Congratulations

To Lisa Bertnick, whose work was included in a book released last week titled Exotique.

According to the publisher, Exotique is the

"leading book title devoted to showcasing the finest character creations from digital artists worldwide. Exotique presents 228 examples of exceptional character artwork by 113 artists from 37 countries presented over 192 pages of the highest quality production. In addition to exhilarating character artwork, Exotique features the profiles of eight prominent character artists working within the digital arts community.

More about Exotique here.

Northbound

I'm heading North for the next few days for some unexpected reasons... more later.

Student Art Sale

On November 23rd, Montgomery College will have its Annual Student Art Sale. Free and open to the public.

At the Art building, Montgomery College Rockville. Info at 301-279-5245.

New Gallery

By the time that you add up all the independent commercial fine arts galleries, all the non profit art galleries and spaces, all the cultural art centers, all the alternative art venues and (what most people usually forget about) all the embassy galleries, our area's gallery scene is one of the largest concentrations of art galleries in the nation, especially for our relative small geographical size, with over 200 visual art spaces distributed all over the Greater Washington, DC region.

That's more galleries than any other major metropolitan area in the United States other than perhaps New York, LA and the Bay area.

And a new gallery is opening!

Rossdhu Gallery hosts its inaugural show this weekend, featuring Cindy Brandt, Rona Eisner, Adele Morris, Christopher Rich and Estelle Vernon.

Rossdhu Gallery is located at 7608 Rossdhu Ct., Chevy Chase, Maryland. Call them ahead for hours at 301-951-4443.

Big Opportunity for Artists

Deadline Dec 15, 2005

Downtown Bethesda will host the Third Annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District announces the third annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, a two-day event showcasing 130 contemporary artists who will sell their original fine art and fine crafts on the closed streets of Bethesda. The festival, scheduled for Sat., May 13 and Sun., May 14, 2006, will be held in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle along Norfolk and Auburn Avenues. Last year about 30,000 people attended the event and sales were quite brisk, including one sculptor who was across from me and who sold out on the first day.

Local, regional and national artists are encouraged to apply. All original fine art and fine crafts, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and furniture are eligible. Applicants must submit a completed application form, non-refundable $25 application fee, five slides of their work and one slide of their booth display.

Selected artists must supply their own tent and display. Artists will be juried and selected by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District advisory committee. Participating artists are eligible to win more than $2,000 in prize money, including a $1,000 prize for best in show. A three-member panel of jurors will select award winners from an on-site evaluation during the festival.

Applications must be received by Thurs., Dec. 15, 2005. Please visit www.bethesda.org for an application or send SASE to:
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
c/o Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814.

For more information, please contact Catriona Fraser at 301-718-9651 or cfraser@bethesda.org.

Amazing

The LA Weekly has an amazing story about Hollywood art collector Michael Ovitz.

Read it here (thanks AJ).

Videopaintings


This is what the Scott Hutchison show looks like after almost finished being installed. The piece being projected onto the gallery window is called "Chatter."

The small oils are accompanied by a small LCD screen where the finished video, which assembles the paintings into a videopainting, is shown.

Opening is tonight from 6-9PM.

Hutchison on Friday

Come by the Canal Square tomorrow night for the openings of the five Georgetown galleries located inside the Canal (MOCA, Parish, Anne C. Fisher, Alla Rogers and us). The openings are from 6-9PM and catered by the Sea Catch.

We'll have a simply amazing show by Scott Hutchison.

Wanna work in the arts?

The arts industry is one of the largest employers and income producing magnets in our area.

And a new blog (new to me anyway) is DC Art Jobs, a superb resource if you're looking for a job in the arts.

Visit often!

On the air

Black Cat Bone is breaking some new ground in our area's art blog scene by bringing audio into the game.

Here you can listen to the first of a five part interview with eroticaphotogmistress Samantha Wolov.

Out and About

Around Annapolis today... more later.

Art Tour Guides Wanted

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is seeking an outgoing and knowledgeable individual with an arts background to lead guided tours for the Bethesda Art Walk.

The Bethesda Art Walk takes place on the second Friday of every month and features 12 downtown Bethesda galleries and studios that open their doors from 6-9 pm. Tour guides will lead a group to seven participating galleries, speak about the galleries' current exhibitions, and introduce the gallery directors.

Tour guides must visit each gallery before the Art Walk and view current shows. Tour guides will receive a stipend. Please contact Heather Blum at 301/215-6660, Ext. 17 or hblum@bethesda.org.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: December 9, 2005

The Museum of the Living Artist is holding its premier international digital fine art exhibition. This exhibition is sponsored by SONY with cash awards totalling $6,000.

The gallery space is 10,000 sq.ft. and is located in the heart of Balboa Park, San Diego. I am very familiar with the area, which attracts more than 12 million visitors annually. While the contest requires online submission, the actual show will consist of prints up to 8ft by 8ft.

The juror is Marilyn Kushner, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Brooklyn Museum since 1994.

Over $6000 in awards. Contact is Tim Field at this email address or download the prospectus here.

Congratulations

To Jiha Moon, who has been invited to exhibit next September in an important exhibition of contemporary Asian artists at the Asia Society and Museum in New York. The exhibition will be curated by Dr. Melissa Chiu, Director of the Museum.

Contemporary Landscape

Sorry for the last minute post, but I just received this notice!

Tonight, starting at 5PM, the University of Maryland's Stamp Student Union Gallery has a panel discussion entitled "Contemporary Landscape: Apathy + Allegory."

The discussion is moderated by the City Paper's Jeffry Cudlin, and takes place at the Prince George's Room, on the first floor of the Stamp Student Union.

Reprint

The below is from a couple of years ago, but recently someone asked me about it, so here it is again:

---

One of the more eye-opening things in attending an art fair is seeing the dynamics that go onto the decision to buy a piece of art.

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?"

Top 10

The FBI has unveiled its top 10 art crimes list yesterday to "call attention to a problem that Interpol ranks third among property crimes worldwide and costs an estimated $6 billion a year."

See the WaPo/AP article (and its unfortunate article title) here.

Re-inventing painting

Videopainter.... videopaintism... videopaintist...



That's what I have dubbed Scott Hutchison: a videopainter.

And just when some of you and Blake thought that the ancient medium had nothing left to give, along comes Arlington-based Scott Hutchison and delivers something so "new" that I am sure that were Scott showing in NYC or LA, curators from the Corcoran or the Hirshhorn would be descending on this show like bugs on your porch light (the last time Scott showed with us, he created something of a controversy because of this).

Typical video art: Film something boring, or something artsy, or something sexy, or an old classic movie a frame-at-a-time, and then sell photographic stills from the video.

The new videopainting: Spend months and months creating a set of small paintings; superbly painted works, each and every one of them, and then marry then (through technology and video) into a singularly unique and new idea: like this one.

Click here or here if you want to see what one of the future(s) of painting looks like.

Come to the opening at our Fraser Gallery Georgetown on Friday, November 18, from 6-9PM if you want to see a gallery full of something "new."

Richard on Newman

The WaPo's former Chief Art Critic delivers a rare and welcomed thing: an unexpected review.

Paul Richard reviews William Newman at Adamson.

More please...

P.S. And the current WaPo Chief Art Critic, Blake Gopnik, last Sunday delivered a really good review of Alice Neel at the NMWA.

Openings this week

On Thursday, November 17, Susan Calloway Fine Arts has Alison Hall Cooley: Recent Works – Abstract Oil Paintings opening from 5-8PM. Cooley has exhibited in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Massachusetts. She is the winner of several awards, including the Charles C. McDougall Award for Promising New Artist. Cooley attended the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, and Sarah Lawrence University.

Also on Thursday, The League of Reston Artists has the opening for their Annual Juried Theme Exhibition: "Edges". The awards reception is at Walker & Company from 6-8PM.

On Friday, being the third Friday of the month, the Georgetown Canal Square Galleries have their extended hours and openings.

We will have an amazing show by Scott Hutchison, perhaps one of our area's most innovative and talented videopainters; more on that later.