Hope Harrison's words

Adah Rose Gallery's former intern and now UVA student Hope Harrison wrote these very cool words about one of my pieces - from my Obsessive Drawings series...

“Suddenly She Wasn’t Afraid Any Longer”
F. Lennox Campello, 2016 Charcoal on Paper
In the Hope Harrison Collection

A woman leaping in a white void, with arms up, legs outstretched, and a tan line on her butt fully exposed in a moment of glory. This individual may be part dancer and part warrior, but, surely, she is fearless. Indeed, the bronzed figure in mid-leap seems to distill all freedom and courage within her, as she dynamically flies on the paper. The space around this figure is left to the imagination of the viewer; the woman may be jumping off a cliff and into a lake, or she may be plunging into the depths of space, her mind, or a vast unknown. All space and time collapse into this one figure, a form that is faceless yet ubiquitous in the sense that we may all hope to feel a similar same sense of liberation, be it from mental, physical, or extraneous challenges that may limit us.

F. Lennox Campello’s 2016 piece, “Suddenly She Wasn’t Afraid Any Longer”, is a figurative drawing made with charcoal. In the presence of larger or more colorful works, this piece in theory could hang on a wall inconspicuously; however, the contrast and surprising sense of depth that Campello creates by placing such an active and expressive figure in a nonexistent, and therefore stagnant, background is striking. The stylistic decisions made for this piece, which is relatively simplistic for Campello’s work, emphasize line and form in a singular way.

Hope Harrison

UVA 2020

Affordable Art Fair NYC

Affordable Art Fair NYC will return to the Metropolitan Pavilion in September for its Fall edition, welcoming over 70 local, national and international exhibitors, showcasing original contemporary work from over 300 contemporary artists.

Matthew Langley

We are in two separate booths on the ground floor, booths C3 and D20 - This fair showcases the work of New York City artists Macyn Bolt and Matthew Langley, Alexandria ceramicist Lori Katz, Texas artists Kathleen Hope, Seth Fairweather and Jodi Walsh.

Macyn Bolt nstallation at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Gand-Rapids, Michigan

Opening times
Wednesday September 25 2019
Private View*
6.00pm - 9.00pm

Thursday September 26 2019
Trade Hours 11.00am - 12.00pm
Public Hours 12.00pm – 6.00pm
Art After Dark 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Friday September 27 2019
11.00am - 12.00pm
12.00pm – 6.00pm
6.00pm – 8.00pm

Saturday September 28 2019
10.00am - 11.00am
11.00am – 8.00pm

Sunday September 29 2019
10.00am - 11.00am

11.00am – 5.00pm

Review: ‘Cats’ at The Kennedy Center Opera House

I can hear it already: Lenny you're a visual art scribe, not a musical theatre critic! Don't be a Shmendrik!

Deal with it, because I went to see "Cats" at the Kennedy Center, and since this is my third viewing of this musical (I saw it in London decades ago, and in New York also decades ago), I feel like I have a different perspective on discussing this Andrew Lloyd Webber success story from your usual theater critic who always seems to start a discussion on the subject by talking about " Webber’s indefatigable anthropomorphic felines" or "the musical itself seems to be immortal."

“Cats” made its debut at the Kennedy Center Opera House last week and the family and I scored great seats up front for $59 - a lot less than I paid in London and NYC all those years ago. 

My son posing at the Kennedy Center "Cats" Background

The stage felines run through October 6, in what seems to me (in comparison to the earlier versions) to be a lot flashier and more athletic than ever in this Kennedy Center version of the 2016 Broadway revival of the musical.

The cast of this "Cats" version are not only talented singer,s but also powerful athletes and spectacular dancers, be it ballet, tap dancing, or running up and down the aisles of the KC Opera House.

At a group art show, I'd pick a Best of Show - for this "Cats" assembly of talent let me discuss who stood out to me.

One of my fave things to do when I go to the theatre, opera, musical, etc. is to pick a character who's not the focus of whatever is going on at the time and

follow him or her and see how much into the character they are when they're in the background somewhere.  Mariah Reives, who plays "Cassandra" in the production was perfect for the part.  Her sleek, almost impossible to believe cat-like figure is perfect for the sleek cat persona that she portrays; even when she's slinking away on all fours around the stage, it's a spectacle of sensuality that proves to me that this lady has some felis DNA in her family tree!

"Hey Dad", whispered my son at about minute twenty of the musical, "Are they gonna sing the whole time? Does anybody talk?"

They sing all the time, and soon Anderson was as mesmerized and hypnotized by the music, the dancing, the high-kicking, and the almost non-existent story-line as the rest of us.

When the singing itself brought up that "the Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn't just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter - When I tell you, a cat must have three different names..." he noted that "they ripped that off T.S. Eliot..." which made my jaw drop that a 10-year-old would recognize the poem (thank you to all his teachers, past and present at SFS).

Note to self: Discuss with him that Andrew Lloyd Webber's thin storyline is indeed based on Eliot's Cats poems.

Charlotte O'Dowd is one of the swings - and she also stands out for powerful stage athletism and superb character maintenance when in the background and this talented lady can jump and kick! No matter who was singing or doing pirouttes on center stage, she was always on the prowl in full character.

Alexa Racioppi and Emma Hearn also show their dancing and jazzy skills and their sinewy, strong lithe bodies are perfect for Demeter and Bombalurina, and the dancing skills associated with those parts.

Let's get to the singing.

Everybody knows the powerful and epic "Memory" and Keri Rene Fuller's revolutionary rendition of the song got her a well-deserved standing ovation, including from a very impressed 10-year-old sitting next to me, as Anderson was totally shaken by the power of Fuller's voice.

And yet - "Cats" (in my view) is more than just singing (and yes Anderson, it's all singing): it is about the projection of feline style, power... and in this version, a souped-up display of lights, effects, audience participation, and even a bit of pyrotechnics.

This new version is easily better than its ancestors - a lot has to do with technology, but a lot more has to do with the upgraded and breath taking spectacle of dance and movement. It is well-worth a visit, even if you've seen it before!

Boot camp for Artists

The Artists’ Boot Camp

Saturday, November 2nd, 10am-4pm , in the John Addison Concert Hall of Harmony Hall

Harmony Hall Arts Center presents Mr. Lenny Campello’s seminar, “The Artists’s Boot Camp”, open to all Prince George’s County artists, 16 and up.  Mr. Campello is the Greater Washington D.C. area’s pre-eminent art dealer, critic, consultant and blogger as well as artist. He designed his seminar to deliver information, data and proven tactics to artists, and to allow them to develop and sustain a career in the fine arts. Some of the topics that he will cover are, creating a resume, creating a body of work, selling your art, juried shows and news releases, just to name a few. 

The seminar is free and lunch is included. Seating is limited so please call 301.446.3251 or email stuart.diekmeyer@pgparks.com to register and provide lunch preference.

Deadline is by 5pm, October 25th, but this seminar usually books very quickly, so I'd recommend that you RSVP as soon as possible!

Harmony Hall
10701 Livingston Road 
Fort Washington, MD 20744

Monster in the light

Images from yesterday's talk

Yesterday's talk: On Identity in the Arts: What Does It Mean to be Latin(x) went really well... below a couple of images courtesy of local DMV artist Roxanna Rojas!

Campello discussing Ric Garcia's work

Campello discussing Sandra Prerez-Ramos' work

Isla Llorona

The painting is up for auction - see it here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/76104751_florencio-lennox-campello-is-an-cuban-american-artist

Come to this today!

Lecture: On Identity in the Arts: What Does It Mean to be Latinx?

Montpelier Art Center

9652 Muirkirk Rd

Laurel, MD 20708

Saturday, September 21, 2pm.

I will be delving deep into the history and evolution of the Latino ethnic label and then discussing important questions on the issue while wrapping it around the context of the fine arts in a sometimes funny, but always informative presentation. 

Lecture is free and open to the public.

Tomorrow - come to this

I guarantee that you'll be entertained, and that you'll learn something... also I will have a free signed piece of artwork given at random... This lecture is free!

Lecture: On Identity in the Arts: What Does It Mean to be Latinx?

Montpelier Art Center

9652 Muirkirk Rd

Laurel, MD 20708

Saturday, September 21, 2pm.

I will be delving deep into the history and evolution of the Latino ethnic label and then discussing important questions on the issue while wrapping it around the context of the fine arts in a sometimes funny, but always informative presentation. 

Lecture is free and open to the public.

Google Maps directions here.

This coming Saturday

Lecture: On Identity in the Arts: What Does It Mean to be Latinx?

Montpelier Art Center

9652 Muirkirk Rd

Laurel, MD 20708

Saturday, September 21, 2pm.

I will be delving deep into the history and evolution of the Latino ethnic label and then discussing important questions on the issue while wrapping it around the context of the fine arts in a sometimes funny, but always informative presentation. 

Lecture is free and open to the public.

Washington Artists Circa 1989 CLOSES October 5, 2019

This companion exhibition to the Corcoran exhibition 6.13.89 exhibits paintings, drawings, and prints from the GW Collection by artists who registered their protest of the volatile cancellation of the exhibition of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe.  Also included are selected reminiscences of artists who were in Washington, D.C. at the time experiencing the upheaval as it occurred.  Including work by William Christenberry, Georgia Deal, Fred Folsom, Clark V. Fox, Sam Gilliam, Janis Goodman, Tom Green, Andrew Hudson, Lowell Nesbitt, William Newman, Dennis O'Neil, Eric Rudd, Ann Purcell, Joseph Shannon and Franklin White.

Luther W. Brady Art Gallery
Corcoran Flagg Building - Gallery 1 • 500 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 
P: 202-994-1525 

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 1:00 - 5:00 pm 

Wrong Celia Cruz

NPR has a really cool story and excellent music recommendations dealing with the late great Celia Cruz. The article by Stephanie Fernandez (titled The World Of Celia Cruz: A Turning The Tables Playlist) is accompanied by a photograph credited to "Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images" has a nice phot of Celia.

The only issue is that the photo is captioned as "Celia Cruz performs in 1950" which is incorrect to the most casual Celiz Cruz fan.  The Celia Cruz in that image is a Celia from either the late 1970s or early 1980s, not the twenty-something Celia Cruz of 1950 which made its debut with La Sonora Matancera.

Because I am a Virgo and sometimes live in a pedantic hell of perfection, I've contacted NPR to bring this error to their attention and have them use a correct image of Celia.

Hundreds of them here.

Art Scam Alert!!!

Beware of this rat trying to rip off artists!

Chris Atkinson - chris.atkinson689@icloud.com

Mon 9/16/2019 4:28 PM

hello 

i took some photos of  your works 

i am interested in purchasing them now 

kindly get back to me if the artworks are still available 

regards

Dr Chris Atkinson

The Cuba Series

The last time that I moved was in 2009, when I left Media, PA and moved back to the DMV. The below post(s) are from 2009... all of these are now sold and in private collections all over... One of these... Cuba, Isla Judia (Cuba, Jewish Island) was part of a sub-series dealing with all the various types of immigrants to Cuba who made up the Cuban people: Galicians from northern Spain, Africans, Jews from Poland and Germany, Lebanese, Chinese (who were treated horribly and not allowed to bring women), French, Jamaicans, Haitians (mostly in Oriente province), Italians, and Americans (mostly Southeners who moved to Cuba after the US Civil War).

These pieces below are from a set of about 100 small watercolors, oils and acrylics and prints that I did either for one of my senior year exhibition projects at the University of Washington School of Art in 1981 as well as class assignments through the years (1977-1981). Probably 80 of these have sold over the years. They all have the map of the island of Cuba as the focus.

Update: Some of these images are from owners that bought some of these sending them to me.

"Isla Prision (Prison Island)"
c. 1980, Ink wash and wood rods on paper
In the collection of The Cuban Studies Institute, Miami, Florida

"Isla Prision"
Monoprint enhanced with Charcoal and pins, c.1980
In a private collection in New Jersey

"Isla Prision"
Monoprint enhanced with watercolor and pins, c.1980
In a private collection in Florida

Isla Encadenada
Acrylic on paper with metal chain, c. 1979

Isla Encadenada
Colored pencils on paper with metal chain, c. 1979

"Isla Herida" c. 1978
Location unknown

"Donde crece la palma" 1978
Location Unknown

"The Island that Time Forgot" 1981

"Mi verso es un ciervo herido Que busca en el monte amparo" 1979

"Stabbed Island" 1980


"Isla Roja" (Red Island) 1981


"Isla Carcel" (Jail Island) 1981


"Isla Encarcelada" (Jailed Island) 1981


"Isla Ensangrentada" (Bloodied Island) 1981


"Isla Encadenada" (Chained Island) 1981


Isla Pesadilla (Nightmare Island) 1981


Isla en Jaula (Caged Island) 1981


"Isla en Goma" (Inner Tube Island) 1981


"Isla Prisionera" (Prisoner Island) 1981


Isla Deshuesada (Deboned Island) 1981

"Isla Llorona", oil on board c. 1978

"Isla Abandonada (Abandoned Island)"
Oil and Acrylic on Gessoed Board, 8x10 inches, c.1979
In a private collection in Hialeah, Florida

Nubes Lloronas, Oil on board, c.1979

"Isla Llorona", oil on board, c.1978
In the collection of Queens' University, Charlotte, NC

Cuba, Isla Desbaratada (Cuba, Disassembled Island). Pen and Ink. 2009.


Cuba, Isla Encarcelada (Cuba, Jailed Island). Watercolor and Wire. 2009.



Cuba, Isla Judia (Cuba, Jewish Island). Watercolor. 2009.

"Isla Clavada (Nailed Island)"
1980 Color pencils and embedded nails

Isla Prisionera
In a private collection in Miami, Florida

Isla Balsera
Location Unknown (Sold at Pike Pace Market, Seattle in 1978-79)

"Isla Balsera (Raft Island)" - Happy Birthday America, Wishing We Were There!
Collage on Paper, Framed to 30x40 inches, c. 1976
Was in a private Collection in New Jersey - donated to American University Art Museum in 2015

"Isla Prision (Prison Island)" By F. Lennox Campello
c. 1978, Charcoal on paper
In a private collection in New Jersey

"Isla Prisión" (Prison Island)
Watercolor on Paper by F. Lennox Campello, c. 1977

Best deal ever?

This is possibly the best deal that I've ever seen in the secondary art market for one of my originals! I sold this drawing in 1992 and now is for sale here for about a tenth of the original sale price!

Check it out here.

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this rat trying to rip off artists!

From: David & Son Investment Ltd - lsdcp12300@gmail.com

Subject: Order Inquiry

--

Good day,

My name is Lucas David,I am a reseller in Bermuda (David & Son Investment Ltd) I sell to end users only. I have a shipping agent that can handle the pick up down to me here. I will be paying with my credit card and I will need to know the delivery time. Please let me know if I can make a purchase from your company.

Kindly get back to me asap.

Regards

Lucas David

David & Son Investment Ltd

120 Front St City of Hamilton,

Bermuda

+1 470-673-8099

Lest we forget




"Studio View, 9/11"
Oil on Canvas c. 9/11/2001 by David FeBland

2nd Tri-Annual Maryland State Artist Registry Juried Exhibition

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 19 I 6pm - 9pm
On View:  Thursday, September 19 - Sunday, November 10

Performances:
Thursday, September 19 I 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Performances by:  Margaret Rorison, A. Moon, Sara Dittrich, Maren Henson,  and Jason Sloan
Saturday, November 9 I 9pm - 11pm 
Performances by: Dominique Zeltzman, Shonnita Johnson, Ceylon Mitchell and Stephanie Barber

Join Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) this September, in celebrating a statewide, juried exhibition highlighting the wide range of artists and artwork featured on the Maryland State Artist Registry. The exhibition will take place at Maryland Art Place located at 218 West Saratoga St. from Thursday,September 19^th – Sunday, November 10^th. A reception will be held on Thursday, September 19^th from 6pm to 9pm.

Performances will be held during the opening reception on Thursday, September 19 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm and Saturday, November 9th from 9pm to 11pm. 

Visual Jurors: Dr. Susan J. Isaacs and Jeremy Stern
Performance Jurors: Ada Pinkston, Hoesy Corona, and Laure Drogoul

Participating Artists:

Visual Artists: Gregory Hein, Richard Weiblinger, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Saeideh Gilani, Judi Gunter, Acquaetta Williams, Kristina King, Cat Gunn, Alan Callander, Carmen Martini, Sylvie Van Helden, Gregg Morris, Amy Boone-McCreesh, Alizah Lathrop, Barb Siegel, Janet Olney, Magnolia Laurie, Elli Maria Hernandez, Megan Maher, Leslie Shellow, Amanda Burnham, Nick Primo, Hollis McCracken, Hsin-Hsi Chen, Maria-Theresa Fernandes, Saloni Shah, Shana Kohnstamm, Virginia Sperry, Stanley Wenocur, Betsy Packard, Patricia Autenrieth, Giulia Piera Livi, Christine Strong, Dominie Nash, Brad Blair, Sara Caporaletti, Janet Huddie, Danielle Fauth, Yam Chew Oh, Trace Miller, Helen Glazer, David Leonard, Paul Ford, Gregory McLemore, Daniel Humphries-Russ, Nilou Kazemzadeh, Don James, Osvaldo Mesa, Juan Rodas, Erin Fostel, Evans Thorne, Bruce McKaig, Taha Heydari, Nicole Stokes, Megan Burak, Roger James, Ram Brisueno, McKinley Wallace III, Rick Ruggles, Aubrey Garwood, Scott Ponemone, Margaret Huddy, Victoria Rouse, Ariston Jacks, Karen Warshal, LaToya Hobbs, Lauren Castellana, Florencio Lennox Campello, Aaron Oldenburg, Annette Wilson Jones, Mike McConnell, Linda Agar-Hendrix, Nicoletta de la Brown, Maren Henson, Amber Eve Anderson, Carrie Fucile, Noah McWilliams, Jackie Hoysted, William Richardson, Carolyn Case, Corey Grunert, Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, Oletha Devane, Kate Kretz, George Lorio, Anna Fine Foer, Robert Cantor, Mia Halton, Jason Patterson, David Page, Jowita Wyszomirska, Diane Lorio, Marcia Wolfson Ray, Tom Boram, Margaret Rorison, A. Moon, Sara Dittrich, Jason Sloan, Dominique Zeltzman, Shonnita Johnson, Stephanie Barber, Ceylon Mitchell, and Valerie Smalkin.