Friday, August 31, 2012

New Arts Center

Partnership of Two Montgomery County  
Nonprofits Creates New Arts Center 
Numerous Art Studios and Offices Provide Unprecedented Workspace 

The Washington School of Photography and Capitol Arts Network invite photographers and artists to an informational meeting about forthcoming opportunities for affordable studio workspaces.   

WSP and CAN will soon jointly occupy facilities in Rockville, MD, expanding space for the landmark photography non-profit and creating a new home for the arts education organization.  This remodeled 25,000 square foot facility will feature photographer offices and studios and artist studios, providing affordable workspace for individuals without studio and gallery space. 

The Washington School of Photography will feature six classrooms, three shooting studios, a gallery, public darkroom, conference rooms and office/studio space for up to 12 photographers.  Within the same facility, Capitol Arts Network will feature a gallery, studio space for up to 30 affiliate artists, meeting rooms, classrooms and space for many arts groups to meet with synergy, activity and interaction.     

These two organizations have historically taught, among other courses, the business of photography and the arts. They will now provide studio and workspace for photographers and artists to work, network and collaborate with clients.  This partnership will host gallery exhibits and opening receptions, classes, and will be open 70 hours a week, seven days a week with classes and events. 

Photographers and artists interested in resident artist or photography office/studio opportunities are highly encouraged to attend one of two informational sessions at the Washington School of Photography:  
  • 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday, September 5th 
  • 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Saturday, September 8th 
Representatives of the Washington School of Photography and Capitol Arts Network will offer floor plans and photographs of the building, an information packet, application and overview of both groups and our collective vision.  
With studio space for approximately 30 artists and 12 photographers, and a multitude of photographers and artists needing space, they expect to fill quickly!  So plan to attend one of these informational meetings! 

To attend, RSVP by Tuesday, September 4th to Judith HeartSong of Capitol Arts Network: 

Informational Meeting Location: 
[4850 Rugby Avenue 
Bethesda, MD 20814 ] 
301-654-1998 

For additional questions, please call Judith HeartSong of the Capitol Arts Network at 301-661-7590. 

Pencil this in...

Eyes On The Border Show
Pencil this in and if you want to know the history, oddity and meaning of the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino", then come to the lecture as well...

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Opportunity for PG County Artists


Call for Entries
 
Under The Influence:
The 24th Annual Prince George's County Juried Exhibition
Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center
10701 Livingston Rd.
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Under The Influence
is a juried exhibition of works that show all kinds of influences, including, but not limited, historic, aesthetic and cultural. The exhibition is sponsored by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. The exhibition will be on display from November 5 through December 28, 2012.

Juror
Mr. F. Lennox Campello is an internationally accomplished artist, author, published art critic, teacher and one of the internet's leading art bloggers. His local, national and international knowledge of and experience with the pulse of the art scene is an invaluable contribution to this year's juried exhibition.
Exhibition Dates:
November 5 - December 28, 2012
Public Reception:
Saturday, November 17, 3-5pm
Artist Talk and Refreshments:
Saturday, November 24, 12noon-2pm 
Eligibility & Submission Criteria
This call for entries is open to all artists 18 years and older who live, work, attend school or have studios in Prince George's County, MD. Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration. All works must be original (no reproductions). Proposals for installations or performance works should include sample images, video or audio of the type of work being proposed as well as a brief description of the proposed art work.  

What to Send
  • A CD/DVD containing images and/or segments of audio/video, each no longer than five minutes in duration.
  • A bio, artist statement with contact info and a list of the works submitted with titles, media, and dimensions in MS Word.
  • If you would like your materials returned, please include a SASE.
 
Where to Send It
Materials can be submitted by mail or delivered in person to the arts office at Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744 or emailed to: Stuart.Diekmeyer@pgparks.com
Submission Deadline:
Monday, October 1, 2012
All submissions, in the form of digital images, must be received by 5pm on Monday, October 1.
Notification of selected works:
Friday, October 12, 2012
All selected artists will be notified via email
Delivery of artwork to AHHRC:
Friday, October 26, 9am-5pm
All artists are responsible for the delivery of their artwork to AHHRC
Exhibition closes:
Friday, December 28
Artwork pick-up:
Wednesday, January 2, 9am-5pm
Guidelines for Digital Files
Efforts will be made to review all submissions, regardless of format. However, please be aware that incompatible files may cause submissions to be rejected. Applicants are encouraged to format files as described below.
  • Name each file according to the following format: "last name" underscore "document". Example: jones_statement.pdf.
  • Please number each image file corresponding to the work sample list. Example: 01_jones_untitled.jpg
  • Image files should not be larger than 1MB, and should be formatted as jpeg, tiff or png.
  • Video and audio submissions may be submitted as a DVD or on a CD and formatted as Quicktime, Windows Media, .wave or .mpeg.

Purchase Awards
On the recommendation of the juror, the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division will purchase select works of art for the inclusion in the Parks and Recreation art collection.

Delivery & Installation
Artists are responsible for transporting work to and from the gallery. Art work must be delivered ready to hang and appropriately presented. For works that require projection, sound or other electronic equipment, those materials must be provided by the artist. Art works that differ significantly from the images submitted for judging, or are not ready for gallery installation, may be rejected. If you need to ship the work, please call us to let us know what arrangements you have made. The exhibition will be installed and dismantled by M-NCPPC staff unless the nature of the work requires special assistance. All work accepted for exhibition will remain for the duration of the exhibition.

Sales & Insurance
The M-NCPPC will retain a 25% commission on all art works sold during the exhibition. The M-NCPPC will insure all consigned artwork in the custody of Arts/Harmony Hall for 75% of it's sale value, from the time they are received by delivery, until the pick up date only.

Additional Information
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact: Stuart Diekmeyer, Assistant Director, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744 or email Stuart.Diekmeyer@pgparks.com. Participation implies agreement with all aforementioned conditions.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

$4K for the right name...

DW+H (a creative agency out of Santa Monica) tells me that they are crowd-sourcing a rename of their agency; the winning idea submission will receive $4,000.
 
Here's the link to the contest specifics page: https://www.victorsandspoils.com/projects/112

Good luck!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sorianos donated to SAAM


This summer two major paintings by Cuban master Rafael Soriano were given to the Smithsonian American Art Museum for its permanent collection. These two works, Un Lugar Distante (A Distant Place) (1972) and Candor de la Alborada (Candor of Dawn) (1994), represent significant moments in Soriano’s artistic production. 

“Rafael Soriano has been called one of the major Latin American artists of his generation, and one of the premier painters of Cuba,” said Milagros Soriano, who donated the celebrated canvases to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “So it was fitting that his artwork be represented at our country’s leading art institution.” 

“These important paintings by Rafael Soriano are excellent additions to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection,” said Dr. E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “While the museum’s collection includes important works by Cuban American artists—especially those that were educated in the United States like Ana Mendieta and Maria Brito—these Soriano acquisitions allow us to capture the perspective of the first generation of Cuban exiles who arrived as adults with significant careers in Cuba already under their belt.” 
 Read the entire article in ArtDaily.org here.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

In 5,000 years...


Neil Armstrong died today at age 82.

I remember as a kid in Brooklyn, staying up late one summer night in 1969 to watch two Earthmen land on the moon. Somehow I knew that this event would be the one notable historical footnote of the 20th century when Earth's history is taught 5,000 years from now.

I also think that Neil Armstrong, the quiet, humble, strong man who became the first human to take a step on another world, will also be the only name taught in schools a few thousand years from now when the 20th century is discussed.

Mass murderers from the Dark side like Hitler, Stalin and Mao won't even make a blip in history when hundreds of centuries must be highlighted by small asterisks; neither will their opposites on the good side, Roosevelt, Churchill, Reagan, Ghandi...

When Earth children of the year 7012 are asked what do they know about the 20th century, the only answer will be one name, Neil Armstrong and one date when man landed and walked on the moon, Sunday, July 20, 1969.

The Latin American Collective Project

Eyes On The Border Show
Pencil this in and if you want to know the history, oddity and meaning of the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino", then come to the lecture as well...

Friday, August 24, 2012

Wanna contribute to this piece?

Below are several images showing the process for the current piece that I am doing, this time doing a trompe l'oeil of a comic book panel featuring Heckle and Jeckle.

In the final image, you can see the current state of the work, which now has two blank text balloons where the dialogue between the two characters will take place. One is jumping up in joy, his turban flying off his head (changed from a top hat in the original comic book). He is saying something to the other guy, who in turns responds.

And here's where I need your collaboration and help...




I'd like suggestions for what Heckle and Jeckle are talking about, discussing or whatever. It can be something funny, something contemporary, whatever... just appropriate to the visual scene. Leave you suggestions in the comments section or email them to me.

Winning suggestion will get a free, one of a kind signed print of the above work.

Job in the Arts

The Smithsonian is looking to fill the position of Staff Assistant for the Smithsonian Latino Center.  
This is a rare opportunity to join the team that works hard at ensuring that Latino culture, achievement and contributions are celebrated and recognized nationwide.  
They are looking for an individual to assist the Director and can serve as the point of contact to the public, the Smithsonian National Latino Board, and Hispanic-serving organizations; provide administrative support to the staff, and help advance the Center’s initiatives and educational/public programs.      
 
**NOTE:  Applicants must have the ability to speak and write in English and Spanish in order to assist with translation of materials.
 
GS 0301 05 or 07 DEU (open to all U.S Citizens or U.S Nationals):     
 
GS 0301 05 or 07 MPA (open to current or former Federal employees, peoples with disabilities, former Peace Corps volunteers, certain military spouses, veterans):

Thursday, August 23, 2012

History's worst restoration of a work of art... EVER!

Newsweek covers

The power of the visual arts, specifically representational visual art, is a powerful known quantity.

For decades now, artists have been marrying shock with representational art to gather attention to their work, and thus it is no surprise that a floundering dead tree media publication like Newsweek, which has perfected the art of the magazine cover over the decades, is now pulling all stops when it comes to a scary blend of photography, nuanced text and composition - all married to shock-producing stories - to pump up sales. I don't know if Tina Brown's strategy will work, but it is a fascinating study nonetheless.

Witness the recent Newsweek covers, all dealing with controversial subjects. In the first one,  an attack piece on Republican Presidential candidate (and if he wins, the first "technically" Hispanic President), the font size of the word WIMP overwhelms the cover - and yet Romney is still presented in what I would describe as a positive image (dude's got some Osmond-sized chompers though...). The remaining text ("What triggers mass murderers" and "I was duped by...") also add a bit of subliminal vinegar to the cover.

Newsweek's portrait of Pres. Obama as "The First Gay President" is a brilliant graphic design coup. It is a modern icon with modernized ties to early Christian iconography. This is an interesting marriage (pun intended), as one could make the case that dogmatic Christians are essentially against gay marriage. Not to pick on Christians, most Muslim and orthodox Jews are also against gay marriage, perhaps reflecting the common root of all three major religions and a sad 6th century mentality when it comes to acceptance of the social realities of the 21st century. Thus, Newsweek has taken the battle to the heart of the iconography of the Christian religion and succeeded brilliantly. The surrounding text couldn't be any more vacuous ("Are you ready to eat jellyfish?") - all the focus is on the Christian icon.


Some have argued that the current issue of Newsweek is Tina Brown's response to all the criticism that Newsweek gathered from the vast right wing conspiracy from the Romney attack piece. What is the response? An equally caustic (and surprising) attack piece on the President. I say surprising because as it is clearly obvious to the most casual observer, Newsweek is easily generally described as a liberal magazine and part of the media arsenal of the even vaster leftwing nuthouse. But let's get back to the visual arts and away from politics before I start getting firebombed in the comments from both the nuts on the right and the nuts on the left.

The image of the President (just like in the Romney WIMP issue) is pleasant-enough (dude's got some big fucking ears!). He is walking away from the camera, which fits the theme of the attack article ("Hit the Road, Barack"). The positioning of the President's head (covering part of the Newsweek banner and leaving "Neek") has even resulted in charges of racism from people who read that as a codeword for the N-word (see what I mean by leftwing nuthouse?).

The text above the President's head shouts [for him] to "END THE SYRIA SLAUGHTER NOW!" clearly tying the image of the President to the USA's failure to intervene in Syria for the same reasons that we did in Libya (never mind that the vast right wing conspiracy howled over that). Even the yellow sticker text box by his watch has a subliminal message dealing with Wall Street... harsh.

Behold the power of the image married to text in three examples of a magazine desperately seeking readers. I betcha that this issue will set new sales records for Newsweek, and I am sure that by now the author of the piece (Niall Ferguson) is hiding securely in his panic room at Harvard University (where he teaches), that well-known bastion of right wing thought.

But before I let go of this visual art exploration of these covers, let me destroy the theory from the "throw the race card no matter what" idiots from the nuthouse by giving the compositional example from perhaps the most unflattering Newsweek portrait ever:

Maybe the "Queen of Rage" is also a "Neeek"? Makes my head hurt...

In other important news: the Mitt Romney Cockroach Beats Barack Obama Bug In Presidential Cockroach Derby! See the video here!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Just down the street from me...



The Amazing Spidergirl

I am almost finished with this piece from the new trompe l'oeil comic book superheroes series; to review:
  1. Phase One: A series of duplicate watercolor panels from the comic books
  2. Phse Two: Change the dialogue text in the text balloons to reflect something more interesting appropriate to the scene.
  3. Phase Three: Insert an electronic component into the dialogue balloons, with a Powerpoint based "back and forth" dialogue between the characters.
Fallout: Leaving Roy Lichtenstein's formulaic and gorgeous 1960s pop art of the same genre in the dust-bin of art history. These, along with other artists working the Superhero theme, will be at a special curated exhibition (curated by me) at the Aqua Art Fair in Miami Beach in December.


Update: Here's the finished piece
The Amazing Spidergirl. Trompe l'oeil watercolors and charcoal on paper. Circa 2012.
"The Amazing Spidergirl." Trompe l'oeil watercolors and charcoal on paper. 4x6 inches. Circa 2012.

Opportunity for Prince George's Artists


Call for Entries
 
Under The Influence:
The 24th Annual Prince George's County Juried Exhibition
Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center
10701 Livingston Rd.
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Under The Influence
is a juried exhibition of works that show all kinds of influences, including, but not limited, historic, aesthetic and cultural. The exhibition is sponsored by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. The exhibition will be on display from November 5 through December 28, 2012.

Juror
Mr. F. Lennox Campello is an internationally accomplished artist, author, published art critic, teacher and one of the internet's leading art bloggers. His local, national and international knowledge of and experience with the pulse of the art scene is an invaluable contribution to this year's juried exhibition.
Exhibition Dates:
November 5 - December 28, 2012
Public Reception:
Saturday, November 17, 3-5pm
Artist Talk and Refreshments:
Saturday, November 24, 12noon-2pm 
Eligibility & Submission Criteria
This call for entries is open to all artists 18 years and older who live, work, attend school or have studios in Prince George's County, MD. Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration. All works must be original (no reproductions). Proposals for installations or performance works should include sample images, video or audio of the type of work being proposed as well as a brief description of the proposed art work.  

What to Send
  • A CD/DVD containing images and/or segments of audio/video, each no longer than five minutes in duration.
  • A bio, artist statement with contact info and a list of the works submitted with titles, media, and dimensions in MS Word.
  • If you would like your materials returned, please include a SASE.
 
Where to Send It
Materials can be submitted by mail or delivered in person to the arts office at Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744 or emailed to: Stuart.Diekmeyer@pgparks.com
Submission Deadline:
Monday, October 1, 2012
All submissions, in the form of digital images, must be received by 5pm on Monday, October 1.
Notification of selected works:
Friday, October 12, 2012
All selected artists will be notified via email
Delivery of artwork to AHHRC:
Friday, October 26, 9am-5pm
All artists are responsible for the delivery of their artwork to AHHRC
Exhibition closes:
Friday, December 28
Artwork pick-up:
Wednesday, January 2, 9am-5pm
Guidelines for Digital Files
Efforts will be made to review all submissions, regardless of format. However, please be aware that incompatible files may cause submissions to be rejected. Applicants are encouraged to format files as described below.
  • Name each file according to the following format: "last name" underscore "document". Example: jones_statement.pdf.
  • Please number each image file corresponding to the work sample list. Example: 01_jones_untitled.jpg
  • Image files should not be larger than 1MB, and should be formatted as jpeg, tiff or png.
  • Video and audio submissions may be submitted as a DVD or on a CD and formatted as Quicktime, Windows Media, .wave or .mpeg.

Purchase Awards
On the recommendation of the juror, the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division will purchase select works of art for the inclusion in the Parks and Recreation art collection.

Delivery & Installation
Artists are responsible for transporting work to and from the gallery. Art work must be delivered ready to hang and appropriately presented. For works that require projection, sound or other electronic equipment, those materials must be provided by the artist. Art works that differ significantly from the images submitted for judging, or are not ready for gallery installation, may be rejected. If you need to ship the work, please call us to let us know what arrangements you have made. The exhibition will be installed and dismantled by M-NCPPC staff unless the nature of the work requires special assistance. All work accepted for exhibition will remain for the duration of the exhibition.

Sales & Insurance
The M-NCPPC will retain a 25% commission on all art works sold during the exhibition. The M-NCPPC will insure all consigned artwork in the custody of Arts/Harmony Hall for 75% of it's sale value, from the time they are received by delivery, until the pick up date only.

Additional Information
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact: Stuart Diekmeyer, Assistant Director, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744 or email Stuart.Diekmeyer@pgparks.com. Participation implies agreement with all aforementioned conditions.