First Fridays Everywhere!

There's a seriously cool exhibition of paintings by Matthew Kucynski in a show titled "You're apocalypse!" going on right now at Philly's Pentimenti Gallery. The show goes on through May 31, 2008 and the reception for the artist is tonight, May 2 from 6-8PM as part of Philly's great First Friday openings.

And of course Damien Hirst, Tim Tate and others open (In)Between at Wexler Gallery; there's already buzz in Philly about this exhibition and this morning a clip of it was in the local CBS news. I'll be there tonight. Details on all the Philly area gallery openings here.

DC also has their First Friday gallery openings going on for the galleries around Dupont Circle. Also generally from 6-8PM. Details on DC openings here. Check out Washington Printmakers Gallery, they have "Tasting the Ghost," new prints by Heather Self through May 25. Their First Friday Reception is from 5 - 8 p.m., and the Artist's Reception is Sunday, May 4th, 1-4 p.m. with an Artist Talk from 2-3 p.m. Also look for Katya Kronick's paintings at Studio Gallery also opening tonight. A few minutes from Studio, drop by and see Anna U. Davis' solo at Hillyer Art Space.

Tonight is First Fridays in Fell's Point in Baltimore too! Check out DBK5's "Foundations of Style Writing" (Curated by Adam Stab) opening tonight.

Michael Platt

H&F Fine Arts in Maryland opens a solo exhibition of new work by artist Michael Platt. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 3 from 5:00–8:00pm; on Saturday, May 24, there will be a reading by poets Carol Beane and Maya James, and storyteller, Ken Ford at 5:30pm followed by a gallery talk with Michael Platt at 7:00pm.

"Lost and Found centers on work made in collaboration with poet and Howard University professor Carol Beane. The historical and contemporary traumas of American slavery and Hurricane Katrina are the implied backdrop for a stunning installation in which a New Orleans-style shotgun house is surrounded by prints of female figures on translucent polycloth. Whether fugitives from slavery or disaster, the figures are displaced, lost, fearful, and yearning. The obscured shotgun house, representing home, is seen but not accessible, telegraphing futility and despair while suggesting the possibility of hope, celebration, reflection, and return."

A 2007 recipient of the prestigious Franz and Virginia Bader Fund Grant, Platt has exhibited nationally and internationally. His work is held in many private and museum collections including the Corcoran Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, and the Library of Congress.

Artists' Websites: Jeffry Cudlin


"Une Balle au Coeur." acrylic on canvas, 24" X 48", c.2008 by Jeffry Cudlin

My good friend Jeffry Cudlin is a talented artist, a superb curator, the Director of Exhibitions for the Arlington Arts Center, the award-winning art critic for the Washington City Paper, and my WAMU sparring partner on the Kojo Nnamdi show. Visit his website here.