Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Help to fund Alma

From hardworking and super-talented DMV area artist Alma Selimovic:
I am an artist who lives and creates in Mount Rainier, Maryland. I work with metal, but experiment with other materials such as plaster, digital media, photo transfers, fiberglass, etc. I have my own studio and I am involved in my local community, teaching art to kids at Art Works Now.

Six years ago, I would have never thought my life would have taken this direction. As one of the more prominent LGBTIQ activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I faced violence and threats. In late 2009, I came to the USA where I was granted political asylum.

I was new to USA, hardly making a living, struggling with language and barely making basic connections with other artists. For me, it was hard to imagine going to graduate school, having my own studio, and working endlessly.
But, here I am. Seven years later. I feel blessed to have a life I have. And, I would like to give something back. I took an opportunity to be an artist in residence at the INSTITUT FÜR ALLES MÖGLICHE, for two months (May and June, 2017) in Berlin, Germany. My focus there will be to create live digital drawings of people from Eastern Europe who are queer, trans and/or gender neutral. At the same time, I would like to record their life stories and incorporate them in the final work. I want to capture each person’s uniqueness and give their stories a different kind of voice. Incorporating visual and sound in my work is experimental for me and I am really excited to take that step. My drawings/instalations will be exhibited in Berlin, Bosnia, USA and potentially at a few other locations.

Where your money will go?

I would like to compensate travel and time of all of my models. Most individuals are transitioning or struggling in far worse ways than I ever did. I am turning to you for help. Please donate as little as you can or as much as you want. In return, you will become a part of this project and monitor its progress. You will also get a copy of my work, mailed to you upon my return to the US. If any of my work is sold during the exhibitions, part of the profit will be donated to LGBTIQ organisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Please help me help others tell their stories. Please help me make these stories count. Only together we can make change.

If you are not familiar with my work you can chek it out at www.almaselimovic.com.

Thank you,
Alma

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Hurry!!!! Last minute call for artists!

Not much time... act now!
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through the work of its Employee Resource Groups (ERG), supports local organizations in different ways such as volunteering our time, sponsoring tables at fundraising events, and holding events to promote their work. This year, Latinos in Philanthropy, one of the five foundation ERGs, is hosting ArteFest  on Thursday December 8th at 2:00pm, as a way of promoting the work of local Latino artists, such as yourselves. This event aims at promoting your work but also our culture among foundation staff and supporting our local Latino arts community.

This event is an opportunity for you to promote your work and make yourself known to an audience who may not necessarily be familiar with your art.   You are welcome to bring your business cards and any other promotional material you would like to distribute.

It will not be possible to hang paintings in the conference room where the event will be held.  Instead, we will provide you with easels as it has been done for past events.  We understand that the standards you may be used to are different due to the high quality of your work; therefore, we thought it was important to communicate this information as soon as possible.   On a personal note, prior to joining the Gates Foundation, I spent 15 years working with many of the area’s museums and galleries and private collectors, focusing on the accessible display of all types of works.   I am happy to address any questions or concerns that you may have, pertaining to the set-up, logistics, and display at this small event.    I may have even installed your work(s) in the past, in one of the public offices in DC, through a partnership my former company had with the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

Because of the foundation’s nonprofit status, we are also not allowed to compensate you for your time; however, we can refund you for transportation expenses, if necessary.

The foundation is located at: 1300 I Street, NW (near the McPherson Square metro stop). 
If you're interested, please email Laura Casey by Friday, Nov. 26th!

Her email is   Laurie.Casey@gatesfoundation.org

“Unprecedented” Van Gogh Sketchbook Controversy

Two respected art historians ignited controversy on Tuesday when they proclaimed 65 ink drawings in a newly revealed sketchbook to be authentic works by Vincent van Gogh. But the Van Gogh Museum responded swiftly with a wholehearted rejection of the claim. So what are the opposing stories and why are art world experts describing the faceoff as “unprecedented”?
Read the fascinating article by Abigail Cain here. 

At The King Street Gallery

The King Street Gallery presents the 44th Annual Faculty Exhibition. The exhibit opens December 5, with a reception December 8. This exhibition features artwork by notable emerging and established DC artists. The prolific faculty and staff of Montgomery College’s Visual and Performing Arts department exhibit recent work in this annual exhibition. The show includes notable local artists Iona Rozeal Brown, J. J. McCracken, Michael Booker, Jake Muirhead, Renee Lachman, Jeremy Flick, Ellington Robinson, and Kate Kretz, among others.


Representing varied interests and backgrounds, faculty exhibit paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, and more. The 44th Annual Faculty Exhibition includes pieces previously exhibited nationally, as well as never-before seen artwork.


The 43rd Annual Faculty Exhibition runs December 5– January 27 at the King Street Gallery. A reception will be held Thursday, December 8 from 6–8 p.m.


 The event is located at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center.


For more information, visit http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/exhibitions/. Free and open to the public.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Frida Kahlo Painting Rediscovered after 60 Years

Frida Kahlo, Niña con collar, 1929. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.


For six decades, the whereabouts of Frida Kahlo’s 1929 painting Niña Con Collar remained unknown. The only evidence that oil-on-canvas portrait had even existed was a black-and-white photograph taken by Lola Álvarez Bravo in the artist’s catalogue raisonné from 1988. Now, the work has resurfaced at Sotheby’s and is slated to go to auction next week as part of the house’s Latin America: Modern Art sale, with an estimate of $1.5–2 million. But the story of how the work arrived at the auction house is about more than its expected price tag. 
Niña Con Collar has remained with a single owner, one of the artist’s former assistants, since 1955, the year after Kahlo’s death at the age of 47. As a token of gratitude, Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera gifted the painting to this assistant, who had worked closely alongside the artist at her Mexico City studio.
Read the whole fascinating article by Isaac Kaplan here. 

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Blame it on my Navy training

Email from a major Miami glossy magazine comes in yesterday: 
 
"Need 200 words and an image on ABMB week... can you do it?"
 
I respond yes.
 
Just sent it...
 
Shocked editor responds: 
 
"WOW, my favorite new writer. You have no idea how many weeks of pulling teeth it takes me to get 60 words from some people."

Torpedo Factory Post-Graduate Residents announced

For the third consecutive year, the Torpedo Factory Art Center announced the names of the incoming Post-Graduate Residents. Fumi Amano, Nakeya Brown, Jay Hendrick, and Samantha Sethi were juried into the program by Kayn Miller, director of exhibitions at the Arlington Art Center.
 
Starting in January 2017, these four emerging artists will each occupy Studio 12, located in the center of the Torpedo Factory’s first floor, for a quarter of the year. Therein, they can create and sell work, interact with the public, and network with other artists, gallerists, and collectors.
 
“We are inviting some of the region’s most promising emerging artists into our high-visibility space and providing them with practical resources and professional development opportunities,” said Leslie Mounaime, director of Target Gallery. “This gives them a chance to define their practices and establish a network outside of an academic context. My hope is that we continue to have a dynamic exchange of perspectives, techniques, and ideas throughout 2017.”
 
Launched in 2015, this three-month residency is a competitive program that provides meaningful support to recent graduates who have recently completed master’s of fine arts degrees. It is unique program in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for addressing the critical post-graduate juncture in an emerging artist’s career.
 
The announcement came on Thursday, November 10, during the reception for the current Post-Graduate Residents exhibition, on view in Target Gallery through November 27, 2016. Just as in the current year, the 2017 program will culminate in a group exhibition in Target Gallery, October 21 – November 26, 2017. The reception will take place during Second Thursday Art Night, November 19, at 7 pm.
 
 
Meet the 2017 Post-Graduate Residents
 
Jay Hendrick
January – March
George Mason University
Jay Hendrick questions the value of value in his work. He creates paintings, then analyzes their importance, worth, and merit by exposing his work to different methods, such as digitization, duplication, and performance. His visual vocabulary is based on grids, a stable and reliable form, and color to assess the form’s value. His sundry palette draws from high and low culture, bringing together pop-music pink with cave-born ochers.
 
During his residency, Hendrick hopes to emulate the processes of other contemporary artists in the greater Washington, D.C. region in an effort to understand why other painters do what they do. He will interview each participating artist and document the project on his blog and organize a round-table discussion about painting.

Based in Fairfax, Virginia, Jay Hendrick has shown work in the U.S., England, and Japan and his work was featured in New American Painting. In 2015, Hendrick received his master’s of fine art from George Mason University. He completed his undergraduate degree with Abilene Christian University in Texas with degrees in applied studies and a bachelor’s of fine art. He teaches at Northern Virginia Community College in Woodbridge, Virginia.
 
April – June
American University
Samantha Sethi see our world as a landscape that is both inhabited and studied by humankind, altered even as it is observed. It’s both the location and the material of our pursuit of meaning. She blends the physical with the digital in her work. In using natural materials like ice, tar, and sediment, and processes like melting and erosion, she creates works that are both action and images. She records the work in video and also draws or traces it to represent it through time.
 
During her residency, Sethi plans to pursue the further potential of this work through drawing, digital works, and physical installation.
 
Sethi is currently based in Washington, D.C. She completed her master’s of fine art at American University in May 2016. She is currently teaching art as an adjunct at AU and will teach at George Washington University in Spring 2017. Sethi completed her bachelor’s of fine art at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her work has shown in New York, Washington, and Berlin and has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Time Out New York, and Studio Visit magazine. Sethi was awarded a Mellon grant in 2015 as well as the Elizabeth Van Swinderen Award in 2016.
 
July – September
George Washington UniversityNakeya Brown’s photography touches on the racialized and commodified bodies of black women and highlights the cultural relevance of their lived experiences. Her practice centers on black beauty. She uses hair as a tool to identify facets of womanhood. Likewise, she turns her attention to specialty haircare products to entwine the materiality into identity formation.
 
While a resident, she will continue exploring the symbolism of womanhood through installation, portraiture, and still life photography.
 
Born in Santa Maria, California, Nakeya Brown received her bachelor’s in visual arts and journalism from Rutgers University in New Jersey. Her photography has been exhibited at the McKenna Museum of African American Art, Woman Made Gallery, Vivid Solutions Gallery, and Welancora Gallery. Brown’s work has been featured in publications such as New York magazine, Saint Heron, Dazed & Confused, The FADER, and NYLON, and has been published by international publications, Hysteria and Elephant. She is currently pursuing her master’s of fine art in photography at The George Washington University and will be graduating in Spring 2017.  
 
October – December
Virginia Commonwealth University
A native of Aichi, Japan, Fumi Amano seeks to do new and creative things with glass and demonstrate new possibilities within the medium. Amano entered graduate school to expand her expertise with glass as a medium, but her work shifted more into the conceptual space as she began using her art as a primary means to express her emotions, given English is her second language. Her work is inspired by her strong desire for intimacy as well as a deep sense of loneliness. She is obsessed with communicating with others and creates work that elicits visceral, gut emotions in her audience. Recent visitors to Target Gallery will remember Amano’s work Look at Me, in the group exhibition Please Touch in June 2016. Viewers were invited to lick the frosted glass pane to reveal themselves to a person on the opposite side.
 
During her residency, Amano hopes to collaborate with local artists to integrate into her glass house project, in which she hosts performances in a house she creates from reclaimed window frames. Through her work, she also hopes to address some of the gender and racial stereotypes that she’s encountered as a Japanese woman in America.
 
Amano completed her undergraduate studies in art education at the University of Education in Aichi before refining studies of her medium at Toyama Institute of Glass Art in Toyama, Japan, and at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. Amano has won several awards including best student work at Niijima Glass Art Festival in Tokyo and also at Pilchuck Glass School. Her work was selected at the International Exhibition of Glass in Kanazawa, Japan; the Contemporary Glass Triennial in Toyama, Japan; and the Itami Craft Triennial in Osaka, Japan. She has shown her work in group and solo exhibitions in both the U.S. and Japan. She is presently enrolled in the master’s of fine arts program at Virginia Commonwealth University to study glass art and will be graduating in spring 2017.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

At the National Building Museum

November 19, 2016 - February 12, 2017at the National Building Museum


DISTRICT II is a poetic visual essay exploring the changing streetscape of downtown Washington in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s through the urban street photography of Chris Earnshaw, Joseph Mills, and the late Bill Barrett.


Organized by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. and presented in partnership at the National Building Museum, DISTRICT II explores several decades of architectural and social change in the heart of the Nation’s Capital, from the majesty of the McGill building, to storefronts exclaiming TOPLESS GO GO, to sleeping street denizens and the aching beauty of respectable rooming houses turned less-so flophouses slated for the wrecking ball.

Call for Artists: Silent Auction

Deadline for submissions is January 23, 2017


The Howard County Arts Council is seeking artists to participate in the annual Juried Silent Art Auction Exhibit as part of the Arts Council’s annual fundraising gala, Celebration of the Arts in Howard County. The Silent Auction shines a spotlight on Howard County’s diverse and talented visual arts community at this important event.
 
All 2-D, 3-D, and fine craft artists, 18 years or older, residing, working, or studying in Howard County; HCAC members; and artists who have exhibited in Howard County in the last year are eligible to submit. Deadline for submissions is January 23, 2017.
 
Visual artists working in all styles and media are invited to apply, including painters, sculptors, ceramicists, fiber artists, jewelers, and photographers. Artists will be selected by the silent auction committee who may also invite artists who are eligible to participate. This showcase of artists in Howard County has proven to be a great benefit to both established and emerging talent in the community and is also a successful fundraiser to support art programs, exhibitions, and organizations in the county.
 
This year’s Celebration will be held at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College on Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 6-10pm. The Silent Auction exhibit will be presented in the Rouse Company Foundation Gallery. The final bid for each artwork sold will be divided equally between the artist and the Arts Council. Last year’s Silent Auction resulted in $11,375 in sales, with 81 pieces sold.
 
For more information or to submit an entry, visit A prospectus with additional information is available on the Celebration page of the Arts Council’s website at hocoarts.org; to have a prospectus delivered via postal mail or email, please call 410-313-ARTS (2787).

Context

Want free passes to Art Miami, Context and Aqua Art Fair? Send me an email

Friday, November 18, 2016

Judith Peck, The Reachable Shore

One of the hardest DMV area artists that I know, and easily one of the blue chip painters in our region is Judith Peck! Join me at the opening reception for her solo show...

The Seed of Change   
Judith Peck. Oil and plaster on board  
c. 2016, 33x31 inches
Opening Dec. 2nd 6-9 pm
Artists and Makers Studios 2
12276 Wilkins Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
   

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Art Scam Alert!

Be aware of this mutant trying to rip off artists!
From: Arif Mumuni General Trading LLC
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 11:44 AM
Subject: "Obama Agonistes" Charcoal and conte drawing, electronic components and video loop. Circa 2011. 16 x 32 inches. In a private collection in Miami Beach, Florida QUOTE INQUIRY
 
Dear Sir,

I would like to purchase some ("Obama Agonistes" Charcoal and conte drawing, electronic components and video loop. Circa 2011. 16 x 32 inches. In a private collection in Miami Beach, Florida), From your store/company to our office in Dubai,
We are interested in buying your products,

I look forward to a successful transaction with you. I will be waiting for your
response soon.

Arif Mumuni General Trading LLC
Abdul Arif Mumuni
Dubai
P.O.Box: 96547, Dubai

New non profit launches

ARTIVE, a new not-for-profit organization will today launch globally with a stated mission to protect and preserve the world's cultural heritage through the use of technology.

Artive will act as an independent advocacy group for the protection of cultural heritage worldwide and will maintain a universal, digital and searchable archive for works of art and cultural property.

Artive is seeking to unify the vast amount of information about at-risk, stolen, looted and destroyed works of art and cultural property held by a diverse and dispersed range of institutions and organizations. By providing a central, not-for-profit data resource, Artive will create a new, secure and permanent platform preserving cultural heritage for present and future generations.

The platform is aimed at cultural heritage professionals, academic bodies, law enforcement bodies, professional service companies and private individuals, and seeks to address and rectify the information gap that exists between independent, disparate and commercial databases.

Artive's database system and records will also have a pertinent application to due diligence practices in the commercial art market. Artive will be the first not-for-profit, impartial service for identifying claims or taints attached to works of art.

The not-for-profit will be headquartered in the United States but will operate with an international mission. Artive is inviting cultural institutions, law enforcement agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and all holders and custodians of data worldwide to host their records on the new database system, itself the most technologically advanced and agile collection management tool in the world. It also invites organizations and individuals with similar causes to partner with Artive for the protection and preservation of the world’s cultural heritage.

Jason Sousa, CEO of Artive, said:

“This is the most disruptive innovation in the cultural heritage world for 30 years. We believe in the power of community to solve problems by sharing information. Together, we can create and manage the world’s most comprehensive public database to protect and preserve cultural heritage today, tomorrow and for generations to come.”

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

MoCo and Artomatic - The council responds!

In response to my issue raised here, where I complain about the 11th wealthiest county in the USA's lack of financial support for Artomatic, Nancy Floreen, President of the MoCo county responds:



MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND
 
 
OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT
 
 
Dear Mr. Campello, 

Thank you for your correspondence urging the County to purchase art from local artists participating in Artomatic in Montgomery County. I have made it available to my Council colleagues, and I am pleased to respond on their behalf.
The Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) was correct when she said that no funding has been designated for this purpose.  Funding for the arts was reduced during the recent recession and has slowly been increased each year since.  The County Executive is currently developing the FY18 budget for the AHCMC and other arts projects supported by the County.  Therefore, I am forwarding your letter to the Executive’s office so that he can consider your funding request for the purchase of local art for inclusion in the FY18 budget which will come to the Council in few months.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this important matter.

Best,
 
Nancy Floreen
President, Montgomery County Council

5048473

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

New boss at GRACE

The Board of Directors for the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) today announced the appointment of Lily Siegel as the Center's Executive Director and Curator. She will start on December 5. The appointment comes at an important time in the Center’s history, as it builds out its Destination GRACE vision of becoming an even more robust cultural institution in the DC metropolitan region, coinciding with the arrival of the Metrorail’s Silver Line.



“GRACE is a strong regional voice well poised for national impact. Together with the terrific Board of Directors and staff, I will promote that development through a robust exhibition program that includes local and international artists shown side-by-side,” Ms. Siegel said. “We will expand the scope of educational programing, both in regional schools and in the gallery, by emphasizing the promotion of art to enrich community. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will continue to grow by broadening the opportunities for artists and the public to get involved.”
 
Ms. Siegel received her BA (Visual Arts: History and Criticism) from the University of California San Diego and her MA (Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She began her career as a curatorial assistant at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, followed by tenures as the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum in Atlanta and then as the Associate Curator at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) in San Francisco. Since moving to Washington, DC, just over a year ago, she has continued her relationship with The CJM as a guest curator for the exhibition From Generation to Generation: Inherited Memory in Contemporary Art, which opens on November 25. She will be presenting an exhibition on the late artist Moira Dryer, Moira Dryer: Vice Versa (working title), at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. in Spring 2018. Exhibition research for Moira Dryer: Vice Versa has been generously supported by a Curatorial Fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
 
“Lily has already achieved a great deal in her young career, which speaks to her special talents,” said Robert Goudie, GRACE Board Chair. “She brings outstanding academic achievement, a passion for contemporary art, a demonstrated ability to raise money for and manage significant projects, and a national perspective, relationships, and experiences. She’s exactly the right person to lead us forward in our determination to become an even more impactful presence in the metropolitan area’s visual arts landscape. We could not be more excited to have her assuming the leadership of the organization.”
 
“I am honored by this opportunity and look forward to getting to work. The chance to lead this dynamic period of growth and extend GRACE's already well-established reputation for quality is a compelling combination for me,” said Ms. Siegel. “GRACE has a rich history in the community. As the community grows—with the coming of Metrorail and extension of the DC metro area—so will GRACE.”

Monday, November 14, 2016

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow night?


Bethesda B's

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is further fulfilling its commitment to public art and unveiling a new series of sculptures throughout downtown Bethesda. The thirteen aluminum sculptures, designed in the shape of a B, will be placed near Bethesda’s arts and entertainment venues as well as throughout downtown Bethesda to highlight venues as well as brand Bethesda as an Arts & Entertainment District.

“We are pleased to now have a piece of art that signifies Bethesda as a destination for the arts,” said Cathy Bernard, President of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, “Bethesda is proud of our state-designated Arts & Entertainment District, our arts venues and our programs that honor and support regional artists. These sculptures celebrate and promote the many local organizations that encourage and foster arts and cultural programming downtown.”

A dedication of the Sculpture B’s will be on Thursday, November 17, at 10:00am in Veterans Park which is located at the corner of Woodmont and Norfolk Avenues.  The B’s were made possible by a grant from Montgomery County, MD. Thanks to the generous contributions of twenty-one local organizations, the Bethesda A&E board raised $50,000 for the project, which the county generously matched. The following individuals and organizations contributed to this project:

Bernard Family Foundation; The Bernstein Companies; Bethesda Urban Partnership; Central Farm Markets; Chevy Chase Land Company; The Donohoe Companies; EagleBank; Fred & Starr Ezra; Greenhill Realty; Jane Fairweather Team/Coldwell Banker; LA and LK Greenberg Charitable Foundation; Lerch, Early & Brewer; Linowes and Blocher; Mark Kramer Architects; Zachary & Janna Oxman; Polinger Company; Stage 2 A/V Productions; TD Bank; The Tower Companies; United Bank and Vamoose.
The sculptures are installed at the following locations:
·         7200 Wisconsin Avenue
·         Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road
·         Bethesda Metro, corner of Wisconsin Avenue & Old Georgetown Road
·         Bethesda Urban Partnership, 7700 Old Georgetown Road
·         Corner of Bethesda & Woodmont Avenues
·         Corner of Fairmont & Norfolk Avenues
·         Corner of Norfolk & Del Ray Avenues
·         Corner of Wisconsin Avenue & Bradley Boulevard
·         Corner of Woodmont Avenue & St. Elmo Avenue
·         Gallery B, 7701 Woodmont Avenue
·         Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Avenue
·         Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway
·         Veterans Park,  corner of Norfolk & Woodmont Avenues

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Postcards from the Edge


This is a great charity! I've participated for years and encourage all of you to do so...
Call to Participate:
Postcards from the Edge 2017
Host Gallery: Metro Pictures
January 13–15, 2017
Postmark Deadline for Artwork Submission: December 5, 2016
GUIDELINES:
Create or attach an original artwork on any 4"x6” heavy weight paper. Drawings, photographs, paintings, printmaking, and mixed media are welcome. ONE ENTRY per artist. If you are in NYC and would like a blank postcard, stop by our office to pick one up, donated by
Canson.


For information on mailing artwork and to download the submission form, visit the Visual AIDS website.

PFTE is one of our most important fundraisers of the year, and its success will allow us to produce important art activism projects in 2017. By participating, artists support our mission, enabling us to produce AIDS-focused contemporary art programs and provide supplies and assistance to artists living with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are unable to continue producing work without such support.

Congrats to Adah Rose Gallery!

Congrats to Adah Rose Gallery on their 5th anniversary today!
Please Join them in the Gallery, today Sunday Nov 13 for their 5 year Anniversary Celebration and the Opening for:
 
Brian Dupont and Alan Steele

"The Impulse for Keeping a Record"
3766 Howard Ave
Kensington Md 20895

Music by Bud Wilkinson
12-3 pm

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Artomatic 2016: The Review

Artomatic, the planet's greatest open visual arts show is back, this time in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is part of the Greater Washington, DC area, or as I dubbed it over a decade ago, the DMV (District-Maryland-Virginia).

And, because this is the smallest Artomatic ever (by Artomatic standards anyway) since it only has about 380 artists, it is perhaps the easiest to see, since it would only require 2-3 visits to see all the artists on the 5th and 6th floor of the Park Potomac building where it is being staged.

I'll start with work that caught my eye, my usual Artomatic "Best Awards" and finish it with my top ten picks, perhaps the hardest job that any art critic, or opiner on the arts ever has, since the trite saying "art is in the eyes of the beholder" has never been more applicable than after a visit to any Artomatic.

I'd also like to brag that (as many of you know) many of my past Artomatic Top Ten picks have gone on to become recognized, blue chip artists around the DMV; and some, such as Tim Tate, around the nation, and some, such as Frank Warren around the planet! 

On the 6th floor I liked the paintings of William Tinto (great deals by the way - all around $300-$400), Nils Lofgren, Nancy Abeles and Praveen Thaivalappil. I also liked some very unusal paintings by Yumiko Hirokawa - I note "unusual" because they're on a substrate of aluminum paint and boast superb technical skills (as do all the previously noted painters) with a hard-to-pin-point sense of macabre to them. I also liked Joyce McCarten and Laurie Breen. I also liked the works of Chris Meer, who is unknowingly channeling Anne Cherubim and should probably meet her and see her paintings on the same floor!

I also liked Doug Stern and Roger James. Their locations on the 6th floor, next to each other is artist placement genius... enough said, you'll have to go see it to ... cough, cough... see what I mean.

On the 5th floor I liked the sculptures by Daniel Aaron Stuart, and many other artists which are mentioned below.

And now, the awards!


Artist Most Likely to Attract Gallerists: Kathy Lindert... I can't find a website for her, so I'm assuming that this talented painter is unrepresented... Get a website!!

Best Naive Art: Schroeder Cherry - this artist, located close to the elevators on the 5th floor, initially fooled me into thinking that he was a self-taught artist (he's not), until on my third visit to his booth, I did a closer examination of his works, and realized that he's perfectly accomplishing one of the most difficult tasks in the visual arts, which is to use a naive visual approach to deliver intelligent and resonant works of social commentary and narrative complexity. Cherry focuses on African-American themes that reflect powerful imagery, augmented by striking presentation (chopped frames, etc.), found objects, etc.







Angel Can #42 by Schroeder Cherry
Best Animal Art: Sandra Perez-Ramos - She also gets the "Coolest Use of Pocket Protectors" award.

Best Mono-Chromatic Art: Alex L. Porter - Impressive what Porter can do with just black and white.

Best Portrait Artist: George Carr - He also gets the "Best Figure Painter" award - not an easy double award to get in two very hotly contested categories!

Best Textile Art: Diane Tuckman - a master of the craft!

Best Wall 3D Art: Erin Antognoli - Amazing 3D piece, right on the wall by the side of the elevator.

Best Furniture Art: Daniel Good - Overtly busy paintings in the shape of furniture... Dude it is 2016: Get a website!

Best Illustration Art: Annie Lunsford - She also "illustrated" her booth's drywall! This was a highly competitive category, as there is a lot of high quality illustrative work in this iteration of AOM.

Best Installation: Liliane Bloom - Her "Pink - A Cherry Blossom Fantasy" is not only mesmerizing to the eyes, but also a perhaps unintended tip of the hat to DMV installation artist Dan Steinhilber.

Best Glass Artist: Sherry Selevan - Opaque and mysterious works that stand from the usual glass menagerie of bowls and vessels. She shares the award with Trish Kent's very cool fused glass dresses (get a website!!).

Best Erotica: Jenny Wallace - She runs away with this coveted award, although I must also add that this Artomatic doesn't have the usual large numbers of erotica as part of its roster of artworks. I also noted that most artists working erotic themes have been cleverly located in corners of the spaces, with the images usually facing away from the main walkways. Wallace also wins the "Sexiest Image Award" with her photo titled Resignation. Wallace could be the best fetish-focused artist that I have ever seen. The second place for sexiest image goes to Julia Mazur's photo of a nude woman sitting on a window sill. The image is back-lit and highlights every single hair on her body, each one seductively outlined by the light.


Photo by Julia Mazur

Best Erotic Fruits: Tara O'Neil - Her sliced peaches got me all fuzzy! 

Peach by Tara O'Neil

Best Flag Art: Blue Robin and Lindsey D. Vance share this award. Blue Robin's use of the coqui on the Puerto Rican flag is genius!

Best "I Already Knew He Was Good" Award: Ric Garcia

Best Technical Skill: Branch School of Art

Best Color Pencil Artist: Amanda Spaid - Wonderful control and intelligent employment of color - really, really good at a very difficult technique..

Best Clay Artist: Kasse Andrews-Weller - Busy and intelligent! Another artist without a website...

Best "Is it Abstract or Not" Award: Anne Cherubim is one of the most interesting painters around the DMV, and her dream-like paintings are deceptive images which showcase her formidable painting skills - they leave the viewer wondering as to the subject matter, while all along Cherubim has been hypnotizing them with her mastery of the subtle psychological effects of color!

Best Standing Stones Photography: Peter del Toro - I know, I know... pretty slim category, but I love standing stones imagery, and as such I read once that I was one of the world's top authorities on the subject (I wrote it, then I read it.. cough, cough), and therefore I know good when I see it, and del Toro's photos are really superb!

Best "Painterly" Cars (or is it "Best Car Painter"?) Award: Michael Kent

Best Mobiles: Rita Mortellaro - This is a spectacular departure for this award, which is usually the domain of someone channeling Calder. Mortellaro rocks this category with mobiles made out of tiny metal and/or fiber hoodies with rocks and found objects!

Mobile by Rita Mortellaro
Best Frida Kahlo Art: Marily Mojica - The Washington Post once called me a "Fridaphile" and I know my Fridas, and having curated two worldwide international homages to the Mexican icon, I really know artists working the Frida angle. And Mojica is easily one of the best that I have ever seen! Her approach is a clever re-invention of how we see Kahlo depicted (many times in her salon style hung booth).

Best Found Object Art: Seemeen Hashem... try to find it!

Is This Art? Award - Actually I have no idea is this is a sculptural installation, or just part of the construction on the floor, but it is kinda cool anyway! (see below image) Update: This installation is by artist Greg Braun!



Best "Better not have fallen asleep in Art History class" Award: Roger Cutler - This is not a surprise, as Cutler is a master of his genre, and his Duchamp's Bike Repair sculpture should be included in the next edition of Janson's!

Duchamp's Bike Repair by Roger Cutler

Best Action Painting: Kim Foley - One can almost feel the energy pop out of her works!

Best Bug Art: Emily Uchytil - Surprisingly, although not for most AOM's, this was a highly contested award! The very talented Uchytil also gets second place in the "Best Birds Art" category; she has enviable painting skills!

Coolest Idea Award: Victoria Thompson - In her booth "Object", this photographer takes old vintage photos and then modifies them, exposing breasts here and there; a clever depiction of the objectification of women.


Object by Victoria Thompson
Best Horror Vacui Award: Rachel Ann Cross - Elegant wall sculptures that employ guitars, etc. fully adorned in full kenophobic splendor!

Best Flower Art: Malathi Jayawickrama - Superb use of light and very painterly - this is one of the toughest categories at AOM, as there are many flower aficionados.

Best Record Keeper Award: Greg Benge - His "Vinyl Countdown" series is very attractive and could also get the "Recyclable Art Award." Benge notes that he "found a really great deal on hundreds of scratched unplayable discs (don’t worry, I haven’t ruined any rare finds)." For older readers: "disc" = "LP" or "record."

George Carlin by Greg Benge
Best Sculpture Award: Gloria Chapa - Her Placebo Pinata did it!

Best Encaustic Art: Marcie Wolf-Hubbard - easy pick when a master of the genre is in the show.

Best Art Deal Award: Suz Podrasky - At around $80 for original work that is intelligent and well presented - buy it! The award is shared with Rambo, Inc. on the 6th floor by the Artomatic office; they have artwork as low as $10 and it is superbly talented work. Also shared with Michael Auger; his very cool artwork can be acquired for around $50!

Best Steam Punk Art: Studio Detritus - They (Marcia and Randall Fry) also get the "Best Title Award" for Planck's Doorway 2!

Best Veggie Painter: Kathleen Carroll - Do not be deceived by the focus of the work; this is a really good painter!

Must See Award: Eeshan V. Melder - Do not miss the Eliot's Lunch installation and make sure that you read the wall text!

Scariest Painting Award Josh Gorsky - The angry mandrill did it!

Mandrill by Peter Sibrin
Angry Art Award: Artist Unknown - No name to the angry art with black fist and spent bullet casings.

Best Breast Award (try saying that three times in a row): Shanna Casey's ceramic vase, perhaps an homage to Günter Grass' The Flounder?

Breast ceramic vase by Shanna Casey

Best Student Art Award: Dionnia - From Holy Trinity Catholic School 7-2A class! Her use of color, and replay of the color on the ground, on the pyramids and in the sky is playful and attractive!

Untitled by Dionnia
Best Landscape Artist: Sarah Wardell - Elegantly muted plein air landscapes, where one can feel the sunlight and smell the grass.

Top 10 Artists (in alphabetical order)

Shiri Achu - Powerful African art in a marriage of contemporary skills with strong African imagery from this Africa-born new American artist.

Ralph Baden - His ridiculous paintings are over the top!

George Carr - Spectacular painting skills! A total master of the figure and of the portrait.

Shanthi Chandrasekar - Over the years she has developed her own style of painting that is almost magic in context.

Schroeder Cherry - Read what I raved about him earlier.

Ellen Cornett - A spectacular artist! I'm so jealous of her drawing skills!

Ric Garcia - Continues to invent and define a new genre of Latino pop art.

Glen Kesler - An easy pick... and I think that I've picked him before in previous AOMs!

Kathy Lindert - Get a website!

Phyllis Mayes - Another repeat pick for me - one of the best painters around the DMV.

Artomatic 2016 is on through December 9, 2016.


When?


November 3 – December 9


Thursdays:
Noon – 10:00 PM


Fridays & Saturdays:
Noon – 12:00 midnight


Sundays:
Noon – 6:00 PM


Closed Monday Wednesday & Thanksgiving Day


Where?


12435 Park Potomac Avenue, Potomac, MD 20854


Floors 5 & 6