Kahlo or Not?

A Happy 100th birthday to Frida Kahlo!

"Frida Kahlo 1907-2007: National Homage" - a massive Kahlo exhibition at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, "fills all eight galleries of the ornate beaux-arts edifice that is the country's most prestigious cultural showcase. It encompasses nearly one-third of Kahlo's total artistic output, including 65 oils (divided into self-portraits, portraits and still lifes), 45 drawings, 11 watercolors and five prints" and it is part of a month-long series of events covering everything about Frida and marking the 100th anniversary of her birth on July 6, 1907.

The exhibition opened two weeks ago and it is already attracting not only huge crowds but also causing a lot of controversy, much like Kahlo did during her life.

Officials estimate that 300,000 people will view the show here through Aug. 19. Much of its contents then will be regrouped into smaller exhibitions that will open over subsequent months at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Reed Johnson, writing for the LA Times, discusses the controversy over two Kahlo pieces in the exhibition.

On Monday, the Mexico City daily newspaper Reforma published a story in which Raquel Tibol, a respected art critic and author of a new biographical study of Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, raised questions about the authenticity of two of the works in the Kahlo restrospective at the Palace of Bellas Artes.

One of those works, a portrait of one of Kahlo’s first lovers, Alejandro Gómez Arias, which she painted in 1928, reportedly was discovered in a piece of furniture by his heirs after his death in 1990. Gómez Arias was riding with Kahlo during the fateful bus accident that fractured her spine.

The painting was included in the large Kahlo show hosted by the Tate Modern in London in 2005. Tibol has challenged the provenance of that work as well as an undated drawing, “Portrait of Isolda Pinedo Kahlo.”

It is interesting to note that there are at least half a dozen "missing" Kahlos which are believed to be somewhere in the United States, but no one knows where or who has them.

Print Saturday

Tomorrow, DC's Jane Haslem Gallery will host "Print Saturday," one of two events highlighting artists from Washington Printmakers Gallery. Jenny Freestone, Betty MacDonald, Max Karl Winkler, Martha Oatway, Joyce Ellen Weinstein, Lila Oliver Asher, Terry Svat, and Yolanda Frederikse will present portfolios of their prints and be on hand to talk about their work from 12 to 5 pm. This is a unique opportunity to meet the artists and see their latest prints!

Part of the proceeds from sales will benefit Union Printmakers Atelier, a superb printmaking facility in downtown DC providing studio access to artists who work in lithography, intaglio, relief, letterpress and book arts; and one of those places that is a key part of the city's art scene and cultural tapestry.

For more information call Jane Haslem Gallery at 202-232-4644 or Washington Printmakers at 202-332-7757 or Scip Barnhart at 202 277 1946.

No! to Lower Merion Township's last ditch effort

Lower Merion Township's last ditch effort to keep the Barnes Foundation where it is has been rejected.

Montgomery County officials, who made the offer, say they will take the Barnes to court in a final effort to prevent the move.

The Barnes rejection "shows that they're hellbent on moving and they are much more interested in ingratiating themselves with the power players and the arbiters of culture in Philadelphia than in following the dictates of the trust," said Mark D. Schwartz, a lawyer for the Montgomery County commissioners.

Read the Forbes story here.

Happy 4th!

Super proud to be an American!

Baltimore Arts Blog

Bmore Art is a new-to-me art blog all about Baltimore. It is a collective group of artist-contributors, including Jarrett Min Davis, Asper Winktop, Don Cook, Rob Sparrow Jones, Cara Ober, and others. It is loosely organized by one of my recently-discovered fave artists, Cara Ober.

Visit them often here.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: August 17, 2007

The Curfman Gallery at Colorado State University announces a national call to artists for the 2009-2010 exhibition season. No entry fee. All work/exhibition proposals will be considered. Please send a SASE along with slides and or CD of high res. images of your work, as well as an artist CV and formal exhibition proposal to:

Curfman Gallery
8033 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-8033.

For more information, visit this website or contact Stanley Scott at lscarts2@lamar.colostate.edu or 970-491-2810.

Grants for Young DC artists

Deadline: September 19, 2007, 7pm.

The DC Arts Commission recognizes up and coming DC artists with the Young Artist Grant Program. This initiative, which offers grants of up to $3,500 to artists between the ages of 18 and 30, is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts' Challenge America program.

Grants support individual artists in two funding categories: Young Emerging Artist Grant Program-artists may apply for up to $2,500 of support for innovative art projects. Young Artist Community Service Program-artists may apply for up to $3,500 of support for projects that strengthen communities as well as provide positive alternatives for youth. For more information please visit this website.

Affordable Housing for DC area Artists

Deadline: August 9, 2007, 5pm.

The Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC) has partnered with Manna, Inc., to develop approximately 40 affordable work/live housing units for artists and their families at 2414 Douglas Street, NE, in the Woodridge area of Washington, DC.

The intent of this project is to create work/live artist housing units designed primarily as functional studio space with basic living space as an ancillary use.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008, with occupancy expected in 2009. Applications are now available.

CuDC will start accepting applications on Monday, June 4, 2007 at 9 a.m. All applications are due to CuDC no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, August 9, 2007. For more information on the application visit this website.

The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund

Deadline: September 15, 2007

The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund welcomes applications from visual artists aged 40 years or older, who live within 150 miles of Washington, D.C. and can demonstrate that they have the potential to benefit as artists from a grant.

The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund does not, however, accept applications from filmmakers, video artists, and performance artists. In 2006 the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund awarded three grants totalling $60,000.

The deadline for applications is September 15, 2007. Application forms may be downloaded from the fund's web site: www.baderfund.org or may be requested by sending an email to grants@baderfund.org or by sending a request to:

Bader Fund
5505 Connecticut Avenue, NW #268
Washington, D.C. 20015

Opportunity for artists

Deadline: ASAP!

Light Street Gallery in Baltimore has two upcoming group shows scheduled and they are inviting any artists interested in submitting artwork for these shows to first email images and/or ideas to gallery director Linda Krensky.

The first opportunity is an Open Call for Artwork for their "Box Show." All artists are welcome to submit any size Two or Three Dimensional creative artwork that includes a box of some kind. That exhibit will take place from August 18th thru October 6th, 2007.

The second opportunity is for their small works show. Two Dimensional Work: Maximum image size to be 144 square inches, (i.e. 12” x 12”) or less, xxcluding matting and framing. Three Dimensional Work: Maximum sculpture size to be 1728 Cubic Inches, (i.e. 12” x 12” x 12”), excluding Display or Pedestal. That exhibition is from From November 17th thru January 12th, 2008.

Questions? Call Ms. Krensky at the gallery, 410-234-0047 or email her at info@lightstreetgallery.com.

Go to this opening

One of my favorite DC area painters is and has been for many years the hugely talented A.B. Miner.

A.B. Miner's solo exhibition, titled Chimera opens on Thursday, July 5 at H&F Fine Arts in Mount Rainier, MD just outside of DC. The opening reception will be on Friday, July 6 from 6-9pm.

Seduction

Below is "Seduction," charcoal on paper, circa 2001, about 20 x 40 inches, sold at my 2002 solo show in DC.

As I'm rather fond of doing, there are several "hidden" drawings within the body shadows, but they're nearly impossible to detect in this digital image.

America's Most Wanted Painting

At least according to the decade old Dia project undertaken by the zany art team of Russian artists Komar and Melamid (who hung around DC for a while in the 90s, although I can't recall where they exhibited).

In the project (which also covers "Least Wanted Painting" and it is specific to various countries), a professional survey team questioned people with questions such as "what is your favorite color?" (blue was the overwhelming US favorite by 44% with green coming in at a 12% second; both the Chinese and the Russians also went blue, green but not in such huge numbers, and even the usually difficult French went blue at 39%).

The survey was conducted in 14 countries, and some remarkable similarities in taste are clearly evident once you see the various favorites and least favorites. It appears that with the exception of the Italians and the Dutch, nearly everyone else aligned behind a somewhat pastoral scene a-la-Hudson River School.

Least wanted paintings in all nations, with the same two exceptions of Holland and Italy, were generally geometric abstractions in nature.

This is the least wanted kind of painting in the USA. And below is the most wanted painting in the US... yep that's George Washington in the middle.

Before you roll your eyes, here's the Chinese equivalent, and yep that a portrait of Mao on the right of the painting. And the Russians seem to have put some sort of a Christ figure in their favorite painting.

However, this "painting by survey," like anything done by committee, rarely actually yields a final product that anyone actually likes, and I suspect that few people (in any nation) would actually hang the finished banal painting(s) in their homes.

Bethesda Painting Awards

Next week is the last week to see the Bethesda Painting Awards finalists and prizewinners at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda. The show closes July 7.

This year's exhibition stirred quite a bit of controversy, which is always good for any art competition.

The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan was surprised at the award choices and raised a controversy about three sumi-ink drawings on Japanese paper by Richmond artist Fiona Ross. Read his review here.

The Gazette's Claudia Rousseau really liked the Best in Show prizewinner, but disliked the work of the other two award-winners. Read her review here.

DCist's Lynne Venart at first didn't like the Best in Show prizewinner, but when she looked a little closer, she discovered interesting nuances in Matthew Klos' works. Read her review here.

G.P. and Thinking About Art both jumped on the O'Sullivan controversy bandwagon and opined on the issue. Read Kriston here and J.T. here.

Go see the show before it closes.

Art in Heat



Art in Heat opens Saturday, June 30, 2007 from 7pm–11pm at the Warehouse Gallery and Theatre complex in DC. Lobsterboy will be on hand at 8pm and 11pm with his “Tiki Party from Hell.” DJ Adam will be keeping the party going in the upstairs gallery.

The exhibiting artists represent the best of DC’s Outsider, Lowbrow, and Pop Surrealist artists. They’re notable for creating work that’s fun, twisted, sexy, and just plain wrong. Featuring: Ed Bisese, Chris Bishop, Scott G. Brooks, Lisa Brotman, Anna U. Davis, Jared Davis, Alan Defibaugh, Margaret Dowell, Dana Ellyn, Gregory Ferrand, Linas Garsys, Laurel Hausler, Candace Keegan, John Lancaster, Emily Greene Liddle, Albert Schweitzer, Matt Sesow, and Ben Tolman.

Buy Ben Tolman now, as he's soon to leave DC and head out onto the graduate program at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In Summer The Song Sings Itself

In Summer The Song Sings Itself is the title of a summer group show presented by Pentimenti Gallery in Philly. The show introduces a group of new artists who bring variety, energy and important contemporary voices to the summer. The exhibition includes paintings, photographs and sculptures.

The exhibition includes work by Gabe Brown, Sarah Daub, Thomas Doyle, Cara Enteles, Matthew Fisher, Deborah Hamon, Kirk McCarthy and Scot Wittman. The opening reception is next Friday, July 6 from 6 - 8:30 PM.

The River Movers by Matthew Fisher

Academy 2007 at Conner Contemporary

Next Friday, July 6, Conner Contemporary Art in DC opens Academy 2007, the seventh year of their annual invitational survey dedicated to outstanding work by recent fine art graduates of the Washington - Baltimore area college art programs. The exhibition opens Friday, July 6th with a reception for the artists from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

The following artists were invited to exhibit by curators Jamie Smith and former gallery director, Karyn Miller:

PAUL CHAPMAN (George Washington University)
GRAHAM CHILDS (American University)
RUSSELL KELBAUGH (Corcoran College of Art + Design)
MAGNOLIA LAURIE (Maryland Institute College of Art)
JODI LIEBURN (Maryland Institute College of Art)
ISAAC MAISELMAN (Corcoran College of Art + Design)
TIFFANY MIELCAREK (Maryland Institute College of Art)
CHRISTINA MOST (Maryland Institute College of Art)
NATALIA PANFILE (Maryland Institute College of Art)
SANDRA PARRA (Maryland Institute College of Art)
DEBORAH ROCK (Catholic University)
NATHANIEL ROGERS (Maryland Institute College of Art)
BRIAN SYKES (University of Maryland)
JESSICA VAN BRAKLE (Corcoran College of Art + Design)
OLIVIA WOLFE (Georgetown University)

Tomorrow at the Katzen

At the Katzen Arts Center in DC, in honor of its 50th anniversary, the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) presents this rare collection of current political cartoons about George W. Bush and his most trusted advisers. More than 80 cartoonists from newspapers across the country, including several Pulitzer Prize winners, have contributed their best cartoons, depicting the president, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Alberto Gonzales and more. The challenge will be to figure out how many are pro and how many are con!

Also opening is "True Dutterer: The Work of William S. Dutterer." Bill Dutterer was an important and beloved Washington artist and teacher who moved to New York City in 1979 and continued to make powerful and innovative paintings until his death this past January.

The opening for both exhibitions is Saturday, June 30, 2007, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Opportunity for Galleries for Portrait Paintings

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is interested in procuring the services of a contractor to provide corporate or official type standing oil painting portraits on canvas of the current and past Secretaries of HUD. This solicitation is a 100% small business set-aside. Details here.

Since this is a small business set-aside, this would be a great opportunity for a gallery to respond as a "contractor" and submit a proposal.

If you have any questions regarding this procurement, please email Karen Thomas at Karen.V.Thomas@hud.gov, Contracting Officer. You may also telephone Ms. Thomas at 202-402-2806. Please be sure to refer to Solicitation #R-OPC-23169 when requesting additional information.

Old Drawing

Below is one of my early 1990s charcoal and conte drawings of Mantonica Wilson, who was Wifredo Lam's formidable godmother and the woman who was probably the most direct influence for Lam ever becoming one of the best-known artists of the Surrealist movement, and perhaps of the 20th century, despite his later subservient, lackey attitude to Castro's repressive regime.

During the latter half of the 19th century, many immigrants arrived in Cuba, mostly from Europe, but also huge numbers from China. One such immigrant was a Cantonese man by the name of Lam Yam, who settled in Sagua La Grande in the province of Las Villas.

There Lam Yam married a much younger Cuban woman of African, European and Native American ancestry, and eight children were born from this marriage. In 1902, when Lam Yam was 84 years old, his eighth child was born: Wifredo Oscar de la Concepcion Lam y Castillo.

My drawing of Mantonica is derived from a 1900 photograph that shows a gigantic, strong woman, who also happened to be a powerful Santeria practitioner of pure Yoruba ancestry.

It was through her Santeria practices that the young Lam was introduced to the African-based rituals and images that would later influence and people his artwork. And it was probably at Wilson's urgings (and possible financial assistance), that the young Lam was sent to study art in Europe in order to avoid the Cuban societal limits set because of his race.

It is often through the strong will and influence of others, that genius takes seed and given an opportunity to grow. My drawing is an homage to such a person.