What's good for the goose...

"A recently released painting of President Barack Obama holding a burning copy of the U.S. Constitution has seemingly set the political world on fire as well.

Jon McNaughton’s picture, titled "One Nation Under Socialism" shows the president with a furrowed brow and hardened face and appearing decidedly unfazed by the flames licking closely to him as the Constitution is torched."

Read the Salt Lake Trib report here.

The LAT's Christopher Knight, who one can safely assume (from reading his extensive and eloquent criticism - often touching on political art) is left of the political centerline, calls it junk, and that is certainly his opinion as a respected critic to deliver (although Knight accidentally reveals a little of his personal critical agenda when he feels obligated to expand that "the painting is junk (yes, junk) not because its style is realist or anti-Modern or the image is pandering or inflammatory."

Knight just sort of showed his cards here a little. Would he have ever written "the painting is junk (yes, junk) not because its style is abstract or Post Modern or the image is pandering or inflammatory."

Naw... This inner look at Knight's personal art agenda is also nothing that is not easy to learn from this giant of the art world once you read a few dozen of his reviews. Also note how he cleverly diminishes the artwork itself by calling it an "illustration."

But where Knight steps over the line, again revealing his personal contribution to the ugly side of American political discourse, is when -- in the context of doing an art review (I think) -- he then gets a little too personal (in my opinion) and somewhat goes after the artist himself, rather than after the art.

Replace Obama with Bush and the Constitution with ... ahhh... the Constitution, and a whole different discourse about the artsyness of the painting would be happening right now.

I get a little bit of chills when we start going after people rather than critically going after their artwork. Regardless of where you stand on the political minefield of contemporary American politics, the one thing that we as Americans should agree on is the freedom for all artists to use their talents to depict whatever drives their inner fires, and if it's OK for countless artists to use their talents to vilify the previous President, so it is OK for them to demonize (or praise) the current one and whoever comes after President Obama.

The artist's website is here. This is clearly an artist with a political agenda wedded to a religious one. The fact that his artwork is caustically anti-Obama does what any political agenda in art does: offend a lot of people and also align you with a lot of people who already felt like you do when it comes to politics.

Doesn't justify going after the artist, be him or her a right wing artist or a left wing artist.

And we all then breathe a sigh of relief thanks to people like artist Dan Lacey, who can use the power of art to make fun of anything!.

National Medal of Honor Day


The United States Congress has designated March 25th of each year as National Mdeal of Honor Day, a day dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients.

A salute and thank you to all recipients.

Ave Jacquelinas er

Below is Ave Jacquelinas er, charcoal and conte on watercolor paper with embedded digital player.

Over at Strathmore

You Are What You Eat, the exhibition at Strathmore that just closed was one of the most interesting shows that I have seen in a long time. The show featured nine artists whose work “comments on perception of body image and the cultural significance of food, with a bent toward American idolization of consumption.”

I wish that I had visited the exhibition earlier on so that I could have encouraged all of you to go see this show; my failure at proper time management.

The exhibition included painting, sculpture, photography and multi-media works by Danny Rozin, Peter Anton, Matthew Lawrence, Pamela Michelle Johnson, Davette Leonard, Rhonda Harris Banes, Matt Freedman, Joey Manlapaz and Donna McCullough.

Area artists McCullough and Manlapaz were well-known to me; both are gifted not only as technical masters of their genre (McCullough as a sculptor and Manlapaz as a painter), but also as conceptual and intelligent artists who wield their respective skills like visual art weapons to drive home their ideas and vision.

New to me was the work of sculptor Danny Rozin, whose large scale picture plane Trash Mirror #3 was one of the most innovative, fun and impressive interactive works of art that I have seen since DC artist Tim Tate started incorporating motion detectors, mini speakers, miniature cameras and video into his sculptural work a decade ago.

But whereas Tate’s work is self-contained, beautiful and intimate and often presents a technical surprise to the viewer, Rozin’s spectacular massive offering is composed of 500 pieces of discarded refuse collected from the streets of New York— this guy has employed wrappers, cans, cigarettes packs, coffee cups, coupons, tickets, hotel room keys and other ephemera to create a rare successful marriage of found, discarded objects and technology. In this work, each piece of found NYC garbage is attached to an individual motor that moves in response to any motion in front of the piece, reflecting the motion in a Seattle stadium wave-like effect that is both surprising and elegant.


And the accomplishment in taking garbage to the heights of elegance is not a trivial task. In one single piece of jaw-dropping artwork, Mr. Rozin has wiped out 30 years of personal dislike for what passes for most found object art.

I send my thanks to him for opening my mind and senses; Rozin and Tate should get together and plan big things.

New Commissioners

The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities is pleased to welcome five new and six reappointed commissioners, appointed by Mayor Vincent C. Gray, to the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

The commissioners of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities are volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. They represent all eight wards of the District. The commissioners are key stakeholders who oversee commission activities, policy recommendations, the grant adjudication process as well as representing the commission with local executive and legislative branch relations. The commissioners also play a key role in public art project decisions.

The new commissioners are Carl C. Cole (Ward 8), Edmund C. Fleet (Ward 7), Alma H. Gates (Ward 3), Danielle M. St. Germain-Gordon (Ward 7) and MaryAnn Miller (Ward 3). The reappointed commissioners are Marvin Bowser (Ward 7), Christopher Cowan (Ward 5), Rhona W. Friedman (Ward 2), Philippa Hughes (Ward 1), Rogelio Maxwell (Ward 3) and Lavinia Wohlfarth (Ward 5).

"As Chair of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, I am delighted to welcome our new and returning commissioners," said Judith Terra. "I am confident that with the leadership of this Commission we will help steer the arts in this city so that D.C. continues to grow as the culture capital of the United States."

"The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities continues to grow in its reach and scope. As an arts agency, we look forward to continuous growth as our commissioners are deeply involved in their communities and have a strong interest in the arts," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Opportunity for DC area artists

Deadline: April 19, 2012

The Capitol Hill ART League presents its Third Annual Metro DC open juried exhibition: It’s a Wonderful World?

All artists, 18 years of age or older residing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area are eligible to enter.

Deadline for submissions is Thursday April 19, 2012.

The Capitol Hill ART League (CHAL) is a program of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Located in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, DC, CHAL is composed of approximately 100 artists. Each season CHAL mounts a series of seven juried exhibitions and conducts gallery talks at the openings; CHAL hosts lectures on a variety of art related topics, offers workshops, and strives to develop a supportive artistic community. The greater Washington community is encouraged to participate in all of these events.

JUROR: I am honored to return as this year's juror.

ENTRY: Selections for the show will be made by the judge from JPEG images submitted by the artists. All work must be original and signed by the artist. Any work previously shown at a Capitol Hill ART League juried show is ineligible. All work must have been created within the last three years.

ENTRY FEES: Up to 3 entries may be submitted for a non-refundable fee of $15 for current Capitol Hill Art League members or $30 for the community at large (non members). Up to two additional entries may be submitted at $5 each. Artists submitting 3-dimensional work may provide two images of each piece.

AWARDS: Awards will be decided by the judge and will include cash awards for ‘Best in Show’, and ‘Merit’ awards. Two Honorable mentions will be awarded. All awards will be presented at the opening reception with the judge’s talk on Saturday, May 12, 2011 from 5:00-7:00 PM.

SALES: A 30% commission will be deducted from CHAL members’ exhibition sales and 35% commission on all non-member exhibition sales. All work must be for sale and the price submitted on the registration form will be the price presented at the time of the show for accepted work.

Exhibition Calendar:
April 19, 2012 - deadline for entries
April 30, 2012 - Notification sent to accepted Artists
May 4-9, 2012 - Art delivery dates
May 12, 2012 - Artists’ Reception and Awards, Presentation (5:00 - 7:00 pm)
June 1, 2012 - Exhibition closes
June 2-6, 2012 - Pick up artwork

Contact info: caphillartleague@yahoo.com Prospectus at: www.caphillartleague.org

Tonight: Reception for Virtually Digital VI at Montogomery College

Virtually Digital VI is a biennial exhibition that features the fine art work of regionally, nationally and internationally known artists who incorporate some form of digital method in the creation of their art. Works in this exhibition includes drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, video and mixed media.

The organizer and curator of the Virtually Digital biennials is Professor Mike Cantwell who is the coordinator of the Computer Graphics: Art and Animation program at Montgomery College.

There is an artist reception later today, Wednesday March 21st in the CAT (Communication Arts Technologies) Gallery at Montgomery College Rockville Campus from 6 to 8 PM. The reception is free of charge and open to the general public.

The participating artists are Professor Anne Benolken, Richard Dana, Clay Harris, David Kastner, Agniezka Ligend, Russ McIntosh, John McMahon, Professor Harry St. Ours, and I am honored to have been invited to exhibit in this show as well.

The Gallery is located in room 106 Technical Center (TC) on the Rockville campus, Montgomery College and is open Monday through Wednesday 10 AM until 6 PM, Thursdays 10 Am until 8 PM, Fridays 10 AM until 1 PM, and Saturdays by appointment.

For more information call 240-567-7535, 240-567-7520 or e-mail mike.cantwell@montgomerycollege.edu.

See ya there!

Campello Performing

My daughter Elise:

Lilith Plotting The Sin

If you've been thinking about buying an original Campello, then let me tell you about this great opportunity.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity Washington DC fundraiser auction, my Lilith Plotting The Sin is being offered by artnet auctions at a substantial low starting bid. The piece details the legendary Biblical character of Lilith, covered in forbidden tattoos. To her side a digital element embedded in the drawing plays a looped presentation of apples of all sorts and varieties. The piece is 21.5 in height by 33.5 inches in width and it is framed in a solid black wood frame. This drawing sells normally for $3,000 and the starting bid is $750! All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

Check it out here.



Here's a screen shot detail of one of the apples which plays in a loop of multiple images in the small digital screen:

Visions of Our 44th President

Visions of Our 44th President is a collective sculptural show created to recognize and celebrate the historical significance of the first African American President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

Forty-four Contemporary African American Artists, renowned and emerging, are participating in the art collaboration with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience, and Peter Kaplan of Our World, LLC.

Check it out here

Saxon Warlord Playing Harmonica

Lilith Plotting The Sin

If you've been thinking about buying an original Campello, then let me tell you about this great opportunity.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity Washington DC fundraiser auction, my Lilith Plotting The Sin is being offered by artnet auctions at a substantial low starting bid. The piece details the legendary Biblical character of Lilith, covered in forbidden tattoos. To her side a digital element embedded in the drawing plays a looped presentation of apples of all sorts and varieties. The piece is 21.5 in height by 33.5 inches in width and it is framed in a solid black wood frame. This drawing sells normally for $3,000 and the starting bid is $750! All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

Check it out here.



Here's a screen shot detail of one of the apples which plays in a loop of multiple images in the small digital screen:

Artomatic has a new location for 2012

Artomatic 2012, which will open on May 18th in Crystal City, has been moved to a different building. Formerly planned for 2511 S. Clark, the new location is 1851 S. Bell Street.

“While we were working to finalize the agreement for Artomatic to use Transwestern’s Presidential Tower on S. Clark Street, Vornado/Charles E. Smith (Vornado) announced plans to replace 1851 S. Bell Street with a signature new building that will be readdressed as 1900 Crystal Drive. Before the building is torn down, Vornado offered to house Artomatic in 1851 S. Bell Street,” said Angela Fox, President/CEO of the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID).

"This presented an amazing opportunity to showcase the transformation of Crystal City. On behalf of Artomatic and the Crystal City BID, I would like to thank Mitchell Schear, President of Vornado/Charles E. Smith and his entire team. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the team at Transwestern, and are excited to work with them on another project in the near future.”

The new location is about 50,000 square feet larger and just one block from the Crystal City Metro Station, with plenty of parking and great restaurants nearby. Artomatic will transform this space into a vibrant arts community opening on May 18, 2012. The event is free and open to the public.

50,000 square feet of artistic energy creating vortexes all over the DMV - the traditional critics hate it and the rest of the world loves it (and needs it!).

Go Pink!

Opportunity for DC area artists

Deadline: April 19, 2012

The Capitol Hill ART League presents its Third Annual Metro DC open juried exhibition: It’s a Wonderful World?

All artists, 18 years of age or older residing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area are eligible to enter.

Deadline for submissions is Thursday April 19, 2012.

The Capitol Hill ART League (CHAL) is a program of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Located in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, DC, CHAL is composed of approximately 100 artists. Each season CHAL mounts a series of seven juried exhibitions and conducts gallery talks at the openings; CHAL hosts lectures on a variety of art related topics, offers workshops, and strives to develop a supportive artistic community. The greater Washington community is encouraged to participate in all of these events.

JUROR: I am honored to return as this year's juror.

ENTRY: Selections for the show will be made by the judge from JPEG images submitted by the artists. All work must be original and signed by the artist. Any work previously shown at a Capitol Hill ART League juried show is ineligible. All work must have been created within the last three years.

ENTRY FEES: Up to 3 entries may be submitted for a non-refundable fee of $15 for current Capitol Hill Art League members or $30 for the community at large (non members). Up to two additional entries may be submitted at $5 each. Artists submitting 3-dimensional work may provide two images of each piece.

AWARDS: Awards will be decided by the judge and will include cash awards for ‘Best in Show’, and ‘Merit’ awards. Two Honorable mentions will be awarded. All awards will be presented at the opening reception with the judge’s talk on Saturday, May 12, 2011 from 5:00-7:00 PM.

SALES: A 30% commission will be deducted from CHAL members’ exhibition sales and 35% commission on all non-member exhibition sales. All work must be for sale and the price submitted on the registration form will be the price presented at the time of the show for accepted work.

Exhibition Calendar:
April 19, 2012 - deadline for entries
April 30, 2012 - Notification sent to accepted Artists
May 4-9, 2012 - Art delivery dates
May 12, 2012 - Artists’ Reception and Awards, Presentation (5:00 - 7:00 pm)
June 1, 2012 - Exhibition closes
June 2-6, 2012 - Pick up artwork

Contact info: caphillartleague@yahoo.com Prospectus at: www.caphillartleague.org

Start bidding!

Habitat for Humanity Charity Auction at artnet: Start bidding online here

Congrats!

On Thursday, February 9, the Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center named my good friend Susan Makara, their 2012 Artist of the Year. Laurie Fields was named runner-up.

In selecting Ms. Makara, Juror William Schran, Assistant Dean of Fine Arts at Northern Virginia Community College, said, “Susan demonstrates a command of the medium with powerful imagery that speaks to the viewer, yet presents a sense of mystery. There is a haunting dream-like quality with the figures, all hidden behind masks. Behind the mask, who is looking at whom?”

Ms. Makara’s entry is entitled “Masks.” The series includes 15 works, ten paintings and five sketches. In Ms. Makara’s words, “Masks showcases my strongest and most fantastical work to date. The ideas for the series come from my imagination, visible only in my minds’ eye until I paint them. We all wear masks. Our true feelings and thoughts are not always revealed for others to see. Sometimes we hide the person within.

Susan Makara holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. She served as assistant art director at a Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, DC and as art director for the PBS series “Powerhouse.” Her work can be found in the School of Art Museum in Buenos Aires, at the U.S. State Department, in the homes of James Brady and Barbara Bush, and at the Garden Court in Jordan’s Royal Palace.

Ms. Makara’s winning works will be exhibited in the Target Gallery from July 1 to July 29, 2012. A reception will be held in her honor on July 12 in the Target Gallery, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served. The event will be open to the public.

Art for Humanity Auction

I am honored to be one of the invited artists to participate in the first ever Art for Humanity Auction & Cocktail Reception 2012, which is the first annual fundraiser to support the work of Habitat for Humanity in Washington, D.C. It will take place on Thursday, March 29, 2012.

DC Habitat will be honoring Peggy Cooper Caftritz for "the significant role she has played in advancing the arts and education in Washington, D.C."

Produced in collaboration with artnet Auctions, the Art for Humanity Auction features a collection of work by prominent contemporary artists from the local, national and international communities, including yours truly.

The event will take place at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, a "spectacularly modern space designed by award-winning architect Mark McInturff and Theatre Projects Consultants. Located in the heart of Washington’s Penn Quarter, at the corner of 7th and D Streets, NW, the theatre is easily accessible to parking garages."

Music by The Washington Jazz Arts Institute Ensemble.

Details here.

Eve sees her face for the first time

And here's a second version of the collaborative piece that I am now doing with about 60 women from around the planet (and I need more! Up to 200 faces needed!) in which our Biblical Mom sees her face for the first time.

I need faces from women of all four races, all ethnicities and all ages. All that you need to do is send me an image to lenny@lennycampello.com - all participants gets a free print or some form of artwork from me as a thank you!

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: March 19, 12

Forged: Torpedo Factory Art Center/Target Gallery. Exhibition Dates: May 19th - June 24th, 2012.

Description: This is a media specific sculptural exhibition that explores the contemporary approaches to forged metal work. The work can range in size with the stipulation that it incorporates forged metal elements. This is open to all artists nationally and internationally.

Juror: Twylene Moyer: Twylene Moyer, managing editor of Sculpture magazine, has published numerous articles and catalogue essays on contemporary art. She has been a featured speaker at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and at SOFA Chicago and has juried and curated several exhibitions, including “Insight Out” and “Disintegration” at the Arlington Arts Center. She is the co-editor of The New Earthwork: Art, Action, Agency, A Sculpture Reader, Conversations on Sculpture, and Landscapes for Art, all distributed by the University of Washington Press.

Website here.