The fine arts power force of Carol Brown Goldberg

There are a handful of visual artists in the DMV who permeate all layers of the tapestry of the fine arts not only in the Greater DC area, but also nearly everywhere that fine art is showcased.

One such power force is Carol Brown Goldberg. Painting, sculpture, films, drawing; all the squares in that cultural tapestry are touched and made better by this cyclonic artist! She is akin to the elegant butterfly whose wings flapping lead to a tornado developing somewhere in the art world; feel that fine arts wind picking up?

For the Women Artists of the DMV show I selected a painting by Carol Brown Goldberg that I think speaks volumes about how this immensely talented and prolific artist uses the forces of the Universe to shape her art. When I asked her about my selection, she noted...

About 2007, I began a large series of 'CIRCLE' paintings that travelled across Spain as well as Mexico. 

Eldest son Andy Chase, married Dominique Durand, and both are the BAND IVY (Adam Schlesinger was the third member; sadly he was one of the first celebrity victims of the Pandemic)... Middle son Bennett is also quite musical - started with cello, then drums, and then marimba! Youngest son, Jon, grew up playing violin and piano by ear...  So music has been integral part of our household and art practice.

So many of the paintings had titles about 'music' 'the band IVY,' and other personal references.  TESS, STEFAN, AND LUCAS LOVE EACH OTHER became the title as it referred to my two daughter-in-laws that became pregant almost at the same time in 2007 or 2008.

As I began that canvas, I felt I needed to express the softness of pastel-like tones, which is out of my usual color chart... I wanted colors, not to shock or stir... rather I was looking for soothing hues and by the time I finished the 8' x 9' canvas... 3 babies were born!

Dominique and Andy gave birth to adorable Tess in 2008, and a few months later, in February 2009... amazing twins Lucas and Stefan were born to Jon and Lisa.

Believing in the power of language as a positive force in the universe, the title refers to my wish or perhaps prayer, that the 3 cousins, close in age become close, and bond in friendship and most importantly... love each other!  That had to be the title... and they are all 3 best friends!

Behold TESS, STEFAN, AND LUCAS LOVE EACH OTHER, c. 2009, Acrylic on Canvas With Pulverized Glass, 84 x 96 inches.

TESS, STEFAN, AND LUCAS LOVE EACH OTHER by Carol Goldberg

c. 2009, Acrylic on Canvas With Pulverized Glass, 84 X 96

On the anniversary of a hero's death

 Ten years ago my father died on this day... here's my eulogy from that date:

"Hoy se ha caido otro roble en la selva del amargo exilio" is how I always thought that my father's eulogy would begin once he died.

"Today another oak falls in the jungle of bitter exile," began the eulogy for the man whose bloodlines my children and I carry on.

Florencio Campello Alonso died today at age 90 in Miami, the heart of the bitter Cuban Diaspora. Like many Cubans of his generation, he was the son of European immigrants to Cuba. His Galician parents left the scraggy mountains of northern Spain's ancient Celtic kingdom and in the first decade of the 1900s migrated to the new nation of Cuba upon its liberation from Spain.

Galicians have always been uneasy subjects of the Spanish crown, stubbornly hanging on to their ancient Celtic traditions, to their own language and to their bagpipes, so it is no historical surprise that they left their mountain homelands en masse and headed to the new tropical paradise of Cuba, free from the heavy hand of the Spanish monarchy.

“Galicia se vació en Cuba” (Galicia emptied itself into Cuba) once noted an old Gallego when I visited the region decades ago and commented about my grandparents migrating to Cuba. 

And thus it was never a surprise to me that my father was both a fighter against heavy-handed rulers, a lover of freedom, and one who was never afraid to re-start a life for the better, even if it involved discarding the old. 

My father could have been one of the privileged few who currently rule  atop the food chain of Cuba's brutal Workers' Paradise. But instead of accepting the benefits of oppression, this most valiant of men chose the harsh path of right over wrong.

And he paid for it dearly (he spent years in Concentration Camps), but when he died, his soul was clean.

In his youth, my dad worked the brutal hours of the son of an immigrant who was slowly building a small financial empire in eastern Cuba. My father was pulled from school as soon as he learned to read and write, and like his two other brothers and eight sisters, he was expected to work and contribute to building a familial empire.

And he did, as my mother relates the stories of my father's childhood in the fields of eastern Cuba, a blond creole in a land of jingoist natives... he trying to out-Cuban the "real Cubans"... how he organized a labor union of the exploited Haitians who worked almost as slaves at the Los Caños Sugar Mill, how he joined a group of bearded rebels in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra in the fight against a tyrant, how he ran for the leadership of the Sugar Workers' Union and beat the Communists to the post, and how he spent years in a Castro Concentration Camp, jailed for the crime of refusing to join the Party, because he believed in Democracy and not Communism. 

And because of that stubbornness, in the 1960s he was offered the bitter pill of exile, and this brave man decided to choose family... and left his birth place, and thus became another immigrant within two familial generations and brought his wife and child to another new land.

And it is to him that I owe the greatest gift that a father can give a son: the opportunity to grow in freedom in the greatest nation in the history of this planet.

It is because of my father's courage that I was raised in this country and not in a land bloodied by brutality and oppression.

It is because of my father's teachings that I was raised with the conviction that freedom is not free and never to be taken for granted; after all, he fought for freedom and then Castro, the man who inspired  the fight, ended up being a worse dictator, eventually destroying all notions of freedom for all of his people.

It is because of my father that I was taught that every citizen owes his  nation some form of service, and that's the main reason that I signed (at age 17) to serve in the US Navy.

It is because of my father that I despise anyone who hides behind the mask of victimism to excuse failures and shortcomings.

When our family arrived in New York in the 1960s, my father began to work in a factory three days after he landed at the airport; my mother (who came from a privileged Cuban family and had never worked a day in her life) found a job as a seamstress five days later. That pattern was repeated for decades as they worked their way in a new nation.

"We thought we'd be back within a few years," was the answer given to me when I once asked the question about leaving their birthplace. When that didn't materialize, they became fierce Americans in the "United States of Americans" sense... these were the "America None Better!" set of immigrants, and in my Dad's case, you better be ready to fight if you dissed the USA.

"Americans"!

Always a fighter he was... and always for the right reasons.

Cubans are archaic immigrants... we love this great nation because we  recognize its singular and unique greatness; perhaps it is because our forebears had the same chance at greatness and blew it.

And my Dad loved this nation even more than he once loved Cuba... perhaps it is the genetic disposition of the serial immigrant. After all, his father had left his own ancient Celtic lands and kin for a new land... which he learned to love dearly.

My father always wanted to make sure that I knew that I was an "Americano" and not another forced-on label.

"Labels," he'd say, "are just a way to separate people."

By labels he meant "Hispanic" or "Latino" or anything with a "-" between two ethnic words.

I also remember as a kid in New York, when he bought a huge Hi-Fi record player-color-TV console... that thing was huge. He bought it "lay-away" and he'd pay $10 a week to the store and him and I would walk all the way from our house on Sackman Street to the store on Pitkin Avenue to make the payments every Saturday - he never missed a single payment, and that taught me a lesson.

It was soon playing my Dad's favorite music, which oddly enough was Mexican music (Cuban music was a close second)... and he knew all the words to every charro song.

Guadalajara en un llano, Mejico en una laguna... 

Guadalajara en un llano, Mejico en una laguna...Me he de comer esa tuna 

Me he de comer esa tuna.... aunque me espine la mano.

That Jorge Negrete song... being shouted often on weekends at the top of his lungs from our apartment in a mostly Italian neighborhood in East New York in Brooklyn must have raised some eyebrows.

My dad and I watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon on that TV set... we also watched loads of Mets games... and in 1969 and 1972 went to Shea Stadium to see the Mets win in '69 and lose in '72. He really loved baseball and he really loved those Mets!

When I joined the Navy at age 17, my first duty station was USS SARATOGA, which at the time was stationed in Mayport in Florida, so my Dad decided to migrate south to Florida and moved to Miami... just to be close to me.

He and my mother spent the next 40 years in the same apartment while I was stationed all over the world.

When I visited him today in Miami, he looked good and freshly shaven... this is a good thing, as my father was a freak about hygiene... and that's a common "creole" trait.

The Hospice nurse almost teared up when I told her that my parents have been married for 60 years.

I looked at this old "gallego"... his skin as white as paper, his eyes as blue as the sky, and his head (once full of blond hair) as bald and shiny as the old Cuban sing song ("Mira la Luna, mira al Sol... mira la calva de ese.....") and I saw the generations of Neanderthals, Denisovans and Gallego Homo Sapiens that led to my bloodlines... the generations of fighters, of strugglers, and of tough guys who didn't take no for an answer and who made a better place for others. 

And I felt at peace and grateful.

And as my father died tonight, after an extubation,  all that I can think  to say to him is "Thank you for your courage... from me, and from my children... and soon from their children. You opened a whole new world for them."

I love you Dad... Un Abrazo Fuerte! Thank you for your gifts to me and my children and it is no coincidence that you died on El Dia de Los Reyes.

Women Artists of the DMV: Updates

Since the major survey show Women Artists of the DMV was announced here, I have received nearly 3,000 inquiries, and many, many, many questions... so here are some common clarifications:

• There are NO fees
• Agreements will be between the chosen venue and the artist
• Artists will be responsible for delivering artwork to the chosen venue
• Artists will be responsible for picking up artwork at the end of the exhibition(s)
• Artwork CAN be for sale except for those chosen to hang at the Katzen 
• One work per artist
• There are (so far) 4 venues
• Katzen Art Museum at American University
• The Athenaeum in Alexandria
• Artists & Makers Galleries in Rockville
• The Galleries at Strathmore in Rockville
• I will decide which exhibiting/selected artist hangs at which venue
• I am working to attempt to document ALL artists who submit in this way:
• About 200 or so of the 3,000 (so far) submissions will be selected to exhibit physically at one of the four venues - if I can add another space, then more artists will be chosen.
• The rest of the set of ALL other artists will be documented and (providing the Smithsonian accepts my proposal) archived as a snapshot in time for DMV women artists at the Smithsonian Archives.
• ALL the artists will have their name and one piece of art projected onto the wall of the Katzen Museum at American University during the period of the exhibition.

When a drawing takes your breath away over the years

Decades ago I was the juror for a group show at the Art League in Alexandria, and a gorgeous drawing titled "Olivia" stood out in a group show that, like most Art League's shows, is always packed with talent and great art, and I awarded it The Shayna Heisman Simkin Award.

The artist was Wendy Donahoe, who is easily one of the best realist artists on the planet, and has that most difficult of all abilities in her work: capturing not only the likeness of the subject, but also a psychiological signature of the same subject.

Donahoe received a University of Delaware BFA in Drawing in1978 and did graduate work at George Washington University from 1980 - 81. Both those universities owe her a solo show in the future and I intend to bring that to their attention.

Behold “Olivia” by Wendy Donahoe, 20.5” x 15.5” Colored Pencil on sanded gray tone paper, c. 2010. (30” x 25.5” framed).

“Olivia”  by Wendy Donahoe
20.5” x 15.5” Colored Pencil on sanded gray tone paper
c. 2010. (30” x 25.5” framed)

Molly Springfield has a world-class and unique talent

I've been in awe and writing about Molly Springfield since 2005, which (considering that I have a degree in Math) is about 20 years - see those mentions here.

Springfield is one of those artists whose talent, vision and technical ability are so distinct and unique, that if we were to plot artists on a bell curve of talent, she'd be one of those waaaay at the right end of the bell curve and the subject of a chapter in Malcolm Gladwell's next book.

Her breath-taking work titled is spun between the sun and  will be one of the highlights of the 2025 Women ARtists of the DMV show.

Behold is spun between the sun and, Graphite on paper by Molly Springfield, c. 2016.

is spun between the sun and
Graphite on paper
by Molly Springfield
34 x 25.5 inches (2 panels, 16.5 x 25.5 inches each) 2016

I like unusual and this work for the 2025 Women Artists of the DMV is that...

I've curated over 200 group art shows in the DC area since the mid 90s, and my formula for group shows is essentially nearly always the same, and a proven, successful, and bordering on brilliant technique: 

• the group show is a pyramid of artists at various points in their artistic career and development - blue chip, well-known artists; 
• a large set of well-known, mid career artists; 
• and the pyramid's wide and powerful base: a set of young (not simply in age, but perhaps also in artistic age - think of a 95 year-old artist who just started painting five years ago) artists who need the exposure and push that a well-attended, widely publicized, and wildly successful art show offers their young careers.

I was first seduced by Jenny Kanzler's work when I came across it at last year's Artomatic.  It stood out as different from the thousands and thousands of paintings at that fabulous show, which is a very unique accomplishment.  She will be one of the big hits of the 2025 Women Artists of the DMV survey show.

Prepare to be seduced and behold "Goat Girls - Sunday Afternoon," c. 2024, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches.

Goat Girls - Sunday Afternoon
by Jenny Kanzler
c. 2024 Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

New updated list for Women Artists of the DMV show

Here's hoping for a great 2025 and hope that as the first quarter of the 21st century comes to an end, another updated list of the DMV area female artists who have agreed to participate so far in the 2025 "Women Artists of the DMV" survey show! is a great start to the year before Antifa starts to burn the city down in 20 days... cough... cough...

Still having trouble reaching some artists that I'd like to invite to the show... so far my emails have either been suffering from spam folderitis or just being ghosted... Why is it so hard to establish contact? if anyone knows the following artists, please tell them to email me: 

Marian Van Landingham -- why can't I get the Art League or someone to tell someone who can reach her, to tell her to call me, text me, send a postcard, a telegram, a drone with a message... something - anything?

Iona Rozeal Brown (now known as Rozeal) - where are you? People keep giving me ways to contact you and so far nothing works!

Danni Dawson: For God's sakes - she teaches at the Art League! Is it possible that none of you can tell her: "Hey Danni... send Lenny a fucking email!"

Lillian Burwell, Zoë Charlton, Sylvia Snowden, Margo Humphrey, Hadieh Shafie: where are you?

Before I forget: If I've invited you to the show and you've agreed to participate, but you're not listed below, please email me (lennycampello@hotmail.com) and let me know... or if I've misspelled your name :-) 

And the "in the show" list so far...

Shiri Achu 

Maremi Andreozzi 

Erin Antognoli

Sondra N. Arkin

Michele Banks 

Marilyn Banner 

Suzi Balamaci 

Kate Barfield 

Jennifer Barlow 

Denée Barr 

Holly Bass

Jennifer Lynn Beaudet 

Judith Benderson  

Karin Birch

Julia Bloom 

Lori Boocks 

Margaret Boozer  

Vian Borchert  

Claire Brandt

Laurie Breen

Lisa Brotman  

Amy Bruce

Dianne Bugash 

Shante Bullock

Melissa Burley 

Judy Byron 

Denise Calisti

Rachel Carren 

Elizabeth Casqueiro 

Mei Mei Chang 

Anne Cherubim

Shanthi Chandrasekar 

Hsin-Hsi Chen 

Irene Clouthier 

Amanda Coelho

Ellen Cornett 

Kathy Cornwell

Rosemary Feit Covey  

Lea Craigie-Marshall

Sheila Crider 

Jacqui Crocetta

Andrea Cybyk  

Andrea Cullins 

Joan Danziger 

Anna U. Davis 

Jenny Davis 

Tanya Davis 

Patricia de Poel Wilberg

Wendy Donahoe

Margaret Dowell  

Jen Droblyen

Mary Early 

Bria Edwards

Cheryl Edwards

Dana Ellyn 

Hyunsuk Erickson 

Cynthia Farrell Johnson 

Felisa Federman Cogut 

Cianne Fragione

Helen Frederick   

Jenny Freestone

Marie Gauthiez-Charpentier

Genie Ghim 

Susan Goldman

Carol Brown Goldberg 

Margery Goldberg

Janis Goodman 

Freya Grand 

Graciela Granek 

Josephine Haden 

Debra Halprin 

Elyse Harrison

Muriel Hasbun 

Rania Hassan 

Jennifer Hayes

Mira Hecht 

Francie Hester 

Ellen Hill 

Leslie Holt

Michal Hunter 

Melissa Ichiuji 

Selena Jackson 

Martha Jackson Jarvis  

Barbara Januszkiewicz 

M. Jane Johnson 

Jessica Kallista 

Jenny Kanzler

Maria Karametou

Lori Katz 

Sally Kauffman  

Trish Kent

Zofie King 

Kate Kretz 

Bridget Sue Lambert

Susan LaMont 

Linda Lawler 

Ngoc Le 

Jun Lee

Kyujin Lee 

Harriet Lesser 

Shelley Lowenstein 

Carol Levin 

Kirsty Little

Taina Litwak 

Dalya Luttwak 

Kara Lin 

June Linowitz 

Shelley Lowenstein

Laurel Lukaszewski 

Caroline MacKinnon

Akemi Maegawa 

Susan Makara

Joey Mánlapaz 

Katherine Mann

Isabel Manalo  

Sheryl Massaro

Anne Marchand  

Lucinda Marshall

Isabella Martire 

Lucinda Marshall 

Amy Marx  

Sheryl Massaro

J.J. McCracken

Donna McCullough 

Anne Meagher-Cook  

Maggie Michael 

Marily Mojica 

Michele Montalbano 

E.J. Montgomery

Sharon Moody 

Ally Morgan  

Meredith Morris

Camille Mosley-Pasley 

Jody Mussoff

Georgia Nassikas 

Leslie Nolan

Teresa Oaxaca 

Claudia Olivos 

Helena Gallegos O'Neill 

Erica Orgen 

Marian Osher 

Betsy Packard 

Dora Patin

Judith Peck 

Monica Perdomo

Sandra Pérez-Ramos 

Patricia Edwine Poku-Speight

Susana Raab  

Marie Riccio

Marie Ringwald 

Amber Robles-Gordon 

Alla Rogers 

Roxana Rojas 

Lisa K Rosenstein

Christine Ryan 

Nancy Sausser 

Karen Schmitz

Deanna Schwartzberg

Lian Sever 

Susan Shalowitz 

Janathel Shaw 

Gail Shaw-Clemons 

April Shelford

Elzbieta Sikorska 

Alexandra Silverthorne  

Veronica Szalus 

Judy Southerland 

Molly Springfield 

Pritha Srinivasan

Renee Stout 

Zsudayka Nzinga Terrel  

Kat Thompson

Patricia Underwood 

Gloria Vasquez  

Rosa Inés Vera

Andrea Way 

Ellyn Weiss 

Joyce Wellman 

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard

Sharon Wolpoff 

Sue Wrbican 

Shawn Yancy

Suzanne Yurdin  

Barbara Ziselberger 

Helen Zughaib