Closing the book on Seven

Now that Seven has ended, I wanted to do a littlre recap and toot my horn, and review what was accomplished by this massive show.

One of the goals of Seven was to expose as many new WPA/C artists as possible to the public. At least half of the artists included in Seven had never participated in a WPA/C exhibition before, and 24,000 slides later (twice-viewed) a full third of them were new names to me.

A second goal was as a fundraiser for the WPA/C, and this exhibition has, I am told, become their best selling gallery show ever. Among the dozens of sales made during the show, three of Washington's best-known power collectors and one major corporate buyer came away with artwork from Seven.

A third goal (my goal) was to bring some fellow gallerists to the exhibition, in the hope that they would find some new artists among the lot that I selected for the exhibition. To date, several artists that I know of have been picked up for (or offered) representation by DC area galleries (and one by a California gallery!).

Furthermore, the focus of the "Text" gallery in Seven has become of interest to a couple of area curators, and look for that group of artists to push the theme and focus in an area art venue soon, and later in a Virginia museum.

Seven was widely reviewed in the press, with the expected range of flavors from such a large exhibition, from the expected dismissal by the WaPo, to online reviews by G.P. and by The Artery, to a rousing endorsal of a review by The Georgetowner.

The show was also discussed on CNN and was filmed as part of a new art documentary film.

And, although the City Paper did not review this massive show (tsk, tsk), they did profile several of the artists who came across to their writers and critics' attention through Seven (such as Samantha Wolov and Ben Tolman).

And last but not least, a rousing "well done!" to Kim Ward of the WPA/C for busting her tail in all aspects of this show, as well as to my two co-curators, Sandra Fernandez and Adrian Schneck, and to the the Rupert family for the generous donation of their magical spaces.

Where is the Peace? Opens on Thursday

Warehouse Gallery hosts Where is the Peace?, an exhibition by mostly DC area artists where the artists examine war and peace in our world through painting, sculpture, photography, installations and video. The exhibition runs from September 8 through October 2, 2005 and the Opening Reception is this coming Thursday, September 8th from 6-8pm.

Artists in the exhibit include:

John Aaron, Sondra Arkin, Joan Belmar, Ib Benoh, Gabriela Bulisova, Cynthia Carter, Randi Cecchin, Travis Childers, Richard L. Dana, John De Fabbio, Michele de la Menardiere, Rick Delaney, Laura Elkins, John Hayes, Matt Hollis, Djakarta Jacobs, Michael Janis, Mark Jenkins, Joroko, Maria Karametou, Joanne Kent, George Koch, Katya Kronick, Heather Levy, Rosetta McPherson, Gary S. Medovich, Joseph Merchlinsky, Rosa Naparstek, Claudia Olivos, Dino Paxenos, Rob Redding, Ann Ruppert, Rolf Rykken, Hussein Saidi, Anita M. Schmied, Alexandra Silverthorne, Fierce Sonia, Kim Stark, Ann Stoddard, Karen Joan Topping, Ruth Trevarrow, Ellyn Weiss, and Andrew Wodzianski.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: September 15, 2005.

UNLOCKED: Open Exhibition 2005, Arts Council of Fairfax County.

Artists from DC, MD, or VA are encouraged to apply. Artists working in any media can submit up to four (4) slides, the first two (2) will be considered for exhibit.

This year's Juror is Andrea Pollan, independent curator and past Exhibitions Director at the McLean Project for the Arts. Cash prizes totaling $2000. Entry Fee: $35 (waived for current members). Exhibition will take place November 4 – December 2, 2005. For more information, please contact ajerardi@artsfairfax.org or 703.642.0862 x 5. The prospectus is also available on their website.

Jiha Moon for Katrina

Curator's Office next hosts the exhibition Symbioland: Works by Jiha Moon. The exhibition opens on Saturday, September 10 and runs through October 15, 2005. A reception for the artist takes place on Saturday, September 10, from 6 to 8 pm.

As part of the exhibition, they will donate the proceeds from the sale of the piece "Tie the Knot" to a charity helping the victims of Katrina. See the image below:



Curator's Office micro-gallery Hours are Wednesday - Saturday, 12 - 6 pm and by appointment.

Curator's Office
1515 14th Street NW
Suite 201
Washington, DC 20005
www.curatorsoffice.com
tel - 202.387.1008
fax - 202.387.1066

Lichtenstein Painting Slashed in Austria

A German woman from Munich visiting the Kunsthaus Bregenz exhibition "Roy Lichtenstein — Classic of the New" in Austria pulled a pocket knife from her purse and delivered several slashes to a painting by Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.

Read the story here.

Catriona for Katrina

The fair Catriona Fraser has one of her spectacular infrared photographs from her "Seven Celtic Nations" project on auction with all proceeds to be donated to the The Southern Arts Federation's Emergency Relief Fund to assist arts organizations and artists residing in Gulf Coast communities most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.


Bid for "Balvenie Castle, Scotland" here.

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Keegan for Katrina

The fair Candace Keegan has one of her sensual paintings up for auction at her website, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.


Bid for it here.

Bailey on Katrina

If Art Blogs were eligible for Pulitzers, then I'd vote for Black Cat Bone, who is doing an amazing job reporting from inside the devastation and focused on the effects upon the area's art world.

Read it all here.

More Katrina Art Fundraisers

Two new artists in the below listing of area artists who are having artwork for sale/auction and who will donate the proceeds to a reputable charity to help with the Katrina disaster. If anyone else knows of anybody else, please email me. Be generous. The new artists are Heather Levy and Meghan Taylor. Also Solarize This has a kicking listing here.

Matt Achhammer

James W. Bailey

F. Lennox Campello

Warren Craghead

Paul Goode

Duane Kaiser and also here.

J.T. Kirkland.

Tracy Lee

Heather Levy.

Alexandra Silverthorne

Meghan Taylor

Samantha Wolov

ArtsMedia News Returns

The second season of the TV show ArtsMedia News returns in a couple of weeks, and we'll be videotaping a segment next week.

As some of you know, I am the talking head (or often voice) discussing the Greater DC area art scene, doing reviews of area shows or interviewing DC area artists and curators.

The show airs on Thursdays at 8:30PM and and Saturdays at 8:30AM on the MHz TV Network.

In some of the next few segments, we'll be covering the Alexandria Festival of the Arts next weekend, and later on I'll be taking the camera crew (maybe next month) through some of the openings of the Dupont Circle galleries on their First Friday Art Walk.

Bethesda Artist Market Returns Sept. 11

On Sunday, September 11, 2005, from 10am-5pm, the Bethesda Artist Market returns to Bethesda Place Plaza, 7700 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda (one block from the Bethesda Metro stop). The event features artwork and fine crafts for sale by nearly 30 regional and local artists working in painting, photography, jewelry, turned wood, blown glass, metalwork and mixed media.

Details here.

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Arts on Foot Returns September 17

Arts on Foot is a one-day event on September 17, 2005 from 11AM-5PM celebrating arts in the Penn Quarter. The event takes the place both as a street festival and in neighborhood venues and institutions between 4th and 14th Streets, from Pennsylvania Avenue to L Street.

The Art Market is located in the "T-Shaped" Street Festival adjacent to the Hotel Monaco and National Portrait Gallery (currently closed):

Street Festival Location:
F Street, NW between 7th and 9th Streets
8th Street, NW between E and F

In addition to the Art Market artists, museums, restaurants and theaters will have activities in the Street Festival and there will be a stage with music and dance performances.

Details here.

Dawson on Coble

Jessica has a very good interview with Mary Coble in yesterday's WaPo. Read it here.


More on Coble at Conner Contemporary here.

Emergency Relief Fund to assist arts organizations and artists

I'll be donating all the proceeds from my Katrina art auctions (plus my own donations) to the Southern Arts Federation.

The Southern Arts Federation has established an Emergency Relief Fund to assist arts organizations and artists residing in Gulf Coast communities most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Distribution and decisions on the use of funds will be made by state arts agencies. Donations may be made by check or credit card. Please make checks out to: Southern Arts Federation Emergency Relief Fund.

All donations are tax-deductible. Please, click on the following link to complete the donation form -- here.

David Dombrosky
Contemporary Arts Manager
Southern Arts Federation
1800 Peachtree Street NW
Suite 808
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-874-7244 ext. 22
FAX 404-873-2148

Katrina Art Fundraisers

Below is a listing of area artists who are having artwork for sale/auction and who will donate the proceeds to a reputable charity to help with the Katrina disaster. If anyone else knows of anybody else, please email me. Be generous.

Matt Achhammer

James W. Bailey

F. Lennox Campello

Warren Craghead

Paul Goode

Duane Kaiser and also here.

J.T. Kirkland.

Tracy Lee

Alexandra Silverthorne

Samantha Wolov

DCist looking for art writers

DCist is looking to improve its visual arts coverage, but in order to do that they need writers who are qualified and willing to review galleries, art venues and museum shows.

If you are interested, contact Rob Goodspeed at Rob@DCist.com.

Katrina Art back up at Ebay

I've relisted the artwork that Ebay removed yesterday.

See and bid for one or both of them here. All proceeds will be donated to a reputable Katrina relief fund.


Bid for the Kahlo oil here


Bid for The Morrigan here

Also opening today

JET Artworks has the opening for GO FIGURE! – a group exhibition of 22 artists running from August 31 – October 8.

This exhibit is a survey of artists working in a variety of media – painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and video – all using the human form, face, or figure in some way.

There will be two receptions – September 2 and 9, 6-8pm. JET Artworks is located at 2108 R St. NW 202.232.4407 / hours are Wed-Sat 12-6, Sunday 12-4PM.

Katrina and the Arts

Just follow Bailey's Blog and you'll begin to shake inside your soul at the destruction and loss.

Bailey is doing a spectacular job so far in leading the Arts BLOG reporting from inside the destruction area.

And we all knew that he would, didn't we?

Auctions cancelled by Ebay

In case you're wondering what happened to the two auctions that I had going, to raise some funds for the Katrina victims, they have been terminated by Ebay. They sent me the below email:

We appreciate that you chose eBay to list the following listing(s):

7347481288 - The Morrigan signed Celtic print 4 Katrina Relief Fund
7347617747 - 1981 Frida Kahlo oil portrait signed 4 Katrina relief

However, your listing was in violation of eBay's Charity policy and has been removed from eBay. We have credited all associated fees to your account and notified eBay users associated with the transaction that it has been cancelled.

We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of your listing is not permitted.

Your listing(s) contains the following information:

Title States: Katrina Relief Fund
Description States: All proceeds from this auction will be donated to one of the charities helping with the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Title States: Katrina relief

I've asked Ebay why they terminated it; perhaps they have a blanket policy like this in order to avoid scams.

Update: I've relisted both items. Bid for them here.

Openings

Tomorrow is the first Friday of September and thus usually time for the openings and extended hours of the Dupont Circle area galleries. However, because of the holiday weekend, it seems that some of the area galleries are having the opening receptions next week sometime. Make sure to check their websites for the correct times.

Anyway, I've already mentioned the Mary Coble performance at Conner. This is also the last few days to see the "Introductions" exhibition at Irvine; this is the acclaimed show of some talented young artists who have recently graduated from art colleges on the East coast. The show closes Sat. Sept. 3, 2005.

A few doors down, Washington Printmakers has "Interior Alternatives," recent monoprints and monotypes by Carolyn Pomponio, and they are having a reception for the artist from 6-9PM.

Also on Friday, Monument Snowboards is having their End of Summer Bash at Club FIVE, located at 1214-B 18th Street, NW Washington, DC. Why am I mentioning that event here? Because Kelly Towles, Adam Stab, and Ron Thompson will be exhibiting work at the party, and get this: They're having an open bar from 9:30 to 10:30PM! You can pay $5 instead of $10 if you go here and RSVP. Please go and support a small indie snowboard company and the artists; all for $5 for on open bar hour of fun!

There are loads of new openings next week, both in the District and in Bethesda; check later for those times and places.

Kahlo for Katrina Relief

I've put a second piece of my artwork online at Ebay to raise funds for the victims of Katrina. This piece is an original oil wash on gessoed paper that I did when I was a student at the University of Washington School of Art. It measures 19x15 inches and it is matted to 24x20 inches in a white, pH-balanced, acid free mat.


Bid for it here

The piece is part of my well-documented obsession with the image of Frida that started in 1977 when I first visited Mexico City. It has a very low starting bid price.