And finally for this Friday.... the animated cartoon everyone is talking about.

I'm not really sure what "Latino history" is (but I wonder if it includes this guy)... but here it goes anyway...

Job announcement for a Director, Program in Latino History & Culture.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History seeks a creative director to lead its program in Latino history and culture. The director conceptualizes, plans and implements the museum's Program in Latino History and Culture and produces a variety of programs, lectures, exhibitions, conferences, concerts and other programmatic activities reflecting Latino history and culture.

The position is full-time, permanent with a salary range from $60,638-$78,826 per annum with excellent benefits. For questions, contact Erika Mack: (202) 633-3555, e-mail: macke@si.edu .

To apply, see announcement #04BT-1216 at the following websites: www.americanhistory.si.edu or www.si.edu/ohr.

The College Art Association assists artists financially in completion of MFA and Ph.D. programs. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to individual artists. Deadline is ongoing. For information, contact:

The College Art Association Fellowship Program
275 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 691-1051

One of my pet peeves about people who say that they write about the Washington visual art scene is the fact that some of them rarely immerse themselves in it. I believe that in order to really be qualified to write about Washington art galleries and Washington artists, then you need to spend a lot of time going to Washington art galleries and talking and meeting and kibitzing with people involved in the arts and artists.

This doesn’t mean just hanging around the three or four fave galleries, where you know the owner, and he/she knows you and greets you when you come in. This doesn’t mean focusing on just the museums and writing about the big names.

And above all, this doesn’t mean dismissing all the galleries that you never visit or perhaps then unfairly perceive as not relevant or interesting. The gall to dismiss art that you never see, or to evaluate a place that you’ve never set foot on, is not only short-sighted but downright unethical.

But it happens.

To write about Washington galleries one needs to spend a lot of time visiting galleries. Not just a handful here and there because you day job is so demanding on you, but 2-3 a week and all over the area – Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Alexandria, Bethesda, 7th Street area, Arlington, the universities, the various ethnic/embassy cultural centers and galleries, the non-profits in Rockville, Reston, etc. A lot of driving; a lot of time; a lot of viewing and digesting.

Being on the "inside" affords me some interesting views of the world of art. One of these views are of and about art critics and writers, most of whom are smart, eloquent, fair and intelligent symbiotic members of our art scene, and some of who operate under the mantle of being objective and fair and open minded, and yet carry hidden agendas, lazy gallery routes and unethical practices.

Let's discuss the latter.

They just don’t have the time, or desire, to see a lot of galleries. I don’t blame them – it’s not easy... but then don’t pretend that you then "cover the DC area."

Sigh... here it comes.

We are without a doubt one of the most reviewed galleries in the Greater Washington area – that is one thing for which we cannot complain (in fact, we have a small mention in today's Arts Beat column in the Post). All three major DC area newspapers (Post, Times and WCP) have been more than generous in reviewing our galleries over the years. Especially when one realizes how meager is the Post and Times’ printspace dedicated to the art galleries.

The one notable exception as far as printspace being the WCP, which under the guidance of its Arts Editor, Leonard Roberge, has taken the lead in reviewing and discussing the area’s visual art scene and delivers more reviews in a weekly format than the two dailies combined.

However, after dozens and dozens of reviews by the papers, national and international magazines, and even television. And after being around for over eight years, and having offered well over 100 art exhibitions… I still know of at least two widely published area art scribes who have never set foot in either of our galleries (at least as far as I know)… or in most other galleries in our area (I know because before I wrote this I talked to four gallery owners at random and asked them: "As far as you know, has fill-in-the-blank ever set foot in your gallery?"

The answer was no.

Interesting uh?

A local collector, who lives in Annandale, Virginia has more than 10,000 pieces of art in his private collection.

He does not collect, however, any contemporary American art.

"All art is a sign of its times," he said, "and from the 1950s forward, there is nothing in our society that's worth pursuing. That art has no future. It will just continue to become extinct -- as it should."

Sounds interesting? Read the Washington Post story here.

Thinking Inside the Box: The Art of Andrew Krieger opens at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on July 24 and runs until November 15, 2004.

It is great to see a Washington area artist's work in one of our museums. This show is curated by Eric Denker. The exhibition showcases more than 100 works from this Washington, DC-based printmaker, sculptor and draftsman. A well-deserved and richly-earned congratulations to Krieger.

Denker is another of the rare few local curators who has his finger on the DC art scene. He notes that "this exhibition underscores the Corcoran’s continued commitment to spotlighting local artists worthy of wider national recognition."

A suggestion to the Corcoran: How about a show for Manon Cleary?

Opportunities for artists...

Deadline August 15,2004

Portland Art Gallery Accepting Submissions for Latin American Art Exhibit (10/1-12/12). The Latin American Arts and Cultures Council of Oregon and the Belinki and DuPrey Gallery are presenting an art exhibition celebrating Oregon's Latin American cultural heritage. Featuring traditional arts (textiles, ceramics, folk art, etc.) and fine contemporary art by Latino/Hispanic/Latin American or artists of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry from Latin American countries, this exhibit will provide a visual accompaniment to other community events celebrating Latin American art and culture.
Belinki and DuPrey Gallery
1224 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
503.227.1242, email: erin@belinkiandduprey.com.

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Deadline August 15, 2004.

Public Art Project: The NC Zoo – North Carolina is seeking qualifications from artists or teams led by a professional artist for a large-scale sculpture that promotes renewable energy. This is an opportunity to design a participatory, kinetic work driven by the technology of renewable, "green" energy generation for an exterior setting. Up to 3 artists will each receive a $500 honorarium to visit the sites for an interview and proposal presentation. Project budget - $73,000 inclusive of artist fee, engineering, fabrication, installation and other associated costs. For more information contact Ellen Greer at ellen.greer@ncmail.net or 336.879.7450 or see this website.

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Deadline August 15,2004

15th Northwest Annual: Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) – Washington state. From Oct 9-Nov 20 CoCA presents the 2004 Northwest Annual, a juried exhibition now in it's fifteenth year, which is open to all professional artists residing in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Northwest Annual is an opportunity for artists to gain regional and national exposure and serves as a vital showcase for experimental work and emerging talent. CoCA is accepting submissions for the following media: painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, works on paper, and video. The juror for the CoCA's 2004 is visual artist Ken Lum. Prospectus and entry form can be found at this website, or email jim@cocaseattle.org.

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Deadline August 9,2004
Audubon Artists 62nd Annual National All-Juried Exhibition – NY. Sep 18-Oct 8, 2004. Salmagundi Club. Aquamedia, graphics, oil, pastel, and sculpture. Awards: over $12,000. Art lecture by Robert Gamblin on Oct 3, 12:30-1:30 pm. For prospectus, send SASE to:
Raymond Olivere
1431 Lexington Ave, #11D
New York, NY 10128

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Deadline August 21, 2004 - Pastel Society of New Mexico 13th National Juried Exhibition – NM. November 5-21. Expo New Mexico (Fairgrounds). 80% pastel. Judge: Richard McKinley. Awards: $5,000 in merchandise and cash. Entry fee: $25/3 members, $30/3 nonmembers, maximum 3 slides. For prospectus, send #10 SASE to:
PSNM-B
PO Box 3571
Albuquerque, NM 87190-3571

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Deadline: September 20, 2004

Allied Artists of America 91st Annual Open Exhibition - NJ. Nov 13-30, 2004. National Arts Club. All artists. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, casein, pastel, graphics, sculpture. Awards: $16,000 cash, medals. 20% commission. For prospectus, send SASE to:
R. Yanow
12 Korwell Circle
West Orange, NJ 07052

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Deadline August 25, 2004

2004 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition: Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State University – AR. Delta National Small Prints Exhibition: Oct 21 - Nov 19, 2004. Juror: Shelley R. Langdale, Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Full color catalog of all work in the exhibition. Several purchase awards, sales encouraged. For a prospectus send SASE to:
2004 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition
Bradbury Gallery
Fowler Center
PO Box 2339
State University, AR 72467
Or email: dnspe@astate.edu

Wanna have fun with Egyptian Hieroglyphics?

The New York Times has a story on an idea for a pension trust for artists that I discussed here last May.

Read the NYT story here.

Jobs in the Arts...

Executive Director: Mystic Arts Center, Connecticut.

The Mystic Arts Center, founded in 1913, is a non-profit art exhibition and educational organization, which seeks an Executive Director. Working in partnership with the Board, the Executive Director will provide leadership and direction to the Center, oversee the daily operations, facilitate the long-range strategic plan, serve as the professional spokesperson for the organization, recruit and manage membership and oversee the budget.

This full-time position directs a staff of 10 and is located on waterfront property with a 10,000 square foot facility. Qualifications: A bachelor's degree and at least five years of senior level experience, ideally in a non-profit environment. Proven budget management, fund-raising and computer experience desired.

For more information please visit their website here.

Salary: Competitive. Submit resume and cover letter to:
Search Committee
Mystic Arts Center
9 Water Street
Mystic, Connecticut 06355

or email to: mysticartssearch@aol.com

Secondsight is an organization dedicated to the advancement of women photographers through support, communication and sharing of ideas and opportunities. Secondsight is committed to supporting photographers at every stage of their careers, from students to professionals.

Their next meeting is July 30. Their guest speaker is Bernis von zur Muehlen.

Bernis is a widely respected pioneer of male nude photography and her work has been exhibited in numerous museum exhibitions throughout the United States, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Delaware Art Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Additionally, her work has been published in many anthologies of male nude photography including Women Photograph Men, Women See Men, The Male Nude in Photography and Male Bodies: A Photographic History of the Nude.

Contact Secondsight here.

Read this artist's experience in copyright image fraud.

Anna L. Conti is a Bay Area artist who discovered that her artwork was being downloaded from her site, copied and being then sold on Ebay.

I am on travel this week, so the posts will probably come at odd times during the day, so check often!

Last Friday, Kristen Hileman, Assistant Curator for Contemporary Art at the Hirshhorn Museum, awarded the Best in Show for the VIII Georgetown International Juried Art Competition to area artist Andrew Devlin. Quite an accomplishment, as Hileman reviewed nearly 1,000 submissions from all over the world, and then selected around 20 for the exhibition.

Devlin will have a solo show in our Georgetown gallery next year as part of the award package.

The Georgetown 3rd Friday openings at Canal Square were packed last Friday - one of the better opening nights in years. There was even quite a bit of media present, including (incredibly enough) some New York City press, I guess out for a visit to the galleries in the provinces.

One of the great joys of writing about art in the Greater Washington area is the discovery once in a while of an exhibition that, unexpectedly in most cases, just takes your breath away with its impact, presence and lingering ability to elicit thoughts and responses long after you’ve left the gallery.
 
In this case, the gallery is Target Gallery, inside the Torpedo Factory, and the exhibition is “In 2Words: Numbers,” a national exhibition juried by Washington firebrand curator Sarah Tanguy.
 
Let me show my cards early: This is the best Target Gallery, show that I’ve ever seen in the twelve years that I have been regularly covering the Greater Washington visual art scene for newspapers and magazines.
 
A bit about the premise for the show: “In 2Words: Numbers” is the first of a pair of national exhibitions that focus on the use of digits, mathematics and formulas in contemporary art. The second exhibition (titled “In2Words: Words”), juried by Krystyna Wasserman, Curator of Book Arts at the National Museum of Women in the Arts opens July 24, 2004.
 
The employment of digits, mathematics and formulas as the driving and unifying theme in the show appealed to me through a couple of sensory inputs – the first as an artist, and the second as a Mathematician. As an undergraduate student at the University of Washington in beautiful Seattle I managed to graduate with a double degree: one in Art and one in Mathematics - odd uh?
 
Anyway, the sixteen artists selected by Tanguy all managed to create artwork that cleverly manage to revolve about this rather unusual theme. In a group show, any group show, there are usually standouts, weak entries and a majority of forgettable artwork in the majority. In mathematical terms, the first two would be the out layers and the rest the median.
 
In this case, I can honest find few out layers – simply because the quality and cleverness and creative thought employed in nearly every entry surpasses most expectations. But let’s discuss some of them.
 
Judith Larsen, a photographer from Cambridge, Massachusetts has three digital photographs on exhibit. In all three instances, Larsen has a female figure that has been decorated with numbers and formulas, like a modern digital Pictish princess. At first one would think that this may be a heavy handed way to crack open the door to “fit” the competition’s theme. And yet, Larsen disarms that negative pre-impression by the marriage of the mathematical tattoos with interesting poses by the model coupled with an unusual digital color palette. The combination of numbers, formulas, poses and colors all add up unexpectedly to deliver quite interesting photographs.
 
Still in the realm of photography, but pushing the envelope a bit more, at least as far as the receiving medium, is Jayson Taylor from Hays, Kansas. Taylor’s “Running Thoughts” combines silk, muslin, and etched aluminum – all coupled with a photo transfer process – to produce a visually interesting work that requires the manual lifting of the silk or muslin to get to the various stages of the actual photograph. Combining a series of numerical finite layers with interaction from the viewer has given Taylor a huge advantage in probably being the most creative of all the interpreters of the theme selected by Tanguy.
 
On the floor of the gallery, there’s an unusual and visually entertaining piece by New Yorker Frank Raczkowski (with a sign letting you know that it is OK to step on it – carefully). Titled “Point Five,” it is made of rubber, steel and level vials all aligned to look like one of those floor mats made up of old tires. He is what art BLOGger Tyler Green would dub a "Wal-Martist." I like this piece partially because of the inner tension that it creates in inviting me to step on it.
 
Step on artwork?
 
Geez… we’re not even supposed to touch it, right? But Raczkowski must be pretty sure of his construction to ask us to step on it (carefully). But Frank, what about all those little level vials, filled with that strange yellowish fluid with the bubble in the middle (what is that stuff?). No thanks – but it works wonderfully in making me look at the work, study it, praise it and avoid stepping on it. Congratulations, you pass.
 
At the risk of being verbose about Mr. Raczkowski, his second entry on display is made up of 148 digital prints of someone’s skin, prickling with short stubble hair. We’re told in the catalog that there are 75,080 counted hairs.
 
OK, now I am interested. First of all, what part of the anatomy has Raczkowski photographed, sometimes it looks strangely sexual, other times it looks like maybe a shaved animal skin (a pig?), and others a made up alien landscape. Eventually the dutiful gallery assistant or gallery director Claire Huschle will tell you that they are photos of Raczkowski’s shaved head.
 
Even after this information is disclosed I am having trouble pinpointing any of the 148 prints, arranged salon style in a corner of the gallery space, to anything resembling a human landscape on anyone’s head. I am even having more trouble comprehending why anyone would want to count all the hairs – but someone did (or is telling us they did) and I sort of like that in a mathematical way.
 
As Tanguy eloquently describes in her juror’s statement, “[in this show] process is paramount… As intimations become revelations, the works transform us from passive recipients to active explorers.”

I believe Raczkowski and I ain't even beginning to think to count the hairs - but I was tempted!

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The show is on display until July 18, 2004. Target Gallery is the national exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, displaying artwork in all media from artists across the United States and abroad. Located on the ground floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm and other times by appointment. Contact the gallery at (703) 838-4565, ext. 4.

Call for Artists...

The League of Reston Artists (LRA) has a Call for Artists for the upcoming Annual Judged Fine Arts Exhibition at the National Center Gallery of the U. S. Geological Survey.

$300 in award monies will be presented at the opening reception by this year’s judge, Libby Stevens. This call for entry is limited to a maximum of two framed works of fine art from each artist. The entry fee is $15 for LRA members and $20 for non-members. The call for entry form can be downloaded from the LRA’s web site at this website. Send completed entry form to the LRA, POB 2513, Reston, VA 20195, or present the completed form at the door during drop-off of the works of art.

Artists who are interested in submitting work for this exhibition are advised that they must deliver or have their work delivered in person to the National Center Gallery of the U. S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia, on Friday, July 30, from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Works must be appropriately framed for hanging per the printed framing standards on the call for entry form and suitable for display in a public building.

Tyler Green's interesting online discussion with Village Voice art critic Jerry Saltz, plus Saltz's article in Artnet.com plus Nate Lippet's article in Seattle's The Stanger magazine (thanks AJ) have made me think about our local art critics, local media and the effect of art criticism on our galleries, artists, etc.
 
I am not sure about NYC or LA or Chicago, or even wonderful and beautiful Seattle, but after putting up well over 100 shows between the two galleries since 1996, plus reviewing another couple of hundred or so for magazines and newspapers and radio, and having been at the receiving end of many, many reviews, I have the following observations, purely from the perspective of an independent commercial fine arts gallery. 

(i)  A Washington, DC review has practically zero effect on gallery sales. In almost ten years of selling artwrok in the DC area, I cannot recall a single sale that took place solely because of a review in any of our local media. I can and do recall several major sales that took place because of a review of David FeBland in Art in America magazine, but even that collector (from Princeton, NJ) was attracted to the image in the review and became interested in the artist as a result of it - not the review itself. 

(ii)  A Washington, DC review has very small effect on increasing traffic to the gallery. This is still surprising to me. In fact, I would place the following types of mentions in our local press in order of increasing foot traffic to come and see the show. Most surprising of all is the fact that I have noticed, that a mention on the Post's Weekend section in the first page "Our Picks" column drives more traffic (in fact exponentially higher) than any other media mention anywhere. Also of interest, a little mini-review or mention in the Post's freebie newspaper (the Express) will also bring in more people to the gallery than a proper review in the Post! Anyway here's my listing of possible local media mentions in order of traffic augmentation:

1. Washington Post Weekend Section "Our Picks"
2. Washington Post Express mention
3. Washington City Paper Major Review
4. Washington City Paper City Lights Small Review
5. Washington Post Sunday Source mention
6. Washington Post Style "Galleries" review
7. Washington Times review
8. WETA Around Town "Best Bet"
9. Georgetowner review
10. Gazette review

I've left out radio and TV because they are so rare to obtain. In the few rare times that we've received either radio or TV coverage, it has created huge interest in the exhibitions. Too bad it happens so seldom.
 
(iii) From a purely professional and artistic perspective, a review in the local press can have a huge impact on an artist's development and career. In fact, a review in the Washington Post or the Washington Times - simply because of the fact that they are (in a provincial sense) "national newspapers" can and does deliver a very significant punch to an artist's career and resume. In that sense, a major review in the Post or Times, and to a lesser extent the WCP, can and does become an important marker in an artist's career.
 
I've seen this time and time again. It may take months or years to "see" the effect - but it is there and it is a profound footprint in any artist's (or gallery) ability to establish a presence.
 
Changing the subject a bit...
 
I believe that art criticism should have teeth - why not! In fact, the sharper the better!
 
What I cannot stand is lukewarm criticism: If you like a show, then be passionate about it! If you dislike it, then destroy it! Like this totally brutalizing review  of these two artists a while back, or like Blake Gopnik's total destruction of J. Seward Johnson.

That's the way to write about something that you don't like! Not a half-assed, lukewarm criticism where three quarters of the piece is a bio of the artist, and the other quarter describes the art.

But if art criticism should have teeth; it should also have passion to jump in and really, really like something and tell us why.

I cannot recall the last time that I read a local art critic write something along the lines of "this is a spectacular show" or "this is one of the best fill-in-the-blank that I've ever seen" - you get my point?

It does take cojones to write a negative review of a local artist, someone that you may run into later. And it is true that often the victim takes it personally. Or the host...

A few years ago I wrote this small piece for some local papers (it was also eventually picked up by the Washington Post). Soon afterwards I was getting hate phone calls and emails from Twombly fans and even from the NGA. In fact, after that piece, I have never been invited to another NGA opening since!

More later... super busy with the Georgetown gallery opening tonite - we have a really good show juried by Kristen Hileman, Asst. Curator for Contemporary Art at the Hirshhorn. She selected about 20 artists from over 1,000 entries received from all over the world.
 
Opening is from 6-9 PM and catered by the Sea Catch. The three other Canal Square galleries will also have new shows and will be open from 6-9 PM.
 
See ya there!

Jeffry Cudlin has a really eloquent and intelligent review of the Jim Dine show at the NGA in the current edition of the Washington City Paper.  Go get a copy of the WCP and read it or read it online here.

Here is a really intelligent and elegantly written observation (in my opinion):

"But one begins to sense a failure of nerve, a need to apologize for indulgences. In Owl, Rome (1997), swirls and puddles of shellac mixed with sand saturate the paper and stain it a range of dull ochres. A crumpled rag of the same color is glued to the upper third of the longish sheet of paper. Both this brazen non sequitur and the chaotic vigorousness of Dine’s treatment of the owl’s body feel like a guilty justification for the comparatively precious head sitting predictably atop it."

I dropped by the Torpedo Factory today to see the show at Target Gallery curated by Sarah Tanguy. More on that later, but for now let me tell you that this is the best show that I've seen at Target in the last ten years. It is quite extraordinary the number of really unique works that Tanguy managed to assemble from a juried show perspective.

More on that later, as I will review it for OTC.

Also while at the Factory, I saw some artwork (shown to me by her proud mom) by a 15-year-old girl, completely self-taught, and whose work left me absolutely stunned.

Her name is Jenny Davis, and like I said, she is 15, and she decided to start trying watercolors, and has produced a handful of watercolors (which as any artist knows, is the most technically demanding of any of the painting arts) that simply take your breath away with their technical eloquence for such a young, untrained child. Add to that an immediate sense of composition, and a built in ability to "see" and we have a budding star in the making.

I immediately invited her mom to have Jenny participate in our coming Summer Group Show in Bethesda!

That's how impressed I was by this prowess.

On the way out, I ran into artist Susan Makara and asked her if she's seen Tanya Davis daughter's work. Susan just whistled in admiration and said a wise "I know!"

Jerry Saltz has a must read piece about art critics, dealers and artists at Artnet.com.  And thanks to Arts Journal - Here's another great piece about and by art critics: Assume The Position by Nate Lippens.