Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has announced the programming for the annual art festival Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC -- it will be expanding across the city on September 27, 2014.

Art All Night presents an eclectic evening of music, visual and performing artists. Based on a festival concept that began in Paris, Art All Night offers residents and visitors an exciting opportunity to engage with DC arts and artists. Programming includes live painting, performances by local musicians, poetry readings and exterior lighting displays. Art All Night activates and enlivens neighborhoods with arts and cultural activities, contributing to the vibrancy of the city.

Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC will begin at 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 27 and conclude at 3:00 am Sunday, September 28. A full listing of programming is available online at www.artallnightdc.com. Additional information can be found at www.dcarts.dc.gov.

The DC festival was founded in 2011 by Creative Director Ariana Austin, who is this year's project coordinator and was presented by Shaw Main Streets.This year, through the efforts of DCCAH, the festival will also include the Dupont Circle, North Capitol, H Street NE, Congress Heights, and Shaw Main Streets. Each of the five neighborhoods will host their own unique mix of artistic programming for audiences to enjoy free of charge. The DC Main Streets program is funded by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development. DCCAH hopes to build on the success of previous events that attracted audiences of up to 15,000 people in one night.

"The Commission has supported Art All Night since its first activation, and we are thrilled to be able to expand it across the city for even more to participate," said Judith Terra, Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Art All Night is a fun and festive event that engages all residents across the city. With this festival, Washington, DC joins a global network of Nuit Blanche all-night arts events, that started in Paris in 2002 and has captivated audiences from Montreal to Melbourne."

"Art All Night is a great example of how the arts drive economic development through creative place-making," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "The event is a great mechanism for increasing foot traffic to the neighborhoods and businesses, while spotlighting local arts and culture."

Scotland Independence Vote

Scottish voters (starting at the age of 16) are voting today in an attempt to once again secede from the 307 year-old union with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A union that was started by a Scottish king, not an English king.

I love Scotland - I lived there from 1989-1992 and was seduced by one of the most beautiful nations on the planet and some of the hardest working, smart, people on the same planet... when you are in Scotland, and walk around the glens, and see the sun poke a hole in the clouds and shine on this planet's greenest pastures, one understands why people believe in magic. And thus my my heart says yes to independence, but the Scottish National Party -- like most politicians on the planet - are a bunch of crooks with half lies, empty promises and jingoistic fervor that history teaches us leads to no good end! What they have promised the Scots, if they vote yes, has been built mostly on deceit and promises of a super nanny state funded by disputed oil resources in the North Sea.

In spite of that, I would think that I would let my heart rule and I would vote yes to secede and take my own chances as an independent nation of very tough, brilliant people... same for the Catalans, who are in a similar situation in Scotland's ancestral home in Spain...

Here's what I'm afraid of -- if they secede...

1. The English will force them off the pound - as they should! Why would Scotland vote to leave, but keep the old currency?

2. They will also boycott any attempt by Scotland to join the European union - Even if they don't, it will take years for the Scots to join the EU.

3. They will actively work to isolate Scotland and teach those Celts a lesson!

4. Scotland is essentially a rural country with a very strong sense of identity, but lacks an industrial infrastructure - because the English have designed it that way for centuries; even the shipbuilding in Scotland is dependent on English imports.

5. The international courts will rule against Scotland for the oil wells outside of the CTML 12 mile limit - this is where future funding for the SNP nanny state is supposed to come from...

6. Scotland will depend on imports to form an industrial base.

7. The English will work to make that difficult.

8. A desperate Scotland will present a BRILLIANT opportunity for China (or Putin) to step in and "help the Scots."

Result? English arrogance and ethnic insolence (they consider Scots as WOGS) - will push the Scots into the arms of the old Reds and the new Reds; Mark my words... So I hope the Scots vote no. And of course... "IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH ---- IT'S CRAP!"

Need to borrow...

A call out to the DMV arts audience: I am in need to borrow two sets of Pro-panels (http://www.propanels.com) for (e)merge art fair next month... I just need them for about a week during the fair and will gladly trade a piece of original art for them... 

Send me a note if you can lend me some and I will pick them up and return them after the fair.

Live Art Auction at Katzen

The AU Museum exhibit "Estate Art of H. Marc Moyens" will close this Saturday Sept. 20 for Fall for the Arts. The day of art classes, spontaneous performances and fun for the whole family ends with an auction of art from Moyens' collection.

Moyens' collection is unique - the museum exhibited works from the collection in 2006, Remembering Marc and Komei, to rave reviews. Moyens has an interesting back story; he left France in 1946 with $40 in his pocket and arrived in Washington. He became a translator at the World Bank and began to collect art. By 1970, the Corcoran Gallery of Art honored him with an exhibition of his collection. He regularly attended the biennial exhibitions at Venice, São Paulo, Tokyo and Paris as well as Documenta, the Guggenheim and Pittsburg Internationals, the Salons de Mai and Whitney Annuals. According to one review: "At the core of Mr. Moyens’ sensibility is a taste for the fantastic, the magical, and the surreal expressed with realistic detail… Another characteristic common to all of these works is a particularly European pleasure in materials, care and craft of application, and preciousness in handling and feeling… an essentially European and cosmopolitan sensibility.” 

As Moyens' collection grew, he opened his own gallery, Gallery Marc in 1969. Six years later, he joined forces with Komei Wachi to open Gallery K. Besides the great European works in the collection, Moyens also bought the works of important Washington artists represented in the auction, artists like Ed Bisese, James Bumgardner, “Big Al” Carter, Pat Craig, Betsy Falk, Ruby McLain Grady, Robert Hynes, Alfred McAdams, Jody Mussoff, Franklin White, and Washington ex-pats John Harne and Alan Stone. There are also examples of American Folk Art, and Latin-American and Southwestern landscape painting of extremely high quality. Moyens and Wachi both passed away in 2003.

Fall for the Arts is a fundraiser, and all proceeds benefit the arts at AU. Tickets are $25 and $10 for students and those under 18. For workshop schedules, online tickets, and auction information, visit the Fall for the Arts website here.

See the auction items and then and bid here.

There are some great deals to be had in this auction, for example:

Robert Hynes Joe's Soluner Tables, 1976
Graphite on paper, 23 x 27 in.
Starting Bid: $100

Congrats!

Congrats to the Nats on clinching the division title!

Red Dirt Studio is moving - Party!!!

Firehouse PARTY and Fundraiser!

 

Saturday, September 27 from 4-10 pm

 

4051 34th Street, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712 

(a couple blocks up from GLUT food co-op and Ani Kasten Ceramics)

 

In the early hours: kid-friendly stuff sponsored by Joe's Movement Emporium and Art Works Now, plus steel drums performance...

 

And!!

 

Featuring a special aerial performance by Red Dirt's own, circus professional Kirsty Little --- Kirsty owned her own circus in England (The Wrong Size) and moved to the United States a couple years ago to study performance art.

In the later hours: exciting new compositions by Marc Blackwood's band, InnerLoop, featuring Jill Warren on vocals, plus...

 

They've reserved a keg of Franklin's recent limited edition special brew--come check it out!

 

They've also got Red Dirt t-shirts for sale, and some other awesome stuff...

 

And, they're launching an Indiegogo site on or near same day to begin their fundraising campaign.

Click "join" and look for updates on their Facebook FIREHOUSE FUNDRAISER + PARTY event page here...

Capitol File magazine

The kid on Capitol File magazine... cough, cough

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Call to Artists

Call to Artists

WHAT: A Fine Art Festival 

WHERE: Bethesda, MD

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday 

           May 9-10, 2015
           Saturday 10-6; Sunday, 10-5 

 

NOTEWORTHY: 

*Complimentary breakfast and lunch for participating artists. 

*Free parking within 1 block. 

*Limited to 140 booth spaces of juried fine art and fine craft.

*Estimated attendance: 20,000. 

*$2,500 in cash awards. 

*24-hour security. 

*Booth sitters. 

*Entry/booth fees: $30/$425 (10x10); $850 (10x20).

*For more details about the show, click HERE

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival was ranked #78 of the 200 Best Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine in September, 2008, making it the highest ranked fine art festival in Maryland.  Extremely wealthy community: Average household income, $129,440; median housing value, $734,614. Knowledgeable, art buying public attends. Artists report consistently high sales every year. Electronic application available on the festival's website. 

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Show-Rate Score: 87

Additional details about the festival may be found at:  www.theartfestivaldirectory.com

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS: 

Application Deadline: 12/05/14   

Notification: 01/23/15

Booth Fees Due: 02/13/15    

Online application available at:
http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/arts-festival-application

Opportunity for Artists

LINES DRAWN: America's Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A JURIED EXHIBIT
LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue 

Artists resident in the United States are invited to submit original works of art for a juried exhibit timed to the 2014 Congressional elections; the exhibit will open Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery in Washington, DC.

Works of art submitted for this exhibit should provide visual evidence of social, economic or political issues which the artist believes are being ignored or inadequately addressed by our Government and political leaders due to the extreme partisanship and political paralysis which characterize Washington today. Artists may also submit artwork which examines the causes of the current political paralysis and/or focuses attention on those political leaders the artist holds responsible for the current paralysis/breakdown of our political system.

SUBMISSIONS: Please send no more than 2 high resolution jpegs of each work, its dimensions, suggested retail price (gallery commission 40 per cent) and Artist’s Statement for each work to LINESDRAWN2014@gmail.com

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 3, 2014

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: Please limit your statement to 150 words. It should state the issue the art work addresses and why the artist believes the issue is important to the future well-being of our country.

SELECTION PROCESS: All work submitted for this exhibit will be reviewed, and the winning entries selected, by a jury of experts selected by Washington’s Millennium Arts Salon.

NOTIFICATION OF WINNING SUBMISSIONS: Artists whose work has been selected for the exhibit will be notified on Sunday, October 5th and will be expected to have their work delivered to the Gallery no later than Thursday, October 9, 2014.

THE EXHIBIT: LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue will open on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery /1300 13th Street NW, Washington,. DC 20005

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE See Future Exhibitions at www.charleskrausereporting.com or contact Charles Krause at ckrause@charleskrausereporting.com

New G'town mural

Check out this gorgeous new mural by DMV artist Sidney Lawrence... Stays up til Oct 15 on M & 30th in Georgetown.

Lest we forget

"Studio View, 9/11"
Oil on Canvas c. 9/11/2001 by David FeBland

DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES 2014 Annual Meeting

DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Cordially invites you to 

The 2014 Annual Meeting

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

6:30pm - 7:00pm | Networking | Gallery @ 200 I St.

7:00pm - 8:00pm | Public Meeting | Multi-Purpose Room

200 I Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003

As members of the creative community your attendance and participation are vital to the success of our agency. We invite you to take part in our Annual Meeting and offer your feedback on how we can best serve the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.

 Please RSVP here  by Friday, September 19, 2014. 

Free and open to the public.

Light refreshments will be served.

Limited seating, admittance as space is available.

For more information call 202-724-5613.

BODY/BUILDING at Maurine Littleton

The Maurine Littleton Gallery will be presenting BODY/BUILDING.... a group interdisciplinary exhibit of thought, architecture and art.

 

Featuring the work of Erwin Eisch, Nancy Genn, Sergei Isupov, Iliya Isopov, DMV über artist Michael Janis, Richard Jolley, Dorothy Simpson Krause, David Dodge Lewis, Stanislav Libensky, Colin Reid, Ginny Ruffner, Joe Sanders, Holis Sigler, James Tanner and Therman Statom.

BODY/BUILDING... From the press release: "investigates radically different subject matter approached with similar sensibilities. Exploring human and architectural forms through Vitreographs (prints made from glass plates), ceramics and glass sculpture, each artist conveys structure & relationships in literal, figurative and poetic terms.

 

The human form and its relationship to the things we make, has transfixed architect and artist a like for centuries. The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius believed the precise mathematical relationships that exist in the human body should be followed in architecture. Plato opined that by defining a singular human archetype, it was possible to create environments that would be universally appealing and accessible to all. As our identities become more complex and our relationships with each other more interconnected, mankind still seeks to find a harmony where the body and space blurs.

 

Alternately eloquent and visceral, BODY/BUILDING offers a collection of what most fascinates us: our bodies, our buildings and our relationships. The works contained within are inclined to represent just enough so that we, the viewer, are encouraged/obliged to imagine the rest: the rest of the building, the rest of the body, but most importantly, the rest of the story."

 

Maurine Littleton Gallery

1667 Wisconsin Ave. N.E.; Washington, DC

Voyage of Discovery at McLean

Lida Moser's Book

Children, Valley of Matapedia, Quebec by Lida Moser 1950

I've been getting some emails about people asking about Lida Moser and the curious fact that although she was the author of multiple books on photography, there are no books about her photography.

There is one book about Lida Moser. It was published in 1982 and it is titled Quebec a l'ete. These days you can only find it in rare book dealers, where it sells for over $1,000.

Lida wanted to publish another book, and she applied multiple times to the Bader Fund to try to get the funds needed to catalog her photographs and publish a book,  but she was never funded by them.

I'm gathering the idea to work with Schiffer Books (my publisher) to see if they are interested in doing a book on her photographs.

Feels like 18!

Sandra Ramos at the Katzen

Curator Diane Camber, me, Sandra Ramos and Mayer Fine Arts' Sheila Giolitti at Sandra Ramos' members preview last night at the Katzen Museum at American University.

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Curated by Diane Camber, this exhibition is comprised of prints, video, collage, and installations created by Cuban artist Sandra Ramos. This artist reflects on the conflicting experiences of living in her beloved homeland with all of its many challenges. Her work often takes a narrative form in which she depicts herself as a child-like explorer or modern day Alice in Wonderland. Ramos' prints and mixed media works feature exquisite craftsmanship and use of color and naiveté, tempered by wit and irony. This exhibition reflects the mordant wit for which Cubans are famous, as well as a kind of nostalgia and exuberance particular to the artist.

Great opportunity! Deadline next week!!!

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.

Miami in sight

Yay! We just got accepted (again) into the 2014 Context Art Miami art fair in Miami during Art Basel week...

Most expensive GIF file ever

Check it out here.

Read all about it here.