Einstein's prediction of the existence of "dark energy" (a force that works against gravity) has been confirmed.

Thus now we know that the Universe, which is about 13.7 billion years old, has about 30 billion years left before it "ends."

That's a long time for visual artists to try to come up with something that's "new" in order for them to be "good" in the eyes of many critics and curators.

I'll stick to drawing.

Health Insurance for Artists...
The Artists' Health Insurance Resource Center database was created in 1998 by The Actors’ Fund of America, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as a health insurance resource for artists and people in the entertainment industry.

Since then, with support from The Commonwealth Fund, it has expanded to include resources for the self-employed, low-income workers, the under-insured, the uninsured who require medical care and many other groups.

Visit them here.

Earlier I posted about Douglas Gordon at the Hirshhorn...

Well... in a first for the Hirshhorn --- the Museum will open the Douglas Gordon exhibition for twenty-four consecutive hours, 24 Hour Psycho (1993), the artist's famous video installation that stretches the Hitchcock classic into a twenty-four experience, is the inspiration for this all-night happening. This unique museum drop-in event, will also include music, gallery discussions, and a "Meet the Artist" interview with Douglas Gordon conducted by the Hirshhorn Director of Art and Programs and Chief Curator Kerry Brougher on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Ring Auditorium.

24 Hour Access for 24 Hour Psycho starts on Saturday, February 28, 5:30 p.m. through Sunday, February 29, 5:30 p.m.

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The Arlington Arts Center, currently under renovation, is taking applications for its eight individual artist studios. Deadline is March 1, 2004. Call 703-797-4573 or email artscenter@starpower.net for more information. The application can also be downloaded from the center's website at www.arlingtonartscenter.org.

Deadline February 28, 2004
Capitol Arts Network presents a National Figure Show “The Human Figure,” a Juried All-Media Exhibition, sponsored by the Washington Gallery of Photography & Virtual Pose, April 9-May 5, 2004.

All figurative work eligible, including painting, sculpture, photography, fiber art, and others. Cash awards and prizes. Eric Westbrook, juror. Slides or jpegs due Feb. 28. Entry fee: $25/4 entries, $5/each over. Prospectus at their website, or call 301-661-7590 for further info or email them at capitolarts@hotmail.com.

Exhibition held at Washington Gallery of Photography, 4850 Rugby Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814.

The Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District is accepting applications for the 2004 Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, an outdoor Fine Art and Fine Craft festival that will take place in the Woodmont Triangle area of Bethesda, Maryland.

The festival will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, 2004. 150 booth spaces are available, $275 for a 10' x 10' booth, $25 application fee. All original fine art and fine crafts are eligible, no mass produced or commercially manufactured products are allowed. $2,500 in prize money.

Deadline for applications is March 1, 2004. To download an application form, visit www.bethesda.org or send a SASE to:
Bethesda Urban Partnership
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

For more information contact the Festival Director, Catriona Fraser, at (301) 718-9651.

Terry Parmelee's paintings and prints will be exhibited at Jane Haslem Gallery through mid-April. Opening reception is today, February 21st, noon to five, and by appointment. The show is held in conjunction with the publication of Parmelee's Catalogue Raisonne, "Terry Parmelee Prints, 1966-1999". The gallery is located at 2025 Hillyer Place NW, phone: (202) 232-4644.

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Kelly Towles will be featured in Taking Over the Art Store: A Group Show. Opening reception: tonite February 21 at 10pm. Location: the Art Store in Georgetown. 3019 M St, NW (Between 30th & 31st Street). 202/342-7030.

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"Black: A Celebration of a Culture", presents the vibrant panorama of 20th-century black culture in America and around the world in more than 500 photographs from the turn of the last century to the present day. Each photograph, hand-picked by Deborah Willis, one of America's leading historians of African-American photography, celebrates the world of music, art, fashion, sports, family, worship or play.

Willis is a MacArthur Fellow and author of The Black Female Bodyand Reflections in Black. Her latest book is A Small Nation of People.

At Vertigo Books, 7346 Baltimore Ave. College Park MD 20740 Tel: 301-779-9300

New York Times' art critic Roberta Smith is absolutely giddy about the Douglas Gordon show at the Hirshhorn.

I haven't seen the show yet (but will) and I will be honest enough to admit that I am already predisposed to dislike it, or rather to be bored by it, which is what happens to me with a large percentage of video "art."

The reason (I think) is that often the concept of the video artist's "art" is a lot more interesting than the final product. Add to that that "video art" is more often than not a combination of video and still photography - really a traditional mish mash of genres, and by the second or third video in a row by the same guy, I find myself just reading the wall text and looking at the still photographs and just barely glancing at the actual home movie... oops! I mean "video art."

But not Ms. Smith, who finds that Gordon's work "can trigger an almost giddy optimism about the general state of contemporary art and refresh your confidence in the possibility of artistic progress, even in these postmodern times."

Gordon's most famous and acclaimed work — famous indeed, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it in its entirety — is "24 Hour Psycho," an installation in which Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie thriller is extended to 24 hours, instead of proceeding at the usual speed of 24 frames per second. You can see it at the Hirshhorn - pop corn prohibited.

Progress is progress...

Today is the third Friday of the month and thus the Canal Square Galleries (31st Street NW and M Street in Georgetown) will have their monthly openings. We will have what I consider our key photography show of the year.

It is work by three of Cuba's most gifted female photographers: Elsa Mora, Marta Maria Perez Bravo and Cirenaica Moreira.

The openings go from 6-9 PM and are catered by the Sea Catch Restaurant. They are free and open to the public. Also tonight, instead of our usual Sangria, we will be serving Cuba Libres (Rum & Coke), and playing Benny More music to get in the Cuban mood.

See ya there!

Sometime tomorrow morning this site will receive its 5,000th visitor!

Today's Washington City Paper has a great profile article by Matt Sommers on legendary 83-year-old photographer Lida Moser, who now lives in Rockville.

Two of Moser's vintage photographs sold at Christie's auctions two days ago for $1,000 and $3,000 respectively. Her vintage work has gone as high as $4,000 in 2002.

As far as I know, Moser is the only Washington area photographer whose work shows up regularly in most major international photography auctions and yet she's never had a Washington museum show - but she's had solo shows in museums in Canada and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and locally her work is in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress and also the National Portrait Gallery and her photographs are in the permanent collections of dozens of museums around the world.

Yet not one single Washington area museum seems interested in organizing a Washington show of this 83-year-old dynamo, whose life is currently being filmed by Canadian television.

Suggestion to the National Museum of Women in the Arts: Wake up!

In case you missed the Kojo Nmandi show earlier today - here's the audio of the show. I'm towards the last 20 minutes of the show.

Don't forget to tune in today from 1:30 to 2:00 to WAMU 88.5 FM, where I will once again be a guest at the Kojo Nmandi Show.

I will be discussing the area's art scene and gallery and museum shows coming down the next few weeks, as well as mentioning some of my favorite area artists.

I believe that they will be taking phone calls from listeners, so if anyone has a question or comment for me, I should be able to take it on the air.

Tomorrow I will once again be a guest at the Kojo Nmandi Show on WAMU 88.5 FM from 1:30 to 2:00 PM. I will be discussing the area's art scene and gallery and museum shows coming down the next few weeks. Please listen in, as I believe that they will be taking phone calls from listeners.

I'm still in Tampa, and today I hope to be able to go visit the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Pete. Will be returning to DC later tonight.

AMPOFO, which deals in African Art Collectibles has an Open House Sale from February 20-22 featuring new works by photographer Nestor Hernández, one of my favorite DC photographers. 12 noon to 8:00 P.M. and other days and times by Appointment

3901 Ames Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20019
202/397-2387

I'm in Tampa - flew here on Sunday night, and on the way here I managed to wipe out my laptop's modem, so have been unable to log on and put good stuff here. Will make it all up soon.

This coming Friday is the third Friday of the month, which means that the four Canal Square Galleries in Georgetown will have their opening nights. Catered by the Sea Catch Restaurant - from 6-8 PM. See you there!

Job in the Arts
Jean Efron Art Consultants: Project Manager - This position is an opportunity for a qualified applicant to gain exposure to local and national artists and galleries as well as to business management. An enthusiastic, highly organized, efficient, detail and people-oriented person is needed to manage projects and assist in the operation of an established art consulting firm. College grad with background and interest in contemporary art and a minimum of two years work experience is required. Computer expertise is essential with a knowledge of or ability to learn quickly Access and Photoshop and to maintain a visual digital library. Comfort with Internet research is required. Marketing and PR experience is desirable. Duties include project and office administration (organizing and maintaining files, shipping, framing, invoicing); client and artist development, organizing schedule for gallery and artist studio visits. Position can be full or part-time and is permanent with benefits. Salary: mid to high 30's; negotiable depending on experience. Please fax cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Jean Efron Art Consultants, LLC, and (202) 223-0275.

Opportunity for artists...
Deadline: April 4, 2004.
The Art Institute of Portland Gallery is accepting proposals for future exhibitions in 2005. Proposals must include a cover sheet introducing the artist and reasons for wanting to exhibit in the Gallery, 10-20 slides or digital images on CD of original work (only work that is to be considered for the exhibit should be submitted), artist statement including how the artwork will help further the educational mission of the design college, artist biography/resume, detailed image list with dimensions, media and year created for each image provided. If submitting slides, each slide must be labeled with artist name, dimensions, media. The Art Institute here. All proposals are to be submitted to:
Marlynn Schotland
Director of Public Relations
The Art Institute of Portland
1122 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209.

DC photographer Joseph Mills, who had one of the best photography shows I have ever seen a while back at the Corcoran (curated by Paul Roth) has himself now curated an exhibition titled "Crosscurrents 2004, Room Full of Mirrors" at The Art Gallery of the University of Maryland. It will be up until February 28, 2004. See the exhibition online here.

The Crosscurrents exhibition series was established in the early 1990's to link
The University's Art Gallery directly with the Greater Maryland and Washington, DC contemporary art scene by creating a dialogue with local curators and artists. I must admit that this is the first time I've ever heard of it, so hopefully this will help spread the word about it.

Room Full of Mirrors includes works by Noah Angell, Marci Branagan, Colby Caldwell, Norman Carr, Victor Carroll, Francesca Danieli, Mary Del Popolo, Frank DiPerna, Marlon Fuentes, e. mars, Joseph Mills, Martha Olsson, Michael B. Platt, and Paul Roth (who curated the Mills exhibition at the Corcoran). The photographers examine photography, photomontage, multimedia, and collage in various ways.

The Art Gallery of the University of Maryland is in the Art-Sociology Building in College Park, MD. For information call 301.405.2763.

Joseph Mills is represented locally by Hemphill Fine Arts.

I am finishing a review of the Corcoran's "Quilts of Gee's Bend" exhibition, currently on display - once that's done and sent to my editor I will write a second one for posting here.

Sophia McCrocklin is a Washington area quilt artist - I reviewed her work several years ago and was quite impressed by it. Her new work just came down after being on exhibition at Spectrum Gallery for this past month. She is one of our area's most innovative artists working this medium.

Titled "Colors of Optimism", this recent work displays Sophia's heritage of quilt art to convey a personal landscape.

One of Washington's most active independent curators is Sarah Tanguy.

"Pattern & Purpose": works by Juliane Min, Melina Nicolaides, Rex Weil, and Elizabeth Whiteley; curated by Sarah Tanguy is currently on display at The American Center for Physics until April 16, 2004.

The Center is located at One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. For viewing information, please contact Eva Adams, tel: 301-209.3125 .

Looking for a gallery?

Spectrum Gallery, 1132 29th St NW, in Georgetown (Phone 202-333-0954), is looking for new members and having a new member jurying panel on Saturday March 13, 2004. Please call the gallery for info or visit their website.

Opportunity for photographers...

Katherine Ware, the Curator of Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, will be the juror for the 2004 Photo Review Photography Competition. The Photo Review will reproduce accepted entries in its Summer 2004 issue. Also, the prize-winning photographers will be chosen for an exhibition at the photography gallery of The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Awards include Microtek ScanMaker i900 scanners, a $350 gift certificate from Calumet Photographic, and $500 in cash prizes. An entry fee of $25 for up to three prints, slides, or images on CD and $5 each for up to two additional prints, slides, or images entitles all entrants to a copy of the catalogue. In addition, all entrants will be able to subscribe to The Photo Review for $30, a 20%
discount. All entries must be received by mail between May 1 and May
15, 2004.

For a prospectus and details, send a self-addressed, stamped
business-size (#10) envelope to:
The Photo Review
140 East Richardson Avenue, Suite 301
Langhorne, PA 19047.

The prospectus may also be downloaded from The Photo Review website. For further information call 215/891-0214.

And the quilt bandwagon rolls on...

Deadline April 20, 2004
Artists may submit up to three (3) art quilt entries. Several major prizes will be awarded during a special preview night, Aug 18, 7-9pm. Work must be original in design. Derivative work or work created in a class with the aid of an instructor is not acceptable. Entry fee is $25.00. All artwork will be insured by R&M Associates, Inc., which is the parent company of 3G Productions. 3G Productions will retain a 25% commission on any work that is sold. May 20-Notification of acceptance; Aug 2 – Deadline for receipt of accepted work; Aug 18 – Opening preview and awards ceremony; Sep 1 – Artwork returned to artists. Send the following to:
3G Productions
2717 Main Street
Glastonbury, CT 06033

Two professional slides for each entry – one overall view in full frame, and one close-up detail (showing approximately 12" x 12"). Slides must be clearly labeled with: Artist’s name; The title of the piece and dimensions (W x H) in inches; The word "top" indicating the top edge of the piece. Labeling should appear on the side which displays the right-reading image when held to the light; check $25; SASE for slide return; An artist’s statement specific to each piece (no more than 100 words). E-mail Jmahley@aol.com for entry form.