PostSecret Talk and Booksigning

On Saturday, April 29, 2006 the Fraser Gallery is honored to host Frank Warren, sole founder, curator of the PostSecret Project and editor of the best-selling book of the same title. Commencing at 7PM, and as part of the Bethesda Literary Festival, Warren will be discussing the project and the book and signing copies of the book (bring your own or available for sale at the gallery).

Frank Warren is the sole founder and curator of the PostSecret Project, a collection of over 30,000 highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice.

A New York Times best seller, PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (ReganBooks) is Warren’s first book. In 2006, his PostSecret website (which receives over 3,000,000 visitors every month) was awarded six weblog awards including "Best American Blog" and "Blog of the Year."

His WPA/C exhibition of PostSecret cards was called by the Washington Post "One of the five best art shows in 2005."

Warren has appeared on the Today Show, 20/20, CNN, MSNBC, CBC, NPR and Fox News. USA Today called Warren: "An award winning Blogger, a first-time author, an artist with a traveling exhibit, a possible documentary subject, the inspiration for a music video and the all-around media ‘it’ boy of the moment."

In 2005 The All American Rejects approached Warren about using images of actual PostSecret images in their "Dirty Little Secret" music video. They offered Warren $1,000 but instead he asked them to donate $2,000 to 1(800)SUICIDE where Warren is a volunteer. The donation was made and the music video became one of the most requested on MTV. The National Mental Health Association will be presenting Warren with an award later this year for his work in raising public awareness about suicide.

Warren continues to receive between 100 and 200 postcards everyday. He updates his website on Sundays and is working to produce four more PostSecret books.

Germantown, Maryland is where Warren, his wife and 11 year-old daughter call home. He continues to call himself an "accidental artist" because he has no artist background or training. "I have been asked many times why I started this. It still feels to me as though this project found me. All I try to do is make the right decisions every day to protect the integrity of the project – and learn to trust the journey."

The discussion and book-signing is free and open to the public and will start promptly at 7PM. To reserve a copy of the book call the gallery at 301/718-9651 or email us at info@thefrasergallery.com.

Affordable Studio Space

From 190 square feet for $206 month to 970 square feet for $1053 month, utilities included.

Shown Wednesdays 6-8PM at 6925 Willow NW in DC or call 202/882-0740 or visit this website and then click on A. Salon.

This is why we need more voices

Three critics look at the same show, in this case Connie Imboden at the new Heineman Myers Gallery in Bethesda. Two offer intelligent views and one dismisses it without a second thought.

Glenn McNatt in the Baltimore Sun.

Jessica Dawson in the Washington Post (scroll down).

Kriston Capps in the Washington City Paper.

One more opening

In addition to all the openings listed here, there's one more opening taking place tomorrow, Sunday April 23: Harvardwood, DC launches itself at Project 4 Gallery on U Street this Sunday, April 23, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. as they are hosting a special viewing of Terrie Pipa's oil and watercolor exhibit "Small Gestures." The launch party is free.

Petty

This is a new high in pettiness.

Home

Back home from the Left Coast, but with a ton of work to do! More later...

Airborne today and heading to California... more later.

Openings

April 19. "Drawings" at Robert Brown Gallery. Works by William Kentridge, Trawick Prize finalist Linn Meyers, David Nash, Kojo Griffin and others. Opening reception on Wed. April 19 from 6-8PM. Through May 13, 2006.

April 20. "For Women By Women" Photo Exhibit from Turkey at Warehouse Gallery. Reception for the benefit of a Women's Shelter in Urfa as part of the "For Women By Women" Photo Exhibit. Reception/Happy Hour on Thursday April 20, 2006 6 - 9 pm. Space is limited. Please RSVP by 19th of April at fwbw@art4development.net or call 877/580-6670.

April 21. Norman Parish will open the fourth of six group exhibitions commemorating the Parish Gallery’s fifteenth anniversary in Georgetown. Opening reception on Friday, April 21, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Artists in this group show include Carreno, Elliott, Garemedhin, Farrell-Johnson, Lesser, Piechocinski, Plotkin-Mates, Miller, Roberts, Stuelpnagel, Underwood, Van Esso, Van Helsland, Woodson, and Young.

April 21. "Russian Realism 2006" at Principle Gallery in Alexandria. Reception Friday, April 21 from 6:30-9PM. Forty contemporary and Soviet era realist works.

April 21. "Adam Ross: Recent Work" at Numark Gallery. Opening reception on Friday, April 21 from 6:30-8PM. Show goes through May 27, 2006.

April 22. "MFA Thesis Exhibition" at American University's Katzen Arts Center. Reception 6-9PM on Saturday, April 22 and open studios 4-9PM. The exhibition goes through May 7, 2006.

April 22. "Crossings." New photo collages by Judith L. Smith at Gallery West's new location in Old Town Alexandria. Opening reception on Saturday, April 22 from 6-9PM. Show goes through May 22, 2006.

April 22 and 23. "Art and Artifacts Show." Featuring the art of Penny Ross Burk and Afrika Midnight Asha Abney and hosted by The Culture Shop. On April 22nd and April 23rd from 11am-5pm. Info: 202-726-2211 or email them at customerservice@cultureshop.com

April 23. "Place and Time." New works by Juan Bernal, Mary Ott and Stanley Wenocur at RAP, temporarily located in Gaithersburg while their new space is being finsihed in Rockville. Opening on Sunday, April 23, 2006 from 3-5PM. The show goes through May 20, 2006 and there's a panel discussion (and dessert!) on Sunday, April 20, 2006 from 3-5PM.

May 6. Amy Lin is an amazing minimalist artist whose work has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year. Her very first solo show ever opens at the Rachel Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center's Gallery in Alexandria with an opening reception on Saturday, May 6 from 4-6pm . The exhibition goes through June 10, 2006.

May 7. "Bobbi Pratte: Lotus" at the Art League in Alexandria. Opening reception on Sunday, May 7 from 2-4PM. Through June 5, 2006.

When artists buy art

When an artist buys original artwork by another artist, I think that it is a special honor. At least I am always highly honored when I sell one of my drawings to a fellow artist.

So you must understand that I am not only honored, but somewhat dazed to find out that Ida Applebroog has bought one of my drawings for her collection.

New name

The Rockville Arts Place, which has been temporarily located in Gaithersburg, MD while their great new space in being built in downtown Rockville, will be renamed VisArts once the move takes place.

The new space looks terrific, and will certainly be one of the key exhibition spaces around the Greater DC area.

Congrats

To DC's former JET Gallery's co-owner, Thomas Robertello, who has just opened the Thomas Robertello Gallery in Chicago.

Good luck Tom!

Printmaking

Union Printmakers Atelier announces that registration is now open for Traditional Printmaking Classes. Sign up to study Lithography (stone and plate), Intaglio (etching, aquatint, drypoint), Relief (wood or linocut) and monotype; methods, techniques, materials and histories will be covered.

For more information or to register please contact Scip Barnhart at 202/277-1946 (sBarnhart@corcoran.org) or Jenny Freestone at 301/408-0660 (freeston@erols.com).

Union Printmakers Atelier is located near the new convention center at 926 N Street Rear, Blagden Alley, Washington DC 20001.

Art in Embassies

Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the Art In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide.

To submit images to the Art In Embassies Program staff for consideration in upcoming exhibitions please e-mail .jpg or .gif images of your works no larger than 50k in size, to: artinembassies@state.gov. Website: www.aiep.state.gov/index.cfm.

Survey

ArtDC.org is conducting an online artists survey. The goal of this survey is to gain a deeper understanding of the DC area art scene from the artists' perspectives.

Take the survey here.

The Creative Successes of American Arts Funding

Having lived for many years in Europe, I have direct experience with the great benefits and astounding shortfalls of many of those nations' heavy-handed governments, where the massive burocracies of socialist minds are involved in nearly every facet of daily life, including the arts.

Local GMU economist Tyler Cowen has an interesting look at this issue. Cowen is the author of many books, including Creative Destruction: How Globalization is Changing the World's Cultures (Princeton) and In Praise of Commercial Culture.

He is the Holbert C. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University, and his most current book is Good and Plenty: The Creative Successes of American Arts Funding.

Cowen argues that "American art thrives through an ingenious combination of small direct subsidies and immense indirect subsidies such as copyright law and tax policies that encourage nonprofits and charitable giving. This decentralized and even somewhat accidental--but decidedly not laissez-faire--system results in arts that are arguably more creative, diverse, abundant, and politically unencumbered than that of Europe."

More on the book here.

Taxing Reading

From the tone of these mini-reviews, Jessica must have had a tough tax day last Saturday.

Read at your own risk here.

Parsons on Compelled by Content

DCist's Adrian Parsons reviews our current "Compelled by Content" exhibition.

Read the review here.

Art Deal(s) of the Week

This week's super art deal are these beautiful mixed media Mermaid boxes by Illinois artist Carmen Lozar, currently on exhibit as part of the "Compelled by Content II" exhibition.

Each of these interesting sculptures starts with a found object, in these cases an antique cigarrette or snuff box. Lozar then transforms the object by casting a blue ocean made of glass, and also creates a small glass mermaid that can be rotated through the ocean through a small lever handle that she builds into the side of the box. The inner lid of the box is also a small oil painting of the ocean's horizon. These interactive pieces can then be "rotated," making the small glass mermaid jump in and out of her glass ocean.

Two of the three boxes below are still available for sale. The one below is an old "Maryland Club" tobacco tin measuring four inches long by 2.5 inches deep (closed) or five inches deep open and about three inches high with mermaid in the up position.



An a detail looking from the top:



The second box is an antique J.G. Dill's Best Cube Cut Plus tin measuring 3.5 inches long by one inch deep (closed), two inches deep (open) and 3.5 inches tall with mermaid in the up position. Each of the sculptures is $600.



An a detail looking from the top:



To buy them call the gallery at 301/718-9651 or email them at info@thefrasergallery.com.

Student Prints

The 21st Annual Corcoran College of Art + Design Print Portfolio is now on view through May 27, 2006 at the Kathleen Ewing Gallery.

This year’s portfolio contains the work of Corcoran College of Art + Design faculty and students from the BFA and Continuing Education programs. as well as guest faculty and artists.

This year they have included work by Frank DiPerna, Claudia Smigrod and Renee Stout.

This exhibit has been titled Thinking Voodoo ; Why? Because as the city of New Orleans is historically linked to the practice of voodoo and the supernatural, Thinking Voodoo seemed an appropriate title for this year’s portfolio following the events of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath of destruction.

One copy of the full portfolio is placed in the permanent collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Corcoran College of Art + Design and the College Printmaking department, however copies of the work will also be on sale.

Compelled by Content Opening

I'll have some pictures of the opening later, but the show looks great and once again artists using glass (among other things) are dragging the genre away from the bowl and vessel and to the fine arts. This is an amazing show.

The preview went well, and a major New York museum commissioned a Tim Tate piece for their collection! More on that later.

The public opening was really packed as well, and in fact so many people showed up for the guided Bethesda Art Walk that two separate walks were done.

I've been really taken by the work of Illinois artist Carmen Lozar, more on her and her work later. I've also been impressed by how much Michael Janis' work has progressed in the last year or so. More on him later as well.

Colloquium on African American Art

Authentic Art has all the details about the 17th Annual James A. Porter Colloquium on African American Art, which will be held April 20-22, 2006 at Howard University.

Agenda, schedule and details here and here.

DC Mayoral Candidates Forum on the Arts

Moderated by Renee Poussaint and featuring all of the DC Mayoral Candidates taking questions on their views of the arts.

Date: Monday, May 1, 2006
Time: 6:00- 8:00pm
Place: Tivoli Theater, 3333 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Free Grant Development Triathlon Workshop

Attend presentations by the experts regarding upcoming funding opportunities and how to respond with competitive proposals. Representatives from the Federal Government, DC Government, and Local Foundations have been invited.

Date: Thursday, May 4, 2006
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Sumner School Museum & Archives
Metro's Red Line to Farragut North

Space is limited and early reservations are recommended. Registrations will be accepted through May 1, 2006. To register, e-mail dawn.mitchell@dc.gov.

Women's Caucus for Art: 2006 Annual Networking Day

Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington DC will be having their 2006 Annual Networking Day, focusing on exhibiting and marketing your Art. I will be presenting a focused shortened version covering marketing derived from our Bootcamp for Artists seminar. Event is free and open to the public.

When: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29, 2006
Where: Goodwin House
3440 South Jefferson Street
Falls Church, VA 22041
1.703.820.1488

The Women’s Caucus for Art, a major national non-profit member organization, was founded in 1972 and is an affiliated society of the College Art Association. It is unique in its multi-disciplinary, multicultural membership. WCA members are artists, art historians, arts administrators, museum and gallery professionals, teachers, students, curators, critics, collectors, and others who are committed to WCA’s goals.

For more info call 301.910.1231 or email Authentic_Art@att.net.

See ya there!

Coop Gallery Seeks New Member

The Artists’ Undertaking Gallery, 309 Mill St. in historic Occoquan, has an opening for an artist member working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, art quilts or wall hung fiber arts.

This is a cooperative gallery in its 29th year. Applicants must be able to work in the gallery one day every other week and attend the monthly business meeting. Juried entry is on the first Monday of the month.

Please call Carol Holmes at 703/897-8990 for more information and to make an appointment.

Taxes: Foul Mood

I can't believe how many Samolians I have to send Uncle Sam by tomorrow, and to make matters worse, this year I'm also sending the Soviet Socialist State of Mary's Land a ton of rubles - in fact almost three times as much as Uncle Sam gets.

Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) seeks Executive Director

Deadline: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

This is quite a LATE announcement on the part of GRACE, with a deadline in just a few days.

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), a well-established non-profit arts organization located in the Reston Town Center, seeks an executive director who will be a highly visible and effective leader able to take the organization to a new level of achievement. GRACE serves the Northern Virginia community through art exhibition and arts learning programs for all ages, including the innovative Art in the Schools (AIS) program and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, one of the top ranked fine arts festivals in the United States. For detailed description of GRACE and its programs please visit their website at www.restonarts.org.

The executive director reports directly to the GRACE Board and is responsible for the overall direction and management of the Center overseeing an experienced staff of 4 employees operating with a $600,000 annual budget. The executive director should be a leader with the right combination of education, work experience, and talents to manage GRACE.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to lead in a "participative" team environment, to continue building an organization through proactive fundraising activities and community outreach, and to develop and manage within detailed budget. Ideally the candidate should also have an understanding of and appreciation for contemporary arts, progressive responsible management experience, excellent oral and written communication skills, and high degree of comfort working in a dynamic growth oriented organization.

Interested candidates should submit resume and letter of intent no later than April 18, 2006 to:

Greater Reston Arts Center
Search Committee
12001 Market Street Suite 103
Reston, VA 20190

Resumes and letter of intent may also be emailed to director@restonarts.org. No faxes please.

For more info:
Greater Reston Arts Center
t: 703.471.9242 or f: 703.471.0952 or info@restonarts.org

This announcement does not tell a salary range, but I can reveal to you that it's quite a well-paying job.

McNatt on Imboden

The Baltimore Sun's art critic finally takes a trip to Bethesda and reviews the great Connie Imboden exhibition at the new Heineman Myers Gallery.

Read the review here.

This coming Friday

Next Friday is the second Friday of the month and thus it's the Bethesda Art Walk with 13 participating venues and with free guided tours.

We will open "Compelled by Content II", which is an exhibition of contemporary narrative glass curated by Catriona Fraser. This is the second iteration of an annual group exhibition of emerging and established contemporary fine arts glass sculptors from around the nation who use glass as their main medium to convey narrative ideas in a genre generally only associated with bowls and vessels.

The 2005 exhibition established a new footprint and direction for glass, and began the task of pushing it away from pretty, decorative art and towards narrative work with context and meaning. It generated a substantial amount of discussion, both pro and con, which at the last count included over 80 pages of comments on various art websites as well as several reviews in the printed media.

This exhibition brings the focus of the art to a place where it is no longer just about glass, but about artists who use glass in their process to tell stories, discuss events, narrate biographies and make social statements.

The exhibition includes work by Jeanne Brennan, Robin Cass, Mel George, Michael Janis, Carmen Lozar, Syl Mathis, Liz and Lindsey Mears, Michael Rogers, Alison Sigethy and Tim Tate.

An opening reception for the artists, free and open to the public, will be held on Friday, April 14, from 6pm - 9pm as part of the Bethesda Art Walk.

An artists' talk, sponsored by the James Renwick Alliance will take place at the gallery on Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 2PM. The talk is free and open to the public and will also offer an opportunity to learn more about the Renwick Alliance.

In the below piece, titled "Lost" by Carmen Lozar, a damsel in some distress, gently vomits from a pier.

Opportunity for [some] artists

Deadline: May 30, 2006.

For Latino/a, or Hispanic, or Latin American ancestry Artists - The Hispanic AIDS Forum announces an open call for its Estampas de Vida, a juried contest featuring works by Latino/a, or Hispanic, or Latin American ancestry visual artists, celebrating community, health, self-respect and self-esteem.

The winning art will be used to create a series of 10 "estampas" or cards that will be used to promote AIDS/health awareness within the Latino/Hispanic/Latin American ancestry communities.

They invite all Latino/a, or Hispanic, or Latin American ancestry visual artists to get involved with this project and make a difference in the community. There are no fees for submissions.

A total of 10 winners will be selected. Winners will be announced on June 12, 2006 via email and HAF webpage. Each will receive a $200 cash award. For more information and the full prospectus go to: www.hafnyc.org/estampas.

Joe Shannon

An exhibition of one of our area's most influential painters, Joe Shannon: Past and Present opens at Gallery Actaeon with an opening reception, on Sunday April 23, 2006 from 1-5 pm. Joe's gallery is at 21180 Beallsville Road, Dickerson MD. RSVP to 301-349-5858.

What is a Curator?

The University of Maryland’s Union Gallery presents, What is a Curator? A panel discussion on the topic of what it means and can mean to be a curator of contemporary art at the beginning of the 21st century. Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 5-7PM.

The panelists include:
Leigh Conner, Director of Conner Contemporary, Washington, D.C.
Annie Gawlak, Director of G Fine Art, Washington, D.C.
Scott Habes, Director of The Art Gallery, University of Maryland
Andrea Pollan, Director of Curator’s Office, Washington, D.C.
Stewart Watson, Director of Area 405, Baltimore, MD

The panel will be moderated by Jeffry Cudlin, Adjunct Professor of Art and Art Theory at the University of Maryland and art critic for the Washington City Paper.

The panel will be in the Prince George’s Room of the Stamp Student Union. Both the Prince George’s Room and the Union Gallery are located on the first floor of the Stamp Student Union on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Admission to the panel is free and open to the public.

Ouch

This is what happens when art bloggers offer political advise: The Right Reverend has a ton of fun with your written words.

Heading back

WIll have loads to post later today...

On the road again

Getting underway later today and heading to the East Stroudburg University of Pennsylvnia for a variety of business stuff.

Will continue to post from PA, so keep reading...

Art Deal of the Week

My pick this week is this almost painterly color digital photograph by American photographer Sandi Croan. She has captured the side of a ship, where the tires (serving as bumpers), have created a painting on the side of the ship's seaborne bulkheads. As a result, at first glance the photo looks like a painting or a watercolor, until closer examination reveal its true details.

It is titled "UMS" and the photograph measures 17.25 x 12.5 inches and then it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free white museum mat and framed in a black moulding under glass to a framed size of 29x23 inches. Photo is signed by the photographer. The price (including frame): $300. That's an incredible deal for this large photo.

To buy it call 301/718-9651 or email the gallery.

Call for Erotica

Deadline: October 1st, 2006

Erotic Signature has launched the World's Greatest Erotic Art Competition (WGEAC).

With prizes ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 and the opportunity to have your work viewed by the world's leading publishers, curators, artists, academics, collectors, editors, and established masters in the field of erotic art.

This competition will culminate into a coffee table book entitled The World's Greatest Erotic Art of Today. This annual publication will be comprised of each year's 200 WGEAC's winners and all profits from its sale donated to an organization fighting to find a cure for HIV/AIDS.

All entrants are required to submit an entry fee of $45 for the first artwork, another $40 if you submit two and a total of $110 if you submit the maximum entry of three artworks during your initial registration.

Entries can be done via both their website application system online or by mail. Mail-in entries must include payment, CDs and all application forms, and be sent to:

Erotic Signature
P.O. Box 014837
Miami, Florida 33101

Visit www.eroticsignature.com for more details.

Opportunity for Photographers

Deadline: May 15, 2006

My good friend Philip Brookman, who is the Senior Curator of Photography and Media Arts at the Corcoran Gallery of Art will be the juror for the 2006 Photo Review Photography Competition.

The Photo Review, a highly acclaimed critical journal of photography, is sponsoring its 22nd annual photography competition with a difference. Instead of only installing an exhibit that would be seen by a limited number of people, The Photo Review will reproduce accepted entries in its 2006 competition issue. Thus, the accepted photographs will be seen by thousands of people all across the country and entrants will have a tangible benefit from the competition.

Also, the prize-winning photographers will be chosen for an exhibition at the
photography gallery of The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and will be
exhibited on The Photo Review’s website.

Awards include a Microtek i800 scanner, $350 in gift certificates from Calumet Photographic, two Lensbaby 2.0 SLR selective focus lenses with macro kits, two $100 gift certificates from Sprint Systems, a professional level membership in Women in Photography International (worth $235), several Case Envy portfolios from Lost Luggage, and $250 in cash prizes.

An entry fee of $30 for up to three prints, slides, or images on CD and $5 each
for up to two additional images entitles all entrants to a copy of the catalogue. In addition, all entrants will be able to subscribe to The Photo Review for $34, a 20% discount. All entries must be received by mail between May 1 and May 15, 2006.

For a prospectus and details, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size (#10) envelope to:
The Photo Review
140 East Richardson Avenue, Suite 301
Langhorne, PA 19047

The prospectus may also be downloaded from The Photo Review website at www.photoreview.org/compete.htm. For further information call
215/891-0214.

Back from H-M Opening

Just back from the grand opening of the new Heineman Myers Gallery in Bethesda.

Tons of people, including a rare sight: major collectors from Baltimore in a DCish opening. This was a class opening, with uniformed waiters, a beautiful catalog of the exhibition, and the great photography of a proven big name and talented photographer: Connie Imboden (and a magnificent video of how Imboden does her photography on a large screen flat TV).

And also a good warm sight, in seeing all the major gallery owners in Bethesda show up to wish Zoe Myers a warm and auspicious opening. Unfortunately, we also learned that Ozmosis Gallery will soon be closing its doors, and its owner moving to New York in hope of finding greener pastures in the Big Apple.

Pics later...

Openings on 1st Friday

There's a ton of openings tomorrow, being first Friday and all...and most of the Dupont Circle area galleries will have extended hours from 6-8PM. Go see (and buy) some artwork!

And Saturday don't forget to swing by the grand opening of the new Heineman Myers Gallery in Bethesda, just a few minutes from the Bethesda Metro stop.

And also on Saturday, Engineers Without Borders, which is an University of Maryland student group on campus that works with developing communities around the world to improve people's lives through specific projects are hosting an art auction to be held Saturday April, 8th from 5-8pm and Sunday, April 9th 2-4pm. The auction will be held at the Leland Community Center, located at 4301 Willow Lane in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

O'Sullivan on TEXT

The WaPo's art critic Michael O'Sullivan reviews the current Text exhibition at the Greater Reston Arts Center.

Read the review here.

On the Return of Art and Antiquities

You can't pick up a newspaper or visit an art blog these days without running into a story about some country suing an American museum or institution over the return of some artwork or antiquities which may have made their way to the US through either shady means or even forgotten formal agreements.

And now Bloomberg reports that the government of Peru plans to sue Yale University, over hundreds of artifacts taken from the ancient city of Machu Picchu nearly a century ago.

And this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back (or in this case the llama's back).

The artifacts made their way to the US through Yale archeologist Hiram Bingham. One side claims that the artifacts were on loan. Yale contends the artifacts were legally excavated and exported "in line with the practices of the time."

And if these artifacts were sent to the US through some agreement with the Peruvian government nearly a century ago, then Yale has a case for keeping them; otherwise -- in the event that the American archeologists simply found them, crated them and shipped them to the US - all on their own -- then today's courts may well rule in Peru's favor.

And that straw that may break the camel's back may also unlock Pandora's box (which Greece will soon be suing for).

First: let's get one thing clear: Nazi art loot should and must be returned to their original owners or descendants.

But for most of all the other demanding of artwork returns: where does it stop?

Because unless you have some official paperwork signed, stamped and approved (and recognized as valid) then...

Does every Roman artifact in museums around the world have to be returned to Italy? And do Italian museums have to return Roman antiquities that were made in other parts of the Roman Empire to the nations that now exist there? And Italy better start packing the 13 Egyptian obelisks that are all over Rome: Cairo is clearing out some spaces for them.

Every Greek vase back to Greece? But do Greek museums have to return Cypriot antiquities to Cyprus?

Does every mummy have to find its way back to Egypt?

That "official" cadaver of Christopher Columbus in the Havana Cathedral? Sorry... back to Spain; or is it Italy, or Portugal? All three of those nations currently claim him as a native son, although I suspect that the Grand Admiral's descendants, currently living in Spain, have first dibs on Chris' bones.

And the fake Columbus cadaver in the Seville Cathedral? Back to Genoa, even if it's fake (just in case).

After all, that fake Scottish Stone of Destiny has made its way back to Scotland (God only knows where the real one is), but there are probably hundreds of thousands of antiquities (if not millions) from all over the world disseminated... all over the world.

Our own Smithsonian has over 100,000 pre-Columbian antiquities in its inventory (most of which are not even on display). Do the ones that were created by pre-Columbian artisans from north and south of our border have to be returned to the countries that now exist there?

Unless these museums have a provenance with lots of country of origin stamps authorizing the removal of the antiquity, I'd be pretty nervous if I was one of those museums.

And even if you have such a paper, what's to stop today's version of a country's government from saying that they do not recognize the authority of their predecessors to allow the removal of a national treasure from their nation.

And where does it stop?

Frida Kahlo was essentially ignored by Mexico while she was alive, and yet decades after her death she was deified outside of Mexico, and eventually the government of Mexico made her works a national treasure and forbade the export of any of Kahlo's works from Mexico. I think that this is a good (if late) thing for Mexico and Mexicans.

But what's to stop a future Mexican government from demanding the return of any and all Frida Kahlos outside of Mexico back to her mother nation.

It would just be a case of this "return" trend being pushed a little more.

Personally, I think that from now on, when I visit foreign museums, I will be making a list of American Indian artifacts in those museums, and they better damned have a piece of paper somewhere full of stamps and signatures from the Sioux, or the Walla Walla, or the Cheyenne, or the Seminoles or the Oneida or whatever indigenous Native American nation that currenly lives in the USA created them.

Official export paperwork from the United States government is not valid, and will not be accepted, regardless of how many non-Indian Washington, DC officials have signed it.

Of course, that may also mean that every non-Indian museum in the USA itself, would have to return every Native American Indian artifact back to their tribes.

Makes my head hurt...

The show, as a whole, is garbage

So writes JT Kirkland as he trashes what has been called the worst Whitney Biennial of all time.

Kirkland is kinder to some, including Zoe Strauss when he writes:

Zoe Strauss' photos are thought-provoking, quiet, striking and humble. They feel very real... well, because they are.

Unfortunately, in the WB they have a hard time grabbing a viewer's attention... even when shown as a slideshow. One must sit down and just look to get swept up in Strauss' world.

But, while I viewed the show I lost count of the number of people who walked in and out almost immediately looking for the next porn video or loud sound. Speaking of loud sounds... the curators really hurt Strauss' show by allowing the incredibly loud noises from neighboring installations to creep into her space.

Strauss' work is more enjoyable when in silence. But silence allows thought and the curators couldn't have that. Funny thing is that Strauss' work stood up to the noise and certainly could have handled silence.

Read Kirkland's review here.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: April 15, 2006

unRappahannock County, Virginia is a juried exhibition of themes and visions contrary to the scenic, small town, and natural settings of Rappahannock County, VA. The gallery is looking for work that captures visions of urban sprawl, waste, pollution, traffic, mass culture, etc.

Open to artists living in DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV.

Jurors: Jane Livingston, who is a well-known independent author and curator living in Rappahannock County and Chris Johns, Editor in Chief of National Geographic Magazine.

Size Limit: No larger than 42" in length or width. No 3D works or prints (monoprints & photos accepted). Work must have been created within the last two years.

Prizes: $600 in cash awards. 30% commission to gallery.

Dates: Show June 2 - July 2.

Entry Fee: $25/1-3 slides labeled with name, title, medium, dimensions.

Send slides and application fee to:

Middle Street Gallery
P.O. Box 341,
Washington, VA 22747

Include SASE for return of slides. Info at 540-675-3440.

Irvine's new space

Martin tells me that it's all done and that Irvine Contemporary has signed the lease for Fusebox's old space at 1412 14th Street, NW.

And the fair Heather sent me the below pic showing the new space entrance.

They will be moving in May 1st, and having a kickoff party on May 12th.

This coming Friday Irvine will be hosting Susan Jamison & Robert Mellor’s solo exhibitions and the farewell to their old space.

Opportunity for UMD artists

Deadline: April 13, 2006

The Union Gallery at the University of Maryland has a call for artwork for Unjuried II, a campus-wide showcase of student creativity.

All University of Maryland students are invited to exhibit their artwork in an upcoming exhibition at the Union Gallery, located in the Stamp Student Union.

This unjuried student exhibition will open on April 29th and run through May 12th. The exhibit will be on display during Maryland Day and Art Attack! One piece of artwork from the exhibition will be selected for purchase by the Union with a purchase award of $400.

Submissions are accepted from all UM students (not just art majors). That means all you architecture, journalism, theater, music, landscape architecture, English and yes, even Engineering students are encouraged to submit! The exhibition is also open to acts that can be performed in the Union Gallery, such as readings and musical performances.

Registration forms are available on the Union Gallery website at www.union.umd.edu/gallery or can be picked up in the Art and Learning Center and the Union Gallery.

Registration forms are due by April 13th. No late registrations will be accepted.

There is a limit of two (2) submissions per student and only one (1) piece is guaranteed entry in the show. Artwork may not exceed five (5) feet in any dimension and must be finished work that is presented in a professional manner (i.e., mounted, framed or otherwise ready to hang or display). Please include directions for hanging or displaying.

All work must be dropped off on Thursday, April 20th or Friday, April 21st , between noon and 6PM.

Got questions? Please contact them at uniongallery@umd.edu or visit their website at www.union.umd.edu/gallery.

Phillips Collection Launches Interactive Online Catalogue

The Phillips Collection is now providing worldwide access to its American art collections with the launch of a new interactive online program.

The virtual catalogue, American Art at the Phillips Collection, is centered on a timeline of world events, providing a context for 150 years of American art. It features detailed biographies of nearly 150 artists and full-screen images of hundreds of works.

Check it out here.

Numerically Singular

According to someone's Cray supercomputer, on Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 am, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06 and that number sequence will never, ever happen again happens every hundred years.

Trawick Prize Deadline Coming Soon!

Deadline: April 10, 2006

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is accepting submissions for The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The 4th annual juried art competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to four selected artists. Deadline for slide submission is Monday, April 10, 2006 and up to fifteen artists will be invited to display their work from September 5 – September 29, 2006 in downtown Bethesda at Creative Partners Gallery, located at 4600 East-West Highway.

The competition will be juried by Ashley Kistler, Curator at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond; Jack Rasmussen, Director of the Katzen Arts Center at American University in Washington, D.C. and Gerald Ross, Director of Exhibitions at Maryland Institute College of Art.

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, 1976 will also be awarded $1,000.

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video are accepted. The maximum dimension should not exceed 96 inches in any direction. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years. Selected artists must deliver artwork to exhibit site in Bethesda, MD. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards. Each artist must submit five slides, application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25.

The Trawick Prize was established by local business owner Carol Trawick. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Ms. Trawick is the owner of an Information Technology company in Bethesda, Trawick & Associates.

Jiha Moon from Annandale, VA, was awarded the 2005 "Best in Show" with $10,000; Dean Kessman of Washington, D.C. was named second place and was given $2,000; Denise Tassin of Baltimore, MD was bestowed third place and received $1,000 and the 2005 "Young Artist" award of $1,000 was given to Michele Kong of Baltimore, MD.

For a complete submission form, please visit www.bethesda.org or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc.
c/o The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Good Arts Related Job

Individual Gifts Officer: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Closing date: April 14, 2006.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Individual Gifts Officer is responsible for creating and implementing strategies and programs which generate ongoing unrestricted and designated funding from individual donors.

He/she will be responsible for developing and managing patron affinity programs and managing a portfolio of individual 4 figure gifts and higher. A Bachelor's degree is required with a minimum of three years of demonstrated success in fund raising, including cultivation and solicitation of donors.

Knowledge of art and or cultural organizations and contemporary art are a plus.

Salary: $54,272-$84,559. Please see Announcement Number 06JW-6072 at www.sihr.si.edu for a full description of the position and for application instructions.

Tim Tate Opens at Arlington Arts Center on Friday

What : Solo Show By Tim Tate - "Windows into the Past and Future"
Where : Arlington Arts Center
When : April 4 thru June 3, 2006
Opening Night Reception : Friday, April 7 from 6pm to 8pm

This solo show will feature 22 new pieces from Tim Tate... one of his largest openings ever. This show focuses heavily on redemption as a theme and showcases some of the exciting new work that Tate has been creating over the last few months.

This is an excellent opportunity to catch up on the constantly evolving work of one of Washington's most visible artists, who will be also having his first major exhibition outside of the DC area later this year at Vanderbilt.

Art Deal of the Week

My fourth pick is this sensual photograph by American photographer David Myers.

It is titled "Nude Number One" and this pigment photograph measures 11x10 inches and then it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free white museum mat and framed in a black matte moulding under glass to a framed size of 24x17 inches. Photo is signed and numbered from an edition of 25 by the photographer in pencil recto on the lower margin. The price (including frame): $200. That's an amazing deal for this sexy and professionally framed photo.


To buy it call 301/718-9651 or email the gallery.

Therman Statom Workshop

The Washington Glass School will be hosting the Renwick Alliance's upcoming workshop with Therman Statom on Saturday, May 6th, 2006, from 10am to 3pm.

Raised in Washington, DC, Therman studied at the Pilchuk Glass School, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Pratt Institute, where he studied sculpture.

He has become known and revered worldwide for his innovative use of materials, processes, and forms, and particularly for his unusual uses of glass that do not require extensive equipment, hot shops or teams. Much of his signature work is done with glass plate, and includes a diverse array of forms.

The workshop costs $20 and it is mostly filled, but there is still gallery space left. Its a great affordable way to see Therman Statom and get to hear his unusual approach to sculpture.

Reserve your space at 202-744-8222 or email the school at WashGlassSchool@aol.com.

Heineman Myers Contemporary Art to Open

Heineman Myers Contemporary Art is set to celebrate its grand opening at 4728 Hampden Lane in Bethesda on Saturday, April 8th with a reception open to the public from 5-8pm for Baltimore photographer Connie Imboden.

According to Zoe Myers (the new gallery's director), "a mix of international and local artists working in all media will be shown in this newly designed art space, including large-scale works by such artists as sculptor Rick Cleaver, Grand Prize Winner of the 2003 Trawick Prize, and sculptor Javier Marin, Mexico’s participant in the 2003 Venice Biennale."

"Heineman Myers Contemporary Art will engage the D.C. area’s local, national and international community of artists, business leaders, collectors, curators, educators, public officials and students by providing a program of events and exhibitions for everyone who is interested in art," also said Zoe Myers.

"We are thrilled to have Heineman Myers Contemporary Art opening in downtown Bethesda. Our goal of making Bethesda a regional destination for the arts is further achieved by attracting fine art galleries such as the Heineman Myers," said Carol Trawick, Chair of the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District.

Zoe spent over two years went into the search for space around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

For the new gallery, the award-winning project team of HOK Architects and AR Contracting created a state-of-the-art exhibition space. In 2005 the team of HOK and AR Contracting won both the Gold Award from the International Interior Design Association for Retail Category in the Mid-Atlantic, and the Award of Excellence for Best First Floor Use from the D.C./Maryland chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks for the Numark Gallery project in downtown Washington.

I have no doubt that this new gallery will be a powerful new presence in our area and I am looking forward to its exhibitions and wish Zoe the best of luck.

The Power of the Web

Photographer Scott Lassman writes:

"I've got another power of the web story for you. I have a pretty pathetic website -- it's on my list to fix this year -- but at least I have a web presence. And it worked.

I received an email two days ago from a collector in Beverly Hills, California who found my website while surfing the net and loved my work. She asked about purchasing some of it, we arranged payment through Paypal, and completed the sale yesterday.

I'll drop the print in mail on Monday. And she's already got the print listed on her own website as part of her growing collection (along with prints by Sally Mann and Will Van Overbeek). Pretty cool!"

I agree with Scott: pretty weak website with great photos!

Text Opening

TEXT opened last tonight at the Greater Reston Arts Center.


Left to right are Denise Wolff, Kriston Capps, Michael Janis and Molly Springfield. Behind them is the great artwork of Victor Ekpuk. More pics later... meanwhile, the Right Reverend Bailey (who is a Restonian by location) has an early look at the show here.

New Blog

DC area artist John James Anderson has a new art blog.

Visit him here.

WaPo looking for Style Section Arts Editorial Aide

Received the following from the WaPo:

Full-Time Editorial Aide
March 28, 2006

We are pleased to announce that Jonathan Padget, Style's arts editorial aide for the last three years, is moving to the Style copy desk, as a two-year intern. While filling in on the copy desk for the past two months, Jon has clearly demonstrated his talent for editing. We're very happy to welcome him to the corps of copy editors.

The editorial arts aide job is pivotal to our arts coverage, and our aim is to find a replacement quickly.

We seek someone with infinite patience and civility, as well as broad knowledge and interest in the arts and literature. The job involves many hours on the phone tracking down photos and talking to publicity agents, museums and publishers' reps. Strong organization skills are a must as the position serves as information central and provides support for all arts beats, visual arts as well as the movies. The job also involves occasional writing and reporting.

I suppose that interested parties should call the WaPo and ask for the Arts Editor or the Human Resources Office.

On a related note, Ben Forgey, who has been the WaPo's architecture critic since August 1981, will retire on June 2, 2006, so I suspect that the WaPo will be looking for a new architecture critic or more likely, promote someone from within.

Art Fair in DC?

It's too early to announce formally, but one of the major art fair outfits, who puts up art fairs at all the US cities where people actually buy art regularly (NYC, Chicago, LA and Miami) has been sniffing around the DC region to see if they have the groundwork, interest and reputable dealers aligned to do a major DC art fair at the new Convention Center.

If they are serious, I hope that:

(a) they are prepared to lose a ton of money for the first few years while the fair takes a solid footing in the region, which I think (if done right) it will. And this will be good for DC in the long run, because if the fair takes hold and makes money for the galleries, eventually it will grow and make money for the organizers and for DC galleries.

(b) they have a business model that allows soem flexibility and scaling and even haggling in pricing, so that local galleries can be attracted to participate, and also so that national and international galleries are given breaks to accommodate travel and expenses for a new market trial, and that non-profits are given some sort of price break as well - maybe scaled to the size and budget of the non-profit.

(c) they have some way to attract collectors from the region - rather than just DC.

More later as this solidifies.

Text Opens Tonight at GRACE

TEXT opens tonight from 6-8PM in the beautiful new spaces of the Greater Reston Arts Center.

The exhibition brings back all but one of the original Text artists from Seven.

It's super easy to get there off the Dulles Toll Road - See ya there!

Opportunity for Photographers (Under 25 that is)

Deadline: April 28, 2006

Duke University has an excellent competition for photographers under 25 years of age.

Every five years, the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University publishes a collection of work showcasing the talent of twenty-five of America’s most promising photographers, twenty-five years old and younger. The second book in the series, 25 Under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers, was selected a Best Book of 2003 by Photo District News.

Submission guidelines and all other info is available online here.

Richards on Color

The WaPo's former Chief Art Critic checks in with an interesting article on colors, reproductions and what happens to colors over time.

Read the article here.

Bad at Sports

Bad at Sports is a podcast about surviving as an artist. It's a professionally produced art show that has quickly gained popularity among artists, hipsters and the top curators of the arts.

Bad at Sports shows a ground-level view of the visual arts from the perspective of practicing mid-career artists. It's anti-intellectual, but streetwise, and it combines to create a show that is very lively and funny.

The conversations and interviews often begin with the meaning behind the art, or the logistics of the project, but the discussion will eventually veer in the direction of the person's career path, their opinions of art scene, and their own personal goals, aspirations and frustrations.

They've had correspondents from London, New York, L.A. and San Francisco, and would now love to hear some art voices from DC.

They ask that interested people check out an episode first, because there's a very specific tone to the show, and if you don't get a sense of what the show is like, someone could easily make an audio file that's not a match for them.

Check them out here.

Wanna go to an opening tonite?

"From Sea to Shining Sea" at DCAC - Opening Reception is tonight,Friday, March 31 from 7-9 pm.

Curated by Ori Z. Soltes and assisted by Cara Ober. Featured artwork includes that of DC artists Craig Cahoon and Steve Cushner.

CP Blog

Hey! The Washington City Paper has a new online blog!

It's titled City Desk and can be read here.

Hopefully some of their art writers will emulate what some of their theatre critics have already done with area plays and start pushing some visual art shows... go Jeffry, go Lou!

Jacobson on Photography

Louis Jacobson reviews our current photography show in the City Paper. Read the review here.

Micro-Monumental

Can a sculpture the size of a kitchen matchbox have monumental impact? Kristen Hileman, Assistant Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, who a couple of years ago juried one of our best art competitions in years, has chosen 47 tiny sculptures from a field of 90 entries submitted by artists from Baltimore and Washington, Philadelphia and New England for a coming exhibition at Flashpoint.

This unusual collaboration of four regional sculpture groups (Washington Sculptors Group, Baltimore’s Sculptor’s Inc., in collaboration with the Philadelphia Sculptors Group and New England Sculptors Association.) is a "microcosm of the world of sculpture in 2006, exemplifying the diversity of artists, their materials and themes in the Northeastern United States."

Micro-Monumental is at Flashpoint Gallery April 6 to May 27, then travels to Xavier University Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio for the International Sculptors Conference: June 20 through July 22, 2006. The Artists' reception at Flashpoint is April 20, 6-8pm and the Juror’s talk is that same night at 7pm.

Tapedude in the Morning News

The Morning News interviews Tapedude Mark Jenkins. Read the interview here.

Text Mention in the WaPo

The WaPo has a little blurb on the Text show that opens this Saturday at GRACE. Read it here.

DC Shorts Film Festival

The DC Shorts Film Festival showcases short films from around the world, followed by moderated discussions with filmmakers.

The annual festival seeks films 20 minutes or less, with a special cash awards for first-time, women and local (Washington DC area) filmmakers. They also screen specially selected films at the Canadian Embassy as part of a community arts event.

Filmmakers attending DC Shorts enjoy relaxed parties, city tours, free housing, meals and transportation. Most importantly, they get the opportunity to meet and learn from other filmmakers—an experience that comes from a showcase dedicated to short films and the people who make them.

Festival Name: DC Shorts Film Festival
Festival Address: 916 G Street NW, Studio 203, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 393-4266
E-mail: info@dcshorts.com
Website: www.dcshorts.com
Upcoming Festival Dates: Sept. 14-21, 2006
Upcoming Call for Entry Deadlines: June 30, 2006
Festival Contact (not for publication): Jon Gann, 202-393-4266, or email him at jon@dcshorts.com

After Effects

Just a reminder that the first night of the three part WPA/C Media Series, entitled "After Effects," curated by the fair Kathryn Cornelius will take place tonight, March 30th, from 7-9pm in the Corcoran's auditorium.

Details here.

Text at GRACE

Yesterday some of the artists participating in the second iteration of TEXT, which opens on Saturday from 6-8PM in the beautiful new spaces of the Greater Reston Arts Center, installed their work.

The exhibition brings back all but one of the original Text artists from Seven.

The fair Denise Wolff installing her photos for Text
The artists in this iteration of Text are Molly Springfield, Mark Cameron Boyd, Michael Janis, Victor Ekpuk, Denise Wolff and Tim Tate.

Originally, J.T. Kirkland was part of the first group of Text artists, and part of the original proposal to GRACE; however, JT got selected for a well-deserved solo show that immediately follows Text at GRACE and we all thought that it would be better for Kirkland to go solo and thus I replaced him with Tate. Kirkland's opening at GRACE is Saturday, May 13 from 6-8pm.


Michael Janis installing at Text
For this version of Text, all artists have created mostly new work, and the very busy Molly Springfield, who has been having a spectacular 2006 so far, has a digital slide show of her "Notes" for this version of Text.

The exhibition opens this coming Saturday, April 1st with an opening catered reception from 6-8PM. Then we will have an artists' talk the next Saturday, April 8 starting at 7PM. Direction to GRACE are here.

See ya there!

Lassman's Cockroach Girl

Alexandra Silverthorne over at Solarize This has an interesting posting on the terrific photograph by Scott Lassman titled "Girl with Cockroaches" that is currently part of our Bethesda International Photography Exhibition.

The photo has attracted a lot of attention, and as Alexandra points out, there are various merit and creep factor reasons for some of the attention. I have also overheard some discussion by gallery visitors, and even answered a few questions about the photo.

Here's some background:

- The little girl in the photo is Scott's niece. At the opening, Mrs. Lassman told me the story of the cockroaches and the little girl.

- The cockroaches are real and are not superimposed on top of the little girl's body.

- Not only are those huge suckers real, but they are Madagascar hissing cockroaches, so they make noises as well!

- The roaches are the pets of the little girl.

- One of them was recently lost in a hotel room in New England. I don't know about you, but I'm skipping visiting New England for a while.

Aother darker (and ignorant) set of comments overheard (just the usual handful of two or three idiots), have been a few folks who have been offended by the nudity of the little girl in the photo. I have zero patience for people who see something bad or sinister or morally wrong with nudity, and have very vocally challenged the "commenters" about the fact that perhaps there is something wrong with "them" in seeing something bad about a happy little girl resting on the grass, with a huge smile as her repulsive pets tickle her tummy, simply because the photo implies that she's in the buff.

It's an excellent photo and a great deal as well by the way... it measures 17x11 inches and it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free mat and framed under glass in a black metal moulding frame to 32.5 x 20.5 inches and sells for $600. Call the gallery at 301/718-9651 if you are interested.

Rousseau on Photography

Dr. Claudia Rousseau, the art critic for the Gazette newspapers reviews our current Bethesda International Photography Competition show in today's paper. Read the review here.

Rousseau notes that:

The fourth annual Bethesda International Photography Competition coincided with the publication of a national art magazine cover that features the headline "Photography: What’s Hot" — both a question and a statement.

What is hot in photography these days? Art photography is more popular than ever. Collectors are willing to spend large sums, more than a million dollars in a recent auction, on individual prints. A look at the work of the competition winners now at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda also indicates that traditional photography is still healthy — despite Kodak’s 2005 announcement that it would no longer manufacture black and white printing papers.

You can see the exhibition online here and you can read the rest of Dr. Rousseau's review here.

Airborne again...


Flying back from Ohio tonight... more later.

Jamison Opens at Irvine

Susan Jamison's long awaited solo opens at Irvine on April 6 with an opening reception from 6-8PM.

Jamison's had a tremendous 2005. For starters, I selected her for the Seven exhibition, where Martin Irvine discovered her amazing works and signed her up.

And Irvine Contemporary has done wonders for Jamison. She was taken down to Miami for scope, where I am told she sold out; she was also at Irvine's highly successful New York adventure recently.

And now Susan will make her DC solo debut in the front gallery of Irvine's space on Connecticut Avenue, while Robert Mellor takes up the rear gallery with a show of new work.

Both exhibitions will run from April 6 through May 5 with an opening reception with the artists on Fri. April 7 at 6 PM. Jamison and Mellor will also give gallery talks about their work on Sat. April 8 at 2 PM.

Flying to Ohio tonight and back tomorrow. Meeting with some museum bubbas to see if we can get an artist-to-be-named later his first museum show. More later.

Tale of two Jacks

Jack Boul Does The Art League

When I picked up the list of artists selected by juror Jack Boul for the Art League’s monthly juried exhibition, I was pleasantly surprised to read one of the shortest and most to-the-point juror statements that I’ve ever read.

Boul’s statement:

"In a recent review of the contemporary art at the 2006 Whitney Biennial, the reviewer said: ‘The state of our nation’s artists is grim.’

After selecting the show at the Art League, I disagree. Artwork is not in crisis. It is alive and well at The Art League. And I find it refreshing!"

Bravo Jack!

Boul reviewed 591 entries and selected 128 for the exhibition. His top award went to a very painterly oil by Nancy Tankersley titled Kitchen Pas de Deux. It is one of the rare times that I’ve agreed with a juror. It’s an intelligent and well-crafted painting. I also quite liked a pastel by M. McGurk titled "Corner Booth" that shows a Hopper-like, aloof blonde beauty, immersed in her own icy world of loneliness.

Sexy in a different way was M. Mitsuyasu's photograph titled "Night Blooming Cereus Portrait 16" and Jackie Saunders' always superb watercolor entry titled "Elena, Elegant." I also liked Isil Ozisik’s masterful wet-on-wet watercolors series "Rain." I know of no one in our area that can paint Washington, DC better than Ozisik.

But let me tell you about the piece that took my breath away.

"Pippy Takes a Ride" is a magnificent oil portrait by Edward J. Reed, who goes by Ted, and who teaches portrait painting at the Art League in Alexandria.

In this work, Reed captures that immensely difficult wisp of essence that makes a portrait change from a painting of a person to a portrait of a person.

He has not only captured the pretty-girl quality of the model (who is one of the most popular and talented Art League models around), but also managed to catch her presence and spirit. This is just not a painting of a deeply sensual woman dressed in tough biker gear; this is a work of art that steals a little bit of the soul and presence of the model and embeds it in the oil and medium and visual weight of the work.

WOW!

I was absolutely hypnotized by the work, and on a second and third view of the work, I noticed a clever hanging of the works around it. Right below the painting was a very sexy black and white photograph of a woman’s curled toes. The photograph is lined up directly below where Pippy’s legs end.

"Did you know?" I asked the gallerist at the Art League, "that those toes are the toes of the same model who posed for Pippy?"

The gallerist glowed. "Yes!" she smiled, "that’s why I put them there."

Jack Rasmussen does Target

While I was in Alexandria I dropped by the Target Gallery to see the show juried by my good friend Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the Katzen Arts Center. He juried a show titled "Stretched Tight," with a fascinating set of works and artists, and like any group show, some superb selections and a dud or two.

The piece that took my immediate attention on the first go-round was Brent A. Holland’s "Self-Portrait," a gorgeous oil on panel work that reminded me of the hard-core grittiness of harsh realists such as Gregory Gillespie was.

I also like Pat Goslee’s continuing exploration of the vast, moist world of odd, sensual vaginalism in an encaustic work titled "In Her Synaptic Gap."

Three works by Cara Ober were awarded the Best in Show by Rasmussen, and were all three intelligent choices.

Another piece that I liked was Anna Davis’ "Back to the Cradle," another one of her bright paper-on-canvas-that-look-like-mosaics works.

The dud in the show (in my opinion) was Laura Yang’s "Untitled 533" which was a fair enough of a painting, except that I’ve seen this sort of "quickie" Marsley-like thing a million times over the last few decades, and it never worked for me the first time, and not this millionth time.

Overall it was a top notch show, a nicely-done juried job by Jack, and another good exhibition by Target, which continues to do well thanks to a well-developed juror pool that uses the best in our area to select work for the gallery each month.

Silverthorne reviews

Alexandra Silverthorne continues to take an in-depth look at our current photography exhibition.

Overall review here.

Review of Aleksei Pechnikov here.

Review of Lee Goodwin here.

Art Deal of the Week

My third pick is this intelligent New York photograph by American photographer Chris Davis.

It is titled "New York Niche" and the photograph measures 28x19 inches and then it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free white museum mat and framed in a black metal moulding under plexiglass to a framed size of 36x24 inches. Photo is signed by the photographer. The price (including frame): $200. That's an incredible deal for this large photo.

To buy it call 301/718-9651 or email the gallery.

Artwork Needed for Charity Auction

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is soliciting for artist donations for a silent auction held at the 17th annual DC Leadership Awards at the Omni Shoreham on May 6, 2006. All proceeds from the Leadership Awards benefit the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation.

In exchange for your donation, you will receive a listing in their program and public acknowledgement of your gift during the auction. Participation in the Silent Auction is an amazing opportunity to promote your art to a highly desirable target audience, as well as provide support to a wonderful cause.

For further details, including deadlines and pick-up/drop off information, please visit www.thetaskforce.org. If you would rather have a form faxed, emailed or mailed to you, and for other inquiries, please contact David Swanson at dswanson@thetaskforce.org.

Opportunity for Photographers

Arts in Healing: Call for Photographers – "Celebrating a Spirit". On Wednesday, April 5, 2006. New Horizons, the arts education and cultural enrichment program at Children's National Medical Center and Sarah Mattingly, founder and director of Celebrating a Spirit, are inviting professional photographers to a new Children's National Medical Center initiative.

To learn more about this wonderful community project of love, please join them at Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, Washington, DC on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at 5:30 pm in the Mini Atrium. For more detail information pleases contact Tina Lassiter, 202-884-3465.

Wanna go to a couple of artists' talk today?

First of all, the WPA\C Presents: Wallsnatchers panel discussion, today Sunday, March 26, 2006 @ 4pm (free) at the exhibition space at 3307 M Street, NW, WDC 20007
Talking points:
* Moving Street Art into the Gallery
* Street Art and Commercial Success
* Street Art and the community
* The Internet

Then there's an artists' talk hosted by Billy Colbert, tonight March 26, starting at 7:30pm at DCAC. Admission is free.

This panel discussion is a continuation of the DCAC's Sunday Artist Talk series -- an opportunity for DC artists to come together and talk about creativity in DC and in the greater art community.

Text Opens at GRACE April 1st

If you visited the Seven exhibition that I curated last year at the Warehouse Galleries, then you saw that one of the seven spaces had an exhibition where the artists all focused around the subject of text in art.

That concept has been picked up by a couple of other art venues, and next April 1st, a second iteration of Text, curated again by yours truly opens at the Greater Reston Arts Center in Reston, Virginia.

The artists in Text are Mark Cameron Boyd, Victor Ekpuk, Michal Hunter, Michael Janis, Molly Springfield, Tim Tate and Denise Wolff.

What: TEXT at Greater Reston Arts Center.

When: Opening reception on Saturday, April 1, 6-8 pm and Artists' Dialogue on Saturday, April 8, 7 pm.

Where: The brand-spanking new GRACE located at 12001 Market St., Suite 103, Reston, VA. Call 703-471-9242 for more info.

See ya there!

The Power of the Web

DC Art News reader Angela Lubinecky read this posting a while back. The posting made her aware of the "Arte de America Hispana" contest launched by HYP Network, the leading independent publisher of Spanish language yellow page directories in the U.S.

She then submitted a piece entitled "Floracion Hispana" and it won first place!

The unveiling of the winning work will be held on April 6th, 2006 at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C's Gala Hispanic Theatre - Tivoli. Mayor Anthony A. Wiilliams has been invited to make the opening remarks.

Angela Lubinecky's art will grace the 2006/07 cover of the VEGA Directorio en Espanol for Virgina, Maryland and Washington D.C.

Congrats!

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: July 1, 2006

Arlington Arts Center – Call for Solo Exhibitions for 2007. Artists working in the six Mid-Atlantic states (VA, DC, MD, WV, DE, PA) may apply for solo exhibitions between January-December 2007 in one of the Arlington Arts Center galleries. All media will be considered. The grounds surrounding the building can accommodate outdoor sculpture.

More information and the application form may be downloaded from their website at www.arlingtonartscenter.org under Exhibitions/Artist Opportunities.

New website look

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Check it out here.