Sunday, March 10, 2013
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Walk around Scope
I came in early today to re-hang the booth, as I had taken everything down last night just in case new leaks sprung. In any event, I then had time to walk around the fair a bit... here are some images:
One of my favorite pieces - seen at Parlor Gallery from Ashbury Park, NJ |
A rare sighting of glass, from Sophia Collier Gallery, Sausalito, CA |
Seen at Aicon Gallery, NYC and London |
Seen at Allegra LaViola Gallery, NYC... cough, cough |
Seen at La Lanta Gallery, Bangkok |
Artomaticky wall from Fred Torres Collaborations, NYC |
Seen at Weldon Arts, Brooklyn |
What looked like colored felt wrapped around foam core to reproduce Van Gogh's works... just sayin' |
Spectacular self-contained video sculpture by Marck, showing at Lich Feld Gallery, Basel |
Cliteracy |
The usual gorgeous light work at Baltimore's C. Grimaldis Gallery |
Self contained video sculptures by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo at Muriel Guepin Gallery, Brooklyn |
Friday, March 08, 2013
Rain, slush, snow and leaks
The snow storm arrived in New York overnight and this city responded beautifully... I walked several blocks from my hotel to the Scope Art Fair and the most dangerous event proved to be the New Yorkers with huge umbrellas and looking down to avoid the fierce cold wind as a slushly snow fell... as a result of the Venturi effect caused by the tall buildings, there were very fierce winds at every corner as well.
When I was a kid in Brooklyn, my high school was in Long Island City in Queens, and I used to spend over an hour in the subway going to High School... I am sure that we had school "snow days" back then. but frankly, I don't remember ever been off from school because of snow.
When I got to Scope I discovered that the the old post office's roof had been leaking above my neighbor's space (Fitzroy Knox from New York) and the two pretty gallerists were bravely securing work as the Scope crew attacked the problem.
And I must give kudos to the Scope crew.
As I stood watching them tarp over the leaks and then build a roof under the leaking area, I was thinking to myself "These union guys are really on the ball here... they might just give some of these New York unions a good name if they are not careful..."
Later I found out that these were not the union guys responding to the barely avoided disaster, but in fact the Scope crew, and they deserve a superbly earned "Well Done!"
The Scope director (Sonja Hofstetter) was on the spot and working the issue, and the tall good looking guy (who looks a little like a young Jim Carey) in charge of the work crew, was so nit picky about making sure that it was a perfect job, that even after the space had been re-roofed, he actually had a guy come over and tape the edges and re-paint the whole thing.
In cases like this, the response of an art fair's crew to unplanned close calls like this is the key to avoiding disaster and these guys had half a dozen people on the job right away and it showed in the manner and professionalism with which they responded and the final solution to the problem.
Later on I found out that the skinny guy directing the response to the leak is in fact the owner of Scope (Alexis Hubshman), which makes this an even cooler response, as there's nothing like a hands-on boss who gets his hands dirty to make things happen.
Check out the picture to the left - these guys essentially re-roofed the leaky area and made it look good.
Great job Scopers!
When I was a kid in Brooklyn, my high school was in Long Island City in Queens, and I used to spend over an hour in the subway going to High School... I am sure that we had school "snow days" back then. but frankly, I don't remember ever been off from school because of snow.
When I got to Scope I discovered that the the old post office's roof had been leaking above my neighbor's space (Fitzroy Knox from New York) and the two pretty gallerists were bravely securing work as the Scope crew attacked the problem.
And I must give kudos to the Scope crew.
As I stood watching them tarp over the leaks and then build a roof under the leaking area, I was thinking to myself "These union guys are really on the ball here... they might just give some of these New York unions a good name if they are not careful..."
Later I found out that these were not the union guys responding to the barely avoided disaster, but in fact the Scope crew, and they deserve a superbly earned "Well Done!"
The Scope director (Sonja Hofstetter) was on the spot and working the issue, and the tall good looking guy (who looks a little like a young Jim Carey) in charge of the work crew, was so nit picky about making sure that it was a perfect job, that even after the space had been re-roofed, he actually had a guy come over and tape the edges and re-paint the whole thing.
In cases like this, the response of an art fair's crew to unplanned close calls like this is the key to avoiding disaster and these guys had half a dozen people on the job right away and it showed in the manner and professionalism with which they responded and the final solution to the problem.
Later on I found out that the skinny guy directing the response to the leak is in fact the owner of Scope (Alexis Hubshman), which makes this an even cooler response, as there's nothing like a hands-on boss who gets his hands dirty to make things happen.
Check out the picture to the left - these guys essentially re-roofed the leaky area and made it look good.
Great job Scopers!
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Only a few days left before deadline!
One thing that nearly every artist on the planet
(including myself) shares is rejection letters/emails from galleries,
juried competitions, curators and your aunt Elvira... in fact,
since I have been a juror, gallerist and curator for a ton of art shows,
I hate to say that I've written a fuckload of rejection letters myself.
And now Worn Magazine wants them! Read the below note from them:
And now Worn Magazine wants them! Read the below note from them:
Dear Readers,
I'm excited to announce that the Spring/Summer issue of Worn Magazine is well under way and will be released at the end of April. The theme of this upcoming issue is "Dreams." One way to interpret this theme is to consider the personal journey we're all on to accomplish our dreams.
One important part of this journey is enduring rejection and then going on to kick butt anyway. Because I want all aspects of dreaming to be represented in this issue (not just the typical ones) I'd like you brave souls to send us your rejection letters so that we can print them in the upcoming issue or on our website. In addition to your letter, please include a short paragraph that explains how you've gone on to kick butt since that once unfortunate correspondence.
This is your opportunity to stick it to the man! [My note: highly sexist... artists get rejection letters/emails from all sexual varieties... not just the man... that's me trying to be semantically hip as a Virgo... I know what they mean]
Personally, I have two rejection letters I'd be willing to share, one from the FBI and another from the L.A. Times.
Please address your letters as follows:
Subject- Rejection Is the Best Protection
Send to: info@wornmagazine.com
Please include a scanned copy of your letter OR forward us the initial rejection email.
Deadline to submit letters is Monday, March 11.
Be brave!
Nicole Aguirre, Editor-in-Chief
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Art Underground is coming to Crystal City!
I can tell that this is gonna be big!
Art Underground will celebrate its launch on Saturday, March 16 with an open house and free mega paint-off hosted by ArtJamz from 6pm – 10pm at 2100 Crystal Drive. This event will be an energetic opportunity for the public to get a taste of the newest arts and cultural destination in the area with tours of brand new artist studios (Studios Underground) the Gallery Underground curated by the Arlington Artists Alliance, music, beverages, and snacks. Stop by and you can also catch Synetic’s latest installment of its famous silent Shakespeare series, The Tempest, at 8 PM (visit www.synetictheater.org for tickets).
The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith and the Arlington Artists Alliance (AAA), is transforming five blocks of Crystal City’s interior retail space into a vibrant arts and cultural destination with galleries, studios, interactive exhibits and activities, performance and classroom spaces, and a host of special events. This effort will create a powerful new incubator for the arts that will further activate and support Crystal City businesses and retail by attracting additional exposure, visitation, business and opportunities.
Art Underground is a collection of arts programming that will initially include:
Art Underground will celebrate its launch on Saturday, March 16 with an open house and free mega paint-off hosted by ArtJamz from 6pm – 10pm at 2100 Crystal Drive. This event will be an energetic opportunity for the public to get a taste of the newest arts and cultural destination in the area with tours of brand new artist studios (Studios Underground) the Gallery Underground curated by the Arlington Artists Alliance, music, beverages, and snacks. Stop by and you can also catch Synetic’s latest installment of its famous silent Shakespeare series, The Tempest, at 8 PM (visit www.synetictheater.org for tickets).
The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith and the Arlington Artists Alliance (AAA), is transforming five blocks of Crystal City’s interior retail space into a vibrant arts and cultural destination with galleries, studios, interactive exhibits and activities, performance and classroom spaces, and a host of special events. This effort will create a powerful new incubator for the arts that will further activate and support Crystal City businesses and retail by attracting additional exposure, visitation, business and opportunities.
Art Underground is a collection of arts programming that will initially include:
- Studios Underground: an outlet for local artists to create, practice and showcase their talents while providing an engaging cultural experience for area residents, employees, visitors and guests.
- Gallery Underground (formerly the Northern Virginia Art Center): a showcase of original artwork by regional artists with monthly rotating exhibits to excite the imagination, stimulate creativity, and encourage repeat visitation.
- FotoWalk Underground: in partnership with FotoDC, FotoWalk is a yearlong, 1000-foot, 150-image gallery that changes every six months.
- Synetic Theater: the premier American physical theater, fusing dynamic art forms – such as text, drama, movement, acrobatics, dance and music.
- Special Events: Art Underground will host and present ongoing activities and events, including monthly ArtJamz sessions.
Details here.
Boots...
Seems like every other woman in New York is wearing those tall hooker boots - you know, the kind that Julia Roberts' character wears in Pretty Woman?
I'm pretty sure that I've never seen anyone in the DMV wear boots like these...
Just sayin'
I'm pretty sure that I've never seen anyone in the DMV wear boots like these...
Just sayin'
Scope about to start...
It's all up and running and the fair opens in half an hour for the VIPs and press... just made a quick round of the fair and Contemporary Wing from DC and Grimaldis from Baltimore are looking good. Here are some shots of the booth and also the wall in front of me, where all through the fair I'm gonna be looking at a skinny nude Swiss woman smoking a cigarette - I understand from the staff at Lausanne's Dubner Moderne that she's a banker.
.
View of Alida Anderson Art Projects at SCOPE NY |
View of Alida Anderson Art Projects at SCOPE NY |
Ivan Simeon "Are you Beautiful" |
One of the great joint projects of painters and bankers—the modern art market—was also an invention of the Gilded Age. What made the art market as we know it possible, starting in the middle of the nineteenth century, was the availability of cash.Banks and the art market.... naaah! Read it here.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
The Joker is in Gotham again...
"Self Portrait as The Joker" Andrew Wodzianski 28 x 20 Oil on Canvas |
Monday, March 04, 2013
Congrats!
To super hard working DMV area artist Judith Peck, who just won the Juror's choice award from the (Louisiana) Masur Museum's juried competition from George T.M. Shackelford.
Peck is an artists' artist - by that I mean that Judy (whose work I love and have taken to art fairs many times) is admired by nearly every artist who is familiar with it.... she has exhibited widely around the US and her work has been featured multiple times in art magazines and newspaper reviews.
Among these, most recently in 2012 alone her work has been featured in The Artists’ Magazine, Combustus 13, Poets and Artists, The Birmingham Arts Journal and the book “Bourgeon, Fifty Artists Write About Their Work”, published by Day 8 Publishers.
Peck is an artists' artist - by that I mean that Judy (whose work I love and have taken to art fairs many times) is admired by nearly every artist who is familiar with it.... she has exhibited widely around the US and her work has been featured multiple times in art magazines and newspaper reviews.
Among these, most recently in 2012 alone her work has been featured in The Artists’ Magazine, Combustus 13, Poets and Artists, The Birmingham Arts Journal and the book “Bourgeon, Fifty Artists Write About Their Work”, published by Day 8 Publishers.
This hard working and widely
exhibited artist participated in eight exhibitions in 2012 alone, including a
solo show at the Hoyt Institute for the Arts in New Castle, PA and an
invitational show at the Georgia Museum of Art.
And she works in one of the most difficult art niches that exist - nearly always doing portraits. That is one hard science... the subtle ability to not only capture someone's likeness, but also deliver someone's psychological and non kinetic make-up -- that's what makes Peck tick and cross over from a super gifted technical artist into that super rare upper artmosphere of the great portraitists of our time.
She sells well too... and as any art dealer can tell you, selling someone else portrait's is one of the hardest things to do on planet Artdealer... but collectors just fall in love with Peck's ability to "deliver" someone; not just an image of that person.
Peck’s work has also been exhibited
widely in multiple art fairs, including the Aqua Art Fair in Miami Beach, and the Affordable Art Fair in New York and Red Dot in Miami.
Go Judith!
Senator Durbin... why?
For
many years, large national retailers, big business and many hungry state tax collectors have
hoped for new Internet sales tax collection policy. They want Congress
to pass a federal law that would allow tax agents from one state to
enforce their sales tax laws on retailers based in other states, even
when a business is based thousands of miles away. Nearly everyone that I know opposes this
misguided idea that goes against everything that the Internet stands for, and I (like millions of others worldwide) believe that small businesses selling via the Internet should only be subject to the tax laws of the states in which they operate.
The news from Capitol Hill is clear and just like the economy... it's grim.
Internet sales tax supporters are convinced that 2013 is their year, and they are determined to pass a new Internet sales tax bill when our out of control "tax everything" Congress (that refuses to face real financial austerity) tackles "corporate tax reform" in spite of the fact that "corporate" and the millions of small American businesses that operate on the Internet seldom share the same anything.
In December, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the misguided idiot who smells more and more sources to suck money out of the economy and is the sponsor of Internet sales tax legislation, publicly announced that he had a commitment from the Senate Finance Committee to "take it up early next year and move it to the floor." Why Durbin wants to lead an effort to bleed more and more taxes is something between himself and his big money donors...
Your opinion matters. If you oppose giving state tax collectors new powers to impose and enforce out-of-state sales tax burdens on small businesses that sell via the Internet, now is the time to make your voice heard.
This is not a Republican or Democrat issue - but an issue that deals with the freedom of the worldwide web and the never-ending appetite for some in Congress to try to tax any and everything that moves.
Take the time to email, call or write to your two Senators and your Congress person... feel free to use, edit and adapt the letter below, but DO SOMETHING!
The news from Capitol Hill is clear and just like the economy... it's grim.
Internet sales tax supporters are convinced that 2013 is their year, and they are determined to pass a new Internet sales tax bill when our out of control "tax everything" Congress (that refuses to face real financial austerity) tackles "corporate tax reform" in spite of the fact that "corporate" and the millions of small American businesses that operate on the Internet seldom share the same anything.
In December, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the misguided idiot who smells more and more sources to suck money out of the economy and is the sponsor of Internet sales tax legislation, publicly announced that he had a commitment from the Senate Finance Committee to "take it up early next year and move it to the floor." Why Durbin wants to lead an effort to bleed more and more taxes is something between himself and his big money donors...
Your opinion matters. If you oppose giving state tax collectors new powers to impose and enforce out-of-state sales tax burdens on small businesses that sell via the Internet, now is the time to make your voice heard.
This is not a Republican or Democrat issue - but an issue that deals with the freedom of the worldwide web and the never-ending appetite for some in Congress to try to tax any and everything that moves.
Take the time to email, call or write to your two Senators and your Congress person... feel free to use, edit and adapt the letter below, but DO SOMETHING!
Dear Member of Congress,
As
your constituent and one of the millions of Americans concerned with this issue, I'm asking you not to impose any new sales tax laws on small
businesses operating on the Internet.
In
the 1992 Quill Decision, the Supreme Court ruled that it was
unconstitutional to allow state tax enforcement authorities to impose
their sales tax laws on small businesses located in other states.
However, an effort backed by giant retailers and a group of state
legislators is trying to push Congress to overturn the Quill Decision
and establish an unfair tax regime that would force small online
businesses to be subject to sales tax laws all across the country,
regardless of where the small business is actually located.
Millions of American small business retailers, would be directly
impacted by any new Internet sales tax system. It would increase the
cost of doing business and shopping on-line, which would hurt sellers
and buyers alike. I believe that small businesses selling via the
Internet should only be subject to the tax laws of the states in which
they operate. Instead of imposing new tax burdens on small businesses, I
would encourage Congress to do EXACTLY the opposite and look at new policies that encourage small
business growth and development on the Internet, which in turn will spur
job growth and increase consumer choice.
As
your constituent, I would ask that you please oppose any efforts to
impose new tax burdens on small businesses operating on the Internet.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR NAME
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Mingering Mike in the museum!
Between 1968 and 1977, Mingering Mike released around 50 albums, each with its own hand-drawn album art, and played sold-out shows around the world. Yet if you haven’t heard of the prolific soul and funk singer, it’s because he was entirely fictional, but the art was real and has just been acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Details in Hyperallergic here.
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Next week: SCOPE New York
Next week is Armory week in New York, which means that several art fairs will be going on the Big Apple, all anchored around the Armory fair.
Starting on Wednesday, we will be at the Scope Art Fair, booth J09... from the DMV Contemporary Wing will also be there, so if any of you are heading to visit the art fairs, please make sure to stop by and say hi to me and CW.
We're all hoping that the fiscal Omaggedon doesn't hurt the fair too much... feh!
Starting on Wednesday, we will be at the Scope Art Fair, booth J09... from the DMV Contemporary Wing will also be there, so if any of you are heading to visit the art fairs, please make sure to stop by and say hi to me and CW.
We're all hoping that the fiscal Omaggedon doesn't hurt the fair too much... feh!
DATES and TIMES
- VIP and Press First View, Wednesday, March 6: 3pm – 9pm (By Invitation)
Daily
- Thursday, March 7: 11am - 8pm
- Friday, March 8: 11am - 8pm
- Saturday, March 9: 11am - 8pm
- Sunday, March 10: 11am - 7pm
SCOPE NEW YORK PAVILION
Skylight at Moynihan Station
New York City Main Post Office
312 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
Skylight at Moynihan Station
New York City Main Post Office
312 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
Open the flood gates!
One thing that nearly every artist on the planet (including myself) shares is rejection letters/emails from galleries, juried competitions, curators and your aunt Elvira... in fact, since I have been a juror, gallerist and curator for a ton of art shows, I hate to say that I've written a fuckload of rejection letters myself.
And now Worn Magazine wants them! Read the below note from them:
And now Worn Magazine wants them! Read the below note from them:
Dear Readers,
I'm excited to announce that the Spring/Summer issue of Worn Magazine is well under way and will be released at the end of April. The theme of this upcoming issue is "Dreams." One way to interpret this theme is to consider the personal journey we're all on to accomplish our dreams.
One important part of this journey is enduring rejection and then going on to kick butt anyway. Because I want all aspects of dreaming to be represented in this issue (not just the typical ones) I'd like you brave souls to send us your rejection letters so that we can print them in the upcoming issue or on our website. In addition to your letter, please include a short paragraph that explains how you've gone on to kick butt since that once unfortunate correspondence.
This is your opportunity to stick it to the man! [My note: highly sexist... artists get rejection letters/emails from all sexual varieties... not just the man... that's me trying to be semantically hip as a Virgo... I know what they mean]
Personally, I have two rejection letters I'd be willing to share, one from the FBI and another from the L.A. Times.
Please address your letters as follows:
Subject- Rejection Is the Best Protection
Send to: info@wornmagazine.com
Please include a scanned copy of your letter OR forward us the initial rejection email.
Deadline to submit letters is Monday, March 11.
Be brave!
Nicole Aguirre, Editor-in-Chief
Wanna go to an opening tonight!
AMY LIN
DIFFUSION
March 2 -April 27, 2013
opening reception for the artist,
Saturday, March 2, 5-7pm
Friday, March 01, 2013
Norm Parish
That guy on the left has done more for African American artists and artists of all four races and thousands of ethnicities around the DMV than most people realize.
That guy on the left is one of the hardest working, least recognized, key members of the visual arts cultural tapestry of our capital region.
That guy on the left is one of the longest surviving independent fine arts commercial gallery owners in the region and a champion for the DC area visual arts.
That guy is Norm Parish, owner, director and curator of Parish Gallery, established in Georgetown in 1991, which means that in "gallery years", his gallery has not only survived but flourished in a town where art galleries struggle to stay open.
He was my neighbor for many years while I was half of The Fraser Gallery's original location in G'town from 1996 - 2006 and I consider him a friend and my earliest inspiration for trying to do something positive for the DMV art scene.
Tokesplace has a tribute to him here and I applaud that! Check out the video below...
That guy on the left is one of the hardest working, least recognized, key members of the visual arts cultural tapestry of our capital region.
That guy on the left is one of the longest surviving independent fine arts commercial gallery owners in the region and a champion for the DC area visual arts.
That guy is Norm Parish, owner, director and curator of Parish Gallery, established in Georgetown in 1991, which means that in "gallery years", his gallery has not only survived but flourished in a town where art galleries struggle to stay open.
He was my neighbor for many years while I was half of The Fraser Gallery's original location in G'town from 1996 - 2006 and I consider him a friend and my earliest inspiration for trying to do something positive for the DMV art scene.
Tokesplace has a tribute to him here and I applaud that! Check out the video below...
Tonight's key opening is...
If you're not going to this opening tonight, then you're just off the visual arts radar in the DMV.
Here... HERE!
Here... HERE!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Beer Art Intervention Project
Anna U. Davis is one of the DMV's hardest working artists. By that I mean that Anna shows a lot of work around the DMV and is a key, active member of the visual arts tapestry that makes the DMV one of the hottest (in spite of the apathy of the press and local museums) visual art scenes on the planet.
A little like my own hotel art intervention project, Anna has a very cool art beer intervention project going on... she says:
A little like my own hotel art intervention project, Anna has a very cool art beer intervention project going on... she says:
Every time I buy a 6 pack of mixed beers @ S & S liquors @ Takoma Park Metro Station, I will return the cardboard beer carrier to the store with a drawing on it. If you want it, grab it at the store when you buy a mixed 6 pack! Free, oh well you have to pay for the beer! :)Check them out below... I know that I'm headed there soon to buy some brews - S&S is located at 6925 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20012 and they're gonna start selling a lot of Anna's beer tomorrow and they owe her at least a free six pack once in a while...
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