Congrats!

VMFA curator John Ravenal has been elected president of the Association of Art Museum Curators. (Photo by Travis Fullerton, © 2009 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

The Association of Art Museum Curators today announced the election of John Ravenal of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as its fourth president.

“John Ravenal is both a distinguished curator and a respected member of the larger museum community; we are fortunate to have him as our next president,” says Sally Block, executive director of the AAMC. Ravenal is the Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at VMFA, a position he has held since 1998.

“I’m honored to take on the leadership of the foremost professional organization for art museum curators in the United States,” says Ravenal. “I look forward to working with the AAMC board to continue promoting and supporting the role of curators. Our profession is now more important than ever as we maintain the artistic vision of the museums we serve and engage ever broadening audiences.”

Prior to joining the VMFA curatorial staff, Ravenal was associate curator of 20th-century art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Congrats!

After successfully completing their first year of artist-centric programming, Hamiltonian Artists has announced the five new, distinguished Hamiltonian Fellows for 2009 to join their existing Fellows. Congratulations to:

· Jon Bobby Benjamin (BA, Brandeis University)
· Magnolia Laurie (MFA, Mount Royal School of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art)
· Katherine Mann (MFA, Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art)
· Jonathan Monaghan (MFA Candidate, University of Maryland)
· Lina Vargas De La Hoz (MFA, Art University Linz, Austria)

On Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 7pm, Hamiltonian Gallery will open an introductory group exhibition of these five new Fellows. Each artist will be displaying the work with which they were accepted. The exhibition will run from June 20 - August 1, 2009.

The five new 2009 So-Hamiltonian Fellows were selected from a pool of over 180 applicants this year, up from 130 applicants the previous year.

Michael Janis: AOM Top 10

It has been a tradition of this blog for many years to publish various AOM Top 10 lists as they are sent in by anyone and everyone who wants to send one. In the past these Top 10 Artomatic lists have even resulted in gallery shows for the mentioned artists.

So start sending me your Top 10 Artomatic picks this year; meanwhile, below is Michael Janis' top 10:

Megan Van Wagoner Level 8 mixed media

David D'Orio Level 9 wall mounted glass sculpture

Theresa Easton Level 5 print & books

Matthew Langley Level 2 painting

James Halloren Level 9 painting

Sarah Blood Level 5 neon/ceramic

Carin Quinn Level 3 painting

Mark Tolson Level 7 painting

Drew Graham Level 2 wall sculpture

Peter Chang (the Document collaborative) Level 2 mixed media

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