The fly and the wedding ring

I've transited through the Suez Canal several times, and as anyone who has done this knows, the place is often abuzz with tons of very slow-flying tse-tse flies, ready, willing and able to bite anyone who stands still for more than a nanosecond.

One time, as we moved slowly through the Suez, I was skylarking and enjoying the view of the fishermen and assorted sights in the canal, and I was also screwing around, sloshing my wedding ring in my mouth... I know, I know...

Suddenly one of those giant-sized, slow-flying flies buzzed my face as it tried to land on it... I slapped at it, dislodging my wedding ring from my mouth and sending it hurling through the air.

In one of the great recoveries in modern history, the same hand that had slapped at the fly, accelerated its downward arch, and in a magnificent affirmation of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink theory, snatched the ring in mid flight and saved it from perpetual burial in the murky mud of the canal.

The sailor standing next to me and who had witnessed the whole event, looked at me, shook his head, and then continued to relax by looking at the nearby shore while chewing on a toothpick... "Wife would have never believed the story if you hadn't snatched that puppy in mid air," he commented. "Fear is a powerful motivator," he concluded, still chewing on the toothpick and offering me one.

Proof that aliens are amongst us

This dude is clearly a Ferengi trying to disguise himself as a human, note the two uneven set of ears. I betcha that if Rachel Maddow had rubbed his ears... well, you Trekkies know what happens when Ferengis get their ears rubbed... cough, cough...

Separated at Birth?

On the left from CNN (but I repeat myself, cough, cough) is Anderson Cooper, and on the right (cough, cough) is Univision's Jorge Ramos discussing the immense disaster currently going on at the border.

Congrats to Argentina

So the final for the World Cup is set: the Germans from Europe vs the Germans from South America... Cough, cough...

"Deutschland, Deutschland über Brazil"

Was that the real Germany versus Brazil game or a replay of the last Super Bowl?

The Teutons went all Seahawks over the Brazilians... What an ass whooping!

At least other countries, when they lose, they get to BoweBergdahl it out of the country!

Rita Moreno at the NPG

This Wednesday, July 9 at 7 p.m., Rita Moreno will be at the National Portrait Gallery for a special presentation.

Moreno, actress, singer, and dancer, is the only American entertainer of Puerto Rican ancestry to have won the four major annual American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT), as well as receiving the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award. Moreno will speak about her life and career with Taína Caragol, curator of Latino art and history at the Portrait Gallery. Attendees may also have the opportunity to meet Ms. Moreno at a reception at 6 p.m.

Moreno is also represented in the special exhibition “Dancing the Dream” on the first floor.

Tickets for the program start at $15 and can be purchased online at http://bit.ly/RitaMNPG or through the Smithsonian Theaters Concessions and Attractions ticketing line at 1-866-868-7774. Tickets must be acquired in advance.

Alexandria Art Market

Your monthly dose of art in the heart of Del Ray.

Held on the 2nd Saturday of the month from May-October in Colasanto Park (2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria). 

Shop from local artists (painting, photography, pottery, jewelry, glasswork, woodworking and more) from 10-4pm, rain or shine; enjoy live music from 12-2pm. 

Musical performances by Mike Durham (8/9/2014), Janna Audey (9/13/2014), Snakehead Run (10/11/2014). Details at: TheDelRayArtisans.org/ArtMarket

Artists' Websites: E.E. McCollum

I really like E.E. McCollum's Cocoon Series, but check out all of the work by this DMV area talented photog in his website; he is represented by Alexandria's Multiple Exposures Gallery and has a show coming later this year.

Check out his work here.

Happy 4th!

Today I'm going to thank my parents who had the foresight, strength, and courage to escape the Castro brothers' brutalized island; leave everything behind; leave everything they knew, and raise me as an American.

I am grateful to them.

I am so proud of this nation, and so lucky to be Cuban by ancestry, but American by the grace of God.

Happy birthday USA!

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship program

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship program is a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia.  VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists and art students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline and, as such has awarded nearly $5 million to Virginia’s artists since the program’s creation over 70 years ago.

 

The VMFA Fellowship program was established in 1940 through a generous contribution made by the late John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Offered through VMFA Statewide, Fellowships are still largely funded through the Pratt endowment, and supplemented by annual gifts from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation and the J. Warwick McClintic, Jr. Scholarship Fund.  The Fellowship program has a long and established history of supporting Virginia’s artistic talent and has helped to further the careers and studies of many distinguished individuals, including recent recipients Rick Alverson of Richmond, Michelle Erickson of Hampton, and Megan Marlatt of Orange.

 

VMFA offers $8,000 awards to professional artists, $6,000 awards to graduate students, and $4,000 awards to undergraduate students.  Applicants may apply in the disciplines of Crafts, Drawing, Film/Video, Mixed Media, New/Emerging Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Art History (graduate students only).  All applicants must be legal residents of Virginia and student applicants must be enrolled full-time in degree-seeking programs. Applicants’ works are reviewed anonymously by distinguished jurors and awards are made based on artistic merit.  The deadline for Fellowship applications is Friday, November 7, 2014. 

 

We ask that you please encourage interested students and professional artists to apply. Full eligibility criteria, an application, and a printable PDF flyer can be found at www.VMFA.museum/fellowships. 

An old friend returns

Frida Kahlo in a Picasso Style. Oil on wood, 1980 by F. Lennox Campello

In 1980, as part of a student assignment at the University of Washington School of Art in Seattle, we created multiple artworks "in the style" of masters. As part of my highly documented Fridamania, I painted the above oil of Frida Kahlo in the style of Picasso.

I honestly can't recall when it was eventually sold, but I think it was in my show at Georgetown's Fraser Gallery a decade ago, as that show chronicled what was then 27 years of my obsessive interest in Kahlo (read the Washington City Paper review here)

Anyway, this work just made an appearance, as I was contacted by the new owners, who acquired it at an auction in Florida recently!

The Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence initiative

Deadline: September 8, 2014

There is not enough that I can say to recommend The Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence initiative (Fine AIR) to all emerging artists.... I have been lucky enough to have been a mentor twice, and can therefore testify what a boost to an artist's career this program is... and it deals and teaches so many diverse areas.... there is nothing even close to it in the DMV, maybe even the nation.

It was established to help cultivate local visual arts talent by connecting established professionals in all aspects of the field with up-and-coming artists.  Emerging artists will be in residence in the Mansion at Strathmore from January – August 2015. During this time, each artist will have the opportunity to develop an audience in the DC metropolitan area, perfect their craft, create and implement an outreach, educational, or special event proposal for Strathmore’s consideration, and premiere a new body of artwork, including a collaborative piece with one’s mentor, commissioned by Strathmore in a culminating exhibition.

The exhibition of new work will take place in August of 2015 and will reflect the artistic growth of the artist in residence.  Throughout the residency artists meet with a professional artist mentor for career guidance and artistic critique; attend career development workshops; and have the opportunity to teach, lecture, volunteer, exhibit or otherwise participate in Strathmore visual arts programming. Apply here: http://www.strathmore.org/education/series/view.asp?id=10102314

Eligibility:
The Strathmore Fine Artist in Residence Program is open to all emerging visual artists.  All media accepted.
Fine AIR Program Timeline
•             September 8, 2014   Deadline for application
•             September 15 – 18, 2014  Select applicants invited to interview
•             September 29, 2014   Notification of acceptance
•             October 2014   Fine AIR contracts finalized
•             November 2014  Incoming Fine AIR class announced to the public
•             January 2015   Official start of the Fine AIR program
•             August 2015   Exhibition of new work

A Residency at Strathmore includes:
•             An exhibition of new work at the Mansion at Strathmore, Summer 2015
•             Strathmore’s consideration of an outreach, educational, or special event proposal
•             A professional artist mentor throughout the residency
•             Career Development workshops and experiences provided by Strathmore
•             A stipend of $1,000 (Studio space and housing are not available with this residency)

Artist responsibilities include:
•             Mandatory attendance at a Fine AIR welcome event, scheduled meetings with artist mentor, and career development workshops provided by Strathmore.
•             Creation of a new body of saleable work, including a collaborative piece created with one’s mentor, to debut at the 2015 Fine AIR Exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore.
•             Creation of an outreach, educational, or other visual arts event proposal for Strathmore’s consideration for future seasons.
•             Volunteering at “Discover Strathmore” and “Strathmore Arts Festival” events and by providing an artist demonstration, pop- up of artwork for exhibition and/or sale, or related artistic presence.
•             Volunteer to teach, lecture, and/or demo for the visual art department at least once during residency.  Strathmore charges admission for these programs and all proceeds go toward supporting the Fine AIR program.

Jacobson on Sislen

Louis Jacobson over at the WCP has for years and years built a track record as one of the DMV's top art critics.

Louie The J tends to focus on photography, but every once in a while he flexes his writing muscles in other genres, and puts most of the other DMV art scribes to shame...

He's also the master of the "mini-review," a "WCP goes yard" concept that I sold the WaPo into a couple of decades ago... as a means to spread out their anemic visual arts coverage.

Read his most excellent review of Alan Sislen's show at Multiple Exposures Gallery (by now the key photography gallery in the DMV) here.

Mary Armstrong at Cross MacKenzie

Mary Armstrong: "Drifting Waters"

Thursday July 24th - September 10th, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday July 24th 6-8  

Cross MacKenzie Gallery is pleased to present a solo show of paintings by distinguished artist Mary Armstrong. Her ethereal landscapes-which shift between the ground, water, and air-explore the symbiotic relationship between the earth and it's atmosphere, evoking both a sense of serenity and turmoil.

Armstrong's abstract interpretations of a landscape and views of a distant horizon are informed by 19th century painting approaches. Yet the artist's method of scraping through luscious wax and oils on panel in order to reveal hyped-up colors from underneath, lend her work a decidedly contemporary vibe. A self-proclaimed "student of light and collector of air", Armstrong's fascination and deep appreciation for the world outside her studio has led her to translate both the physical and metaphysical elements of nature with a certain type of reverence; her palette delicate and harmonious, her work gracefully hovers in between the earthly and the airy worlds.
Her depictions of water emphasize the mutability and interplay of light and color, effectively creating striking landscapes of the sea and the sky. It is, however, her interest in our constantly altering relationship to the earth itself that has caused her to develop feelings of anxiety and worry, which she conveys in the subtly turbulent overtones of her paintings. The dichotomies of the natural world that Armstrong explores ultimately lead her to inhabit a still undefined space, a realm of beauty filled with ambiguity and uncertainty, where the focus is on the general sensations and impressions, rather than the concrete physical elements of the environment she/we inhabit(s).

Mary Armstrong, a professor at Boston College, has been teaching painting since 1989. She began showing her paintings and drawings at Victoria Munroe Gallery in New York and Boston in 1985, and has since been featured in dozens of group exhibitions and been lauded with multiple awards.

DC Art Bank

Recently I had the pleasure and honor of sitting down with seven other jurors to help select the Art Bank acquisitions by the DC commission and the arts and humanities.

I think initially there was something in the neighborhood of around 400+ works of art submitted for consideration, which is by far, I think, the largest number of artists who have submitted work whenever the city announces that they are interested in acquiring work for the permanent collection of Washington, DC.

But, I still think it's not enough! Everyone of you dear readers who is an artist, and who lives around the DMV, and who did not submit artwork...well, don't complain about lack of opportunities. There's absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be thousands of submissions from every artist in the region... the process is very simple; it's all done online; it doesn't cost anything... there are no excuses. 

For Gawd sakes! there are artists from Baltimore who submitted art... And who at least take the time and effort to send work in!

And, if we eliminate the usual suspects, whom are already in the loop and who submit work for any and everything, I bet you that it was less than 20% of people who are "new" in the artistic scene... At least, new to me. 

Some of these "usual suspects" already have... in some cases, more than 10 pieces of art in the permanent collection of the city... But, they bust their ass, and they work, and they submit, and that's why they get picked!

I submitted work too, by the way.

It got rejected... cough, cough, but I practice what I preach, and have a tough skin when it comes to this... I will submit again for the next call...

Since there were eight different people jurying and grading and qualifying and talking, I think it was pretty fair process - and it was a lot of fun! Some were artists, some were collectors, some were curators, some were dealers, it was a good mix! 

The final selections will be announced soon, congratulations to all of them!

Major moves

There seem to be all kinds of moves going on around the DMV these days; The Washington Project for the Arts, one of the DMV's leading artist service organizations and contemporary art presenter has announced that the “organization will move to street-level office and gallery space in The JBG Companies' Atlantic Plumbing mixed-use residential and retail development in the U Street Corridor cultural district. As WPA marks its 40-year anniversary milestone in 2015, the new space matches the forward-looking vision for the future of the organization with unprecedented opportunities to expand programming and increase impact within the Greater Washington area.”

WPA will move into 1,500 square feet in the main Atlantic Plumbing building at 8th and V Streets NW - adjacent to the 9:30 Club, DC's renowned music venue - by early fall of 2015, which coincides with the launch of the organization's 40th anniversary celebration.

"We are thrilled to offer our artists and the community a dedicated exhibition space. Combining WPA's administrative offices with new galleries in such a visible, flexible, contemporary space will greatly enhance our programming capabilities," said WPA Executive Director Lisa Gold. "We are imagining exciting new possibilities for our artists, partners, and supporters to experience art and engage in dialogue. And, as we approach this important anniversary milestone, this new space is a transformative step towards an illustrious future for WPA." 

 "WPA is a perfect fit with our vision for Atlantic Plumbing," said Robin Mosle, a JBG Executive Vice President. "We are pleased to partner with this inspiring and longstanding arts organization to bring new access to a wide range of art - not  only to Atlantic Plumbing, but to the immediate community recognized for its rich arts heritage."

The WPA space fronts 8th Street NW and will include a gallery to house exhibitions and events, staff offices, and retail space for original artists' works. The space will operate Monday through Saturday from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. with occasional evening events.  

 "The U Street corridor is an ideal home for WPA, given its artistic spirit, history, and diversity," said Kim Ward, chair of the WPA Board of Directors. "Since its founding, WPA has programmed and presented exhibitions in a variety of spaces - remaining versatile and responsive to the art of the times, while acting as a leader in creating partnerships with other arts organizations and institutions. We will continue to do that from a location that will provide a strong community hub for the arts with expanded room for programming and exhibitions."

Also moving are art entrepreneurs Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith, who have  announced they are seeking the next DC home for their powerhouse CONNERSMITH gallery and the (e)merge art fair office. Recently, Smith and Conner accepted an offer from the Capital Fringe Festival to purchase their art space in NE Washington, DC.

Smith and Conner moved their business from Dupont Circle NW to the Trinidad neighborhood in NE DC in 2007 when they purchased an auto body shop at 1358 and 1360 Florida Avenue, NE. The art entrepreneurs converted the two-story building and courtyard into an arts space at a time when the area was known for multiple homicides and police checkpoints.

In the renovated space, CONNERSMITH presented, free to the public, 56 solo exhibitions and 10 group shows of art by established, mid-career, and emerging artists, including Leo Villareal, Zoë Charlton, and my former mentoree, the immensely talented Wilmer Wilson IV. A gallery hub formed with the arrival of neighboring galleries, demonstrating the transformative power of art within a resilient community. While based in Trinidad, CONNERSMITH supported its artists’ exhibitions in museums and biennials nationally and abroad and made over 32 presentations at international art fairs. In 2011, Smith and Conner launched (e)merge, DC’s own international contemporary art fair.

“This transition is a natural evolution for us,” said Conner, “We programmed the Dupont Circle space for eight years and our Northeast space for seven years. Now, we are excited to expand our international presence and digital reach while establishing a new exhibition base in DC.”

“Strengthening our international relationships will advance the missions of CONNERSMITH and (e)merge,” explained Smith. “The gallery and the fair are competitive in the global art market and both strive steadily to contribute to DC’s growth into a world destination for contemporary art.”

Smith and Conner are very enthusiastic about Capital Fringe’s acquisition of the property and look forward to the space’s continued arts usage with the realization of Fringe’s vision for their festival’s new permanent home.

CONNERSMITH will celebrate its last exhibition in the Florida Avenue, NE space with the opening of the annual student show, Academy 2014, and pre-fair party for (e)merge, on July 12, 6-9 pm. WaPo story with some misquotes inaccuracies here.

Ai Weiwei The Fake Case

There is a new documentary about the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei; it is called AI WEIWEI THE FAKE CASE. 

The documentary explores Ai Weiwei’s life under house arrest, where he is restricted by the Chinese Communist authorities in everything he does – but he does it anyway. 

The director Andreas Johnsen gained intimate access to Ai’s environment after the unlawful 81-day detainment, exploring how China’s one-party political system (kinda like the Soviet Socialist Republic of Maryland's) impacts the life and work of an artist who would not stop speaking out. 

Ai Weiwei has always been an outspoken Freedom of Expression advocate, effectively utilizing social media to spread his message and reach the new generation both in China and abroad.  See the trailer video here.

Ai Weiwei’s lawyers were in turn persecuted and arrested, and the ChiComm state never gave his case due process.

The documentary will play in Washington D.C. through July 4-10 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. 

It will also be at Freedom House, which will be presenting the Tuesday, July 8^th screening with a special introduction by their executive vice president Dr. Daniel Calingaert.

Gallery B Call for Artists

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and Bethesda Urban Partnership are accepting applications for Gallery B in downtown Bethesda!

This gallery, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E in downtown Bethesda, is available to interested artists and arts organizations for one-month rentals. All media including, but not limited to, painting, photography and sculpture is eligible to use the space. Gallery B does not take a commission on any artwork sold during the exhibition.  

We are seeking applications from local artists and arts organizations for month-long exhibitions in 2015. Gallery B has approximately 1,500 sq. feet of available exhibition space. The deadline for submission is July 18, 2014.

To be considered for a solo or group exhibition, and to review the gallery requirements, please complete this application.

Questions?  Please send them an email to artist@bethesda.org.

List of all superheroes and villains

Check it out here.

Barack Obama as The Batman

Barack Obama as The Batman
2014 F. Lennox Campello
Charcoal and Conte on Paper. Framed to 10x10 inches.