Close Calls

That pretty young lady to the right is my daughter Elise, a highly talented ballerina, an A+ student, an award-winning actress and singer, and quite the existentialist workaholic.

Elise lives in gorgeous Gig Harbor, in Washington state, one of the prettiest, and most charming, and priciest, and safest villages in the Pacific Northwest, about 45 minutes from Seattle.

A couple of months ago Elise and a friend were shopping in one of those huge chic stores that manage to present a tony appearance while being enormous in size. And suddenly, just like in the movies, a masked robber grabs my baby daughter, and throws her to the ground, points a gun to her head and begins screaming about a "hold up and everyone hit the ground."

And people do.

And the robber lets go of Elise and walks towards the counter to grab the cash. And when he does so, Elise crawls into a fitting room, locks the door and using her cell phone calls the police.

And the police have no idea where the store is and ask Elise for an address.

Yeah...

Eventually the robber gets away with his cash (probably not a lot... who the hell uses cash these days anyway?) Why are robbers still robbing stores? If you're so desperate, or such as idiot as to use a gun to rob for cash, then why go after a place with little cash?

So he gets away and although she's pretty freaked out by the whole sequence of events (and as someone who's had a gun pointed to his head not once but twice, and as someone who's been shot at - once in Brooklyn and once in Beirut - I know), she moves on.

Elise also works as a teller in a local Gig Harbor bank while being a full time student - she graduated from High School in three years and already has her Associate Degree and next year will be a junior at the University of Washington.

A couple of weeks ago, an older man approaches her and hands her a note informing my daughter that the bank is being robbed.

Elise hits the silent alarm and (as she's been trained) hands the bank robber the money. Yep... my supercool daughter does not panic and does as ordered, delaying as much as possible.

The bank robber runs away - bummer for the asswipe that Elise had just cleared her drawer of cash a few minutes earlier.

The cops eventually arrive...

The bank (and her dad) decide that Gig Harbor is now part of the 21st century and from now on the bank will have a guard on duty.

Meanwhile, here's the bank robber:
This surveillance photo shows the man who robbed the Key Bank in Gig Harbor on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007.

The suspect is described as a white male, 55-years-old, 6 feet tall with a slender build and long brown hair. He wore glasses, a gray stocking cap, blue jeans and a black pullover jacket with white stripes and cuffs on the collar.

Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and charges filed in the case. Call (253) 591-5959 if you have information. You can remain anonymous.

Here's a bigger pic of the robber:

Update: A reader points out that the bank robber looks a lot like Ward Churchill! Now that's funny!

Job Well Done!

This is what I call an art profile article!

"Sharp LaPelle, Checkered Environment - Rodger LaPelle Hangs Art, Not Artists" a 2004 article by Mike DelVecchia is thoroughly entertaining, superbly informative and very much paints a detailed impression of Philadelphia gallerist Rodger LaPelle and is the kind of profile writing that the arts world could use more of: full of savvy history, eye-brow raising quotes and a sense of someone with a lot of knowledge and opinions.

Read it here.

I've visited the LaPelle gallery several times and have always come away impressed with the work. The gallery itself is certainly not a pristine white cube, which is a plus for me, and the artists represented (as far as I have seen) are quite good. Three years later, the gallery website still sucks and could really use a revamping from any $10 bucks an hour art student who knows his or her HTML. But then again, a lot of really good art galleries have crappy web presences.

But I like this gallery and this gallerist (who I should meet one of these days); in fact, during my last Philly gallery crawl, I picked this gallery as my top pick for the evening.

And last year, DC's talented painter Andrew Wodzianski had a really good solo at LaPelle, selling about 15 paintings.

And I hear that Andrew will have another solo show there soon!

The gallery is the one that is in the below video, with about a minute to go...

Wanna rent (or buy) a house in Bowie?

I just dropped a mint painting, fixing-up and putting new wall to wall carpets on this house that I own in Bowie, Maryland.

This was the first house that I ever bought (in 1987). I only lived there for a couple of years before I moved to Scotland in 1989. It has been rented ever since.

It's within a couple of minutes of 50 and 301 in Bowie, Maryland, and also within minutes of the huge new mall that has been built there since the house was built. You can also walk to tennis and basketball courts, as well as soccer fields and kiddie playgrounds, and it's almost across the street from a huge park.

It's for sale or rent. Check it out here.

Photography Opening this Friday

The opening reception for "The Art of Photography" at DC's Millennium Arts Salon (MAS) is this coming Friday, November 30, 6-8 pm.

MAS presents an exhibition of photographic artworks created by Washington-Baltimore Area artists in this season's program: "It's All About Art: Scholars Speak." This multi-year series examines the joining lines of visual arts, performing arts, and arts and letters. For the 2007-2008 season, MAS explores photography as fine art as a part of their salon conversations.

This exhibition is jointly curated by Barbara Blanco and Henry Ferrand. Featured artists are Michael Platt, Henry Ferrand, Adrienne Mills, Jonathan French, Denee Barr, Michael Parker, and Barbara Blanco. An Artists' talk is scheduled on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 from 4 - 6 PM at the Millennium Arts Salon.

By the way, Adrienne Mills has been posting a few excellent videos of her and various other artists' body painting extravaganzas at YouTube. Check them out here.

New Art Prize

The Gibbes Museum has announced a new Art Prize for Southern Art with the establishment of the Elizabeth and Mallory Factor Prize for Southern Art. Given to a living artist who is either working in the South or has contributed to the development of art of the South, the annual Prize will be accompanied by a $10,000 cash award.

This prize has been established by a generous gift from Elizabeth and Mallory Factor in honor of the Gibbes’ century long dedication to supporting living Southern artists. The inaugural prize will be awarded in May 2008. The selection process will begin in January with the shortlist announced in late February. A panel of experts will choose the shortlist, and the museum will make the selection of the recipient from the shortlist.

Eligible artists will be those who reside, work or are from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.

Starting on December 15, 2007, artists can either self nominate through this website, or gallerists, curators, directors and interested laypeople can nominate artists through the website. The website will remain active even after the prize is announced and will hopefully serve as a resource for curators, gallerists, collectors and connoisseurs. The deadline for nominations is 31 December 2007.

For more information contact:

Todd D. Smith
Executive Director
Gibbes Museum of Art
135 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401

Or call 843.722.2706, ext. 21.

Baltimore Open Studios

On Saturday, December 1, 2007, from 4-7 PM and again on Sunday, December 2, 2007 from 2-5 PM, Mid Atlantic Art News Daily Campello Art News contributor Rosetta DeBerardinis will be taking part in the open studios at School 33 Art Center (she's in Studio #201) in Baltimore.

Go visit her!

Call for Artists

Deadline: Wednesday, December 10, 2007

Yours truly is honored to be the juror for Alexandria's Target Gallery for an upcoming juried exhibition titled The Five Senses.

The Five Senses will be an all media exhibition that features artwork which must incorporate two or more senses (touch, taste, see, smell, hear). The physicality of this exhibition aims to engage and stimulate the viewer through works that address all aspects of human sensation. The exhibition is open to all artists nationally and internationally.

Show dates: March 6 – April 6, 2008
Deadline: Wednesday,December 10, 2007
Reception and Gallery Talk: Thursday, March 13, 6-8pm

Download details and entry forms here or phone 703.838.4565 ext 4, or email them at targetgallery@torpedofactory.org.

Jackson Art Center Open Studios

Be sure to mark the date in your calendar and check out the open studios of around 35 artists at the Jackson Art Center on Sunday, December 2, 2007 from noon to 5PM.

Jackson Art Center
3048 1/2 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20007

Wanna tour the DC City Hall Art Collection?

At 12 p.m. on Wednesday November 28, the public is invited to the Wilson Building for a guided tour through the City Hall public collection of art on permanent display on floors 1-5 of the Wilson building. The tour will be lead by the talented Denee Barr, whose work is included in the collection.

This is a unique chance to meet with local artists featured in the collection and have a discussion on being an artist in the Nation's capital and to see a rich cross section of local artists (both established and emerging). This will be a bi-monthly occurrence.

The tour is free; however space is limited. Please RSVP to beth.baldwin@dc.gov with the number in your party. Meet at the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance — the building is located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW. ID is required to enter the building.

Opportunity for Virginia Artists

Deadline: February 1, 2008

The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (CAC) invites artists from across the Commonwealth to submit works in all media for their annual, juried New Waves exhibition. New Waves 2008 is an opportunity for CAC to support the work of Virginia artists by promoting recognition from the public and nationally recognized galleries and collectors, as well as providing an opportunity for these artists to sell their work.

New Waves 2008 will be on view April 11-June 15, 2008 in Virginia Beach. The exhibition will be seen during the Museum's nationally recognized and award-winning Boardwalk Art Show & Festival, which draws 350,000 tourists annually.

Prizes: 1st $3,500, 2nd $2,000, 3rd $1,000, and two Honorable mentions at $500 each.

Jurors: Heather Darcy Bhandari, curator and artist manager at Mixed Greens in NYC and Anne Surak, director of Project 4 in Washington, D.C.

Download application here.

Atlas

Below is a tiny drawing, about 5 inches tall by 2 inches wide or so. It is titled "Atlas Holding The Firmament," and it's now in a private collection in Norfolk.

"Atlas Holding The Firmament"
Charcoal on Paper by F. Lennox Campello
That small drawing gives birth to the below drawing, which is about 13 inches tall by 8 inches wide.

"Atlas Holding The Firmament" (Version II)
Charcoal on Paper by F. Lennox Campello
The most recent drawing not only gained in size, but also lost in sense of detail and became a more sparse, minimalist work.

Congrats

To one of my absolute favorite DC area artists, Molly Springfield, whose first New York solo show, "The world is full of objects," opens on Thursday, November 29 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 pm at Mireille Mosler, Ltd. The show goes through February 2, 2008.

Wanna go to a DC opening on Monday?

One of the capital area's most beautiful venues, The Organization of American States has an opening on Monday, Nov. 26th at 1PM of street photography by DC area photographer Tom Wolff.

New Baltimore Gallery

"Quintessence" is the opening exhibit at Paperwork Gallery and this inaugural exhibit opens a new space in Baltimore that will focus on all types of artwork on paper.

Dana Reifler and Cara Ober are behind this project and their goals are "to create new exhibition and sales opportunities for local artists in an informal setting; to exhibit a variety of types of artworks on paper; and to keep a curated flat file of available works on location."

Their first exhibit features small, unframed works on paper by 25 Baltimore artists, all priced at under $300. Among the artists exhibiting are Don Griffin, Rene Trevino, Amy Eva Raehse, Ruth Channing, Bill Schmidt, Jackie Milad, and Denise Tassin.

Opening reception is Friday, December 7 from 7-9 pm and the location is 107 East Preston Street. Gallery hours will be Fridays from 4-7PM and by appointment. For more information and images, please visit their blog here.

Congrats!

To the very talented DC area photographer Joe Mills, who is currently having a solo at Galerie Verdier in Paris.

Nude Art at UPenn

Live Nude Art — a benefit auction for Penn Design MFA class of 2008 - November 30, 2007, 6-9pm.

Auction Preview: November 28 and 29, 9am-5pm.

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate Fine Arts department class of 2008 is hosting a silent auction fundraiser to support their graduation thesis show. Attendees will be able to bid on artworks by internationally recognized artists, as well as University of Pennsylvania faculty, students, and alumni. The auction will be held on Friday, November 30, 2007 from 6-9pm in the Meyerson Galleries on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Works will be available for preview in the gallery November 28 and 29 from 9am-5pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

"The title has less to do with the subject matter of the art or the dress code of those in attendance, and more to do with the pleasurable and playful atmosphere of the auction," explained class of 2008 member Travis Heck. "These days, it is rare to find an auction that allows guests not only the opportunity to bid on works by critically noted artists, but also to drink, eat, and boogie down all in one fun and free evening," continued Heck.

Works by Terry Adkins, Jane Irish, Gabriel Martinez, Sarah McEneaney, Joshua Mosley, John Moore, Eileen Neff, Demetrius Oliver, Robert Pruitt, Zoe Strauss and others will be available. Live Nude Art will take place at the Meyerson Galleries in Meyerson Hall, located at 210 South 34th Street on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Clothed guests will be treated to the musical stylings of DJ PHSH with free refreshments served throughout the evening. For additional information, contact MFA Class of 2008 representatives: Gianna Delluomo: 215-900-9714, delluomo@design.upenn.edu or Simon Slater: 917-763-7034, simonslater@gmail.com

You won't see this on mainstream TV...

This TV clip is making the rounds worldwide in Spanish speaking nations.

In the clip, Spain's King Juan Carlos orders Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to "shut up" as the XVII Ibero-American summit drew to a close recently in Santiago, Chile.

In spite of having his mike turned off, the Venezuelan strongman was continually interrupting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who was defending former Spanish PM Aznar, after Chavez insulted Aznar by calling him a fascist and adding that "fascists are not human. A snake is more human."

Rodriguez Zapatero, who is seeing speaking in the clip, reminded Chavez that Aznar was a democratically elected PM, but Chavez kept insulting and interrupting.

The king is then seen leaning forward and saying in Spanish: "Why don't you shut up?"

The king addressed Mr Chavez as "tu", which is the familiar version in Spanish of "you."

"Tu" is normally used only for younger family members, close friends, and children. In this diplomatic context it is regarded as insulting.

YouTube.com has dozens of rap and reggae versions of the verbal exchange, and the king's words have apparently become a popular ring-tone in Spain.

The latest in Hugo Chavez's political performance art.

The Twenty-Third Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards

Deadline: December 4, 2007, 5:30pm.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities invites you to submit nominations for the Twenty-Third Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. The Mayor’s Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on individual artists, organizations, and patrons of the arts. Awards will be presented and hosted by the Mayor at a ceremony on March 17, 2008. For more information please contact Lisa Richards at 202.724.5613.

Job in the Arts

Deadline: December 1, 2007

Candidates are invited to apply for the position of Director of the School of Art, Herberger College of the Arts, at Arizona State University.

Arizona State University is the largest public university in the United States and ranks among the top 100 universities in the world. The Herberger College of the Arts houses the program in Arts, Media and Engineering; the School of Art, the University Art Museum, the Department of Dance, the School of Music and the School of Theatre and Film.

The search committee will accept nominations and applications until the position is closed. Screening of candidates will begin immediately. For best consideration, application materials should be provided by December 1, 2007.

Nominations and application materials, including a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for four (4) references should be sent, in confidence and preferably electronically, to:

Chair
Herberger College of the Arts, School of Art
Director Search
Arizona State University
260 Franklin Street
Suite 620
Boston, MA 02110

Or email to 91582@j-robert-scott.com.

Graphic Content

WARNING: Graphic Content, Philly's Print Center Annual Auction will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2007 from 6:00-8:00pm with an Exclusive Champagne Preview at 5:00pm.

The Print Center, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most prestigious nonprofit cultural institutions, has set the goal to raise $35,000 with this year’s auction to support its outstanding visual art exhibitions and educational programs. Board of Governors President, Hester Stinnett said, “This will surely be our biggest and best auction in years. It’s going to be a great party, and we want not only to attract members of the art community, but individuals interested in visiting us for the first time.” Uninhibited bidding is welcome!

The Print Center Auction includes work by a large number of renowned local and international artists, including Thomas Brummett, Alida Fish, Carl Fudge, Guerrilla Girls, David Graham, Ann Hamilton, Daniel Heyman, Henry Horenstein, Jane Irish, Alex Katz, Roy Lichtenstein, Virgil Marti, D.W. Mellor, Bruce Pollock, Stuart Rome, Dieter Roth, Ron Rumford, Lawrence Schiller, Shelley Spector, Amanda Tinker and Richard Torchia.

Proceeds from The Print Center Auction fund group and solo exhibitions featuring local, regional and international artists and The Print Center’s continuing education program. Tickets are $25 by November 30, $30 on the day of the event December 1, and include delicious hors d’oeuvres and libations. The Exclusive Champagne Preview begins at 5:00pm and tickets are $100. Online bidding will begin November 19 at www.printcenter.org. For more information or tickets, please call Ashley Peel Pinkham, Assistant Director, at 215.735.6090 x2.