Coincidence or one great artist borrowing from another?

I know that I am a pedantic Virgo.

But I also know that seldom there are coincidences when things look a little "too close."

Below is the new video (and megahit) by American uberstar (of Cuban ancestry) Gloria Estefan... check out what happens around 20-23 seconds into the video...

Now see below the artwork of Cuban artist Aimee Garcia Marrero... well-known to Cuban art collectors (and she should be, as she's one of the really talented, young multiple-threat artists); and the Estefans are Cuban art collectors... but judge for yourself:




Probably a coincidence from one brilliant mind... and yet, I have a rule about coincidences...

New Worst Ever

I have this hobby of trying to read as many books as possible (all genres) dealing with Cuba. And I've just finished reading Stephen Hunter's Havana, a fictional account set in Havana in 1953.

This is possibly the worst ever book with a Cuban setting that I've ever read; Especially surprising coming from such a decent fiction writer.

I was also surprised to find that Newt Gingrich reviewed this book in Amazon about eight years ago. Newt writes:

Stephen Hunter has a great knack for country attitudes, good shooting, complex stories and politics.

In "Havana" Hunter captures a moment in time when Castro is just emerging (the Yankees having failed to offer him a $500 signing bonus) and Batista is back in power with the help of the American mob.

Just as in "Hot Springs" where Hunter resurrected the great pre-Las Vegas center of gambling and prostitution (matched in that era only by Youngstown), here he reminds us that Havana in the early 1950s was a city of power seekers, tourist pleasures and American and Cuban mobster domination and corruption.

He weaves together a brilliant Soviet agent, Earl Swagger (hated by the Soviet system for his individuality and protagonist of almost half Hunter's novels), the CIA, the American mob, Fidel Castro and the Cuban secret police into a wonderfully complex and constantly intriguing story.

His characterizations of a young Castro are worth the entire book: "Speshnev looked hard at him and, try as he could, only saw a familiar type, thrown up by revolutions and wars the world over. An opportunist with a lazy streak, and also a violent one... No vision beyond the self, but a willingness to use the vernacular of the struggle for his own private careerism." (p. 101)

"He does carry on don't he? He reminds me of a movie star. They get famous too young and they never recover. They always think they're important." Earl Swagger on young Fidel (p 319)

Whether for fun or learning or both, this is a worthwhile novel.

What Hunter blows in this shoot-em-up story is the background setting of the city itself, plus he takes spectacular license with Cuban history to bend the story to depict a somewhat idiotic young Castro.

Young Castro was a killer and a student mobster in the violent daily activities of Havana University and the city in general, but no one can ever or should ever accuse this murdering dictator of ever being dumb. Castro has the feral intelligence of power-seekers, and he's always had it, especially in the violent days preceding his failed attack on the Moncada Barracks.

Strangely enough, in this key part of the beginning of the Cuban Revolution is where Hunter really torques my pedantic side. In the real course of events, Castro (who is very nearsighted and requires thick glasses for distant vision), was driving one of the leading two cars carrying the rebels attacking the Moncada Army Barracks in Santiago de Cuba.

In the book, Hunter depicts Castro having to rush and drive his car onto the sidewalk to run down three unexpected soldiers - he kills two of them, grabs their machine guns and in a heroic display fights against hundreds of soldiers as the hapless rebels, pinned outside the barracks are mowed down by soldier fire. Eventually, the heroic guerrilla is pulled away from the melee by a Soviet agent in a most unlikely escape.

In reality, what happened was that the rebels had essentially the element of surprise, and were driving into the Moncada compound; however, the brilliant and fearless leader's vanity got the best of him, and he removed his thick, black glasses in order to appear more manly. Not being able to see squat, he quickly drove his car off the street and onto the sidewalk, effectively attracting the attention of the guards, who then sounded the alarm and proceeded to wipe out the attackers.

Fidel, and his brother Raul quickly hi-tailed it out of there - they were about the only attackers who got away - and many witnesses claim that the Castro brothers got the hell out of Dodge as soon as the bullets started flying, leaving their fellow rebels to die on the streets or to be captured and tortured later on by Batista's murderous henchmen.

Perhaps this could be an entertaining read for someone not familiar with the sense of what Havana truly was in the 1950s; a complex, international city where dozens of languages were heard on the streets, with a huge Chinatown and a significant European immigrant population, all that in addition to the casinos and the mobsters and the whorehouses and the brutal police depicted as a single dimension in this book.

But to a pedantic Virgo, it is an offense to the senses; sorry Newt.

Artomatic is back!

The spectacular art show that otherwise progressive art critics love to hate (and thus reveal their real neocon roots to control, judge and jury everything), and the rest of the art world loves, is back for 2012! All the details you need are here.

Dates: May 18 - June 24

Location:
Transwestern Presidential Tower
Entrance at 2511 S. Clark St.
Crystal City, VA

Tentative Schedule:
Wednesday: 5pm - 10pm
Thursday: 5pm - 10pm
Friday: 12pm - 1am
Saturday: 12pm - 1am
Sunday: 12pm - 10pm

Opportunity for DMV artists

Adams Morgan’s Pop Up Shop is a temporary retail art shop for April and May. They hosted one last year with over 50 artists. Volunteers are also welcome to help man, sell and set up the shop!

Interested artists and volunteers should contact:

Janet Lugo-Tafur, Executive Director
Adams Morgan Main Street Group
1754 Columbia Road NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20010
Tel. 202.232.1960 Fax.202.232.1978

SELECT Tickets


SELECT Gala Party Tickets on Sale Today!

A limited number of SELECT party tickets are now on sale!

Tickets are $150 and include silent and live auction bidding, open bar, dessert, and coffee starting at 8:30pm.

Purchase party tickets today on this website here or contact Christopher Cunetto at ccunetto@wpadc.org or 202-234-7103 x5 for more information.

Albert Sangiamo

Next Monday February 27, a number of former MICA students, which includes Jeff Koons and Philadelphia's Frank Hyder, will be assembled at MICA in Baltimore to celebrate the retirement of Albert Sangiamo, who was their first mentor.

The list of artists attending is very impressive; Sangiamo was chair of drawing at MICA for more than 40 years. He was a student of Joseph Albers and was hired to help make the Institute a first class art school.

Jeff Koons will be making a presentation at noon, followed by a luncheon.

Fresh Flowers and Furry Friends

I would have picked somewhat of a better title for the show, but watercolors by Barbara Bell, collages by Merry Lymn, digital work based on photographs of flowers by the very talented Bert GF Shankman, fused glass portraits of dogs by Shirley Hendel and ceramics featuring cats by Leigh Partington all make up the next show at Potomac's Gallery Har Shalom (located at Congregation Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road, Potomac, MD) and because we're neighbors, I really want to make sure that this gallery gets some attention! And here's an opening that starts at 11AM! Washington City Paper, Gazette, Potomac News... now you can find out if your art writers ever get up before noon!

Opening Reception: Sunday, March 4, 2012, 11am - 1 pm
Exhibit dates: Friday, March 2 - Monday, April 30, 2012
Call for hours and directions: 301-299-7087

Barbara F. Bell uses her own photographs as a major resource for her watercolor paintings. She focuses in this exhibit on regeneration and renewal in the natural world, her palette reflecting the early light and gentle colors of May along the riverbanks, and in the forests and fields of England and America. Barbara began her formal training in art while on academic leave from university teaching. She worked in studio arts at Montgomery College (Rockville) in the 1980s. Retirement from teaching in Montgomery County Public Schools twenty years later afforded her the time to resume her artwork. See www.bellslessons.com for more information.

Merry Lymn began taking formal collage classes in October 2008. In 2009, she was juried into her first art show, and since then she has been juried into several others. She divides her work into five subject areas--landscape, still life, people, Judaica, and wildcard. For this show, the pieces are exclusively flowers for which she created special Jewish flowers including a Shin Flower, a Vase with Shin Flowers, a Shofar Flower, and a Lily from the Song of Songs. See www.artlymn.com for more images.

Bert GF Shankman presents his Flemish Series of flowers in this show. He first saw this technique of painting when he minored in Art History for his AB at Case Western Reserve University. He practiced this style, called Chiaroscuro, when he studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. These pictures use light and dark to model the shapes and forms of the flowers and vases. They are done digitally starting out with photographs of flowers which he grows in his garden. Though decidedly different, they give a feeling of 16th century Flemish art. Visit www.cameraflora.com for more details.

Shirley Hendel was an award-winning decorative painter for many years. Several years ago she was introduced to fused glass and became fascinated with the possibilities for expression that glass materials and techniques offer. She now works exclusively in that medium while trying to maintain the perspective that decorative painting provides. She specializes in pet portraits, especially dogs, but also other creatures both real and whimsical. Her fused glass portraits (you could almost call them caricatures) are not based on actual dogs and cats as much as they are reminiscent of the lovable mutts and house cats that we grew up with or may still be in our lives. Just like these mixed-breed pets, these portraits come in assorted shapes and colors; no two exactly the same.

Leigh Partington has been doing ceramic art for over 30 years. Her work has evolved to include a combination of whimsical wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces that emphasize her love of and appreciation for animals, birds and nature in general. As a feline fancier – cats have always been a part of her life, she portrays them as functional pieces and decorative objects. She combines different clays for a marbled effect in some of her pieces. All pieces are bisque-fired. Then she adds detailed illustrations painted on with Speedball underglazes and dips the pieces in a transparent glaze. She uses a combination of overglazes sponged on the exterior for mottled color effects. The pieces, including ceramic pitchers, garlic keepers, egg separators, ocarinas, and platters, are then oxidation fired in an electric kiln.

Allen Quotes

In my house I'm the boss; my wife is just the decision maker.
-- Woody Allen

Danger Artists, Danger!

Artists are often colorful personalities. This one, though, comes across as cool, precise and metallic – and is anything but extravagant. No wonder – after all, it’s an industrial robot, one that will convert the Fraunhofer stand at CeBIT into an art studio. Its artistic genius only emerges if someone takes a seat on the model’s stool positioned in front of the robot: first, its camera records an image of its model; then it whips out its pencil and traces a portrait of the individual on its easel. After around ten minutes have passed, it grabs the work and proudly presents it to its public. This robot installation was developed by artists in the robotlab group, at the Center for Art and Media ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany, some of whom are now employed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB in Karlsruhe.

(Via) Details here.

Art for Humanity Auction

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

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

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

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

Music by The Washington Jazz Arts Institute Ensemble.

Details here.

Up in the mountains

We're up in the Poconos for the long weekend; sounds like many of you have heard from "Brandon", the art scammer busted in the previous post.

And nice snow here... the kind that makes everything white except the roads!

Art Scam Alarm

Received the below a few minutes ago:

Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:47:39 -0800
Subject: Greetings/I Am willing To Purchasing artworks
From: bjjm01@gmail.com
To:

Hello,

I saw your artwork on http://www.theartsmap.com.I need you to send me the list of the artworks you have for sell ,wow!! beauty to behold, will add a spark to my new apartment and am willing to purchase your artwork. My son and I will be moving into our new apartment next month.

I want you to please get back to me with the present condition,your location and your last price offer.Kindly let me know how much you can let go and send me pics.will take care pickup after payment. get back to me vis.. brandon5079@yahoo.com asap.

Cheers,
Brandon

And my immediate response to Brandon:

Dear Brandon,

I am delighted that you are interested in my artwork. I have apartments and studios in various cities around the world
- Wellington, NZ
- Sidney, AU
- London, England
- Madrid, Spain
- Paris, France
- Buenos Aires, Argentina

and my favorite studio, Bonfuck, Egypt

Before I send you any data, I am very, very picky as to who owns my artwork, so I need to know the following from you:

- What school did you attend?
- Are married or single?
- Are your parents divorced?
- DO you believe that man is the only cause of global warming?

Please let me know and soon you will have some great artwork on your new walls!!!

Congrats!

The Lenster

The email addresses that I pulled out of the scan email were: bjjm01@gmail.com, brandon5079@yahoo.com and bowenkate@ymail.com - some of those may be hijacked emails, as "Brandon" gave brandon5079@yahoo.com as the one he wanted an answer sent to.

Be careful out there...

Tonight: Rosemary Feit Covey & Laurel Hausler at Morton

"Rosemary Feit Covey and Laurel Hausler have been paired in this two woman exhibition to highlight their respective artistic processes and approach to subject matter. Rosemary Feit Covey whittles away the surface of her wood block with extreme precision, utilizing a time-staking and unforgiving engraving process until her detailed image appears. Laurel Hausler works in a subtractive process by covering her canvas with multiple layers of paint, wax, charcoal or found objects and then removes the layers to reveal the subject. Both women are fearless in their psychological approach to subject matter – raw and depth oriented, they explore subsurface in the realm of the unconscious, not afraid of the obscure."

"Excavate" at Morton Fine Art
An Exhibition of New Work by Rosemary Feit Covey & Laurel Hausler
February 17-March 14, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, February 17, 6:00-8:00 pm

Morton Fine Art
1781 Florida Ave NW (at 18th & U Sts)
Washington, DC 20009
202.628.2787
mortonfineart@gmail.com

A Palette of Paper - the Collages of Megan Coyle

The Center for the Arts, Caton Merchant Family Gallery in Manassas, Virginia will feature Megan Coyle’s collage art in a solo exhibition called “A Palette of Paper.” The art center consists of a theater, an art gallery, and classrooms that are located inside a historic Candy Factory building in Old Town Manassas. Coyle’s show will display portraits of people, animals, as well as landscape and cityscape collages.

“A Palette of Paper” will showcase a group of collages that look like they were made from acrylic or oil paint, when they were actually made from magazine strips. Each creation is the product of Megan Coyle’s intricate efforts in cutting and layering paper. It is only when you step up close to one of these collage “paintings” that you can pick up on all the fragments of photographs, textures, and patterns that have been pulled from magazine pages. This is the very reason why Coyle calls her technique “painting with paper” – the process of manipulating magazine clippings in such a way that they strongly resemble the brushstrokes in a painting.

The exhibit will open on February 8th, 2012 and run until March 22nd. Coyle will have an artist talk on February 18th at 1:00p.m. If February 18th is a snow day, the artist talk will be held on February 25th.

Megan Coyle is a practicing collage artist and designer living in Northern Virginia. She graduated in 2008 from Elon University with a degree in painting and creative writing. Her work has been featured in international publications like the Washington Post, Papirmasse, and Somerset Studio. She has exhibited nationally in venues that include the Smithsonian Ripley Center, Art League Gallery, Fisher Gallery, and Krempp Gallery.

"A Palette of Paper - the Collages of Megan Coyle"
February 8th - March 22nd, 2012
Artist Talk: February 18th (snow day: February 25th)

Today: Book Signing at BlackRock

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book today, February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

Call for Artists: Bethesda Painting Awards

Deadline: Submissions must be received by Friday, February 24, 2012

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the seventh annual Bethesda Painting Awards. Up to nine finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies.

Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a “Young Artist” whose birthday is after February 24, 1982 may be awarded $1,000. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

All original 2-D paintings including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimensions should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibit.

Each artist must submit either 5 slides, application and a non-refundable fee of $25. Digital entries will be accepted on CD in JPG, GIF or PNG format.

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

Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Or call 301-215-6660 x117.

Tomorrow: Book Signing at BlackRock

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book on February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

February 14

OK, so it may be Valentine's Day today, but for us history buffs, in real history, in 1778 the United States flag is formally recognized for the very first time, in this case at sea by a foreign naval vessel, when French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte renders a nine gun salute to USS Ranger, commanded by the legendary John Paul Jones.

That's the spectacular painting by Edward Moran depicting the moment.

Ichiuji on Tom Green


Details here.

Artists' Websites: Russ McIntosh

There are hardworking artists and then there's Russ McIntosh. If I told you that in the last year alone this talented digital artist has been included in over 20 exhibitions around the nation, you'd be as awed as I was when I discovered this fact.

Galadali by Russ McIntosh
Check out his amazing work here.

Fridaphiles of the DMV: Artisphere

Artisphere is the first and only venue in the United States of America to present Frida Kahlo: Her Photos - an exhibition of photographs about one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century.

Free public opening reception: Thu Feb 23 / 7-10pm.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)’s extraordinary life and iconic biographical paintings have earned her international renown in the world of modern art. Upon Kahlo’s death in 1954, more than 6,500 personal photographs and items belonging to her and husband/artist Diego Rivera were sealed and put in storage. For more than half a century this great collection of personal memorabilia remained hidden from the public. In 2007 this collection was opened and Mexican photographer and curator Pablo Ortiz Monasterio inventoried and catalogued 259 images to create the Frida Kahlo: Her Photos exhibition.

These images reveal a little-known side of the artist and lifelong resident of Coyoacán, a Mexico City suburb and Arlington, Virginia's sister city. The collection of photographs in this exhibition reflect Kahlo’s tastes and interests, the experiences she shared with those close to her, and her complicated, but also thrilling, personal life. Viewers get an insider’s look, not only through who was behind the camera, in front of the lens or the anonymous nature of some of the work but also through the annotated writing found on the back of many of the photographs.

From family pictures and snapshots taken with lovers to images that reveal relationships with Russian Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky and American photographers Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, artist Georgia O’Keefe and actress Dolores del Rio, this exhibition provides a glimpse into Kahlo as never seen before.

Many of you know that I've done around 1,000 works of art (drawings, paintings, statues, videos, etc.) about Kahlo since I was hypnotized by her work almost 40 years ago, so... See ya there!

The ultimate toilet paper?

At least for Cubans!

Finally you can now make your Cuban or Cuban-American's dreams come true! Cuba's brutal dictator and for over 50 years the suffocater [[Verb] To stifle; to destroy; to extinguish; as, to suffocate] of the Cuban people, deserves to be in the mierda tanks of history.

Full roll of toilet paper with Fidel Castro's face on every sheet. Ideal for parties, reunions or for plain personal pleasure. Order more than one. The ideal gift for your Cuban friend.

Send me some... por favor!

Ave Frida Es Regina

So here is the next iteration of my marriage of drawing with embedded electronics. In this case my ubiquitous Frida with an embedded video player which gives the owner of this piece to choose between a Power Point presentation or a video of Kahlo.

Above is the drawing with the heart cut out of her bosom - note that Kahlo's heart is fanged - this was a woman who took a bite out of life.


And here is the electronic component which will be installed behind the drawing. In this frame it shows one of the multiple images which play by default when the machine is turned on.


Here's the drawing with the electronics playing the slide show through the heart window.


Here's a close up.


And in this close-up, the video of Kahlo is playing.

And below is the video:

Book Signing

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book on February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

Pencil this in for March!

Born in Dublin, Ireland (which according to Irish creation myths was settled by Spaniards sent by King Milesius and thus why I'm always wondering why Irish people aren't considered Hispanic/Latino... Ireland that is... not Dublin (named after a witch who drowned in a pool of water), which was founded by Vikings and is thus not very Irish after all...), DMV area artist Jackie Hoysted made her home in Maryland in 1996 after working in France, England, Ireland and Florida as a software engineer.

She has a degree is Computer Science from Trinity College, Dublin (which happens to own a lot of my artwork in their private collection) and a fine arts degree from the Corcoran College of Art & Design (which happens to own zip of Campello art... is that weird or what?).

She has had multiple solo shows of her artwork throughout the US and has been featured in publications, including, The Gazette, the Washington City Paper and the Examiner and even here!.

She was selected by Scott Ligon for inclusion his book The Digital Art Revolution and this wizard and talented artist is the creator of the project Send Me Your Last Cigarette.

When you walk into Gallery 555dc you will be surrounded by Jackie’s current series “Out of Context” Girls! Nice Doesn’t Cut It. These women are "not to be messed with, taken for granted or pigeon holed. They can stand alone or together as sisters."

Champagne Reception: Saturday, March 3rd, 1-5pm and the show hangs till March 30th!

Groucho redux

Although it is generally known, I think it's about time to announce that I was born at a very early age.

-- From Groucho Marx's autobiography Groucho and Me (1959)

Heard on Univision

Another woman running for President in Latin America; this time trying to get rid of the despot ruining Venezuela:

Congresswoman and Presidential Candidate, Maria Corina Machado, with the courage that only a Latina can have, stood up and faced President Hugo Chavez, as no one has ever done before in Venezuelan history, and called him a liar and thief.

Read about her here.

Molly Ruppert

The Washington Project for the Arts’ Alice Denney Award for Support of Contemporary Art was initiated in 2006. It is named for the founder of WPA, Alice Denney, and is presented annually to an individual who has supported the organization for many years and has made a sustained commitment to the greater DC arts community.

This year’s honoree, Molly Ruppert, will receive the award at the SELECT exhibition opening reception on February 11, 2012.

Molly Ruppert is one of those key instruments that makes up the DMV's cultural orchestra and which, in concert with the other instruments, makes our cultural art scene one of the best on the planet.

Think of her as the big bass drum, or the cello, or the harp; any of the real key instruments without which the symphony is off and out of synch. Also think of her as working behind the scenes as well as leading it.

Molly - and the entire Ruppert clan have been a powerful force in the DC arts scene. With the multiple opportunities the Warehouse Arts Complex have given over the years, Molly and her family have been one of the most commited supporters of the arts in our region.

Personally, I am also indebted to her.

When I curated the epic exhibition known as "Seven" for the WPA a handful of years ago, it was Molly who stepped up and offered the entire Warehouse complex to house all the WPA artists whom I had selected.

I was very pleased by the spectacular success of that show, but even more pleased when I ended up also meeting there, at one of the talks, the woman who would become my wife and best friend.

Thank you Molly!

Topher Forhecz on Banks and Nordin


The Gazette's Topher Forhecz pops in with a nice review (also nicely illustrated) of Michele Banks and Kendall Nordin's exhibition at The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center on Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.

Read the review online here and then go to the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 9.

Groucho

"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."
-- Groucho Marx

Heard on Univision

Mexican political party Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) has chosen Congresswoman Josefina Vázquez Mota as their Presidential candidate - the first woman candidate with a real good chance of becoming our Southern neighbor's first female Presidente.

We send out congrats to Josefina!

PostSecret 2012 Tour

The local DMV art superstar known as Frank Warren is the only artist on planet Earth (at least that I am aware of) who can sell out college auditoriums and other such audience-venues as he continues to expand and discuss and publish his planetary scale installation megaproject PostSecret.

Check out the 2012 Spring tour video below:

Charity Auction

Distinguished works of art will grace the Middleburg Community Center on Friday, February 24th, in an unprecedented auction of original artwork from the community’s best local artists. Doors for this fundraising event will open at 5:30 P.M., and proceeds will benefit the Middleburg Montessori School.

"It is always impressive when so many artists come together to support a worth-while cause like this one," offered Bradley Stevens, a well-known realist painter. Stevens, a former faculty member at both George Washington University and Georgetown University, donated a children’s group drawing lesson in portraiture and an adult “plein-air,” or outdoor oil-painting lesson, at Barrel Oaks winery in Delaplane. These items, like all other offerings, will go to the highest bidder.

With more than fifteen committed artists, including the furniture of craftsmen at Plank & Nickel, the auction will showcase the art of Misia Broadhead-Barham, Anthony Barham, Kim Basinger, Armand Cabrera, Hwa Crawford, Mikel Diaz, Richard Dimon, Charles Matheson, Lilla Ohrstrom, Dana Lee Thompson, Dana Volkert, Antonia Walker, Charlie Westbrook, Henry Wingate, and Cathy Zimmerman, among others.

A sample of the featured artists:

Armand Cabrera, known for his alla prima work—paintings completed in one sitting in the studio or outdoors—has donated “Farmhouse,” a stunning 8’ x 10’ oil on linen. Armand, a former California-based production artist in the entertainment industry, brings his eye for detail to his exquisite landscapes. His work has been featured in International Artist Magazine and American Art Collector.

Local artist Dana Volkert captures the natural world, isolated and enlarged, in abstract beauty. Her compelling work has been exhibited in galleries worldwide and is a must for the modern collector.

Antonia Walker, whose works are represented in many collections including the Arts-in-Embassy Program of The State Department, has been a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. She has studied under Spanish Sculptor Benjamin Saul as well as Brittany, France-based artist William Woodward. Antonia is most well known for her oil paintings of the Virginia countryside and images of Italy and France.

Artist Henry Wingate’s first career was flying airplanes for the Navy. Wingate is best known for his classic oil portraits and his traditional representational works of art, approaches he studied in ateliers, or working studios. An award winning artist, Wingate has been featured in American Artist and Portrait Highlights magazines.

Also included in the auction are handcrafted, reclaimed wood furniture from the designers at Plank & Nickel. Two beautiful live-edge modern benches will be among the offerings.

The public is invited to this open event. Barrel Oak Winery will be providing wine to bidders and guests alike. Delicious hors d’oeuvres from Julien’s on Washington Street will add a touch of French cuisine.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with these talented artists,” explained BethAnn Slater, Head of School of Middleburg Montessori. “Ultimately, we are all coming together to benefit the children in our community.”

For more information about the event, or to become a donor, please contact Middleburg Montessori School at 540-687-5210.

WHAT: Art Auction and Reception, “ART OF THE PIEDMONT”
WHERE: Middleburg Community Center, 300 Washington St. Middleburg, VA
WHEN: Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 5:30-9:30PM (Free to the public)
WHO: Hosted by Middleburg Montessori School. Contact: 540-687-5210

For the big game

For the last two days I've been cooking "Ropa Vieja" in the slow cooker. This is my favorite Cuban dish and it takes forever to cook properly, but when done right... OMG! You start with simply a few chunks of skirt steak, tomato sauce, onions, fresh garlic, and a few key spices and two days or so in the slow cooker.

Since it is the Super Bowl, I also made my own salsa, and not to brag, but seeing that salsa is NOT a Cuban dish to start with, I think I've put my own tag on this most Mexican of foods and may have even put my Mexican compadres to shame; let's just say that garlic and cilantro to an overwhelming state can never go wrong - and then crush some mango into that puppy and Mmmmm...

Now let's hope that the Giants kick some rump.

Chawky Frenn Opening at BlackRock

Tonight: Chawky Frenn at BlackRock

I have always thought that the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD has one of the most beautiful and dramatic gallery spaces in the region. With its impossibly tall gallery space, it opens itself to all kinds of great curatorial ideas.

And tonight, GMU Professor Chawky Frenn will be opening his "Be The Change You Seek" solo show. And if you know Frenn's past, then you can expect a show sure to raise some eyebrows. Frenn uses his vast technical skills as a painter like a weapon, aiming his talented brush at social, political and historical issues.

The opening is from 5:30 - 7:30PM. The show goes through Feb. 27.

BlackRock Center for the Arts is located at 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown, Maryland 20874. Call them at 301.528.2260 for more info.

See ya there!

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: Friday, March 9, 2012

The Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District has announced “Tunnel Vision,” a public art exhibition to be hung in the Metro Tunnel that runs under Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

“Tunnel Vision” will showcase the work of 12 selected artists inside the Metro Tunnel. Interested artists are invited to submit up to 5 images of their work for review. Each artist will be paid $500 for the license to use their image. If selected, artists will need to provide a high resolution file for the image of their artwork to be printed on a poly metal material, size 4' high x 8' wide. Artists are encouraged to submit artwork that can easily be sized to 4’ x 8’.

Artists must be residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. to be eligible for consideration. There is a category for young artists, age 14-17, to apply. The deadline for submitting images for review is Friday, March 9, 2012. Interested artists should visit this website for more information and the application for consideration.

Heard on Univision

The Mexican Minister of Health, Salomón Chertorivski, has announced that the Mexican government has invented a vaccine to prevent heroin addiction.

Details here, in case you think that I'm messing with you.

Torpedo Factory Art Center Visiting Artist Program

Deadline: February 15, 2012. 



The Torpedo Factory Art Center invites emerging and experienced artists to apply for one, two, or three-month residencies between June 1 and August 31, 2012.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia is home to more than 140 visual artists working in 82 studios. Artists create in a wide variety of media including painting, fiber, jewelry, ceramics, printmaking, and sculpture. The Torpedo Factory is open to the public every day; visitors are invited and welcomed into studios to watch artists at work.

Visiting Artists will be provided with studio space and will be able to display and sell original work. The projects undertaken for this self-directed, creative residency must be compatible with available working studio spaces and facilities.

Finalists will be selected by Paula Amt, owner of gallery plan b. There is no application fee. 
You can download the Prospectus from this website.

Spidey is an issue

So far, for my naked Superheroes series of drawings I've depicted the Man of Steel about a dozen times, Batman (and Batman and Robin) 2-3 times, and Supergirl about 6-7 times.

Next is Spiderman, although I am having a hard time visualizing the drawing. It is easy to conceptualize Superman or Supergirl flying in the buff, but why would Peter Parker be climbing the facade of a building in the buff, and somehow still be wearing a mask or somethings that identifies him as Spidey?

The agonies of a brilliant mind...

Maryland Art Place names new Executive Director

Maryland Art Place (MAP) has announced the hiring of Amy Cavanaugh Royce as its new Executive Director. I also know that she is one helluva good cellist!

In her former position as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of the ARCH Development Corporation in Washington, D.C., Ms. Royce spearheaded the development of four cultural facilities, which now operate as the cultural arm of ARCH organization.

She also co-founded and operated a state-of-the-art contemporary exhibition space, Honfleur Gallery.

John James Anderson and Susan Stacks at Adah Rose Gallery

Adah Rose Gallery (3766 Howard Ave Kensington Md, 20895, www.adahrosegallery.com is a relative newcomer to the DMV art scene, but under the experienced guidance of Adah Rose, it seems to have hit the deck running.

“The Pleasures Here Are Well Known” - work by John James Anderson and Susan Stacks - is their next show, with an opening reception, on Saturday February 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (also music by Walker Road).

The printed word and the acquisition of language are the principal ideas in the work of John James Anderson. His first series, “Building Blocks,” adopts the playful vocabulary of pop art with familiar logos and graphics which require reading through a lens that is both nostalgic and cerebral. Mr. Anderson creates a graphic alphabet from the eye-catching lettering of soda cans, candy wrappers and cereal boxes. In his second series, “Out of Print,” language and the evolution of our collective literacy is also explored, this time in the decline of print journalism. Mr. Anderson collected the front pages of national newspapers and carefully erased portions of their content, resulting in graphic and poetic musings on the fate of mass communication.

... Beginning with the unconsciousness of a doodle, but executed with the commitment of surgery, Susan Stacks creates drawings with pencil and pen that are artifacts of a meditative experience. These intricate and elegant works reference landscapes, microscopic forms, and cartography. As Ms. Stacks draws, a twist becomes a tug, a dash a dot. Her influences are as varied as novels, mythological figures, plant and bacterial life, rock stars and vending machines. She refers to her drawings as emotional maps, parasites, friends, and penance.

Artguardian

(Via/Thanks!)

There are an estimated 150 million works of art in the market today – in museums, public spaces and in the holdings of private collectors. Not only because of their material value, but also because of their intangible value they deserve to be handled carefully. However, neither artists nor museums or collectors want to protect artwork from detrimental influences by keeping it in a climate-controlled safe. Art needs the public.

By combining modern technologies from the fields of microelectronics, building physics and information technology, three Fraunhofer Institutes and their partners have now developed a solution that meets the challenges that arise: "Artguardian consists of four sensors invisibly attached to the work of art; they register temperatures, humidity, lighting conditions and any bumps or movements", observes Dr. Stephan Guttowski from the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin." It forwards data at regular intervals to a base station located near the work."

Check it out here.

Google's new search by image function

I'm loving Google's new search by image capability. Now you can drop an image into the search box and it not only finds all "similar" images around the Internets, but also all the websites where that image is being used.

Using that function, I've discovered that many of my drawings are being used all over the place without my permission, and I've only researched about a dozen or so pieces.

Example: "Victorious Pict" is a decade old drawing that was part of my Pictish Nation show at the old Georgetown Fraser Gallery.

After using the Google function, I've discovered that the drawing is in use by all these websites all over the planet.

Go play with it.

How to rip off artists?

According to some of the artists whose work is being sold via this website, the fellow human from our northern neighbor who runs it is allegedly ripping off the artists in question, and despite repeated requests to remove their artwork from the site -- from the artists to the website owners -- it has all been apparently ignored.

For all that matters:

Registrant Name: Alex Munin
Registrant Organization: munin.co
Registrant Address1: 172 Vagan Rd.
Registrant City: Toronto
Registrant State/Province: ON
Registrant Postal Code: m6c3a4
Registrant Country: Canada
Registrant Country Code: CA
Registrant Phone Number: +1.6472284753

Lori Earley is one of the artists being allegedly ripped off. Lori's wondrous work has been exhibited in the DMV by the olde Fraser Gallery - decades ago now! Check it out here.

Anybody out there know anything about this? Mr. Munin? Want to respond? (I found his email address and sent him a request for comments).

Any other artists?

We have a possible Comemierda alert.

Update: Looks like the website in question has been taken down since last night!

Heard on Univision

I just heard that the Spanish language TV show Sabado Gigante, a variety show by Chilean-born TV host Mario Kreutzberger Blumenfeld - known to the Latin American television-watching world as Don Francisco - is celebrating its 50th year anniversary.

WOW!

Congrats Don Francisco!

Wanna come to my book signing?

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book on February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

Call for Artists: Bethesda Painting Awards

Deadline: Submissions must be received by Friday, February 24, 2012

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the seventh annual Bethesda Painting Awards. Up to nine finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies.

Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a “Young Artist” whose birthday is after February 24, 1982 may be awarded $1,000. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

All original 2-D paintings including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimensions should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibit.

Each artist must submit either 5 slides, application and a non-refundable fee of $25. Digital entries will be accepted on CD in JPG, GIF or PNG format.

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

Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Or call 301-215-6660 x117.

Mitt's Mexican Dad

"White House hopeful Mitt Romney rarely mentions a key fact as he works to woo Hispanics ahead of Tuesday's Republican presidential nominating contest in Florida -- his own Mexican heritage."

I mentioned this back in 2008, but read the more recent update to the story here.

And if we follow the silly definitions of "Hispanic" or "Latino", then Romney qualifies, since his father was born in a Latin American country, and could be the GOP's second "Hispanic" Presidential candidate!

Uh? Well... you see, since John McCain was actually born in Panama...

Makes my head hurt.

Emilio Sánchez

Without a lot of fanfare, the Smithsonian American Art Museum last year acquired a truckload of paintings by Cuban-born painter Emilio Sánchez, all donated to the SAAM by The Emilio Sánchez Foundation.

See and judge them here.

My favorite Smithsonian acquisition of 2011? So far these three by local DMV artist and metal wizard Chris Shea.

The ones that leave the least impression for me? These three gifts to the SAAM by Sean Scully.

Of course, a lot of that is informed by the fact that the SAAM probably wouldn't take any gifts of my own artwork, were I to offer it to them as a gift.

Just sayin' ...

Book Signing

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book on February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

Call for Artists: Bethesda Painting Awards

Deadline: Submissions must be received by Friday, February 24, 2012

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the seventh annual Bethesda Painting Awards. Up to nine finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies.

Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a “Young Artist” whose birthday is after February 24, 1982 may be awarded $1,000. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

All original 2-D paintings including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimensions should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibit.

Each artist must submit either 5 slides, application and a non-refundable fee of $25. Digital entries will be accepted on CD in JPG, GIF or PNG format.

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

Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Or call 301-215-6660 x117.

Dennis Ritchie

You just gotta read this...

Read it here and then read the comments.

Smithsonian Institution being investigated by Congress

The Committee on House Administration has initiated an investigation into trips to Cuba sponsored by the taxpayer-funded Smithsonian Institution as part of a cultural exchange program.

On Friday, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, praised House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) for looking into the matter, which she publicly drew attention to earlier this month.

Read the article by Debbie Siegelbaum here.

Why is Ros-Lehtinen (who is Cuban-American) doing this? Read that here.

Margaret Bowland and the Stolen Painting - Part II

Remember the whole saga two years ago of how New Mexico art dealer Klaudia Marr allegedly conned the National Portrait Gallery to ship a painting by New York artist Margaret Bowland to a third party who apparently had paid Marr for the painting, even though, according to Bowland, Marr and Bowland had ended their relationship (and Bowland had earlier notified the NPG of this, and claims she has never received a penny from the painting's alleged sale).

Portrait of Kenyetta and Brianna, Oil on linen, 2008. 80 x 72 in. (203.2 x 182.9 cm) by Margaret Bowland
Read this article in the New York Daily News by John Mazulli about a law suit Bowland has filed against the NPG over the loss of her painting. I have obtained a copy of the complaint filed in Federal Court in Brooklyn and it is reproduced below:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
_____________________________________
:MARGARET BOWLAND HARRIS,
:(A.K.A.) MARGARET BOWLAND,
:Case No : _____________
:Plaintiff,
:
:v.
:COMPLAINT
:PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT 28 U.S.C. 1346(b) & 2671-2680
:Defendants.
:THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION &
THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY,
_____________________________________

Plaintiff, by and through counsel, alleges as follows:

PARTIES, JURISDICTION & VENUE

1. Margaret Bowland Harris (“the artist”) lives and has a studio in Kings County, Brooklyn, NY. The artist’s professional name, under which she shows her paintings and is known to the public is Margaret Bowland.
2. The National Portrait Gallery and its parent organization The Smithsonian Institution, both located in Washington, D. C. are two of the most prominent museums and cultural forces in the United States. Both organizations are a part of the United States government.
3. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter and venue is proper because the artist’s residence in Kings County, NY is within the
jurisdiction of this Court. 28 U.S.C. 1402(b) & 1346 (a).
4. The artist initiated her claim by filing a Standard Form 95
with the office of the General Counsel of the National Portrait Gallery on January 12, 2011. This date is within two years of the date of the incident or occurrences which form the basis of this claim.
5. The artist was notified on July`22, 2011 by the Office of the General Counsel of the Smithsonian Institution that her claim had been denied.
6. All preconditions for an action based on the Federal Tort Claims Act having been established, the artist then timely filed this
Complaint.

THE PAINTING AND THE PORTRAIT COMPETITION

7. The artist created a painting in oils on canvas entitled “Portrait of Kenyetta and Brianna,” (“the painting”). The painting is approximately six feet six inches tall and six feet wide and depicts three life size female figures.
8. The painting was exhibited at the Klaudia Marr Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico from October 17, 2008 to November 29, 2008.
9. The Klaudia Marr Gallery was owned and operated by Klaudia Marr (“Marr”).
10. On or about November 15, 2008, the artist was notified that the painting had been selected for the Outwin Boocheever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery (“the NPG”) in Washington D. C.
11. The NPG sent a shipper to pick up the painting at the Klaudia Marr Gallery and deliver it to the NPG on or about November 29, 2008.
12. The artist signed an Incoming Loan Agreement (“the agreement”) dated November 29, 2008 with the NPG. The period of the loan was March 1, 2009 to October 1, 2010.
13. On February 26, 2009, in an email to both the artist and Marr, the NPG stated that Marr had acknowledged that the artist was the legal owner of the painting. Marr never objected to the statement by the NPG that the artist was the legal owner of the painting.
14. The exhibition of paintings from the NPG portrait competition (the exhibition”) opened on October 23, 2009 and ran almost one year, closing on August 29, 2010. The painting was named one of six finalists in the competition and at the end of the show was awarded “The People’s Choice Award.”

THE RETURN OF THE PAINTING

15. Under the terms of the agreement, the painting was to be released by the NPG at the end of the exhibition only to the lender (the artist) unless the NPG was timely notified otherwise in writing by the lender.
16. The artist never notified or authorized the NPG to release the
painting to anyone other than her.
17. Under the terms of the agreement, in case of any change in legal ownership of the painting during the period of the loan, the new owner shall give the NPG legal proof of such a change as soon as possible.
18. The NPG never received notice or legal proof that the ownership of the painting had changed from the artist to anyone else.
19. The credit line used by the NPG during the exhibition and in the catalogue of the exhibition was “From the collection of the artist.”
20. As the exhibition drew to a close, the NPG sent the artist two emails about returning the painting. These emails were sent to an email address that the artist had not used for over a year instead of to the email address the artist had been using for numerous emails between herself and the NPG during the past year. The artist did not receive the emails sent to the old address.
21. The NPG had the artist’s telephone number and street address but did not try to contact her through them. The artist never received any U. S. mail, overnight delivery service mail or telephone calls from the NPG about to whom the painting should be sent.
22. The NPG sent a “carbon copy” to Marr of its second email to the artist on August 27, 2010.
23. Not quite nine hours after the NPG cc’ed Marr with its email to the artist, Marr sent an email to the NPG directing that the painting be sent directly to her client, David Naylor of Santa Fe, New Mexico (Naylor).
24. Despite these facts: that during the exhibition the painting had been credited as being “From the collection of the artist;” that the artist had never authorized the NPG to send the painting to anybody but herself; that the NPG had never received any notice or proof that the painting had an owner other than the artist; and that, once the NPG attempted to confirm where the painting should be sent, the NPG had never contacted the artist by telephone, U. S or overnight mail or by the current email address in its possession, NPG shipped the painting to Naylor.
25. When the artist learned that Naylor had the painting, she contacted him several times in an attempt to either get the painting back or to receive payment for it. Naylor claimed to have already paid Marr for the painting, and to date he has neither returned the painting nor paid the artist anything for it.
26. Marr has never paid the artist anything for the painting.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
BREACH OF CONTRACT

27. By signing the Agreement, the NPG was contractually responsible for returning the painting to the artist.
28. The NPG was in breach of the Agreement when it shipped the painting to Naylor.
29. As a consequence of the NPG’s breach of contract, the artist has been deprived of a valuable work of art which lawfully belonged to her.

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
NEGLIGENCE

31. The NPG owed the artist a duty of care to insure that the painting be returned to the proper person.

32. The NPG failed to take reasonable steps to insure that the painting was shipped to the proper person.
33. Failure to take reasonable steps to insure that the painting be returned to the proper person makes the NPG negligent in its duties to the artist.
34. As a result of the NPG’s negligence toward the artist, the artist has been damaged by being deprived of a valuable work of art which is lawfully hers.

WHEREFORE, plaintiff requests this Court to award compensatory damage of $100,000, against the United States of America, the Smithsonian Institute and the National Portrait Gallery and such other and further relief as appears reasonable.

Dated: January 19, 2012
New York, NY

Update: Read Court House News take on the issue here.

Update 2: Read an almost personal attack on Bowland by Julia Halperin in ArtInfo.com here

Book Signing

There will be a book signing for my 100 Artists of Washington, DC book on February 16 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the gorgeous BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, Maryland.

Bring your own book (buy it at Amazon here) or get a copy from me at the Center (it will be cheaper at Amazon).

Many of the artists in the book will be there, so this is also a good opportunity to get your copy signed by them as well.

I will also be giving a talk about how this book came to be, and the selection process (an update) for the next two volumes.

BlackRock Center for the Arts
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

301.528.2260 (administrative offices)
301.528.2266 (fax)
info@blackrockcenter.org (e-mail)

See ya there!

Zhang Daqian Surpasses Picasso As Top Auction Earner

Chinese artist Zhang Daqian has knocked Picasso from a very high pedestal.

The artist generated $506.7 million from auctions in 2011 alone. Close behind the best-seller was another Chinese artist, Qi Baishi. Warhol was third ($324.8 million) and Picasso ($311.6 million) -- the former top seller -- took fourth. Another Chinese artist, Xu Beihong rounded out the top five with $212.9 million in sales.

Read the whole story here.

New book for 2012?

Just stirring to get a new art book out for 2012... all the stuff has to be done in 2-3 months in order to get a end of year publication.

For 100 Artists of Washington, DC I turned all the material into the publisher by August 2010, and yet the book didn't come out until April of the next year!

By the way, there will be a book signing on February 16, 2012 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m at the BlackRock Arts Center in Germantown.