New blog

DC area artist Melissa Hackmann as a new blog.

Visit her often! Her blog is here.

The Baileyfication of Washingtonian

Washingtonian magazine comments on the Downie memo that I published here a while back.

And am I the only one that notices that the tone and writing style of this Harry Jaffe article reads like a Bailey?

And as if we didn't already know this was coming: according to the article, "Style editors have already put out a memo this week ordering major cuts in length. For instance, 60-inch stories should be 40 to 45 inches."

If you don't get it, you don't get it.

Projects Gallery

Adding to my list of Mid Atlantic area art galleries and private dealers heading to Miami next month, Philadelphia's Projects Gallery will be at Bridge Art Fair Miami at the Catalina Hotel & Beach Club - Room 212.

They will be featuring artists Steve Cope, Peter Gourfain, Tom Judd, Frank Hyder, Florence Putterman and others.

Projects Gallery also has "surprising and unusual works by big-name artists" in an exhibition titled "little secrets." First Friday reception on Friday, December 1st, 2006 5 - 9 PM and running through December 1st - 22nd, 2006. The exhibition includes works by Chuck Close, Sidney Goodman, Peter Gourfain, James Havard and James McGarrell.

The Rise of Gaming

Interesting editorial in the WaPo today.

"The Rise of Gaming - The 21st century's oil painting?" offers the suggestion that "Social observers are beginning to deem video game design an emerging art form, especially as companies ratchet up production values."

Fair enough, but the 21st century still has oil painting... and acrylic painting, and encaustic painting, and spray painting, etc.

Nowhere in the editorial is the practice of painting mentioned. But the fact that it is in the subtitle greatly indicates what the WaPo's management thinks about the function of the fine arts in our society today.

And I keep hearing through the grapevine that the coming changes in the WaPo, including the fact that "work is underway to create a new Sunday Style and Arts section," will actually mean less fine arts coverage by the newspaper.

This is not good.