The Year in Review

In January:

- We were informed that painting was hot again (yawn).

- In DC, Kelly Towles was (and still is) hot at Adamson in his first solo show.

- In Germany, some street cleaners were punished with having to take modern art lessons when they erroneously threw away some public art that they thought was abandoned garbage.

- I almost became an eunuch.

- Anne Ellegood was selected as one of the new Hirshhorn curators (I still haven't met Anne).

- I started raving about PostSecret.

- The Arlington Arts Center re-opened after a long refurbishment hiatus.

- We were told that painting is no longer hot.

In February:

- I revealed how I once fooled a curator by guessing her choices.

- Hot DC painter Ian Whitmore had a great solo at Fusebox.

- Isamu Noguchi opened at the Hirshhorn. Gopnik hated it; I liked it.

In March:

- I raised old issues about missing DoD art.

- A new gallery opened in DC: Shigeko Bork MU Project.

- I urged artists to contact their elected representatives to support the artists' bill making it possible once again for artists to receive a fair market value deduction for donated works.

- Local blogger Kriston Capps raised issues about me contributing gallery announcements to DCist, so I quit.

- The then new WaPo Style editor Deb Heard promised to re-assess gallery coverage. We're still waiting.

- I reviewed some Seattle galleries.

- The exhibition "Faces of the Fallen" caused a lot of angst and opinions.

- The 48th Corcoran Biennial opened.

In April:

- The National Portrait Gallery announced their portrait award competition.

- I curated a worldwide homage to Frida Kahlo.

- Lida Moser became our best selling photography show ever.

- I threatened to kick another blogger's ass.

- The Katzen Arts Center was about to open.

In May:

- Melissa Ichuiji caused a local stir with "Stripped."

- Blake Gopnik had an idea for the Corcoran and the Corcoran responded. And then Bailey interpreted it for th rest of us.

- I was asked to curate Seven for the WPA/C.

- DCist almost outed Borf.

- The Corcoran director called it quits.

- Olga Viso was chosen as the new director of the Hirshhorn.

In June:

- A local artist told us about the Worst New York Gallery Experience in History.

- Joe Kabriel won the inaugural $10,000 Bethesda Painting Prize.

- Kodak announced that all black and white silver gelatin photographic papers have been discontinued.

- Seven opened.

In July:

- The WaPo explained why Blake Gopnik does not review our area art galleries.

- I kicked a Neo wannabe out of the gallery.

- Borf was arrested.

- I reported from the International Comic Book Convention.

In August:

- I discussed the impact of subject matter.

- Michael Brand was chosen as the new head of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

- I explained what a "gallery backer" is.

- We began art auctions to help Katrina victims.

In September:

- Hot DC artist Jiha Moon opened at Curator's Office and also took the $10,000 Trawick Prize.

- Warhol Legacy: Selections from The Andy Warhol Museum opened at the Corcoran.

- A list of things that make me go mmm...

- Testudo is coming.

- Options 2005 opened. I reviewed the show here.

- Mark Jenkins got in hot water over plastic excrement.

- Andrew Wodzianski had the first DC podcast of a visual art show.

- I made a proposal to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Nothing heard so far.

- Hot DC sculptor Yuriko Yamaguchi opened at Numark.

In October:

- The city announced $4 million in additional arts funding.

- Alice Neel opened at the NMWA.

- PostSecret was the second highest ranked blog in the world.

- Hot DC artist Tim Tate opened his third solo at our Bethesda space.

- Blake Gopnik announces a new category of artists: "barely emerging."

- The Galleries column moved to Saturdays.

- Terry Teachout wrote about art blogs and art criticism.

- A new gallery opened.

- The Art Bill passed the Senate.

- The Smithsonian debuted a new arts blog.

- I discussed the Vlogging Revolution.

- The Whitney Biennial list was announced and a reader broke it down. No DC area artists were included.

In December:

- Paul Greenhalgh was selected as the new Corcoran director.

- I wrote how video killed the art star.

- The Hirshhorn finally added some DC area artists to its collection.

- PostSecret WPA/C show opened in Georgetown. It became (easily) the most heavily attended non-museum visual art show of the year.

- Borf pleaded guilty.

- JET Artworks closed.

- What Your End-of-the-Year Top 10 List(s) Says About You