Our America

"Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" - Opens at Smithsonian American Art Museum Oct. 25

"Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's pioneering collection of Latino art. It explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.

The exhibition presents works in all media by 72 leading modern and contemporary artists. Of the 92 artworks featured in the exhibition, 63 have been acquired by the museum since 2011, representing its deep and continuing commitment to collecting Latino art. "Our America" will be on view from Oct. 25 through March 2, 2014. Following its presentation in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to six cities across the United States. The exhibition is organized by E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

"The exhibition 'Our America' is the culmination of a major collecting initiative, still underway at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, to build a significant collection of Latino art in the nation's capital," said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. "It is particularly exciting to debut so many artworks newly acquired for the museum's permanent collection."

The exhibition includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture and scenes of everyday life. Latino artists across the United States were galvanized by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. They created new images of their communities and examined bicultural experiences. Many critically probed American history and popular culture, revealing the possibilities and tensions of expansionism, migration and settlement. Other Latino artists in the exhibition devoted themselves to experimentation, pushing the limits of their chosen medium. "Our America" presents a picture of an evolving national culture that challenges expectations of what is meant by "American" and "Latino."

DNA results are in...

My Genome Project DNA final results are in... 



As noted previously, I'm 2% Neanderthal and 1% Denisovan ... The rest: 50% Mediterranean, 32% Northern European, 12% Southwest Asian and 3% Native American... The last one was a surprise!


For comparison Greeks are 54% Mediterranean, 28% Northern European and 17% Southwest Asian and Germans are 36% Mediterranean, 46% Northern European and 17% Southwest Asian, while Spaniards are 48% Mediterranean, 37% Northern European and 13% Southwest Asian.

At the Montgomery County Fair

Nothing, absolutely nothing like a good ole County Fair...

Studio Space in Bethesda!

The Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District are opening Studio B located at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.  

Studio B will feature three artist studio work spaces available to artists who reside in Maryland, Washington, D.C. or Virginia.  Studios will be available for occupancy beginning in late fall 2013.

Deadline to apply is Sept. 27, 2013.  Click here to apply.

Studios Feature:

•         24-hour access
•         Wireless internet
•         Additional common wall space and storefront for artistic display
•         Marketing by Bethesda Urban Partnership including web page dedicated to Studio B artists, postcard, social media outreach and more to promote Studio B artists and sales of their artwork.

For more information on rent and eligibility requirements, click here.

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

Wanna be in the (e)merge art fair?

Deadline: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 5pm

Washington Project for the Arts is pleased to announce a call for 8” x 8” works on paper by WPA Member Artists to be on view and for sale in WPA’s room during the (e)merge art fair. 

All current WPA members are invited to submit one 8” x 8” work on paper. Work submitted MUST be 8” x  8” and must be delivered without a mat or frame. If a member artist wishes to submit a work that is smaller than 8” x 8”, it must be submitted mounted to an 8” x 8” sheet of paper. WORK THAT IS LARGER THAN 8” X 8” WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

Check out the usual great opportunity by the WPA here.

Fraser Gallery returns...

For at least one show that is...

The Bethesda Urban Partnership’s October exhibition will feature the return of the Fraser Gallery, which operated in Bethesda for nine years.

The exhibition, “Cityscapes,” will include work from David FeBland, Beata Drozd, Ben Ferry and Gavin Glakas on display from Oct. 2 to Nov. 3 at Gallery B (7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E).

The Bethesda Urban Partnership opened the space after photographer and curator Catriona Fraser closed her gallery there in 2011.

Details here.

Wanna be in SCOPE Miami 2013?

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin and Russell & Danny Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic are working together again to host the 2013 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series.

This is an incredible opportunity for emerging artists from across the country to showcase their imaginative works of art.

They want to make sure that every artist has a chance to participate, but only a select few will be chosen to show their work at SCOPE Miami Beach 2013.

And best of all: There's no entry fee! Follow the link below to submit your artwork, but make sure that you read the official rules carefully...

Submit your artwork

Opportunity for Photographers

DEADLINE: Application must be received by August 30, by 5pm. Mail in, drop off at Honfleur Gallery or use Dropbox.com.

Honfleur Gallery and Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP -- Call to Photographers

Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP is partnering with Honfleur Gallery to curate a unique art exhibition in their downtown DC office space. The link to full application is here.

ELIGIBILITY: Photographers who currently live in DC, VA, MD. All levels of photographers are eligible to apply. Photographers who have limited exhibition experience are especially encouraged to apply.

CALL & EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Notification: by September 6, 2013

Drop off: October 3, 4, 5 at Honfleur Gallery during business hours

Pick up: October 31, November 1,2 at Honfleur Gallery during business hours

EXHIBITION: The exhibition will be on display at the offices of Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP, 1200 19th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC from October 16  to 25, with a private reception on Wednesday, October 16. Clients and affiliates of Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice will be invited to the reception. Selected artists will be invited to bring a few guests to the reception.

SALES: Artists will receive a 100 percent commission on any sales that take place during the duration of the exhibition.

Next month at Waverly Street

Text/Message - Ceramic Vessels and Wall Pieces by Kanika Sircar and New Work by Waverly Street Gallery Artists

September 10- October 5, 2013

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 12 - 6PM

Reception: Friday, September 13, 6-9PM

Meet the Artist: Saturdays at 3PM   

Kanika Sircar's work focuses on the aesthetic and visual impact of writing. Her imagery is based upon words, texts, calligraphy or graffiti layered onto forms that allude to the contexts of such images: envelopes, manuscript pages or murals.

Spare and elegant, the vessels and wall pieces in this exhibit have complex surfaces, stained with slips and marked with carving tools, pencils and iron oxide prints, expressing messages of thought and intention that may be comprehended, misinterpreted or partially perceived. The inscriptions and letters are often fragmentary and indecipherable, palimpsests of color, shape and meaning attacked by time.

Kanika Sircar lives and works in the Washington, DC area. Currently a partner at the Waverly Street Gallery, she has exhibited nationally and internationally.  

Artist's website: kanikasircar.wordpress.com

For further information, contact: kanikas@starpower.net or (202)-686-1401

waverlystreetgallery.com

Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE

40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE
September 12 – November 2, 2013
Opening Reception September 12, 6-9pm, free and open to the public 

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is pleased to present 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE, from September 12 through November 2, 2013. A retrospective exhibition marking GRACE’s 40th anniversary, 40 for 40 celebrates the organization’s continuous engagement with contemporary art in the metro D.C. area since its founding in 1974. The show will feature a selection of forty artists who have exhibited at GRACE, or have been closely involved with the organization, over the course of the past four decades. 

Launching the 2013-14 exhibition season and the Greater Reston Arts Center’s 40th year of operations, 40 for 40 will feature works in a broad range of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, glass, and ceramics, the exhibition will celebrate the variety and quality of work that has been exhibited at GRACE since its inception. 

Speaking about the exhibition, Curator of Exhibitions Holly Koons McCullough said, “This show highlights the impact the Greater Reston Arts Center has had within the regional artistic community. Some of the artists on view in 40 for 40 literally founded the institution. Others had exhibitions here that would become important milestones in their careers. Still others exhibited works that have come to define GRACE’s unreserved embrace of contemporary art in this region, in all its diversity and vigor.” 

40 for 40 will present works by some of the pioneers of the institution, including Brenda Belfield, Judith Forst, Joan Kelly, and Connie Slack. These artists held positions on GRACE’s staff and board, and helped to develop the organization’s overarching mission of engaging and educating the community in contemporary visual art. 

Other works on view reflect GRACE’s more recent exhibition history, such as a luminous Mylar sculpture by Rebecca Kamen, a site-specific ceramic installation by Elizabeth Kendall, and cerebral wood-based sculptures by Foon Sham and Evan Reed. Together with works by the other noted contemporary artists featured in 40 for 40, these pieces reflect the broad-minded, progressive nature of GRACE’s exhibitions, particularly since the institution relocated to its current site in Reston Town Center in 2006.

“We are thrilled to be able to highlight the rich and vibrant history of the Greater Reston Arts Center,” notes Executive Director Damian Sinclair. “For over forty years the work of this organization has been central to the cultural growth in our region and we look forward to being a leader of the artistic community in the next forty years.” 

Most of the works in the exhibition are available for sale, and many of the artists are donating 50% of sale proceeds back to GRACE in recognition of the organization’s anniversary and in support of its future. 

Artists Represented in 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE 

John Adams, Ann Barbieri, Joanne Bauer, Brenda Belfield, Ed Bisese, F. Lennox Campello, Michael Cantwell, Dickson Carroll, Travis Childers, Ellen Cornett, Laura Edwards, Elissa Farrow-Savos, Judith Forst, Heidi Fowler, Suzi Fox, Rik Freeman, Rebecca Kamen, Joan Kelly, Elizabeth Kendall, J.T. Kirkland, Craig Kraft, Robert Lobe, Dalya Luttwak, Carolina Mayorga, David Meyer, Marco Rando, Matt Ravenstahl, Evan Reed, Pam Rogers, Dana Ann Scheurer, Eveleen Severn-Sass, Foon Sham, Connie Slack, Robert Straight, Tim Tate, Novie Trump, Shinji Turner-Yamamoto, Mary LaRue Wells, Millicent Young, and Andrew Zimmerman.

Public Programs:
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 12, 6-9pm. Free and open to the public.
40th Anniversary Family Day
40 for 40 public celebration and family day
Sunday, September 5, 2-5pm. Free and open to public.

Studi Space Anyone?

Capitol Arts Network is considering expanding by adding 16 new studios to increase their current population of 36 resident artists in 24 studios.  These new studio spaces are in an adjacent annex that is conveniently located for teaching in their classroom, attending gallery events, and interacting with their current roster of artists and visitors.  They are generously sized and priced right for immediate occupancy once completed. 
 
If Capitol Arts takes on this expansion they would likely open later this year. 

Before they do that, they'd like to gauge interest with area artists, as well as artists already on their wait list for their current building. Below is a list of studios that would be available. Sizes and prices are approximate for now. These studios will all have fixed windows, newly painted cement flooring, fresh wall paint, WiFi, free parking, and newly installed HVAC.
 
Studios:
12 studios at approximately 140 square feet, and each would rent for approximately $400/month
3 studios at approximately 300 square feet, and each would rent for approximately $800/month
1 studio that is approximately 380 square feet, and it would rent for approximately $1075/month
 
Please let them know right away if you have an interest in one of these studios.  Their current space is fully occupied, so they expect to fill quickly as word spreads that they have more space available. 

Artists will be juried.
 
Judith Olivia HeartSong
Executive Director
CAN Studios... where the artists are
Capitol Arts Network
12276 Wilkins Ave.
Rockville, MD 20852
www.capitolartsnetwork.com
office (301)661-7590

Come to the talk and then stay for the party!

Tomorrow is the last day to see Tim Tate's spectacular video show at the Katzen Museum at American University. 

There will be a talk tomorrow, Saturday at 4pm led by yours truly discussing the meanings and importance of the installation and of Tate's work. 

I've been working with Tate since his very first solo show and been a close witness to his meteoric rise.

It is followed by a closing party from 5 to 7 - free and open to the public. 

I hope you get a chance to stop by. 

And here read Tony Harvey's review of the show.

Hate enters the picture

In the past, several times I have been at the receiving end of anger resulting from a work of art that I've created (most notably in this case), and sometimes not anger but pruddish questioning ("why are you showing nekkid pictures?")... but never hate.

Until now, and not for one of my pieces, but for Mexican photographer Dulce Pinzon's iconic works from her "Superheroes" series.

Background: Last week the second in the Washington Project for the Arts "Hothouse" exhibition opened at the Capital Skyline Hotel in Washington, DC. I curated this exhibition, which includes work by Jeannette Herrera, Andrew Wodzianski, Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzon and me. The exhibition offers five artists' contemporary interpretation of Superheroes.

Dulce Pinzon elegantly and intelligently addresses the theme with a very famous  and widely exhibited series of works in which she depicts immigrant workers doing their routine labor dressed as Superheroes. 

The connection is solidified by the titling of the works, which identify the person, where she originally comes from, and how much money they send back to their former homeland to support their families there. For example, the image to the left is titled BERNABE MENDEZ from the State of Guerrero works as a professional window cleaner in New York. He sends 500 dollars a month.

It is a powerful and well-documented series of works, and one which I have exhibited in many fairs and curated shows around the nation.

Pinzon's works always elicit a reaction from the viewers; often it starts (especially in younger people) as a "funny" reaction as they view Superman on a bike or Spiderman cleaning windows.

Then they read the titles, immediately absorb the impact and meaning of the work, and become serious as
they understand the human angle of the work.

Regardless of how you feel about the immense illegal immigration problem that we have as a nation (and which I feel we will continue to have regardless of any legislation, as long as beautiful and rich countries such as our Southern neighbors continue to be run by corrupt and inept politicians and brutalized by powerful drug gangs, and as long as people view the USA as a place of hope and growth), the one thing that should not be a part of this issue is hate.

And yet I get an email like this:

wetbacks need to go back...just because mexico is f--ked up is no reason to break the law and drain our resources. 25% of our population pays no income or property tax yet uses our schools,roads, hospitals, police and fire services...their driving without insurance drives our rates up. and our property values down... I would give you 10 cents for this piece of crap...just saying....
don't even bother to reply...menso

 Makes my head hurt.

La Llorona

 

Some of the lyrics to this song will make their way to the wall on the back plane of this ongoing video drawing... the works' embedded plasma screens rotate through images of Kahlo and Rivera paintings.

 The lyrics:

Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona
Negro pero cariñoso.
Todos me dicen el negro, Llorona
Negro pero cariñoso.
Yo soy como el chile verde, Llorona
Picante pero sabroso.
Yo soy como el chile verde, Llorona
Picante pero sabroso.

Ay de mí, Llorona Llorona,
Llorona, llévame al río
Tápame con tu rebozo, Llorona
Porque me muero de frió

Si porque te quiero quieres, Llorona
Quieres que te quieres más
Si ya te he dado la vida, Llorona
¿Qué mas quieres?
¿Quieres más?

Hay! de mi llorona
Llorona de ayer y hoy
Hay! de mi llorona
Llorona de ayer y hoy

Ayer, maravilla fui llorona
Y ahora ni sombra soy
Ayer, maravilla fui llorona
Y ahora ni sombra soy

Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi
Salias del templo un dia llorona
Cuando al pasar yo te vi

Hermoso huipill llevabas llorona
Que la virgen te crei
Hermoso huipill levabas llorona
Que la virgen te crei

Y aunque me cueste la vida llorona
No dejare de quererte
Y aunque me cueste la vida llorona
No dejare de quererte 

Hermoso huipil llevabas, llorona
que la virgen te creí
Ay de mi, llorona
llorona de azul celeste
y aunque la vida me cueste,
llorona no dejaré de quererte

Professional Practices lectures and workshops

Washington Project for the Arts Presents

the 2013 - 2014 season of

Professional Practices lectures and workshops

Washington Project for the Arts has announced its 2013 - 2014 season of Professional Practices programming. Professional Practices, formerly No Artist Left Behind, is WPA's ongoing series of lectures, workshops, and classes that cover a variety professional development topics pertinent to the careers and practices of our artist members and the creative community at large. All workshops are free to WPA members, and $5.00 to non-members.  

To join WPA, click here. Reservations will begin three weeks in advance of each workshop and may be made by contacting WPA Membership Manager Christopher Cunetto at ccunetto@wpadc.org or by calling 202.234.7103 x 2. 

Intro to Self-Publishing

Date: September 10, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Learn how to publish a variety of artist materials including professional quality zines and artist books. This talk will feature an overview of what is required from image preparation, through design, and on to printing and distribution.

Working the Room 

Date: September 19, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: Hickok Cole Architects, 1023 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 

Discover how to manage conversations with potential clients and be a better advocate for your own work. Join Marketing and PR professional Marilynn Mendell, President of WinSpin CIC Inc., as she presents this lecture on how to network effectively and sell your art.

Intro to 3D Modeling
Date: November 7, 2013,6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Join us for this workshop covering the basics of 3D modeling programs, featuring free and open-source program SketchUp. Emphasis will be on 3D modeling program use, model creation, and preparing work files for 3D printing applications.

Event and Exhibition Management: Crash Course
Date: January 23, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

This workshop presents a "crash course" in arts event and exhibition management best practices. From planning for the event to organizing and cataloging artwork, preparing labels and guest lists, to sending invitations and PR, this workshop covers the basics on how to successfully launch an arts event.

The "Real World": Life as an Artist After Graduation
Date: February 13, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

In this panel discussion, geared specifically toward students, participants will discuss the myriad issues associated with life after graduating with a BFA. Issues such as beginning a career, work/life balance, and making steps forward as an emerging artist will be explored.

Creating for the Future: Part Two
Date: April 10, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

A follow up to WPA's Estate Planning and Cataloging introductory workshop, WPA presents a more detailed lecture from Artist Estate Consultant Robin Moore, including more nitty-gritty details on the practices of estate preparation, artwork inventory, and drafting a will.

Staying Productive
Date: May 8, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

This participatory panel discussion features several artists at different stages of their careers exploring the diverse ways in which artists meet the many challenges of life while maintaining an active studio practice.

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ABOUT WPA

Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for contemporary art.  WPA supports artists at all stages of their careers and promotes contemporary art by presenting exhibitions, issues, and ideas that stimulate public dialogue on art and culture.www.wpadc.org.

Bezos buys the WaPo

Jeff Bezos, whose father Miguel Bezos immigrated from Cuba at age 15 (cough, cough),  will soon be the new owner of the WaPo.

The Washington Post Co. agreed Monday to sell its flagship newspaper to Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos, ending the Graham family’s stewardship of one of America’s leading news organizations after four generations.

I wonder if, considering what we somewhat know about the nerdy genius, this means that the paper will now steer a more centrist attitude and shift a little more to the middle, and also if Bezos has any interest in improving the WaPo's dismal and embarrassing arts coverage.

Talk and party at the Katzen this Saturday

This is the last week to see Tim Tate's spectacular video show at the Katzen Museum at American University. 

There will be a talk this Saturday at 4pm led by yours truly discussing the meanings and importance of the installation and of Tate's work. 

It is followed by a closing party from 5 to 7 - free and open to the public. 

I hope you get a chance to stop by. 

And here read Tony Harvey's review of the show.

We Don’t Need Monet—We Need Money!

Gentry liberals—university profs, cutting edge art mavens, foundation executives—like to think of themselves as the key, leading members in the blue coalition. But as the money runs out and the civil war heats up, there’s a tendency to throw the gentry liberals under the bus. This has been happening for years now when it comes to the battles over university education in states, as funds for higher ed keep getting cut back. The fight over paying pensions versus hanging on to Van Goghs brings this tendency to the fore.

Read the whole piece here.

Art Scam Alert!

Ignore emails from this mutant trying to rip off artists...

From:	JUSTIN LIND (justin0lind28@gmail.com)
Sent:	Mon 8/05/13 8:06 PM
To:	lenny@lennycampello.com

Hello . How long does it take you to ship out if an order is completed with you ? . Kindly email me your current website so that i can pick my choice of order for you to quote me . I love your handwork . Thanks

Keep it this way!

Who needs the Hirshhorn Bubble when we got this new asskicking Washington Monument?

The WM is looking both like some Medieval weapon as well as a super-modern glass and lights and steel brutal sculpture -- and also like some new Christo and Jeanne-Claude art project - in fact, making all their previous projects looking a little lame by comparison.

I say, let's keep the Monument like this!

Who's with me?

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: August 16, 2013

 

John Paradiso, artist and curator for the 39th Street Gallery, and Tim McLoraine, artist and independent curator based in the Gateway Arts District, invite emerging and established artists to participate in the Jewel Box Pop Up group exhibition during the month of September.  

 

The Jewel Box is a 2300sf former jewelry store located at 3104 Queens Chapel Road in Hyattsville, MD.  The Jewel Box will advertise and promote the exhibition and host an Opening Reception and other programming during the run of the show.  

Approximately 25 artists will be selected and be given a 10' section of wall (Art-o-Matic style) with 4' of floor space.  We also encourage 3 dimensional works to be displayed throughout the space. 

If interested, please send contact information and 3 work samples (or link to your online portfolio) by August 16th to jewelboxpopup@gmail.com

Deferral at the Corcoran

Starting August 7 and lasting for four days, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design presents Deferral, a site-specific performance by Mary Coble that addresses the Food and Drug Administration’s policy of refusing blood donations from men who have had sex with men since 1977. 

The performance is the latest in the NOW at the Corcoran series – the Gallery’s contemporary art program dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging and mid-career artists. NOW Performance addresses issues central to the local, national, and global communities of Washington, D.C. 

Over four days, Coble and her collaborators encode the curtains of an anatomical theater—formed by hospital curtains in the Corcoran’s Atrium—with text and images from blood donor campaigns, regulations, and debates. The artist writes using her own blood, drawn onsite, while her collaborators work with thread as a stand in for their “illegal” blood. 

Over the course of the performance, their actions create an increasingly tangled web, enveloping and impeding their shared space while reclaiming the image of the male hero. 

Deferral is a reaction to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy of refusing blood donations from men who have had sex with men (MSM). The FDA’s deferral policy started in 1983, and since 1992 the FDA has permanently deferred MSM donations, explaining: “A history of male-to-male sex is associated with an increased risk for the presence and transmission of certain infectious diseases, including HIV…” 

Non-monogamous heterosexuals who have knowingly engaged in intercourse with an HIV/AIDS-positive partner are subject to a one year deferral before they may donate blood. 

For Coble, Deferral is a commentary on the FDA policy and marketing slogans from blood donation campaigns that laud donors as “heroes” and as “special” while calling those who do not donate “wusses.” According to Coble, “gay men are never allowed to be heroes.”