The Dynamics of Buying a Work of Art

An oldie... but always a goodie:

The Dynamics of Buying a Work of Art

After setting up hundreds of art shows in galleries over the years, and dealing with both novice and experienced collectors, I am sometimes still amused by the dynamics that go into the decision to buy (or more often than not pass) a piece of art.

And I have detected a pattern most easily seen at an art fair.

Put together a few thousand people, paying an entry fee to enter the fair, an assortment of dealers, and a huge diverse variety of offerings and it’s an education in people watching.

The married couple: 
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah, I like it- it’s just what we’ve been looking for.”
“Where would we put it?”
“We have a couple of spots that it’d fit.”
“Do you really like it.”
“Yeah, how about you?”
“Yeah, I kinda of like it.”
“Should we get it?”
“If you want it.”
(five minutes later)
“Let’s think about it.”
“OK” [To me] “Do you have a business card?”

The couple (not married):
Her: “Do you like it?”
Him: “Sssoright”
Her: “Where would we put it?”
Him: “Dunno.”
Her: “Do you really like it.”
Him: “So’OK.. Yeah, how about you?”
Her: “Yeah, I kinda, sorta, really like it.”
Him: “Dunno though”
Her: “What? You don’t like it?”
Him: “If you want it.”
(five minutes later)
Him: “Let’s think about it.”
Her or Him: “OK” [To me] “Do you have a business card?”

The Single Woman (SW) with a Woman Friend:
SW: “WOW! Now, I really like this!”
Friend: “Yeah… it’s nice”
SW: “It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for!”
Friend: “I have a friend who does work just like this…”
SW: “I am really drawn to it!”
Friend: “Are you really sure you like it?”
SW: “Uh - yeah!… why? Don’t you like it?”
Friend: “Yeah… it’s OK”
SW: “I think it’s really good… I think it’s the first piece in this whole show that I really like.”
Friend: “There’s a few more booths we haven’t seen.”
SW: “I think I’m going to buy this.”
Friend: “Are you sure?”
SW: “Uh - yeah!… It’s a good price too…. why? Don’t you like it?”
(five minutes later)
SW: “Do you have a business card?”

The Single Woman (SW) with a Man Friend:
SW: “WOW! Now, I really like this!”
Friend: “Yeah… Cool”
SW: “It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for!”
Friend: “I think it’s a lithograph” [it's actually a charcoal]
SW: “I am really drawn to it!”
Friend: “Are you really sure you like it?”
SW: “Uh - yeah!… why? Don’t you like it?”
Friend: “I have something like it… I got it cheaper though…”
SW: “I think it’s really good… I think it’s the first piece in this whole show that I really like.”
Friend: “You like lithographs?”
SW: “I think I’m going to buy this.”
Friend: “Are you sure?”
SW: “Uh - yeah!… It’s a good price too…. why? Don’t you like it?”
(five minutes later)
SW: “Do you have a business card?”

The Single Focus Dream Buyer:
[Walks straight up to one piece, never looks at the rest of the work in your booth]
“I’ll take this”
[Me] “Thank you… it’s a very striking charcoal drawing - will be that be a check or charge?”
“Charge”
[Me] “I can send you more information on this artist…”
“That will be great - I love this work - it’s exactly what I’m interested in!”
[Me] “I have a few more pieces here, would you like to see them?”
“No, thanks…”

The “I’m glad you’re here guy (IGYHG)”:
IGYHG: “Hey! I’ve been looking for you!”
[Me]: “Hi, how are you?”
IGYHG: “… been walking this whole fair looking for you!”
[Me]: “Yeah… lots of dealers this year… glad you found us!”
IGYHG: “Howsa been goin’?”
[Me]: “Yes… quite good actually…”
IGYHG: “Well, let me look at what you’ve got!”
[three minutes later]
IGYHG: “Well… I’m glad you’re here… see ya next year!”

The “I Shudda Bought It Last Year Guy (Shudda)”:
Shudda: “Hey! You’re here again!”
[Me]: “Hi, how are you? Yeah… It’s our 7th year here…”
Shudda: “… been walking this whole fair looking for you!”
[Me]: “Yeah… lots of dealers this year… glad you found us!”
Shudda: “Howsa been goin’?”
[Me]: “Yes… quite good actually…”
Shudda: “Well, let me look at what you’ve got!”
[three minutes later]
Shudda: “Where’s that really good watercolor of the fill-in-the-blank?”
[Me]: “Uh… I sold it last year - but I have a few more pieces by that artist.”
Shudda: “Ah! - I really wanted that one! Do you have another one?”
[Me]: “Well, no… it was an original watercolor, and I sold it; but I have —”
Shudda: “I really wanted that piece; and it was a good price too…”
[Me]: “Maybe you’d like some of his new work…”
Shudda: “I shudda bought it last year”
[Walks away]
Shudda: “You gonna be here next year?”

The “Where’s That Piece Guy (WTP)”:
WTP: “Hey! You’re here again!”
[Me]: “Hi, how are you? Yeah… It’s our 7th year here…”
WTP: “… been walking this whole fair specifically looking for you!”
[Me]: “Yeah… lots of dealers this year… glad you found us!”
WTP: “Howsa been goin’?”
[Me]: “Yes… quite good actually…”
WTP: “OK… last year I saw this piece… it was a fill-in-the-bank and I should have bought it then! “
[Me]: “Yeah… that is a nice piece.”
WTP: “I’ve been thinking about it for a whole year”
[Looks around the booth and doesn't see it]
WTP: “Do you still have it?”
[From here there are two paths...]
Path One -
[Me]: “Uh… I sold it last year - but I have a few more pieces by that artist.”
WTP: “Ah! - I really wanted that one! Do you have another one?”
[Me]: “Well, no… it was an original watercolor, and I sold it; but I have —”
WTP: “I really wanted that piece; and it was a good price too…”
[Me]: “Maybe you’d like some of his new work…”
WTP: “I shudda bought it last year”
[Walks away]
WTP: “You gonna be here next year?”
Path Two
[Me]: “Let me get it for you… I have it in the back!”
WTP: “Great”
[I bring it out and give to WTP]
WTP: “Yeah this is it! It’s great!”
[Me]: “This artist has done really well this last year and —”
WTP: [Handing it back] “Excellent! I’m glad you still have it… until what time are you going to be here?”

How to sign your artwork

Years after I wrote this, it is still a pet peeve of mine...

Read my advice here.

MSAC Seeking Panelists for Public Art Project Grant Program

The Maryland State Arts Council is seeking panelists to review Public Art Project grant applications for the 2019 fiscal year. The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) relies on a diverse array of arts experts from the field to do the important work of evaluating grant applications submitted by Maryland arts organizations and arts programs. Panelists review grant applications online, and meet in spring for the Grants Review Panel Meeting. Serving as a panelist is a great opportunity to learn about Maryland arts organizations and the granting processes of the Maryland State Arts Council. Panelist application forms are due, Friday, April 19, 2019. Please apply here.

The Maryland State Arts Council has committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in grantmaking as all funding mechanisms continue to be examined and updated. The design of the Public Art Across Maryland Grant application is meant to inspire authentic reflection and internal analysis for each applicant, with the knowledge that the Maryland State Arts Council is to be seen and utilized as a collaborative partner in the process. 

After applications have been reviewed, panelists are appointed by the Maryland State Arts Council for a one-year term, which may be renewed, and receive a modest honorarium and travel reimbursement for serving.

The Maryland State Arts Council uses Google products for all panelist activities. Applicants must have a Gmail account to apply. You may establish a Gmail account here.

Two new exhibits at Howard County Arts Council

The Howard County Arts Council is pleased to announce two new exhibits, opening on May 3, 2019: Resident Visual Artists Exhibit 2019 and No Boundaries.                                                                                                   

In its 35th year at the Arts Council, Resident Visual Artists Exhibit 2019 features recent work created by artists with studios at the Center for the Arts: James Adkins, Joan Bevelaqua, Han Jeon, Myungsook Ryu Kim, Art Landerman, Diana Marta, Brendan Nass, Joyce Ritter, Jereme Scott, Alice St. Germain-Gray, Andrei Trach, Jamie Travers, Mary Jo Tydlacka, and David Zuccarini. The artists work in a variety of media including oil and watercolor painting, drawing, fiber art, and glass bead-making. 

In partnership with Howard County Recreation and Parks’ Department of Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion Services, No Boundaries showcases work by youth and adult artists with developmental disabilities, created in the Exploring Art and Focus on Art programs offered by the Department of Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion Services. In these programs, youth and adults with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to explore a variety of media, styles, and methods of creating art. 

A free public reception will be held on Friday, May 10 from 6–8pm. The Arts Council’s resident artists will also open their studios to visitors from 7–8pm that evening. Both exhibits run through June 14, 2019. 

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Sunday 12 - 4 p.m. The Galleries are closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information about Howard County Arts Council programs and exhibits, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit hocoarts.org.

TFA Emerging Artist Fellowship Call for Entries is Open

Apply here

Bummer

Bummerstein!

My proposal was to present my lecture/question & answer presentation titled: "On Identity in the Arts: What does it mean to be Latino/a?"

I've presented this in various colleges across the US, but so far oh for two with MD... it is usually well-received and kick starts a lot of good discussion and gets a lot of muddy waters cleared...

events maryland 

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for submitting a proposal for the Maryland Arts Summit 2019. Unfortunately, your proposal was not selected to be presented at this year’s conference.

This process elicited an overwhelming response from the Maryland Arts community, which led to a very competitive pool of applicants and more quality proposals than we had space for in this year’s Summit.

We hope you will consider joining us for the Maryland Arts Summit 2019 as an attendee and that you will apply again in the future.

Sincerely,

The Summit Staff

Heloisa Escudero at Otis Street Arts Project

“INTEGRATION”

Heloisa Escudero

Opening Reception March 30, 2019, 6-9 PM

Special performance April 27th 2-5 PM

Solo Exhibition of new work created for Otis Street Arts Project by Heloisa Escudero.

Every human being follows a unique life path, with no two paths being alike. All of these paths are governed by countless life equations, where all of our phobias, fears and anxieties are parameters and variables that define a part of this equation, and the values of which may determine our learning directions.  The solutions to these multivariable and complicated equations are held inside each of us, we hold all the secrets to our unique self.  This exhibition aims at the realization of the (unique) self. By direct visualization of our phobias, it makes our parameters explicit. And by creation of rituals that provide positive thinking, it aims at finding solutions to our life equations.  One of the main goals is that the viewer actively integrates their life path while interacting with the art. 

About the Artist:
Heloisa Escudero grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, but relocated to the United States in 1987 where her interest in Fine Arts developed. She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and a Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. She holds American, Italian and Brazillian citizenships.  She is interested in conceptually based art that is both tactile and interactive. Her most recent art projects focus on art that emphasizes the participation of the viewer. In 2007 she moved to Sweden where she worked as a full-time artist, creating four successful projects and exhibiting in Sweden at the Uppsala Art Museum and in Spain at the University of Valencia.  Her art was mentioned at the the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Resource Magazine, Harvard University Archive and etc.  
  
Otis Street Arts Project is located at 3706 Otis St., Mount Rainier, MD.
March 30- May 4, 2019
Hours: Saturday 12-5, M-F by appointment.

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this rip off artist: 

Captain Ralph ralphlauren0072@cox.net  

Good Day How are you doing? My name is Ralph Lauren from NC.I observed my wife has been viewing your website on my laptop and i guess she likes your piece of art work,. 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 some 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 $450 to $5000. I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory.(ralphlauren0072@gmail.com) Best regards, Ralph

Wanna help out our local arts community?

Then read the note below from one of the DMV's leading art presences:

We are asking you, our community, for your help and kind assistance!

By now you know us well, we will never ask you for monetary donations, but right now there IS something you can do to help A&M! We are working to open our third location as a part of a mixed-use development waiting for approval in the beautiful town of Kensington. The developer brought us in specifically to help make more of an arts anchor and presence in this (already) art-filled community, and we could not be more excited about this amazing opportunity.

If you love Artists & Makers Studios, and what we do in and for the community, would you please help us by doing one of the following to help us grow our vision to expand into our third art center?

1. Show up - Come to the Kensington community meeting next Thursday March 28th at 7pm, and join us in support. Newport Mill Middle School Cafeteria, 11311 Newport Mill Road, Kensington, MD 20895

2. Contact me if you would like to speak about your experience at A&M as a resident or visitor!

3. Jot me an email about your experience with A&M and I will print and deliver it to the council.

We need community support to help get this project up and running, and any one of the three steps above (or any combination of all three) will be invaluable in helping get this project approved and started!

The developer engaged three new architects to take all of the community input offered so far, and is bringing a brand new vision for the building design to the meeting. lt is gorgeous and a building we would love to inhabit on that prominent corner in Kensington.

Our vision statement:

Artists & Makers 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.

My email: Judith@ArtistsAndMakersStudios.com

www.artistsandmakersstudios.com

New shows open at the Katzen

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY MUSEUM at the KATZEN ARTS CENTER, led by the amazing super powers of Jack Rasmussen continues to outshine a lot of other DMV museums... Check out the new shows below:

Opening Reception: April 6, 6-9PM 

• Forward Press: 21st Century Printmaking
• Squire Broel
• Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by Eduardo Carrillo 
• Kenneth Victor Young: Continuum 
• Peripheral Visions (MFA Studio Art First Year Exhibition)

Read more about their Spring exhibitions here.

Trawick Prize Deadline April 8

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is inviting regional artists to submit work to the annual Trawick Prize!

This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. The deadline for submissions is Monday April 8, 2019. Up to eight selected finalists will be chosen to display their work at Bethesda’s Gallery B in September 2019.

The competition will be juried by Jonathan Monaghan, Assistant Professor of Digital Art & Studio Art Advisor, Catholic University, and the 2015 Trawick Prize Best In Show Winner; Foon Sham, Professor of Sculpture, University of Maryland, and Sue Wrbican, Associate Professor of Photography & Director of Photography Program, George Mason University.

Submission requirements:

• Artists must be 18 years of age or older
• Residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.
• All original 2-D and 3-D fine art including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video will be accepted.
• Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibition.
• Selected artists must deliver their artwork to the exhibit site in Bethesda, MD.
• Each artist must submit five images, an application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25

The Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young” artist whose birth date is after April 8, 1989 may also be awarded $1,000.

Apply here.

Bethesda Row Arts Festival

Each October, 190 leading artists nationwide turn Bethesda Row’s Arts and Entertainment District into an outdoor art gallery, featuring juried fine arts and fine crafts. “Art Fair Sourcebook” has recognized the Bethesda Row Arts Festival (BRAF) as one of the top 30 Fine Art Shows in the United States, attracting 45,000 art patrons over the two-day event.

Bethesda Row, just outside of Washington, DC, features more than 50 fine shops, upscale galleries and unique restaurants with outdoor seating. A few short blocks from the Metro, and on the Capital Crescent Trail, the area is accessible to the entire region by subway, bus, car and bike. 

Details and application here.

I've done this show several times over the years and I'm thinking of doing it again and doing some artist interviews and vlogging live - more later.

CHAW's 50 States Project

Tomorrow will be the official launch of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop's groundbreaking, artist-led mobile artist residency program, The 50 States Project.

Beginning Fall 2019, painter Kate Fleming and photographer Tom Woodruff will spend a year traveling in a small camper van to all 50 states, exploring regional similarities and differences through art. This national project will concurrently serve as a mobile classroom for students at CHAW in a new Social Justice youth arts program. 

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is excited to announce the launch of The 50 States Project, a groundbreaking mobile artist residency. Beginning Fall 2019, painter Kate Fleming and photographer Tom Woodruff will spend a year traveling in a small camper van to all 50 states, exploring regional similarities and differences through art.  This national, artist-led project will concurrently serve as a mobile classroom for students at CHAW in a new Social Justice youth arts program, striving to raise critical consciousness, build community, and motivate students to promote social change through artistic means. For more information, please visit www.the50statesproject.com

Near Toyota Dealership by Kate Fleming

“Meaningful conversation is largely absent amid the intense division and discord found across the American landscape today,” says Amy Moore, CHAW’s Executive Director. “CHAW believes artists are uniquely situated to contribute by capturing and interpreting the ideals of our nation. Alongside the residency, CHAW’s new youth Social Justice program will allow students to explore how art has been used as a means to record history, shape culture, cultivate imagination, and harness individual and social transformation.”

As they travel to all 50 states, artists Kate and Tom will conduct their own individual research, producing works of visual art engaging with a particular theme or research question of their choosing. The artists will anchor their trip with stops at arts organizations across the country, engaging with at least one formal arts community in each state. Upon returning to DC in the fall of 2020, the artists will present their research through an exhibition, public programs, and an exhibit catalogue which will be shared with the communities they will have visited.

“By physically immersing ourselves in other American cultures during both an election year and a census year, we will learn and share the stories of our fellow Americans,” says artist Kate Fleming. “The artworks we create along the way will act as a vehicle through which others can experience and develop empathy for these people and places.”

About the artists:

Kate Fleming is a painter, printmaker, muralist, and installation artist based in her hometown of Arlington, Virginia. She has shown her work throughout the DC area and across the U.S. at galleries and mural festivals including POW! WOW! DC; Site:Brooklyn in New York; and Flatbed Press in Austin. Kate was artist-in-residence at CHAW in the Spring of 2018 and she has also completed residencies at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, Virginia and Penland School of Craft in Bakersville, NC. Additionally, Kate has worked as a set designer with CHAW’s resident theater company, Taffety Punk, whom she met during her residency at CHAW. Kate conducted an artistic survey of biodiversity in North Carolina in 2017 with fellow artist Kristen Orr, painting her way across the state on an intensive seven-day road trip.

Tom Woodruff is a photojournalism graduate student at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication, with an expected completion date of May 2019. He has undertaken multiple long-term photographic studies of place, including photo essays on tourism and the National Mall, gentrification of DC’s Massachusetts Avenue, and perseverance of community in the small coal mining town of Hemlock, Ohio. Tom works to develop trust with the communities he photographs through his working philosophy of empathy, rather than of exploitation. In 2019, Tom was a finalist for the Reinke Grant for Visual Storytelling. Kate and Tom spent six months traveling around Australia in 2016, living and traveling in a camper van for two months of the trip. In 2017, the pair presented their Australian artworks in a two-person collaborative exhibition at Falls Church Arts in Falls Church, Virginia.

Art Blossoms

New “Art Blossoms” exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic Gallery coincides with the arrival of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin.

Cherry Blossoms by Min Enghauser

Nothing signifies the arrival of spring quite like the blooming of the cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C. 

Now, a new exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic Gallery in Fairfax, Va., offers its own interpretation of the splendor of nature in a show titled “Art Blossoms”, featuring 13 juried artists from the highly-acclaimed Torpedo Factory Art Center. The artists represent a variety of mediums, including painting, printmaking, photography, and 3D media.

The Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic is a popup gallery sponsored by the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association, and is located in the upscale Mosaic District shopping area in Fairfax, Va.

“Art Blossoms”, March 20 – April 8, Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic, 2905 District Avenue, #105, Fairfax, Virginia. Open Wednesday thru Sunday 11 – 7.

In addition to what’s going on at the gallery in connection with the cherry blossoms’ arrival, there will be various events throughout the Mosaic District, including art demonstrations by Torpedo Factory artists, and numerous other activities sponsored by the Mosaic District.

At the MCI

Mexican Cultural Institute 2829 16th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20009 (View on map)

On the return of stolen Cuban artwork

A decade ago I discussed this issue - read it here.

There are a lot of museums in Europe, mostly France, and a lot of collectors in Europe and Asia, and several major auction houses that are nervously looking to what happens in Cuba once its brutal dictatorship finally ends.

They are nervous because worldwide courts have consistently recognized the right of original owners to the return of artwork which has been looted by governments and dictatorships, confiscated, sold and re-sold.

30th National Drawing & Print Competitive Exhibition at Gormley Gallery

On view March 18 through April 26, 2019
Juror: Ginevra Shay, former Artistic Director of The Contemporary

Featuring work by Mark Bischel, Jessica Burke, Suzanne Michele Chouteau, Michael DeLuca, Anne Finucane, Robin Gibson, M. Alexander Gray, Ming Hong, Jennifer Hoskins, Elena Johnston, Andrew Kozlowski, Camila Linaweaver, Sascha Mallon, Kathy McGhee, Lisa Parker Hyatt, Eva Redamonti, William Dean Reynolds, Carmen Schaefer, Charlotte Schulz, Rhonda Smith, Ellen Verdon Winkler, and Lauren Yandell

Reception and Gallery Talk: Saturday, March 23, 4-6pm
Reception and Gallery Talk
Saturday, March 23, 2019
4:00 to 6:00pm
Remarks by juror Ginevra Shay

Gormley Gallery is located on the second floor of Fourier Hall
on the campus of Notre Dame of Maryland University
4701 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

Invitational Exhibition at Waverly

There was a time when the streets of Bethesda were paved with art galleries from curb to curb: Fraser, Heineman, Neptune, Osuna, etc. - at one point a decade ago there were 13 galleries in the Bethesda Art Walk!

Waverly Gallery is now one of a handful of Bethesda galleries which has stood the test of time, and is still around since its founding in 1993. Part of that survival skills is the fact that this gallery is a cooperative gallery, riding the capricious tides of the economy on the robust shoulders of its member artists.

The gallery recently hosted its invitational exhibit, with work by Henry Winokur, Joan April, Shaune Bazner, Kyujin Lee, JoEllen Murphy, Jill Cantrill, Paul Guilderson, Lucy Louise Derickson, John D. Antone, Jack Allbrittain, Mariana Kastrinakis, Kim Blue, Carol Barsha, Hunt Prothro, John Paradiso, Sue Osterhout, Andreia Gliga, Sara Parent-Ramos, Courtney Applequist, and Diane Szczepaniak.

Dreams and Shadows by Courtney Applequist

My favorite "new" discovery was the work, the very painterly paintings of Courtney Applequist - I was intrigued by the technique - is it a palette which is delivering these immensely sensual paintings? the brush? or a mixture of both? In any event, the sense of moistness, light and volume is palpable in this elegant work - keep an eye on this artist.

Adrift by Kyujin Lee

I've seen Kyujin Lee's work previously - and I am always impressed by the facility with which this artist tackles such interesting subjects.

John Paradiso

John Paradiso is a DMV artrockstar... 'nuff said!

Spanglish Update: Keliabundia

Spanglish Update: The other night, as the gods of RF propagation dictate, an AM station from somewhere in the world popped into my van's radio - I could tell from the accent that it was a NYRican speaking into the airwaves. 

He was rather vociferously trashing a certain new and young Congresswoman from NY, but what caught my attention was his use of the adjective "keliabundia" to describe the lady in question. 

As it was clearly some sort of NewYorkism Spanglish, I had no idea what it meant... until I Googled it and it was not found in the vastness of the Internets... but Google's suggestion immediately clarified it for me! 

That nameless voice in the night sky was comparing @AOC to Kelly Bundy!

Not Googling-linking to Kelly Bundy... you're gonna hafta do that!

Call for Proposals

Howard County, Maryland desires to secure the professional services of qualified artists for the purpose of commissioning up to three artworks to be installed at its new Circuit Courthouse, which is currently being designed by Edgemoor-Star America Judicial Partners (ESJP). Permanent public interior and exterior Artwork pieces are planned. 

The Howard County Arts Council will serve as one of the art advisors for the selection process. Selected artists will contract directly with the County and work with the public art project team to oversee all aspects of the artwork from design through project implementation, fabrication and installation. 

Eligibility: 
All professional artists in the United States may apply. Additionally, to be considered for this commission the artist must meet at least three of the following four criteria: 1) has completed public art commissions; 2) has received awards, grants or fellowships; 3) has had work exhibited in museums or galleries; and 4) has demonstrated artistic merit, excellence and innovation through past work.

Budget Details:
County funding for this artworks project will not exceed $460,000. 

Submission Procedures:
Interested artists may view the complete Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) and apply online at hocoarts.submittable.com. Applications must be submitted no later than 4:00pm EST on March 29, 2019. 

How to frame your work

It is not that hard people!

Regardless of what your framer or your interior decorator, or your mom tells you, the prime purpose of a frame is to protect the artwork and ready it for presentation and exhibition.

Read the rest of this great piece of advice.

Open life drawing sessions

Hyattsville Figure Drawing Group

Tuesday, April 2, 6-9pm
Model: Jalene

Welcome to open life drawing sessions every Tuesday, 6-9pm in Pyramid Atlantic's gallery space in the Gateway Arts District, Hyattsville. Bring along your favorite art materials and draw with us! Chairs, tables and drawing boards provided.

All are welcome, under 18 legal guardian permission required. Drop-ins welcome, no experience necessary!

Where: 
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center*
4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781
Free parking in rear of building

When: 
Tuesdays, 6-9pm

Cost: 
$20/session or $75/5-session punch card or $15/session for Pyramid Atlantic members (proof required)

For more information: 
https://www.meetup.com/Hyattsville-Figure-Drawing-Group-Meetup

Self and Others at Olly Olly

Olly Olly Presents

Self and Others - a solo exhibition of new work by Jeff Duka

March 16, 2019 – April 27, 2019

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 16, 2019, 7pm-10pm

In Self and Others, Jeff Duka’s works position and consider the self as nebulous, an ephemeral and temporal network. The muted opacity of his portraits suggests the occult and ever-shifting balance between what we do and do not share about ourselves, as well as between what we are and are not permitted or able to know about others. That we exist in a destructive, image-saturated world is the accepted reality from which these works emerge. Considering his painting to be “post-photographic,” Duka has eschewed the paralyzing quandaries of over consideration in favor of showing up in front of his easel. His series of bruises delves into the vulnerability of self while responding to the expectations of the viewer in this digital world. Step up to Duka’s true mirror: in this moment in which the image is everything, in which people have plastic surgery to look more like their edited and filtered selfies, in which destinations ranging from theme parks to art exhibitions surrender to a cultural mandate to manufacture contexts in which we can shape and sculpt our preferred counter realities, who are you? Who are your friends? How might we understand our multiple ways of seeing and of being? How might we understand the distance and content between the perceived and actual self? How might we know our true self and truly know and relate to others? Let a thousand images bloom. 

Join us at Olly Olly on Saturday, March 16, 2019, 7pm-10pm, for an evening reception with the artist. 

Olly Olly wants to nourish the body and the community as well. We will be collecting healthy non-perishable food items for the Food Bridge Program at Britepaths, which provides short-term emergency food assistance to Fairfax County area residents who are in crisis. We encourage you to bring a healthy non-perishable food item to donate. The Food Bridge Program is most in need of cooking oil, brown rice, dried beans, canned fruit in its own juices, canned tomato products and pasta sauce. 

Olly Olly, located at 10417 Main Street, 2nd Floor in Fairfax, VA, is open for special events and by appointment. During the run of a Self and Others, Olly Olly will also be open for special viewing hours Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Self and Others will be on view at Olly Olly from March 16, 2019 through April 27, 2019. 

Please call 703-789-6144 or visit ollyollyart.com for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/296344857747027/

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this rip off email artist:

Chris Atkinson chris.atkinson689@icloud.com

Thu 2/28/2019 5:59 PM

hello 

i saw some artworks the last time i visited your gallery 

i took some photos of the artworks

i am interested in purchasing them now 

kindly get back to me if the artworks are still available 

regards

Dr Chris Atkinson

Carolina Mayorga: at the OAS!

“East Meets West” at Potomac Fiber Art

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery announces the opening of its juried show, “East Meets West”, on 16 April 2019.  The show will close on  19 May 2019.  Ikat weaving, Batik, Sashiko embroidery, Shibori dyeing,  hand stamping, and a myriad of other Eastern techniques and clothing styles are integrated with Western designs and techniques.

The results are very exciting. Our members have created a wonderful exhibit highlighting the theme, East meets West.  Themed work will be eligible for recognition by the jurors. Non-themed work will also be exhibited. 

The Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery, established in 1974, the first gallery for fiber arts in the Washington metro area. It is a cooperative association of up to 70 fiber artists, many of whom teach and have been published. There are 11 themed shows every year with a wide variety of fiber art. Techniques include  felting, quilting, weaving, knitting, dyeing, beading, and crocheting.  Some innovative pieces use fiber techniques with nontraditional materials such as metals, glass, wood, and clay.

Hours: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm daily and weekends, and 10:30 am to 9:00 pm on the second Thursday of each month. The gallery is closed on major holidays.

Deals of a lifetime for framing supplies

My framer (Apex Moulding) is closing one of its two locations and consolidating - they have thousands of frames, framing equipment, matboard, thousands of feet of moulding, etc. at give-away prices - all frames are either $5 or $10 regardless of moulding or size! 

Email Khalid at apexmoulding@yahoo.com or call him at 703/914-1000 and tell him Lenny sent you...