PMA Announces Interim CEO

Gerry Lenfest, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Philadelphia Museum of Art, yesterday announced the board’s unanimous vote to appoint Chief Operating Officer Gail Harrity as the Museum’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, and Associate Director of Collections Alice Beamesderfer as Interim Head of Curatorial Affairs.

These appointments, effective immediately, follow the unexpected death on June 1 of Anne d’Harnoncourt, The George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer. A selection committee co-chaired by Trustees Martha Morris and Keith Sachs will be organized in the coming weeks to search for a permanent successor.

Congrats!

To the winners of the 41st annual Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2008 exhibition, showcasing the talent, creativity and diversity of Pennsylvania's established and emerging artists. The exhibition opens to the public on Sunday, June 29, at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.

The exhibit includes 166 works of art which were selected from over 2,400 entries. This represents 160 artists from 28 counties.

The exhibition runs through Sept.21. For more information, visit this website.

Let's help Hizzoner

A few days ago I noted that Tony Gittens, the executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, announced a couple of days ago that he is leaving that post after 11 years.

Mayor Fenty will now appoint a new EA for the DCCAH and we're all hoping that it's not a typical politico nepotista appointment for the $110,000 a year job.

We're all hoping for someone who is qualified for this important job and who also cares deeply about the capital arts presence and its artists.

I have nominated George Koch, but I am curious to learn about other potential nominees out there, so feel free to post some comments with names of those who you think may be candidates.

Go hang your own artwork



"Wallmountables" is DCAC's Annual Open Exhibit - This year it will be from July 18 - August 31, with installation on July 16 3-8pm, July 17 3-8pm, July 18 3-6pm.

They divide the gallery into 2' x 2' squares and you take care of the rest.

Congrats!

To my good bud Jeffry Cudlin, who won First Place in the 13th annual AltWeekly Awards for his art criticism!

Now if Jeffry would only get back to writing a little...

Opportunity for Artists

Click on image for details...

Congrats!

To former Manassas, Virginia artist (now in Brooklyn) artist Allison Smith, who was recently awarded a Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant.

Wanna go to a DC opening?

On June 20, from 6-8PM, Georgetown's Cross MacKenzie Ceramic Arts has an opening for the always fascinating theme of trompe l'oeil work, in this case by various artists.

Also take a look at the really good article in the current issue of American Craft magazine about Rebecca Cross MacKenzie and her DC gallery. Read it here.

Meet the dealers

I don't know who the dealers or curators lined up to do this are, but Baltimore's Creative Alliance, on June 22 is offering an opportunity for one-on-one interviews with curators and art dealers representing for-and-non-profit spaces in the region.

Learn what venues are looking for, get feedback on how your work is seen, and hone your presentation skills. Bring what you need to discuss your work (portfolio, artist statement, resume, etc.). Interviews are 15 min each, limited to 4 per artist, and scheduled on a first-come basis. Plan to wait for/between interviews. 2-6pm. $15, $10 mbrs.

Creative Alliance at The Patterson
3134 Eastern Ave
Baltimore, MD 21224
Email: staff@creativealliance.org
Phone: 410-276-1651
Website: www.creativealliance.org

Make Your Emergence!

In reference to my "Who are your notable emerging artist(s) in your town and area?" (Click here), you can also nominate yourself and put up your own website.

Go here, sign in (it's free) and give us a link to any artist website of your choice, including your own.

There may be more coming out of this, but at least you get another Google digital footprint out of it when collectors seek you out.

Wanna go to a Baltimore Opening?

Wanna go to a Tyson's Corner, VA opening?

Wanna go to a McLean Opening?

Let the drinking begin!

Now available everywhere, most notably at Trader Joe's.

Reviews and comments here. For around six bucks it's already getting rave reviews!

Emerge already!

C'mon! Who are your notable emerging artist(s) in your town and area? I give you an opportunity to put a digital footprint for the website of your favorite emerging artist and you folks are hemming me up...

Go here, sign in (it's free) and give us a link to the website of your favorite emerging artist. Then maybe later we'll do a poll and see who emerges as the top 2-3 emerging artists around the nation to keep an eye on...

There may even be a prize or two coming down the road... trust me.

Congrats!

To Philly area artist Charles Burwell a new 2008 Pew Fellowships in the Arts recipient!

Mr. Burwell will receive a $60,000 Fellowship - an increase of $10,000 from previous years -and the largest such grants in the country from which individual artists can apply.

This year the awards went to artists working in folk and traditional arts, painting and playwriting, and were selected from a pool of 323 applicants.

"We are proud to continue Pew's long-standing commitment to the community of artists in Philadelphia and delighted to support this year's Pew Fellows in recognition of their exemplary contributions to the artistic vitality of our city and region," noted Marian Godfrey, Managing Director, Culture and Civic Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Burwell is represented in Philadelphia by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery.

The full list of award winners is here. Other visual artists in the list include Matthew Cox, Anne Seidman and Mauro Zamorra.

Congrats to all!

New Virginia Gallery

Ayr Hill Gallery will hold its Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, June 27, 2008, 5 PM to 8 PM, at 141 Church Street, NW, in Vienna, Virginia. Featured artists Armand Cabrera and Kathryn Ellis will attend the reception.

Canapés, confections, and conviviality will be served. To be included on the guest list, please send your name and mailing address to info@ayrhillgallery.com or call 703-938-3880; additional guests will be accommodated as space permits. Free and open to the public.

On the air next week

Next week I'll be on the Kojo Nnamdi Show discussing the Greater Washington area visual arts and artists and art stories as I usually do several times a year.

Tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM around noon; as soon as I have a final date (looks like Thursday, 26 June), I'll confirm it.

If you have any questions or art issues, you can call Kojo during the show at (800) 433-8850 or you can email him questions to kojo@wamu.org.

ICA drops admission cost

Beginning July 1, 2008, entry to Philly's Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) will be free to the public for the first time in its history. This unprecedented initiative was made possible by a generous gift from Glenn R. Fuhrman, who is an ICA Overseer and a contemporary art collector.

Museum Residency

Deadline: Postmarked by Monday, July 14, 2008

Applications are being accepted for three artist-in-residence positions at the Newark Museum Arts Workshop for the month of January 2009. The residency offers three artists the opportunity to use the Museum’s professional facilities for creating new work. A stipend will be paid to selected artists. This year because the Newark Museum is celebrating the 100th year of its founding, artists are being asked to submit proposals that relate to this milestone event.

How to Apply: First, there is no application form to fill out, references to seek or fees to pay. Please send 10 JPEG images at 300 dpi on a CD, or a video/film clip of five minutes or less of your current work along with resume, artist statement, residency proposal and SASE. Do please include a hardcopy list of your images and information about them and how or in what manner they should be viewed.

Stipend: Each artist receives a stipend of $1200.00. This includes artist acting as juror to select the next round of Newark Museum Resident Artists for 2010. In addition, in-kind material and technical support is supplied to each artist depending on project needs. Send application material to:

Stephen McKenzie
Manager
The Newark Museum
Arts Workshop for Adults
49 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07102-3176

Email address: smckenzie@newarkmuseum.org