I've received a deluge of emails (in addition to the usual ones trying to sell me Viagra, Cialis and dates with bored housewives) from people who want me to post more on Bad Things Galleries/Artists do to each other.

OK.... here's some more:

Bad Things Galleries Do to Artists: A young emerging artist approaches a "gallery" that is also a framing business. The "gallery" agrees to give the artist a show and has the artist deliver the work to the place. The gallery tells the artist that they will do the framing. At the end of the show, the artist expects a check from the gallery for his 50% commission on all sales, but instead gets a bill for the framing. This is because the "gallery" has framed all of the artist's works - but maybe only 2-3 pieces have sold - and yet the artist is stuck with the framing bill for all of the work. This is another reason why artists must have a written contract prior to exhibiting work, specifying who and to what standards the work must be framed to. And, whenever possible avoid galleries that "offer" to frame your work as part of the exhibition. The average cost of framing artwork in the DC area is $67 an hour just for labor! If are an artist that has a show coming, you can plan your framing ahead of time and save about 80% of what a framing shop or store would charge you by following a simple set of steps... if you want to know what those steps are, email me.

Bad Things Artists Do To Galleries: A gallery offers an artist a show, and trusting the artist, operates on a handshake, rather than a written agreement. As most galleries plan their shows months in advance, the gallery plans the year several shows in advance and expects the artist to deliver the artworks for the show at the specified date. The gallery keeps in touch with the artist, who assures the gallery that everything is on track. A few months before the show, the gallery requests some images for publicity purposes, which the artist dutifully provides. However, a week before the show, the panicked artist calls and says that "he doesn't have enough work for the show" and, by the way, that he has also already sold some of the works that he had provided images to the gallery earlier (and which the gallery has used to advertise the show). On the night before the show opening, the artist shows up with a lot less work than expected, and the gallery discovers that the work is presented in less-than-professional standards: badly-cut acidic mats backed by brown cardboard, scratched framed and scratched plexiglass, and canvasses with nailed on pine boards. An hour before the opening, the artist is still finishing up painting touches on some of his oil paintings. As a result, some of his pieces are still wet at the opening, and someone accidentally brushes up against one of the wet paintings and smears it. The scandalized artist makes a scene, and later sues the gallery for "failing to protect his painting." It all goes to court, to great expense to the gallery and the artist, until the judge throws the case out as ridiculous. The artist is blacklisted by art dealers and never shows in town again.

By the way.... the above is a true story and happened to one of our Canal Square neighbors.

Gallery jurying for artists...

Touchstone Gallery will be jurying for new members on April 28th.The gallery is located at 406 7th Street, NW, 2nd floor, Washington, DC 20004. (202) 347-2787 - fax 202-347-3339. Please call the gallery for details or send an e-mail to info@touchstonegallery.com

Open Studios...

The artists of NoMA (for North of Massachusetts Ave.) open their studios to the public only twice a year. During this Open Studios Weekend on Saturday and Sunday May 1-2 from noon-5pm, artists meet with the public, discuss their work and offer art for sale directly to their visitors. The Open Studios, which include live music and refreshments, take place in four buildings - 57 N Street NW, 443 I Street NW, 52 O Street NW and 411 New York Avenue NE.

Senior Exhibit at the Corcoran...

The Corcoran School of Art All Senior Show features work by Rahshia Linendoll, Djkarta, and Katie Donegan. Reception for the artists on May 6, 6-8 pm at the Corcoran. The work is on exhibit May 5 - 17, 2004.

Georgetown Third Friday Openings...
The four Canal Square Galleries (MOCA, Fraser, Alla Rogers and Parish) will be having their joint openings/extended hours this coming Friday, April 16 from 6-9 PM. The openings are catered by the Sea Catch Restaurant and are free and open to the public. The Canal Square is at 1054 31st Street, corner of M Street, NW in Georgetown.

Alastair Bolton at St. Elmo's

British ex-pat Alastair Bolton has an exhibition of his work currently in the back gallery of St. Elmo's Fire Gallery in Bethesda.

Emergency Grants to Visual Artists...

Change, Inc. provides one-time $1,000 emergency grants to visual artists of any discipline who are facing possible eviction, unpaid bills, fire damage or any other emergency the Change board deems worthy. Applicants must be professional artists who can demonstrate need. Send a letter of need, proof of inability to pay bills or rent, a resume, any reviews or press releases of past exhibitions, photos or slides of work and two reference letters from others in the field. Grant applications should be sent to Change, Inc, PO Box 54, Captiva, FL 33924 (212) 473-3742.

Trawick Prize for Area Artists...

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. Deadline for slide submission is Friday, May 21, 2004. The 2nd annual juried art competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to four selected artists. Up to fifteen artists will be invited to display their work from September 7, 2004 - October 2, 2004 in downtown Bethesda at Creative Partners Gallery. The 2004 competition will be juried by Jeffrey W. Allison, The Paul Mellon Collection Educator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Peter Dubeau, Associate Dean of Continuing Studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Kristen Hileman, Assistant Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The first place winner will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A "young" artist whose birth date is after May 21, 1974 will also be awarded $1,000 (donated by Fraser Gallery). Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video (VHS tapes only) are accepted. For more information, please contact Stephanie Coppula at scoppula@bethesda.org or call 301.215.6660 ext. 20. Website: www.bethesda.org.

Need to make slides from your digital files? Visit Slides.com

I'm rushing around today - trying to tie some loose knots in closing a house for me. Check later...