PMA Woes

Facing a dramatic downturn in its endowment and waning city support, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is cutting staff, delaying exhibitions, curtailing programs, trimming salaries and — subject to city approval — increasing admission fees.

The cuts will bring the museum’s operating budget down by about $1.7 million to $52 million for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and, the museum hopes, will stave off a deficit the following year forecast as high as $5 million.

The museum will eliminate 30 positions — about seven percent of the staff — in all areas, though no curators are being let go. Of those 30 jobs, 16 are layoffs of current personnel, with the remaining positions lost by not filling vacancies.

Senior staff will take salary cuts of between five and 10 percent, said interim CEO Gail M. Harrity yesterday.

Read the Inky report here.

Dobrzynski on the Art Fairs

The crowd was cordial, happily sipping from glasses of Champagne, white wine, and soda. Big collectors like Marty Margulies, Agnes Gund, Frances Bowes, Don Marron, and Helen Schwab roamed the art-filled aisles. As everyone walked around during the gala opening of the annual Art Dealers Association of America art fair in New York last week, they were smiling, laughing, pausing frequently to chat and to look at the art in the gallery booths.

What they weren’t doing, despite valiant new strategies by some dealers, was buying much art.

Read the Judith Dobrzynski report on The Daily Beast here.

Blows

A blow to the Greater DC area art scene... in the making... unless we all do something.

Arlington County Manager Ron Carlee has proposed the closing of the Ellipse Arts Center in the FY2010 recommended budget. This closing includes a complete budget cut of the Ballston, Virginia area Ellipse Arts Center facility rent, a complete budget cut for visual art exhibition programs and a complete budget cut for visual arts educational programs.

Cynthia Connolly, Ellipse Arts Center Manager & Curator, and LisaMarie Thalhammer, Ellipse Arts Center Education Programmer, are graciously but urgently asking for your written support in proving that Arlington County’s continued funding of the visual arts is a value to our community. Please consider writing a short statement in support of the Ellipse Arts Center program.

I hope you will take a moment before the end of the day tomorrow to send a note of support to Lisa. Please email Lisa Marie at lthalhammer@arlingtonva.us with your supportive statement by the end of the day tomorrow, Thursday, February 26, 2009.

Please call with any questions or concerns at 703-228-1861. You can also contact Ron Carlee directly 703.228.3120, fax: 703.228.3218 or email Ron Carlee - County Manager at countymanager@arlingtonva.us

A Public Thank You to Kim Ward

As we all know by now, the WPA's Kim Ward will soon leave as the head honcho for that terrific artists' organization.

I can’t exactly recall the first time that I met Kim Ward, but the first time that she made a distinct impression on me was back when she was one of the several WPA people working under Annie Adjchavanich’s leadership and the WPA was at the Corcoran and they had just published their first Artists Directory.

They were distributing boxes of the books through galleries in the District and Greater DC area, and I was working that day at my old and first gallery in Canal Square in Georgetown. We had asked for a couple of boxes, and Ward came into the gallery carrying one of the boxes, with that huge smile that she always seems to have.

“I’m illegally parked!” she announced in her hypnotizing Southern accent.

“You’ll get a ticket,” I predicted. “Let me go back with you to the car and I’ll bring the second box over.”

I walked with her across the street and picked up the second box from her car. She zipped away to her next delivery spot.

“Damn,” I said as I struggled with the weight of the box of books, “How’d in the hell did that tiny thing carry this box?”

It was the first of many instances where Kim Ward would show me and others the toughness, resiliency and hard working ethic of a woman in love with her job and the huge number of artists that the WPA represents. I’ve seen this woman scrubbing floors, painting walls, patching up holes, washing dishes, hammering at walls, cleaning spills, serving food… hanging artwork, all the stuff that makes the life of the director of an artists’ organization a glamorous job.

Ward worked her way up the WPA ladder until she became the executive director and new leader of the WPA, and in the five years since that happened she re-crafted that organization into a very important part of what makes the Washington, DC art scene “tick.”

Ward’s accomplishments at the helm of the WPA have been nothing short of spectacular; all the way from guiding the organization to the digital age to guiding it right out of the heavy shadow of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

It can be probably argued that the Corcoran provided a life line to the WPA after several directors almost ran the organization into extinction. The Corcoran relationship allowed the WPA to rediscover itself, and to breathe a little easier in financial terms.

First under the dizzying leadership of my good friend Annie Adjchavanich and then under Kim Ward’s strong and steady hand the WPA began to rise again, and eventually it regained its independence last year.

And once again, it would be hard to imagine Washington, DC without a WPA. And hard to imagine a WPA without Kim Ward.

I am proud to call her my friend and on behalf of the thousands of WPA artist members, and of the Greater DC area art dealers, and every symbiot of the District’s art scene: Kim Ward, thank you!

If you wear a Che Guevara T-Shirt

Unless it is one like the one on the left, then you are wearing the image of one of the 20th century's worst psychopaths, who (like Hitler) never hid his hate and goals in his writing and speeches, which if you took the time to read, you'd find jewels like this (on the subject of the Cuban missile crisis:

"If the missiles had remained we would have used them against the very heart of the United States, including New York. We must never establish peaceful coexistence. We must walk the path of victory even if it costs millions of atomic victims."

             -- Che Guevara, Interview in London Daily Worker, 1962

Artists' Websites: Kathryn Cook



Kathryn Cook is a North Carolina artist and Kathryn's very cool paintings "provide visual metaphors for the viewer to consider ideas that define different elements of human nature, for better or worse, as well as our response to the age we live in."

Profiler

Art Connect has been profiling all the best art blogs on the web and they've just covered me.

Thanks!

Black Hole Sun

Sometimes a sentence or a word or even part of a song's lyrics trigger me into doing a drawing inspired by the words.

Right now as I travel West to California I am obsessed with ideas about a drawing inspired by these lyrics.

In my eyes
Indisposed
In disguise
As no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
The sun
In my disgrace
Boiling heat
Summer stench
neath the black
The sky looks dead
Call my name
Through the cream
And Ill hear you
Scream again

Black hole sun
Wont you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Wont you come
Wont you come

Stuttering
Cold and damp
Steal the warm wind
Tired friend
Times are gone
For honest men
And sometimes
Far too long
For snakes
In my shoes
A walking sleep
And my youth
I pray to keep
Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you
Anymore

Hang my head
Drown my fear
Till you all just
Disappear

New Executive Director of Washington Project for the Arts‏

Today the Board of Trustees of the Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) announced the appointment of Lisa J. Gold as the new Executive Director of the organization, now entering its 34th year as a leader in the support of regional contemporary fine art. Ms. Gold begins her new role on March 18, as the leader of a highly successful non-profit organization that has come to be recognized as one of the most influential and important arts groups in the region, and the U.S.

Ms. Gold’s appointment follows the nearly five-year leadership of my good friend Kim Ward, who successfully guided the WPA through the 2007 separation from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and subsequent re-establishment of the WPA as a fully independent force in the arts community. What Ward did to revive an almost moribund WPA was nothing short of spectacular and I hope that all members of the WPA know how much they owe to that tough, hard-working little steel magnolia.

“The Washington Project for the Arts is very fortunate to have found Lisa Gold from such a great pool of highly qualified candidates,” said Board of Trustees Chair and also my good buddyand one of a handful of Cubans in the DC area, Andres Tremols. “Her experience, insight, familiarity with Washington, DC and with the world of contemporary art will be a great asset for WPA and the greater region.”

Most recently, Lisa Gold was the Public Relations and Marketing Director at The Drawing Center in New York City, where she managed the institution’s public programs and communications (drawing uh? I like her already). Ms. Gold has over twenty years of diverse experience in arts management, fundraising, development, programming, outreach, marketing, advertising and public relations. With a career that began in Washington, DC, her previous roles have included Director of Development and Communications at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, NY; as Outreach and Development Director at apexart in New York City; as well as Associate Director and Account Management positions at advertising and marketing agencies in the private sector in Washington, DC and New York. Her experience is enhanced by an extensive resume of volunteerism, including serving as the Chair of the New Leadership Alliance of the New York City Chapter of ArtTable, as the Open Studios Director for the Downtown Arts Festival, and in various roles with a number of New York City visual arts organizations.

"I am incredibly grateful for the trust the Board of Trustees and staff of the WPA have placed in me. I am looking forward to working with their support, and with the artists and art community of Washington, to ensure a remarkable future for the WPA,” said Gold. “It’s a tremendous privilege to be handed the reins of such a celebrated and important organization. I am excited to bring new ideas and energy to the WPA and to the community."

The Washington Project for the Arts has recently hosted a number of successful exhibitions, programs and educational seminars including: AQUIFER, a sculpture show in conjunction with the Washington Sculptor’s Group; When Absence Becomes Presence, the fourth iteration of the WPA Experimental Media Series in partnership with The Phillips Collection; Uncommon Beauty at the Ellipse Arts Center, and No Artist Left Behind, a ‘how-to’ self-help video campaign to help motivate artists and encourage them to take advantage of WPA opportunities.

On Saturday, March 7, 2009 the WPA will host the 30th Art Auction Gala, to be held at the Katzen Arts Center, which includes a silent auction of more than 125 original works by regional contemporary artists. For more information on the WPA, visit their website here.

Airborne Today


Heading out to the left coast for a week of work, fun and beering; hoping to sell some artwork! More later...

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: March 27, 2009 (postmark).

I have been retained as the juror for The Fine Arts League of Cary in North Carolina, and they are seeking entries for its 15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition to be held from May 8th to June 27th, 2009 in Cary/Raleigh, NC. Show awards and purchase awards will total over $5,000. Entries can only be mailed via CD. The postmark deadline for the mail-in registration is March 27, 2009.

Full details and a printable prospectus are available
on the web at here or call Kathryn Cook at 919-345-0681.

New DC Gallery

Congratulations

Katie Miller, 25, is a winner of the 2008 Wynn Newhouse Award - a $60,000 merit-based grant shared among four professional artists with disabilities. Artists may not apply directly for the award; Miller was one of a group of artists nominated anonymously. Congratulations to Miller and the other award winners: Barbara Bloom, Isabella Kirkland, and Stephen Lapthisophon.

The four award winners were chosen from the pool of nominees by an impressive selection committee consisting of Phong Bui, publisher of the Brooklyn Rail, uberartist Chuck Close, Donna DeSalvo, curator at the Whitney Museum, Chicago-based artist Joseph Grigely, and the award's namesake, art collector Wynn Newhouse.

Miller is excited to meet the other award winners at a private luncheon in New York next month. She plans on using the money to cover part of her graduate school tuition in the fall. "It is an enormous honor to be chosen by such a highly-regarded jury," says Miller, "I was humbled to be amongst the winners. They have outstanding work and are much more accomplished in their careers than me." To the right is "Newborn Walking," a recent charcoal and pastel on paper, 30 x 54 inches.

Miller is also excited to be exhibiting in The Armory Show – The International Fair of New Art, which has been the world's leading art fair devoted exclusively to contemporary art since its introduction in 1999. Top galleries and dealers from all over the world vie for one of less than 200 booths. In just four days, over 52,000 international visitors are expected to shuffle through Piers 92 and 94 along the Hudson River.

Miller is one of fourteen artists chosen by VSA Arts to exhibit in their booth. This is the first year that this non-profit has participated in the show. VSA Arts, which showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities, has previously exhibited Katie Miller's work in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution.

As many of you know, I often surf the web looking for new artists (new to me anyway) so that I can highlight them here. Last year I discovered Miller's work and announced it here.

Katie Miller of Parkton, Maryland graduated with honors in 2007 from Maryland Institute College of Art, where she majored in painting. She has been exhibiting her work for the past ten years. She is proud to be on the autism spectrum and is active in the autism rights and neurodiversity movements. Miller thanks autism for her intense concentration, heightened perception, and unique way of viewing the world. She plans on a career as a professional artist.

The 2009 Armory Show takes place from March 5-8, 2009, Pier 94, at Twelfth Avenue at 55th Street, New York, NY. It is open to the public from noon to 8 p.m. March 5-7 and from noon to 7 p.m. on March 8.

Free Studio Space in Philly

Deadline: April 17, 2009

The 40th Street Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR) awards West Philadelphia artists one year of free studio space at 40th and Chestnut Sts. In exchange, each artist shares his/her talents with the West Philadelphia community by leading workshops, teaching classes, exhibiting in the area, etc. Founded by artist Edward M. Epstein in 2003, the program addresses the need for studio space in West Philadelphia, assists artists with career development, and makes the 40th Street area a nexus for visual arts.

They are now accepting applications for the next round of artists. Applications are due April 17, 2009. The next round begins August 15, 2009. Details here.

Tonight at Curator's Office in DC

All the way from Atlanta I am hearing good things about artist Dawn Black, who is about to open tonight in DC's Curator's Office with a reception from 6:30-8PM. Black says that:

"Conceal Project is a collection of ... disguised persons, each being drawn separately on a piece of 7½" x 5½" paper and then arranged in a grid. Currently the project comprises 75 figures, and I am continuing to add more. Often I use the Conceal Project as a character bank, as these collected characters find their way into the narratives of my larger drawings. Each of these larger drawings tells a story by depicting numerous disguised figures whose mysterious and ambiguous relationships become intertwined with the viewer's beliefs regarding the authentic and the covert, the formidable and the meek, the false witness and the sincere, and are intended to invoke the aura of a forgotten myth or a foreboding parable."

Dawn Black, The Quarrelsome Shepherds, watercolor, ink, and gouache on paper, 15" x 17", 2009

New Campello Drawings

2008 sucked for most art dealers and artists, yet somehow, I think because they are generally intimate in size and affordable, I managed to sell a lot of drawings in 2008. Nearly all the sales took place in art fairs in New York, Santa Fe and Miami, plus a couple of art festivals.

I need a Los Angeles dealer and then I'll be set in 2009. My drawings will be up in New York next month during Armory week, and here are some new ones from my series on Biblical legends and nuns (if you want to buy any before I turn them over to galleries next week, drop me an email:

"The Magdalene Escaping from Egypt" 3 x 10 inches. Charcoal on paper.


"Lilith Creating Darkness" 3 x 8 inches. Charcoal on Paper


"Sister Mary Merlot" 2 x 8 inches. Charcoal on Paper


"Sister Mary Sentada and Sister Mary Robotica" 3.25 x 9 inches. Charcoal on Paper


"Sister Mary de Nubes" 9.75 x 2 inches. Charcoal on Paper


"Sister Mary Encerrada" 8 x 2 inches. Charcoal on Paper


"God Creating Light" 9 x 3 inches. Charcoal on Paper

What Mike sez

I didn't go to the meeting, but from what I read here, Licht has some good points...

The Washington Glass School & Studio is seeking...

WGS is looking for individuals for several positions. That studio is one of the busiest in the region, serving hundreds of students and professional artists each year.

I am told that the work will be varied, and often messy. They are looking for someone available on weekdays, not just evenings and some weekend work is required.

They will in return offer you the opportunity and access to a world class studio, and mentorship towards your own art career with three very successful artists.

Positions available:

(1) Studio Assistant. This would be a paid position which starts at $10 per hour. They will "also strive to find you additional side jobs to supplement your pay." This position is very hands on. You will be mold-making, lost wax casting, deep relief dry plaster casting, cleaning the studio, welding, etc. Experience in any of these skills is great, but otherwise you will be learning them quickly. Dependability is primary in this position, and the ability to work with a wide variety of personalities. The ideal candidate is self-motivated and can work in a multi-task arts environment, where craftsmanship and pride of work is important.

(2) Studio Intern. This is an unpaid position, but then they are much more flexible about work hours. They would depend on a schedule you agree to, but then stick to. This is a great way to learn a large variety of skills and receive mentorship in your own art career. This is a very exciting opportunity for someone who doesn't have the resources to pay for the classes offered there.

(3) Teaching Assistant. This position is also unpaid, and requires some experience in glass. This is perfect for the glass artist who wants to help out at a few classes, and learn while they assist. Its also a great way to be exposed to the energy and experience surrounding this studio, but in short time spans.

If you'd like to join their award winning and frenetic team, please email washglassschool@aol.com or call Tim Tate at 202-744-8222.

Sharp at Delaware

Photographer, Keith Sharp (who happens to live in the same little town that I do - Media), will be exhibiting work in a solo show at Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. Sharp is a present-day surrealist who digitally manipulates photographs to capture the uncanny or quirky in everyday scenes, combining human, urban, and natural elements to play tricks on our perception.


This exhibition runs from February 27 – April 5, 2009. The opening reception is Friday, March 6, 2009 from 5:00 – 9:00 pm. Hours are Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat: 10 am - 5 pm, Wed and Sun: 12 pm - 5 pm.

Tough times

Zach Feuer, the New York dealer with a knack for turning young art-school grads into stars, has dropped eight artists -- nearly half of his roster.

“I didn’t want to be big in this economy,” said Feuer, 30. “Now is the time to have a lower overhead and be small and lean.”

After seven heady years in the art market, dealers and artists alike are adjusting to the slowdown in sales and prices. Four Manhattan galleries have shut down since September, and a fifth -- Soho’s Guild & Greyshkul -- will join them next week. The closings are leaving scores of artists without representation.

Artists who are no longer listed on the Zach Feuer gallery’s web site include the commercially and critically successful Israeli-born Tal R, Brooklyn-based Danica Phelps and Christoph Ruckhaberle of Leipzig’s Academy of Visual Arts.

The gallery will continue to represent Dana Schutz, Anton Henning, Jules de Balincourt, Nathalie Djurberg, Phoebe Washburn, Tamy Ben-Tor, Justin Lieberman, Dasha Shishkin, Johannes VanDerBeek and Stuart Hawkins.

Details here.