Monday, June 15, 2009

Milgrom on Morandi

Giorgio Morandi is one of those artists that either wows you or bores you to sleep, depending on your own artistic sensibilities and background. Chances are that OCDers will like Morandi.

Giorgio Morandi Natura MortaI love his work because it shows persistance and enviable skill.

It is clear to the most casual observer, that the Greater DC region has become a Mecca and center point for fine arts glass, possibly second only to the other Washington. But what has become more and more clear to me lately, is that DC region is also becoming a hot spot for terrific and innovative ceramic wunderkinds of all ages.

And one of the most hardworking ceramic-focused galleries in the region is Cross MacKenzie in Georgetown, led by the very fair and hardworking Rebecca Cross MacKenzie, herself quite a talented and highly collected ceramic artist.

Rebecca has been working very hard with her gallery space in Canal Square in Georgetown (home to the best 3rd Friday openings in the Mid Atlantic by the way), and between her gallery and Red Dirt Studio, and many other artists' studios around the capital region, DC is making waves in the ceramic art world.

And with a gallery reception on June 19, from 6-8PM, Rebecca brings what I think will be a must-see exhibition for ceramic fans, and definitely for Morandi fans: Milgrom on Morandi!

The two recent Morandi exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and at the Phillips Collection in Washington offered DC area artist Lilianne Milgrom (whose show at the Katzen I reviewed here) the opportunity to absorb the paintings by the Italian master. She studied and learned from the subtle variations in the paintings and the abstract geometric forms used in his compositions.

Milgrom on Morandi"In an attempt to enter Morandi's intimate world, I chose to recreate a selection of his iconic painted objects in three dimensional form. This allowed me the freedom to interpret his familiar objects in 'real time," says Milgrom.
Don't miss this show!

Stimulus Opens tomorrow night Nevin Kelly

In recognition of the challenging economic times, DC's Nevin Kelly Gallery, located at 1400 Irving Street, NW, #132, will showcase “Stimulus,” a group exhibition of works by more than twenty DC area artists at limited-opportunity prices.

The gallery has selected, a Tuesday evening (June 16), typically a slow night for galleries and other businesses, for the opening reception. Joining in the celebration, several local restaurants and other business will offer their own stimulus packages on opening night.

Show runs June 16 through July 11, 2009; Opening Reception, Tuesday, June 16 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.
Stimulus
All works will be priced at $500 or less and for works over $100, there will be a limit of 3 works per artist.

Participating artists include: JOHN M. ADAMS, SONDRA N. ARKIN, JOAN BELMAR, TANJA BOS, ANNE BOUIE, MOLLY BROSE, MARY CHIARAMONTE, ANNA U. DAVIS, JENNY DAVIS, THOMAS DRYMON, STIRLING ELMENDORF, PAT GOSLEE, EMILY GREENE LIDDLE, LAUREL HAUSLER, J. FORD HUFFMAN, ROSALIND KENNEDY, MARK PARASCANDOLA, ANNELIESE SULLIVAN, MING YI SUNG ZALESKI, RUTH TREVARROW, CLAUDIA VESS, ELLYN WEISS and yours truly.

Local restaurants Commonwealth Gastropub, Pete's New Haven Style Pizza and Rumberos are offering dinner specials for the Stimulus audience on the night of the opening.

Radiance MedSpa, a neighborhood day spa, is also offering specials, and other local businesses are expected to sign up. Interested individuals can check the gallery's website for more information on participating businesses and their special offers.

The gallery is located half-a-block from the Columbia Heights Metro station on the Green Line, and all participating businesses are within a block or two of the Metro station.

See ya there!

Trimpin

“TRIMPIN: the sound of invention” is a film that is screening at SILVERDOCS. The subject of the film, artist/inventor/engineer/composer Trimpin (he only uses his surname) has never been represented by a gallery, a dealer, or a manager, and doesn’t have a cell phone or a website – yet his freewheeling sculptures and outrageous musical experiments are cherished by artists, musicians, and museums all over the planet.

Below is some more info about the film and the trailer and clips. The film is screening on:

Thu, Jun 18 at 6:00pm - Round House Theatre and Sat, Jun 20 at 10:45 AM - AFI Silver Theater 2.

Trimpin will also be creating one of his mini-installations at the festival for people to check out.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

DC Sktecher's AOM Top 10

DC Sketcher takes on my Artomatic top 10 challenge and sends me his/hers favorites:

Mei Mei Chang- 7th floor
Jessica Van Brakle- 9th floor
Jenny Walton- 9th floor
Dan D'Orio- 9th floor
Laurel Lukaszewski- 8th floor
Christian Tribastone- 9th Floor
Kelly Towles- 1st floor/Electric Stage
Meinir Wyn Jones- 5th floor
Andrea Roberson- 8th floor
I spent almost three hours last Saturday walking and checking out the 9th and 8th floor and some of the above are also on my list so far... but I have a lot of floors and artists still to see.

More on that later, and more on my thoughts why most art writers and critics are just ill prepared to write a review or commentary of something of the sheer scale of AOM and why they take the easy way out and throw away their journalistic ethics when they physically give up and trash the show rather than actually review it the same way that they would any other art show.

The answer lies in the time that it would take to write a fair review in proportion to what they are getting paid to write a review (quite probably the same as a gallery show that they can visit and form a good critical opinion in less than 15-20 minutes) rather than the multiple hours that it would take to do a fair assessment of AOM.

Capitalism strikes again in the otherwise progressive ranks of art criticism.

Kahlophiles of the World, Unite!

Just finished going though nearly 200 entries for the Finding Beauty In A Broken World: In the Spirit of Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at Smith Farm in Washington, DC.

Tanya Gramatikova, Tribute to Frida Kahlo II


Tanya Gramatikova, Tribute to Frida Kahlo II

There were entries from all over the world, once again reaffirming Kahlo's spectacular worldwide appeal, and once again I was not only honored but also stunned by the diversity and variety of work submitted.

The Opening Reception & Awards are Friday, July 17, 2009, 5:30 - 8:00PM. Don't you dare miss it. Come by and introduce yourselves and say hello. This exhibition runs July 1 - August 29, 2009. Gallery hours: Wednesday - Friday, 11am - 5pm, Saturdays, 11am-3pm, and by appointment.

See ya there!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Recession Creeps Up on Basel

"All the headlines that the market is back are just wrong,” said one dealer.
Details here.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: August 26, 2009

Exhibitions of works rejected by a gallery. Have you ever had a gallery reject your work because it was too innovative, too modern or too ‘out there’? Exhibition Opens on Sept 4, 2009.

Red Studio wants it! To enter please go to www.redstudio.org.

Works in any media such as painting, sculpture, music, mixed media, installation, design, poetry, functional art, etc.

Do this tomorrow

Saturday, June 13 from 7-9 pm is "Meet the Artist Night" at Artomatic.

Go walk the show and absorb the creative energy of a few hundred artists and creative minds all in one place.

This will be good for you; listen to the Lenster.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

What Makes a Piece of Craft Art Truly Extraordinary?

Find out what Robyn Kennedy, Chief of the Renwick Gallery, Chris Shea, metal artist and blacksmith, Michael Janis, Co-Director of the Washington Glass School, and Binnie Fry, independent curator and art consultant.

Sun Jun 14 - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
James Renwick Alliance Education Room (4th Floor)
55 M Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003

How to land a job in the art sector

Women Opening Doors for Women (WODW) was founded 20 years ago around a kitchen table, when women came together to help each other achieve professional success.

Join their Arts and Culture Network as they discuss how to land a job in the art sector.

Fields to be discussed include interior design, art teaching, and graphic design. Speakers will share their own personal experiences, discuss challenges that they have faced, and offer tips on how to be successful in their chosen field.

Speakers: Mukti Desai, Senior Graphic Designer at AAUW (American Association of University Women) and owner of Nectar Design Studio; Susan Dorsey, Head Designer at Ethan Allen; Erin Kelly, Art Teacher and Advisor with Youth Engagement Academy, DC Public Schools.

When: Thu. June 18, 2009

Host: Alicia Daly

Location: Capitol Hill (at The Stewart Mott House). Location is accessible via the Capitol Hill Metro and 36 and 39 buslines.

Planners: WIN Arts and Culture Network Chairs: Caitlin Jennings, Alicia Cohen, and Kate Hewlings.

Congrats!

Reston artist Christine Lashley won the Top Prize at the Riverbend Park Annual Paintout Competition last week.

At Riverbend Park's 4th annual 'plein-air' juried painting competition this past Saturday, Restonian Christine Lashley won the Best in Show prize for her oil painting "High Water." Artists from around the area competed for cash awards thanks to the generosity of Jan and Dan Laytham of Long and Foster Realtors, Great Falls, VA.

Christine LashleyPaintings produced for the paintout must have been started and completed in their entirety on the day of the paintout between the hours of 5:30AM and 12:30PM. The freshly created artwork was judged by Armand Cabrera. Mr. Cabrera mentioned that he loved the Riverbend paintout as it was "the only 'true plein-air' competition on the East Coast" because there was no time for artist's to edit the morning's painting later, unlike other paint competitions that can last several days.

All the artwork created will be on display at the Visitor's Center from June 9 - June 20, 2009. A portion of proceeds from the art competition benefit the Friends of Riverbend Park (a non-profit group supporting the park). The park's staff and Artist in Residence, Jack Warden (the show's coordinator) hope that the competition will raise awareness about the park and all the beauty it has to offer.

Christine Lashley enjoys painting on-location in the ‘plein air’ style for a direct response to a scene. Lashley says "I interpret what I see through my passion for color. If I can capture the light in the landscape it will set the mood and convey a strong impression of the scene; much more that a 100% accurate representation could."

2009 International Arts Journalism Institute in the Visual Arts

I'll be participating in a discussion panel this coming June 20th at the 2009 International Arts Journalism Institute in the Visual Arts, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. State Department and hosted by American University.

More later...

AOM this Saturday

I plan to visit AOM this Saturday, stand by for news!

Lomuto on Tate

Susan Lomuto on Tim Tate:

Tate’s sculptures ask you to surrender your guarded self and feel the range of emotions that they provoke. His newest works - larger and more complex - speak to universal issues, a shift from earlier work that was profoundly personal.
Read Daily Art Muse here.

Judkis on AOM

Artomatic isn’t about finding the diamond in the rough: Think cubic zirconia instead. Each spring brings the polarizing art-for-the-masses show, and this year's event features more than 1,000 visual artists (and another 600 performers). With nine floors of art displayed science-fair style in an unoccupied office building near the Nationals’ stadium, the offerings can be overwhelming. But for the serious art aficionado, how many of those 1,000 artists are worth seeing? We’ve capped that number at a strict 0.005 percent.
Read Maura Judkis on Decider DC here.

Stimulus at Nevin Kelly

StimulusIn recognition of the challenging economic times, DC's Nevin Kelly Gallery, located at 1400 Irving Street, NW, #132, will showcase “Stimulus,” a group exhibition of works by more than twenty DC area artists at limited-opportunity prices.

The gallery has selected, a Tuesday evening (June 16), typically a slow night for galleries and other businesses, for the opening reception. Joining in the celebration, several local restaurants and other business will offer their own stimulus packages on opening night.

Show runs June 16 through July 11, 2009; Opening Reception, Tuesday, June 16 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

“We invite the public to come stimulate their minds and the local economy by supporting this exhibition,” says gallery owner Nevin J. Kelly. “While they are in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, we encourage them to take advantage of the specials being offered by some of our neighboring businesses.”

Kelly explains that “the concept and the name of the show are somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the show has a serious side. In times like these, arts and artists tend to suffer disproportionately, and we are trying to remind people, by parodying the government's broader stimulus efforts, that local artists and local businesses need their support.”

Participating artists have been asked to price their works for this exhibition at least 15% below their norm. The gallery has agreed to reduce its standard commission to make up part of the difference. All works will be priced at $500 or less. For works over $100, there will be a limit of 3 works per artist. Kelly explains that limiting the number of works by each artist protects the concept of limited opportunity pricing and helps guard against an overall deterioration of the artists' price-points, “an important consideration for collectors,” he says, adding “if you want a work by one of your favorite artists at these prices, you need to buy it before somebody else gets it.”

Participating artists include: JOHN M. ADAMS, SONDRA N. ARKIN, JOAN BELMAR, TANJA BOS, ANNE BOUIE, MOLLY BROSE, MARY CHIARAMONTE, ANNA U. DAVIS, JENNY DAVIS, THOMAS DRYMON, STIRLING ELMENDORF, PAT GOSLEE, EMILY GREENE LIDDLE, LAUREL HAUSLER, J. FORD HUFFMAN, ROSALIND KENNEDY, MARK PARASCANDOLA, ANNELIESE SULLIVAN, MING YI SUNG ZALESKI, RUTH TREVARROW, CLAUDIA VESS, ELLYN WEISS and yours truly.

Local restaurants Commonwealth Gastropub, Pete's New Haven Style Pizza and Rumberos are offering dinner specials for the Stimulus audience on the night of the opening.

Radiance MedSpa, a neighborhood day spa, is also offering specials, and other local businesses are expected to sign up. Interested individuals can check the gallery's website for more information on participating businesses and their special offers.

The gallery is located half-a-block from the Columbia Heights Metro station on the Green Line, and all participating businesses are within a block or two of the Metro station.

See ya there!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Today's hero

They have been demonized by an art blogger whose reputation and popularity rests mostly on destructive criticism of nearly everything related to the artworld, and someone who has never had to guard anything in his life, but today's hero in the museum world, and the nation in general, is a DC museum security guard.

Stephen Tyrone JohnsHe is US Holocaust Museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns, who gave his life protecting others, shot by a Jew-hating artist, James Wenneker von Brunn.

Mr. Johns, we all thank and salute you, and all of you who stand as the first line of defense against all the would-be killers and haters in the world. You and your fellow security guards at the Holocaust Museum, and all other museums and security points in the nation, deserve our respect and gratitude.

This is from the Holocaust Museum:

Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns died heroically in the line of duty today. There are no words to express our grief and shock over these events. He served on the Museum's security staff for six years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Johns' family.

We have made the decision to close the Museum tomorrow in honor of Officer Johns, and our flags will be flown at half mast in his memory.
Rest in Peace... Fair winds and following seas Sir.

Museum Shooting Suspect Details

The man suspected of walking into the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and opening fire Wednesday has a long trail of vitriol and vindictiveness.

According to the AskART Web site, which features the work of James W. von Brunn, he was born in St. Louis on July 11, 1920. The birth date jibes with real estate records of a James W. von Brunn who lives in Maryland. He is listed as living in either Annapolis or Easton.
Details from NPR story here and here.

President Obama issued the following statement in regards to the shooting:
"I am shocked and saddened by today's shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world.

"Today, we have lost a courageous security guard who stood watch at this place of solemn remembrance. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this painful time."

AOM video

When I used to live in DC I used to be a talking head in MHZ TV's Artsmedia News program, directed by my good friend Harry Mahon.

Harry currently has the very cool video of AOM below.


Goodwill

Two paintings left overnight in a Goodwill donation bin in Toronto sold at auction for over $150,000 Canadian samolians (US$136,480).

Details here.