Come to the talk and then stay for the party!

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

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

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

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

I hope you get a chance to stop by. 

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

Hate enters the picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And yet I get an email like this:

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

 Makes my head hurt.

La Llorona

 

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

 The lyrics:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Professional Practices lectures and workshops

Washington Project for the Arts Presents

the 2013 - 2014 season of

Professional Practices lectures and workshops

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

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

Intro to Self-Publishing

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

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

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

Working the Room 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ABOUT WPA

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

Bezos buys the WaPo

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

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

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

Talk and party at the Katzen this Saturday

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

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

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

I hope you get a chance to stop by. 

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

We Don’t Need Monet—We Need Money!

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

Read the whole piece here.

Art Scam Alert!

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

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

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

Keep it this way!

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

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

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

Who's with me?

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: August 16, 2013

 

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

 

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

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

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

Deferral at the Corcoran

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connecticut Avenue as canvas

It’s not every day that a busy sidewalk on Connecticut Avenue becomes an artist’s concrete canvas, but the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) is doing just that with its “Explore Our Neighborhood in Chalk” project, Monday, Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (If it rains, the project will be moved back each day Aug. 6-8 until the weather permits.)

 

The chalk mural will be drawn by Whitney Waller who will transform the Connecticut Avenue Overlook into sidewalk scenery for commuters, office workers and tourists to enjoy. The Connecticut Avenue Overlook is located at the top of the Golden Triangle in the semi-circle above the underpass, near Dupont South Metro Station.  

 

Whitney Waller, of Virginia Beach, is currently a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the Corcoran College of Art + Design.  She teaches for the Corcoran’s Aspiring Artists and Camp Creativity programs. She is also one of the Corcoran’s Summer Saturdays chalk artists, as she recreates gallery pieces on the front steps. She has previously studied at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.

 

Waller will use chalk to recreate iconic destinations that are located within the 43 blocks of the Golden Triangle neighborhood, including the National Geographic Museum, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the Heurich House Museum and the Tiny Jewel Box, located in a historic building on Connecticut Avenue.

 

While the chalk art project is temporary, the Golden Triangle BID has other permanent public art displays that have made the central business district one of the city’s most vibrant commercial areas. Last year, the BID unveiled the second phase of the Connecticut Avenue median, complete with colorful plants and a display of lights, pattern and movement programs that change the avenue into a magical scene at night.

 

“This chalk art project is part of the Golden Triangle’s ongoing effort to create interest and add texture and excitement to Connecticut Avenue,” said Leona Agouridis, executive director of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. “We’re using this chalk art project to showcase our treasured buildings, special events and numerous services. Our public art program is another way we’re promoting vitality in this neighborhood.”

Go to this opening tonight!

The Washington Project for the Arts announces The Art of the Super Hero – Revisited, a group exhibition organized by Lenny Campello exploring our cultural fascination with masked men and caped crusaders. 

The artists included in the exhibition approach their topic with a mix of levity and seriousness, using the figure of the superhero to explore issues of identity, immigration, and the struggles of daily life.  

The Art of the Super Hero - Revisited features photography, painting, and mixed media work by F. Lennox Campello, Carla Goldberg, Jeannette Herrera, Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzon, and Andrew Wodzianski. 

The exhibition opens with a reception in the Capitol Skyline Lounge on Friday, August 2, 2013 from 6-8pm and runs from Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 25, 2013. 

Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 25, 2013
Opening Reception: Friday, August 2, 6-8pm
   at the Capitol Skyline Hotel , 10 I (eye) St. SW, Washington, DC

Participating Artists: F. Lennox Campello, Carla Goldberg, Jeannette Herrera, Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzón, and Andrew Wodzianski

ABOUT HOTHOUSE
Hothouse is a new series of exhibitions, installations, and events organized by Washington Project for the Arts and taking place in the Capitol Skyline Hotel Lounge. Created as a way to provide new opportunities for WPA member artists and forge new connections within DC’s creative communities, Hothouse will present member-initiated programming on a regular basis.

ABOUT WPA

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

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: May 1, 2014

The Battle Creek Education Society, in support of the Calvert County Division of Natural Resources, is pleased to issue a Call to Artists to submit artworks inspired by the natural world of Southern Maryland. 

The exhibition, “Nature’s ARTcade,” will be held June 7 – June 29, 2014, at Flag Ponds Nature Education Center on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. 

Artist entry forms and show information may be found at www.calvertparks.org/ARTcade. Prize monies for this exhibition will total $2,000. 


The curator for this exhibition will be Dr. Margaret Dowell, artist and adjunct professor of art at the College of Southern Maryland. Prize jurors include Jayme McLellan, artist, educator, curator and founder/director of Washington DC’s Civilian Art Projects, and Tom Horton, former environmental editor for the Baltimore Sun and author of several books about the Chesapeake Bay. 


Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2014. Questions may be directed to Anne Sundermann, Executive Director, Battle Creek Nature Education Society: anne@calvertparks.org, 301-204-4730.

Donate to Bike to the Beach

I donated to Bike to the Beach to support Autism awareness and research.  Did you know that:

• Autism affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys
• Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are nearly 5 times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism.

A friend of mine is participating in this event -- to support his ride and help in bringing awareness to the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. click here.

Wanna be part of a museum show?

Extreme Exhibit Makeover at the Sandy Springs Museum

The Extreme Exhibit Makeover is a process of creating new exhibits in the museum through the collaboration of professionals from different fields – history, art, exhibit design, and so on – and a member of the local community.

The process involves identifying experts in various fields who will be placed on one of two teams.  Each team will consist of a historian, an artist – either a visual artist or an exhibit designer – a curator, and a member of the public.  Working collaboratively, each team will come up with an idea for an exhibit that focuses on an aspect of local culture and its historic roots.  The teams will have three months to conduct the background research, select artifacts and photos, create graphics, and design the exhibit.  At the end of three months, the teams will be brought together to install their exhibits on the same day.  The exhibit installation will be open to the public who will vote on the “people’s choice” winner.

The purpose of this project is to reinvigorate the museum with new exhibits; to get new people involved in the museum; to get new perspectives on local history; to make the exhibit process more contemporary by incorporating pop culture (“extreme” reality shows and team competitions) and social media (by posting frequent behind-the-scenes updates); and to incorporate a performance art aspect by allowing the public to watch the installation.

The museum will launch this program in September and plan to have the exhibits ready for installation by January.  A $200 stipend will be paid to each participant. Help fund the Extreme Exhibit Makeover - Click here!

If you are interested in participating, please send the information below by August 25, 2013 to Allison Weiss at aweiss@sandyspringmuseum.org

• A letter explaining why you want to be part of this program and what skills you bring
• An example of something creative that you have done
• Your resume

This week: The Art of The Superhero Opens

The Washington Project for the Arts announces The Art of the Super Hero – Revisited, a group exhibition organized by Lenny Campello exploring our cultural fascination with masked men and caped crusaders. 

The artists included in the exhibition approach their topic with a mix of levity and seriousness, using the figure of the superhero to explore issues of identity, immigration, and the struggles of daily life.  

The Art of the Super Hero - Revisited features photography, painting, and mixed media work by F. Lennox Campello, Carla Goldberg, Jeannette Herrera, Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzon, and Andrew Wodzianski. 

The exhibition opens with a reception in the Capitol Skyline Lounge on Friday, August 2, 2013 from 6-8pm and runs from Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 25, 2013. 

Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 25, 2013
Opening Reception: Friday, August 2, 6-8pm
   at the Capitol Skyline Hotel , 10 I (eye) St. SW, Washington, DC

Participating Artists: F. Lennox Campello, Carla Goldberg, Jeannette Herrera, Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzón, and Andrew Wodzianski

ABOUT HOTHOUSE
Hothouse is a new series of exhibitions, installations, and events organized by Washington Project for the Arts and taking place in the Capitol Skyline Hotel Lounge. Created as a way to provide new opportunities for WPA member artists and forge new connections within DC’s creative communities, Hothouse will present member-initiated programming on a regular basis.

ABOUT WPA

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

New Acquisitions at the NGA

The National Gallery of Art has acquired dozens of new paintings, sculptures and drawings, including its first paintings by 17th-century Dutch Golden Age painter Cornelis Bega and 19th-century French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. The works were approved by the National Gallery of Art’s board of trustees in May and acquired with private money and donations. Among the other acquisitions were two sculptures by Robert Smithson, ambrotype self-portraits by the photographer Sally Mann, and a Florentine wax relief attributed to 18th-century sculptor Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi.

Details here.

Art traded for smiles

Bren Bataclan watched from behind a tree as a young couple approached the fountain in Dupont Circle and studied a small square object leaning against the base of the monument. From his hiding spot, he could see the woman reach down with empty hands, then stand back up clasping a canvas. The duo held a brief conference, their mouths moving but their words too faint for Bataclan to hear. Finally, they reached an agreement that pleased Bataclan: The woman walked off with the artwork, grinning broadly.

The painting was Bataclan’s eighth giveaway of the day and the 114th since he set out this summer on a cross-country expedition supporting his SmileyB project. More important, with this canvas, he released two more smiles into the world.

“I like to help others, and in my own small way, I’m doing that,” said the 44-year-old Boston-based artist.

Read the whole article by  Andrea Sachs in the WaPo here.

Swiss Freeports Are Home for a Growing Treasury of Art

They come for the security and stay for the tax treatment. For as long as goods are stored here, owners pay no import taxes or duties, in the range of 5 to 15 percent in many countries. If the work is sold at the Freeport, the owner pays no transaction tax, either.

(Via) Read this cool article in the NYT - the interesting thing is that I believe that there are several "off-the-grid" such locations around the world, including a massive one just outside of Boston... cough, cough.