eBay is chockablock with fake art. On one hand, if you do a search for any famous artist you’ll find sellers claiming to have pricy originals (or prints) that seem too good to be true. On the other hand, sometimes sellers are ambiguous about what you’re getting: they don’t quite say the piece is authentic, but they also don’t quite say that it is a fake or done as an homage.
Sunday, October 02, 2022
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Multiple Exposures Gallery Photography Exhibition
In the last 30 years or so I have been honored with the task of jurying a show for Multiple Exposures Gallery three or four times, starting when it was called Factory Photoworks back in the 1990s.
See the show that I've just juried for MEG here.
These shows have always had one thing in common: they are exceptionally difficult to jury because of the exceptional quality of nearly every entry. When essentially every entry presented to me or any other juror showcases the enviable talent roster that MEG possesses, it makes the selection process a combination that not only celebrates photographic skill, but also a wide array of other artistic vectors that influence the difference between a good photo and a great photo.
Issues such as composition, employment of light, range of tones, subject matter, and most human of all, the juror's own agenda and subjectivity, all come to play to deliver a final set of works for a show.
Over the same range of years I have juried and curated hundreds of art shows, and thus this next statement comes with the backing of all that experience and exposure to art (pun intended): This MEG exhibition is one of the best photography shows that I have ever juried!
And photographic history has come in full circle for me when it comes to jurying a show. I recall in the 90s when digital photography was still excluded from some exhibitions and only traditional darkroom or pinhole photography was allowed. How provincial must that look now when we're about to see an all digital show where powerful photographs and talented photographers flex their artistic muscles to show that it is the art of photography which delivers results, not just the means to create the photograph.
Many years ago I wrote in an essay for some magazine or newspaper about the DC area region, and in that essay I noted that MEG was one of the key artistic jewels which make up the tapestry of the Greater Washington region's visual arts footprint; this show will once again prove that, and I congratulate every single one of you selected for this show!
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli will curate 81st Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced that curators Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli will co-assemble/curate/organize the 81st Whitney Biennial, slated to open in the spring of 2024.
Meg Onli and Chrissie Iles
Photo: The Whitney Museum of American Art.
Onli rocking a super cool hairdo!
Another child art prodigy? Yawn. Wake me up when one of them paints the ‘Mona Lisa’
... But one thing I do know: Every few years, a child artist emerges from obscurity, hailed as a pint-sized Pollock or Picasso. Far too young to have attended art school or to have studied anything about the history of art or the development of abstract painting, the child emerges from diapers, allegedly, as a fully formed abstract artist.
Each origin story is similar to the next: The child started painting as a toddler, they need a step stool to reach the top of the canvas, their parents are perplexed by all the attention and worried it will be harmful to their emotional development. Until, that is, it becomes clear that people pay money, lots of it, for this sort of novelty. Then the parents reluctantly allow the child to keep working … and keep selling.
Read the opinion piece by Robin Abcarian here.
Studio space available!
Artists & Makers Studios flagship operation is an art center complex in Rockville, MD. Hosting a wide variety of Resident Artists and Affiliate members, it offers studios for rent, extensive classroom/workshop spaces, and several galleries. Exhibitions are juried and curated by Cathy Hirsh under the direction of executive director Judith HeartSong. They have some studio openings! Read on...
Vision Statement: Artists & Makers Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.
To apply for their wait list, please email your resume/bio, website link and/or jpegs, studio requirements (how much space you are hoping for), whether you are willing to share a studio, monthly budget, and all pertinent details about your medium. Oil painters must use fume-free solvents. SPECIFY MARYLAND, ARIZONA, SAN GABRIEL, or NORTH HOLLYWOOD LOCATION in your email. Send to Judith@ArtistsAndMakersStudios.com
Studio 5 1/3 share of the space on the A hallway with two large windows to the outside will be available October 1 - $274/m for 81.02 sq ft
Studio 9 on the A hallway with a full glass door & tile floor will be available October 1 - $395/m for 104.77 sq ft
Studio 15 in the B1 hallway is freshly painted and available now - $385/m for 91 sq ft
Studio 37 on the newly refurbished Gallery Hall with white tile floors will be available October 1 - $400/m for 92 sq ft
* Liability insurance is required for artists joining the program.
Monday, September 26, 2022
Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program
Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program.
Deadline: Friday, November 11, 2022
This fall, MSAC is facilitating a public-led revision of the Independent Artist Award (IAA) program, which has recognized achievement by Maryland artists making work independent of institutions or organizations. This revision effort is based on data collected since 2020 from applicants, panelists, and award winners, who have made suggestions on how to improve the IAA program’s service to the public. The next step of this process is to identify a panel of editors who will work with MSAC staff to further refine the suggestions into clear policy recommendations, which will be carefully considered as MSAC further develops the IAA program.
Consider completing an application to serve as an editor in this process. All selected editors will be expected to:
- Become familiar with previously collected data and current MSAC efforts to support artists through the IAA program.
- Work with MSAC staff to consider how to improve the service of the IAA program to Maryland artists in light of other MSAC opportunities, including the Grants for Artists program, set to pilot in winter 2023.
- Participate in at least two virtual meetings discussing the above issues and developing procedure and policy recommendations for further consideration by MSAC staff, council, and Department of Commerce leadership.
What they are looking for:
Maryland artists with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines (e.g., literary, performing, visual, media, and traditional arts, etc.), or who are interested in learning how changes are considered and implemented within MSAC.
IAA winners, applicants, and panelists from the past three years are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to apply:
Click here to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple. You must be registered as an “Independent Artist” to apply to be an editor.
Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call."
Select "Program Editor" from the first drop down option.
Select “Independent Artist Awards” as the Grant Program from the second drop down option.
Click "Save Draft" at the bottom to populate the application.
Complete the application and click “Submit.”
Editors will receive a minimum of $400 upon completion of assigned tasks, with the possibility of additional compensation if more than two virtual meetings are needed.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Sing Along
"Sing Along", Etching, Dry point and water colors by the great Marianela de la Hoz sold to an NYC collector at the Affordable Art Fair New York City in Chelsea!
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Early start at 10 am today... long day through 8pm. That's Cory Oberndorfer working the stroller crowd at the Affordable Art Fair New York City.
Friday, September 23, 2022
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Monday, September 19, 2022
Star Trek at the Affordable Art Fair NYC
"Before Assimilation", Acrylic on vintage Star Trek blueprints by Andrew Wodzianski will be at booth D15 with Alida Anderson Art Projects, at Affordable Art Fair New York City in Chelsea Sept 22-25!
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| Before Assimilation Acrylic on vintage Star Trek blueprints by Andrew Wodzianski |
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Frida Flower
This work, "Frida Kahlo Flower" will be part of the Nueva Vida Charity Auction for cancer survivors and caregivers to be held at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Washington, DC.
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| Frida Kahlo Flower by Florencio Lennox Campello, c. 2022 |
Save the date!
Cultural Institute of Mexico
2829 16th St. NW
Washington D.C.
Oct 15th, 2022 5:30- 9:30 pm
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Friday, September 16, 2022
Not my Problem by Marianela de la Hoz
Will be at CONTEXT Art Fair in booth A29 during Art Basel Miami Beach week of art fairs in Miami!
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| Not my Problem by Marianela de la Hoz |
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Empirical evidence for Murphy's Law
I live in a cul-de-sac in the Marylandian suburbs of Washington, DC. In order to drive from my house to the main street in the area, I have to drive three quarters of a mile and take three right turns in my neighborhood's streets.
The neighborhood itself is made up of single family homes - each one with its own driveway and two-car garage. Assuming that most people have their garage full of junk, there's ample space in their driveways for two cars to park and be off the street.
One of the planet's smartest minds is Malcolm Gladwell, who has eloquently discussed the 10,000 hour rule for becoming an expert at anything. He discussed this in his amazing book “Outliers.” As Gladwell tells it, the rule goes like this:
It takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of complex skills and materials.
I've somewhat adapted the rule to gather 10,000 points of data for an interesting experiment. Here how it started.
I moved into this house in 2009. Soon afterwards I started to notice an interesting and baffling series of curious events whenever I drove away from my house towards any destination (or the return trip) - for the first 3/4 of a mile they're nearly always the same. Or when I enter the same entry point (from the main street towards my house) and drive home. In other words, a round trip.
The streets leading to the neighborhood exit are mostly clear of parked cars, as nearly every house parks in their own driveways. Households with more that two cars do often park on the street, as do visitors, etc. Whenever a vehicle is parked on the neighborhood streets, it essentially blocks that side of the street, forcing any traffic on that side of the street to have to use the oncoming/other side of the street to continue on.
The neighborhood also has a lot of "regular" street walkers (not hookers), dog walkers, and runners, and car traffic is generally very light.
Vehicular traffic is generally very light in the neighborhood - usually only the people who live there, delivery vehicles, visitors, and garbage and/or recycling trucks.
A few months after we moved in, I noticed that there seemed to be a higher incidence of the following scenario... that one would expect statistically.
The scenario is that the incidence of two oncoming vehicles "meeting" at the spot where one side of the road is blocked by a parked car appeared to be weirdly tilted towards a Murphian dictate of events.
Add to that the odds of the random dog walker, stroller or runner, a parked car and two oncoming vehicles meeting at precisely the worst spot on the streets from my house to the neighborhood exit, and my curiosity was kindled.
And thus, I started to keep a log in my car - using a calendar book - to record these instances of two cars, driving towards each other, meeting at the narrowest space created by a third car parked on the street.
A few days ago, my 10 thousandth drive took place - about 12 years or so of trips, usually at random times of the day or night, and 12 yearly calendars full of data.
Of those 10,000 data points the following was recorded:
- No oncoming traffic was met whenever a parked car blocked one side of the road 4,611 times
- An oncoming car was met at the blocked spot (forcing one car to stop and wait for the other car to pass) 5, 389 times
- Of that 5, 389 times, 2, 673 times, not only where there two cars meeting at the "blocked" spot, but there were also either walkers, runners or dog walkers in the same narrow area - thus making driving maneuvers even more complicated.
54% of the time that I drove from/to my home I came across an oncoming vehicle at precisely the one spot (in an otherwise generally open street) where there was a third car blocking one side of the road!
Under what statistical scenario does that make sense when there are .75 of a mile of streets which are 98% empty of parked cars (on the street)?
Murphy!!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Sleep is the Cousin of Death
Finished! Will be at booth D15 at the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea in New York City 22-25 September!
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| Sleep is the Cousin of Death Mixed Media Painting on Paper 36x36 inches, c. 2022 |
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Wayson Jones Artist Talk
Montgomery College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department presents Artist in Resident Wayson Jones Artist Talk on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, at 1 PM.
The Montgomery College Visual and Performing Arts Department of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus presents the first artist talk of Fall Semester 2022 featuring artist in residence Wayson Jones. He is a painter, musician, and spoken-word artist. A virtual artist talk will be given at 1pm on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022. This event will be held via ZOOM webinar. A workshop with the artist will be held on November 1, 2022, at 1:10 pm in room # CF 218 at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, 930 King Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Both events are free and open to the public. Please go to www.montgomerycollege.edu/artsinstitute to register for the artist talk.
About the Artist
Wayson R. Jones is a painter, musician, and spoken-word artist. He received a degree in music from University of Maryland and later went on to perform with renowned poet Essex Hemphill, as part of Washington DC’s burgeoning Black LGBT arts scene of the 1980s and ‘90s. His visual art is informed by these experiences and by an exuberant approach to materiality and process. Wayson has had solo shows at BlackRock Center for the Arts, Arts/Harmony Hall, and the Northern Virginia Community College Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Gallery and he is the recipient of a 2017 Individual Artist Fellowship from the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council. His work has been purchased by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Maryland/National Capitol Park and Planning Commission, MGM National Harbor, and The Hotel at the University of Maryland, and is in private collections in the DC area and nationally.
Monday, September 12, 2022
The curious case of the Washington Commanders and Washington state
Phone ringing...
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Hello...
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Hey! Is this Fill in the blank Graphic Design?
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Oh, yeah... yeah - can I help you?
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Yeah... hey we need a design for our new team name for our mugs and stuff...
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: No worries - I can have something back to you in a few days...
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Great! We'd like our new "W" on top of the outline of Washington
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Cool! Email me your new "W" and we'll design a great new graphic!
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Great... I'm sending it over now.
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: OK man! Just got it -- I'll just put it on top of an outline of Washington!
Two days later and $20K in design fees later...
Phone ringing...
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Hello...
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Hey! Is this Fill in the blank Graphic Design?
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Oh, yeah... yeah - can I help you?
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Hey man... this is the Washington Commanders... I just got your email with the design - looks great!
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Who's this again?
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: This is the Washington Commanders???
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Oh yeah man... sorry... did you get my email with the new design?
Someone in the Washington Commanders team: Yeah... looks great man!
Fill in the blank Graphic Design: Thank you man!
Then this goes up for sale... cough... cough...
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