The 2007 Sondheim Prize finalists
The 2007 Sondheim Prize finalists are listed below. To me the surprises are some of the artists who didn't make this finalists' list:
Opportunity for Artists and Curators
Deadline: June 15, 2007 (Postmark)
The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is requesting proposals for exhibitions for its main gallery space for periods of approximately 4-6 weeks. Proposals will be accepted from artists, independent curators, or arts organizations.
Visit this website for more details.
Talking About Drawing
Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, from 6-9 pm, DC's Civilian Art Projects will host "Draw In."
This open to all community drawing event is organized by artist and musician Reuben Breslar. About the project, Breslar says:
"The Draw-In project, as I have come to name it, is a community awareness happening composed loosely around art environments and the act of drawing.When: Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, 6-9 pm
It is in continuum and will occur as often as possible. It combines issues of personal sincerity and interaction in the public scenario. The idea has evolved from the crossroads of two major influences in my life. The first being the joy of drawing amongst friends over drinks, and the conversation and serendipitous moments that come about from social engagement based around drawing. The second stems from issues of cultural awareness and identity- subjects that need to be addressed in the artworld as well as the public sphere amongst the contemporary artmarket and other pressing insularly 'conversations.'
My end goal is to have the event serve as a reminder as to the potential of art and the need for wholesome human relations."
Art for DC baseball stadium struck out of budget
Last week I told you about a call for art for the new Nats stadium.
Now Michael Neibauer in The Examiner tells us that "plans to decorate the new Washington Nationals’ new stadium with crafts, sculpture and bronze figures are in limbo after the D.C. Council eliminated money in next year’s budget for a public arts project."
Read the article here.
Drawing!
Because drawing is my preferred genre of art, "Three Part Harmony: Definition, Delicacy and Detail in Drawing," an exhibition co-curated by Dr. Fred Ognibene and Andrea Pollan, and opening this coming Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 6 - 8 pm at Curator's Office in DC, is one show that I am really looking forward to.
The show has a powerhouse of a list of artists from the USA, Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Germany, Japan, Iceland, and England, including:
New DC gallery
A while back I told you about a new DC area gallery that would be opening next year. The WaPo's Amy Joyce has a profile on the idea for this new space and the man behind it.
Read it here.
Lawrence on artDC
Writing for Artnet, Sidney Lawrence delivers a superb discussion and review of artDC, the District's first contemporary international art fair.
Read it here.
Bin Diving
In the past we've discussed the merits of bin diving, or the art of ahh... finding art in art schools' and artists' trash bins.
My own particular practice started in art school, where anytime that I needed some stretched canvas for a new assignment I would visit the large trash bins behind the art school and always come up with a few discarded canvasses. After that I would remove the canvas, turn it around to the unpainted side, re-stretch it and bingo! a new surface to paint on.
Anyway, this Guardian story describes the recent auction of the trash from artist Francis Bacon's studio in west London, which just made £965,490 (close to two million dollars) for the garbageman who bindived for it over the years.
Venice Biennale May Start Selling Again
Most art critics and some art bloggers have this Utopian sense of writing about art exhibitions where the commerce of art is often viewed as a bad thing.
Nevermind that galleries are the second most-likely-to-fail business in the US (restaurants are the first).
The Venice Biennale, which used to sell art openly from 1942 to 1968, may be doing it again. Read the Art Newspaper article by Anna Somers Cocks here.
Opportunity for Sculptors
Deadline: Thursday, June 14, 2007
Art League Sculptors at Washington Square
August 5 – November 3, 2007
This is an opportunity for artists to exhibit large-scale three-dimensional works in a beautiful atrium exhibition space in downtown Washington, DC. Members of The Art League, Art League instructors, and Torpedo Factory artists are encouraged to submit work for jurying. Washington Square is located at 1050 Connecticut Ave, NW near the Farragut North metro (red line). A maximum of 35 pieces will be selected. Please note: large works are encouraged; there is limited space for small pieces.
2007 Calendar
• Drop off for CD with digital images, or actual work: Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 10:00 am – 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
• Jurying - Friday, June 15, 2007
• Pick-up of actual work (Artists will find out at time of pick-up if their work was accepted) Saturday, June 16, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, June 17, 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm - Work not picked-up by 5:00 pm on Sunday will be assessed a $5 per day per piece storage fee.
• Digital images of accepted work due to Art League Gallery - COB, Tuesday, June 26, 2007.
• Accepted Work delivered by artist to Washington Square - Sunday August 5, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
• Artists' reception at Washington Square - Thursday, August 9, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
• Exhibition closes - Friday, November 2, 2007
• Pick-up of work from Washington Square - Saturday, November 3, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon
Eligibility: This exhibit is open to members of The Art League, Art League instructors, or Torpedo Factory artists. Any interested artists may join The Art League at any time. If you are not currently a member and wish to submit work for this exhibition opportunity, please contact the Gallery regarding pro-rated membership rates.
Juror: John Jayson Sonnier will jury this exhibit. Sonnier, a sculpture instructor at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, specializes in garden design. Continuing the stone carving tradition, Sonnier was taught by Master Sculptor Constantine Seferlis. Sonnier’s work is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Library; Katzen Center of Art at American University; Creative Partners Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland; Arts and Humanities Council, Silver Spring, Maryland; Art Galleries of the National Institute of Health; and at his website.
Image Specifications
• Jurying will be done from digital images submitted on CD or from the actual work.
• Digital Submissions: Artists may submit images in .tif or .jpg format on a CD. Each image can be no larger than 4” X 6”, 300 dpi, with a file size of 2 MB or less. Label each image file with the artist’s last name and the number of the image, i.e. “Smith_1”. Please write artists last name on top of CD with black marker. CDs will not be returned. *Artists who submit CDs may call the gallery as early as Saturday, June 16 to find out if their work was accepted into the exhibit.
• CDs must be accompanied by a hard copy, typed image checklist with numbers corresponding to image numbers on the CD. The list must also include: title, medium, dimensions (h” x w” x d”), sale price or if Not for Sale (NFS) the insurance value. Please also include all of your contact information (name, address, phone, and email).
• CD submissions can be mailed to The Art League Gallery to arrive no later than June 14th or brought to gallery during drop off times on June 14th.
• All accepted artists must provide the gallery with digital images of their artwork by the close of business on Tuesday, June 26, 2007. This is required by the management of Washington Square. Please have images of your artwork ready ahead of time. Images should follow the above specifications.
Fees: The entry fee is $5 per sculpture. Maximum of three entries per artist. Artists bringing in actual artwork must attach an entry form to each submission.
Accepted Works: The artist must deliver accepted works in person to Washington Square, 1050 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, on Sunday, August 6, 2007, between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon. If Washington Square management believes any works to be inappropriate for display, they retain the right to exclude or withdraw such works from the proposed exhibition. No accepted work may be withdrawn before the end of the show for any reason. Work not picked up between 9:30 am and 12:00 noon on Saturday, November 4, 2007, will be assessed an additional $25.00 per day fee. Individuals are responsible for transporting and installing their own works; the exhibit designer will determine locations for work.
Awards: Aaa awards, including cash awards, will be presented at the reception. Awards will be chosen at the discretion of the juror.
Sales: Work in this exhibit may or may not be for sale. Prices are to be determined by the artist. The Art League Gallery retains a commission of 40% from works sold from this exhibit or while the piece is being displayed at this exhibit. Payment to the artist will be mailed within 30 days after final completion of the sale. Prices should be an accurate reflection of the artist's sales history and should not be inflated.
Insurance: All reasonable care will be taken with the accepted artwork, but it is to be clearly understood by the artist that The Art League and Washington Square assume no responsibility and shall not be held responsible for any damage of any kind occurring during shipping, installation, de-installation or while on exhibit. All artists will sign a loan agreement and receipt form. Permission to photograph any work in the exhibition for publicity purposes or for documentation is considered granted.
About the Art League Gallery: The Art League Gallery is located at 105 N. Union Street in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The Art League is a private non-profit membership organization, which provides continuous opportunities for artists to have their work judged by professionals in the visual arts.
Questions regarding the Art League Sculpures at Washington Square or The Art League may be directed to:
The Art League Gallery
105 N. Union Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-1780; or
email: gallery@theartleague.org
Cubans
Photographer Rachel Been has just completed a really good photo documentary addressing Miami's influential Cuban and Cuban-American population. See her photos here.
Cultural bragging follows: I think that one of the reasons for the spectacular success of the Miami-based art fairs is the economic and cultural power of Miami's Cuban ancestry population, which as anyone who has been to Miami knows, is the dominant ethnic group in that city.
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, we Cuban-Americans represent only about four percent of the 45 million or so Hispanics/Latinos that are living in the US, but unlike other Latinos, your average C-A is a Republican, disproportionally represented in Congress, and C-A average annual income is higher than that of Anglos and other non-Hispanic whites and Non-Hispanic blacks, and more than 50% of the top 100 wealthiest Hispanics in the US are Cubans as are more than 50% of the top Hispanic-owned businesses in the US.
So why do Miamians with disposable income, and New Yorkers of all ancestries with disposable income buy art, but Washingtonians and Philadelphians of the same wealth level do not?
A while back I submitted my theory for DC's case here; now working on Philly's case. More later...
Wanna go to a Philly opening tonight?
Schmidt Dean Gallery has an opening reception for Susan Fenton: "Japan Series," and Wei Jia: "Made in China." Through June 30, 2007. Starts at 7:30PM.
Wanna go to a DC opening tomorrow night?
"Industrials" opens this coming Saturday at Randall Scott Gallery in DC featuring works by Jackson Martin and Michael Sandstrom. 
The opening reception is May 26th 6-9pm and the exhibition goes through June 16th, 2007.
Trawick Prize Semi-Finalists Announced
Thirty-two artists have been selected as semi-finalists for the fifth annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The first place winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young artist” whose birth date is after April 10, 1977 may also be awarded a $1,000 prize sponsored by the Fraser Gallery.
Opportunities for Artists
Call to Artists working on Women's Issues - Honfleur Gallery in DC is seeking artists working in two or more of the following themes for an upcoming project/exhibition; womens issues, feminism, nutrition, self/body image and race. Visual artists working in any media may apply. The chosen artist/team of artists will participate in programming including workshops and artist talks as a part of this project.
$4,000 of support is available to the artist or team of artists chosen. Further
inquiries should be addressed to Briony Evans, Creative Director, Honfleur Gallery, via email at bevans@archdc.org or telephone at 301-536-8994. Applications due June 4th, 2007 should include 10 slides, an artist's statement and a resume.
MICA Student Art Sale
We at Middie-A are big fans of student art sales and events.
Two annual, much-anticipated art sales take place at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) bringing together past and present students and their art. A longstanding tradition and one of Baltimore’s favorite sales exhibitions, 15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale runs Saturday, June 2–Sunday, June 24 in Fox Building’s Meyerhoff Gallery at 1303 Mount Royal Avenue. A reception is held on Sunday, June 3 from 1–4 p.m. Coinciding with 15x15, the annual Graduate Art Sale takes place Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from noon–4 p.m. in MICA’s recently rededicated Mount Royal Station (1400 Cathedral Street); Studio Center, fourth floor (113-131 W. North Avenue); and the Fox Building.
15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale features small artwork not exceeding 15 inches in any dimension (including framing, matting, and/or boxes) by more than 200 MICA alumni from across the United States and around the world. This exhibition and sale benefits the exhibiting artists, as well as current MICA students with 40% commission on the sale of any work going towards the College’s Alumni Scholarship Fund. Gallery hours for 15x15 are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday from noon–5 p.m.
MICA’s annual Graduate Art Sale provides an opportunity to see and buy outstanding contemporary art by the accomplished artists of the Hoffberger School of Painting, Mount Royal School of Art, Rinehart School of Sculpture, as well as the graduate photography and digital imaging and post-baccalaureate certificate programs. All proceeds raised benefit the artists.
"15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale” runs Saturday, June 2 – Sunday, June 24, with a Reception on Sunday, June 3, 1–4 p.m.
“Graduate Art Sale” takes place Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from noon–4 p.m.
For more information, visit www.mica.edu or call 410-225-2300.
Opportunities for Artists
Deadline: June 25, 2007
The Arlington Arts Center is currently accepting submissions for Solo Exhibitions 2008 occurring in Fall and Spring 2008. The AAC has seven galleries with 525 combined running feet of wall space as well as 2 galleries dedicated to installation, technology or other works requiring a complete environment. The grounds surrounding the AAC can accommodate outdoor sculpture.
Eligibility: Open to all artists in all media in the Mid Atlantic States (DE, PA, MD, DC, VA, WV).
Submission Guidelines: submit up to 20 slides or JPEGs (PC compatible, 300 dpi (or smaller) files, no larger than 4 x 6 inches), along with artist statement, resume, and description of exhibition proposal.
Entry Fee: $25 for non member, $15 for AAC members.
Juror: selected by a panel of artists, arts professionals and collectors. Recent and/or current panelists include Stephen Phillips (Phillips Collection), Phyllis Rosenzweig (formerly of the Hirshhorn), Carole Garmon, Maria Karametou, Philip Barlow.
More Info: to download a prospectus and view floor plan, visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org, or send a SASE to 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.
NEA Bucks
The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), has just approved a $35 million increase for the NEA for its FY 2008 spending bill.
If this funding level is maintained by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush, it will represent the largest increase in NEA history.
Jury Duty
Next month I will be the juror for "Paint Alexandria," which will be on display from June 6 - July 2, 2007 at the Art League Gallery in the Torpedo Factory. I will be selecting pieces from both Art League School instructors and member artists.
Artists can join the Art League here.
Talking about the Torpedo Factory, I've been hearing good things about the Target Gallery's current exhibition, in which Target has teamed up with the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to join in the celebration of the AIA 150th Anniversary by presenting the exhibition Sense of Place. This exhibition showcases artists and architects from across the country portraying their perspective and personal interpretations on the idea of a sense of place. The exhibition goes through June 10, 2007.
