Airborne again today and heading to you-know-where...

Karen Joan Topping on the Corcoran Acquisition of the Randall School

Last Thursday I mentioned the acquisition of the Randall School by the Corcoran and asked to hear from some of the MAC artists who have studios there, since there have been some past issues between them and the acquisition process. So far Ellyn Weiss has responded and now Karen Joan Topping has the following to say:

Mr. C, thanks for giving us the incentive to speak our minds. This is a little long - I could not resist a "Dylan Thomasy" sort of response, considering my feelings for my time at the Randall School.

You mentioned that DC's lack of affordable studio space was a factor in the deal with the Corcoran to include space for practicing artists in their plan. While no one would argue that financial and real estate issues have touched everyone in the past five years, personally I think that the Randall School community of artists and our cultural presence is of equal importance in explaining what lead us into this Jonah & the Whale scenario.

When I saw the artists that were residents in the building when I was a prospective renter 3-4 years ago, I knew I had to get in on this space. There were a number of artists that I really respected by reputation and work that had just recently cut the graduate school cord and had taken DC by storm. There were artists that I knew as bastions of the Downtown Art Scene in the 80's and 90's, that had had their studios over the porn and wig shops across from the National Portrait Gallery. Back in the day, this group had put on events of smaller scale but greater intensity than almost anything that's been seen at Art-o-Matic. Not surprisingly, many of these people now work their asses-off to make Art-O-Matic's possible.

Lastly there were plenty of people like me; not legendary, not the toast of the town; but with work ethic and solid bodies of work that appeals to some little niche otherwise we would not keep doing it.) Really, at the core that's what almost every resident of the Millennium Art Center (MAC) was, that kind of community is often harder to come by then available space.

Unfortunately when I became a renter at MAC the future of the building as studios, let alone an art center, was already on shaky ground. I was lucky to have my studio in one of the older parts of the building; Randall is a beautiful and old building and honestly it would not have lasted much longer without a deal like this happening. I hope the developers are held to refurbishing as much as they are allowed to demolish.

I had tried to rent studios in the preceding years and had not been successful. I once lost a space to a former employee because the landlord said his voice was on his answering machine before mine. The competition for individually leased spaces was and is high. Most artists are not willing or capable of taking on a lease and responsibility for the bankroll and slum-lording it takes to get the rent paid for an entire floor of a mid-century office building or an unused warehouse, let alone a 6.5 million complex of school buildings. Income statements, credit reports are as much a part of getting a studio as a "regular" person renting or buying a house or apartment.

There is studio space is out there, but there is sorry little initiative out there from investors and agencies that could afford to cut up larger spaces and offer them for fair prices. This was what was on the table at MAC, the opportunity for renting a studio - not having to become a landlord too.

While I've barely left the building, I'm nostalgic for the neighborhood already. Many of the remaining artists had been tenants for close to ten years, I can't imagine how they feel. I'm concerned that this project is a positive move for the neighborhood. There is a lot of public assistance housing in the neighborhood and it needs an art center that is going to reach out to the community more than anything.

Many other mixed use development projects seem stalled in this neighborhood and the Corcoran has not been very forthcoming about exactly what's going on with their project. I'm concerned that this project gets off the ground and doesn't become another shipwreck in the "Corcoran Triangle". Like the large historic church that sits behind the Randall building, it could end up sitting there boarded up for a decade which would break a lot of hearts.

There are only a few entities that can presume taking on a building that fills a city block and a leadership role in supporting a community of more than thirty artists and at least two non-profits; think about it, that's bigger than most graduate schools.

Private entities and city governments come to the top of my mind as good candidates.

The Corcoran has already put some roadblocks in the way of establishing good relations with the artists and the SW community. With the Gehry building not happening, it's hard to say what they have in mind.

Given that these are my feelings at the present moment, why would I presume that the Corcoran would be open to truly working in consort with the community, the government and private investors to create a truly visionary art center that could eclipse the Gehry or a ubiquitous mixed-use development. Outstanding not because of what it looks like or how financially good it looks on paper but in the positive and supportive impact it has on the community and the city. I know that running a museum or any arts organization is not a cakewalk, but I wish I could have more faith in the Corcoran assuming a role that maximizes the leadership role by at least trying to bring in the resources and a spirit of community and communication and could really make something happen.

I am willing to admit, it’s a little unfair to saddle our ‘local’ museum with this huge responsibility when they really do need to fix their school. Sadly, I think it took this bleak lack of faith to spur the Ex-MAC community get organized. If it’s not prudent for the Corcoran to do it, listen up isn’t there “someone” else out there that sees what I am talking about and can step up to the challenge? Stay tuned. Ex-mac'rs will hopefully be having a celebration of some sort in the spring in the hope that we can galvanize much more of the DC community to support art, artists and the positive investment that art is to the city as a whole.

Thanks.

Karen Joan Topping

Could Another Eakins Leave Philly?

"Three years ago, the Philadelphia School District went on a treasure hunt to gather up about 1,200 artworks. There were paintings, sculptures and tapestries from more than 260 schools, including Wilson.

Officials said some of the art was too valuable to hang in the schools. At least one piece by Thomas Eakins was found in a boiler room, the Washington Post reported.

A Chicago art consultant brought in to catalogue the works said the entire collection could be worth $30 million.

"This is an incredibly unusual and extraordinary find," consultant Kathleen Bernhardt-Hidvegi told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004.

But now that the School Reform Commission is struggling to resolve a $73.3 million budget deficit, art experts, along with members of various school communities, are worried that district officials could be tempted to sell the artworks.

At least one commissioner, Daniel Whelan, voiced the idea at a budget hearing last month. The art has been stored away from public view since 2003-04.

Read the report by Valerie Russ here.

Hotel Art As I end up the travel nights in my hotel room in San Diego's Hotel Circle, and after a massive meal at Ortega's (still the best Mexican restaurant in San Diego by the way), I again noticed the crappy "wall decor" that goes for art in most hotel lobbies and rooms in this nation. And it reminded me of a stunt that I used to pull with hotel artwork years ago (which now would be called an "art project"). And I mean years ago, somewhere between the late 70's and the early 2000's, during the time before the crap that passes for art in most hotel rooms was attached to the wall so securely that it would take a small nuclear device to remove it from the wall. Anyway, between the late 70's (I'd say around 1976 or so) and the early 2000's, it was my usual practice, as sort of a personal artistic jihad, to take down the framed "art" in these hotel rooms, take the frame apart, and remove the usual poster or reproduction that was the art, turn it around, and draw (and once in a while actually paint) a "new" original work on the verso of the poster. It was usually a simple, figurative line drawing, more often than not done while watching TV, and often inspired by the TV show itself. Some were more elaborate than others, and every once in a while a really involved drawing would emerge. Once finished, I would re-frame the new work, and re-hang it on the wall. I did this probably around 200 times in hotel rooms in Europe, Canada, Mexico and all over the United States.

These days I am doing a similar, but modified project - which I will call my "art deployment" project, where I use frames from area thrift shops, remove the cheap reproductions (usually) that are in these frames, replace them with my own artwork -- usually art school era vintage "real" prints such as etchings, linocuts, lithos, etc. and even some original work -- and then "sneak" it back into the thrift shop for some lucky and sharp-eyed person to acquire and "boom" a Campello gets into another collection.

Crazy December

I'm gonna pack the miles in December. Between flying to California, and then to Florida and a gazillion parties and things to do in DC, will make for a crazy month, so please check often, as the posting will be done at all times of the day.

Educating Blake

As we all know, WaPo art critic Blake Gopnik is a devoted acolyte of the "painting is dead" gospel. Perhaps he should attend this panel in order to realize that as long as there are artists, painting will never die:

Roundtable Discussion: Fresh Paint: Process and Possibility

Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 7-9 p.m at the Arlington Arts Center.

Why is process a fresh topic these days? Fourteen invited artists from around the region, including Anthony Brock, Byron Clercx, Eric Finzi, Pat Goslee, Christopher P. Hoeting, Tati Kaupp, Kevin Kepple, Isabel Manalo, Michael Matarese, Cara Ober, Susan Palmisano, Stefan Prosky, Lynda Ray and Shinji Turner-Yamamoto will discuss why paint is their medium of choice.

As well, they will discuss why they use a variety of alternative painting techniques and materials (including robots that sing and make art) in search of mystery, pattern and meaning, and as a significant way to question contemporary life. Carol Lukitsch, curator of FRESH PAINT: Process and Possibility will also moderate this important roundtable discussion.

By the way, the opening reception for the show is Friday, December 8, 6-9 pm.

Airborne again today and flying from you-know-where and heading to the Left Coast...

Proof at Theatre Widener

Last Friday night I attended the opening performance of "Proof" at Theatre Widener at Widener University.

Written by David Auburn, "Proof" has been a spectacular success on Broadway, and has won the Joseph Kesselring Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Play of 2001.

"Proof" is a play about Catherine, a 25-year-old Chicago woman who had been taking care of her mentally-ill uberMathematician father (Robert) for several years prior to his death in their home in Chicago.

Following his death, she then begins to deal with her own issues, including the fact that she's troubled by the many traits that she shares with her father, including a potential mental instability and an apparent gift for Mathematics.

The arrival of her bossy sister Claire from New York, to attend to their father's funeral, and the re-introduction of Hal, a former student of their father, who is now a professor of Mathematics at the University of Chicago (and who hopes to find some new and valuable mathematical insights in the 103 gibberish-filled notebooks that Robert left behind), set in motion the various elements of this play.

We learn a lot about mathematicians in this play. We are told that it is a young man's profession (most mathematical discoveries have been made by young men under the age of 25), and that it is young men who are the key mathematicians, and it is inferred that mathematicians may be predisposed genetically to mental instability, and finally, that mathematical research and the discovery of something "new" is the ultimate goal for "real" mathematicians.

When Hal is directed by Catherine to a locked drawer, and discovers a notebook filled with a mind-boggling new mathematical proof, the audience is initially led to believe that the old mathematician has shattered the foundations of (a) and has made amazing new advancements in the field while enjoying a one year remission in his mental illness.

Because "Proof" also makes a heavy-handed point that mathematical research is a young man's game, we are ready to gasp when the play then tackles the issue of Catherine (who has been trained by both her father and by undergraduate classes in Math at Northwestern as a beginner mathematician), as she stakes the claim at the midpoint of the play that it is she - and not her father - who has created the new proof.

Both Hal and Claire doubt the claim, and Catherine begins to descend into a depression that seems to put her on the same mental road as her father. Eventually, the play eases into a closing where Hal and Catherine, now romantically involved, work together to resolve some of the "less than elegant" parts of the proof.

The play spends a lot of dialogue talking about the culture of mathematicians. Since the author of "Proof" apparently does not have any mathematical background, I was surprised in the sense that he certainly does show remarkable insight into the culture of mathematicians.

For example, "Proof" introduces into the dialogue the rarity of female names in the top names for the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition and the total absence of any female names on the list of Fields Medalists - prizes and competitions apparently well-known only in the field of Mathematics.

With the exception of Ted O'Tanyi (who plays Robert), these are all very young collegiate actors, and sometimes their youth shows, both in a positive and negative (no pun intended) manner, most often in their facial expressions to deliver an emotion.

Kristen Hearty, who plays Catherine (and whose character manages to somehow get cuter with each act in the play) uses her youth to plant her acting skills deep into the part. Her facial expressions and vocal range add a lot to the frustration and mental anguish of her character as she progresses through the various acts, and she is best when she interacts with Hal. She is also especially good in delievring some of the funnier lines in the script, during the second half of the play, and almost exhausting in her depiction of a very negative young woman.

Brian Harrington (who plays Hal) delivers the best performance in "Proof." He is believable as the Math geek professor, struggling to make Catherine believe that he's really interested in both her and her father's work - and not in getting his hands on the proof to make a name for himself. He stepped into the role from the very first line, and that singularly noticeable, since it took all the other actors a bit to "warm up," especially in the first act, which was a bit stilted and shrill.

Elizabeth Epright and Ted O'Tanyi are adequate as Claire and Robert respectively. O'Tanyi started a little shaky at first, but his performance matured as the play went on, and by his last appearance in the second half of the performance, was very good in the role of the mentally ill genius.

I was somewhat bothered by the choice of costumes for Claire and Catherine, which (especially in the case of Claire) seemed to be cheap suits off the rack from some outlet and apparently someone's ill-conceived notion of what a New York businesswoman wears. Claire ranged widely in costumes, from typical jeans and T-shirt, to a very pretty dress that takes the character from being a frumpy mid-20s Chicago girl into a sexy woman, and then again ends in the final act in a weird ochre pantsuit that must have caused gasps when finally purchased in some discount women's clothing store somewhere in Philadelphia.

Overall this is a very good collegiate production of a very strong play (directed by Dennis Bloh), which manages to raise some interesting issues about the ignored role of women in a male-dominated field.

"Proof" runs through December 9, 2006.

Altar Boyz

A while back a regular reader of Mid Atlantic Art News, who I think is also a producer for the show Altar Boyz, sent me a couple of complimentary tickets for one of the show's performance in our area at the Hippo in Baltimore.

I didn't know this at the time, but Altar Boyz is an award winning play, and somewhat (if we're to judge by the screaming girls in the audience) some kind of a "under the radar" cult hit, that somehow takes the phenomenom of pop boys groups, seriously athletic dancing, catchy tunes, and religion, and puts it all together in an unexpected, sort of fun musical show.

At first I thought that the show was an effort to poke fun at religion, Christian religion of course, but as the musical got going, I realized that this was an effort to well... bring some harmless pop into religion, while delivering a positive, and 100% harmless, religious message.

The "boyz" are Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham; sort of a pop Christian Mod Squad, that is ethnically diverse ("Juan" (Spanish for John) is Mexican, and "Luke" plays an Italian street toughie stereotype (I think); and even includes a Semite ("Abraham" is Jewish), and one of the boyz (Mark) is gay.

The characters played by the boyz, especially the gay, the Mexican and the Jew, are little more than cliché Hollywood cartoonish stereotypes, but this is somewhat overcome by their interaction and the whole "fun" attitude of the show.

This Christian boy band, mike-in-cheek (I think) hopes to save souls in their travels with a power-packed ninety minutes of diverse music (rap, Latin, rock, gospel, etc.), well-choreographed and sweat-producing dancing, and a ton of laughs - in fact many more that one would expect... from (ahem) this kind of musical play.

And this is a show, that if someone would have described it to me ahead of time, I would have skipped it; and yet I will admit that I actually quite enjoyed the songs (includes "Girl, You Make Me Wanna Wait" and "Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone"), the dancing, and even the post-modern Christian message of acceptance.

The show is based on a book by Kevin Del Aguila, and it is choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who deserves a "well done" for the dancing and moves on this show.

More on the Altar Boyz website here (be prepared for annoying musical effects).

The Case of the Kennedy Portrait

Jessica Gould and Dave Jamieson have a really interesting report in the Washington City Paper about the fact that "Phillip Bailley took a handsome portrait of Robert F. Kennedy from his presidential campaign office. So why is he suing Ethel Kennedy?"

Read the story here.

Ellyn Wise on the Corcoran Acquisition of the Randall School

Last Thursday I mentioned the acquisition of the Randall School by the Corcoran and asked to hear from some of the MAC artists who have studios there, since there have been some past issues between them and the acquisition process.

Several artists have responded and below is Ellyn Weiss take on the subject:

Personally, I would characterize The Cork "under new management" as every bit as imperious and high-handed in its dealings with the local art community as was the old regime. It truly amazes me, not to say pisses me off royally, that after the Millennium artists - at The Cork's explicit request - supported the Cork's acquisition of the Randall School when they needed City Council approval, they never even deigned to meet with us and let us know what their plans and schedule are for the rehab.

Instead, they chose to communicate, on the rare occasions when they did, only through scary lawyer-drafted letters that ordered us to do one thing or another. For example: thanks to our truly amazing pro bono lawyers, Norman Sinel and Rich Lucas from Arnold and Porter, the deed for the Randall School now contains the requirement that, after rehab is completed, the Cork must offer the artists comparable studio space.

In an apparent nod to this, we all just received a registered letter informing us that we would be offered, in 48 - 52 months, a studio of no less than 72 square feet, but only if we sign a "legally binding" document now committing to rent it.

This magnanimous offer pretty much says it all. It couldn't be more clear that The Cork views itself as on a whole different planet than the one that local artists inhabit.

But not all gloom and doom from us Millennium artists! We have a show right now at 910 E St. NW organized by Zenith Gallery (thanks, Marjory) and are planning a big old party soon to which all of you artists and art lovers will be invited. We DO plan to rise again.

Peace and love, Ellyn Weiss

As there are always two sides to every story, I have asked the Corcoran to respond. Later I will publish more comments from other MAC artists.

New Painting a Day Blog

DC area artist Molly Brose joins the new wave of daily online painters kick-started by Richmond's Duane Keiser with her new "A Day's Work" Blog.

Some really excellent watercolors created each day here.

New Hoyas

DC area artist John Murray has been commissioned to create four religious paintings for the Jesuit Chapel of Georgetown University. He has just finished the first one:

More details, including prep sketches, here.

Another one heading down South

In addition to all the galleries and dealers mentioned here (and elsewhere since), the Black Artists of DC (BADC) are also heading to Miami where they will be exhibiting during the Art Basel extravaganza in the LoGlo exhibit at the Buena Vista Building in the Design District.

O'Sullivan in the WaPo

"Hoping to foster a little cross-pollination in the visual arts scenes of Washington, Baltimore and Richmond, the Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran's ongoing series of "Exchange" exhibitions -- in which art spaces from those cities have been trading shows with one another -- is a great idea, if for no other reason than it saves gas. Washington art lovers curious about what's going on in the Baltimore scene, for instance, had the recent opportunity to find out (without driving an hour) when the WPA/C, in a collaboration with Baltimore's Creative Alliance, brought a slew of Charm City's finest to the Warehouse for a showcase earlier this fall. At the same time, Baltimoreans could check out what Washington had to offer at a simultaneous roundup of D.C. artists there. (Both have since closed.)

The final two "Exchange" installments are on view now: "Richmond @ DC" at the D.C. Arts Center, and its counterpart, "DC @ Richmond," at that city's Gallery5. (Oddly, the triangle was left incomplete, with no art-swap planned between Richmond and Baltimore. Oh, well. Maybe next year.)"

Read the WaPo review here.

New Baltimore Gallery

Diliberto Gallery recently opened in Fells Point in Baltimore and this Friday they are having a show titled "Land, Sky and Water," showcasing the work of five landscape artists: David Shevlino, Lisa Egeli, Eva Carson, Mary Bickford and Michael Diliberto. The opening reception is Friday, December 1 from 6-9PM.

Of these I am quite familiar with Lisa Egeli's technically superb work, and I think that she still holds my personal record for the most expensive painting that I've ever sold, sight unseen (not the most expensive painting that I've sold ever, but the most expensive "unseen" painting), to a collector (in Texas if I recall): $11,000 as I remember (it was a few years ago).

Diliberto Gallery website here.

New DC gallery

Gary A. Christopherson (Chris) has opened a new art studio/gallery called GChris "Progressive Art" Sculpture Studio/Gallery on Dumbarton Street in Georgetown.

Details here.

Corcoran Finally Closes MAC Deal

Jacqueline Trescott reports in the WaPo today that the Corcoran finally closed the deal to buy (for 6.2 million) the building where the Millenium Arts Center is located.

Gallery officials announced yesterday that they had signed the contract Tuesday night to give the city $6.2 million for the Southwest Washington property and had hired Monument Realty to oversee the project, in which the Corcoran will occupy part of the building and the rest will be converted to apartments.

When this deal started brewing a while back, there were some flies in the ointment.

When the Corcoran's plans were announced two years ago, advocates for the homeless protested, as did the artists, who complained about the lack of affordable studio space in Washington.

But apparently the artists will be given an option to move:

As part of the purchase contract, the Corcoran is offering some of the space at Randall to the artists who used to lease space there when it was called the Millennium Arts Center. "If they are interested in coming back, we are offering them space," said Rebecca M. Gentry, the gallery's vice president of institutional advancement.

I'd like to hear from some of the MAC artists to see what their point of view on this issue is...

Read the WaPo article here.

By the way, the MAC artists currently have an exhibition (opened yesterday) at Zenith Gallery's Alternative Space located at 901 E Street NW (entrance on 9th Street). On exhibit are works by my good friend Richard Dana, Inga McCaslin Frick, Wendy Garner, Georgia Goldberg, Lucy Hogg, Bonnie Holland, Judy Jashinsky · Kevin Kepple, Sherrell Medbery, Mark Planisek, Russ Simmons, Ellen Sinel, Walter Smalling, Frances Sniffen, Charles St. Charles, Betsy Stewart, Karen Joan Topping, Andres Tremols, Bert Ulrich, and Ellyn Weiss.

Dorkbot

I am somewhere over the Mid Atlantic coast, airborne on an ailing Freedom Air (the little guys who do the puddle jumps for Delta) prop job which was four hours late out of New York this morning, and yet through the wonders of technology, and my new laptop with the little wizard box that allows me Internet access practically everywhere in the nation, here I am, ahem... blogging.

And it is appropriate that the subject is to announce the next Dorkbot DC meeting of that strange group of area artists who (in their own words) are "artists (sound/image/movement/etc.), designers, engineers, students and other interested parties from the DC area who are involved in the creation of electronic art (in the broadest sense of the term)."

These geekartists will host Paras Kaul, a.k.a. "The Brainwave Chick."

Paras Kaul is an adjunct professor and Web developer at George Mason University, but when she pulls on her electrode-studded headband and steps out in front of an audience, she is “The Brainwave Chick.”

Why?

Kaul uses "a brain wave interface as a neural artist, researcher, and music composer. She creates brain wave music for multimedia productions that have been performed at the Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, the Walker Art Center, and at SIGGRAPH conferences. Kaul’s research also involves the development of neural games for attaining preferable brain states for learning. Her neural art and games are intended to call attention to brain matters and to invoke a dialogue to discuss neurological learning to develop human potentials for self-healing, nonverbal communication, and remote viewing."

I'm sorry whaaa?

Also presenting at the Dorkbot DC meeting will be Philip Kohn, an artist whose interactive video art explores audience participation. He will be discussing his recent collaborative work “Your Two Cents” which records video of viewers opinions, then distorts them using video effects including face part identification

Maybe it's just me, but there's something slightly fascinating in a weird way about the ability of these, uh... scientists cum artists to create artwork that jumpstarts the 21st century into an area where (Blake Gopnik should love this), almost everything is new.

And the DC area, with its large technogeek base of cutting edge technology companies, R&D outfits and megahuge defense contractors, is the perfect place to fuel artistic development that marries real cutting edge science with "new" forms of art.

And these artists are working right here, in the DC area, under the noses of DC area museum curators. And if you or I were a young, up-and-coming curator, say Anne Ellegood, or Kristen Hileman, or Sarah Newman, maybe dropping in and seeing what these geekartists are up to could be worth the visit.

I think that they might see something new.

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 7-9 PM
Location: Provisions Library
Suite 200
1611 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009
Price: Free admission
Public Contact #: 202-299-0460

Airborne today and heading to New York and then to Norfolk. More later...