"The Conversation"

Seven Artists at Gallery B Combine Work for a Good Cause

WHO: Artists Fran Abrams, Rockville, Nancy Donnelly, Washington, DC, Naomi Taitz Duffy, Washington, DC, Judy Gilbert Levey, Bethesda, Donna K. McGee, Bethesda, Robert Wiener, Washington, DC, and Patricia Zannie, Silver Spring.               

WHAT: Art titled "The Conversation" is being offered for sale by silent bids to benefit Edgemoor Children's Center in Bethesda

WHEN: Through Saturday, May 25 at 6:00 pm

WHERE: Gallery B, 7700-E Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20817

Free and open to the public

Seven artists who are now exhibiting at Gallery B in Bethesda decided to do something different at their exhibit to benefit a worthy cause in the neighborhood of the gallery.  Each of the artists contributed a piece of work to create a larger work, titled "The Conversation," which is being sold by silent auction to benefit Edgemoor Children's Center located in downtown Bethesda.   

Wonders at Edgemoor Children's Center serves children from infancy through pre-kindergarten and is accredited by the National Academy for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  (http://www.wonderschildcare.org/edgemoor-childrens-center/)

The seven artists who work in a variety of mediums are Fran Abrams, polymer clay, Nancy Donnelly, glass, Naomi Taitz Duffy, oil, Judy Gilbert Levey, oil, Donna K. McGee, acrylic, Robert Wiener, glass, and Patricia Zannie, collage.  

Each of the artists has signed the back of "The Conversation."

Visitors to the gallery are encouraged to place a bid on "The Conversation."  The winning bidder will give the bid amount to Edgemoor Children's Center and take home the artwork created by the seven artists.  Bidding closes at the end of the exhibit on Saturday, May 25 at 6 pm.  Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday 12-6 pm and Sundays 11-3.  For more information, visit www.bethesda.org or call 301-215-7990.

Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is this weekend

The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center, is a top-rated annual juried outdoor street festival held in the heart of the elegant and bustling Reston Town Center. The three-day event attracts over 50,000 patrons and provides an interactive experience to view, purchase, and experience art directly from the unique and talented artists who have created it.

50,000 people looking and buying art!

Check out the participating artists from all over the nation... here.

This is your weekend art event... See ya there!

 Festival Hours OPEN to the Public:

Friday, May 17 - 5pm - 8pm
Saturday, May 18 - 10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 19 - 10am – 4pm

Maryland Art Place announces two new calls for entry

Maryland Art Place (MAP) is currently seeking applications for a Regional Juried Exhibition opening in September 2013 and IMPACT 2013 at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

CALL FOR ENTRY: RegionalJuried Exhibition

Maryland Art Place (MAP) is seeking artists working in a diverse range of media for a Regional Juried Exhibition, opening September 19, 2013. The exhibition is intended to explore the contemporary, cultural climate of Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Submissions will initially be vetted by MAP’s Program Advisory Committee and juried by Kristen Hileman.

My good friend Kristen Hileman is the Curator of Contemporary Art and Department Head at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Hileman organized Seeing Now: Photography Since 1960 (2011) and Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection (2009-10), the first full career museum retrospective of that artist’s work.  Hileman oversaw a full reinstallation of the BMA’s contemporary collection in November 2012 for the museum’s newly renovated wing for contemporary art.  At the time of the re-opening, the contemporary wing featured a major site-specific commission created by Sarah Oppenheimer and an exhibition of Zwelethu Mthethwa’s photography.

Prior to coming to Baltimore, Hileman was the Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.  She was also adjunct faculty at George Washington University and the Corcoran College of Art and Design.  Before her appointment at the Hirshhorn, she was the curator of the Arlington Arts Center, where she organized exhibitions of work by artists from the Mid-Atlantic region. Hileman received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Maryland, College Park (2001) and her B.A. in International Studies from American University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa (1995).

Please visit this website for complete submission guidelines.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: Monday July 1st.


Harwood Art Center invites artists to submit works for consideration in "Disaster/Resilience," Harwood Art Center's 4th annual international exhibition program dedicated to the artistic exploration of contemporary social justice issues.

Learn more and submit your works here.

In Georgetown...

Spiderman Naked

Spiderman Naked
Charcoal, conte and embedded appropriated video. 13x8 inches matted and framed to 26x20 inches
2013 by F. Lennox Campello

Detail of Spiderman Naked

Update: Now in a permanent collection in Miami, Florida!

When art fairs bite...

Art fair blues...

Check out former DC artist and now hard-working Brooklyn gallerist Marina Reiter's experience with the Verge Art fair that went away and took her money... read it here.

Call for Photo and Video Submissions

HEMPHILL is pleased to present two projects by free[space]collective in the exhibition Artist-Citizen, Washington DC, on view June 5 through July 27, 2013. Artists Michael Dax Iacovone and Billy Friebele utilize the city and its residents as an essential tool for the creation of their work. The DC Photo Grid is an aggregated map of the city generated from user-submitted photographs, and the DC Crowd-Sourced Video Project offers a constantly looping portrait of the city as viewed by its inhabitants. We invite you to participate by submitting your photos and videos following the instructions below.

DC Photo Grid
The space of Washington DC is made up of government buildings, businesses, and domestic dwellings. What's left over is the public space of parks, streets, and sidewalks. This is a crowd sourced public archive of that free space.

Instructions:
The photo must be taken within the border of Washington DC.
The photo must be taken in outdoor public space.
You must locate the square mile the photo was taken in and indicate the mile along with the submission.
You must enter the date the photo was taken.
Click to SUBMIT a photo.

DC Crowd-Sourced Video Project
This evolving participatory video project will be exhibited at HEMPHILL for the Artist/Citizen exhibition in June and July of 2013. We will edit video submissions together, fading them on top of each other to create a time-based portrait of the city. The most recent submission will be edited into the looping video displayed in the gallery, replacing the oldest video on the loop.

Instructions:
Videos must be of public space in Washington, DC.
Please do not exceed 1 minute in duration.
Video can be submitted either by emailing a youtube or vimeo link to dcphotogrid@gmail.com or you may send video to this email address using a file sharing site such as yousendit.com or wetransfer.com.
Click to SUBMIT a video.

free[space]collective Mission:

We see the city as an evolving system in a constant state of change. Each person’s experience within the changing city is different and valuable. We are interested in initiating dialog through encounters in public space and using art as a vehicle for community engagement and interaction. We believe in starting a conversation, and then setting it free to evolve with the input of the people who share those spaces.

 HEMPHILL
1515 14th Street NW
Washington DC, 20005
202.234.5601
gallery@hemphillfinearts.com
hemphillfinearts.com

DC Artist bound for Venice Biennale

Christopher Baer

Recent work from the White on White series on display throughout the 2013 Venice Biennale at Ai Reali, located a few steps from the Rialto Bridge. Opening Reception | Weds May 29th, 6 - 9pm | Venice, Italy Hosted by Ai Reali, Castello, Campo della Fava 5527 In addition to the Washington DC studio, Baer is producing work in a new studio in rural VA, two hours south of DC.   For more information about process, upcoming exhibitions and studio life, visit Baer's online visual journal or christopherbaer.com.  Daily blatherings on Twitter.

Sharon's Letter

Dear Friends, 

Please donate $30+ TODAY to fight cancer!  Read below to see why!

In 2012, I participated in the Marin Olympic Triathalon with Team in Training.  I swam .93 miles, biked 22 miles, and ran 6.2 miles in 3.5 hours.  In support of my efforts, 49 people helped me raise over $2,500 to find better cures and treatments for cancer.

It is 2013 and it is time for me to up the ante!  I am going to do TWO Olympic Triathalons, with Team in Training, which have more difficult courses and a larger monetary goal of $3000.

May 5th - Wildflower, CA - .93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run

June 30th - Pacific Crest, OR - .93 mile swim, 28 mile bike, 6.2 mile run

Last fundraising letter, I told you all about how I have a piece of my ass where my toe used to be. Threatened by a possible future spreading Melanoma, half of my toe was chopped off and a piece of my backside was put in its place. But that's ancient history.

Unfortunately, what isn't history...is cancer.  It is still kicking around affecting the people we know and love.  I can think of three of my peers (women in their 30's) who had to endure chemotherapy this year.  And that pisses me off!

If cancer also makes you mad, take 2 minutes and donate $30+ to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society from my fundraising page:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/paccrstr13/spieczenik

In the great words of my favorite author Dr. Seuss, 

 

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!” 

So, I'm going to take my half-toe,

And we're going to have fun.  

Kicking Cancer's ass 

As I Swim, Bike, and Run! 

Thank you for the love and support.  Even if you can only donate one dime, please add your donation to the cause.  Ever cent counts.

Sincerely,

Sharon Pieczenik

Young Photographer

This is the latest work in my series of paintings/drawings with embedded electronic components. It is titled "Young Photographer Worshiping at the Altar of Contemporary Photography." It has three small LCD screens embedded into the piece that play about 200+ images of famous photographs, rotating every 3 seconds or so.

Young Photographer Worshiping at the Altar of Contemporary Photography
Watercolor, charcoal and gesso with embedded electronics
8x20 inches, matted and framed to 20x28 inches.

Detail

States of Mind at UM

OPENING RECEPTION THIS THURSDAY -  MAY 9, 5-8PM

MAY 9 – JUNE 22, 2013

States of Mind is the University of Maryland's first nationally juried exhibition, juried and curated by the Stamp Gallery’s student staff. Please join them in celebrating the opening of this fantastic show!  

For more information about the show visit their website.

My pick for this show?: Check out Adam Bradley's work

Gateway Open Studio Tour & WGS Annual Open House

Gateway Community Development Corporation (CDC) presents the 9th Annual Gateway Open Studio Tour on Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., in Prince George's County's Gateway Arts District. 

Home to one of the D.C. metro area's most innovative and exciting arts scenes, the Gateway Arts District brings together professional artists representing almost every visual arts medium. 

The day will end with an Opening Reception and After-Party at the Brentwood Arts Exchange (5pm - 8pm) and the 39th Street Gallery (5:30pm - 8pm). Both are located at 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD.

Reserve your seat for the Open Studio Tour Complimentary Shuttle here.

And as you go around these tours, this Saturday it will be also the Washington Glass School's annual Anniversary Party and Open House....12 years and counting!  

While you're there do not forget to drop by Red Dirt and Flux Studios! It will be a great day to drop by and see what makes this area so hot for art and sculpture!

What : Washington Glass School Annual Open House and Anniversary Party
When : Saturday, May 11th from Noon to 5pm.
Where : Washington Glass School
             3700 Otis. St.
             Mt. Rainier, Md  20712
             202-744-8222

Go Gallery-Hopping with a Contemporary Art Collector

How do you get started collecting art if you’ve never done it before? Go from art outsider to insider in a single afternoon with Laura Roulet.

 Guided by Laura, visit five or six contemporary art galleries in the bustling 14th Street-U Street NW corridor. Meet with gallery directors to learn about the art on view. Laura will show you how to approach forming a collection, how to get invited to openings, how to evaluate galleries and more. Once you’re sufficiently embedded in the scene, finish with a glass of wine on your last stop.

Details here.

An Open Letter from Arts on the Block

Dear Fellow Artist:

 

Both of us have rarely asked fellow artists for a contribution to any the various arts organizations we‘ve been involved with over the years, unless the artist is rolling in money (an all too rare state), but we’re making an exception now. We’re both on the board of directors of a non-profit organization called Arts on the Block (AOB), and it could use a little help financing a very important part of its mission, which as an artist we think you’ll appreciate.

 

AOB's signature program involves high school students, many of whom are  economically disadvantaged, but all of whom identify themselves as creative types and lovers of art.  Mosaics are what the students (called apprentices at AOB) focus on, and over the years they have created a number of great public and private murals in the DC area. As a team the apprentices work with a public or private client to design a mosaic, and then they build it. Through this program AOB does a truly remarkable job of fostering art, life, and business skills. (You can see some to our apprentices’ work by going to the AOB website www.artsontheblock.org and clicking on Buy & Commission Art.)

 

A unique cornerstone of the program described above has been paying the apprentices a stipend while participating in the AOB program. This stipend is a important teaching tool as it adds concrete value and incentive to their creative work. The appentices have historically been paid $30 a day for their participation in the program. 

 

So why are we asking you for money now? Arts on the Block, like the vast majority of non-profit art organizations, is trying to weather the current economic woes. Unlike most non-profit art organizations AOB consistently stays out of debt;.This, however, can lead to budget cuts. Thus, we’re hoping you will contribute $30 for one of our apprentices for one day in the AOB program. We will not stop you if you’d like to finance 2 days for $60, or even a  whole week for $150. But, again, We’re hoping you will at least  consider financing an outstanding young artist for one day’s participation in the of Arts on the Block program.

 

Here's a link for donations: https://npo.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=64-0958139  

 

Or you can mail a check to:

 

  Arts on the Block

  11501 Georgia Ave.,  Ste 104

  Wheaton, MD   20902-1952

 

Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated.

 

 Best,

Richard Dana and June Linowitz

MCA announces Curate Maryland

Sponsored by Maryland Citizens for the Arts, Curate Maryland is a new series of "on-the-ground" experiences designed to highlight and promote the arts in cities and towns from across the state of Maryland. 
 

Each Curate Maryland event will spotlight a selection of one town's local arts organizations while fostering dialogue about issues that concern arts advocates at all levels of governance. The series is a site-specific celebration, one city or town at a time, for art lovers from around the state.

The first Curate Maryland event is May 18 in Hagerstown, and features visits to The Washington County Arts Council, The Maryland Theatre, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, with performances, tours, refreshments and workshop discussions throughout.  

The event is free with RSVP to Brian Francoise at 410.467.6700 or at brian@mdarts.org.

Potomac Vallery Watercolorists

A little while ago I had the pleasure of selecting the prizewinners for the Potomac Vallery Watercolorists at the beautiful Green Spring Gardens, and although over the years I’ve had the honor and pleasure (and luck) of judging my fellow artists many, many times (by my last count almost 300 times now!), one fact is always a constant and solid, never-changing, ever-present, add some more metaphors for “you can count on this” fact: It is never easy!

A second constant is that I am always refreshed and surprised by the spectacular diversity and pluralism of visual ideas that artists can deliver. This is the main reason that I really, really like putting together, organizing and jurying art shows.

And even after all these years and all these shows, I was still astounded by the quality and wide ranging of sources used by the artists who gave me the honor to review their work for this beautiful show at Green Spring Gardens. And in case you don't already know this: the most difficult (technically) of all visual arts media is watercolor. The difference between a great watercolor painter and the rest of us is that a great watercolor painter knows how to incorporate their mistakes into the final painting.

And I can honestly say that this was not only one of the most difficult (and most fun) shows to whittle down to a select few prizewinners, but also one which truly puts together a remarkable sampling of the evolving capacity of the artistic mind to educate, entertain, baffle, lead, record, interpret, upset, delight and make us proud to be part of the visual arts component of the human race. 

The exhibition also underscores a mostly overlooked fact in this age of post-modernism: the wondrous ability of the visual arts to be both beautiful and yet remain contemporary.

This show also surprised me by how far the artists went to explore contemporary issues of all flavors as they related to the focus of the subject matter (generally speaking... flowers) and driven by the gorgeous garden settings – in some cases by delighting the viewer with a fresh and delightful take on traditional subjects such as Toni Bragg's "Bulb of a Different Sort" which delivered the visual beauty of one of my all-time favorite things on this planet (garlic) and in others by cheering the gargantuan power of color married to enviable technical skill as in Kate Niner's "Pasta for Dinner" (which won the Best of Show)... memo to Kate: You need a website!

When you come and see this show, you will walk away (as with any group show) with a variety of thoughts all fighting to control your private reaction to it. You may have come with a pre-conceived idea of seeing "flower" art and trying to understand what people mean by adding that adjective in front of the word "art." 

But you will walk away also with multiple new reactions, hopefully including a realization that art, regardless of the label, should and must always stand as art, first and foremost. And you will also walk away with the refreshing and never-ending breath of fresh air that good art injects into our daily lives.

Come see this show and join me in applauding the always-evolving skill and intelligence of contemporary artists who wield brushes, pencils, charcoal sticks, palette knives, computers, metal, stone, found objects and ideas to punch the solar plexus of our minds with ideas and reactions.

 Green Spring Gardens
4603 Green Spring Road
Alexandria, VA
April 29 - June 24, 2013

Reception: Sunday, May 5
1 - 3 p.m., Horticulture Center

Freya Grand at Plan B

The Doc gets good news...

Congrats to my amazing wife, Dr. Alida Anderson, who just got tenured at American University!

Art Fair dynamics

From a post almost a decade ago:

One of the more eye-opening things in attending an art fair is seeing the dynamics that go onto the decision to buy a piece of art.

Put together a few thousand people, paying an entry fee to enter the fair, an assortment of dealers, and a huge diverse variety of offerings and it's an education in people watching.

The married couple:
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah, I like it- it's just what we've been looking for."
"Where would we put it?"
"We have a couple of spots that it'd fit."
"Do you really like it."
"Yeah, how about you?"
"Yeah, I kinda of like it."
"Should we get it?"
"If you want it."
(five minutes later)
"Let's think about it."
"OK" [To me] "Do you have a business card?"

The couple (not married):
Her: "Do you like it?"
Him: "Sssoright"
Her: "Where would we put it?"
Him: "Dunno."
Her: "Do you really like it."
Him: "So'OK.. Yeah, how about you?"
Her: "Yeah, I kinda, sorta, really like it."
Him: "Dunno though"
Her: "What? You don't like it?"
Him: "If you want it."
(five minutes later)
Him: "Let's think about it."
Her or Him: "OK" [To me] "Do you have a business card?"

The Single Woman (SW) with a Woman Friend:
SW: "WOW! Now, I really like this!"
Friend: "Yeah... it's nice"
SW: "It's exactly what I've been looking for!"
Friend: "I have a friend who does work just like this..."
SW: "I am really drawn to it!"
Friend: "Are you really sure you like it?"
SW: "Uh - yeah!... why? Don't you like it?"
Friend: "Yeah... it's OK"
SW: "I think it's really good... I think it's the first piece in this whole show that I really like."
Friend: "There's a few more booths we haven't seen."
SW: "I think I'm going to buy this."
Friend: "Are you sure?"
SW: "Uh - yeah!... It's a good price too.... why? Don't you like it?"
(five minutes later)
SW: "Do you have a business card?"

The Single Woman (SW) with a Man Friend:
SW: "WOW! Now, I really like this!"
Friend: "Yeah... Cool"
SW: "It's exactly what I've been looking for!"
Friend: "I think it's a lithograph" [it's actually a charcoal]
SW: "I am really drawn to it!"
Friend: "Are you really sure you like it?"
SW: "Uh - yeah!... why? Don't you like it?"
Friend: "I have something like it... I got it cheaper though..."
SW: "I think it's really good... I think it's the first piece in this whole show that I really like."
Friend: "You like lithographs?"
SW: "I think I'm going to buy this."
Friend: "Are you sure?"
SW: "Uh - yeah!... It's a good price too.... why? Don't you like it?"
(five minutes later)
SW: "Do you have a business card?"

The Single Focus Dream Buyer:
[Walks straight up to one piece, never looks at the rest of the work in your booth]
"I'll take this"
[Me] "Thank you... it's a very striking charcoal drawing - will be that be a check or charge?"
"Charge"
[Me] "I can send you more information on this artist..."
"That will be great - I love this work - it's exactly what I'm interested in!"
[Me] "I have a few more pieces here, would you like to see them?"
"No, thanks..."

The "I'm glad you're here guy (IGYHG)":
IGYHG: "Hey! I've been looking for you!"
[Me]: "Hi, how are you?"
IGYHG: "... been walking this whole fair looking for you!"
[Me]: "Yeah... lots of dealers this year... glad you found us!"
IGYHG: "Howsa been goin'?"
[Me]: "Yes... quite good actually..."
IGYHG: "Well, let me look at what you've got!"
[three minutes later]
IGYHG: "Well... I'm glad you're here... see ya next year!"


The "I Shudda Bought It Last Year Guy (Shudda)":
Shudda: "Hey! You're here again!"
[Me]: "Hi, how are you? Yeah... It's our 7th year here..."
Shudda: "... been walking this whole fair looking for you!"
[Me]: "Yeah... lots of dealers this year... glad you found us!"
Shudda: "Howsa been goin'?"
[Me]: "Yes... quite good actually..."
Shudda: "Well, let me look at what you've got!"
[three minutes later]
Shudda: "Where's that really good watercolor of the fill-in-the-blank?"
[Me]: "Uh... I sold it last year - but I have a few more pieces by that artist."
Shudda: "Ah! - I really wanted that one! Do you have another one?"
[Me]: "Well, no... it was an original watercolor, and I sold it; but I have ---"
Shudda: "I really wanted that piece; and it was a good price too..."
[Me]: "Maybe you'd like some of his new work..."
Shudda: "I shudda bought it last year"
[Walks away]
Shudda: "You gonna be here next year?"

The "Where's That Piece Guy (WTP)":
WTP: "Hey! You're here again!"
[Me]: "Hi, how are you? Yeah... It's our 7th year here..."
WTP: "... been walking this whole fair specifically looking for you!"
[Me]: "Yeah... lots of dealers this year... glad you found us!"
WTP: "Howsa been goin'?"
[Me]: "Yes... quite good actually..."
WTP: "OK... last year I saw this piece... it was a fill-in-the-bank and I should have bought it then! "
[Me]: "Yeah... that is a nice piece."
WTP: "I've been thinking about it for a whole year"
[Looks around the booth and doesn't see it]
WTP: "Do you still have it?"
[From here there are two paths...]
Path One -
[Me]: "Uh... I sold it last year - but I have a few more pieces by that artist."
WTP: "Ah! - I really wanted that one! Do you have another one?"
[Me]: "Well, no... it was an original watercolor, and I sold it; but I have ---"
WTP: "I really wanted that piece; and it was a good price too..."
[Me]: "Maybe you'd like some of his new work..."
WTP: "I shudda bought it last year"
[Walks away]
WTP: "You gonna be here next year?"
Path Two
[Me]: "Let me get it for you... I have it in the back!"
WTP: "Great"
[I bring it out and give to WTP]
WTP: "Yeah this is it! It's great!"
[Me]: "This artist has done really well this last year and ---"
WTP: [Handing it back] "Excellent! I'm glad you still have it... until what time are you going to be here?"