Call for Maryland Artists!

Seeking Artwork for Upcoming Fall Exhibition

Deadline Friday, September 21, 2018

Maryland has a rich and diverse tradition of capturing and expressing the physical and cultural fabric of our state and its people. The range of expression from plein air painting, to urban photography, to writing and poetry, reveals and communicates the environments of the present influenced by the past.

The Maryland State Arts Council is especially looking for work from plein air festivals throughout the state as well as photography and other mixed media work. Two-dimensional work of any media, representational or abstract, that is framed and ready to hang and no larger than 8’ w x 5’ h.  

The exhibition is part of the Art on the Fly exhibition space at the Maryland State Arts Council office, 175 W. Ostend Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 21, 2018.

Artists submit an application on Submittable and may include up to four (4) slides of documentation of the artwork proposed to be included in the exhibition. If work is accepted into the exhibition, the artwork must be framed (including writing and/or poetry works) with the artist’s contact information printed on the back, and if the artwork is for sale (via the artist).

Artwork must be dropped-off or delivered to the Maryland State Arts Council office between October 15-19, 2018.

The Exhibition Opening Reception is scheduled October 25, 6:00-8:00 PM.

Work will be de-installed the week of January 14, 2019, and must be picked up by January 18, 2019.

 If you have any question regarding the art submission, please email Rosa Chang at Rosa.Chang@Maryland.gov  

Call to Female Artists: The Bennett Prize

Deadline: September 28, 2018

The Pittsburgh Foundation & The Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) in Muskegon, MI announce a call to artists for The Bennett Prize. 

Ten (10) finalists will each receive $1,000 to participate in a traveling exhibition. One woman receives $50,000 and a solo exhibition. 

Jurors: Steven Alan Bennett (The Bennett Prize), Art Martin (The Muskegon Museum of Art), Andrea Kowch (Artist), Maria Tomasula (University of Notre Dame). 

Open only to living women artists who: 

• Are eighteen (18) years or older, 
• Reside in the United States (at least part of the year), 
• Will submit work (and work for any exhibition) that does not have to cross an international border to reach MMA, 
• Have primary practice as the creation of original paintings in the genre of figurative realism, 
• Are currently pursuing, or intend to pursue, a career as a full-time painter and 
• Will not be a student during The Prize residency. 

Artists must have works available for exhibition and travel from Feb. 1, 2019 through at least the end of 2021. All entries must be traditional paintings, which is defined as paint upon a two-dimensional surface. Mixed media pieces will be considered, as long as paint is the primary material. Paintings must depict representational images of one or more figures. Paintings rendered over photographic images are not eligible. Only original works completed in the past 5 years are eligible. 

$50 entry fee. For more information, visit this site, Contact: amartin@mpsk12.net or call Muskegon Museum of Art at 231-720-2582. Website here.

Wanna go to an opening this Friday?

MICRO-MONUMENTS II: UNDERGROUND
Presented by IA&A at Hillyer in partnership with the Washington Sculptors Group

September 7 – October 28, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, September 7, 6-9pm

MICRO-MONUMENTS II brings together 15 Washington, DC and 8 German artists to focus a contemporary lens on topics such as the cosmos, nature, deep time, and more, to serve as a catalyst for exploration into enduring questions about our history and place in the world.

Participating Artists: Ursula Achternkamp, Alan Binstock, Janet Brome, Marc Fromm, Judith Goodman, Caroline Hatfield, Linda Hesh, Simon Horn, Margit Jäschke, Michael Krenz, Esther Eunjin Lee, Jacqueline Maggi, Georg Mann, Joan Mayfield, Nina Viktoria Naussed, Sara Parent-Ramos, Alim Pasht-Han, Kristina Penhoet, Judith Pratt, Diane Szczepaniak, Marilyn and Gil Ugiansky, Steve Wanna, and Janet Wittenberg. Juried by Laura Roulet

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
9/20/18 Curator/Juror/Artist Talk: Thursday, September 20, 7pm
9/29/18 Art All Night at Hillyer: Citywide Festival, Saturday, September 29, 7pm-midnight
10/10/18 Panel Discussion: Wednesday, October 10, 7pm at Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies, House-A. The Center for Hellenic Studies is located at 3100 Whitehaven St NW, Washington, DC.

IA&A at Hillyer
9 Hillyer Court NW
Washington, DC 20008
www.athillyer.org
Tel. (202) 338-0325

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Friday 12-6 pm, Saturday-Monday 12-5 pm, and by appointment.

Superfine Art Fair coming to DC

ARTISTS:
LENNOX F. CAMPELLO
DARLENE DAVIS (PATERA KORI STUDIOS)
ELISA FARROW-SAVOS
MARGERY GOLDBERG
STEPHEN HANSEN
LEN HARRIS
CHRIS HAYMAN
PHIL HAZARD
BERNIE HOUSTON
HUBERT JACKSON
JOAN KONKEL
ANITA KUNZ
ANNE MARCHAND
KRISTINE MAYS
CAROL NEWMYER
KEITH NORVAL
LARRY RINGGOLD
SUZY SCARBOROUGH
GAVIN SEWELL
BRADLEY STEVENS
CURTIS WOODY

Museum Call for Artists

Deadline: November 26, 2018. 

The Ormond Memorial Art Museum is accepting submissions from artists in a variety of styles and media for exhibitions in late 2018 and 2019. Individual and small group submissions are welcome.  The museum is not able to cover shipping costs of work.   

Details for submitting can be found at www.ormondartmuseum.org.  Follow the “get involved” tab on the top right to the Call for Artist link. Submissions are needed by mail by Nov. 26, 2018 and are nonreturnable.  You will be notified of outcome.

Call for exhibition proposals

Deadline: January 15, 2019. 

The Peninsula School of Art is currently accepting exhibition proposals for 2020 and 2021 in their Guenzel Gallery. 

Exhibitions of all media will be considered. Exhibitions will be chosen by the Director of Public Programs with support from PenArt’s Gallery Committee. Exhibitions are awarded based on criteria including, relevance to their educational mission and overall artistic quality. Artists, curators, groups, and/or organizers are welcome to apply and will be notified approximately one month after the deadline. 

No submission materials will be returned. 

Exhibition Proposals should include: 

• Cover letter including description of proposed exhibition 
• Digital portfolio of 15-20 images, or a single link to a maximum five minute video of current artwork, representative of work proposed for the exhibition. 
• Include artwork title, medium, size, and year. 
• Resume Artist statement and biography 
• Contact information including: telephone, address, and email

Please email question and all submissions to Kendra Bulgrin: exhibit@PeninsulaSchoolofArt.org.

Call for Solo & Group Exhibition Proposals - Ohio

Deadline: September 7, 2018.  

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is accepting proposals in all visual art media for solo and group exhibitions for the 2019-2020 schedule.  A community art center on the Great Miami River in arts-driven downtown Hamilton, Ohio, the Fitton Center provides experiences in the arts through exhibitions, classes, performances and other events.  Four galleries provide 2,600 square feet of space.  

Solo artists generally are asked to exhibit 10 to 30 works, depending on scale, media and available space.  They also offer group shows of existing guilds or alliances and to individuals willing to be selected into a curated group show.  A completed Online Submission Form that includes file uploads of 150-word Artist Statement, 150-word Presentation Statement, CV, 10 artwork JPEGS with corresponding Image List and $25 non-refundable fee are required for gallery proposals.  

Get full requirements and submit your proposal online here.  Early submissions are welcome. 

Questions? Please contact Cathy Mayhugh, cathy@fittoncenter.org, (513) 863-8873 ext. 122, Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton OH 45011.

The 37th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show 2019

The 37th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show 2019 National Building Museum, 401 F St., NW, Washington DC April 11, 2019 to April 14, 2019

The Smithsonian Craft Show is a most prestigious juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American craft in art and design, held annually in Washington DC. Three jurors who are experts in the field and newly selected each year choose 120 artists from a large pool of applicants. Previous exhibitors must re-apply each year. No one is grandfathered into the show. There is no quota for any category of Craft Art. Artists are selected on the basis of the originality, artistic conception, and quality of their work. The show is produced by the Smithsonian Women's Committee. Proceeds from the Show fund grants that benefit the Smithsonian's education, outreach, research, and conservation  programs.

Application Dates: May 23, 2018 - Sep 14, 2018 Application Fee: $50.00

Late App. Dates: Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018 Additional Late Fee: $25.00

APPLY NOW!

The Craft Show does not charge sales commissions. However, accepted artists are encouraged to donate an item for the Show’s on-line auction, raffle, or other fund-raising initiatives, the proceeds of which benefit the Smithsonian. ACCEPTABLE MEDIA CATEGORIES: Basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, and wood. The artist should apply in the category that best describes their medium. For instance, a jewelry artist using metal should not apply in the metal category. Other media not listed above may be included in the mixed media category when it is combined with one of the Show's established media. If applying under mixed media, please explain in your artist statement why mixed media is the appropriate category for your work. AWARDS: The Smithsonian Women's Committee recognizes outstanding work exhibited at the Craft Show by presenting a number of awards. The awards include Gold, Silver and Bronze levels of distinction, Excellence within select categories (such as jewelry, glass, ceramics, etc.), as well as several Exhibitors' Choice Awards. Cash awards range from $500 to $1500. "Honoring the Future Sustainability Award" of $1,000 will be offered for the fourth year. The purpose of this award is to educate the public about climate change and to inspire and model sustainable responses to this problem.

Making Waves: Paintings by John Aquilino

DMV artist John Aquilino's  seascape paintings will be on exhibit at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center Galleries this fall. This will be his second exhibit at NIH this year.

Low Tide, oil on canvas, 14" x 36"

"Making Waves: Paintings by John Aquilino"
NIH Clinical Center (Building 10), West Gallery
Bethesda, Maryland
September 14 - November 2, 2018

The mission of the Clinical Center's Fine Art Program is to pair art with medicine to promote healing, and benefits patients, caregivers, and employees. For the artwork that is available for sale, 20% of the proceeds will benefit the Patient Emergency Fund. The NIH Clinical Center Galleries are open to the public, but there will be a security check (see NIH map).

How to price your artwork

This article has some good advice and some bad advice --- but the key rule is: NEVER, EVER compete with yourself -- that means that you MUST keep your prices consistent and not all over the place... that only hurts you (and if you're represented by a gallery or dealer, their reputation, and thus yours...).

There is a well-known Oscar Wilde quote that goes, "When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss money.”

As an artist, you understand the making part of your job like the back of your hand. You could probably paint blindfolded and come up with a decent-looking piece. You have spent thousands upon thousands of hours honing your craft. What we often struggle with is the part that comes after we put that last final touch on an artwork—pricing.

Pricing is awkward. Setting a price on something that is so deeply personal and doesn't have a set market value is even more awkward. 

Especially at the start of your career, or if you don't have a nest egg to fall back on, you want (and need) to make sales, but you also don't want to sell yourself short. 

So, how do you start setting the prices for your artwork so you can get the salary you deserve? If you don't have a consistent history of selling your art in a particular price range or in a particular market, follow these seven rules to get started. 

Ways to Diversify Your Income and Make More Money as an Artist

If you want to make a full-time living as an artist or creative, it's not enough to rely solely on online sales or gallery representation. If you have been a professional artist for any number of years, you are probably already familiar with the slow seasons, with flopped shows, and rained out art fairs. It can be difficult to count any single income source. 

You don't put all your money on one horse, or all your eggs in one basket, so why do you want to get all of your income from one place?

The good news is that there are so many different ways for artists to make a living today. The better news is that most of these ideas require some work up front, but minimal ongoing labor. The best news is that as an artist, you already have the creativity to think of unique ways to grow your business.

Read the whole article here. 

Open House at Otis Street Arts Project

Super Casual Open House at Otis Street Arts Project
COME ON BY!
WHEN: Saturday September 8th
             1:30-4:30
WHERE: Otis Street Arts Project
               3706 Otis Street
               Mount Rainier, MD
WHO:   Gloria Chapa, Liz Lescault, Kirsty Little, David Mordini, and Lisa Rosenstein will all be there to welcome you.
             Other artists studios are open for viewing. The list includes Nick Alberti, Chris Boehner,  Ceci Cole Mcinturff, Beth Curren, Art Drauglis, Eric Gordon, and Sean Hennesey

Huge commission

A few months ago, before I knew that I had to deal with cancer resurgence, I agreed to do a huge commission for one of the nicest NYC art collector on the planet. It is essentially a multimedia family portraits which cuts across generations and comes together in an embedded video piece.

Here are some parts of the piece...

Getting my ass nuked every day in the middle of the day makes it harder to find studio time, but the work is moving along...

2018 Trawick Prize Finalists

Lori Anne Boocks, Germantown, MD
Clay Dunklin, Laurel, MD
Mary Early, Washington, D.C.
Jay Gould, Baltimore, MD
Caroline Hatfield, Baltimore, MD
Phaan Howng, Baltimore, MD
Timothy Makepeace, Washington, D.C.
Nicole Salimbene, Takoma Park, MD

Virginia gets shut out! I think that this is the first time that I recall this happening in the DMV's most prestigious art prize!

The exhibit will be on display Sept. 5 – 29, 2018 at Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E. The award winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. The Best in Show, first place winner will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000.

The public opening reception will be held Friday, September 14 from 6-8pm. Gallery hours for the duration of the exhibit are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 – 6pm.

The 2018 Trawick Prize jurors are Christopher Bedford, Director of The Baltimore Museum of Art; Sukjin Choi, Head of Ceramics and Associate Professor of Art at James Madison University; and Valerie Fletcher, Independent Art Historian and Senior Curator Emerita at the Hirshhorn Museum.

Founded by Carol Trawick in 2003, the regional competition is one of the largest prizes to annually honor visual artists. Ms. Trawick, a longtime community activist in downtown Bethesda, also established the Bethesda Painting Awards in 2005. She has served as the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Strathmore and the Maryland State Arts Council. She founded the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation in 2007 to assist health and human services and arts non-profits in Montgomery County. The Foundation has awarded grants to more than 90 nonprofits in Montgomery County and funds the annual Trawick Prize and the Bethesda Painting Awards.

To date, The Trawick Prize has awarded more than $220,000 in prize monies and has exhibited the work of more than 135 regional artists. Previous Best in Show recipients include Richard Cleaver, 2003; David Page, 2004; Jiha Moon, 2005; James Rieck, 2006; Jo Smail, 2007; Maggie Michael, 2008; Rene Trevino, 2009; Sara Pomerance, 2010; Mia Feuer, 2011; Lillian Bayley Hoover, 2012; Gary Kachadourian, 2013; Neil Feather, 2014; Jonathan Monaghan, 2015; Lauren Adams, 2016 and Larry Cook, 2017.

For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660.

Smithsonian Call for Photographers!

16TH ANNUAL SMITHSONIAN.COM PHOTO CONTEST

What does an award-winning photograph look like? 

It can range from an captivating portrait of a family member to a moon-drenched landscape to movement captured at just the right time. 

The SI's 16th Annual Photo Contest is now open for submissions, and they're looking for the best of the best. 

There are 6 categories. 

No Entry Fee. 

Details: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/?referer=dailycampelloartnews

Your artwork in a billboard

The juried exhibit consists of 45 billboard-size images, each work of art is created by local, national & international artists reflecting their interpretation of our theme “enriching lives through diversity & inclusion."

Awards are given for “Best-in-Show Adult,” “Best-in-Show Student,” and “People's Choice.” 

The exhibit will be displayed from 1-19-19 through 3-14-19, in Sarasota's Bayfront Park. 

No Entry Fee. 

Details: 941-404-5710 OR http://embracingourdifferences.org/submit-art?utm_source=dailycampello OR brenna@embracingourdifferences.org

Gabe Brown and Akemi Maegawa at Adah Rose

"Along the Enchanted Way"

Gabe Brown and Akemi Maegawa

Sept 12-Oct 28
Vernissage Saturday Sept 15 6:00-8:00 pm.
Live Music by Terraplane

Adah Rose Gallery
3766 Howard Ave
Kensington MD 20895
Thursday-Sunday 12:00-5:30 and always by appointment

Gabe Brown:
The abstract landscapes of Gabe Brown are exploding with color and teeming with the lush diversity of nature. They are captivating in their richness of tone and interplay of shades. Gabe employs motifs of delicate lines, leaves, rainbows, rock formations, botanics, erupting forms, and bursts of color. One sees the complexity and wonder of life in her works. There is whimsy, sophistication, elegance, and a sense of the artist’s imagination in her works on canvas and paper. For Gabe, “Art is like magic, an illusion created by the force of humanity.” 

Gabe Brown was raised in New York City. She received her BFA degree from The Cooper Union and was awarded a Full Fellowship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She went on to receive her MFA in Painting from the University of California, Davis. Gabe is a 2018 recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting Award. Gabe has exhibited in many shows including Kenise Barnes Contemporary Art, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Matteawan Gallery, The Saratoga Arts Center, Garrison Arts Center, ArtsWestchester, Schweinfurth Arts Center, SUNY Brockport, The Horticultural Society of New York, Sears-Peyton Gallery, and Carrie Haddad Gallery. Gabe exhibited in our Carte Blanche show in 2017.  

Akemi Maegawa:
Akemi Maegawa is a conceptual artist working in ceramics and a variety of medium. Her ceramic sculptures in the show include Darumas, Vessels, and Housing Market Miniatures. Akemi’s works are delicately and intimately conceived, reflective of musings on the world around her; Akemi uses her sculpture to “question the human condition, politics, history, and everyday life.” Her works broach serious topics, yet maintain an exquisite delicacy, indicative of her conscientious artistic process. Akemi’s works radiate with a soft tenderness, lovingly imbued with their creator’s personality, humor, and deep thought.  

Akemi was born in Tsu, Japan. She came to the United States to study at the Corcoran College of Art and Design and graduated with a BFA in 2005, before acquiring her MFA from the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Anne and Ronald Abramson Award for Excellence in Ceramics at the Corcoran. Akemi has exhibited in numerous shows including the University of Maryland University College, Metro Micro Gallery, Irvine Contemporary Gallery, Area 405, Carrol Square Gallery, the SculptureCenter, the Betty Mae Kramer gallery, and DCAC. Akemi exhibited in our Carte Blanche show in 2017.

A second sphinx has been discovered in Egypt

A second sphinx—whose existence has been the subject of theories developed by historians and egyptologists for decades—has been discovered in Luxor, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. 

Details here. 

Malware report

Just found this Malware embedded into several of my webpages... but I have Malware detect, which now removes the crap that some asswipe managed to insert into my code.

Password changed
Malware deleted
Culprits (all UK sites) reported

Call for Glass Artists

The Workhouse Arts Center-Glass Program (a project of the Workhouse Arts Foundation in Lorton Virginia) in the Northern Virginia/Washington DC Metro area is pleased to announce a “Call for Entries” for its 4th Annual Workhouse Glass National. We invite you to apply online through Juried Art Services at link here

Juror Carmen Lozar is an artist and educator who lives in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Lozar directs the Merwin and Wakeley Galleries at Illinois Wesleyan University and is a member of the art faculty. She has taught at institutions around the world including Pilchuck Glass School, Penland School of Craft, Pittsburgh Glass School, Appalachian Center for Crafts, The Chrysler Museum, and the Glass Furnace in Istanbul, Turkey. She has had residencies at the Corning Museum of Glass and Penland School of Craft. Her work is included in many collections including the Bergstrom Mahler Museum, WI and the Museum of Art and Design, NY.

She's also one of my fave artists on this planet!

Application Dates: Mar 16, 2018 - Sep 19, 2018
Application Fee: $30.00
Apply here

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop’s 2019 Artist Residency

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is currently seeking applicants for its 2019 Gallery Artist Residency, a six-week paid residency January 7 through February 8, 2019 in CHAW’s Gallery at 545 7th Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003. The residency provides an opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. The residency also encourages interaction, dialogue and exploration both within the CHAW artist community and city-wide. Completed applications are due September 15, 2018 at www.chaw.org/artist-residency. 

“The right fit is someone who is interested in transforming the gallery space and who is looking for a blank slate that is theirs, offering freedom, challenge, and openness to the artistic process, as well as a collaborative community element,” says Ellen Cornett, CHAW’s Resident Gallery Manager.

Qualified applicants are professional individual artists or collaborative artist teams over the age of 18; the program is not designed for undergraduate students or commercial artists. Artists must be available to work in the CHAW gallery during the six weeks of the residency. CHAW will not provide housing for Gallery Resident artists. After reviewing all the applications, three artists or artist teams will be interviewed at CHAW by the Resident Gallery Manager and the CHAW co-directors. For more information, please call (202) 547-6839 or visit www.chaw.org/artist-residency.

Since 1972, the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) has provided arts education to thousands of children and adults in the Washington region, especially from the greater Capitol Hill area. Through classes, performances, and exhibitions in visual and performing arts, CHAW brings together diverse segments of the population to connect through the transformative power of creativity.  CHAW offers a tuition assistance program and flexible payment plans. CHAW is funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. CHAW is a featured charity in the 2014-2015 Catalogue for Philanthropy, mentioned as Best Venue to See on the Cheap in DCist’s 2014 Best Theater Venues in DC, the 2015 & 2016 winner for Best Arts Class in the Washington City Paper Readers’ Poll, 2014 & 2015 Hilly Award winner for Best Arts Organization/Venue, and the winner of the 2017 Irene Pollin Community Engagement Award through the NSO.

The Morning Routines of Famous Artists

The Morning Routines of Famous Artists, from Andy Warhol to Louise Bourgeois...

In keeping with his character, Salvador Dalí’s daily routine featured a healthy dose of self-importance. “Every morning upon awakening,” he wrote in 1953, “I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí, and I ask myself, wonderstruck, what prodigious thing will he do today, this Salvador Dalí.”

Read the whole article by Abigail Cain here. 

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: Mon, November 26th, 2018. 

The Ormond Memorial Art Museum is accepting submissions from artists in a variety of styles and media for exhibitions in late 2018 and 2019. Individual and small group submissions are welcome.  The museum is not able to cover shipping costs of work.   

Details for submitting can be found at www.ormondartmuseum.org.  Follow the “get involved” tab on the top right to the Call for Artist link. 

Submissions are needed by mail by Nov. 26, 2018 and are nonreturnable.  

You will be notified of outcome.

Call for proposals

Deadline: August 17, 2018

1708 Gallery welcomes all artists to submit exhibition proposals. Their Exhibitions Committee reviews proposals annually. This committee includes professional artists from their Board, Curator, and Executive Director. 

Exhibition proposals are currently being considered for the year 2020. 

If you are currently a student, you must have graduated by the exhibition year. 1708 Gallery strongly encourages proposals for new or developing projects and bodies of work. In addition to proposals for exhibitions in 1708’s gallery space, public works and other non-gallery based projects will be considered. Exhibition periods are approximately six weeks. 

1708 provides a $1000 honorarium, plus shipping, travel, installation and other exhibition support. 

Please contact 1708 Gallery Coordinator Erin Willett with any questions at info@1708gallery.org or 804.643.1708. For more information and to submit a proposal, visit www.1708gallery.org

How I dodged a giant bullet

As many of you know, since I described it in full agony here, a while back I underwent prostrate surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In most cases, that solves the issue of that cancer.

However, in about a third of the cases, what is known as the PSA count, which once your prostate is gone should be between 0.0 and 0.1, began to arise in my case recently... a couple of years or so after the surgery.

That meant that the good doctors were very concerned that some cancer cells had been left behind, and thus they ordered a scan.

The scan revealed something very scary when compared to the same area from a 2015 scan.

What you are seeing there is my pelvic region and the white things forming a "V" on the center of the scan are my pelvic bones. The doctors noticed that since 2015 the left pelvic bone had developed that white area (compare to the right pelvic bone), which in many cases indicates that the cancer had jumped to the bones.

Since the pelvic bone is the favorite place for prostrate cancer to migrate to, there was a pretty good chance that I now had bone cancer.

The bullet had been fired.

Next came a bone biopsy, consisting of laying on your back and having a nurse comfort you while a doctor uses a drill to drill into your pelvic bone and extract bone matter... three different times.

It hurt like a motherfucker.

A tense week later the results came in, and the bone was not cancerous.

The bullet was dodged... a giant bullet.

And last Thursday I started radiation treatment for the prostrate bed area, which I will be undergoing for seven and a half weeks... everyday Monday through Friday.

My instructions were to show up with a full bladder, apparently because it helps to "push" the bladder away from the prostate area while you're laying down on the radiation room table, and thus tends to minimize damage to the bladder while they're nuking your ass region.

I overdid it, and my bladder was ready to explode when I showed up to the treatment.

"I think that I overdid the full bladder thing," I explained to the two radiation techs, "I'm about to explode."

"You wanna go to the bathroom and empty some of it," suggested the lady tech.

Both the other male tech and I looked at her. "I know of no man on the planet who can stop peeing in mid pee operations and hold it," I commented wryly while the other guy agreed silently. 

"I'll be OK," I added laying on the table and hoping that I was right.

It wasn't.

It was hell, that's what it was. I recall reading somewhere how the Emperor Caligula used to entertain his guests by having giant parties where one of the "shows" was to have a number of poor bastards who had their dicks sealed with string, and then they were forced fed water with a funnel until their bladders exploded.

"At least my dick is not tied up," I thought to myself while the minutes passed and my private Caligulan torture moved on.

Eventually it was over.

"The doctor wants to show you something," said one of the techs.

"Not before I hit the head," I responded as I ambled to the bathroom holding my crank like a five year old boy and with my hospital robe fully opened on my back and showing my radiated ass to the world... at that moment I didn't care.

As I approached the bathroom, I was hoping that there was no one using it... and the head gods were on the side of this old sailor and I popped in and began to pump bilges.

Half an hour later, fully drained and feeling much better I returned to see what the doctors and techs wanted to show me.

"We believe that you have set a new world's record for the largest expanded bladder ever recorded on film," they told me, showing me what looked like a giant balloon inside me.  "It doesn't have to be this full," they added.

And that's the story of last Thursday, the first of seven and a half weeks of ass nuking.

VICTOR EKPUK book signing event

Don't miss the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of "Victor Ekpuk : Connecting Lines Across Space and Time", Edited by Toyin Falola. This near 500 page, mid career retrospective of Victor's work includes fascinating writings by 13 scholars and countless images of his brilliant creations.

VICTOR EKPUK

Book Signing of Victor Ekpuk: Connecting Lines Across Space and Time

Saturday, September 1st, 2018 from 2pm-4pm

The artist will be in attendance.

LOCATION

Morton Fine Art (MFA)

1781 Florida Ave NW (at 18th & U Sts)

Washington, DC 20009

HOURS

Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm

Sunday 12pm-5pm

Please RSVP to mortonfineart@gmail.com

Call for printmakers

2019 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition

Deadline: Sun, October 21st, 2018. 

Founded in 1996, the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition is currently accepting entries for the 2019 exhibition. Artists from around the world have the opportunity to enter this competition, which is chosen by a nationally known expert in the field of printmaking. This year the juror is José Diaz, Chief Curator of The Andy Warhol Museum. 

Eligibility: Open to all artists 18 and older. 

Submissions must be original works on paper, created within the last two years, including but not limited to, digital, intaglio, lithographic, photographic, relief, serigraphic and stencil processes. 

Monotypes are also eligible but reproductions of pre-existing works are not. 

Entry Fee: A $35 (nonrefundable) entry fee permits each artist to submit up to three prints. 

Awards: Purchase Awards and Juror’s Merit Awards will be offered and announced at the opening of the exhibition. Each artist receiving an award will have their artist’s statement of 100 words or less printed in the exhibition catalog. 

Typically half of the show is purchased for the A-State Permanent Collection of Art and by the viewing audience. 

In an attempt to be eco-friendly, the Call for Entry is available Online Only. For details visit: BradburyArtMuseum.org or go directly to this link. 

Call-For-Entries: Boys Will Be Boys

Deadline: September 4, 2018. 

Call-For-Entries: Boys Will Be Boys.

Whitdel Arts is currently accepting submissions and proposals for Boys Will Be Boys.  This exhibition will explore different archetypes of masculinity, today’s societal pressures on men, and ramifications of institutionalized expectations.  Masculinity has a long and varied history, but with the current climate, the constructs of manhood have come to the forefront of conversation.  With this exhibition, we aim to continue the conversation on the limitations and outcomes of the concept of masculinity. 

This exhibition will be held at Whitdel Arts in the Fall of 2018. Exhibition dates: September 21st - November 3rd, 2018 | Reception: Friday, September 21st, 7-10pm

Details here.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam Announces Commission Appointment

From the Virginia Commission for the Arts Chair:

On behalf of the Commissioners, I am pleased to share with you Governor Northam’s appointment of Janet Starke to serve as Executive Director of the Agency. We are very fortunate to continue to have experienced and enthusiastic leadership to support the work of the Commission and our grantee organizations. We look forward to working with Janet and the Commission staff, as well as each of Virginia's arts organizations dedicated to bringing outstanding arts experiences and educational programs to children and adults across the Commonwealth. – John V. Raneiro, Chair, Virginia Commission for the Arts

Prior to her appointment, Janet served as Executive Director of Richmond Performing Arts Alliance since November 2015, having served as the organization’s Director of Education for six years prior. A native of Chesterfield County, Janet has worked in arts education and performing arts institutions for 22 years, in Richmond, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte and Cincinnati. Janet holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Arts Administration from Shenandoah University, and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory. She has served as a grants panelist for Virginia Commission for the Arts, Montalvo Teaching Artist Fellowship, The Kennedy Center and US Department of Education. She has presented nationally at conferences and symposia, including those of Arts Education Partnership, Southeast Center for Education and the Arts, Arts Schools Network, U.S. Department of Education, Americans for the Arts, and National Arts Marketing Project.

The Virginia Commission for the Arts is the state agency that supports the arts through funding from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Commission distributes grants to arts and other not-for-profit arts organizations, educational institutions, educators, artists, and local governments. For more information about the Virginia Commission for the Arts, visit www.arts.virginia.gov or call (804) 225-3132.

This Weekend: Last Chance to See AU's Summer Exhibitions

This weekend is your last chance to see: Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective, Figures: Kiley Ames, Janice Nowinski, Kyle Staver, Jo Weiss, Things Unseen: The Fluency of Abstraction, and Latitude: The Washington Women's Arts Center. 

Stop by American University's gorgeus Katzen Museum -- Saturday & Sunday from 11-4PM. 

Call for Video, Sound Art, and New Media - MD

Deadline: October 15, 2018. 

Frame & Frequency 4 Vol. 2 is an ongoing International Video and Sound Art Exchange program presented concurrently at VisArts in our In(Site) Project Gallery in Rockville, MD and at PLECTO Galeria in Medellín, Colombia, opening October 26, 2018. Video, sound art (up to 8 channels), film, and new media work will be accepted: experimental, documentary, animation, narrative, non-narrative, multimedia, virtual reality, augmented reality, net art, interactive media, etc. All foreign language moving image artworks must have English subtitles. 

Submission specifications: Video/Sound Art: You may submit up to 3 works. Videos must be in .mp4 file format. Maximum length of 15 minutes. Sound Art files can be either .mp3 or .wav format. Upload files below through our online platform or provide Vimeo links for video previews. $5 application fee. 

Submit here.

Best courtroom artist ever

Those of us claiming to be art authorities and holders of the keys to what makes great fine art from illustration art, usually thumb our noses to the rather difficult art of police sketching - which has really delivered some fascinating and disturbing examples of befuddling "portraits" in the past - and courtroom artists.

And yet, Mr. William J. Hennessy, Jr., has stood out to me - clearly the final word on who and what makes great art - as a really, really good courtroom fine artist.

Hennessy has that somewhat rare ability to not only capture the likeness of the subject (in a limited time period in some cases), but also the evr rarer ability to infuse his portraits with a psychological trait of the character of the subject person.

My favorite set of drawings? The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal!

Check out his work here.

Can you spot the fake Fridas?

There are lots of copies of Frida Kahlo's works in this pull of sold Ebay items listed under "Frida Kahlo Paintings." There are also several fakes being offered as works by Kahlo in the mix... can you tell which is what?

Click here.

Can You Tell a Real Artwork from a Fake?

Forgeries can be so convincing they become a form of art. Forgers have become famous in their own right, exhibitions have been devoted to fakes, and auction houses like Sotheby’s even hire in-house fraud experts.

But could you tell the difference between a copy and the real deal? Take our quiz to find out, and discover the history of art forgery along the way.

Take this quiz to find out: Click here.

Call for Howard County Artists

Artists wishing to be considered for an exhibit in the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) galleries are invited to submit a general exhibit application. The HCAC Exhibits Committee meets quarterly to review applications and select artists for the exhibit space. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. The Committee also welcomes proposals from curators and organizations.

Detailed entry guidelines are available at hocoarts.submittable.com/submit/, for pick-up at the Howard County Center for the Arts, or by mail by calling 410-313-2787 or emailing info@hocoarts.org. The next deadline for submissions is Monday, October 1, 2018.

HCAC manages two galleries at the Howard County Center for the Arts with over 2100 square feet of exhibit space. The HCAC gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists.

HCAC presents 11-12 exhibits per year of national, regional, and local artists, including two-person, small and large group, juried, curated, and community shows.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10am- 8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, and Sunday 12- 4pm.  To learn more about HCAC programs and exhibits, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit hocoarts.org.  

Naked Girls at DCAC

In the prudish DMV there is almost nothing more subversive than reading banned books. Except maybe reading them naked in public! 

Cherie Sweetbottom, GiGi Holliday, Alice Darling and Sucre a La Creme, of Montreal, are stripping down at the DC Arts Center to show you why these pieces of literary rebellion are important.  

SHOW: Naked Girls Reading Presents Banned Books

DATE: Friday August 24, 2018 Seating at 10 pm, Showtime 10:30 pm

VENUE: DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW Washington, DC 20009

TICKETS: $22-$27 at https://nakedgirlsreadingbannedbooks.brownpapertickets.com?utm_source=dcartnews

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this jerk trying to rip off artists:

From: Ross Mattie rossmattie837@gmail.com

Subject: ross

My name is Ross Mattie from Los Angeles. I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife's anniversary which is just around the corner. I stormed on some of your works which i found quite impressive and intriguing. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job. You are undoubtedly good at what you do. 

With that being said, I would like to purchase one of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. It would be of help if you could send some pictures of your piece of works, with their respective prices and sizes, which are ready for immediate (or close to immediate) sales. My budget for this is within the price range of $500 to $4000.

I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory. As a matter of importance, I would also like to know if you accept check as a means of payment.

Three shows at Artists & Makers Studios

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive and Wilkins Avenue in Rockville are featuring three exhibits at two locations. These three exhibits will open First Friday festivities between 6-9pm on August 3rd, and will showcase resident artists’ open studios for browsing as well.

Olney Art Association Invitational“Depths of Strength” with Cherie Redlinger & Klaudia Levin“This Place” with Jabari C. Jefferson
Opening Reception6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, August 3rd, 2018 Artists & Makers Studios 111810 Parklawn Dr., Suite 210 Rockville, MD 20852 

and 

Artists & Makers Studios 212276/12280 Wilkins Avenue Rockville, MD 20852 

Artists & Makers Studios 1 on Parklawn hosts a three gallery invitational exhibit with the Olney Art Association, along with Theremin music by Arthur Harrison as well as resident artists’ open studios. Additionally A&M2 on Wilkins is proud to present the work of Cherie Redlinger & Klaudia Levin, as well as a solo exhibit of the work of Jabari C. Jefferson. Also enjoy a new exhibit by the 21 member artists in Gallery 209, an exhibit with the Montgomery County Camera Club “Architectural Design”, and resident artists’ open studios - all just 9/10’s of a mile from the flagship location on Parklawn with free parking at both locations and the best parties in town. 

These exhibits at both locations open Friday, August 3rd, and continue through Wednesday, August 29th, 2018. Viewing hours coincide with office hours and are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, TuesdaySaturday, and Sundays/Mondays by chance or appointment. 

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is now home to 66 resident artists. Artists & Makers Studios 2 on Wilkins Avenue in Rockville is a 23,000 sq. ft. facility with 95 resident artists and more to come. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals - through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors. 

Accepting Exhibition Proposals

Deadline: August 17, 2018. 

1708 Gallery welcomes all artists to submit exhibition proposals. Our Exhibitions Committee reviews proposals annually. This committee includes professional artists from our Board, Curator, and Executive Director. Exhibition proposals are currently being considered for the year 2020. If you are currently a student, you must have graduated by the exhibition year. 1708 Gallery strongly encourages proposals for new or developing projects and bodies of work. In addition to proposals for exhibitions in 1708’s gallery space, public works and other non-gallery based projects will be considered. 

Exhibition periods are approximately six weeks. 

1708 provides a $1000 honorarium, plus shipping, travel, installation and other exhibition support. 

Please contact 1708 Gallery Coordinator Erin Willett with any questions at info@1708gallery.org or 804.643.1708. For more information and to submit a proposal, visit www.1708gallery.org