Julian Navarro to direct Context Art Miami

Art Miami LLC has announced the appointment of Julian Navarro as Director of CONTEXT Art Miami - Miami's international emerging, mid-career cutting edge art fair which launched in 2012. Art Miami LLC annually presents CONTEXT during Miami Art Week, in addition to their International Contemporary and Modern Art Fair, Art Miami, which is celebrating its 25th year along with Aqua Art Miami. And most importantly, that's the art fair that we will be doing this coming December!

After a comprehensive selection process, involving several national and international candidates, it was determined that Julian Navarro was the appropriate choice to continue to grow and elevate the importance of the CONTEXT Art Miami fair.

"The appointment of Julian Navarro to the position of Director of the CONTEXT fair will strengthen the importance of the relationship between participating galleries, artists, collectors, curators, art professionals, the Fairs selection committee and the overall curatorial program", said Art Miami LLC Partner & Director, Nick Korniloff. Julian Navarro has been promoting the work of established and emerging artists focusing on contemporary art, from conceptual work to large-scale installation, performance and sound art. Since 2001, Julian has developed art projects nationally and internationally in collaboration with galleries and art institutions.

CONTEXT is the sister fair to Art Miami dedicated to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists. CONTEXT Art Miami's open atmosphere creates a meaningful dialogue between artists, galleries and collectors while providing the ultimate platform for the presentation of cutting-edge and emergent talent. Eighty international galleries, vetted by the CONTEXT Selection Committee, exhibit highlights from their gallery programs, solo artist exhibitions and curated projects. The combined efforts of CONTEXT and Art Miami provide a unique and alternative opportunity for leading primary dealers and their artists to be marketed and promoted internationally during the most important week for contemporary art in America.

In addition to its roster of international exhibitors, CONTEXT Art Miami will present curatorial projects, solo and special exhibitions as part of its 2014 edition. The full list of exhibitors and programming will be announced later this month.

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

Art studio space to rent in Bethesda...

Space available for rent NOW.  

Great group of women artists... Collegial atmosphere and a great location— Easy access to Bethesda Metro and public parking.  $201 per month for one year (+ insurance), with additional year on current lease.

For more information and to see space please contact Jane:  jrostov@verizon.net

2014 Marvel 75th Anniversary Iron Fist sketch card by Campello

2014 Marvel 75th Anniversary sketch card 

The card is officially licensed by Marvel

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.

Do not miss this opening!

Bridging the Past, Present, and Future: Recent Works by Sandra Ramos

When I was with Fraser Gallery, we first brought the work of Cuban artist Sandra Ramos to the US by giving Ramos her American debut in an independent fine arts commercial gallery in the epic "De Aqui y De Alla" show (that gallery's first "sold out" show) - subsequently Fraser Gallery gave Ramos her first US solo gallery show at our Georgetown gallery.

There are many DC area savvy collectors who bought Ramos back in those early shows.

Ramos has been in many museum and gallery shows worldwide since then, but this special Sandra Ramos traveling museum show comes to DC this weekend September 6 - October 19, 2014. Do not miss the opening!

Opening Reception: September 6 from 6 - 9 PM (My birthday!)

American University Museum at Katzen Arts Center

Tel: 202-885-1300     
Fax: 202-885-1140 museum@american.edu

4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016

Admission Free
Tue-Sun, 11:00-4:00
Fully Accessible
See Directions

(e)merge coming up!

We will be in rooms 205 - 206... Please come by and say hello... We will be showcasing the work of Tim Vermeulen, Judith Peck, Jeannette Herrera, Simon Monk, Audrey Wilson, Elissa Farrow-Savos and the kid.

The WaPo on Lida Moser

The Washington Post has a terrific piece on Lida Moser in today's Sunday edition. 

In her own work, Ms. Moser captured the Escher-like geometry of the Exxon building, the confident smiles of four boys in Harlem, the distance between two men seated inches apart on a city bench, the lonely anonymity of an office lobby and the peaceful solitude of a man resting next to a neat row of garbage cans.

One of her most noted works was “Judy and the Boys,” or “Mimicry.” Taken in 1961, the image reveals an encounter between a model — Ms. Moser’s intended subject — and a group of youngsters who invite themselves into the photo shoot. Surrounded by the grittiness of New York, the model strikes a sophisticated pose and raises her middle finger to the boys as they mimic her stance.

Read it here.

Upshur Street Books

Calling all Artists! Please join me in contributing to this Kickstarter Campaign to bring a new bookstore to Washington!

One of their areas of concentration will be Art Books! Consider buying a bookmark for $10, a Tote for $25 or a T-shirt designed by Nick Pimentel for $50.

Details here.

Upshur Street Books will be the first new independent bookstore to open in Washington, DC in 10 years and we need your help to open the doors. With the support of the community, we believe that this venture can be a successful one. The growing dominance of online retailing, digital books and widespread closures have all increased awareness of the challenges of opening a bookstore. Despite these challenges, the passion for printed books and the fellowship they create in our communities lives on and now independent bookstores are making a comeback. 

With both popular titles and niche selections that focus on Washington’s arts and literary communities, Upshur Street Books will also stock indie publications, unique gift items and host a variety of events, such as readings, book club meetings, exhibitions and other events that are free and open to the public. With the funds raised on this platform, we can create a vibrant space that meets the needs of our community and attract visitors from afar.

Independent bookstores sit at the center of our creative and intellectual community and encourage well-reasoned discourse and the spread of new ideas. Stocking the shelves with books that you may not be able to find on the internet or through big box retailers with the help of knowledgeable and passionate staff is something that Upshur Street Books seeks to promote.

Coming this weekend

"Man at MOMA" 1971 by Lida Moser

It took a tiny bit of arts activism, but finally both the New York Times and the Washington Post will be running obituaries of the legendary Lida Moser this weekend... 

Read a very nice piece in the Washington City Paper here.

Grace Hartigan: A Survey 1966-2007

Strathmore opens its 2014-2015 season of fine art programming with the museum-caliber exhibition Grace Hartigan: A Survey 1966-2007, a highlight of the art center’s 2014-2105 Season featuring 22 of the artist’s works on view in the Mansion at Strathmore from Saturday, September 6 through Sunday, November 9, 2014. 

Though her career started with the fabled New York School and friendships with contemporaries such as Jackson Pollock, Larry Rivers, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and poet Frank O’Hara, this exhibit focuses on her decades of independent  aesthetic development, leading to the years just prior to her passing in Baltimore in 2008. The exhibition was organized with the generous support of C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore; Maryland Art Place, Baltimore; the private collection of Suzi and David Cordish; and an anonymous collector. This is the first exhibition of its kind presented in the Mansion since 2005, when The Art of Music debuted with 45 musically-inspired works from the Baltimore Museum of Art. A free Opening Reception will be held Friday, September 19 from 7-9 p.m. For more information, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

Largely a self-taught painter, Hartigan was initially introduced to the work of Henri Matisse by a peer at the Newark College of Engineering, which sparked an enduring interest in modern art. She relocated to New York after World War II and moved into the world of Abstract Expressionism. She began to form her own artistic identity after seeing a Jackson Pollock exhibition in 1948. Pollock encouraged Hartigan to look at the work of Willem de Kooning, who would become a lifelong friend. She began to combine the large scale of Pollock’s works with de Kooning’s commitment to the Old Masters of art history, inserting recognizable imagery into her abstractions. This departure earned her a solo debut at New York’s Tibor de Nagy Gallery in 1951.

Hartigan was also intensely dedicated to literature, which provided themes and a broad cultural overview—a passion tied to her association with such poets as Frank O’Hara and Barbara Guest.

Her paintings were included in the 1956 exhibition 12 Americans at the Museum of Modern Art, and in the international touring exhibition The New American Painting from 1958-1959. Hartigan was one of few women painters to garner this level of exposure and recognition.

Hartigan’s work continued to evolve. Though she had distaste for Pop art, some stylistic elements were incorporated into her landmark works of the period, while her later work, beginning in the 1980s, was more representational. However, she continued to reference the Old Masters and to experiment with balancing figuration and abstraction.

Her marriage to Dr. Winston Price, research professor at the Johns Hopkins University, led to a move from New York to Baltimore in 1960. From 1965 until her death in 2008, she served as a teacher at and director of the Maryland Institute College of Art’s LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting.
While relocating to Baltimore denied Hartigan the regular New York exhibition opportunities that she had been afforded previously, it might be argued that it benefited her artistic vision. Hartigan became a keen observer of urban culture in Baltimore—a major theme in her art. Her distance from New York also allowed her to take a circumspect view of the rapidly changing art climate.

Education Programming
Strathmore will enhance the visitor experience of Grace Hartigan: A Survey 1966-2007 with public education programs.

The panel discussion Grace Hartigan: A Unique Force on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 11 a.m. convenes experts and acquaintances of Grace Hartigan to discuss her work and impact on the world of modern art. Panelists include Virginia K. Adams, art historian and Trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art; Rex Stevens, Chair of the Drawing and General Fine Arts departments at the Maryland Institute College of Art, a longtime friend of Hartigan’s, as well as her studio manager for 30 years; and Terence Diggory, curator, author and former Chairman of the English department at Skidmore College.

Art & Wine Night: Grace Hartigan on Friday, October 17, 2014 from 7-9 p.m. includes a guided tour of the exhibition and hands-on art activity reflecting Hartigan’s aesthetic, with wine and snacks. Admission is $35 per person and can be purchased through Strathmore’s website.
On Saturdays, September 13 and October 25, 2014 at 10:15 a.m., Children’s Talk & Tours invite children and their families to explore the exhibition and exercise their creativity through a hands-on abstract arts activity with professional working artists. Admission is $5 per child, with no charge for parent chaperones. Reservations are required for the Children’s Talk & Tours and can be made on Strathmore’s website.
At the Art Talk & Tour on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 1 p.m., adults will learn about the artwork in the exhibition from curator Harriet Lesser. This event is free, but registration is required and can be done on Strathmore’s website.

Harry Reid and The Internet Tax Freedom Act

From Ebay...

With the end of the 113^th Congress swiftly approaching, Congress has only a few short weeks left in the legislative calendar.  With the clock running out, proponents of the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) are actively trying to push the legislation through Congress and to the President’s desk by the end of the year. Although the Senate passed the MFA in May 2013, leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have announced their intention to find an alternative to the Senate-passed Internet sales tax bill and have refrained from moving the Senate-passed bill. Due to the fact that there appears to be little support to move the Senate passed MFA in the House, Senate leaders announced in July that they would try and pass the MFA by attaching it to the must-pass Internet Tax Freedom Act and bypass regular legislative procedure in the House.

The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) is an important piece of legislation that would make permanent the law that prevents state and local governments from imposing new taxes on Internet access and prohibits any multiple or discriminatory taxes on e-commerce. The current law is set to expire on November 1^st, which means if Congress fails to pass an extension, consumers and businesses across the country could see their Internet access bills go up in November. On July 15^th, the House passed a permanent extension of the law by voice vote and sent the bill to the Senate for consideration.

However, instead of agreeing to take up the House-passed ITFA, Senate leadership announced plans to combine ITFA with the Senate-passed MFA.

Although it is unclear if and when the Senate may move the newly combined ITFA/MFA bill, a group of bipartisan Senators has called on Senate leadership not to attach the Senate-passed Marketplace Fairness Act to the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Like eBay Inc., these Senators have expressed concerns with how the Marketplace Fairness Act would impact small tech-enabled small businesses that rely on Internet and mobile platforms to compete in the retail marketplace.

eBay Inc. continues to believe that small tech-enabled businesses should be protected from a new burdensome sales tax regime and opposes the Senate-passed Marketplace Fairness Act, because it lacks strong small business protections. If you share our concerns with the Marketplace Fairness Act, we would encourage you to visit our Action Center and tell your Members of Congress that you oppose Internet sales tax legislation that hurts small businesses.

For more information on the Internet sales tax issue and eBay Inc.’s position, please visit their issues page.

6th Annual Expressions Portrait Competition

Deadline: Tuesday September 9, 2014 at 2 PM

 

Finalists from the competition will be featured in the 6th annual Expressions Portrait Exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon Tuesday, October 7 through Sunday November 2, 2014.  This year's judge is Jordan Xu and the jurors are Judith Peck and Michela Mansuino.

Jordan Xu will announce the winners at during the awards reception on Saturday, October 11, 2014. 

First Place - $500
Second Place $200

Third Place $100
Four Honorable Mentions

Artists 18 years or older residing in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Delaware can enter original 2-D or 3-D portraiture. (No photography, electronic or computer generated/ assisted art, or reproductions).

 

There is a nominal $25 entry fee (non-refundable) for up to 2 entries.

Click on the links below for full details and to enter.

Get more information

Register Now

Thumbnails Are Not An Infringement

The ubiquity of digital cameras has had a dramatic effect on professional photographer fees, yet stock companies like Getty Images have benefited greatly from the new paradigm, helped in part by a Draconian lawsuit strategy that some have categorized as nothing short of extortion. However, with Getty Images sending out so many copyright infringement demand letters, the company was bound to extort the wrong target, which in this case is the Florida law firm, Schneider Rothman Intellectual Property Law

Read the whole article here.

Judy Collins 1962

Judy Collins. c. 1962 by Lida Moser

This is why...

If posting has been a little slow lately, it is because my youngest daughter Elise was getting married over the weekend and we've been hanging out in gorgeous Gig Harbor, Washington!

And here's the bride and now Mrs. Elise Torralbo Campello

rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock

Training the boy to do his Vulcan salute so that he can play rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock...

Looking at Maurice Sievans paintings

"Looking at Maurice Sievans paintings from L to R Anna Moser, Lee Sievan, Berenice Abbott."

This is a vintage 1952 Lida Moser photograph. Moser hand-printed all her own photographs and rarely printed more than 5-6 images of any photo.

The photo was hand-printed by Moser on 8 x10 inch paper and it is signed, dated and annotated by Moser in pencil recto on verso. On the verso Moser has written in pencil: "Looking at Maurice Sievans paintings from L to R Anna Moser, Lee Sievan, Berenice Abbott."

(e)merge art fair announces exhibition roster

The (e)merge art fair returns for a fourth year with the 2014 edition featuring an international roster of 85 exhibitors presenting works by 150 artists from 30 countries. Exhibitors will show new works in painting, sculpture, video, performance, installation, and other media. For four days, the public is welcome to view a carefully curated selection of emerging art at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, exhibited on three levels inside the hotel and throughout the hotel's grounds and public spaces.

GALLERY PLATFORM > galleries and art spaces:

ARGENTINA: Acuarell Contemporary Art, Buenos Aires / C-Arte, Buenos Aires / Centro de Edición, Buenos Aires / Deseado Arroyo, Buenos Aires | BELGIUM: NOMAD, Brussels / GKV/Magenta Projects, Ostend | BOLIVIA: Salar Galería de Arte, La Paz | FRANCE: galerie bruno massa, Paris | GERMANY: polarraum, Hamburg | JAMAICA: ARC & NLS, Kingston | THE NETHERLANDS: Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam | SAUDI ARABIA: Naila Art Gallery, Riyadh | U.S.A.: Adamson Gallery, Washington, DC / Alida Anderson Art Projects, Potomac, MD / All We Art, Washington, DC / Atanda Gallery, Washington, DC / Aureus Contemporary, Providence, RI / Blind Whino, Washington, DC / Bodega de la Haba Presents, New York, NY / Causey Contemporary, New York, NY / CONNERSMITH., Washington, DC / DCCAH, Washington, DC / Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC / Hamiltonian, Washington, DC / I.B.Clark Gallery, New Hope, PA / KiloWatt Gallery, Newark, NJ / Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, FL / Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, DC / Present Company, Brooklyn, NY / Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia, PA / Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC / Transformer, Washington, DC / Victori Contemporary, New York, NY / Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

ARTIST PLATFORM > independent artists:

Adam Hager, Washington, DC | Amy Finkelstein, Takoma Park, MD | Ana Schmidt, Getxo, Spain | Andrey Ustinov, Cologne, Germany | Anne Bouie, Washington, DC | Annie Albagli, Richmond, VA | Apollonia Vanova, Toronto, Canada | Becky Borlan, Takoma Park, MD | Ben Schonberger, Alexandria, VA | Ben Tolman, Washington, DC | Christopher Capriotti, Philadelphia, PA | Cici Wu, Beijing, China / Baltimore, MD | Dan Hildt, Alexandria, VA | Edel Gregan, Waterford, Ireland / McLean, VA | Eduardo Terranova, Cali, Colombia / New York, NY | Elizabeth Brown, Manassas, VA | Evan Hume, Washington, DC | Fawna Xiao, Washington, DC | Fiorella Gonzales Vigil, Lima, Peru / New York, NY | Galen Odell-Smedley, Mt. Rainier, MD | Heloisa Escudero, São Paulo, Brazil / Arlington, VA | Holly Bass, Washington, DC | Jake Singer, Johannesburg, South Africa | James Bernard Cole, Washington, DC | Jarri Hasnain, Leesburg, VA | Jeffrey Hensley, Ellicott City, MD | Joana Fischer, Ahlen, Germany / Miami, FL | John Franzen, Aachen, Germany / Maastricht, Netherlands | Joshua Bennett, Richmond, VA | Justin Wood, Miami, FL | Karine Falleni, Tucson, AZ | Madeleine Cutrona, Baltimore, MD | Magali Hébert-Huot, Jim Leach + Zack Ingram, Quebec City, Canada / Baltimore, MD | Mercedes Teixido, Claremont, CA | Nara Park, Seoul, South Korea / Washington, DC | Nicole Salimbene, Takoma Park, MD | Rachel Schmidt + André Singleton, Arlington, VA / Brooklyn, NY | Rebecca Ruige Xu, Beijing, China / Syracuse, NY | Sebastian Martorana, Baltimore, MD | Sha Sha Feng + Tami Gold, Brooklyn, NY | Sheldon Scott, Washington, DC | Stephen Hendee, Baltimore, MD | Sui Park, Seoul, South Korea / Brooklyn, NY | Tatiana Gulenkina, Washington, DC | Terence Hannum, Parkville, MD | Travis Beauchene, Fargo, ND | Trisha Kanellopoulos, Munich, Germany

FAIR HOURS + ADMISSION:

> Thursday, October 2
5pm – 7pm / (e)merge VIP & Press Preview. By invitation only.
7pm – 9pm / OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW
9pm - 11pm / Concert by the Pool with Furniteur, Pleasure Curses, and Chris Burns (dj set)
> Friday, October 3: 12pm – 7pm
Students with valid ID free: 12pm – 3pm
> Saturday, October 4: 12pm – 7pm
> Sunday, October 5: 12pm – 5pm

Trawick Prize

A friendly reminder that the annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards exhibit opens in two weeks on Wednesday, September 3 at Gallery B in Bethesda. The exhibit will showcase the work of this year’s nine finalists who were selected from more than 400 applicants. The award winners will be announced on September 4.

The public opening reception will be held Friday, September 12 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. Gallery hours for the duration of the exhibit are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 – 6pm.

Larry Cook, Landover Hills, MD

Lisa Dillin, Baltimore, MD

Neil Feather, Baltimore, MD

Zoe Friedman, Baltimore, MD

Nicole Lenzi, Baltimore, MD

Kim Llerena, Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Monaghan, Washington, D.C.

Martine Workman, Washington, D.C.

Naoko Wowsugi, Washington, D.C.