Friday, June 25, 2010

New issue out

The new issue of American Contemporary Art magazine is out on the stands now. You can also read it online here and check out the Kathryn Cornelius review on p. 21.

Bat Porn!

Check out this hilarious Peep Ward Sutton's take on Vivid Entertainment's new Batman porn.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline extended through Monday, June 28th

Call to Artists for the 4th Annual East of the River Exhibition at Honfleur Gallery.

Details here.

Battle of Bannockburn

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn (Blàr Allt a' Bhonnaich in Gaelic), which took place on the 24th of June, 1314.

This was an unexpected and significant Scottish victory against English aggression in the Wars of Scottish Independence against its larger and more powerful southern neighbor.

It is celebrated in the gorgeous Scottish National Anthem, "The Flower of Scotland."


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

"Painter of Light" arrested

Thomas Kinkade, the self-described “Painter of Light,” was arrested Friday night outside of Carmel on suspicion of drunk driving.
Read the details here.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

DC Creates! Public Art Calls for Entry

Deadline: Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 7PM

All entries must be received by the deadline. This is not a postmark date.

Theme: District Identities Depictions of Washingtonian Life, Landscapes, and Cultural Legacies

The DC Arts Commission is seeking two and three-dimensional works including prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, ceramics, moveable sculptures, digital media, and video art. Special attention will be given to innovative and dynamic photography, to meet the strong demand for photographs amongst government agencies.

For assistance in preparing your application please attend the Workshop on Wednesday July 21st from 1-2PM and July 28th from 6-7:30PM at the DCCAH Office, 1371 Harvard Street, NW 20009. It is located 2 blocks south of the Columbia Heights Metro Station

Eligibility: This call is open to all artists who reside or maintain studio space in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, preference will be given to District residents.

Details here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Wall Mountables return

The District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) has announced the return of 1460 Wall Mountables, DCAC’s annual open exhibition. On Wednesday, July 21 DCAC will open its doors at 3pm, beginning a three-day installation process during which artists can purchase up to four 2' x 2' spaces to hang their work.

Since the first Wall Mountables in 1990, the exhibition has become a celebrated summer tradition at DCAC. One of the center’s most important fundraising events, the open exhibition runs from July 23–August 29. On a personal note, I can tell you that since 1990 I've probably done this show 3-4 times, putting up all together about a dozen drawings in these shows and have always sold all of them.

Spaces sell on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s not unusual to see returning participants lined up outside DCAC’s door by 2:30pm, patiently waiting for installation to begin with an eye towards grabbing the galleries prime wall space. All work is accepted from a wide range of media created by artists at various stages in their careers.

The exhibition provides a great opportunity for experimentation, as artists challenge themselves to make the most out of such limited space. The coveted $100 “Best Use of Space” prize is presented during the opening reception to the artist who makes the most innovative use of their 2’ x 2’ squares. Whether Wall Mountables is an artist’s first show, 59th show, or an opportunity to pull out canvases from their attic, 1460 Wall Mountables has spots ready to be filled.

General Guidelines
• Each 2' x 2' space is $15 for non-members (maximum 4 spaces)
• DCAC members receive one free space. Additional spaces are available for $10 each (maximum 4 spaces)
• Become a DCAC member at the event and receive four spaces for free! (regular membership starts at $30)
• Each piece must be 2' x 2' or smaller. Spaces may not be combined to accommodate larger pieces (larger pieces can be divided and placed in adjacent squares)
• All art must be wall mountable
• No painting or writing directly onto the wall
• No adhesive materials can be used for hanging (i.e.- spraymount, adhesive velcro, 2-sided tape or wallpaper glue)
• Artists must bring their own materials for hanging their work (hammer, nails, screws, wire)

District of Columbia Arts Center
2438 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.462.7833

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The original Che

Che as Mussolini by Terry Ward

Image by Terry Ward, who tells me that it's around 500 W 22nd St. in NYC.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Gallery week: Good idea for DC galleries?

Last month saw the debut of New York’s Gallery Week in which 50 Manhattan dealers organised a smorgasbord of events, from book signings to performances and special late openings (7-10 May, p81). The idea is not new: Berlin has a similar weekend, (30 April-2 May, p81), as has Zurich (12-13 June). In the more traditional fields, London has long boasted an Asian Art Week in the autumn (4-13 November), while both London and New York see master drawings dealers putting on grouped events (3-9 July in London; 22-29 January 2011 in New York).
Read the whole Art Newspaper article here.

Hirst the gallerist

Damien Hirst is bidding to launch his first gallery, in Hyde Park. He and architect Mike Rundell have submitted plans to the Royal Parks to create a gallery space from an old munitions store.
Read the story here.

Art Basel: Where are the women?

A list of the artists whose work you are most likely to see at this year’s Art Basel, based on the number of galleries who are bringing pieces, is headed—perhaps unsurprisingly—by the prolific Andy Warhol, with works on show at 28 stands. Artists making work in the first half of the 20th century rank highly, including Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso, although the list is also speckled with 1960s conceptualists such as Sol LeWitt and Lawrence Weiner. But the top 40 most represented artists on show at the fair are all men
Read the Art Newspaper story here.

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?

Remember when I stumbled upon Alexa Meade's fabulous work and pointed all of you to it?

Well.. she's been picked up by Irvine Contemporary and has a show opening tomorrow, Saturday, June 19, with reception from 6-8PM.

This is but the beginning for this artist. Keep an eye on her.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Ariel Sigler

The criminal Castro dictatorship in Cuba has released Cuban political prisoner Ariel Sigler after seven years in jail for the high crime of demanding that human rights be respected in Cuba.

Sigler lost half his body weight in jail and was turned by Castro's jailers' beatings into a paraplegic, paralized from his waist down.

His body was broken and yet, his soul was never broken down.

The photo below, courtesy of Penultimos Dias, shows the brutal transformation Sigler went through in Castro's workers' paradise in 7 years in jails that haven't allowed Amnesty International to visit them in 30 years.

Penultimos Dias comparison photo of Ariel Sigler
Puts a new face on the word "torture" and a new face on the word "hero."

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

War of 1812 Commemorative License Plate

Deadline: June 30, 2010.

The Washington, DC War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission invites Washington, D.C. visual artists and citizens to submit designs for a new War of 1812 Commemorative License Plate. The deadline for submission is June 30, 2010.

All the design submissions will be examined carefully by the Washington, D.C. War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission and the Division of Motor Vehicles. The first place winner design will appear on the commemorative tag and will receive $200.00 and the second and third place winners design will be displayed on the Commission’s website and print media along with the first price winner.

The new license plate competition will give citizens the opportunity to participate in the process for the first time,” said Chairman Acqunetta Anderson. “We want the new plate to be a positive representation of Washington, D.C. Submissions must be submitted via email For more information about Washington, D.C. license plates, visit the Washington, DC War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission’s Web site here.

All submissions must comply with provisions of this Application, and with the Commission’s guidelines, instructions, and directives issued to the Participant from time to time. For additional information, please contact the Commission at 202-722-1947 or via this very long email address: wdcwar1812@washingtondcwarof1812bicentennialcommission.org

Opportunity for photographers

Deadline: July 30, 2010.

The Nonprofit Village at the Washington School of Photography. Theme: This permanent exhibit will showcase the beauty and scope of the Washington, DC area, from macro images to landscapes. Open to residents of the DC metro area. Any photographic work is eligible: Traditional B&W and color; Digital; Alternative Processes; etc. Maximum dimension of any one side must be less than 36 inches. Slides/CDs - All photographs will be judged from slides or CDs (jpeg only, low res). Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Opening reception for artists and guests September 24, 2010. Download a prospectus and find out more information about entry requirements here.

Boot on the throat of BP

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Help!

I need a volunteer to help me with the editing and preparation of the manuscript for the 100 DC Artists book.

Lunch, or dinner or both, a free Campello drawing or etching, and my eternal gratitude is the payment form.

Drop me an email if you are available for a few hours this week or weekend. Send it to lenny @ lennycampello.com.

Wanna go to an opening this weekend?

Studio H's last exhibit of the Spring showing season is an exhibition titled "Derailed" by noted local graffiti artist Tim Conlon.

The image is of a model train on which Tim "writes."

When I was a kid in Brooklyn, my High School was actually in Queens, and I'd have to take the LL train and then switch to the number 7 to Queens. Overall that all took about and hour plus to get from my house to the school. Back in those days, the subway trains were covered from one end to the other in graffiti, even the windows! Every time the train arrived onto the station it was like a moving art show, except that in those days no one thought of the imagery as art.

The opening is June 19 from 6-9 PM.

Say what?

I tried to buy a photo the other day from the WaPo and I got this yesterday

Thank you for your interest in photographic reprints from The Washington Post and Pictopia.

Unfortunately, we cannot fulfill your request at this time for the following reason: The requested photograph is not available for sale due to copyright restrictions.

Thank you for your request to purchase Washington Post photos. Unfortunately Major League Baseball does not permit the selling of photographs of their athletes, events, stadiums or arenas.

Please visit our galleries again for other photos that may be of interest to you, and do not hesitate to make new requests in the future.

If you have any further questions about this, contact us. Please use your Request id# XXXXXXXXX in any correspondence with us.

Thank you,

Customer Service

The Pictopia Team
(800) 390-7269
customerservice@pictopia.com
So MLB owns the copyright for athletes, events, stadiums or arenas uh? How about drawings, paintings, etchings or any other form of fine art for the same? I think I will ask them.

Art & Soul Auction later this month

The 8th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction 2010 is Friday, June 25, 2010 6:00 PM at The Music Center at Strathmore in Rockville, MD just past Bethesda. This is an important charity auction for the National Center for Children & Families (NCCF).

Join Honorary Co-Chairs Fox 5 News Anchor Allison Seymour and renowned jazz keyboardist, composer and producer Marcus Johnson, on Friday, June 25, 2010 at 6 p.m., for NCCF's 8th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction at The Music Center at Strathmore.

The live auction will feature artwork created by youth from the Greentree Adolescent Program (GAP). The silent auction will feature Gifts from the Soul (non-art items) and juried artwork pieces from regional artists. In addition, guests will enjoy music by Sony recording artist Julia Nixon, the premiere of NCCF's new image, and the presentation of this year's Spirit of Humanitarian Awards.

Art & Soul Charity Auction tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased by contacting Heidi Coons, Director of Development and Institutional Advancement, at (301) 365-4480, extension 114 or click here to purchase online.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the completion of the Freddie Mac Foundation Youth Activities Center (YAC), NCCF’s sole cultural arts and recreational facility located on the Bethesda Campus.