So predictable, so predictable...

Way back, when I first announced the Rockwell exhibition now at the Smithsonian American Art Museum I wrote:

Now for some easy predictions: the high brow elitist critics will all unite in one front and all hate this show. The public, being far more progressive and democratic in their acceptance of what is art (without silly obsolete notions of "high" art and all other art, and without ingrained notions of "illustration" versus "high art") will line up to see the exhibition and continue to love Rockwell as they have for decades.

Boom! Then the first shot came across the bow of the exhibition a few weeks later when the Washington Post's chief art critic, Blake Gopnik wrote in an otherwise quite good and interesting article on the future of photography that "It's not that art museums never show "low" painting. The Corcoran has shown Norman Rockwell..."

Gopnik exposed his hand way back in that piece about how he (and most other art critics, I think) feel about the work of Norman Rockwell. It is the classic and antiquated and uniquely American traditional cliche-ridden critical view of Rockwell and his work; it's their key example as offerings of a critical perspective of high art and low art.

Separate everything; label everything, put everything and everyone in a box with a label: high art, low art, fine art, illustration, Hispanics, Latinos, Scots-Irish, Jewish-American, Cuban-American...

The problem is that the world has moved on since that critical perspective of Rockwell was a mandatory regulation to be obeyed by art critics in years past. And thanks to other sources of information, and thanks to the spectacular popularity of the Rockwellian legacy, that dog doesn't hunt anymore, and people like Blake Gopnik just don't get it that when they write in such "traditional" party line ways; it doesn't stick anymore.

Today, anything and everything can be art, and to the horror of the old-fashioned critical cabal, Rockwell has managed to sneak in museums as a key "fine art" figure, perhaps one of the most important, historical fine arts figures in 20th century American art.

And so it was no surprise that on July 4, Blake Gopnik, in his WaPo review of the show wrote that:

Norman Rockwell is often championed as the great painter of American virtues. Yet the one virtue most nearly absent from his work is courage. He doesn't challenge any of us, or himself, to think new thoughts or try new acts or look with fresh eyes. From the docile realism of his style to the received ideas of his subjects, Rockwell reliably keeps us right in the middle of our comfort zone.

That's what made him one of the most important painters in U.S. history, and the most popular. He had almost preternatural social intuitions, along with brilliant skills as a visual salesman. Over his seven-decade career, that coupling let him figure out what middle-class white Americans most wanted to feel about themselves, then sell it back to them in paint.

Gopnik then goes back to an antiquated anti-Rockwell weapon: that he painted a "homogenized vision of the country," in other words, Rockwell is a white bread painter who only painted... ahhh white America.


Norman Rockwell. The Problem We All Live With. 1963.
But there's a huge fly in that old ointment; in fact a lot of flies. Because Rockwell's popularity continued to grow after his death, countless documentaries about his life, coupled with mega retrospective exhibitions, showed us that Rockwell, along with the many in rest of the country, discovered his social activism and conscience in the early 1960s. In fact, historians point to his marriage to Molly Punderson (a retired school teacher) in 1961 as the key event that lit his social conscience on fire. Punderson's influence on Rockwell's painting activism has been well-documented and had a huge influence on what the painter painted over the next 17 years. Together with Rockwell's close friends Erik Erickson and Robert Coles, both of whom were strong advocates of the civil rights movement, Punderson's profound influence over Rockwell's artistic involvement in the Civil Rights movement yielded Rockwellian paintings that don't fit the mold that Gopnik wants us to believe, because it would destroy his entire flawed argument.

Gopnik does a drive-by shooting of this subject (he has to) when he erroneously reports that "toward the end of his career, Rockwell got Look magazine to publish a few heroic scenes from the civil rights movement -- at just the moment when such subjects had moved into the mainstream of American thought." Note the way in which the above is written to minimize this huge contribution by Rockwell to American art history.

I say huge because Rockwell didn't do this "towards the end of his career" (he painted for another 15 years) but in 1963, just precisely at the moment when the civil rights movement needed it and the same year that Dr. King's march on Washington took place (not years later).

Only Nixon could have gone to China and only Rockwell could have convinced America's leading magazine at the time, Look, to carry his artwork about the Civil Rights movement. And indeed it was Rockwell who convinced Look magazine (not the other way around) to publish his historical paintings celebrating the emerging civil rights movement in America. It was Rockwell who put a painting of a little black girl being escorted to school in a magazine laying on the breakfast tables of millions of American homes, and it was Rockwell who painted lynchings in the South, and "New Kids in the Neighborhood". He did this while no other major white painter that I know of, even remotely addressed the civil rights movement in such depth and historical candor as early as he did.

Gopnik also selects words carefully and tells us that "The Saturday Evening Post, for instance, for which Rockwell painted 323 covers, forbade him to depict blacks except in subservient roles." That was true, and a gross sign of the times. But what Gopnik doesn't tell you, is that Rockwell quit the Saturday Evening Post and moved over to Look precisely because of artistic freedom issues and his desire to paint the events in America which interested him, such as the emerging Civil Rights movement.


Norman Rockwell. Southern Justice. 1963.
This powerful painting depicts the murder of three Civil Rights workers who were killed for their work to register African American voters in the South.

But to admit that would seriously undermine the main critical argument against Rockwell. You see... Gopnik's greatest sin as a critic is simple: His is a critical perspective of unending clichés. The reason we so easily recognize the flawed points of anti-Rockwellism in his writing is because they reflect the standard critical image we already know from countless other critics' reports. His negative viewpoints are so familiar because they are the stories that we've been told by art critics a thousand times before.

But now they fail to stick with all of us. On Saturday, July 10th, David Apatoff, from McLean, VA responded to Gopnik's article and writes in the Post:

Norman Rockwell's work is no longer a cliché ["Afraid to make waves," Arts & Style, July 4]. He has been replaced by a new cliché: dogmatic, postmodernist art critics who believe that anything may qualify as legitimate art (including a belch or scribble) as long as it is not a painting by Norman Rockwell. When Blake Gopnik dismissed technical skill and traditional technique in his quest for "new acts," he failed to realize just how much of a tired stereotype he has become.

The taint of Rockwell's commercial sponsors has dissipated over the years, so the artist can now be viewed more objectively by those with an open mind to do so. If Gopnik had some of the "courage" that he claims Rockwell lacked, he would see beyond his personal grudges with Rockwell's content and recognize a contemporary art scene that is self-indulgent, decadent and listing toward irrelevance. Time for "new acts," indeed.

And he's not alone, as Carl Eifert of Alexandria adds:

Those days of the late '30s and early '40s were times that Blake Gopnik obviously does not understand. His America is about "equal room for Latino socialists, disgruntled lesbian spinsters, foul-mouthed Jewish comics" and, we are to understand, critics like him.

Eifert's point is a good one, Gopnik is judging Rockwell's earlier work with the sensibilities of 2010, and failing to put it in the context of the harsh realities of the 30's, 40's and 50's.


Norman Rockwell. New Kids in the Neighborhood. 1967.
And what is also clear to me, is that if Rockwell were alive today, he would be probably painting Latino socialists (whatever that is, is he talking about the Castro brothers or Hugo Chavez?), disgruntled (and happy) lesbian spinsters, foul-mouthed Jewish comics, but probably not Blake.

And what is also clear, given the mounting evidence of growing Rockwell intrusion into the sacred and forbidden halls of fine art museums, and even his tiny advancements in being grudgingly accepted by the artcriticsphere as one of the key American artists of the 20th century, is that decades and centuries from now, when Gopnik's and this post and most other critics' writings will be a dusty memory in the archives of the Internets, the Rockwellian Empire will continue to rock and the Jetsons and their kids will continue to line up outside museums to see Rockwell's artwork.

Read 163 comments on Blake's article here.

Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell From the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is on through Jan. 2 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, at Eighth and G streets NW. Call 202-633-7970 or visit http://www.americanart.si.edu.

Smith on Academy 2010

DCist's Matt Smith reviews Academy 2010 at Conner Contemporary Art.

By the way, on July 31, Conner Contemporary will host an (e)merge discussion panel + party at the gallery, 4 to 8 p.m., sponsored by Pink Line Project.

MOCA to stay in Georgetown

A while back we learned that MOCA DC was being kicked out of their spaces in Canal Square in Georgetown. Just today I found out that Dave Quammen has been able to find some leverage and has renegociated their lease with the Canal Square landlord. And they are still having a Super Party Artists & Models Ball. Make your plans now:

July 30 - Friday Night - 6 pm to Midnight - $5 entry fee - includes raffle ticket for 3 major art pieces - do not have to be present to win

6 pm - doors open

7 pm - models for artists to draw - $20 all night

7 pm - photography models to shoot $25 all night

8 pm - Body Painting - Free all night

Models will be paid from fees charged

For more info check out www.MOCADC.org.

Lists

Good discussion about my first book list going on here, with the usual share of optimist and pessimist comments.

Wall Mountables return

The District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) has announced the return of 1460 Wall Mountables, DCAC’s annual open exhibition. On Wednesday, July 21 DCAC will open its doors at 3pm, beginning a three-day installation process during which artists can purchase up to four 2' x 2' spaces to hang their work.

Since the first Wall Mountables in 1990, the exhibition has become a celebrated summer tradition at DCAC. One of the center’s most important fundraising events, the open exhibition runs from July 23–August 29. On a personal note, I can tell you that since 1990 I've probably done this show 3-4 times, putting up all together about a dozen drawings in these shows and have always sold all of them.

Spaces sell on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s not unusual to see returning participants lined up outside DCAC’s door by 2:30pm, patiently waiting for installation to begin with an eye towards grabbing the galleries prime wall space. All work is accepted from a wide range of media created by artists at various stages in their careers.

The exhibition provides a great opportunity for experimentation, as artists challenge themselves to make the most out of such limited space. The coveted $100 “Best Use of Space” prize is presented during the opening reception to the artist who makes the most innovative use of their 2’ x 2’ squares. Whether Wall Mountables is an artist’s first show, 59th show, or an opportunity to pull out canvases from their attic, 1460 Wall Mountables has spots ready to be filled.

General Guidelines
• Each 2' x 2' space is $15 for non-members (maximum 4 spaces)
• DCAC members receive one free space. Additional spaces are available for $10 each (maximum 4 spaces)
• Become a DCAC member at the event and receive four spaces for free! (regular membership starts at $30)
• Each piece must be 2' x 2' or smaller. Spaces may not be combined to accommodate larger pieces (larger pieces can be divided and placed in adjacent squares)
• All art must be wall mountable
• No painting or writing directly onto the wall
• No adhesive materials can be used for hanging (i.e.- spraymount, adhesive velcro, 2-sided tape or wallpaper glue)
• Artists must bring their own materials for hanging their work (hammer, nails, screws, wire)

District of Columbia Arts Center
2438 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.462.7833

Mona Lisa Secrets Revealed

Specialists from the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France found that da Vinci painted up to 30 layers of paint on his works to meet his standards of subtlety. Added up, all the layers are less than 40 micrometers, or about half the thickness of a human hair, researcher Philippe Walter said Friday.

The technique, called "sfumato," allowed da Vinci to give outlines and contours a hazy quality and create an illusion of depth and shadow. His use of the technique is well-known, but scientific study on it has been limited because tests often required samples from the paintings.

Read the article here.

Proofreading

76 single spaced pages of text + 93 single spaced pages of image captions for 732 images submitted for the 100 DC Artists book have just been finished through the magic of WORD.

It took over an hour to spell check each set. Now to proof-read before I send it to the real proof-readers.

Good point

John Anderson, writing at the CP discusses that

The Corcoran has just announced a new contemporary program called NOW at the Corcoran, a series of one- and two-artist exhibitions that presents new work addressing issues central to the local, national, and global communities of Washington, D.C.

He then makes the point of asking "why isn’t a D.C. artist represented in the series?".

Read John Anderson at the CP here.

All shook up

Yes, the 3.6 earthquake did wake me up. Little everything else, I am sure that it is Busch's fault.

Book Questions

The very tall John Anderson asks me a few questions about the "100 Washington Artists" book. Read them in the Pinkline Project here.

Leslie Swching at CHAW

Bruce McKaig reviews the solo exhibition by Baltimore artist Leslie Swching opening this coming Saturday at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. The show is July 17 through August and the Opening Reception is Saturday July 17th 5 – 7 pm.

By Bruce McKaig

A sensation, a memory, a small…a feeling on the back of your neck, something tells you that you are in touch with the long thought.

There is no clash between the urban and the rural in Schwing’s work, both serve equally as backdrops for her observations and subsequent depictions of fractal patterns. With materials as diverse as watercolor, pastel, and scratch boards, Schwing meanders a path that starts near her home in Baltimore, twists through a system of patterns molded by the materials she uses, and ends at an internal place that was calling her from the start. Starting in an alleyway or a field, she begins en plein aire, but buildings or trees become spotted with, or overtaken by, glyph-like patterns emerging over an evolution from external observation to internal contemplation. In works where the patterns have overtaken their makers, the abstracted result is an encrypted narrative, a story that does not translate as much as resonate.

Lost in the woods, you’ve been there before, everything has overgrown and become unrecognizable, but you get active, you pick up a scent, you find yourself back on the path.

In working with diverse materials, Schwing has given her visual language various accents. Her own vision persists across the materials, perhaps because she does not seem to fight with them, instead letting each one take her exploration into its own material specificity.

It doesn’t matter if you are working blindly so long as you stick with it until you are back on the path.

Schwing’s work and life have evolved to include collaborations with other artists. Her past projects include Road Kill Resurrection, which began as a date with Greg Fletcher, also a Baltimore artist and her partner for 15 years. “We realized that we could work together because the work would not be competitive.” That project lasted three years and eventually involved other participants.

For all the diversity in content – rural vs urban vs abstract – and the diversity in materials – watercolor, pastel, scratchboard – what stands out most in surveying these collected works is Schwing’s persistent visual language, built around the word harmony. The images are charged and active, but the activity is sans stress. Buildings and trees establish a space that Swching populates with fractal patterns that add a temporal dynamic, a reference to cycles and change. “I’m not trying to replicate a scene, but to catch its scent.”

If I now where I am going, I get bored.

All quotes in italics by Leslie Schwing 2010

For more information on Leslie Schwing, click here.

For more information about CHAW and opening, click here.

For more information about the author, click here.

Anniversary of a Massacre

Lest we forget:

"In the early morning hours of July 13, 1994, three boats belonging to the Cuban State and equipped with water hoses attacked an old tugboat that was fleeing Cuba with 72 people on board. The incident occurred seven miles off the Cuban coast, outside the port of Havana. The Cuban State boats attacked the tugboat with their prows, while at the same time spraying everyone on the deck of the boat, including women and children, with pressurized water. The pleas to stop the attack were in vain, and the old boat-named the '13 of March' - sank, with a toll of 41 deaths, including ten children."

-- Ted Koppel, ABC's Nightline, July 1994.

These were the victims of that brutal massacre by the Castro regime:

Abreu Ruíz, Angel René. Age: 3.
Alcalde Puig, Rosa María. Age: 47.
Almanza Romero, Pilar. Age: 31.
Alvarez Guerra, Lissett María. Age: 24.
Anaya Carrasco, Yaltamira. Age: 22.
Balmaseda Castillo, Jorge Gregorio. Age: 24.
Borges Alvarez, Giselle. Age: 4.
Borges Briel, Lázaro Enrique. Age: 34.
Carrasco Sanabria, Martha Mirilla. Age: 45.
Cayol, Manuel. Age: 56.
Enríquez Carrazana, Luliana. Age: 22.
Fernández Rodríguez, María Miralis. Age: 27.
Feu González Rigoberto. Age: 31
García Suárez, Joel. Age: 20.
Góngora, Leonardo Notario. Age: 28.
González Raices, Amado. Age: 50.
Guerra Martínez, Augusto Guillermo. Age: 45.
Gutiérrez García, Juan Mario. Age: 10.
Levrígido Flores, Jorge Arquímedes. Age: 28.
Leyva Tacoronte, Caridad. Age: 5.
Loureiro, Ernesto Alfonso. Age: 25
Marrero Alamo, Reynaldo Joaquín. Age: 48.
Martínez Enriquez, Hellen. Age: 5 Months.
Méndez Tacoronte, Mayulis. Age: 17.
Muñoz García, Odalys. Age: 21.
Nicle Anaya, José Carlos. Age: 3.
Pérez Tacoronte, Yousell Eugenio. Age: 11.
Perodín Almanza, Yasser. Age: 11.
Prieto Hernández, Fidencio Ramel. Age: 51.
Rodríguez Fernández, Xicdy. Age: 2.
Rodríguez Suárez, Omar. Age: 33.
Ruíz Blanco, Julia Caridad. Age: 35.
Sanabria Leal, Miladys. Age: 19.
Suárez Esquivel, Eduardo. Age: 38.
Suárez Esquivel, Estrella. Age: 48.
Suárez Plasencia, Eliécer. Age: 12.
Tacoronte Vega, Martha Caridad. Age: 35

And 4 more that still remain unidentified. They will never be forgotten and one day soon justice will be served and those who ordered the massacre and those who executed it will be brought to justice.

Lists, lists, lists

Lists are always so much fun and so good for debate; and judging from the number of emails that I've already received, quite a few of you have your own opinions as to the 100 DC Artists list for the first volume of the art books about the DC visual art scene.

And now the Washington City Paper wants to hear your opinions. Read and then comment here.

MOCA DC closing party

MOCA DC is being kicked out of their spaces in Canal Square in Georgetown and they are having a Super Closing Party Artists & Models Ball. Make your plans now

July 30 - Friday Night - 6 pm to Midnight - $5 entry fee - includes raffle ticket for 3 major art pieces - do not have to be present to win

6 pm - doors open

7 pm - models for artists to draw - $20 all night

7 pm - photography models to shoot $25 all night

8 pm - Body Painting - Free all night

Models will be paid from fees charged

For more info check out www.MOCADC.org.

David Quammen's closing remarks:

Well, it has really been a fine experience to play host to the things that have gone on at MOCA DC over the 5 and a half years that I have managed it. It builds on the foundation laid by founder, Michael V. Clark, now Clark V. Fox,who created it about 20 years ago.

And who can forget Felicity Hogan, Clark's wife of about 8 years. She played a significant role in the gallery's evolution, which is now going into another phase.

All things considered, I believe that MOCA DC has chartered new grounds in DC's art scene through each of its iterations, always gutsy enough to take a cue from Gene Roddenberry and "boldly go where no man has gone before."

Our new web site will have an Archives section - I invite past and present members to contribute to a history of the gallery from start to finish. It will most certainly be one of the most interesting reads you can find.

Coverage at artDC Gallery

artdc Gallery presents a group exhibition of works that "explore coverage with relationship to the body, geography, and memory. Accumulating gestures and layers, while referencing the passage of time, these artists present works of sculpture, painting, printmaking and drawing. Sabeth Jackson’s work chronicles domestic themes and uses archetypal and culturally charged imagery to communicate emotions and stories. Megan Mueller finds inspiration in the architecture of tents and the lifestyles of the transient to investigate the idea of permission. Samuel Scharf explores the physicality of movement, collection and deconstruction."

July 17, 2010 - August 14, 2010
Opening Reception: July 17, 2010 - 6pm - 8pm
Artist Lecture: July 24, 2010 - 6pm - 8pm

Congratulations

To Ryan Hackett on being the first DC-area artist to win the Sondheim Prize!

MOCA DC in trouble

Georgetown has never been known for its eroticism. But in the brick courtyard of Canal Square—an upscale piece of real estate nestled between M Street NW and the C&O Canal—gallery owner David Quammen, 70, has carved out a space for the risqué. Since 2005, Quammen’s MOCA DC has exposed Georgetown passersby to paintings of childbirth, photographs of Playboy Bunnies, and sketches of Quammen’s own nude body, all via the gallery’s 12-foot-long front window.

But next month, the gallery may very well shutter its doors over a pair of nipple pasties. Why now? The modesty-preserving devices appeared on the breasts of a live woman, not in a work of art. “I think that having live nudity at an opening reception is akin to having it on the wall,” Quammen says. “But a lot of people don’t like what I do.”

On June 24, the landlord gave MOCA DC a notice to vacate the premises by July 31. Read the City Paper article by Amanda Hess here.

Enhorabuena!

Congratulations to La Furia (Spain), who yesterday won the world's most coveted sports trophy by beating Holland and winning the Jules Rimet World Cup for soccer/football/futbol for the first time in the history of the Kingdom of Spain.

The Spaniards came in as the favorites (they're the current European champions), and after a shocking start (they lost to Switzerland in their opener), moved forward and ended up as the champs.

Next cup is in 2014 in Brazil. Five gets you ten that either Brazil or Argentina will win that one.

FotoWeek DC call for entries

The 2010 FotoWeek DC International Awards Competition has just launched and is looking for your best work!

Entries may be made in 12 different photography categories, for both Single Image and Series, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd cash prizes being awarded. In addition, there is a special category called Spirit of Washington, with a cash prize of $5,000, which recognizes images that capture the essence of Washington in all its forms.

As there was last year, the competition also includes a category for the best Multimedia work incorporating stills, video, sound and text, and this year a new category has been added, which is the Mobile Phone category. Send them your amazing iPhone shots and you could win $500, $250 or $100!

Entry fees start as low as $4.95 for Mobile Phone entries and there are volume discounts for multiple submissions. If you enter before July 31, 2010, there is an additional 20% off Early Bird discount and, if you really act fast, you could be among the first 100 entrants to receive a free FotoPage online portfolio site, valued at $49. More to come on that in the coming weeks.

To enter, click HERE to submit your images today.

Bonus: If you are a Facebook member and can get your friends involved, you could also walk away with the People's Choice award, which is given to the highest vote-getter.

The final deadline is on September 20, 2010 and the work will then be viewed by our incredible panel of judges, including Jean-Francois Leroy, Founder of the Visa Pour L'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France, David Scull of the New York Times, Nick Nichols of National Geographic and Jose Azel of Aurora Images, just to name a few.

Winners will be honored at an invitation-only awards ceremony on November 5, 2010 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design, where the work will be on display throughout the FotoWeek DC festival, which runs from November 6-13, 2010.

The 100 DC Artists in the book

Here are the 100 DC area artists whose work will be highlighted, discussed and illustrated in the forthcoming book (tentative title) 100 Washington Artists. Putting this list together was a joint effort between me, several key DC area collectors, a few gallerists and a couple of museum curators. There are three key names missing from the list, all of whom are most deserving of being highlighted anytime that anyone discusses artists from the capital region. Two did not want to be in the book; the other one I wasn't able to contact through email, phone messages and even snail mail (in fact I'm a little worried about her).

In the end, it was a slightly joint effort by about a dozen people, and we all had agendas, and we are were nepotistas and we all had our favorites. In the end, I think that it is a pretty good list that includes the best artists working and living around the capital region (minus the three discussed above) plus a pretty good set of emerging young stars plus a good number of artists who deserve a lot more attention.

More later on the brutal lessons learned in dealing with 100 creative minds and an iron clad deadline. Congratulations to all the 100 folks below, and my apologies to the 1,000 others who deserve to be in this volume. I say "this volume" because the good news is that I have been retained to deliver a second, and possibly a third volume.

Ken Ashton
Joseph Barbaccia
m. gert barkovic
Holly Bass
John Blee
Margaret Boozer
Adam Bradley
Scott G. Brooks
Lisa Montag Brotman
iona rozeal brown
Wayne Edson Bryan
Renee Butler
Judy Byron
Colby Caldwell
Rafael J. Cañizares-Yunez
Chan Chao
Zoe Charlton
William Christenberry
Manon Cleary
Mary Coble
Danny Conant
Kathryn Cornelius
Rosemary Feit Covey
Jeffry Cudlin
Richard Dana
Adam de Boer
Rosetta DeBerardinis
David D’Orio
John Dreyfuss
William Dunlap
Mary Early
Victor Ekpuk
Dana Ellyn
Fred Folsom
Helen Frederick
Rik Freeman
Chawky Frenn
Victoria F. Gaitán
Carol Brown Goldberg
Janis Goodman
Pat Goslee
Muriel Hasbun
Linda Hesh
Jason Horowitz
James Huckenpahler
Melissa Ichiuji
Martha Jackson Jarvis
Michael Janis
Judy Jashinsky
Mark Jenkins
Margarida Kendall Hull
Craig Kraft
Sidney Lawrence
Amy Lin
Barbara Liotta
Malik Lloyd
Laurel Lukaszewski
Maxwell MacKenzie
Akemi Maegawa
James W. Mahoney
Isabel Manalo
Percy Martin
Carolina Mayorga
J.J. McCracken
Donna McCullough
Patrick McDonough
Alexa Meade
Linn Meyers
Maggie Michael
A.B. Miner
Brandon Morse
Lida Moser
Cory Oberndorfer
Byron Peck
Jefferson Pinder
Michael B. Platt
Susana Raab
W.C. Richardson
Marie Ringwald
Nate Rogers
Robin Rose
Erik Sandberg
Matt Sesow
Foom V. Sham
Joe Shannon
Jeff Spaulding
Molly Springfield
Dan Steinhilber
Lou Stovall
Tim Tate
Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Erwin Timmers
Ben Tolman
Kelly Towles
Novie Trump
Frank Warren
Joe White
John Winslow
Colin Winterbottom
Andrew Wodzianski

Jessica Picks Adam

Who is this guy who was born Adam Griffiths but goes by Adam Dwight? He doesn't cotton to artistic branding, so his nom d'art isn't much of a concern. He'll likely adopt a new alias soon, so don't get attached to this one.

Jessica Dawson scores another goal in picking Adam Griffiths for the Real Art D.C. series she's doing for the WaPo and it's a brilliant pick. Check out the article here.

100 Washington Artists or DC artists?

Tomorrow I will release the list of the 100 DMV artists whom I have selected and handpicked for the art book "100 Washington Artists" that I am about to finish in a day or two. It will be released next Spring by Schiffer Books.

Question for the masses: Should the title be "100 Washington Artists" or "100 Washington, DC Artists" or "100 Washington, DC Area Artists"?

I vote for "100 Washington Artists." Screw the "other" Washington [state].

Comments?

Tau Delta Phi-Delta Gamma Theta Nix Flag

An artwork involving an American flag was abruptly rejected this week from a benefit show at Gallery House, a collective exhibition space in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The work, by the artist known as Clark Clark, was a flag printed with the word "Evolve" in large block letters. Titled "Evolve America," it was intended for the gallery's forthcoming show, "Reclaiming Space," in which pieces will be raffled off to benefit the environmental volunteer organization Green Edge Collaborative.

On July 2, Mr. Clark said, he installed the piece with the help of fellow artist Jonathan Levy, who serves as the director of Gallery House. Said Mr. Clark: "He saw it when I brought it. He complimented it."

But on July 4, Mr. Levy called Mr. Clark to inform him that "Evolve America" had to be removed and replaced. Mr. Clark says Mr. Levy bowed to legal pressure from the owner of the building, but Mr. Levy says the decision was his—though it was informed by a collaborative discussion. According to property records, the building owner is the Tau Delta Phi-Delta Gamma Theta Alumni Association, an organization for alumni of a Pratt Institute fraternity. Neither the national chapter of Tau Delta Phi nor the Pratt Alumni office could be reached for comment.

Read the WSJ story by Pia Catton here.

Arts on N Street

An exciting new outdoor arts market brought to you by the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

They are looking for DC artists to help activate the Shaw neighborhood for two weekends in August (7th & 8th and 14th & 15th). They are thus looking for artists and crafters based in DC to sell their works and wares. Looking for 22 vendors for each day (it is not required to do all four days. They are happy to let people chose their level of participation). Space is FREE.

In addition to the craft fair, there will be an affordable art fair called Paper Pushers where they are looking for artists to sell original works on paper (size restrictions do apply- no bigger than 20" in any one dimension and nothing priced above $200) where people can buy the artwork right there and go. Artists will receive full sale price of artwork less any processing fees that may occur.

They are also looking for people who would be interested in leading workshops with kids- live painting, decorating your own skate deck, bike repair, juggling, dj-ing… this would also be a paid position.

Other ideas are forming and their ears are open! If you have something you're itching to try out, don't hold back- let Beth Baldwin know! If you have an idea or would like to apply, please contact Beth Baldwin at gobethgo@gmail.com to participate.

Trawick Prize Finalists

Eleven artists have been selected as finalists for the eighth annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, easily the DMV's premier arts award.

The work of the finalists will be on display from September 1 – 25, 2010 in downtown Bethesda at 4728 Hampden Lane.

The prize winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 1st at a special press event at the space. The Best in Show 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 9, 1980 will also be awarded $1,000.

The artists selected as finalists are:

Barbara Bernstein, Amherst, VA
Milana Braslavsky, Reisterstown, MD
Ellen Burchenal, Baltimore, MD
Anne Chan, Silver Spring, MD
Kathryn Cornelius, Washington, D.C.
Adam Davies, Washington, D.C.
Bernhard Hildebrandt, Baltimore, MD
Magnolia Laurie, Baltimore, MD
Sara Pomerance, Washington, D.C.
Ding Ren, Washington, D.C.
Dan Steinhilber, Washington, D.C.

A public reception will be held on Friday, September 10, 2010 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. The Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6pm.

Entries were juried by Harry Cooper, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; Robert Haywood, Deputy Director, Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, MD and Emily Smith, Curatorial Fellow in Modern and Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Established by my good friend Carol Trawick in 2003, The Trawick Prize honors the work of local artists and establishes a foundation for a solid arts community in downtown Bethesda. Founder Carol Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda; including working on legislation to designate communities in Maryland as Arts & Entertainment Districts. She is past Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, current Chair of Strathmore, and Founder of The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation and the Bethesda Painting Awards.

The Trawick Prize is one of the first regional competitions and largest prizes to annually honor visual artists. To date, The Trawick Prize has awarded over $98,000 in prize monies and has exhibited the work of 83 regional artists. Best in Show recipients include: Richard Clever, Baltimore MD (2003); David Page, Baltimore, MD (2004); Jiha Moon, Annandale, VA (2005); James Rieck, Baltimore, MD (2006); Jo Smail, Baltimore, MD (2007); Maggie Michael, Washington, D.C. (2008); and Rene Trevino, Baltimore, MD (2009).

Who will win this year? It depends who is the real HMFIC out of the three judges. Five will get you ten that Steinhilber is being pushed by Cooper, Burchenal or Hildebrandt by Haywood, and Bernstein by Smith. Since Bernstein is the only VA artist in the mix, I suspect that Smith was the quiet one in the junta of jurors, and since 6 of the 11 artists are DMV, that Cooper was the lead general of the junta.

So, since Steinhilber has been a finalist before, and since I suspect that Cooper is the arm twister in the group, I bet that Dan will be the winner of the 2010 Trawick Prize. If he wins it will be well-deserved and bring the prize to one of the DMV's local art stars.

Heard on Univision

Earlier today, towards the end of the World Cup game between Holland and Uruguay, as it seemed certain that the last Latin American team in the running was about to be eliminated (they almost tied it in the last few seconds), the commentators had a really interesting discussion in Spanish.

They were wondering if they should root for Spain in tomorrow's game between La Furia (Spain) and Germany. One of the commentators was making the case that they should root for Spain, simply based on the commonality of language. One of the two other commentators, who was a former player himself, was against that, claiming that the Spaniards were very racist and discriminated against South Americans, so why should they (all three commentators were apparently South American), root for Spain?

He expanded on that point by giving as evidence the fact that when he played for several years in the Spanish soccer leagues (which means he must have been very good, as they are the highest paid ones in Europe), he was constantly under the pressure of discrimination from the Spanish teams.

I found this very interesting, and thought to myself how comments like this, say on ESPN, would cause a maelstrom of controversy in this nation.

Update: The commentator who made the comment was José Luis Chilavert, a former goalkeeper from Paraguay, and considered one of the the 10 best goalies in soccer history; and Univision's "futbol" forums are buzzing with comments about his comments.

City Gallery First Annual Regional Juried Competition

Time is running out to submit for the First Annual City Gallery Regional Juried Competition. The show will be judged by Washington artist and gallerist and my good amigo, Jack Rasmussen. Rasmussen is currently Director and Curator of the American University Museum.

Accepted work will be exhibited at City Gallery located in the heart of the Atlas Arts District from August 7-28. There will be an opening reception on August7 from 6-9pm.

To download a complete prospectus and entry form go to www.citygallerydc.com or email info@citygallerydc.com.

All entries must be postmarked by midnight July 12.

Fridaphiles of the world: Unite!

Check out Google today to see how the celebrate Frida Kahlo's birthday today. Below is a huge Frida Kahlo collage that I did in art school in the 80s.

Free: Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: July 19, 2010.

Location: Landslide Gallery, Chicago (July 23-31). The Foster Collective, a Chicago based artist collective, seeks visual and written responses to the Gulf oil disaster. All entries must be on gas station paper towels. You can draw, paint, collage or write directly on the towel. Or, you can glue/tape artwork to the towel. Paper towels can be any color or texture. They are usually kept in the same container as the windshield squeegee. Requirements: -Leave 1" margin at the top for hanging. -Please submit the whole paper towel. Do not cut or add to the dimensions, which are typically 9 1/8 x 10 1/8 inches. -Write your name, email address, and location on the back. If you want your piece returned, include SASE. We are currently exploring venues for future exhibitions in other cities. NO FEE... let me say that again: NO FEE!

Send to:

The Foster Collective
C/O A. Watters
2531 N Talman, 1E
Chicago 60647

More info: fostercollective@gmail.com

Happy 4th!

American Flag by Jasper Johns

Elise as Cameron


Is it me?, or is my daughter Elise, in her latest publicity shots looking like a young version of fellow Cuban-American actress Cameron Diaz? (if Cameron Diaz was in a zombie movie).

Saatchi donates 200 artworks, gallery to UK

"Art collector Charles Saatchi has a gift for Britain. It includes Tracy Emin's messy bed, Grayson Perry's explicit pottery and a room full of engine oil.

The advertising tycoon, whose patronage made household names of artists like Emin and Damien Hirst, announced Thursday he is donating his London gallery and 200 works in its collection to the nation as a new public art museum.

The gallery said the works, valued at more than 25 million pounds ($37 million), will be given to the government. The 70,000-square foot (6,500-square meter) Saatchi Gallery will be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London."

Read the whole story here.

I've had it



This has nothing to do with art, but I've had it.

I've had it with the incompetence of this government and BP in dealing with the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. I've had it with BP and the US Government and their excuses. I don't want to hear any more excuses as to why we have over 1,000 oil skimming ships in this country and they're everywhere but the Gulf. I don't want to hear any more excuses as to why we didn't accept foreign help to clean up the Gulf until a few days ago. I don't want to know why the world's largest oil skimmer is just getting there and then heading to a port, rather than getting to work. I don't want to know why the Navy submarine rescue teams haven't been employed to help with underwater operations.

The United States government has either the most inept set of bureaucrats handling the second worst ecological oil disaster in history (so far), or the President of the United States either doesn't get it, care, or is being told and advised a bunch of bullshit.

This is a million fucking times worse than Katrina and a lot of bureaucrats don't get it, the mainstream press doesn't get it (where the fury?), even the environmental experts and nature lovers don't get it (otherwise they'd be picketing outside the White House) and the President better fucking get it soon or I fear for the health of this entire planet.

Call for Entries: SOLOS 2011

Deadline Extended: Thursday, July 8, 2010 (received)

Each year, 10 to 14 artists from across the mid-Atlantic region (living or working in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania) are selected for solo exhibitions to take place in one of Arlington Art Center's seven separate gallery spaces, or outside on the grounds. Proposals that specifically take into account AAC's space, layout, and surrounding environs are encouraged. Proposals for outdoor sculpture or installations are welcome. Any existing works must have been completed within the last 3 years in order to be considered.

Submissions will be reviewed by the curators, artists, and other arts professionals who make up the AAC Exhibitions Committee. This process will be led by special guest panelists Michael Pollack, a notable DC area art collector and Melissa Keys, an international independent curator.

Details here.

ArtBank 2010 Call to Artists

The theme is: District Identities Depictions of Washingtonian Life, Landscapes, and Cultural Legacies. The DC Arts Commission is seeking two and three-dimensional works including prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, ceramics, moveable sculptures, digital media, and video art.

Special attention will be given to innovative and dynamic photography, to meet the strong demand for photographs amongst government agencies. For assistance in preparing applications, there are free workshops on Wednesday July 21st from 1-2PM and July 28th from 6-7:30PM at the DCCAH Office, 1371 Harvard Street, NW 20009 (located 2 block south of the Columbia Heights Metro Station).

This call is open to all artists who reside or maintain studio space in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, preference will be given to District residents.

Deadline is Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 7PM (not a postmark date, all materials must be received by then)

Monrovian X-rays

The apparently endless market for images of Marilyn Monroe now extends to inside the bombshell's body. A set of three Monroe Chest X-rays from a 1954 hospital visit sold Sunday for $45,000 at the Hollywood Legends auction at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Read the story here.

Strasburg is pitching tonight!

LottoHeart

Some amazing artwork for sale here and all for a great cause!

Congratulations!

After another outstanding year of artist-centric programming, Hamiltonian Artists has selected five new, distinguished Hamiltonian Fellows for 2010 to join their five existing Fellows:

· Selin Balci (MFA Candidate, University of Maryland)
· Ryan Hoover (MFA, Maryland Institute College of Art, Mount Royal School of Art)
· Joyce Lee (MFA, Maryland Institute College of Art, Mount Royal School of Art)
· Jessica Van Brakle (BFA, Corcoran Collge of Art + Design)
· Elena Volkova (MFA, Maryland Institute College of Art)

On Saturday, July 24, 2010, from 7-9pm, Hamiltonian Gallery will open an introductory group exhibition of these five new Fellows. Each artist will be displaying the work with which they were accepted. The exhibition will run from July 24 - September 4, 2010.

Real Art D.C. Finalist: Travis Childers

Travis Childers's "curious photographs of Petri dishes" caught Jessica Dawson's eye among the Real Art D.C. submissions. Read all about it here.

King of Pop

By now, hundreds of thousands of viewers have seen Jeff Koons' "Michael Jackson and Bubbles," the gilded porcelain life-size sculpture of the King of Pop and his beloved chimpanzee that has been on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Broad Contemporary Art Museum since it opened more than two years ago.

Now comes Michael Jackson without bubbles, thanks to Sunland artist Seaton Brown, who has created a 144-square-foot portrait of the King of Pop out of 1,680 empty soda pop cans -- the contents, bubbles included, having gone down the drain because, as the artist tells Culture Monster, "I don't really drink soda."

Details here.

Job in the Arts

Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for artists and cultural organizations that stimulate economic development and improve quality of life in the DC metropolitan area, is accepting applications for a Technical Associate. This position services the theatre spaces at Flashpoint and Source, multi-user facilities housing a gallery, rehearsal studios, performance spaces and collaborative office space serving area artists and arts organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate day-to-day technical operations of CuDC performance and rehearsal spaces including:

- maintenance of lighting and audio equipment;

- management of load-in and load-out schedules;

- production walkthroughs with producers and presenters;

- black box schedule coordination with CuDC staff; and

- procuring equipment, materials and other technical services;

• Manage rentals of facility equipment;

• Coordinate facility repairs and maintenance with contractors;

• Manage facility telephone, photocopier/printing, security and safety systems;

• Assistance with production aspects of CuDC special events;

• Assist staff and residents with IT related issues, perform regular network maintenance tasks, and act as a liaison with IT support vendors;

• Perform duties as master electrician and audio engineer during Source Festival and other CuDC events, as needed; and

• Provide general administrative and operations support, as needed.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience;

• 5 years of experience in technical theatre and related industries;

• Experience operating multiple venues;

• Comprehensive working knowledge of lighting systems, ETC software, and theatrical audio systems;

• Ability to identify and repair problems with lighting and audio equipment;

• Comfort working in a cooperative environment with a broad range of artistic, cultural and social points of view;

• Familiarity with modern computer networking technology;

• Superb customer service, communication and organizational skills; and

• Willingness to work flexible schedule and weekends as programming demands.

Salary: Commensurate with experience

To apply, submit a resume with cover letter to:

Cultural Development Corporation
Technical Associate Search
916 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
email: hr@culturaldc.org
f 202.315.1303

Initial review of applicants will begin immediately, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

New issue out

The new issue of American Contemporary Art magazine is out on the stands now. You can also read it online here and check out the Kathryn Cornelius review on p. 21.

Bat Porn!

Check out this hilarious Peep Ward Sutton's take on Vivid Entertainment's new Batman porn.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline extended through Monday, June 28th

Call to Artists for the 4th Annual East of the River Exhibition at Honfleur Gallery.

Details here.

Battle of Bannockburn

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn (Blàr Allt a' Bhonnaich in Gaelic), which took place on the 24th of June, 1314.

This was an unexpected and significant Scottish victory against English aggression in the Wars of Scottish Independence against its larger and more powerful southern neighbor.

It is celebrated in the gorgeous Scottish National Anthem, "The Flower of Scotland."

"Painter of Light" arrested

Thomas Kinkade, the self-described “Painter of Light,” was arrested Friday night outside of Carmel on suspicion of drunk driving.

Read the details here.

DC Creates! Public Art Calls for Entry

Deadline: Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 7PM

All entries must be received by the deadline. This is not a postmark date.

Theme: District Identities Depictions of Washingtonian Life, Landscapes, and Cultural Legacies

The DC Arts Commission is seeking two and three-dimensional works including prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, ceramics, moveable sculptures, digital media, and video art. Special attention will be given to innovative and dynamic photography, to meet the strong demand for photographs amongst government agencies.

For assistance in preparing your application please attend the Workshop on Wednesday July 21st from 1-2PM and July 28th from 6-7:30PM at the DCCAH Office, 1371 Harvard Street, NW 20009. It is located 2 blocks south of the Columbia Heights Metro Station

Eligibility: This call is open to all artists who reside or maintain studio space in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, preference will be given to District residents.

Details here.

Wall Mountables return

The District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) has announced the return of 1460 Wall Mountables, DCAC’s annual open exhibition. On Wednesday, July 21 DCAC will open its doors at 3pm, beginning a three-day installation process during which artists can purchase up to four 2' x 2' spaces to hang their work.

Since the first Wall Mountables in 1990, the exhibition has become a celebrated summer tradition at DCAC. One of the center’s most important fundraising events, the open exhibition runs from July 23–August 29. On a personal note, I can tell you that since 1990 I've probably done this show 3-4 times, putting up all together about a dozen drawings in these shows and have always sold all of them.

Spaces sell on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s not unusual to see returning participants lined up outside DCAC’s door by 2:30pm, patiently waiting for installation to begin with an eye towards grabbing the galleries prime wall space. All work is accepted from a wide range of media created by artists at various stages in their careers.

The exhibition provides a great opportunity for experimentation, as artists challenge themselves to make the most out of such limited space. The coveted $100 “Best Use of Space” prize is presented during the opening reception to the artist who makes the most innovative use of their 2’ x 2’ squares. Whether Wall Mountables is an artist’s first show, 59th show, or an opportunity to pull out canvases from their attic, 1460 Wall Mountables has spots ready to be filled.

General Guidelines
• Each 2' x 2' space is $15 for non-members (maximum 4 spaces)
• DCAC members receive one free space. Additional spaces are available for $10 each (maximum 4 spaces)
• Become a DCAC member at the event and receive four spaces for free! (regular membership starts at $30)
• Each piece must be 2' x 2' or smaller. Spaces may not be combined to accommodate larger pieces (larger pieces can be divided and placed in adjacent squares)
• All art must be wall mountable
• No painting or writing directly onto the wall
• No adhesive materials can be used for hanging (i.e.- spraymount, adhesive velcro, 2-sided tape or wallpaper glue)
• Artists must bring their own materials for hanging their work (hammer, nails, screws, wire)

District of Columbia Arts Center
2438 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.462.7833

The original Che



Image by Terry Ward, who tells me that it's around 500 W 22nd St. in NYC.

Gallery week: Good idea for DC galleries?

Last month saw the debut of New York’s Gallery Week in which 50 Manhattan dealers organised a smorgasbord of events, from book signings to performances and special late openings (7-10 May, p81). The idea is not new: Berlin has a similar weekend, (30 April-2 May, p81), as has Zurich (12-13 June). In the more traditional fields, London has long boasted an Asian Art Week in the autumn (4-13 November), while both London and New York see master drawings dealers putting on grouped events (3-9 July in London; 22-29 January 2011 in New York).

Read the whole Art Newspaper article here.

Hirst the gallerist

Damien Hirst is bidding to launch his first gallery, in Hyde Park. He and architect Mike Rundell have submitted plans to the Royal Parks to create a gallery space from an old munitions store.

Read the story here.

Art Basel: Where are the women?

A list of the artists whose work you are most likely to see at this year’s Art Basel, based on the number of galleries who are bringing pieces, is headed—perhaps unsurprisingly—by the prolific Andy Warhol, with works on show at 28 stands. Artists making work in the first half of the 20th century rank highly, including Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso, although the list is also speckled with 1960s conceptualists such as Sol LeWitt and Lawrence Weiner. But the top 40 most represented artists on show at the fair are all men

Read the Art Newspaper story here.

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?

Remember when I stumbled upon Alexa Meade's fabulous work and pointed all of you to it?

Well.. she's been picked up by Irvine Contemporary and has a show opening tomorrow, Saturday, June 19, with reception from 6-8PM.

This is but the beginning for this artist. Keep an eye on her.

Ariel Sigler

The criminal Castro dictatorship in Cuba has released Cuban political prisoner Ariel Sigler after seven years in jail for the high crime of demanding that human rights be respected in Cuba.

Sigler lost half his body weight in jail and was turned by Castro's jailers' beatings into a paraplegic, paralized from his waist down.

His body was broken and yet, his soul was never broken down.

The photo below, courtesy of Penultimos Dias, shows the brutal transformation Sigler went through in Castro's workers' paradise in 7 years in jails that haven't allowed Amnesty International to visit them in 30 years.


Puts a new face on the word "torture" and a new face on the word "hero."

War of 1812 Commemorative License Plate

Deadline: June 30, 2010.

The Washington, DC War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission invites Washington, D.C. visual artists and citizens to submit designs for a new War of 1812 Commemorative License Plate. The deadline for submission is June 30, 2010.

All the design submissions will be examined carefully by the Washington, D.C. War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission and the Division of Motor Vehicles. The first place winner design will appear on the commemorative tag and will receive $200.00 and the second and third place winners design will be displayed on the Commission’s website and print media along with the first price winner.

The new license plate competition will give citizens the opportunity to participate in the process for the first time,” said Chairman Acqunetta Anderson. “We want the new plate to be a positive representation of Washington, D.C. Submissions must be submitted via email For more information about Washington, D.C. license plates, visit the Washington, DC War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission’s Web site here.

All submissions must comply with provisions of this Application, and with the Commission’s guidelines, instructions, and directives issued to the Participant from time to time. For additional information, please contact the Commission at 202-722-1947 or via this very long email address: wdcwar1812@washingtondcwarof1812bicentennialcommission.org

Opportunity for photographers

Deadline: July 30, 2010.

The Nonprofit Village at the Washington School of Photography. Theme: This permanent exhibit will showcase the beauty and scope of the Washington, DC area, from macro images to landscapes. Open to residents of the DC metro area. Any photographic work is eligible: Traditional B&W and color; Digital; Alternative Processes; etc. Maximum dimension of any one side must be less than 36 inches. Slides/CDs - All photographs will be judged from slides or CDs (jpeg only, low res). Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Opening reception for artists and guests September 24, 2010. Download a prospectus and find out more information about entry requirements here.

Boot on the throat of BP

Help!

I need a volunteer to help me with the editing and preparation of the manuscript for the 100 DC Artists book.

Lunch, or dinner or both, a free Campello drawing or etching, and my eternal gratitude is the payment form.

Drop me an email if you are available for a few hours this week or weekend. Send it to lenny @ lennycampello.com.

Wanna go to an opening this weekend?

Studio H's last exhibit of the Spring showing season is an exhibition titled "Derailed" by noted local graffiti artist Tim Conlon.

The image is of a model train on which Tim "writes."

When I was a kid in Brooklyn, my High School was actually in Queens, and I'd have to take the LL train and then switch to the number 7 to Queens. Overall that all took about and hour plus to get from my house to the school. Back in those days, the subway trains were covered from one end to the other in graffiti, even the windows! Every time the train arrived onto the station it was like a moving art show, except that in those days no one thought of the imagery as art.

The opening is June 19 from 6-9 PM.

Say what?

I tried to buy a photo the other day from the WaPo and I got this yesterday

Thank you for your interest in photographic reprints from The Washington Post and Pictopia.

Unfortunately, we cannot fulfill your request at this time for the following reason: The requested photograph is not available for sale due to copyright restrictions.

Thank you for your request to purchase Washington Post photos. Unfortunately Major League Baseball does not permit the selling of photographs of their athletes, events, stadiums or arenas.

Please visit our galleries again for other photos that may be of interest to you, and do not hesitate to make new requests in the future.

If you have any further questions about this, contact us. Please use your Request id# XXXXXXXXX in any correspondence with us.

Thank you,

Customer Service

The Pictopia Team
(800) 390-7269
customerservice@pictopia.com

So MLB owns the copyright for athletes, events, stadiums or arenas uh? How about drawings, paintings, etchings or any other form of fine art for the same? I think I will ask them.

Art & Soul Auction later this month

The 8th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction 2010 is Friday, June 25, 2010 6:00 PM at The Music Center at Strathmore in Rockville, MD just past Bethesda. This is an important charity auction for the National Center for Children & Families (NCCF).

Join Honorary Co-Chairs Fox 5 News Anchor Allison Seymour and renowned jazz keyboardist, composer and producer Marcus Johnson, on Friday, June 25, 2010 at 6 p.m., for NCCF's 8th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction at The Music Center at Strathmore.

The live auction will feature artwork created by youth from the Greentree Adolescent Program (GAP). The silent auction will feature Gifts from the Soul (non-art items) and juried artwork pieces from regional artists. In addition, guests will enjoy music by Sony recording artist Julia Nixon, the premiere of NCCF's new image, and the presentation of this year's Spirit of Humanitarian Awards.

Art & Soul Charity Auction tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased by contacting Heidi Coons, Director of Development and Institutional Advancement, at (301) 365-4480, extension 114 or click here to purchase online.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the completion of the Freddie Mac Foundation Youth Activities Center (YAC), NCCF’s sole cultural arts and recreational facility located on the Bethesda Campus.

What Pulse said...

For the third year in a row this is what the selection committee at the Pulse Art Fair Miami said to me:

Oh well... there are 24 other fairs to apply to... sigh.

Lisa MCCarthy is No. 5

Lisa McCarthy is Jessica Dawson's excellent choice in the Real Art D.C. thingie the WaPo is doing.

Judith Peck at Hillyer Art Space

Deanna Schwartzberg reviews the current show by Judith Peck at the International Art and Artists Hillyer Art Space in DC.

Judith Peck is both an artist and an intellectual. Her paintings are often generated by her abiding concern for social justice. Although she infuses her work with ideological content, it is in the exquisite execution of her subject, that we see not only the process of her mind, but her soul as well.

In her current exhibit, "Original Position", at the International Art and Artists Hillyer Art Space, June 4-26, 2010, it is a thought experiment by John Rawls that inspired the artist.

Rawls states that if we step behind a veil to cloak our knowledge of our individual abilities, social status and income, it might render us able to effectively consider the interests of all people, especially the least advantaged members of society.

Ms. Peck incorporates the concept of the veil in all of the portraits on display, each taking on a different aspect of the human condition, i.e. gender, passion, and conscience. Without prior knowledge of the artist's text, these paintings speak to us on a visceral level. Her portraits are drawn from live models and composites of the human face and appear to be lit from within. They are infused with a mysterious drama that captures the viewer's attention. On closer examination, we become transfixed in the subject's gaze. These subjects are never emotionally distant, their eyes penetrate and connect with the viewer's own, engaging our thoughts and connecting with our emotions.

On a recent trip to Boston, I viewed Rembrandt's "Self Portrait" in the Gardner Museum. I was enthralled with the delicacy of the painted surface, the fullness of his mouth, the rich textures of his hair and clothing, but most importantly, his eyes. Through his eyes I felt a knowing kinship with the sitter. What if Rembrandt were alive today? He would not only give us a window into the world around him, but into his own mind as well. As a modern artist, he might use his art to relate in visual terms the essence of his core beliefs and allow us as viewers to engage in a dialogue with him.

Judith Peck is a classically trained artist of infinite skill. Her work captivated me with a similar intimacy I found in the Rembrandt portrait, with the added benefit of symbolic imagery and metaphor that in the modern world serve to make the art both personal and timely.

About the author: Deanna Schwartzberg is an artist and painting instructor in the Washington area. She has taught painting at various venues including the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Vis Arts, and at the Art League School in the Torpedo Factory for over twenty years. She received a B.S. in Art Education from N.Y.U. and studied painting at the Art Student's League of New York with a student of Hans Hoffman. Deanna's work in painted paper assemblage and paintings on canvas deal with abstracting the human form.

Never too late to be discovered

An artist who rejected the call of the art market in his youth, and was discovered surrounded by a lifetime of unseen work when he was more than 100 years old, is to have his first museum exhibition this month.

Read Colin Gleadell's story on Stanley Lewis in the Telegraph here.

How the ChiComs know that Strasburg is pitching in Cleveland tonight

Congrats!

The Bethesda Painting Awards were announced last Friday (I never get any press releases from those folks anymore).

Nora Sturges of Baltimore, MD was awarded “Best in Show” with $10,000; Katherine Mann of Washington, D.C. was named second place and was given $2,000, and Deborah Ellis of Alexandria, VA was awarded third place and received $1,000.

Nora Sturges holds an MFA in painting from Ohio University and is currently associate professor of art and head of painting at Towson University.

The show is on at the Fraser Gallery through June 26, 2010.

William Butler Yeats

Happy birthday to one of my favorite poets and a pretty good artist as well: William Butler Yeats (1865–1939), born on June 12, 1865 in Dublin, Ireland.

"A Poet to his beloved"
by: William Butler Yeats

Bring you with reverent hands
The books of my numberless dreams,
White woman that passion has worn
As the tide wears the dove-grey sands,
And with heart more old than the horn
That is brimmed from the pale fire of time:
White woman with numberless dreams,
I bring you my passionate rhyme.

Real Art D.C. Finalist Two: Jenny Yang

Jenny Yang's excellent photographs attracted Jessica Dawson's attention is she is the second Real Art D.C. selection. Read all about it here.

Book Report

As I noted a while back, I have been retained by Schiffer Publishing to edit and create a coffee table size art book titled “100 Washington, DC Artists” as part of their series on national artists.

The book will cover 100 key artists working in the Greater Washington, DC area which encompasses the District and surrounding suburban areas of Maryland and Virginia.

Like all Schiffer art books, this will be a high quality book which will be available nationally and online, as well as available locally at museum gift shops and local area bookstores. Each artist will have a two page spread, with 3-4 images of their work, a small head shot, and a 300 word essay about their work.

So far I've spent a lot of free time editing, cutting and pasting the captions to about 1,000 images for the book. On the good side, I am astounded as to the depth and breadth of artistic creativity in our area. Anyone who says that DC area art is traditional and/or conservative needs to take a look at the 21,000 slides in the collection of the WPA (as I did for "Seven") or to about 1,000 recent images of work by the top 100 artists in our region; then come talk to me about "traditional" and "conservative."



On the bad side, I can't believe how many artists can't follow simple directions such as "write this in the third person." I actually had a college professor ask me what the "3rd person" was. Don't even let me get started on how many variants of writing a caption there are out there. Just in case, the basic elements of a caption are: title of the artwork, year created, media, and size.

Back on the good side, I am honored to be working with such a talented and motley crew. The book will be available in the Spring of 2011; I've already entered into discussions with the publisher for a second book with another 100 DMV artists.

Talking about books: Scored another giant deal on multiple signed modern first editions to add to my collection! Sad when used book stores close though...

Mr. President, please do something...

Congrats!

To DC's Matt Sesow, whose new solo show with Access Gallery in Denver, Colorado, opens with 41 new paintings, yes 41, next Friday.

Meet the Artist Reception: Friday, June 18, 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Live Painting and Gallery Talk: Friday June 18, 12:00–4:00 pm

Family Art Day: Saturday June 19, 10:00–1:00 pm

First Friday Reception: July 2, 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Facebook campaigning

The CP's Jonathan L. Fischer picks up on the Facebook campaign to get the Hirshhorn to pay attention to DC video sculptor Tim Tate.

We can make this happen! Add your voice here!

Artisphere

Artisphere, the metropolitan-DC area’s newest cultural center, is set to open in Arlington on 10-10-10 with multiple venues, including: a 4,000 square foot ballroom space, a wi-fi lounge, a café, three distinct gallery spaces, as well as three flexible theater/performance spaces!

There are also three job openings as Artisphere is now accepting applications for the following positions:

1. New Media Curator ($43,804.80 - $72,425.60 Annually)
2. Program Director ($53,580.80 - $88,545.60 Annually)
3. Executive Director ($56,700.80 - $116,708.80 Annually).

There's also a call for exhibition proposals (due June 15). All proposals must be submitted via arlington.slideroom.com. You can download the proposal submission form here.

Working hard

Hard work always has a payoff for artists. And one of the DMV's hardest working artists is my good bud Tim Tate. The dude has has three openings coming next week alone!

- Swanson Reed Gallery, Louisville, KY. Opening on Friday evening, June 11.

- Fuller Museum, Brockton, Mass. Sunday afternoon, June 13. There's a 1pm lecture and a 2pm reception.

- Scope Art Basel, Switzerland with San Francisco's Micaela Gallery, June 15-20, 2010.

Join the Facebook group We want to see Tim Tate's video art work in the Hirshhorn Museum!! here.

Tomorrow: Grand Opening of new gallery in Loudoun

The Gateway Gallery is a new artists' owned and run cooperative gallery located in the Hill High Orchard Building, just west of Round Hill on Route 7 and certainly a landmark for western Loudoun.

The Grand Opening is Saturday, June 12 starting at 6PM and there will be demos from several of the 30 artist members. Look for the work of Suzanne Lago Arthur to stand out.

Tim Tate for the Hirshhorn Museum

This is a Facebook group dedicated to convincing the curatorial staff and acquisition committee of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to finally purchase and exhibit some of the amazing video art pieces from Tim Tate.

My good friend Tim Tate is one of the most renowned award winning artists in this region. He works in self-contained video installations and projections.

Hirshhorn: Look in your own backyard for an artist making a huge impact internationally.

Hope they are listening! Check it out here.

Tate has three openings coming next week alone:

- Swanson Reed Gallery, Louisville, KY. Opening on Friday evening, June 11.

- Fuller Museum, Brockton, Mass. Sunday afternoon, June 13. There's a 1pm lecture with Fo Wilson and a 2pm reception.
...
- Scope Art Basel, Switzerland with San Francisco's Micaela Gallery, June 15-20, 2010.