OUT Auction NYC 2009


The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is staging their 8th annual OUTAuction NYC - their annual art event to celebrate established and emerging artists, while recognizing GLAAD’s Top 100 Artists.

Since 2002, GLAAD has produced this annual fund raising event to support their programmatic work. Part art auction and part glamorous cocktail reception, I am told that OUTAuction NYC is one of those NYC "must attend events" of the fall season. Vanessa Williams, and others are on this year’s Honorary Committee and will be there that night as will the brilliant artist Ross Bleckner, who will be there to accept their "OUT In Art" award that will be given on the night of OUTAuction.

This is a great cause. You can view the works online and bid for them here.

And I have been honored to have been invited and selected as one of their 100 artists this year, which include:

Joshua Abelow, Liam Alexander, Ron Amato, Jennifer Andrews, Dee Ann and Tom McCarthy, Drora Bashan, Mark Beard, Jazzmine Beaulieu, Mikeal Beland, Bruce Bellas, Matthew Benedict, Bob Brisley, JaclynBrown, Jessica Burke, F. Lennox Campello, Luis Carle, Marc Van Cauwenbergh, Michael Cavayero, K-soul Cherix, Chad Chisholm, Meagan Cignoli, Juliette Conroy, Cesar Cornejo, Francisco Correa-Cordero, Aaron Czerny, Gabriel Dawe, Guerra De La Paz, Peter Doig, Favi Dudo, Troy Dunham & Jeff Eason, Dan Elhedery, Jeff Elliott, Hugo Fernandes, Eric Freeman, Ted Gahl, Gina Garan, Keith Haring, Hugh Hysell, Chasen Ingleheart, Leslie Jenchel, Wassily Kandinsky, Justin Kim, Michael Kirwan, Steven Klein, Lars Klingstedt, Aaron Krach, Enrique Limon, Marc Lodovico, Aimee LoSecco, Frank Louis, Richard Lund, Jane Martin, Caroline McAuliffe, James McKissic, Patrick McMullan, Trevor Messersmith, Emmy Mikelson, Matthew Miller, Adia Millett, Joan Miro, Daniel Monteavaro, Dave Muller, Kenneth Nadel, Math-You, Namie, Patrick Neal, Olek, Stephen Olivier, Kenneth Pietrobono, Pedro Pena, Adam Pendleton, Haq Qureshi, Benjie Randall, Gina Raphaella, Akili Richards, Pau Richmond, Herb Ritts, David Rohn, Kay Rosen, Lisa Ross, Heidi Russell, Andrew Salgado, Jamison Sarteschi, Chris Schiffelbein, Laurie Schorr, Larry Schulte, Jay Shinn, Deborah Sosower, Deborah Standard, Greg Stephens, Christopher Stout, Rivka Tabak, Nikki Terry, Jeffrey Teuton, James Totulis, Glenn Tramantano, Matteo Trisolini, Ryan Turley, Joel Voisard, Corey Willis and Becky Yazdan.

Check it all out online and bid for artwork here.

I have this piece in the auction... it would be nice if it stayed local and one of you would put up a good bid for it.

"Woman who Finally Figured Out a Way to be Outside the Influence of Men"
Charcoal and conte on paper, c.2008
35 x 30 inches by F. Lennox Campello
Click on it for a larger image and then bid for it here.

What to call this dish?

It started with about two pounds of pork chops... I deboned them and cut the pork meat into strips.

Meanwhile in a big frying pan I heated some olive oil... a generous portion, and added salt and pepper to the oil. Once it was hot I put the pork strips in the pan and browned it in the hot oil on high for a few minutes.

Once the meat wasn't raw on the outside, I added a few shakes of paprika and a few generous shakes of La Cena brand Adobo seasoning plus a few good shakes of powdered garlic and a couple of dashes of Lawry's seasoned salt. I then turn the heat to low, covered it and cooked it for about 15 minutes.

Once all that was reduced, I added a few shakes from a bottle of lemon juice, turned the heat really low and covered it and let it cook for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I cut some leftover baked potatoes into cubes and threw them in. Mixed everything in, stirred it and covered it all up.

Then I got a box of cleaned, sliced mushrooms and threw them in. Mixed everything in, stirred it and covered it all up. Cut up a huge Walla Walla sweet onion and threw that wonder of Nature in there as well.

I tasted it and it was really good so far.

Things were getting a little dry, so I added more lemon juice, and stirred everything up.

Cut up a lot of cilantro and added it to the mixture.

Heat down to minimum... it's ready to eat now essentially, but I want some starches and thus I cook some white rice and cook up some Cuban black beans (that recipe will be up soon... my shortcut is super fast and easy).

The pork was amazing! I am sure this is a new discovery, at least for me. And so what should I call this new pork recipe?

Let me know in the comments.

The Cuba series

Things We Find in the Move One of the great things about moving (probably the only good thing) is that we often find things that we'd forgotten about. These pieces below are from a set of about 100 small watercolors that I did for one of my senior year exhibition projects at the University of Washington School of Art in 1981. Probably 40-50 of these have sold over the years. They all have the map of the island of Cuba as the focus.

Update: Some of these images are from owners that bought some of these sending them to me.

"Isla Prision (Prison Island)"
c. 1980, Ink wash and wood rods on paper
In the collection of The Cuban Studies Institute, Miami, Florida

"Isla Prision"
Monoprint enhanced with Charcoal and pins, c.1980
In a private collection in New Jersey

"Isla Prision"
Monoprint enhanced with watercolor and pins, c.1980
In a private collection in Florida

Isla Encadenada
Acrylic on paper with metal chain, c. 1979

Isla Encadenada
Colored pencils on paper with metal chain, c. 1979

"Isla Herida" c. 1978

"Donde crece la palma" 1978

"The Island that Time Forgot" 1981

"Mi verso es un ciervo herido Que busca en el monte amparo" 1979

"Stabbed Island" 1980


"Isla Roja" (Red Island) 1981


"Isla Carcel" (Jail Island) 1981


"Isla Encarcelada" (Jailed Island) 1981


"Isla Ensangrentada" (Bloodied Island) 1981


"Isla Encadenada" (Chained Island) 1981


Isla Pesadilla (Nightmare Island) 1981


Isla en Jaula (Caged Island) 1981


"Isla en Goma" (Inner Tube Island) 1981


"Isla Prisionera" (Prisoner Island) 1981


Isla Deshuesada (Deboned Island) 1981

"Isla Llorona", oil on board c. 1978

"Isla Clavada (Nailed Island)"
1980 Color pencils and embedded nails

"Isla Abandonada (Abandoned Island)"
Oil and Acrylic on Gessoed Board, 8x10 inches, c.1979
In a private collection in Hialeah, Florida

Nubes Lloronas, Oil on board, c.1979

"Isla Llorona", oil on board, c.1978
In the collection of Queens' University, Charlotte, NC

Cuba, Isla Desbaratada (Cuba, Disassembled Island). Pen and Ink. 2009.


Cuba, Isla Encarcelada (Cuba, Jailed Island). Watercolor and Wire. 2009.



Cuba, Isla Judia (Cuba, Jewish Island). Watercolor. 2009.

Isla Prisionera
In a private collection in Miami, Florida

Isla Balsera
Location Unknown (Sold at Pike Pace Market, Seattle in 1978-79)

"Isla Balsera (Raft Island)" - Happy Birthday America, Wishing We Were There!
Collage on Paper, Framed to 30x40 inches, c. 1976
Was in a private Collection in New Jersey - donated to American University Art Museum in 2015

"Isla Prision (Prison Island)" By F. Lennox Campello
c. 1978, Charcoal on paper
In a private collection in New Jersey

"Isla Prisión" (Prison Island)
Watercolor on Paper by F. Lennox Campello, c. 1977

Wanna go to an opening this week?

Opening Reception: Wednesday, November 11, 6 - 8 pm

Curator's Office will have the third solo exhibition of Korean-born artist Jiha Moon. For this exhibition, the gallery will

... present works exploring the nature of place and its inspiration on creative output. Works include three square-format Hanji paper over canvas pieces and four horizontal works on Hanji paper. There is a special emphasis on abstraction in many of these works. As Moon is currently an artist-in-residence at The Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia, the influence of textiles is subtly apparent as several works incorporate small embroidered areas, a departure for the artist.



The works in the exhibition were created both in her Korea and Atlanta-based studios. This division in working locations provoked the artist to explore the cultural influence of a precise place in an increasingly dizzying global world. For example, in the ironically titled work, An Exact Place, Moon looked at different national flags and how these vibrantly colored but mostly abstract images try to represent a specific culture. An interchangeable quality emerges for the artist as she notes, "if you change around the positions of some colored stripes, one flag can represent different nations, for example the similarities between Italy and Mexico or France and Russia." She deconstructs the flag stripes and situates them sinuously through the work and its many focal points thereby creating an invented universality where the nexxus of culture and location allows for hybrid cultures to emerge. This visual universality includes stars, moons, suns, animals, plants and weapons -- also derived from specific flags -- but germane to us all.

Another great source of inspiration for the artist is dancheong, an ancient Korean style of decorative painting using 5 primary colors and specific elaborate patterns. Going back more than two thousand years, the murals are found mostly on the exteriors of ceremonial wooden buildings.

Jury Duty today

Potomac Valley Watercolorists artists from the greater Washington metropolitan area will exhibit original paintings at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane, Arlington, VA, on Saturday, November 7, 3:00-7:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 8, 12:00-4:00 p.m.

A wide variety of sizes and styles (including both framed and unframed paintings) will be available for sale (cash, check or credit card). Admittance is free, refreshments will be provided and exhibiting artists will be on site.

It will be my honor to award the prizes at this exhibit and to chat with the artists and discuss the work after the awards ceremonies.

Potomac Valley Watercolorists (PVW) is a regional organization of water media painters who have been selected for membership through a highly competitive process. Members have exhibited extensively at the local, national and international levels.

When: Saturday, November 7, 3:00-7:00pm, and Sunday, November 8, 12:00-4:00pm

Details here.

Civilian Moves

Cat's out of the bag about Civilian Art Projects move to the 7th Street, NW block... details here.

Opening in Richmond today

THINKSMALL5 the fifth biennial International Miniature Invitational Exhibition at art6 and artspace galleries located in Richmond, Virginia.

500 local, national, and international artists who have been invited to consider this challenge by the co-curators, Shann Palmer, Gallery Coordinator, art6 Gallery and Jessica L. Sims, Vice-President, artspace Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: Friday, November 6 through Saturday, December 20, 2009
Preview Reception: Thursday, November 5, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm
Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 6, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm

Some of the Participating Artists include Alan Entin, Anne Savedge, Annette Norman, Beth Beaven, Burton Tysinger, Cary Loving, Catherine Johnson, Chuck Scalin, Debbie and Andrew Campbell, Diego Sanchez, Emma Lou Martin, Foust, Gloria Blades, Hazel Buys, James Miller, Jane Vaught, Jessica Sims, Judy Anderson, Kathleen Westkaemper, Margaret Buchanan, Marian Hollowell, Martin McFadden, LRPS, Matthew Lively, Mim Gulob Scalin, Nancy Smith, Noah Scalin, Page Moran, Paul Kehrer, Rob Tarbell, Robin Ryder, Santa Sergio De Haven, Shelia Gray, Susanne Arnold, Tricia Pearsall, Virginia Tyack, Yvonne Cook and yours truly.

Star Stacking

Last July, President Barack Obama raised eyebrows when he hired actor Kal Penn, best known for his role in the stoner-humor Harald and Kumar movies, as a liaison to the arts and Asian-American and Pacific Island communities in the Office of Public Engagement. Now, a year after his election, he's announced a star-studded lineup for the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, a largely ceremonial group, chaired by First Lady Michelle Obama, that advises the president on cultural issues.

Check it out here.

Medusa

Medusa. Charcoal and conte on paper. c.2009
6 feet by 20 inches
By F. Lennox Campello

Opening in Richmond today

THINKSMALL5 the fifth biennial International Miniature Invitational Exhibition at art6 and artspace galleries located in Richmond, Virginia.

500 local, national, and international artists who have been invited to consider this challenge by the co-curators, Shann Palmer, Gallery Coordinator, art6 Gallery and Jessica L. Sims, Vice-President, artspace Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: Friday, November 6 through Saturday, December 20, 2009
Preview Reception: Thursday, November 5, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm
Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 6, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm

Some of the Participating Artists include Alan Entin, Anne Savedge, Annette Norman, Beth Beaven, Burton Tysinger, Cary Loving, Catherine Johnson, Chuck Scalin, Debbie and Andrew Campbell, Diego Sanchez, Emma Lou Martin, Foust, Gloria Blades, Hazel Buys, James Miller, Jane Vaught, Jessica Sims, Judy Anderson, Kathleen Westkaemper, Margaret Buchanan, Marian Hollowell, Martin McFadden, LRPS, Matthew Lively, Mim Gulob Scalin, Nancy Smith, Noah Scalin, Page Moran, Paul Kehrer, Rob Tarbell, Robin Ryder, Santa Sergio De Haven, Shelia Gray, Susanne Arnold, Tricia Pearsall, Virginia Tyack, Yvonne Cook and yours truly.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: Nov. 20th, 2009

If you read this blog then you know that I've been always very impressed with the BlackRock Center for the Arts gallery's 1500 square feet of exquisite gallery space. With its high white walls and beautiful windows strategically placed, this gorgeous gallery allows in just the right amount of natural light. BlackRock Center for the Arts is located at 12901 Town Commons Drive Germantown, MD in upper Montgomery County, about 20 minutes from the Capital Beltway (495).

They currently have a call to artists and the call is open to all artists residing in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC over the age of 18.

Original artwork only. All work must be ready for sale and to be presented in a professional manner to the public at the time of delivery.

This call will cover exhibits in the gallery from September 2010 through August 2011. An exhibit may include one applicant or a combination of applicants, based on the judgment of jurors (i.e., 1 or 2 wall artists may be combined with a pedestal artist). A jury will select the artists and create eight exhibits to be included in the exhibit year. The jury panel is comprised of my good friend and gallerist Elyse Harrison, Jodi Walsh, and yours truly.

Jurying: First Week of December
Notification: Early January
Exhibit Year: Sept. 2010 – Aug. 2011

How to apply: All correspondence will be done by e-mail, so contact Kimberly Onley, the Gallery Coordinator at konley@blackrockcenter.org and ask her to email you a prospectus.

Don't wait to the last minute! Get the prospectus now!

Strauss Fellowships for individual artists

Deadline: Jan 19, 2010

This will be the third year for the Strauss Fellowships for individual artists. The unique feature of these fellowships is, that the Arts Council of Fairfax County does not tie these applications to project grants.

Strauss Fellowships support and encourage Fairfax County’s finest creative artists in all disciplines and recognize professional working artists’ achievements and their demonstrated history of accomplishments; they promote artists’ continued pursuit of their creative work.

The 2009 awardees were: Susan Eder and Craig Dennis, Thomas Evert and Susana Weingarten, Jonathan Fisher, Gueorgui Kotchev, Todd Messegee, Michele Montalbano, Guy Rando, Huguette Roe, Lynda Smith-Bugge, Karen Studd, and Novie Trump.

Details here.

The Power of the Web

Well... the power of this blog really.

A while back I wrote a review of Shelly Voorhees at the gorgeous Black Rock Arts Center in Gaithersburg.

Gallerist Sheila Giolitti from Mayer Fine Art in Norfolk read the review, contacted Shelly and when an unexpected opening in her scheduled happened (gallerists hate that!), she gave Voorhees a solo show! I believe that they're also taking Voorhees work to the Art Basel fairs in Miami later this year.


This is the main reason why artists should always look around for opportunities and show their work as much as possible. One never knows who is about to see your work and what doors are about to happen.

And here is a great opportunity.

Potomac Valley Watercolorists Annual Fall Art Exhibit and Sale

When: Saturday, November 7, 3:00-7:00pm, and Sunday, November 8, 12:00-4:00pm

Potomac Valley Watercolorists artists from the greater Washington metropolitan area will exhibit original paintings at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane, Arlington, VA, on Saturday, November 7, 3:00-7:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 8, 12:00-4:00 p.m.

A wide variety of sizes and styles (including both framed and unframed paintings) will be available for sale (cash, check or credit card). Admittance is free, refreshments will be provided and exhibiting artists will be on site.

It will be my honor to award the prizes at this exhibit.

Potomac Valley Watercolorists (PVW) is a regional organization of water media painters who have been selected for membership through a highly competitive process. Members have exhibited extensively at the local, national and international levels.

Details here.

Art Teacher Exhibition

Opening reception of the Fairfax County Public Schools Art Teacher Exhibition is Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm at Northern VA Community College - Annandale

If you can't make the reception, you should try to stop by and see all the work. The show is up November 2-14 @ the Ernst Community Cultural Center on the Annandale NVCC campus.

Interns Needed

One of my absolutely top favorite artists around the DC area is the ubiquitous Mark Jenkins, the street artist genius that I call the "tape dude."

Mark has a few shows lined up and he is in dire need of some interns.

Anyone interested should email Mark at daylightdrama@yahoo.com.

SOFAlab is tomorrow

How and where do art and science - two seemingly disparate disciplines of intellectual inquiry - overlap? And, at that confluence, what can practitioners of both disciplines learn to expand their unique fields of knowledge and to affect consciousness?

SOFAlab on Nov. 5, 2009.

SOFAlab's keynote speaker, Tod Machover - Professor of Music and Media at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, the inventor of Hyperinstruments, a trained-Juilliard musician, and, the man Los Angeles Times deemed, “America's Most Wired Composer” - will bring his boundless knowledge of creative technology to the discussion. With each of Machover's innovations, such as his Hyperinstruments, Hyperscore, Brain Opera, Toy Symphony and MMH (Music, Mind and Health), he has intentionally explored the space where science and art collide and in doing so challenged traditional perceptions of both fields.

Expanding the discussion further, SOFAlab's panelists will include Maria Barbosa, Professor of Biology and a DC-based installation artist, Ernesto Barreto, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University, and Brandon Morse, Professor of Digital Media at the University of Maryland and a DC-based video installation artist specializing in 3-D environments and animation software.

SOFAlab takes place on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 - 6pm reception, 7pm keynote address & panel at the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 1530 P Street, NW, Washington, DC. Free and Open to the Public.

For more information please contact the organizers: Helen Frederick, Shanti Norris, or Paul So, or view the event website at /www.hamiltonianartists.org/sofalab.

FotoWeek DC

So now I've got the press release and all the details on FotoWeek DC:

FotoWeek DC is one of the largest international photography festivals in the world, and it returns to Washington, DC with The FotoWeek DC Awards competition exhibition November 7 – 14, 2009 and an unprecedented roster of events and participating organizations.

Established in 2008, FotoWeek DC "celebrates the profession, the art and the sweeping influence of photography, embracing local, national and international communities of photographers, students, amateurs and the general public during its week long festivities in Washington, DC and the surrounding region."

"FotoWeek DC, in just two years, has evolved from a city wide photography festival to one of international scope,” said Theo Adamstein, Founder of FotoWeek DC. “Through our partnership with world-renowned photographers, we are thrilled to present numerous exhibitions, lectures and programs that encompass a broad spectrum of photography from editorial photojournalism to experimental fine art--and everything in between. This inspiring week-long festival celebrates what photography means to people today, from both a local and a global perspective.”

Highlights include:

• The 2009 FotoWeek DC Awards competition, which has received more than 3,500 images from photographers in 39 states and 28 countries. Photojournalism, editorial, commercial and fine art imagery from twenty-eight countries has been submitted both in single and series form, as well as in multimedia pieces that combine the strength of still images with video, sound and graphics. Open to professionals, amateurs and students with $21,500 in cash awards, including the $5,000 prestigious Spirit of Washington Award, the FotoWeek DC 2009 Awards are judged by a panel that includes many of the industry's most elite editors, photographers and executives. Awards in 12 categories will be presented at the National Geographic Society’s Headquarters on Thursday, November 5, 2009, and the finalists’ work will be featured in the Awards exhibition at FotoWeek Central 1, located at 3338 M Street NW.

• FotoWeek DC and curator Lucian Perkins, himself a Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist, will present special exhibitions of work never before seen in Washington, DC, including new images from Iraq, Russia, and Cuba. Also on view will be “Thy Brother's Keeper,” a powerful exhibition of work by twenty-five esteemed photojournalists who “chronicle the complex multidimensional issues related to global justice and human rights transgressions.”

• The FotoWeek DC Lecture Series, featuring renowned photographers including Tim Hetherington, Lincoln Schatz, Deborah Willis, Matthew Niederhauser, and Ernesto Bazan at American University’s Katzen Arts Center and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

• NightVisions, the first-ever, all night FotoWeek DC live photo shoot in which area photographers are encouraged to participate by shooting and delivering their images to FotoWeek Central 1 (3338 M Street NW) for immediate downloading, printing and displaying.

• NightGallery DC, where visitors will experience the ephemeral magic that comes when light meets surface during a dazzling display of multi-story, large scale projections on the façade of FotoWeek Central 1(3338 M Street NW) of finalists’ work from the FotoWeek DC Awards competition and of selected images from FotoWeek DC special exhibitions. Select buildings in Rosslyn (November 6-8) and Crystal City (November 8-10) will also feature projections, all beginning at dusk.

•FotoWeek DC's 2nd ANNUAL PORTFOLIO REVIEW DAY, Sunday, November 8, 2009 organized by The American Society of Picture Professionals and the Corcoran College of Art + Design, brings 20 nationally acclaimed photography professionals to review the work of participating photographers who sign up in advance.

• Multiple embassies sponsoring FotoWeek DC exhibitions and events, including the official opening reception on November 7, 2009 at the House of Sweden, co-hosted by the American Film Institute featuring “What Lies Beneath: Nature & Urban Landscape in EU Photography,” curated by Judith Turner Yamamoto.

• From DC to Maryland to Virginia, galleries and arts organizations throughout the area are presenting exhibitions, lectures, book signings and more. Whether displaying the work of local photographers or photography of national renown, the gallery community will be united by its focus during FotoWeek DC.

Please visit www.fotoweekdc.org for a full itinerary of events, registration for portfolio reviews, and donation opportunities.

The Little Junester...

That my friends, is Anderson Lennox Campello at eight weeks! The only nickname that seems to stick is Little Junes, a diminutive of Junior, which is what he was called when he was in his momma's belly and before he had a name. Poor kid, if it sticks he's gonna have to do some fightin' in school.

This Saturday: Anne Truitt at Osuna

Anne Truitt, "Untitled", 1972, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 96 inches
This Saturday, November 7, 2009, from 2-5 pm, my good friend and fellow Cuban-American Ramon Osuna will open Anne Truitt - A Selection of: Sculpture, Paintings, and Drawings. The show goes through January 9, 2010.

This Friday: Laurel Lukaszewski at Project 4

Project 4 will present a solo exhibition of new works by local ceramics artist, and my good friend Laurel Lukaszewski. The Opening Reception is this Friday, November 6, 2009 - 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

The conception of this body of work arises from the artist's interest in the Japanese phrase, "ichi-go ichi-e", which roughly translates to "one moment, one time" in English.

The simple and elegant individual porcelain forms that Lukaszewski creates for this exhibition become rich and expansive installations throughout the gallery.

While the artist is clearly inspired by specific forms from the natural world, her poetic installations come to evoke a more abstract sense of the transient beauty present in all of our experience, physical and emotional. Lukaszewski explains that the phrase "icho-go ichi-e", which derives from the Japanese tea ceremony, corresponds to the work in this exhibition serving "both as an encouragement to seize the day and as a memorial for what has been lost."

Laurel Lukaszewski has exhibited her work in galleries and institutions throughout the country, and was recently invited to participate in the ARTworks 2009 Artist Residency at the Holland Hall School in Tulsa, OK.

FotoWeek DC (I guess)

I haven't received a single press release from the FotoWeekDC people, without an argument one of the best things that has happened to DC photography ever... but I have received tons of individual press releases from the myriad of participating galleries, alternative art venues and museums.

Thus let me pick one to share the events with all of you:

The Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design is proud to support FotoWeek DC 2009 as a Palladium Sponsor – the highest level of sponsorship and the only cultural institution in this category. In addition to a full range of programming, the Corcoran will showcase artwork from the College of Art + Design at FotoWeek Central (3338 M Street, NW) during the annual photography celebration. Corcoran FotoWeek programming highlights include:

· Portfolio reviews on Sunday, November 8 from prominent photographers of all specialties

· Special guest lecture by artist Edward Burtynsky on Wednesday, November 11, who will discuss the “industrial sublime” in his work, including Edward Burtynsky: Oil, a large-scale photo exhibition now on view at the Corcoran

· The FotoWeek DC lecture series Saturday, November 14, featuring work from photographers in Cuba, Beijing, and Iraq.

Interesting choice of nations to feature... anyway, for details visit www.corcoran.org/fotoweekdc. For a full schedule of FotoWeekDC events and programs, visit www.fotoweekdc.org.

Wanna go to an opening this Friday?

Opening Reception: Friday, November 6, 6:00-8:00PM.

Bernabe Mendez from the State of Guerrero works as a professional window cleaner in New York. He sends 500 dollars a month.
20x24 inches, C-print mounted. c. 2004-2005 by Dulce Pinzón
The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery (located at 1632 U Street, NW in DC) will have the opening of The Real Story of the Superheroes, featuring photographs by Mexican photographer Dulce Pinzón.

This exhibition introduces the Latino immigrant in New York in a satirical documentary style featuring ordinary men and women in their work environment donning superhero garb. In doing so, Pinzón raises questions of both our definition of American heroism and the ignorance of and indifference to the workforce that fuels our ever-consuming economy.

The exhibition runs November 4 - 28.

Judkis on Wodzianski

Turning his show into a game has brought a great deal of publicity, but it's also had the unsavory effect of distracting people from the exquisite paintings.

Read a really cool piece by Maura Judkis on Andrew Wodzianski here.

Man Falling from the Sky

Man Falling from the Sky
Charcoal on paper, c. 2009
11 x 3 inches
F. Lennox Campello

Wanna go to an opening in Richmond this week?

THINKSMALL5 the fifth biennial International Miniature Invitational Exhibition at art6 and artspace galleries located in Richmond, Virginia.

500 local, national, and international artists who have been invited to consider this challenge by the co-curators, Shann Palmer, Gallery Coordinator, art6 Gallery and Jessica L. Sims, Vice-President, artspace Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: Friday, November 6 through Saturday, December 20, 2009
Preview Reception: Thursday, November 5, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm
Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 6, 2009, from 7 to 10 pm

Some of the Participating Artists include Alan Entin, Anne Savedge, Annette Norman, Beth Beaven, Burton Tysinger, Cary Loving, Catherine Johnson, Chuck Scalin, Debbie and Andrew Campbell, Diego Sanchez, Emma Lou Martin, Foust, Gloria Blades, Hazel Buys, James Miller, Jane Vaught, Jessica Sims, Judy Anderson, Kathleen Westkaemper, Margaret Buchanan, Marian Hollowell, Martin McFadden, LRPS, Matthew Lively, Mim Gulob Scalin, Nancy Smith, Noah Scalin, Page Moran, Paul Kehrer, Rob Tarbell, Robin Ryder, Santa Sergio De Haven, Shelia Gray, Susanne Arnold, Tricia Pearsall, Virginia Tyack, Yvonne Cook and yours truly.

Congrats!

To Potomac-born and raised (and now Austin, TX resident) and my good friend Desiree Ficker, who finished 10th in the NYC marathon over the weekend!

Is that awesome or what? Des also finished second in the Ironman in Hawaii a couple of years ago.

Super athlete.

Such a huge example to others

If you read this blog consistently then you know that over the years I've raved about the generosity of my good friend Carol Trawick, not only the sponsor of the annual Trawick Prize, easily the region's most coveted and prestigious art prize, and also the sponsor of the Bethesda Painting Awards, but also the guardian angels of the arts in the Bethesda area where she resides.

And last week, Bethesda's Imagination Stage accepted a $2.5 million personal donation from Carol Trawick and her deceased husband, Jim. The gift was announced at Imagination Stage’s 30th Anniversary Gala at on Saturday, October 24. First Lady Michelle Obama was Honorary Chair of this event. According to Bradford Pearson in the Gazette:

For Imagination Stage, elation reigns supreme.

"We were all overjoyed," said Brett Ashley Crawford, managing director of the theater. "Just in awe."

Imagination Stage has theater and arts programs for children of all ages and abilities. The donation will be spread over 10 years, Crawford said, and will go toward paying down a $4 million debt, incurred when the group moved into its location in 2003.

The gift is the largest the theater company has ever received, according to founder Bonnie Fogel. Previously, the largest amount was $1 million from The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation.

"I felt that if we could relieve a little of the burden of worry about debt, the extra money could be applied to programs for the children," Carol Trawick said. "Just think how much more energy can go towards working with those kids."

In honor of the contribution, Imagination Stage's building on Auburn Avenue will be named after the Trawicks.

Carol Trawick, on behalf of all the artists and actors in the Greater Washington region: thank you!

What to do today

What: Reeb Hall Artists Annual Open Studio Event

Who: Visit the Resident artists and participating artists: Sally Kauffman, Jessica van Brakle, Lee Vaughan, Mark Giaimo, Shahla Arbabi, Anne McGurk, Cynthia Young, Phil Loiterstein, Irene Clouthier, Alice Whealin, and Linn Woloshin.

When: Sunday afternoon, November 1, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: Reeb Hall, 4451 First Place South, Arlington, VA 22204

Reeb Hall is located near the southwest corner of the intersection of Route 50, (Arlington Boulevard service road) and South George Mason Drive. It is next to the U.U.C.A.

Parking: Entrance to the building is next to the parking lot. Parking is free for the open house.

More information: www.reebhallstudios.com

Want some free tickets?

Flamboyant Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli is known for his lavish projects — creating a movie trailer for a movie that didn't exist — and his obsession with celebrities — casting actresses Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman in a commercial for his perfume Greed, which also didn't exist. Now, he's applying his artist prowess to a project that most certainly does exist, but is no less lavish: the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles's 30th Anniversary Gala on Nov. 14.

Read about it here and I've been given a couple of free tickets to the gala and I can't make it. Drop me an email if you want them; first come, first served!
Update: tickets have been given away.