Nude Bush Update

Remember when the below painting by Kayti Didriksen caused all that uproar at Artomatic and became the Internet's most downloaded image? It became the most popular contemporary political art of all time.

As an update, Kayti tells me that she

"Sold the painting to a diplomat who asked to remain anonymous. When I delivered the painting to his home in Brooklyn, I asked why he wanted it; his response was perfect, he thought that it was a great souvenir of his time in America."

Delaware Arts in Trouble?

Maureen Milford, writing for the News Journal, has an excellent article about the state of arts organizations in Delaware. Read that article here.

As an aside, I've yet to find one independently owned fine arts commercial arts gallery in Wilmington, If there's one, someone please let me know.

Randi Hopkins on Campello



Boston's Randi Hopkins at The Phoenix discusses the current exhibition Ozspirations at at the New England School of Art & Design and mentions my How Dorothy Killed the Witch.

"How Dorothy Gale really killed the Wicked Witch of the East"
Read it here.

Amy Lin Preview

I don't know how tonight's opening of Amy Lin's solo at Heineman-Myers Contemporary in Bethesda, MD went, but I dropped in yesterday to take a look at the work.

Buy Amy Lin now.

Wanna go to a Philly Opening this Friday?

Damian Moppett's After the Fall, which will run from November 16, 2007 - February 17, 2008 opens at the Temple Gallery in the Tyler School of Art. The openingr eception for the artist is Friday, November 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will be accompanied by several programs; for more information visis this website or call 215.782.2776.

Some good lots

Rago Arts and Auction Center has a Post-War and Contemporary Art Auction on November 17, 2007 (exhibition starts today) and as usual there are some great "estimated" deals to be had...

- A Gene Davis color pencils on paper.

- This Wolf Kahn pastel

- Also a great deal on this Teo Gonzalez.

- A signed Rauschenberg print for under a thousand and also this screen print for under a thou.

- A Sol Lewitt drawing for under $500. Also litho for under a thousand.

- Four huge William Christenberry Polaroid transfers in one lot estimated at around $800 each ($2K - $3K for the lot).

- Jenny Holzer estimated at $2,000.

I have conveniently not mentioned the lots that I am bidding for, but there are a lot more "estimated" deals to be had.

The Other Woman

Steven Earl Weber, the co-director of Kelly & Weber Fine Art in Philadelphia, will be guest curating a series of four shows in conjunction with the Coral Street Arts House.

The first of these exhibitions will be a duel site exhibit of the artist collective, The Other Woman.

The Other Woman consists of Darla Jackson, a sculptor, Laura Graham, a photographer, Laura McKinley, a painter, and Aubrie Costello, who works in various mediums. For this dual site exhibition Kelly & Weber Fine Art will be exhibiting the works of Darla Jackson and Aubrie Costello and the Coral Street Arts house will host the works of Laura McKinley and Laura Graham.

View a video interview with these artists filmed on a set built for one of Laura Graham's recent photographs and hear what they have to say for themselves and their artwork here.

Wanna go to some DC openings on Friday?

It's the third Friday of the month coming up and thus the extended nights and openings for the Canal Square Galleries at 31st Street, NW and M Street in Georgetown. While there check Rackie Diankha Diallo's work at Parish Gallery.

Danielle O'Steen on DC

Danielle O'Steen pens a really good over view of what's going on the DC area for artinfo.com.

Read it here.

Delaware Area Artists' Sale

Creative Wilmington has 115 Regional Artists on exhibition that want collectors to purchase artwork directly from them priced at $250 or less. Exhibition is Saturday, November 17 from 10AM - 5PM at Creative Wilmington.

Artwork by Lynette Ashby, Jennifer Marano, Kinga Baransky, Karen Mason, Larissa Baransky, Helen Miller, Jo Bellamy, Joe Miller, Frank Bielsky, Kelley Morris, Teresa Bland, Nick Mowers, Charles Bowden, Monique Mueller, Kim Bowman, Gaye Murphy, Mike Bryand, Nicolle Nicolle, Robert Bullock, Elizabeth Norton, Lauren Caddell, Christine O'Connell, Stephen Cai, Gail O'Neil, Todd Carignan, Maria Ortado, Kate Cathey, Karen Pait, Macon Cathey, Peter Patterson, Deborah Cavenaugh, Lori Payne, Robyn Chapman, Brooks Pearce, Sarah Collier, Candy Pegram, Francisca Dekker, Brian Peterson, Lois DeWitt, Deborah Petoskey, Timothy Dols,Courtney Pickett, Karen Domaney, Nancy Ping-Robbins, Jamie Dorfman, Wendy Pittillo Rae, Jude Eden, Michael Polomik, Jay Edge, JG Priestly, Jennifer Elder, George Rabito, Daisy Faith, Dennis Reifsnider, Paula Fitzpatrick, Kay Robbins, Gina Gambony, Loraine Scalamoni, Kit Garfield, Lara Schuhmann, Wade Giddens, Mick Scott, Cape Fear Camera Club, Donna Simpson, Pamela Kim Hartman, Florence Simpson, Lisa Haskins, Stephanie Smith, Barton Hatcher, Lee Spivey, Steven Heiner, Dixon Stetler, Deborah Hendricks, Polly Tait, Geoffrey Henshall, Sarah Tector, Jack Hernon, Sue Thompson, William Hubbard, Nii Narku, Rebecca Huntzinger, Nia Thurber, Julia Jensen, Clay Trotter, Angela Johnson, Laura Venters, Mitzy Jonkheer, Sandra Vigneri, Jennifer Joyner, Maike Walbrecht, MZ Julee, Gail Beavers Walls, Sharon Kane, Cindy Weaver, Michelle Kaskovich, Tracy Weaver, Rachel Kastner, Travis Weller, Doug Kazantzis, Sarah Westermark, Mary Kate Kennish, Kee Wilde-Ramsing, Aiden Kenny, Rhonda Willett, Gloria Madill, Mike Williams, Beth Maisonpierre, Amy Winston, and Mossy Wynn.

Wanna go to some Baltimore openings on Saturday?

Not only famous for its diverse art, but also for its sushi and good wines at their openings, Baltimore's Light Street Gallery opens its "Small Works Exhibit" on Saturday, November 17 from 6-9PM.

Also on Saturday, from 6-9 p.m. there's an opening reception at Gallery 211 for Washington, DC landscape artist Freya Grand. A catalogue of the show will be available at Gallery 211, with an introductory essay by Jack Rasmussen, Director of the Katzen Art Museum at American University in Washington, DC. For details phone 410-244-1340 or visit www.gallery211.net.

Wanna go to a Bethesda opening this Saturday?

Osuna Art Gallery in not-Brooklyn Bethesda opens The Washington Women Show with an opening reception from 5-8PM on Saturday, Nov. 17. The exhibition includes work by:

Nan Montgomery (painting)
Carol Brown Goldberg(painting)
Renee Butler(video installation)
Joan Danzinger (sculpture)
Dalya Luttwak (sculpture)
Nizette Brennan (sculpture)
Francie Hester (multi media)
Bernis von zur Muehlen (photography)
Dale Loy (painting)
Jean Meisell (painting)
Manon Cleary (painting)
Wendy Ross (sculpture)
Polly Kraft (sculpture)
Patricia Forrester (painting)
Lisa Brotman (painting)
Yuriko Yamaguchi (sculpture)
Andrea Way (painting)
Deborah Kahn (painting)
Sharon Fishel (painting)
Sherry Sanabria (painting)
Judy Jashinsky (painting)
Brece Honeycutt (painting)
Lisa Marie Thalhammer (drawing, mixed media)
Claudia Smigrod (photography)
Janet Fries (photography)
Jae Ko (sculpture)
Annette Polan (painting)
Emilie Brzezinski (sculpture)
Linn Meyers (drawing)

Ford Bell Responds

A few days ago I was puzzled by the answer given by Ford Bell, the new president of the American Association of Museums, to a question posed to him during an interview. Read all that here.

In response to my question, Mr. Bell emailed me a clarification:

Lenny:

Here is the context for my answer. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough.

Museum attendees, boards, staff, and volunteers do not reflect the diversity of our society. In Minneapolis, where I am from, we have the largest population of Somalis in the United States, the second largest population of Hmong, the largest population of Tibetans, and substantial populations of Hispanics and Native Americans. However, these ethnic and racial groups are substantially (almost completely) underrepresented on museum boards, and are not users of museums. I think it is incumbent on museums in this country to "demystify" museums, to make them less "white", both physically and programmatically, and to reach out to minority communities with creative, and relevant, educational, social and cultural programming. In the increasingly pluralistic society in which we are fortunate to live, museums will struggle if they are unable to reach out to different communities in meaningful ways.

In regard to the question, "Why would someone who has been elected to Congress in 2037 or 2047 have less 'experience' than someone elected in 2007 simply because they are from a different ethnic group?" I would submit that the vast majority of people now serving in Congress have experiences with museums, in fact, have visited museums since childhood. Today, school districts don't have the money for field trips, and school children don't go to museums in many states they way they did when I was a child. Will childhood trips to museums depend now on parents? And if the parents don't speak English, and/or are illegal immigrants and/or work three jobs and/or don't know what a museum is, are they likely to take their child to a museum?

AAM is committed to conveying - to funders, legislators, policymakers - the importance of museums to communities large and small, across the United States. We are committed to carrying the message that museum experiences are important for school children of all ages, and that these experiences contribute significantly to their educational progress and intellectual development. And, we hope to work with museums, our fellow museum service organizations, and museum professionals and educators to help insure that museums are welcoming and relevant to everyone in the community and that they resemble the community at every level - boards, staff and volunteers.

I hope that helps. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify my answer.

Best wishes.

Cordially,

Ford

Stories

As the first African American museum built by a major American city, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is a pioneering institution that is dedicated to "Celebrating the Life and Contributions of a People." The museum focuses on what is unique about the African American experience, and does so by illustrating the intimate intertwining of one people's heritage, culture, and contributions throughout the fabric of the American experience.

Opening on November 15 and through January 21, 2008, they will host Kimberly Camp's "Stories." Camp’s paintings and dolls are a reflection of family and tradition, and have been shown throughout the United States and abroad in over one hundred prominent solo and group exhibitions.

Camp, a native of Camden, New Jersey, has also pursued a dual career as a museum administrator for the Barnes Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the Charles Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

RSVP to kcamp@kimberlycamp.com.

Open Studios in Arlington

On Saturday, November 17th, from 6:00-9:00 PM, the artists at the Columbia Pike Artist Studios in Arlington, VA will open their studios to the public - there will be art, food, wine, and many fine artists.

Wanna go to a Bethesda opening on Wednesday?

For a couple of years now I have been recommending to collectors that they should acquire art by Amy Lin.

On Wednesday, November 14th, Amy Lin’s "Silence" opens in Bethesda's Heineman-Myers. A reception for the artist will be held from 6 to 9pm and Amy will speak about her work at 7pm. This will be Lin's commercial gallery debut after a couple of highly successful solo art shows in non-profit art spaces around the DC area.

Besides my attention, Amy Lin has received considerable recognition for her work, including a terrific show recently at the District of Columbia Art Center curated by National Gallery of Art's curator Anne Collins Goodyear and a very positive review of her work in the WaPo for her solo at Northern Virginia Community College last year and a very cool profile by the Washington City Paper last December.

And Apple Computer company recently selected Amy’s work for their one-word campaign, which will showcase her work on college campuses across the US. Furthermore, Washingtonian Magazine recently picked Amy in their 2007 “40 under 40 to Watch.”

Buy Amy Lin now.

Wanna go to an Alexandria opening tomorrow?

Travels - Paintings by Jessie Mackay will be on exhibition November 11 - December 9, 2007 at Alexandria's beautiful Athenaeum, the only Greek revival building in the city.

William Zimmer, the contributing art critic for The New York Times has written that Jessie Mackay "is recognized in the art world as an artist who can go to the most desirable tourist destinations in Europe -- to the impoverished heart of Africa -- and the ability and desire to capture the colors of both places, as well as the people, with a great deal of sympathy, is a welcome, valuable resource."

The Opening reception is Sunday, November 11, from 4 to 6PM. When you get there, walk around this beautiful building and discover one of the hidden gems in the DC area.

For Women Artists

The National Museum of Women in the Arts has Archives on women artists. Eligible to women artists who have had at least one solo show in a museum or gallery. Files may include biographical information, resume, and up to 20 images (slides, transparencies, or photos). $10 fee. Send a SASE to:

Archives on Women Artists
The Library and Research Center
Nat’l Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20005

Legal Seminar for Artists

November 15, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 pm

Maryland Art Place (MAP) and Maryland Lawyers for the Arts (MLA) will present on Thursday, November 15, an Artists' Practicum: a guide to the basic legal knowledge necessary for artistic survival in the marketplace.

The session will cover contractual issues in the creative industry, copyright for nonlawyers, and the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990. The panel includes MLA Board President Michael Yang, Esq., and board member Cynthia Sanders, Esq. The practicum will be held within MAP’s galleries. Admission is free and open to the public, but reservations must be made by calling 410-962-8565.

Grants for Philly Area Artists

Deadline: January 7, 2008 (Folk & Traditional Arts and Painting)

The Pew Fellowships in the Arts, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage established by the Pew Charitable Trusts, awards grants to artists working in a wide variety of performing, visual, and literary disciplines. The grants provide financial support directly to the artists so that they may have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to creative pursuits exclusively.

PFA makes awards to artists working in twelve different discipline categories, which rotate on a four-year cycle. In 2008, applications are being accepted in the areas of folk & traditional arts, painting, and playwriting.

Fellowships may be awarded to artists at any stage of their career development, from early to mature, and to artists working in a wide range of aesthetics and traditions. Fellowship recipients are determined according to two primary criteria. First, and most important, applicants are judged on their artistic accomplishment and future promise. Second, panelists consider the impact that a fellowship will have on the applicant's career and artistic development.

Applicants must be practicing artists of demonstrated commitment and professional accomplishment, and must have resided in the five county Philadelphia area (Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery) for at least two continuous years at the time of application.

Up to twelve fellowships are awarded annually. As of the 2008 award cycle, the fellowship amount has increased to $60,000 from $50,000.

Visit the PFA website for complete program information.