Rockville Arts Festival

I walked through the 10th Annual Rockville Arts Festival in downtown Rockville today - as usual it is a terrific show with loads of good artists, food and entertainment!

I love the fact that every booth is a corner booth - thus maximizing the exhibition space for each artist! This show is always good and reflects the hard work of its director Robin Markowitz.

As usual, my two bits on some of my faves from this show.

I liked Bob Friedenberg's fantasy line drawings and Matthew Miller's paintings.

I also admired the paintings of Richard McMurry, who told me that he's somewhat new to the outdoor art circuit; he's clearly a painter at the top of his form!

Detail of a painting by Richard McMurry

Also new to the outdoor art circuit is Yolanda Prinsloo, an exceptionally skilled painter and teacher - her booth was full of multiple and different art explorations, as she seeks to find her place in this demanding art niche... she will do well!

From my earlier look at artists who will also be at this weekend's Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, I ran and proved my exceptional eye and breathtaking ability to jury via online images, by actually verifying in person that Tanya Tyree and Sandra Sedmak Engel are really, really good artists!

Painting by Sandra Sedmark Engel

Sculptures by Tanya Tree

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival next Saturday

Get excited for art, entertainment, food & more at the annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival on Saturday, May 14 (10am - 6pm) & Sunday, May 15 (10am - 5pm)! Stroll Norfolk & Auburn Avenues to see 100+ artist booths, listen to great music & enjoy food, wine & beer for the perfect weekend in downtown Bethesda.

All free and also plenty of free parking!

Details here.

You can see the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival 2022 artists here.

You know what's coming next - my awards for top artists in the show.  As a brilliant juror, I can use my experienced eye from the thumbnails and website visits to award the Campello awards.

For the painters I liked  Zhiyi Li (from Enfield, CT) in Booth #66, and Thomas Williams (from Chicago, IL) in Booth #78.  

All three printmakers in the show are exceptional -- I've written a lot about Joseph Craig English from Washington Grove, MD (Booth #84) - in this show John Pernell and Michael Nemnich are also quite good.

For Mixed Media, my top pick was Sandra Sedmak Engel, whose sensual work is a pleasure both to the eye and the eros that outdoor shows usually try to eliminate.

There are a lot of talented photographers in the show. See them all here. James Richmond from Titusville, Florida (Booth #76) went to Cuba and has the mandatory photos of old 1950s cars in Havana, as I understand that the Cuban dictatorship will not allow tourists (and photographers especially) to depart from the jailed island unless evidence is presented at the airport that photographs of the vintage cars have been taken.  

Pet peeve aside, Richmond has an exceptional eye for capturing the grace that is human kind, all the way from Portuguese card players in Old Europe to gorgeous indigenous women in Panama, to Cuban farmers in the brutalized Castro Brothers' Workers Paradise.

Cuban farmer by James Richmond

It is a wonderful photograph, capturing the essence of the Cuban guajiro, his ancient Basque bloodlines still quite cleaning running through his veins as evidenced by the telltale ear lobe, a wide smile for the American tourist on his thin lips, and a hand-rolled Habano in his mouth, the envy of every smoker millionaire around the planet.

In the category of sculpture, Tanya Tyree caught my attention as her sculptures struggle between talented efficiency and a bit of whimsy. What is clear is a straight and unique vision being delivered by the (I suspect) very strong and skilled hands of this artist.

And the Campello pick for Best in Show?

It goes to painter Cassie Taggart from Rehoboth, DE in Booth #51.

Parachutes by Cassie Taggart

While anyone can immediately see that Taggart's work explore surrealism, what she has brilliantly done is to deliver a new 21st century version of surrealism, where her skilled painting talents marry it with fantasy, and the fantastical (which is different) as well as a healthy dose of narrative storytelling.  

It is "otherworldly" artwork deeply anchored in data which lives hidden in our ancestral brain.  This is work which once you buy it and hang it in your house, will dominate everything else which you have hung on those walls.

Go outside and see some artwork this weekend, talks to artists and artisans, eat some bad-for-you food and listen to some outdoor music.

The Hopper Prize is now accepting entries

$3,500 Grants - All Media Eligible

Deadline: May 17, 2022

The Hopper Prize is now accepting entries for the Spring 2022 artist grants.

They are offering $3,500 and $1,000 grants to artists and photographers around the world.

Grants will be awarded through an open call art competition juried by leading contemporary curators. Current Jurors:

— Jody Graf, Assistant Curator, MoMA PS1

— Pamela Meadows, Curator, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

The Hopper Prize was established in order to increase the recognition of artwork created by artists and photographers. Their aim is to advance artists' careers by providing them with unrestricted financial support that is coupled with a platform for increased visibility. They accept submissions twice a year via an open call.

They are currently accepting submissions for the Spring 2022 grant cycle.

Program Highlights

Total Awards: $11,000.00 USD for visual artists

• $3,500.00 – 2 artists will each receive a $3,500 (USD) grant

• $1,000.00 – 4 artists will each receive a $1,000 (USD) grant

• 30 artists will have their work archived at hopperprize.org

• A selection from the submissions will be featured on their Instagram feed @hopperprize

• Additional exposure will be available to winners through their Journal: Insights into Contemporary Art

Connect with Curators

They collaborate with contemporary curators holding prominent positions at major institutions in order to select our grant winners. The open call provides you with a direct path to get your work in front of these forward thinking exhibition makers. Jurors for the current awards are:

Jody Graf

Assistant Curator

MoMA PS1

&

Pamela Meadows

Curator

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA)

The jurors will be selecting 6 artists from the open call who will each receive an unrestricted cash grant.

2 artists will win $3,500 and 4 artists will win $1,000.

The jurors will also select a shortlist of 30 artists who will have their work archived here.

Grant awards are unrestricted and may be used any way the recipients choose.

When submitting your work, you will have the option to opt-in to be considered for possible Instagram features on our feed @hopperprize, where we currently reach an audience of over 65k. Our editors will be featuring select submissions on a rolling basis prior to the application deadline.

In addition to grant awards, their shortlist, and Instagram reach, we will be providing an additional platform for exposure via the online Journal Insights Into Contemporary Art. They launched this digital publication to give artists a new channel to amplify their voice while providing an in-depth look at their work, practice, and background. Grant recipients and shortlisted artists will all receive the opportunity to publish an interview to include any work of their choosing as a means of providing continued support beyond the open call.

Eligibility

The Hopper Prize is open to all artists age 18 and older working in any media. There are no restrictions on genre, subject matter, or media. They welcome entries in all media.

They are committed to supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers. All artists are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

May 17, 2022

Simple Application

They've made the grant application simple to reduce the stress of submitting your work and save you time. The application is short and can be completed in under 20 minutes.

To apply for a grant, you only need to submit this information:

• Name & Email

• Instagram Username (optional)

• Up to 10 Image or Video attachments

• Artwork captions

• Artist Statement & Biography (optional)

• $40 submission fee

Apply Now - HERE

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

Deadline: August 2, 2022

This program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are practicing in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.

Apply here.

There is a new mural at Glen Echo Park!

There is a new mural at Glen Echo Park! The Bumper Car Pavilion now has an original J. Jordan Bruns mural donning its facade. After a solid week of painting, and countless revisions, it is completed. 

The Bumper Car Pavilion Mural at Glen Echo

Also join Jordan for the opening reception of Tadaima, his solo show at Artists and Makers Studios. The reception is this Saturday, May 7, from 11:00 - 3:00pm. The following week on Sunday, May 15 from 1:00 - 3:00pm, he will be hosting a discussion of the ink wash technique featured in the show.

Tadaima is a phrase that means “I’ve just come home now” in Japanese. J. Jordan Bruns, a long time Glen Echo Park resident artist has returned from a three-year sabbatical in Tokyo, Japan. 

“Tadaima” will highlight some of the work created during his sabbatical as well as work created since his return.  On display will be Bruns’s ink wash paintings of Japanese Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines. These works are made using acrylic ink, as a substitute for more traditional Sumi ink, in monochrome of either blue or gold. Each piece has areas of high resolution around the focal points and abstract ink splatters or uncontrolled washes in other areas to balance the realism.  

Bruns will host a demonstration and discussion titled “Working in Ink Abroad” on Sunday, May 15th from 1:00-3:00pm. This event will allow attendees to see his sketchbooks from three years of travel in Asia and Oceania. Bruns will also discuss and demonstrate how the technique used in plein air ink sketches relates to his more resolved ink washes in the studio.  

Tadaima

At Artists & Makers Studios 1 11810 Parklawn Dr Ste 210, Rockville, MD 20852

Opening Reception:

Saturday, May 7 from 11:00 - 3:00pm

Artist Discussion: “Working in Ink Abroad”, Sunday May 15, 1:00 -3:00pm

Looking for a sponsor

 Maybe we can find this artist a sponsor  --   I kinda like the fresh, open approach?

Dear Sir 

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Karema Karissa and I'm an artist based in Nairobi, Kenya. I write to you seeking patronage in order to continue my career in art. I seek your patronage for many reasons that will benefit both of us, to be honest, mostly me as I am in need. I'll start by telling you a bit more about myself and the work I do.

I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2013 I graduated from The Catholic University of Eastern Africa with a bachelor's degree in commerce majoring in marketing. Upon graduating I ventured into a career in art as this has been my interest since I was 8 years old. Throughout the years I have tried different mediums and techniques. In 2019, I finally established my own niche and launched my website kareshart.com in 2020.

My niche is modern art with modern techniques. I apply smooth layer upon layer with wax based Prismacolor colored pencils, ink vector patterns and gold acrylic paint to create unique high quality skyscape and arabic calligraphy pieces.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to sell to the point that I would be able to earn a living entirely out of my talent. I truly believe in my talent and my aim is to make a name for myself as a great talent of my time. To book my place in history as an artist who showed dedication, character, hard work and exceptional talent in his niche. I would like to live out my life creating art.

I priced my work low in order to survive but surviving is not living. Out of 101 pieces currently I have sold 12 in 2 years for a total of $650. My artwork was priced $140 each on my website but I believe it is worth so much more. Thus I have disabled purchases on my website as I now seek a patron for this collection of artworks. It has taken me a whole lifetime of ups and downs, failures, progress, learning and unlearning, to get to this level of skill. 22 years to be precise. Prior to my website launch and the establishment of my niche, I sold over 60 pieces of art since the official launch of my art career in 2013. But not at a price enough to make a living. I do believe that I am an exceptional talent. All I need is someone to believe in me.

You can visit my Instagram page @karesh_art. If you scroll down my page while checking the dates you will see that I have been constantly working on my craft. I can producing 5 to 8 pieces a month. All of them are beautiful, similar yet unique in their own way.  My goal is to create one of the largest bodies of artworks in my niche. I have done 101 pieces so far, I would like to get to 1000 God willing. I am passionate about my work, I love what I do. Unfortunately my work has stalled because of financial constraints and lack of time. I have had to seek other sources of income to cater for my living expenses. This has taken up the time I had to work on my craft. Thus I am in need of your assistance to save and maintain my career.

A short description of my work is as follows: The skyscapes/seascapes are inspired by the mystery that's above us and below us. Whenever I look up to the sky I'm amazed at the possibilities of what could be out there in the universe. Same goes for the ocean, so much of it is yet to be explored. The vast array of amazing creatures, plants, mountains and trenches. So much more than the eyes can see. Another inspiration is the general beauty of the sky and the ocean. How they both change with different times, seasons and tides. We live on a beautiful planet and we are responsible for its preservation.

My Arabic calligraphy is inspired by the need to educate on Islam, sending reminders to my Muslim brothers and sisters and the beauty of the Arabic language. It's my way of giving back and spreading peace and love to a people that are greatly misunderstood.

Historically, people in positions of power like kings, queens and wealthy people funded all types of visual artists. They guaranteed financial security to artists giving them an opportunity to earn a living while creating art. They would do so through patronage. This increased value and security and shaped artists to be viewed as people possessing unique skills that warrant respect, admiration and payment. This earned these individuals the title 'Patron of the Arts' as they stood out as those who are capable of supporting artistic talent. With their passion for talent and philanthropy they changed the lives of many artists and paved the way for growth of the art industry over the years shaping it to what it is today.

I therefore seek your patronage to save my career, to give me an opportunity to achieve my goals and to help me realize my full potential. Your patronage is going to have great benefits for me. My career is currently at risk and your assistance would help me maintain it. 

You will be helping me realize my dream just like every other athlete, actor, musician and so on who have had the opportunity to earn through their talent and hard work. This will give me the freedom to practice my craft for the rest of my life. I will be able to afford a better studio space, better supplies, better recording equipment, preservation of my artwork and so much more. I will be able to cater for travel expenses to attend exhibitions and mentorships in order to improve my career. I have received invites to exhibit my artwork and mentorship opportunities by masters of art but I lost the opportunities as I could not afford the travel expenses. Art can be capital intensive sometimes. I will have the opportunity to teach my craft and pass down the knowledge I have acquired throughout the years. I would like to help improve my community through my talent. The benefits are many. The world is full of people with different sets of skills. Some doctors, lawyers, bankers, footballers...Art is what I'm good at, so I'm asking you to grant me this opportunity.

I reach out to you because of your capabilities and I do believe this is where I can find someone capable of granting me the assistance I need. The values you uphold and your drive are a great inspiration. It would be an honour to secure your patronage. 

The benefit to you is first off, the delight of helping someone in need. You will also be an important part of my journey. An artistic journey I will be on, for the rest of my life God willing. You will be the patron who set the stage for me to become a great artist of his age. You will be a 'Patron of the Arts' for my collection and I will not let you down in making sure that your contribution is well placed. You will be amongst those who support people with unique talents in society in these times where talent has developed high consideration. If you give me this opportunity I will not waste it.

My proposal is that you purchase my whole collection of current artworks. They are 92 in total, 17 by 17 cm artworks. 68 skyscapes and 24 arabic calligraphy artworks. This will give me a lot of breathing space. I propose you  purchase them at $3,000 each. A total of $276,000 for the whole collection. This is for a skill that has been 22 years in the making. This will give me the opportunity to pursue and achieve my goals God willing. I do believe my work is worth it and so much more. I do believe you won't be disappointed when you see them. I lay great emphasis on quality. You can view the collection on my website kareshart.com, portfolio page.

The pieces can be kept in a private collection. They can be kept in a corporate collection. They can be hung all over the walls of your company premises. Art has been known to create an inspiring work environment for employees. The pieces can be given as gifts to family. They can be given to employees as gifts for appreciation. Amongst many other uses of Art.

Art is also an increasing asset. If you invest in my talent you will have a valuable asset in your hands. My success in the art industry, God willing, will also increase it's value. As the years go by the value of the asset keeps increasing. Recently a 2.75 by 2.75 inch sketch by Da vinci sold for 12 million dollars. Companies such as UBS have a collection of upto 35,000 artworks. I have attached a comprehensive report by Dr. Clare McAndrew, founder of Art Economics for the year 2022. This detailed report reveals the kind of value the art industry holds together with the shifts as per the market environment. Granting me your patronage will be a worthy investment that will benefit you in the short term and the long term. It will secure a future for generations to come. 

This is not entirely about the money though. This is about gaining the freedom to practise my craft. Something I have worked on for years and I feel I have earned it. I feel it is time I got the platform to truly realise my full potential. That platform is my freedom. With the limited time I currently have, I am already working on a new collection of artworks to keep my career a float. But it's my dream to be able to do this full time. Some of the piece are already available for purchase on my website.

Upon securing your patronage, my next step will be to find a mentor who is already established in the art industry. Someone who will guide me on how to introduce and maintain  my brand in the international art industry amongst many other benefits of mentorship. I seek to use this achievement of securing patronage to secure mentorship from a master of art. Your patronage will improve my reputation and grant me the resources to pursue this goal. I also have the option to reach out to the masters of art who had previously agreed to mentor me as I'll have the funds to meet the financial demands. I am also still in contact with the international art galleries that have invited me to work with them. All that's left is the financing. You're welcome to follow up on my progress anytime and as much as you please.

The artworks will be delivered as per your request. The pieces are not framed but are well packaged, secured and ready for delivery to the address you will provide. 

I welcome any proposal you have. Or any terms and conditions you may have. I have attached my art C.V with references and I can provide sample images of my artworks. You can also view the collection on my website kareshart.com, portfolio page. Videos of the creation of the piece are available on my Instagram highlights, page name @karesh_art. I am willing to provide any documentation that you need for authentication. I truly am in need of assistance thus I reach out as far as I can. I hope you shall consider my proposal.

I apologize for the long e-mail. Thank you in advance

Regards,

Karema Karissa

+254715750845

Job Opportunity: Arts Education Coordinator

Harwood Art Center has an opening for a full-time Arts Education Coordinator. They ae are looking for someone who "embodies the philosophy, mission and values of Harwood and our parent organization, Escuela del Sol Montessori, and who believes in our work as deeply as the other extraordinary members of our core staff. If you feel called to steward and create opportunities grounded in arts, engagement, community, citizenship, education and professional development, you are the person for this role."

They encourage you to apply using the form linked below. For best consideration, please submit as soon as possible. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis.

APPLY HERE

How to make Fufú

 Fufú: This is how you do it 

That image to the right is not a banana, but a plantain (in Spanish platano). 

The plantain is most commonly eaten as a side dish in many Latin American cuisines, where it is simply boiled and then served as a side dish with perhaps a little olive oil and salt to add some flavor, especially if it's a green plantain, which are rather tasteless by themselves. 

The ripe ones are quite tasty and sweet, and are usually served sliced and fried. A few years ago you could only find them in Latin American bodegas, but now most major supermarkets carry them. 

But let's look at the green plantain. 

In most Latin American restaurants where it is offered, it is offered as a boiled side dish. In Cuban restaurants (and many Miami art galleries) it is also served as tostones, which essentially involves slicing up the plantain, frying it in olive oil for a while, taking it out and crushing it, and frying it again. Add salt and you're done. 

But Fufú is the real king of plantain dishes and it is rarely seen in any restaurants, even Cuban ones.

I think that maybe it is because Fufú possibly developed in the eastern part of Cuba (a province once called Oriente), and it may not be as well known or served in Havana, which is the only place that most tourists visit when they visit that unfortunate island and contribute money to the Cuban Armed Forces, which is who owns most of the tourist industry.

With its massive forests and mountains, a large African population from Spain's terrible slavery trade, coupled with its large French immigrant population which migrated to Cuba after the Haitian independence wars, a lot of Chinese working on the railroads that connected the sugar mills, and its concentration of Galician, rather than Castillians, Catalans, or Andalucian Spaniards, Oriente evolved into a very distinct region in Cuba, quite different from Havana and the other Cuban provinces, and so did its Cuban Spanish language and its cuisine. 

Oriente is where Bacardi rum was invented, and where Hatuey beer was created, and where the mojito and Daiquiri were invented... get my drift? 

And in Oriente the humble plantain is eaten as a very delicious side dish called Fufú, with the accent in the last "u" like in Hai-ku.... foo fú! 

Start with a couple of green plantains. Wash then and cut out the tips of the plantains, but leave the skin on. Cut the plantains into three equal pieces per plantain and bring to a boil in water and boil for a few minutes until the green skins start to peel away. 

While they are boiling, in a frying pan heat a generous dose of olive oil with a seasoning dash of salt and pepper (or Goya Sazon is you really want some exotic spices). 

Add chopped fresh garlic and chopped (very small pieces) onions to the hot olive oil and fry the garlic and onions; lots and lots of garlic. 

While the onions and garlic fry (don't overcook), the plantains should be ready, so pull them out, throw away the green skins and put the cleaned hot plantains on a large flat plate and mash them as you would d

Emergency Grants are available for Maryland artists!

Emergency Grants are available for Maryland artists! 

The purpose of the Emergency Grant program is to support the needs of independent artists as they adjust to income losses as the result of an emergency situation (including, but not limited to, the ongoing impact of the pandemic). 

This Emergency Grant program is accepted on a rolling basis with a monthly review process. Grants are available for up to $2,000. Click here for further details and the full program guidelines.

Congratulations!

Two Maryland artists were awarded commissions for the Catonsville courthouse project. 

From over 200 applications received, the Artist Selection Committee for the District Court of Maryland's new Catonsville Courthouse selected two artists for the building's visual public art commissions. 

Jackson Jarvis Studios will develop large-scale mosaics for the building's lobby, and Wesley Clark will create a multimedia painting installation for the 2nd floor. Both are inspired by the flora and fauna and the natural landscape of the Patapsco River valley found in western Baltimore County. 

Congratulations to both!

Montgomery College’s King Street Gallery presents the annual Student Exhibition

The King Street Gallery presents the annual Student Exhibition featuring the work of Montgomery College students from the Department of the Visual and Performing Arts at Takoma Park, Silver Spring Campus.  The exhibition will be on display from May 19th through September 9th, 2022. 

King Street Gallery is open late on May 19th from 5 PM to 7:30 PM for the exhibition opening. This event is located at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center. This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MCVPA 

The Virtual Student Exhibition featuring artwork from remote classes can be followed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/930kingstreet/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCVPA  - You can also see all the student artwork online here.

The exhibition features artworks made by Art & Design students over the past year and includes work from courses in 2D Design, 3D Design,  Ceramics, Craft, Drawing,  Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Throughout the year, Montgomery College art students have worked hard to accomplish a variety of artwork that will make this year’s show something not to miss.  Please join them to celebrate their student body's creativity.  

The works are usually for sale, and I've discussed many times in my seminars for beginning collectors (Bootcamp for Art Collectors), art student shows are an excellent way to get original artwork at student prices.

About the King Street Gallery: 

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center includes galleries that mount exhibitions in support of the academic mission of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Montgomery College. The King Street Gallery is on the ground floor of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center on the west side of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.  

The arts center is located off Georgia Avenue at 930 King Street, Silver Spring, MD. Parking is available in the West Campus Garage, which is immediately behind the center. Additional parking is available in the East Campus Garage on Fenton Street with pedestrian access by a bridge and walking path.  For maps and directions, visit www.montgomeycollege.edu/maps. 

2022 Exposed DC Photography Show - Opening May 29 at Lost Origins Gallery

Exposed DC Returns to Mount Pleasant for 16th Annual Photography Show. Featuring 38 images of the Washington, D.C. metro area taken by local photographers.

Exhibit presented at Lost Origins Outside in Mount Pleasant. The exhibition will be on view at Lost Origins Outside located along the exterior wall of Ellē restaurant at 3221 Mt Pleasant St NW through July 24.

Opening celebration: Sunday, May 29 from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Best in Show awards chosen by five distinguished local photographers. Five of the photographs will receive a Best in Show award along with a $100 cash prize. These awards are selected by independent judges who are acclaimed photographers in the D.C. community. This year, they are Dee Dwyer, Andrew Harnik, Kenny Holston, Cheriss May, and Michael McCoy selecting these special awards.

Full-color exhibition magazine featuring all winning images available for purchase. 

You can see all the images here.  As usual, I always like to run through these juried shows and selected my own prize winners.  From the 38 photos in this very strong show, but my pick for Best in Show is Arpita Upadhyaya's wonderful "Morning Silhouette", which is a spectacular display of contrast wizardry!

Arpita Upadhyaya – Morning Silhouette

I also liked the raw power of Chris Suspect's Thelma and the Sleaze at Slash Run.

Chris Suspect – Thelma and the Sleaze at Slash Run

I also liked Mike Landsman's Million Moe March “Moechella” - a wonderful image of the pure joy of childhood, Carol Stalun's Rising Tide, which is the best photo in the show using a DMV landmark, and Sandra Kaufman's superbly topical "Disconnected", which needs little explanation and says it all about these young museum visitors.

Sandra Kauffman – Disconnected

Re-discovered after 43 years

I did the below pen and ink drawing in 1980 when I was in art school - I either gave it away or sold it to the mom of an old girlfriend at the time.

Yesterday I got an email from a nice lady who just acquired it!

Elvis Presley Chasing Frida Kahlo
1980 pen and ink drawing by F. Lennox Campello

My awards for the 31st Tephra ICA Festival (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival)

Now in its 31st year, the Tephra ICA Festival (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival) will take place on May 20–22, 2022 and will highlight more than 200 artists and artisans from across the nation. Drawing upon a robust exhibitor and collector base coupled with Tephra ICA’s contemporary art foundation, the Festival has become one of the region’s most anticipated events, attracting approximately 30,000 people to the unique, outdoor environment of Reston Town Center.

Details here.

I juried this festival a few years ago, and have participated in it many times over the years, maybe 25 or 26 times out of the 31 years, and I have won a ton of awards over the years - I applied again this year and got rejected, which is OK, since there are new jurors each year, and rejection is part of an artist's life.

It is a great show!

This year's jurors will select the award winners when the festival opens - but as usual, I'd like to run through them online and award my own awards.

You can see the artists here and make up your own awardees... my first observation is that (as usual), this show is heavily tilting towards the craft side - it's somewhat of a trademark for Reston, and since the beginning it has added more and more jewelry, furniture, etc. at the expense of the fine arts. There are about 30 jewelers in the group! And they're all really good!

But, did I sound elitist or what? Sorry...

And the awards go to...

Best Painting Award: Jill Banks - Booth 943 - A true example of the 10,000 hour rule; Banks is a master and her work shows it. Tough category with 37 painters here - all really good with notable ones such as the superbly talented Ann Barbieri, Jon Smith, Cassie Taggart and others.

Best Photography Award - Landscape photography dominates, which is to be expected, and (as I've noted for decades now) I tire of seeing photos of crumbling buildings in Havana and old 1950s cars - please! Enough! If you wanna take photographs of Cuba, go somewhere else other than Havana! Maybe photograph some of the heroes who often take to the streets to protest the brutality of Communism! 

James McArthur Cole is trying hard to head in the right direction, and he has some stunning Cuban photos, such as the one below - but I deduct two points for each photo of an old car.

Cuba 60 by James McArthur Cole

But John Deng - Booth 317 - stands out! His beautiful photos are equally adept at capturing immensely different landscapes as well as the diversity of the human species.

Honey Gatherers by John Deng

Photo by John Deng at Tephra 2022 ICA Festival

John Scanlan's photos of Scotland are breathtaking, but then again, Scotland is possibly the most beautiful country on the planet! Nonetheless Deng takes my "Best Photography Award."

Best Weird Art Award: Greg Stones - Booth 523 - Greg notes that his "basic process is this: Paint a landscape. Then add weird stuff." It works! They are immensely interesting paintings.

Best DMV Award: Joseph Craig English - Booth 700 - Craig is a master of the DMV landscape/landmarks - no one on the planet can do it better. By the way - there are only four printmakers in the entire show: English plus Mel Fleck, Jim McCormick and Laura Wilder; they are all really, really good. Note to future jurors: More printmakers!!!!

Best Craft Award: Mick Whitcomb - Booth 816 - Specializes in one-of-a-kind furniture and lighting made from architectural and industrial salvage - the kind of stuff that some call "steampunk."  The work is clever and unique and far outshines (no pun intended) the category competitors.

Fan Light Fixture by Mick Whitcomb

Best Drawing Award - Easy pick here with the complex drawings of Susan Deaton in booth 423. She notes that her work is about "conceptualization of social and environmental issues through the use of symbolic images." Methinks there's a lot of Lovecraft in there as well.

Best Glass Award - The DMV is home to three of the best known glass artists on the planet, and thus a magnet place for artists of this genre.  The work of David Sandidge stands out... some of the whimsical pieces remind me of Carmen Lozar's early work.  Sandidge is clearly a master of this most demanding of all arts.

Glass art by David Sandidge

I will announce the Best in Show winner when I visit the show in person next month!

Another art scam!

 Beware of this asswipe mutant trying to rip off artists!

Simeon David - davidcarlow67@gmail.com

Sat 4/23/2022 1:49 PM

Hello there . I'm David Carlow from Denver, CO. A business friend of mine showed me your beautiful handwork. I must say I'm really impressed and I'm interested in purchasing some of your artwork after surfing through the internet. I find yours more attractive. Could you please provide more information? As a matter of fact I would like to know if you accept checks as a means of payment. 

Best regards 

David C

Neuro-Myths in Education Policy

Good neuroscience may contribute to policy advances, but what happens when inaccurate myths about neuroscience take hold? 

With Professor Carle and Dr. Davidson, AU School of Education Professor Dr. Alida Anderson discusses her research on “neuro-myths” in education policy. 

Anderson explains what some of these neuro-myths are, how they may lead educators and policymakers astray, and how training can help decrease the prevalence and harms neuro-myths may cause

Listen to the podcast here.

Art Scam Alert

 Beware of this scum trying to rip off artists:

From: Desirae Gardner - gardnerdesirae27@gmail.com

Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2022 7:16 PM

Hello There,

          My name is Desirae Gardner from Panama city, Florida . I actually observed that my husband has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess he 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 purchase ''Judith with the Head of Holofernes" as a surprise to my husband on our anniversary. Also, let me know if you accept CHECK as mode of Payment.

Thanks and best regards

Desirae Gardner

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Returns May 14 & 15

Located in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, along Norfolk, Auburn & Del Ray Avenues, the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival featuring 100+ artists from throughout the country is returning this spring!

Admission to the festival is FREE and free parking is available in the public parking garage on Auburn Avenue. This event is held rain or shine.

May 14: 10am-6pm

May 15: 10am-5pmd

Details here.

Another beautiful voice: Melissa Harris-Perry

By now you know the story of my obsessions with interesting voices heard over the airwaves, and for many years I have written about the strange seductive power of a distinct radio voice, where one has no idea of the physical attributes of the speaker.  

In this post I've wondered about "the most beautiful voice on the planet", one that I would bet belongs to somewhat tall (a voice like that needs an appropriate vehicle) and I just know that she has a long, elegant neck. Not as long as Parmigianino's Madonna dal Collo Lungo (Madonna with Long Neck), but she'd make a perfect model for a contemporary interpretation of that Mannerist masterpiece. It takes a breath-taking neck like that to deliver the melody that is her voice.

I've also mentioned another interesting voice in the air is that of WMAL's Maria Leaf and discussed the strangely-patterned diction of Michael Barbaro, who is an American journalist and the host of The New York Times news podcast, The Daily.

I have also lamented and discussed the uniquely young American female phenomenon of "vocal fry." Young women, that is, until Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's spectacularly annoying voice made its debut during the attempted lynching of now Justice Kavanaugh.

WAMU's Lauren Ober and Lauren Landau's radio voices  have also been commented upon, and most recently I discussed the voices and laughter of these two Commies sprouting Russian propaganda over Radio Sputnik.

For the last year or so, I have been entertained by the creamy and elegant voice of Melissa Harris-Perry in NPR's The Takeaway show.

Harris-Perry's voice flows and flows as if it was an actual part of the radio frequency itself - not just being carried by it.  It caresses the airwaves as it modulates them, rather than permit the physics of RF to modulate it. Do not make the mistake to assume that it is just that... it is also a firm, strong voice, worthy of a Middle School principal.

Harris-Perry also has the almost magical gift of being able to transform any subject that she focuses upon on upon race - A.N.Y. S.U.B.J.E.C.T!!!!

This is an impressive gift which makes her program addictive not only to learn about justifiable racial issues which deserve attention and air time, but also to learn from a master magician as she focuses any subject on the planet towards the inequities of race.  I bet that if someone asked MHP to discuss solar flares we'd all end up learning something related to racial inequities caused by our dying star.

If I had one topic for Ms. Harris-Perry to explore, would be for her "out" the blatant racism of Ernesto Guevara de La Serna Lynch, better known to the world as "Che", and whose iconic image adorns trillions of T-Shirts worn by clueless people (including people of color), ignorant that they are wearing the visage of a poisonous racist.

This is Che
2012 F. Lennox Campello

Wanna draw from the live model?

HYATTSVILLE FIGURE DRAWING GROUP - Wednesday, April 20, 6-9pm.

Model: Gazelle

*please wear a mask in Pyramid Atlantic

*model will be wearing a mask

Are you looking for an opportunity to sharpen your figure drawing skills?

Join Hyattsville Figure Drawing Group for drop-in weekly life drawing sessions:

Our professional nude models take classically inspired poses, but sometimes will pose in artistic, inspirational costumes for challenging drapery and texture study.

Each session begins with five 5-minute warm-up poses and a single long pose is featured for the remainder of the session.

Bring your own supplies and join us in the upstairs Helen Frederick Gallery at Pyramid Atlantic. We supply drawing boards and chairs--- if you want to bring your own portable easel, please do. 

All skill levels welcome!

Where: 

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center*

4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781

Free parking in rear of building

Enter through front doors on Gallatin Street

When: Wednesdays, 6-9pm

Cost: 

$20/session or

$75/5-session punch card or

$15/session for Pyramid Atlantic members (proof required)

More Info: https://www.meetup.com/Hyattsville-Figure-Drawing-Group-Meetup/

Advice for beginning collectors

It has also been my experience, that the more affluent a “beginning collector” is, the higher the probability that he/she will get swindled into spending a lot of money for wall décor and fancy frames. Since most of us are not affluent, the high end of the commodified art market is not where I’m focusing this column.

Read the whole article here.

Wanna learn about being an artist?

Art Clinic Online - Saturday, May 28 from 10:30 -11:30am

Join me at the Art Clinic Online for a discussion and Q&A about nearly everything you wanted to know about being an artist, garnts, resume-building, approaching galleries, etc.

About Art Clinic Online (ACO)

The Art Clinic Online community aims to create a friendly artsy environment and bring together artists who may have taken classes with us before or who are contemplating it and want to learn from one another in an online community-based setting. As such, they are not didactic sessions but a forum for the equal exchange of art ideas and art information as well as an opportunity to share art challenges and breakthroughs. The Stone Tower resident artists created the ACO after hearing the need for such a forum expressed by many of their students. If you are interested in joining, click the button below and email Mariana to join! Yes, it's still FREE.

Location: Glen Echo.

The Trawick Prize Deadline is April 25

The annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is seeking artists creating work in all media! The top eight finalists will be featured in an exhibition in September 2022, and $14,000 in prize monies will be awarded to the winning artists.

The Trawick Prize deadline is Monday, April 25, 2022.

Details here.

Picasso Discovered in Maine Closet After 50 Years!

 A New England homeowner "received a shock recently when they rediscovered a rare Pablo Picasso work in their relative’s Maine home. The framed, 16- by 16-inch piece of paper, inscribed at the bottom right with the artist’s signature, had sat in a closet for 50 years..."

Read the story here.

Applications Now Open For Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall 2022

The Affordable Art Fair creates fun and inspiring events where people fall in love with art and thousands of artworks find happy homes. 

Founded in 1999 by Will Ramsay in London, it has grown to be one of the world’s leading and most popular contemporary art fairs, with editions in cities including Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore, Stockholm and Sydney.

Since 2002, Affordable Art Fair has been a must-attend event on the New York art and social calendar and this Spring they welcomed over 11,000 visitors to kick off their 20th anniversary in NYC.  In one form or another, I have been participating since 2005 and have always done well.

When galleries ask for my recommendation on how to get started in the art fair circuit my answer has been the same for decades: Do the AAFNYC.

The deadline to apply for the NYC Fall 2022 edition is Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Applications will be facilitated through the Affordable Art Fair’s Exhibitor Portal and you may click here to login or register for an account.

Artwork Worth Millions in a Dumpster!

A Connecticut mechanic named Jared Whipple "found hundreds of artworks in a dumpster at an abandoned farmhouse. He took them home, thinking he might use them as Halloween decorations for his indoor skatepark. As it turns out, the art was anything but trash. Per Adriana Morga of CT Insider, the collection constitutes the life work of Abstract Expressionist artist Francis Hines—and it could be worth millions."

Read the story here.

11th highest ranked Art blogsite on the planet!

 WOW! Even I am impressed!

DC ART NEWS is now ranked as the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet! And brought to you without a single annoying ad or a tracker!

See the rankings here!

What a gorgeous laugh!

Over the years I have written about the strange seductive power of a voice over the airwaves, where one has no idea of the physical attributes of the speaker.  I've wondered about "the most beautiful voice on the planet", one that I would bet belongs to somewhat tall (a voice like that needs an appropriate vehicle) and I just know that she has a long, elegant neck. Not as long as Parmigianino's Madonna dal Collo Lungo (Madonna with Long Neck), but she'd make a perfect model for a contemporary interpretation of that Mannerist masterpiece. It takes a breath-taking neck like that to deliver the melody that is her voice.

I've also mentioned another interesting voice in the air is that of WMAL's Maria Leaf and discussed the strangely-patterned diction of Michael Barbaro, who is an American journalist and the host of The New York Times news podcast, The Daily.

I also lamented and discussed the uniquely young American female phenomenon of "vocal fry." Young women, that is, until Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's spectacularly annoying voice made its debut during the attempted lynching of now Justice Kavanaugh.

WAMU's Lauren Ober and Lauren Landau's radio voices  have also been commented upon.

And now my new voices that have seduced my ears across the FM airwaves - they belong to a couple of morning hosts for Radio Sputnik, a commie radio station blasting Russian-funded noise at 105.5 FM in the general DC area - it's pretty hard to get it once you start heading north to Baltimore on 95 from the Beltway.

“This radio programming is distributed by RM Broadcasting on behalf of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, Moscow, Russia. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.” 

One voice belongs to someone named Jamal Thomas and the other to (and I am not sure of the name as it is hard to distinguish it when either hosts says it, and I always try to avoid seeing what the owners of the voices that catch my ear look like - so no Googlin' of them) Erin/Ferin Fransac/Fronsek (????).

Thomas' voice is not the usual voice that one finds on the air.  His voice pedal drives at normal speed and then in the middle of a sentence steps on the gas on a word or two and ramps it up.  It is a constant and interesting change of speed cadence which "wakes" up the ear.

His show partner - since I can't figure out her name let's call her Erin - has a most seductive voice (different from my NPR ad lady's glorious voice). It is a young voice, probably coming out of late 20s-early 30s vocal chords, and crucially wedded to a spectacularly gorgeous laugh and an even more hypnotizing chuckle.

It is that combo (voice plus laugh) which makes Erin such an interesting case.  I have no idea what she looks like or how old she is, but Erin's voice and laughter belongs to the lady whose laughter, catches the ear and subconsciously draws attention as in the following example:

Let's say you are in a large party - like a wedding reception - and everyone is standing around talking in groups. The bride and groom have not arrived yet and all the guests are chatting.  Erin laughs in whatever part of the room she is in... as soon as the laugh sounds travel, every male in that room who hear the laugh subconsciously turns an eye to seek the source of that chuckle or laugh.  A few women look as well.