How to price artwork

From Saatchi: 

When pricing your art, it is important to adopt a consistent fact-based price structure. As an artist, you should be prepared to explain how and why you set your price. Prices need to be based on recent sales, the cost of labor and material, and comparisons with similar works. The price of your artwork should also include any packaging costs you might incur if the work sells (you don't need to factor in shipping costs as those will be paid for by the person who buys your work). Compare your art to what sells, not what does not sell. It's a good idea to have artworks in a range of prices in your portfolio, as this will widen the net of people who may be interested in your work.  

See their FAQs here.

Next week!

Three things your photography website better get right

See them here.

Artomatic Returns!

Artomatic returns for its signature free art event to be held this year in Hyattsville, Maryland. Artomatic draws over 1000 artists and performers throughout the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area to showcase their talents for a six weeks long free exhibition that routinely attracts more than 75,000 visitors.

This year, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Department of Parks and Recreation welcomes Artomatic to Prince George’s County in a 90,000 square foot space, located at 8100 Corporate Drive in Hyattsville with a Halloween themed opening weekend celebration.

Artomatic is well-known for transforming empty spaces into vibrant arts communities that create unique and exciting events for tens of thousands of visitors - all free to visit. Anyone can show art at Artomatic - it is non-juried and art is selected on a first-come, first serve basis - so it’s a great way to discover new art. In addition to creative art, Artomatic also features a plethora of performing art forms throughout the exhibition – live music, dance, spoken word, comedy as well as professional development series and special events showcases.  Every night of the event, thousands of people visit Artomatic to discover new art, grab a drink, listen to music, go on dates, and mingle with the creative community. No matter what kind of creative events you like, you’ll find something to like at Artomatic.

“We’re excited to be working with the M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation who, like Artomatic, understand the importance of art to help foster community,” said George Koch, Founder and Chair Emeritus. “Our diversity of artwork is unmatched because both emerging and established artists present their work side by side, which helps attract the broadest range of visitors.”

“It is our pleasure to host such a renowned art experience in Prince George’s County which complements the numerous arts offerings of the County and the Department of Parks and Recreation,” says Ronnie Gathers, Director of the M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation. “Artomatic will also help provide visibility for the thriving artists and art districts in the community, like the Hyattsville Arts District.”

Visitors will enjoy easy access to Artomatic with the New Carrolton METRO Station, as well as plenty of parking and bus stops nearby.

For the latest information about the event, how to participate, and when to visit, please subscribe to Artomatic by email or Facebook, or visit our website at www.artomatic.org.

What:  Artomatic 2015

When:  October 30th – December 12th

Where:  8100 Corporate Drive, Hyattsville, Maryland

Metro:  New Carrollton, Orange line

Who:  Artists, and everyone. This event is free.

Event Registration:     Registration details on how to exhibit work, perform, or volunteer at Artomatic will be available soon. Please subscribe to Artomatic by email or Facebook, and check the Artomatic website for updates.

Website:  Artomatic.org.

Social Media:  Facebook: Facebook.com/Artomatic Twitter: @ARTOMATIC

Good bye Yogi

"When you get to a fork in the road... take it." - Yogi Berra

Application Deadlines‏

Two Important Application Deadlines Approaching - Artist Fellowship in Sculpture, and Teaching Artist Roster

Artist Fellowship in SCULPTURE - Applications must be received by the Commission on or before 5:00 pm, October 1, 2015    Eligibility Artists who are legal residents of Virginia. Artists who plan to remain a Virginia resident during the grant period. A legal resident possesses a valid Virginia driver's license and/or pays income taxes in Virginia and/or is a registered Virginia voter. Artist who are 18 years of age. Artists may receive only one fellowship from the Commission within any four-year period. Amount of Assistance Four artists will be considered for fellowship awards of $3,000.  Artists are not required to provide matching funds. More Information & Application, here: http://www.arts.virginia.gov/grants_fellowship.html

Teaching Artist Roster- Completed applications including support documentation are due to the Commission office no later than 5:00 pm on either October 1, 2015 Eligibility A Teaching Artist applicant must be: 18 years of age or older at the time of applying; a resident of Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and/or the District of Columbia; a professional artist with expertise in one or more arts disciplines; skilled in working with children, youth, teachers, adults, seniors, veterans, and/or other populations; committed to differentiated instruction and effective teaching methods to reach all learners.  FULL-TIME STUDENTS ARE INELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE TEACHING ARTIST ROSTER. More Information & Application, here: http://www.arts.virginia.gov/roster_howto.html

Foundry Gallery has moved

The Foundry has moved to a cool new space at 2118  - 8th Street, NW. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Now in a modern, ground-floor gallery around the corner from the 9:30 Club and the new Landmark Theater, it will continue to exhibit some of the best new art in Washington.  

Wanna know the realities of Cuba through the art of contemporary Cuban women???

Check this out: CLICK HERE.

Charity art auction

On Thursday September 24, 2015  Washington ArtWorks 

will be hosting a Silent Auction to benefit a non-profit organization called Mothers 2 Mothers.

AN ONLINE AUCTION IS OPEN NOW!
click here for the online auction

 

The  participating artists are:

Andrea Burchette, Barbara Collins, Dee Daly, Steven Dobbin, Mary Elcano, David Heatwole, Jay Hendricks, Liz Holm, Teresa Camacho Hull, Sarah Irvin, Nancy Jacobs, Rebecca Jackson, Nathan Loda, Jeanean Songco Martin, Sheryl Massaro, Caroline Mayer, Ceci Cole McInturff, Jim Mitchell, Joanna Morrison, Sue Moses, Doug Moulden, Natalya Parris, Joan Plato, Lisa K Rosenstein, Richard Schellenberg, Phyllis Jacobs Stripling, Ratha Soumphntphakdy, Eleanor Wang, and Craig Witt.

mothers2mothers (m2m) is an African-based non-profit organization working to eliminate pediatric AIDS and improve the health of mothers and their families. We train, employ, and empower HIV-positive women to work as Mentor Mothers in understaffed health centers and communities. Through this simple and effective model, m2m has reached more than 1.3 million HIV-positive women in nine African countries.

WHEN: Thursday, September 24, 2015
             6:30–9:30 pm
WHERE: Washington ArtWorks
               12276 Wilkins Avenue
               Rockville, MD 20852

RSVP: Contact Theresa Rhodes by Sept. 22
at theresa.rhodes@m2m.org or
call 202-467-1746

Job in the Arts

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is seeking an Arts Specialist who will work in Community Arts Services to develop and implement multi-disciplinary arts programs which targets a general and diverse population, as well as providing professional development and opportunities for local artists. The incumbent will oversee the programs for traditional theatre and exhibition settings and non-traditional settings, such as community centers and parks.

EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT DUTIES:

The Arts Specialist is responsible for providing performing arts programs for a county-wide audience of all ages consistent with the objectives of the Division’s Community Arts Unit.  Duties for this position include supervising summer day camps at two sites; managing teen arts events and programming at various sites; planning music, dance and theater performances and programs for indoor and outdoor facilities; being a liaison to community center staff to coordinate programs and resources as needed, collect and review program data, and other duties as assigned.  This position plans and supports events, classes, festivals, and programs throughout Prince George’s County in collaboration with colleagues, artist groups, community partners, and arts organizations.  Successful candidates will have experience in youth development, budget management, quality customer service, staff supervision, event planning, program management, and a background in an arts discipline: music, theater, visual arts or dance.

 

MORE ABOUT THE POSITION HERE.

 

TO APPLY:

Click on the “Apply” link at the top of the page on the above link, or go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/jobs/1228309/arts-specialist-11579-grade-h/agency/mncppc/apply.

An online account is required to apply.  

 

MORE ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS:

http://arts.pgparks.com/Community_Arts_Services/About_Us.htm

https://www.facebook.com/Artspgparks/

https://twitter.com/artspgparks

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this mutant with this twist to the art scam:

Senior collins15 (seniorcollins15@gmail.com)

Greetings! 

My name is Senior collins from SC. I actually observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she likes your piece of work, I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too, : )  You are doing a great job. I would like to receive further information about your piece of work and what inspires you. I am very much interested in the purchase of the piece (in subject field above) to surprise my wife. Kindly confirm the availability for immediate sales.  

Thanks and best regards,   

Senior.

Dulce Pinzon opens tomorrow at Goucher College

And Dulce will be there!!!!

This exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. An artist’s reception will be held on Friday, September 18th, 2015 6-9pm.

Dulce Pinzón is a Mexican artist currently living in Puebla, Mexico. Her work is influenced by feelings of nostalgia, questions of identity, and political and cultural frustrations. Her Superheroes project consists of 20 color photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular American and Mexican superheroes. Each photo pictures the worker/superhero in their work environment, and is accompanied by a short text including the worker’s name, their hometown in Mexico, and the amount of money they send to Mexico each week. 

BERNABE MENDEZ from the State of Guerrero works as a professional window cleaner in New York. He sends 500 dollars a month.

  Superheroes: The Real Story, a solo exhibition featuring Dulce Pinzón’s photographs, will be presented at Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery in the Kraushaar Auditorium from September 2nd through October 11th, 2015.

Please visit www.goucher.edu/rosenberg for more information.

Artomatic 2015 is a go!

More news later!

Stay tuned here.

Yay!

An Insider's View into Cuban Art: A Lecture by Lenny Campello

A discussion of the realities of Cuban history, life, and culture as viewed through the artwork of Sandra Ramos, Marta Maria Perez Bravo, Cirenaica Moreira, Aimee Garcia Marrero and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons.

Washington ArtWorks | October 9, 2015 | 6:30 pm - 9 pm

12276 Wilkins Ave, Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 654-1998

VA Commission for the Arts $$$$$$$$$

Applications for Fellowships in SCULPTURE must be received by the Commission on or before 5:00 pm, October 1, 2015 (not a postmark deadline). 

Four artists will be considered for fellowship awards of $3,000.  Artists are not required to provide matching funds.   For more information and to download an application, visit:  http://www.arts.virginia.gov/grants_fellowship.html

Superheroes at Goucher College

I'm in a Super group show, this month at Goucher Colleges' gorgeous Silber Art Gallery.

Artists in the show are Ric Garcia, Simon Monk, Jeannette Herrera, Dulce Pinzon, Carla Goldberg, Nicholas Zimbro, Andrew Wodzianski, and Richard Schellenberg.

Reception with an artist talk Fri. Sept. 18, 6-9 p.m.

£75,000 for emerging artists born or working the UK and/or Ukraine

£75,000 British quids is a lot of dough, and there's that much Samolians for emerging artists from the UK and Ukraine.

Firtash Foundation and the Saatchi Gallery announce the launch of UK/raine the first
open competition worth GB£75,000 for emerging artists from the UK and Ukraine

UK/raine continues the collaboration between the Firtash Foundation and Saatchi Gallery as part of the Days of Ukraine in the UK and follows on from the huge success of Premonition: Ukrainian Art Now, which ran at the Saatchi Gallery from 9th October – 3rd November 2014.

 

Premonition was the largest survey to date of contemporary Ukrainian art in the UK and showcased over 80 works by 38 artists. The show attracted 137,438 visitors (5,494 per day), making it the only UK exhibition in the world’s top 20 most attended shows in 2014, and the seventh most popular contemporary art exhibition worldwide according to The Art Newspaper’s annual survey of international museum attendance. Premonition also formed part of the annual Days of Ukraine in the UK festival and the Firtash Foundation’s ongoing support and promotion of Ukrainian arts and culture.

 

UK/raine launches the first ever open competition for all emerging artists from the UK and Ukraine who are aged 18-35 years old. The aim of the competition is to find and support the most imaginative and talented young artists, including students on BA and MA courses who are living and working in the UK or Ukraine or born in either country.

 

Artists will be able to enter their work via the Saatchi Gallery’s website into one of five categories: installation, new media (including video and photography), painting, sculpture and street art.

 

A shortlist of 30 artists (six from each category) will be given the opportunity to exhibit their work over one entire floor at the Saatchi Gallery for a month-long exhibition running from 24th November 2015 – 3rd January 2016. A winner from each of the categories, as well as an overall winner will be selected by a panel of renowned international judges including: Johnson Chang - Founder of the Asia Art Archive, Nigel Hurst - Saatchi Gallery CEO, Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Thailand and Oleksandr Soloviov – Ukrainian author and curator. There will also be a winner of a separate public vote. All winners will be announced at the exhibition’s launch and VIP private view in London on 23rd November 2015.

Each of the category winners will receive GB£10,000 with the overall winner of the prize receiving a further GB£20,000. The winner of the public vote will receive GB£5,000 of production costs towards their work, project or exhibition in order to support their future artistic endeavours.

 

Further information on how to enter can be found by visiting: www.saatchigallery.com/uk/raine

 

Criteria for Entries

 

UK/raine is open to artists between the ages of 18 and 35 who are living and working or currently enrolled on a BA or MA course in the UK or Ukraine, or born in either country.

 

All entries can be submitted via the dedicated URL http://www.saatchigallery.com/uk/raine

 

Entrants will be able to make their submissions into one of five categories: installation, new media (including video and photography), painting, sculpture and street art.

 

Contestants will be required to upload a minimum of three and a maximum of eight images of artworks (maximum file size 5MB, 300px each) or videos via YouTube or Vimeo, along with a CV and short artist’s statement (no more than 200 words) in Microsoft Word or PDF Formats.

 

Submissions will be accepted from 10.00am BST on 10th September 2015 until 11.59pm BST on 20th October 2015

 

For a full list of Terms and Conditions please visit: http://www.saatchigallery.com/uk/raine

Tonight is a big night at WSS!‏

One of my best pieces of advice, from the billions of great pieces of advice that I dispense on a constant and routine basis, is as follows:

Someone: "Master Lenster, I'd like to start collecting original artwork but have limited funds and do not know whom or what to collect..."

Me: "Why don't you start by visiting lots of art shows and seeing what your visual eye likes? Do not forget to visit lots of student art shows as well."

Someone: "Student art shows?"

Me: "Yes, young padwan... it is often at undergraduate art student shows, MFA shows and other art schools' art exhibitions where the undiscovered jewels may reside, often at a lower degree of Samolians..."

Tonight is the opening of the Washington Studio School's Annual Juried Student Show, a terrific event to which I've never been asked to jury, but which I would love to do so. I've been to several of these in the past, acquired work at some of them, and I can tell you that it is usually one of the best student shows in the DMV.

The opening of the Annual Juried Student Show  is tonight, Friday, September 11 from 6-8 pm. The show was juried by WSS Faculty Member Carolyn Reece-Tomlin, installed by Jo Weiss and Joanne Kaufman, and mentored by WSS's vastly talented and hard-working faculty.

The students selected by Reece-Tomlin are: Adele McGovern, Belen Eliot, Bill Thompson, Brenda Fox, Brigitte Zelenko, Courtney Applequist, Carol Blum, Catherine Antoine, Caroline Champetier de Ribes, Chris Marlow, Elisa Sarmiento, Elizabeth Naab, Erika Mosher, Gail Goodman, Gail Jensen, Jacqueline Sparks, Jay Ball, Jill Bateman, Joanne Lamm, John Graham, Karen Slovin, Karim Bouabdelli, Kathryn Kailian, Lara Fredrickson, Laurance Frierson, Leo Bottrill, Leslie Blackmon, Monette Melanson, Maria Uehara, Maria Schreiber, Michele Lurie, Mitsuko Tsuchiya, Pat Kraniotis, Peggy Greene, Phyllis Mayes, Phyllis Ruffer, Scott Cowcher, Scott Wiskoski, Siobhan Fisher, Tanya Yudelman-Bloch, Teresa Jarzynski, Tricia Garey, Yassir Islam.

As an aside, Caroline Champetier de Ribes wins the award for the best artist name!

Lest we forget



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

 

Black Artists Matter

Zenith Gallery and Zenith Community Arts Foundation Present:

"BLACK ARTISTS MATTER"

 

At the Marketplace at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

DC Convention Center- Hall E, Booth #540

801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001

Showing select artworks from the

FREEDOM PLACE COLLECTION

Alma Thomas, Romare Bearden, Benny Andrews, Robert Freeman & Richard Yarde. 

Other artists represented:
Doba Afolabi, Anne Bouie, Cassandra Gillens, Hubert Jackson, Gloria Kirk, Chris Malone, Curtis Woody and more.

Market Place Open to the Public

Show Dates:  September 17- September 19, 2015 

 

Zenith Gallery Information:

Margery Goldberg, 202-783-2963, margery@zenithgallery.com

Zenith Community Arts Foundation Information:

Ella Dorsey, 202-783-8005, zenithcommunityarts@zcaf.org 

For your Wednesday night

I will be the Chief Critiquer in David Mordini's and Sean Hennessey's new event "The Critique" at their Otis Street Art Project space tonight. 

The most expensive thing in the world is information; for artists it is information and critical feedback. Artists complain all the time about not having either one of these two.

 

This critique should be a really interesting time where you can listen not pnly as I give my professional opinion about the work Zofie Lang, Christian Tribastone, Ceci Cole McKinturff, and Nate Lewis!

I am probably the best opinion-giver on the planet because I offer it from many perspectives, not just from a pencil-neck geek art critic, but also from a professional artist with a few decades of worldwide experience under his size 36 belt plus an even more successful (and humble) art dealer with more experience on the subject than nearly all other DMV art dealers combined... so please come by and bring a note pad and clean ears.

You will learn a lot.
Also I will also be dispensing some gold nuggets on artists and arts fairs!

Everyone that is interested in hearing this conversation about these artists' original art - applicable to all -  is invited sit in on The Critique. The conversation is meant to be critical but constructive. The event aims to discuss what works, what doesn’t work, and to lead the artist toward possible resolutions or developments.

6:00 - 7:00 Meet and Greet with refreshments, and to see the Otis Street Arts Project space.

The Critique will begin at 7:00. Some works we will discuss will be jpgs, some will be actual pieces and each artist's work will be discussed for roughly 30 minutes.

RSVP on the event's Facebook Event Page
(not required for attendance) https://www.facebook.com/events/1649240928664730/

Artists' Websites: Michelle Banks

DMV artist Michelle Banks is one of the hardest working artists around the region.

Her work explores the marriage of art and science in a visual representation that maximizes the artistry of science and the science of visual art.

While many artists complaint about lack of opportunities, Banks grabs them by the horns and you can see her work several times a year around the region.

She writes:

Art and science may seem like opposites, but they can form beautiful partnerships. My work draws on biology, anatomy and neuroscience to produce paintings and collages that celebrate colors and forms that can often be seen only under a microscope.

You can find her artwork at the following local events this year:

September 1217th Street Festival
Washington, DC

September 26Barracks Row Fall Festival
Washington, DC

October 3Art on the Avenue
Alexandria, VA

October 4McLean Project for the Arts, Artfest
McLean, VA

If you can't make it to a festival, you can visit her online shop at Artologica.

This is what you need to do this Wednesday!

I will be the Chief Critiquer in David Mordini and Sean Hennessey's new event "The Critique" at their Otis Street Art Project space this Wednesday. 

 It should be a really interesting time where you can listen to my wealth of immense knowledge as I talk about the work of Zofie Lang, Christian Tribastone, Ceci Cole McKinturff, and Nate Lewis!

If you want to pick up some good and critical points about artwork - some brutal, but all constructive - from the perspective of one of the DMV's best-known art critics, who also happens to be an immensely successful artist, and an even more successful (and humble) art dealer (much to the chagrin of some)... please come by and bring a note pad and clean ears.

Also I will also be dispensing some gold nuggets on artists and arts fairs!

Everyone that is interested in hearing this conversation about these artists' original art - applicable to all -  is invited sit in on The Critique. The conversation is meant to be critical but constructive. The event aims to discuss what works, what doesn’t work, and to lead the artist toward possible resolutions or developments.

6:00 - 7:00 Meet and Greet with refreshments, and to see the Otis Street Arts Project space.

The Critique will begin at 7:00. Some works we will discuss will be jpgs, some will be actual pieces and ach artist's work will be discussed for roughly 30 minutes.

RSVP on the event's Facebook Event Page
(not required for attendance) https://www.facebook.com/events/1649240928664730/

I will also be bringing some signed artwork to dispense to attendees as I see fit... FREE ART!!!

Scotland!!!!!

Phillips and Ebay

If you want to buy works by up-and-coming artists like Math Bass, Petra Cortright, and Artie Vierkant at Phillips later this month, get out your laptop, because for the first time, the auction house will offer works live during the sale via eBay.

Details here.

Barbara Januszkiewicz at McLean

The unique and vibrant artistic style of Mid-Atlantic watercolor artist Barbara Januszkiewicz will be featured when McLean Project for The Arts opens its art exhibition from 7-9pm on Thursday, September 10, 2015. Color Riff by Barbara Januszkiewicz features paintings designed to spark a dialogue between the use of color and its conceptual link to music. 


Januszkiewicz is recognized for her unique style and use of difficult medias like watercolor, a media that she has mastered completely and takes to the next level with her ability to capture the complexity of color. For this exhibit, however, she displays her latest work of watercolor-like acrylics on unprimed canvas, a new medium for Januszkiewicz. 


"Januszkiewicz has a flowing, vibrant style akin to that of the Color School’s Morris Louis,” raves the Washington Post. 


Januszkiewicz has been influenced directly by music in her career. She strives to capture how the music sounds and feels in her paintings. “I find it intriguing that there is a vocabulary of words that apply to both music and visual art, like movement, patterns, perspectives and layering,” she says. 


“Music is my muse,” she continues. “I am inspired by the gritty undertones and rhythm patterns of the blues. I take a song’s chord progressions and play with the idea of a mirror cord in the colors I paint with. Blending the music and corresponding color notes, I work to create luminous paintings that reflect the emotionalism and improvisational freedom that we find in music genres like jazz.” 


Viewers can interact with the art through unique and rare online content. Video and audio clips of the musicians and music that have inspired Barbara’s artwork will be connected via a smartphone app to the paintings. 

Exploring the effects of every genre from jazz to thumping garage rock to vintage blues can now be witnessed in exhibit, where sound becomes visual. 


The public, press and art supporters are welcome to tour the exhibit and see the artwork and interact with the artist on Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 7– 9pm, McLean Project for the Arts, 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, Virginia. Color Riffs runs through October 24.

Stagmomantis carolinas NOT praying!

Trawick Prize winners

Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards

Exhibition dates, September 2 - 26 

Gallery hours, Wed. - Sat., 12-6pm

Opening reception, Friday, Sept. 11, 6-9pm

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Artwork from eight finalists will be on display at Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E. The finalists were selected from more than 350 artists who applied to this year's competition, and they will compete for $14,000 in prize monies.

Winners:

Best in Show ($10,000): Jonathan Monaghan

Second Place ($2,000): Lynn Cazabon

Third Place ($1,000): Jason Hughes

Young Artist ($1,000): Nara Park

Exhibiting Artists:

Selin Balci, Annapolis, MD
Lynn Cazabon, Baltimore, MD
Catherine Day, McLean, VA
Jason Hughes, Baltimore, MD
Tim Makepeace, Washington, D.C.
Sebastian Martorana, Baltimore, MD
Jonathan Monaghan, Washington, D.C.
Nara Park, Washington, D.C.

More info here.

Come say howdy!

Continuing to sell well...

The Road to the Isles

A far croonin' is pullin' me away
As take I wi' my cromak to the road.
The far Coolins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' the sunlight for my load.

Chorus:
Sure, by Tummel and Loch Rannoch
And Lochaber I will go,
By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles;
If it's thinkin' in your inner heart
Braggart's in my step,
You've never smelt the tangle o' the Isles.

Oh, the far Coolins are puttin' love on me,
As step I wi' my cromak to the Isles.

It's by 'Sheil water the track is to the west,
By Aillort and by Morar to the sea,
The cool cresses I am thinkin' o' for pluck,
And bracken for a wink on Mother's knee.

It's the blue Islands are pullin' me away,
Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame,
The blue Islands from the Skerries to the Lews,
Wi' heather honey taste upon each name.

Post Erika waves in OBX

Headin' South today

Gonna be shark bait for a few days while a friend watches the homestead...

Dead man's float

The kid has it down pat - he can now officially qualify to join the Navy when it is his time to serve!

Today he is six years old!

Call for artist entries!

Applications for the 2016 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival are now open!  Join them as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of this top-ranked outdoor festival, visited by over 30,000 patrons each year. 

Presented in Reston Town Center, a suburb of Washington, DC, the festival attracts art lovers, affluent homeowners, corporate executives, and design professionals in addition to the broader community. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival has built a reputation for showcasing talented artists and high-quality work.  Don't miss your opportunity to be a part of it in 2016!

I've both done this festival many times and juried it once, and I highly recommend it!

Details and application here.

You can’t eat art

This is still one of my favorite art-related articles ever published in the WaPo in 2001.

The van is parked at the CVS drugstore on Spout Run Parkway. Artist John Grazier huddles inside, eating rice pudding from the all-night grocery and downing it with Busch beer. He’ll sleep here tonight, scrunched up on the brown shag rug on the floor, though he knows he won’t get much rest. “I keep worrying I’m going to roll over on the paintings.”
 
The paintings are why he’s here. They’re why, a week ago, he drove 220 miles from his home near State College, Pa., where the rent is due, his two children need to be fed, and he’s got less than $13 in the bank. He has no other job, no other paycheck to meet the bills. His entire income, what little of it there is, comes from his art.
 
He needs to sell a painting.

Read it here.

And ten years later, in 2011, the WaPo did this update.

Ten years ago, John Grazier was a struggling, self-taught surrealist, driving his 1966 GMC Handi-van (which also served as his sleeping quarters) 220 miles from his central Pennsylvania rental to the addresses of Washington’s elite to sell his paintings

The eccentric artist had worn out his welcome with District art dealers and struck out on his own — peddling his work door-to-door to law firms and entrepreneurs — when reporter Darragh Johnson shadowed him for a 2001 Washington Post Magazine story. He swung from bouts of homelessness to pulling in $100,000 commissions.

You can see some of John's works here. 

Marion True

The reporters staked her out. The investigators said she conspired with crooked dealers. And her museum colleagues seemed content to watch her disappear, as if one of the world’s most powerful, respected and sought-after art historians deserved to be the only American curator brought to trial.

Read about  Marion True (former curator of antiquities for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles) here. 

Studio in Bethesda

Deadline: Sept. 15, 2015

Studio Available October 2015

 

AVAILABLE STUDIO INFORMATION

• Studio is 215 sq. feet.
• Rent is $405 per month, inclusive of all utilities.
• Artists are required to be in the space during retail hours of Wed. - Sat., 12-6pm and during the monthly Bethesda Art Walk.
• Artist has 24/7 access to Studio B and their personal studio space.
• Artist may sell artwork and there is no commission taken on artist sales.

SELECTION
 

Members of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and arts professionals will review the applications and select the Studio B artist. If necessary, an interview may be requested. Applicants will be notified about whether their applications have been selected. Bethesda Urban Partnership will perform credit and criminal background checks and execute leases with the tenants. Once maximum occupancy is reached, applicants will be placed on a waiting list until a studio becomes available.
 

TO APPLY

Complete this application and submit the following:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Artwork Samples
• Proof of Income
• Proof of Identity
• $30 fee per applicant for credit and criminal background checks

QUESTIONS? Please email artist@bethesda.org.

Click here for the secure application.

 

Three artists at MPA

McLean Project for the Arts presents three new exhibitions featuring contemporary artworks by prominent local DMV artists. Curated by Nancy Sausser, the exhibitions display three intriguing artistic approaches that will captivate gallery visitors.

* Robin Rose Presents Scriptronics: An Art for the Future – This innovative exhibition in the Emerson Gallery features both abstract, encaustic paintings and a series of interactive “sound drawings.” The drawings are created through a method which amplifies the sound of the pen on paper and adds a performance element. Demonstrations are scheduled for Sept. 30 at 7 pm and Oct. 15 at 12 noon.  

* Equilibrium: Works by John M. Adams – The artist’s site-specific drawings in the Atrium Gallery incorporate the angles and planes of the space, while his paintings merge with the gallery walls, blending and interacting with their location.  

* Color Riffs: Paintings By Barbara Januszkiewicz – Inspired by American Blues music, the artist’s vibrantly colored, abstract paintings reflect melodies, harmonies, harmonic progressions, and chord structure. A musical soundtrack and music app accompanies this exhibition in the Ramp Gallery.

McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is a nonprofit contemporary visual arts center located within the McLean Community Center at 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA. For more information, visit http://www.mpaart.org or call (703) 790-1953.  

ArtBriefly.com: A Curated Art News Site has Launched.

From the folks at Arts Law Journal:

Orangenius is pleased to announce the launch of Art Briefly (artbriefly.com), a new website featuring curated news focusing on the business of art. Readers of the Art Law Journal have often remarked on the lack of timely, accurate news and information on the business and legal side of the art industry, so we set out to fill that demand, creating a site that identifies important art business and law news from around the web and aggregates the content into one site. At Art Briefly, you won’t find tutorials, software or hardware reviews, critiques or other creative-centric content. Instead, the site will feature content that can help members of the art community to better understand and grow their business. 

Using special software, Art Briefly scours the web, identifying articles and news items that may be of interest to our readers. Content that meets our criteria is forwarded to our editors who read each article, and select the best for posting. Art Briefly is not intended to be a substitute for the underlying source, and we offer only the first paragraph or two of an article along with a link back to the original source.  Ever supportive of creators of all types, our goal is to serve the market with aggregated content of interest to our readers, while also ensuring the original creators are fairly credited and compensated, as appropriate, from their efforts. 

This is only the beginning for Art Briefly. Orangenius plans to make Art Briefly the “go to” place for news about the legal and business environment of the art community.  Our goal is to make this site not only a place to quickly find stories of interest, but also a forum for discussing innovative art business ideas, a place to find answers to legal questions, a destination where writers and bloggers can be the first to find trending stories, and eventually, a site where our members can control the content. 

Until then, click to enjoy Art Briefly 1.0

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Emmett Till Project commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1955 murder and trial of Emmett Louis Till that helped spark the Civil Rights Movement - check it out here.