordable Art Fairs, and Mallory Kimmel, who makes "conceptual furniture to address exclusionary design practices") did not like my work, so they gave me a thumbs down, as it is their right as jurors.

Make sure that you visit the festival! It is an amazing show and well-worth the visit to see incredibly talented artists!

Bottom line: Learn from it, breathe in, and re-apply next year! I've been accepted like 20 years out of 22 or so, so pretty good batting average!

Dear F. Lennox,

Thank you for applying to the 34th annual Tephra ICA Arts Festival.

The highly competitive pool of applications was individually evaluated by three independent jurors and selections were made based on their reviews. Unfortunately, your application was not selected for display at the Festival this year. We encourage you to apply again next year when we have a new panel of qualified professional jurors whose perceptions may vary. As a 2025 Festival applicant, you will automatically receive notification regarding the 2026 Festival application in the fall.

We sincerely appreciate your support and interest in the Festival, and we wish you much success in all your artistic endeavors.

Sincerely,

Hannah Barco

Associate Curator and Festival Director