Final Report

"Age of Obama - Nobel Peace Prize" Charcoal on Paper. 16x12 inches.
I am happy to report that the above piece, selected by Mera Rubell for the WPA Auction at the Katzen Museum, drew furious multiple bids and sold for 170% above the high estimate.

And it sold to a VP for Sotheby's who was nice enough to send me an email to tell me how much he liked the work!

Herstory at the Art League

While I was at the Art League gallery recently, I also had a chance to see Herstory, an exhibition juried by Barbara Rachko.

The term "herstory" refers to history ("his story") written from a feminist point of view, with emphasis on the role of women, or with the story narrated from a female perspective.

Rachko gave the Jane Coonce Award to a gorgeous painting by CM Dupre titled "Alice is Decorated." It is permanent proof that in the hands of a skilled artist, any subject matter can be revisited and still yield something new.

I also liked "Ann's Secret" a very good oil painting by Rena Selim, and "With Wine as Accomplice" by Soline Krug, a new artist (new to me anyway) that takes on the difficult challenge of oil leaf and succeeds admirably. Krug's work also takes a somewhat artist-abused subject (wine) and does something not only technically challenging, but also compositionally interesting, and somehow also manages to douse a generous dose of sexuality into the work. It was my favorite piece in the whole show!

Both these pieces are $650 each, framed and are a great deal at that price; someone should go buy them now.

Avec le Vin comme Complice (With Wine as Accomplice) by Soline Krug
Also quite enjoyed "Guardian of Things that Roar in the Night" by Charlene Nield.

The show goes through April 5, 2010.

Free Art Business Seminar for Artists

On April 10, 2010 from 1-5pm, Gateway CDC in partnership with MNCPPC will be hosting my well-known “Bootcamp for Artists” seminar at no cost to the artists.

This seminar is suitable for all visual artists interested in taking their careers to the next level.

Ever wondered how to maximize the attention your work gets from the press, galleries, and museum curators? How to present your work in a professional manner and save money in the process? How to tap into grants, awards and residencies?

Then this is the seminar for you! This program is free, but space is limited so please email John@Gateway-cdc.org or call 301-864-3860 ext. 3 if you would like to attend. Hurry!

This program will be held in MNCPPC’s Brentwood Arts Exchange on the 1st Floor of the Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD 20722, just over the District line on Rhode Island Avenue.

Of interest to the general public: a closing reception for the Gateway Arts District Show, which I juried a while back will immediately follow the “Bootcamp for Artists Seminar” from 5-8pm. All are welcome!