29th Annual Mayor's Arts Awards

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has announced the special honorees and finalists of the 29th Annual Mayor's Arts Awards. The awards are the highest honors conferred by the District of Columbia in recognition of artistic excellence and service.  The event will take place on Wednesday, October 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the renowned Lisner Auditorium. Andrea Roane, Morning Anchor, WUSA 9, will host the evening's festivities. The Awards ceremony is free and open to the public.

Special awards will be given to several individuals and organizations, recognizing their outstanding support to DC's arts, entertainment, and creative industries. This year's chosen finalists demonstrate the wide range of talent the District of Columbia arts community has to offer. Finalists were selected by the Mayor's Arts Awards Advisory Jury comprised of prominent members of the District's arts community with expertise in dance, music, theatre, literary arts, visual arts, arts service and arts education. 

Those receiving special recognition are Dr. James Billington, The Librarian of Congress; Cathy Hughes, Chairperson, Radio One and TV One; Maida Withers, founder and artistic director of Maida Withers Dance Construction Company; Victor Shargai, theater advocate and interior designer, Victor Shargai and Associates Inc.; and Rebecca and Hugo Medrano, founders, GALA Hispanic Theatre.

The finalists for the 29th Annual Mayor's Arts Awards are:

Excellence in an Artistic Discipline

• Children's Chorus of Washington
• DC Jazz Festival
• The In Series
• Washington Jewish Film Festival

Excellence in Service to the Arts

• DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative
• Washington Project for the Arts
• Women in Film & Video

Innovation in the Arts

• The Embassy Series
• Lance Kramer
• Urban Corps Transatlantic Urban Dance Festival

Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education

• 826DC
• DC SCORES
• Washington Performing Arts Society
• Young Playwrights' Theater

Outstanding Emerging Artist

• Tarik Davis
• Rachel Kerwin
• Alan Paul
• Tommy Taylor Jr.

Excellence in Arts Teaching

• Nakia Espinal
• Bryan Hill
• Garwin Zamora

"The District of Columbia is a national and international arts leader largely due to the drive and talents of our city's artistic individuals and organizations," said Mayor Gray. "This year's nominees celebrate DC's cultural capital and spotlight the significance of our city's vibrant arts and entertainment community. Arts education, artistic service and the myriad contributions of local artists influence our city and make it a great place to create."

"The Mayor's Arts Awards celebrates the District's thriving and diverse arts community," said Judith Terra, Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "The nominees represent the artists, arts organizations and educators who have made the District a world-class cultural capital." 

 "The Commission is proud to honor the District's premier individual artists and arts organizations," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "The District's arts, entertainment and creative industries are booming, contributing to our sustainability and helping to make the city a better place to live, work and play."

Since 1968, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities has supported community development through the arts by promoting artistic excellence. The Commission's commitment to raising the profile of the arts in the District of Columbia continues through the Mayor's Arts Awards. This year's awards will be presented in the following categories: Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, Excellence in Service to the Arts, Innovation in the Arts, Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Outstanding Emerging Artist and the Mayor's Award for Arts Teaching.

Studio B

Studio B

7475 Wisconsin Avenue

Studio B, located in the lower level of 7475 Wisconsin Avenue, is home to artists Linda Button, Judy Gilbert Levey, Steve Hay and Songmi Heart. Each artist creates, showcases and sells their work onsite.

Go see their work and buy art!

Curious

Do the people who clean airplanes in between flights have a new, special protocol for cleaning commercial airplanes coming from Ebola hot zones?

A few thoughts on (e)merge and the theory of Thermodynamics

The fourth edition of the (e)merge art fair just concluded on Sunday, and I feel pretty sure that I can take a decent shot at guessing that the fifth iteration will come next year.

I remember how surprised the DMV art scribes were in announcing (e)merge's return for a second iteration in 2012. After all, the international art fair model, so successful in most of the planet's capitals had been tried  before here, most recently by ArtDC, and had been an abject failure.

The DMV "art press" was really surprised!

"People in DC just don't buy art," will tell you failed gallerists and failed art dealers (and most DMV artists).

In any endeavor, the reasons for failures usually appear to trump the reasons for success (and thus why many slackers love socialism as long as somebody else is willing to work hard), and thus the scribes' 2012 surprise that (e)merge was returning was but a true representation of shock from the scant DC area art press; they all but expected for (e)merge to fail. 

When it came back in 2013, and again this year, the surprise was somewhat lessened, and the hardworking bloggers added impetus to the drive. The mainstream media's "lessened surprised" will hopefully never be replaced by the DMV mainstream media's usual attitude towards the capital region's visual arts: apathy.

In fact the WaPo is a 2014 sponsor - Yay!

Back on track: It is clear that (e)merge's continuity is mostly the result of Connersmith's dynamic duo partners' hard work and faith on the DMV visual arts future.  Jamie Smith and Leigh Conner are savvy, experienced and connected art world personalities, and they are not afraid of hard work, extraordinary leaps of faith on the promise of the future, as well as the occasional ass kick... to make things happen. 

But I think that the most positive result to that unexpected continuity for DC's only art fair model (and as I think the near future will show) is that (e)merge is now providing a bridge to what can best be described as a kindling new revival to the DMV visual art scene.

Think warmth.

The "outside the DMV" art cabal is sensing something here in the area... I know this because there's no one on this planet that knows more about the DMV visual art scene than I do.

That was not irony, that is fact, and my evidence is that I am constantly getting emailed, queried, called, probed and asked for data, info, opinion and input about a diverse and mind-blowing set of issues all centered on the focus of DMV visual arts... this has happened for years, after all, I am an eloquent, erudite, outgoing, high IQ, likable, sexy, good-looking, hard working person who doesn't think of any of this stuff as "work."

Newspaper editors, everybody else's art critics, radio, art fair organizers, artists, gallerists, blah, blah, blah... they are all always reaching out to me for the most precious thing on the universe: Information.

And there's a theory (actually a law) of thermodynamics that is also adapted to other fields and now often used to predict (of all things) a virus or cyberspace attack (before it happens) based on the second law of thermodynamics as exemplified by the flow of hot water through a pipe... cough, cough.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you probably are really, really good at what you do, but stand zip chance of being invited to join Mensa.

And that law of thermodynamics, which when first discussed over a decade ago in application to cyberspace traffic was laughed at, can now routinely be applied to nearly everything dealing with information.

The DMV visual art scene's water is warming up folks... and (e)merge's continuity is a big part of it... is it the gas heater heating the pipe? or the warming water running though it? Not sure, and there's very little tangible evidence to prove what I am submitting here, but listen to the Lenster when he tells you that there are a lot of excited Rydberg atoms in the DMV visual arts waters, as the temperature of a group of particles (of which (e)merge is a key one) is always a great indication of the level of excitation of a system.

There are (of course) notable exceptions to this rule, such as systems that exhibit negative temperature -- like the DMV mainstream press, which (ever since Gene Robinson killed the visual arts coverage of the Washington Post's Style Section a few years ago when he was sadly made the Style Section editor for a disastrous few years), continues to fail to inform its diminishing readership about the plastic arts.

When it all happens, whatever it is about to happen with the DMV visual arts scene in the near future, they will be surprised and shocked once again...

Go (e)merge! See ya next year! And... Thank You!

Emergence 2014 at Galerie Myrtis

Artists’ Talk

Sunday, October 19, 2014
2:00 – 4:00 pm

Join Galerie Myrtis for an engaging afternoon as artists and jurors share their prospective about the exhibition.

Register for this event by sending an email to emergence2014@galeriemyrtis.com

• view the exhibition
• read editorial by artsy.net
• about the artists
• about the jurors
• Visit their video library to watch past artist talks.

"Eyes" is the word that we've heard...

Over the weekend I heard from a gallery (not a DMV gallery) that sold a huge new piece by a DMV uberartist for $80,000!

The very cool part is that, if YOU had been on the ball, you too could have had work by this artist in your collection, just a handful of years ago, for a fistful of dollars.

More later once I verify details...

P.S. - By the way... I was on the ball back then... cough, cough

ProPanels at (e)merge

Another option to show work at (e)merge is to use ProPanels -- it is a truckload of work to haul these panels to the second floor, but they allow galleries to hang much heavier work than Command hook allow. It also provides a way to hang some lights on the panels.

In this pic by Anne Marchand, you can see work by Simon Monk on the rear, a sculpture by Elissa-Farrow-Savos on the pedestal and a video piece by me... behind me.

(e)merge on Saturday

Remind me to remind myself that when the Nats are playing, it is not a good idea to be driving around the ballpark when the game ends.

In case you're wondering what a room at the (e)merge art fair looks like, here's the corner showing the work of Judith Peck on the dark wall and Jeannette Herrera on the console and one of my pieces on the stripey wall.

Three of a kind at (e)merge

Tim Vermeulen, Lenny Campello and Judith Peck
(e)merge art fair, Washington, DC
Rooms 205-206, Capitol Skyline Hotel
Photo by Akemi Maegawa

VIP night at (e)merge

Pretty impressive opening at (e)merge last night... good crowds, including significant presence by many of the DMV's museum curators, directors and independent curators, and (of course) the ebullient Mera Rubell.

We had some good opening night sales - five of my pieces and one of Elissa Farrow-Savos' major sculptures (see image to the right), which went to the collection of a well-known DMV art collector.

And a shout out to DMV uberartist Victor Ekpuk, who bought my piece in the WPA's room at (e)merge; it is always an honor when a fellow artist buys your work!

Come visit in rooms 205-206!

Estate of David Seymour (CHIM)

The CHIM collection website has opened at the Library of Congress: David Seymour (CHIM) Photograph Collection.  

 

These photos emphasize the Spanish Civil War period, and I am told that more will be added.  There will be a November public reception in DC, and as soon as I find out more, I will let you know about that. 

Here is the link to the Chim website: http://davidseymour.com/

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline:  November 7, 2014

Exhibition Dates:  November 22, 2014 - January 10, 2015

Internationally known Projects Gallery announces a call to artists for “Square Foot Art Basel Miami Redux.”  During this year’s world-acclaimed Art Basel Miami, Projects Gallery will again create a mosaic-style wall in its trendy Wynwood Lofts gallery in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami.  A minimum of 100 artists will be selected on a first-come basis.  Creating a grid comprised of 12”x12” individual spaces with works of all styles and media, Projects Gallery will provide artists an opportunity to be part of the Art Basel Miami art fairs events.  This remarkable gathering of international art fairs and renown emerging venues, such as Aqua, Art Miami, Concept, NADA, Pulse, Red Dot, Select, Scope and numerous others, creates an arts-conscious concentration uniquely found in Miami every year in early December.  It attracts collectors, curators and artists worldwide in a variety of settings with a level of enthusiasm and energy that is fitting for this international destination.

Open to all artists working in all styles and media.  The only requirement is that all works must conform to a dimension of 12”H x 12”W, inclusive of any framing.  Juried by Projects Gallery Director, Helen Hyder, and international artist, Frank Hyder, the first 100 artists to apply are guaranteed at least one space on the grid. 
 

Full prospectus available at http://www.projectsgallery.com/prospectus_SquareFootABMRedux.html.

Questions?  Contact info@projectsgallery.com or call 267-303-9652.       

Maura Judkis on Artists' Lofts

Check out this very cool article by the WaPo's Maura Judkis...

WPA changes

From the Washington Projects for the Arts

I'm thrilled to share with you today that Washington Project for the Arts has revealed a dynamic new visual identity, including a complete redesign of our website and an enhanced ArtFile Online.

Several months ago, we engaged ripe, a DC-based design studio, to help us develop a bold new "look and feel" for WPA. Informed and inspired by our vision for the future, the modern and forward-thinking design strengthens our position as the largest visual arts based membership organization in the DC area.

The clean aesthetic and black and white palette allows our artists' work to be the focus - across all platforms. The website offers an opportunity for increased interactivity between our artists and audience by making ArtFile Online - our signature service for member artists - the centerpiece of the site, giving greater accessibility to artists' work for viewing and purchase.

The rebrand is part of our larger organizational strategic plan, timed to our upcoming move to a vibrant space in the U Street corridor cultural district and our 40-year anniversary milestone in 2015.

It is an exciting time to be a part of WPA! I hope you'll take a few minutes to check out the website and connect with us at one of our many upcoming events. Stay tuned for future updates by following us on Facebook and Twitter @wpadc.

Thanks for your support!

Lisa Gold

Executive Director, WPA

The Senate and the First Amendment

I heard on the radio today that the Senate is advancing a Democratic bill to amend the Constitution so that Congress would have the authority to regulate political speech... I thought this must be wrong... until I Googled it... WTF? 

Are they smoking dope in the Senate? Why is anyone wasting time trying to change this:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship program

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship program offers $8,000 in awards to professional artists, $6,000 in awards to graduate students, and $4,000 in awards to undergraduate students. Applicants may apply in the disciplines of Crafts, Drawing, Film/Video, Mixed Media, New/Emerging Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Art History (graduate students only). 

All applicants must be legal residents of Virginia and student applicants must be enrolled full-time in degree-seeking programs. 

The deadline for Fellowship applications is November 7, 2014. Full eligibility criteria, an application, and a printable PDF flyer can be found on this website.

Petty Officer Third Class, Naples, Italy

 That's an oil portrait of me done by an Italian artist in Naples, Italy during a port visit by USS Saratoga in the summer of 1975. The US Navy used to allow beards back then...

Simon Monk at (e)merge

"Mind the Store"
Oil and Alkyds on Wood by Simon Monk

British painter Simon Monk will be featured at the (e)merge art fair next week in the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

We will be in rooms 205 and 206.

In addition to Monk's amazing work, we will also feature the work of DMV artists Audrey Wilson, Judith Peck, Tim Vermeulen and Elissa Farrow-Savos (who sold over a dozen sculptures at (e)merge last year!).

We will also show the work of former DMV painter (and now a California girl) Jeannette Lilith Herrera.

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline, On-Line Gallery:  February 1, 2015

 

BRASH, Washington, DC area poet of Artomatic fame, has written a poem titled "The Journey" that addresses recovery.  BRASH and the team at www.addictionandart.org now challenge visual artists to follow suit.

 

Submission guidelines for the challenge and the on-line gallery are at www.addictionandart.org - a site inspired by the book Addiction and Art (Santora, Dowell and Henningfield - Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010).  

 

This site, which in turn has inspired addiction related art exhibitions nationwide, receives significant traffic and the site's images are used (non-commercially) worldwide for the good of mankind by schools, treatment centers, community programs, and the general public.

Julian Navarro to direct Context Art Miami

Art Miami LLC has announced the appointment of Julian Navarro as Director of CONTEXT Art Miami - Miami's international emerging, mid-career cutting edge art fair which launched in 2012. Art Miami LLC annually presents CONTEXT during Miami Art Week, in addition to their International Contemporary and Modern Art Fair, Art Miami, which is celebrating its 25th year along with Aqua Art Miami. And most importantly, that's the art fair that we will be doing this coming December!

After a comprehensive selection process, involving several national and international candidates, it was determined that Julian Navarro was the appropriate choice to continue to grow and elevate the importance of the CONTEXT Art Miami fair.

"The appointment of Julian Navarro to the position of Director of the CONTEXT fair will strengthen the importance of the relationship between participating galleries, artists, collectors, curators, art professionals, the Fairs selection committee and the overall curatorial program", said Art Miami LLC Partner & Director, Nick Korniloff. Julian Navarro has been promoting the work of established and emerging artists focusing on contemporary art, from conceptual work to large-scale installation, performance and sound art. Since 2001, Julian has developed art projects nationally and internationally in collaboration with galleries and art institutions.

CONTEXT is the sister fair to Art Miami dedicated to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists. CONTEXT Art Miami's open atmosphere creates a meaningful dialogue between artists, galleries and collectors while providing the ultimate platform for the presentation of cutting-edge and emergent talent. Eighty international galleries, vetted by the CONTEXT Selection Committee, exhibit highlights from their gallery programs, solo artist exhibitions and curated projects. The combined efforts of CONTEXT and Art Miami provide a unique and alternative opportunity for leading primary dealers and their artists to be marketed and promoted internationally during the most important week for contemporary art in America.

In addition to its roster of international exhibitors, CONTEXT Art Miami will present curatorial projects, solo and special exhibitions as part of its 2014 edition. The full list of exhibitors and programming will be announced later this month.

Opportunity for Artists

LINES DRAWN: America's Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A JURIED EXHIBIT
LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue 

Artists resident in the United States are invited to submit original works of art for a juried exhibit timed to the 2014 Congressional elections; the exhibit will open Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery in Washington, DC.

Works of art submitted for this exhibit should provide visual evidence of social, economic or political issues which the artist believes are being ignored or inadequately addressed by our Government and political leaders due to the extreme partisanship and political paralysis which characterize Washington today. Artists may also submit artwork which examines the causes of the current political paralysis and/or focuses attention on those political leaders the artist holds responsible for the current paralysis/breakdown of our political system.

SUBMISSIONS: Please send no more than 2 high resolution jpegs of each work, its dimensions, suggested retail price (gallery commission 40 per cent) and Artist’s Statement for each work to LINESDRAWN2014@gmail.com

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 3, 2014

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: Please limit your statement to 150 words. It should state the issue the art work addresses and why the artist believes the issue is important to the future well-being of our country.

SELECTION PROCESS: All work submitted for this exhibit will be reviewed, and the winning entries selected, by a jury of experts selected by Washington’s Millennium Arts Salon.

NOTIFICATION OF WINNING SUBMISSIONS: Artists whose work has been selected for the exhibit will be notified on Sunday, October 5th and will be expected to have their work delivered to the Gallery no later than Thursday, October 9, 2014.

THE EXHIBIT: LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue will open on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery /1300 13th Street NW, Washington,. DC 20005

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE See Future Exhibitions at www.charleskrausereporting.com or contact Charles Krause at ckrause@charleskrausereporting.com

Art studio space to rent in Bethesda...

Space available for rent NOW.  

Great group of women artists... Collegial atmosphere and a great location— Easy access to Bethesda Metro and public parking.  $201 per month for one year (+ insurance), with additional year on current lease.

For more information and to see space please contact Jane:  jrostov@verizon.net

2014 Marvel 75th Anniversary Iron Fist sketch card by Campello

2014 Marvel 75th Anniversary sketch card 

The card is officially licensed by Marvel

Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has announced the programming for the annual art festival Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC -- it will be expanding across the city on September 27, 2014.

Art All Night presents an eclectic evening of music, visual and performing artists. Based on a festival concept that began in Paris, Art All Night offers residents and visitors an exciting opportunity to engage with DC arts and artists. Programming includes live painting, performances by local musicians, poetry readings and exterior lighting displays. Art All Night activates and enlivens neighborhoods with arts and cultural activities, contributing to the vibrancy of the city.

Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC will begin at 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 27 and conclude at 3:00 am Sunday, September 28. A full listing of programming is available online at www.artallnightdc.com. Additional information can be found at www.dcarts.dc.gov.

The DC festival was founded in 2011 by Creative Director Ariana Austin, who is this year's project coordinator and was presented by Shaw Main Streets.This year, through the efforts of DCCAH, the festival will also include the Dupont Circle, North Capitol, H Street NE, Congress Heights, and Shaw Main Streets. Each of the five neighborhoods will host their own unique mix of artistic programming for audiences to enjoy free of charge. The DC Main Streets program is funded by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development. DCCAH hopes to build on the success of previous events that attracted audiences of up to 15,000 people in one night.

"The Commission has supported Art All Night since its first activation, and we are thrilled to be able to expand it across the city for even more to participate," said Judith Terra, Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Art All Night is a fun and festive event that engages all residents across the city. With this festival, Washington, DC joins a global network of Nuit Blanche all-night arts events, that started in Paris in 2002 and has captivated audiences from Montreal to Melbourne."

"Art All Night is a great example of how the arts drive economic development through creative place-making," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "The event is a great mechanism for increasing foot traffic to the neighborhoods and businesses, while spotlighting local arts and culture."

Scotland Independence Vote

Scottish voters (starting at the age of 16) are voting today in an attempt to once again secede from the 307 year-old union with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A union that was started by a Scottish king, not an English king.

I love Scotland - I lived there from 1989-1992 and was seduced by one of the most beautiful nations on the planet and some of the hardest working, smart, people on the same planet... when you are in Scotland, and walk around the glens, and see the sun poke a hole in the clouds and shine on this planet's greenest pastures, one understands why people believe in magic. And thus my my heart says yes to independence, but the Scottish National Party -- like most politicians on the planet - are a bunch of crooks with half lies, empty promises and jingoistic fervor that history teaches us leads to no good end! What they have promised the Scots, if they vote yes, has been built mostly on deceit and promises of a super nanny state funded by disputed oil resources in the North Sea.

In spite of that, I would think that I would let my heart rule and I would vote yes to secede and take my own chances as an independent nation of very tough, brilliant people... same for the Catalans, who are in a similar situation in Scotland's ancestral home in Spain...

Here's what I'm afraid of -- if they secede...

1. The English will force them off the pound - as they should! Why would Scotland vote to leave, but keep the old currency?

2. They will also boycott any attempt by Scotland to join the European union - Even if they don't, it will take years for the Scots to join the EU.

3. They will actively work to isolate Scotland and teach those Celts a lesson!

4. Scotland is essentially a rural country with a very strong sense of identity, but lacks an industrial infrastructure - because the English have designed it that way for centuries; even the shipbuilding in Scotland is dependent on English imports.

5. The international courts will rule against Scotland for the oil wells outside of the CTML 12 mile limit - this is where future funding for the SNP nanny state is supposed to come from...

6. Scotland will depend on imports to form an industrial base.

7. The English will work to make that difficult.

8. A desperate Scotland will present a BRILLIANT opportunity for China (or Putin) to step in and "help the Scots."

Result? English arrogance and ethnic insolence (they consider Scots as WOGS) - will push the Scots into the arms of the old Reds and the new Reds; Mark my words... So I hope the Scots vote no. And of course... "IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH ---- IT'S CRAP!"

Need to borrow...

A call out to the DMV arts audience: I am in need to borrow two sets of Pro-panels (http://www.propanels.com) for (e)merge art fair next month... I just need them for about a week during the fair and will gladly trade a piece of original art for them... 

Send me a note if you can lend me some and I will pick them up and return them after the fair.

Live Art Auction at Katzen

The AU Museum exhibit "Estate Art of H. Marc Moyens" will close this Saturday Sept. 20 for Fall for the Arts. The day of art classes, spontaneous performances and fun for the whole family ends with an auction of art from Moyens' collection.

Moyens' collection is unique - the museum exhibited works from the collection in 2006, Remembering Marc and Komei, to rave reviews. Moyens has an interesting back story; he left France in 1946 with $40 in his pocket and arrived in Washington. He became a translator at the World Bank and began to collect art. By 1970, the Corcoran Gallery of Art honored him with an exhibition of his collection. He regularly attended the biennial exhibitions at Venice, São Paulo, Tokyo and Paris as well as Documenta, the Guggenheim and Pittsburg Internationals, the Salons de Mai and Whitney Annuals. According to one review: "At the core of Mr. Moyens’ sensibility is a taste for the fantastic, the magical, and the surreal expressed with realistic detail… Another characteristic common to all of these works is a particularly European pleasure in materials, care and craft of application, and preciousness in handling and feeling… an essentially European and cosmopolitan sensibility.” 

As Moyens' collection grew, he opened his own gallery, Gallery Marc in 1969. Six years later, he joined forces with Komei Wachi to open Gallery K. Besides the great European works in the collection, Moyens also bought the works of important Washington artists represented in the auction, artists like Ed Bisese, James Bumgardner, “Big Al” Carter, Pat Craig, Betsy Falk, Ruby McLain Grady, Robert Hynes, Alfred McAdams, Jody Mussoff, Franklin White, and Washington ex-pats John Harne and Alan Stone. There are also examples of American Folk Art, and Latin-American and Southwestern landscape painting of extremely high quality. Moyens and Wachi both passed away in 2003.

Fall for the Arts is a fundraiser, and all proceeds benefit the arts at AU. Tickets are $25 and $10 for students and those under 18. For workshop schedules, online tickets, and auction information, visit the Fall for the Arts website here.

See the auction items and then and bid here.

There are some great deals to be had in this auction, for example:

Robert Hynes Joe's Soluner Tables, 1976
Graphite on paper, 23 x 27 in.
Starting Bid: $100

Congrats!

Congrats to the Nats on clinching the division title!

Red Dirt Studio is moving - Party!!!

Firehouse PARTY and Fundraiser!

 

Saturday, September 27 from 4-10 pm

 

4051 34th Street, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712 

(a couple blocks up from GLUT food co-op and Ani Kasten Ceramics)

 

In the early hours: kid-friendly stuff sponsored by Joe's Movement Emporium and Art Works Now, plus steel drums performance...

 

And!!

 

Featuring a special aerial performance by Red Dirt's own, circus professional Kirsty Little --- Kirsty owned her own circus in England (The Wrong Size) and moved to the United States a couple years ago to study performance art.

In the later hours: exciting new compositions by Marc Blackwood's band, InnerLoop, featuring Jill Warren on vocals, plus...

 

They've reserved a keg of Franklin's recent limited edition special brew--come check it out!

 

They've also got Red Dirt t-shirts for sale, and some other awesome stuff...

 

And, they're launching an Indiegogo site on or near same day to begin their fundraising campaign.

Click "join" and look for updates on their Facebook FIREHOUSE FUNDRAISER + PARTY event page here...

Capitol File magazine

The kid on Capitol File magazine... cough, cough

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Call to Artists

Call to Artists

WHAT: A Fine Art Festival 

WHERE: Bethesda, MD

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday 

           May 9-10, 2015
           Saturday 10-6; Sunday, 10-5 

 

NOTEWORTHY: 

*Complimentary breakfast and lunch for participating artists. 

*Free parking within 1 block. 

*Limited to 140 booth spaces of juried fine art and fine craft.

*Estimated attendance: 20,000. 

*$2,500 in cash awards. 

*24-hour security. 

*Booth sitters. 

*Entry/booth fees: $30/$425 (10x10); $850 (10x20).

*For more details about the show, click HERE

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival was ranked #78 of the 200 Best Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine in September, 2008, making it the highest ranked fine art festival in Maryland.  Extremely wealthy community: Average household income, $129,440; median housing value, $734,614. Knowledgeable, art buying public attends. Artists report consistently high sales every year. Electronic application available on the festival's website. 

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Show-Rate Score: 87

Additional details about the festival may be found at:  www.theartfestivaldirectory.com

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS: 

Application Deadline: 12/05/14   

Notification: 01/23/15

Booth Fees Due: 02/13/15    

Online application available at:
http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/arts-festival-application

Opportunity for Artists

LINES DRAWN: America's Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A JURIED EXHIBIT
LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue 

Artists resident in the United States are invited to submit original works of art for a juried exhibit timed to the 2014 Congressional elections; the exhibit will open Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery in Washington, DC.

Works of art submitted for this exhibit should provide visual evidence of social, economic or political issues which the artist believes are being ignored or inadequately addressed by our Government and political leaders due to the extreme partisanship and political paralysis which characterize Washington today. Artists may also submit artwork which examines the causes of the current political paralysis and/or focuses attention on those political leaders the artist holds responsible for the current paralysis/breakdown of our political system.

SUBMISSIONS: Please send no more than 2 high resolution jpegs of each work, its dimensions, suggested retail price (gallery commission 40 per cent) and Artist’s Statement for each work to LINESDRAWN2014@gmail.com

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 3, 2014

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: Please limit your statement to 150 words. It should state the issue the art work addresses and why the artist believes the issue is important to the future well-being of our country.

SELECTION PROCESS: All work submitted for this exhibit will be reviewed, and the winning entries selected, by a jury of experts selected by Washington’s Millennium Arts Salon.

NOTIFICATION OF WINNING SUBMISSIONS: Artists whose work has been selected for the exhibit will be notified on Sunday, October 5th and will be expected to have their work delivered to the Gallery no later than Thursday, October 9, 2014.

THE EXHIBIT: LINES DRAWN: America’s Artists Look Beyond the Politics of Red and Blue will open on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at CHARLES KRAUSE/REPORTING FINE ART Gallery /1300 13th Street NW, Washington,. DC 20005

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE See Future Exhibitions at www.charleskrausereporting.com or contact Charles Krause at ckrause@charleskrausereporting.com

New G'town mural

Check out this gorgeous new mural by DMV artist Sidney Lawrence... Stays up til Oct 15 on M & 30th in Georgetown.

Lest we forget

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

DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES 2014 Annual Meeting

DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Cordially invites you to 

The 2014 Annual Meeting

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

6:30pm - 7:00pm | Networking | Gallery @ 200 I St.

7:00pm - 8:00pm | Public Meeting | Multi-Purpose Room

200 I Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003

As members of the creative community your attendance and participation are vital to the success of our agency. We invite you to take part in our Annual Meeting and offer your feedback on how we can best serve the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.

 Please RSVP here  by Friday, September 19, 2014. 

Free and open to the public.

Light refreshments will be served.

Limited seating, admittance as space is available.

For more information call 202-724-5613.

BODY/BUILDING at Maurine Littleton

The Maurine Littleton Gallery will be presenting BODY/BUILDING.... a group interdisciplinary exhibit of thought, architecture and art.

 

Featuring the work of Erwin Eisch, Nancy Genn, Sergei Isupov, Iliya Isopov, DMV über artist Michael Janis, Richard Jolley, Dorothy Simpson Krause, David Dodge Lewis, Stanislav Libensky, Colin Reid, Ginny Ruffner, Joe Sanders, Holis Sigler, James Tanner and Therman Statom.

BODY/BUILDING... From the press release: "investigates radically different subject matter approached with similar sensibilities. Exploring human and architectural forms through Vitreographs (prints made from glass plates), ceramics and glass sculpture, each artist conveys structure & relationships in literal, figurative and poetic terms.

 

The human form and its relationship to the things we make, has transfixed architect and artist a like for centuries. The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius believed the precise mathematical relationships that exist in the human body should be followed in architecture. Plato opined that by defining a singular human archetype, it was possible to create environments that would be universally appealing and accessible to all. As our identities become more complex and our relationships with each other more interconnected, mankind still seeks to find a harmony where the body and space blurs.

 

Alternately eloquent and visceral, BODY/BUILDING offers a collection of what most fascinates us: our bodies, our buildings and our relationships. The works contained within are inclined to represent just enough so that we, the viewer, are encouraged/obliged to imagine the rest: the rest of the building, the rest of the body, but most importantly, the rest of the story."

 

Maurine Littleton Gallery

1667 Wisconsin Ave. N.E.; Washington, DC

Voyage of Discovery at McLean

Lida Moser's Book

Children, Valley of Matapedia, Quebec by Lida Moser 1950

I've been getting some emails about people asking about Lida Moser and the curious fact that although she was the author of multiple books on photography, there are no books about her photography.

There is one book about Lida Moser. It was published in 1982 and it is titled Quebec a l'ete. These days you can only find it in rare book dealers, where it sells for over $1,000.

Lida wanted to publish another book, and she applied multiple times to the Bader Fund to try to get the funds needed to catalog her photographs and publish a book,  but she was never funded by them.

I'm gathering the idea to work with Schiffer Books (my publisher) to see if they are interested in doing a book on her photographs.

Feels like 18!

Sandra Ramos at the Katzen

Curator Diane Camber, me, Sandra Ramos and Mayer Fine Arts' Sheila Giolitti at Sandra Ramos' members preview last night at the Katzen Museum at American University.

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Curated by Diane Camber, this exhibition is comprised of prints, video, collage, and installations created by Cuban artist Sandra Ramos. This artist reflects on the conflicting experiences of living in her beloved homeland with all of its many challenges. Her work often takes a narrative form in which she depicts herself as a child-like explorer or modern day Alice in Wonderland. Ramos' prints and mixed media works feature exquisite craftsmanship and use of color and naiveté, tempered by wit and irony. This exhibition reflects the mordant wit for which Cubans are famous, as well as a kind of nostalgia and exuberance particular to the artist.