Donate art to this

The 11th Annual Postcards From the Edge benefit for Visual AIDS will be hosted by Metro Pictures in NYC on January 9-10, 2009. This is one of my favorite charity art auctions and I've been donating and encouraging artists to donate to it for years.

Postcards From the Edge is a show and sale of original, postcard-sized artworks on paper by established and emerging artists. Offered on a first-come, first-served basis, each piece is exhibited anonymously, and the identity of the artist is revealed only after the work is purchased. With the playing field leveled, all participants can take home a piece by a famous artist, or one who’s just making his/her debut in the art world. Nonetheless, collectors walk away with something beautiful, a piece of art they love. For more details, visit this website.

Attention Artists! Deadline: Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

They are looking for artists to donate a 4" x 6" original work on paper for the exhibition and sale. Painting, drawing, photography, printmaking and mixed media are all welcome. If you would like to participate in Postcards From the Edge, download submission forms at this website.

Preview Party
Friday, January 9, 2009 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Your only chance to get a sneak peek at the entire show.

Benefit Sale - ONE DAY ONLY!
Saturday, January 10, 2009 from 11:00 - 6:00
Over 1500 original postcard-size works of art.
$75 EACH. Buy 4 cards and get 1 free!

Michael at G

G Fine Art holds an opening reception this Saturday for the most recent Trawick Prize winner Maggie Michael's new body of work, All at Once.

G is at 1515 14th Street NW, and the reception is from 6 to 8 p.m. Note to G Fine Art: update your website.

Wanna rent a condo in Bethesda or a house in Bowie?

I've got a couple of my properties for rent all at once...


First one above is a really nice condo in Bethesda in Pooks Hill, close to everything... see the listing here.

The other one is the very first house that I ever bought when I was Navy Lieutenant first assigned to Washington, DC back in the late 80s.

Last year I poured a ton of money renovating the house.

It is just a couple of minutes away from 50 and perfectly located between DC and Annapolis and almost across the street from a really nice park and one block from tennis courts and b-ball courts and playground.

See that listing here.

Wanna learn how to self-publish your own photography book?

Transformer partners with Anacostia's Honfleur Gallery as part of FotoWeek DC to bring you: Underexposed: Self-Publishing Your Photo Book , today November 22, 2008 starting at 2pm at Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia

Free and open to the public!

Bringing together a diverse group of photographers via a facilitated panel discussion, the participating speakers will address the processes and challenges of self-publishing books of photographic work. Participants will share their experiences as both photographers and editors, followed by a question and answer segment with the audience. Participating panelists include Melissa Catanese, Chan Chao, Lely Constantinople, Ed Panar, and Max Hirshfeld.

Honfleur Gallery
1241 Good Hope Rd. SE
Washington , D.C. 20020

For further information call 202.483.1102

Wanna go to some open studios in DC tomorrow?

19 countries, 37 artists and 57 works of art

Is what you will discover at the XVII Ibero-American Art Salon opening today, November 22, 2008 from 6-9 PM at the Katzen Arts Center- American University in DC. This exhibit will remain open until December 21st.

Job in the Arts: at the WPA in DC

Position Title: Executive Director- Washington Project for the Arts (WPA)

Reports to: WPA Board of Trustees via Board Chair

Qualifications: Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration, a Master of Business Administration degree or commensurate experience (at least five to seven years) to meet the qualifications outlined below:

• Leadership experience in management of a professional staff (5-10 full or part-time employees and consultants)
• Experience in developing and managing outreach and public programs
• Experience in creating and managing complex budgets of at least $500,000
• Ideally, the three aforementioned “experiences” should have been with an “Arts Organization”
• Being a self-starter with initiative and excellent organizational skills
• Grant writing experience
• Experience with fundraising and corporate development
• Excellent communication skills including speaking, writing and conceptualization and being comfortable dealing with the public and public speaking
• Nimbleness, flexibility, and being able to respond quickly to change
• A team player with strong motivational skills
• Public affairs and media experience
• Experience with organizing publications and internet marketing a plus

Position Summary: The WPA is an independent, 501 c (3) entity that supports, develops and promotes regional artists and art programs. The organization works to achieve that goal via programming that includes, but is not limited to: exhibitions; lecture series; performances; publications; design, arts administration, and arts internships; educational outreach and general arts related initiatives. In addition, the organization creates and maintains Art File Online, a digital art file, and print materials, for regional, national, and international access to artist members.

The Executive Director oversees, manages, and directs the organization’s programming, internet-based materials, writes fundraising proposals and identifies development prospects and is tasked with developing strategies to maintain and increase membership, both artistic and general, and to generally and strategically position the organization as the major leader in contemporary art for the Washington, D.C. region and beyond. The Executive Director also works with the WPA Board of Trustees and related committees, which include, but are not limited to: Governance; Development/Membership; Finance; Programming; Publications and Auction Committees. The Executive Director works with arts leaders at various D.C. arts organizations and through city-wide events, to support and maintain a healthy visual arts community which requires advocating for funding and space for individual artists and the organizations which support their efforts.

S/he oversees the WPA’s annual operating budget, reserves, and “special projects” budgets; actively manages the staff, consultants and interns responsible for programming, membership, finance, and development. S/he oversees all printed and online materials which include the organization’s website, Art File Online, exhibition catalogues, auction catalogues, the bi-annual Artist Directory, the WPA Annual Report and other materials as needed. In addition, s/he works closely with the development team to identify new revenue sources from private philanthropy, foundations, public funds and other sources to maintain and enhance the WPA’s programs, products, and regional visibility

Duties and Responsibilities:
 Serves as Executive Directors of the WPA in all endeavors including programs, educational workshops, exhibitions and community outreach initiatives aimed at building a broader audience base and local constituency.

 Works with local arts leaders to support programs, exhibitions, arts spaces, and events that focus on regional artists.

 Work with the Board of Trustees and others to identify and secure off-site locations for programming and membership initiatives.

 Works directly with Board and board committees to carry out projects and programs that fulfill the goals and initiatives set through the mission.

 Supervises a Program Director, Membership Director, Development Director, Bookkeeper, and other staff, interns, and consultants.

 Develops new strategies and objectives aimed at growing the WPA’s membership.

 In conjunction with the Director of Development develops fundraising proposals and and identifies development and fundraising prospects outlined above.

 Oversees the organization, execution, maintenance and production of all WPA materials and artist resources, including but not limited to Art File Online, biannual Artist Directory, and other critical community service and fundraising efforts.

 Oversees annual operating budget and project budgets.

 Serves as a liaison with area artists, regional arts organizations, local governments and philanthropic entities, staff, general public, donors, and volunteers.

Washington Project for the Arts provides essential resources to support the creative spirit and success of regional artists. The WPA presents contemporary art through imaginative and provocative programs, and connects artists with the community in both traditional and unexpected ways.

Please send cover letter/ resume to: Kim Ward kward@wpadc.org until December 12, 2008.

WPA Executive Director Kim Ward Resigns‏

From the WPA:

Dear Artists and WPA Friends,

In the next few months I will be transitioning from my role as Executive Director of the Washington Project for the Arts and join the WPA Board of Trustees. The decision to leave as Executive Director is solely precipitated by my desire to spend more time with my immediate and extended family. In the next few years my children will begin leaving home and starting college and I would like to be more present in their lives and see them as much as possible.

Working in various capacities at the WPA over the last six years has been richly rewarding and unequivocally, one of my best life experiences. The organization has given me far more than I have contributed. I am honored to have been a part of this incredible arts group that has served the greater DC community for almost 35 years. Whether you have created contemporary art, attended WPA events, purchased artwork, or written checks to support and sustain all connected with such, you have helped move us to the healthiest position the organization has held in over 20 years. While leaving the WPA staff is difficult for me, it is easier knowing that all of our hard work has placed the organization in a solid position to continue serving artists and the contemporary visual arts community in the years to come. In recent years, the WPA has:

- Created the digital ArtFile Online, a benefit and resource for all artist members, and the arts community

- Achieved complete independence at the end of 2007, separating from the Corcoran Gallery of Art

- Grown from 300 to 1200 artist members

- Maintained five continuous years of profitability and budget growth

- Featured over 1000 artists in exhibitions in the last five years

In the next few weeks I will begin working part-time, and remain on the staff to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to the new Executive Director. I would like to encourage members and friends of the WPA to send any qualified candidates my way. The position description will be posted on our website and a variety of arts job banks.

Again, it is a pleasure to pause and thank all of you for your generous support, direction and guidance over the years. There are too many people to thank who gave me a “leg up,” going out of their way to help me in all possible ways. I am looking forward to staying involved and rooted in the local arts community, while continuing to support the WPA through my new role in the organization. Please stay in touch, keep me on your lists, and finally, I want to wish all of you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season.

Best,

Kim Ward

Primera Nieve

I was surprised to look out my backyard window this morning and see this:

Get your book signed this Sunday

Some of my favorite photographers in all the world will be signing their books at Fraser Gallery in Bethesda this Sunday as part of Fotoweek DC; here's the schedule:

Sunday November 23, from 12PM - 5PM

Noon - Joyce Tenneson "A Life in Photography: 1968 - 2008"

1PM - Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman "Serenissima"

2PM - Maxwell MacKenzie "Markings," "Abandonings" and "American Ruins"

3PM - Karen Keating "Cuba: Watching and Waiting"

4PM - Danny Conant "Vanishing Tibet"

Pat Goslee opens tomorrow at DCAC

Pat Goslee: Flow, new mixed media works by Pat Goslee opens at the District of Columbia Arts Center with an opening reception on November 21, 7-9pm.

"Flow" represents the most recent work by Washington, DC's Pat Goslee, an intuitive artist whose paintings seek to part the curtain that, according to Kabbalah, separates the physical world from the spiritual. The work raises the questions: How do we store information, emotional baggage, and awareness? What do we absorb and what do we filter out? What layers need to be removed, or rearranged, in order to achieve change?

The exhibition runs through January 4, 2009.

Mellema on Cuban Show

Kevin Mellema reviews "Aqui Estamos (Here We Are)" which is currently on exhibit at H&F Fine Arts through November 30th.

Read the review here.

Go see this show and go buy some artwork.

When Absence Becomes Presence

Curated by Sonja Simonyi and Niels Van Tomme and part of the WPA's Experimental Media Series, the opening reception is today Thursday November 20th, 7-9pm at the WPA and there's a Screening & Curator’s Talk on Thursday, December 11, 6pm at The Phillips Collection in DC.

This event is the launch of the fourth annual Experimental Media Series and "When Absence Becomes Presence," is an exhibition that "explores the play between two separate, but linked conditions of absence and presence, and which reflects upon the very nature of time based media. Curators Sonja Simonyi + Niels Van Tomme have selected a staggering variety of experimental artworks that include sound art, music, literary readings, video art, as well as a mysterious sound recording."

Artworks from: Herman Asselberghs, The Conet Project, Paul Chan, Martin Creed, Andrea Geyer, Ibro Hasanovic, Miranda July, Damir Niksic, and Douglas Ross

Stay tuned for a screening of selected works and a discussion with the curators at The Phillips Collection on Thursday, December 11, at 6pm. During the screening, the Kraft Prize for New Media and the WPA Experimental Art Prize will be presented to two winning artists from the When Absence Become Presence Call for Entries competition.

Aquilino at Neptune in Bethesda

“Another Level” is the title of John Aquilino’s new exhibition on the elevated walls of Neptune’s new loft like gallery in their beautiful renovated green building in Bethesda, MD.

Aquilino had a highly successful solo sold-out debut at Neptune in May, 2007, and an impressive year at the art fair circuit.

Reception for the artist is on November 22, at 7 PM and the gallery is also open for the Bethesda Art Walk, December 12, 6-9 PM. The show runs through December 20, 2008.

Cuban show opens in Baltimore this coming Sunday

At Wilmington: Art for the Masses

200 Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania Regional artists are pleased to invite you to purchase artwork directly from them priced at $250 or less.

Artwork available in pottery, painting, fiber, mixed media, jewelry, photography, watercolor, wood, metalsmith, digital, collage, illustration, mosaic, screen printing, sculpture, printing, glass, and drawing and more.

Saturday, November 22, 2008 from 10am - 5pm at:

Hanover Center
3501 Oleander Drive
Wilmington, NC
(behind Stein Mart inside a 30,000 square foot warehouse)
Rain or Shine

$3 donation requested at the door. Among the 200 artists will be:

Abigail Blackerby
Abigail Perry
Aiden Kenny
Alisha Payne
Amy Winston
Angela Johnson
Anita Larko
Ann Conner
Anuzia Rodriguez
Barb Scalia
Barbara Tuzzeo
Barton Hatcher
Ben Keys
Bonnie Gaynor
Brian Peterson
Brooks Pearce
Camden Noir
Candy Pegram
Cape Fear Art Studio
Cape Fear Camera Club
Carol Williams
Carroll Crouch
Casey Scharling
Cassandra Skrzypek
Charles Bowden
Charles Wilkinson
Cheryl Snyder
Christine Maclellan
Christine O'Connell
Cilla Dahlbeck
Cindy Ella Rhodes
Cindy Martin
Cindy Weaver
Claudia Croom-Cole
Courtney Chappell
Dana Laymon
Deborah Cavenaugh
Deborah Hendricks
Deborah Petoskey
Dixon Stetler
Doug Kazantzis
Dreams of Wilmington
Edge of Urge
Elizabeth Bender
Elizabeth Norton
Eric Paige
Erika Lawrence
Erin Owens
Erin Wenzig
Flo Simpson
Francisca Dekker
Frank Bielski
Gail Henderson
Gail O'Neil
Gail Powell
Gail Smith
Gail Sue
Garrett Clark
Gaye Murphy
George Rabito
Ginnie Kuhn
Grayson Bowen
Harry Davis
Heather Pack
Holly Diehl
Holly Nettles
Jan Beyma
Jane Baldridge
Jane Hanck
Jean Chasmer
Jennifer Marano
Jennifer Royall
Jennifer Stockman
Jeremy Millard
Jim Edwards
jo bellamy
Joan Croft-Jones
John Gaynor
John Golden
John Greenwood
Julia Jensen
Julie Olson
Julie Reed
Karen Mason
Karen Pait
Kathleen Dentinger
Kathryn Bilisoly
kathryn graham
Katie Palacios
Katrina Fairbank
Kay Ballard
Kee Wilde-Ramsing
Keely Steelman
Keith Ketchum
Kelly Starbuck
Kids Making It
Kimberly Baker
Kinga Baransky
Kyle Page
Lauren Caddell
Lee Chappell Monroe
Lee Spivey
Leslie Isaksen
Leslie Pearson
Linda Hudspeth
Linda Kidd
Linda Parker
Lisa Haskins
Liz Hosier
Logan Mock-Bunting
Lois DeWitt
Loraine Scalamoni
Lynette Ashby
Lynn Graham
Lynn Manock
Macon Cathey
Marcelle Hooks
Marie Szendrey
Marissa Coley
Marlene McDonald
Martha Odins
Marty Relan
Matthew Dols
Maureen Mountcastle
McKenzie Constantino
Meg McGrew
Meghann Smith
Melanie Walter
Merv Wilkinson
Michael Baker
Michael Polomik
Michael Steele
Michelle Connolly
Mike Bryand
Miles Lewis
Mitzi Jonkheer
MJ Cunningham
Monique Mueller
Nancy McCurtin
Natasha Caine
Nicolle Nicolle
Noel Wilcox
Pam Toll
Patrick Raynor
Paul Boroznoff
Paul Hill
Paul Krauss
Peggy Cleary
Pete Cozart
Pete Paterson
Phil Meade
Polly Tait
Quentin Warshauer
Rachel Kastner
RDG Designs and Glassblowing
Rebecca Romulus
Rebecca Yeomans
Renato Abbate
Rhonda Willett
Robert L. Bullock
Robyn Chapman
Ronald Williams
Sally Bullers
Sandra Sharpe
Sandra Siemering
Sandra Wagnon Honeycutt
Sara Pepper
Sara Westermark
Sarah Collier
Sarah Holstein
Sarah Tector
Satu Harris
Sean Carr
Shade Maret
Simone Barbe
Stephen Cain
Steven Heiner
Susan Day
Susan Kirkendol
Tammy Clark
Teresa Bland
Three Hounds Gallery
Timothy Dols
Todd Carignan
Tony Forrest
Tracy Kellogg-Brodeur
Tracy Kirchmann
Tracy Weaver
Wendy Pittillo-Rae
Will Olney
Willard Fields
William Hubbard

Opportunity for Spineless Art

Deadline: November 30, 2008

Atrium Art Gallery, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston, ME 04240. September 8 - December 18, 2009. Reception, Friday, September 18, 2009. "Spineless Wonders" celebrates the diversity of species for the 2009 bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of "On the Origin of Species."

Paintings, prints, sculpture, poetry, sound, and work in clay, metal, fiber, glass, wood, and stone will all be part of the multi-dimensional exhibition. Invertebrates are animals without a spine, comprising 97% of all animal species. This vast group includes worms, insects and their larva, spiders, jellyfish, shellfish such as crabs and shrimp, sponges, and more. From fairy shrimp and glow worms to luna moths and giant squid, invertebrates include both aquatic and terrestrial forms. If it's not a fish, reptile, amphibian, bird, or mammal - it's an invertebrate. They are seeking paintings, drawings, printmaking, textiles, and work in clay, metal, fiber, glass, wood, and stone. Also poetry and projects that include sound, video, or any combination of media. Please contact Robyn Holman, director of exhibitions, holman@usm.maine.edu, 207-753-6554 for more information. Web: www.usm.maine.edu/lac/art

Be Still my heart

"Decades ago, when a husband and wife moved into their new home, a friend gave them a painting by the man's former college professor.

Fast-forward 40 or 50 odd years and the oil painting, still in the same family, is appraised during an "Antiques Roadshow" stop in Palm Springs, Calif., for a cool half-million bucks - the most valuable object ever discovered in the show's history."

Read all about it here.

MFA Auction at Penn

From what I am told, the annual MFA auction at Penn is a hot ticket in town and usually sells out.

As I've often advised, student artwork is a great way to get started collecting art and this auction is a great a good place to start, although it is also attended by a lot of savvy collectors.

It takes place this coming Friday, Nov. 21st to benefit the 2009 MFA thesis exhibition.

Again... there you will find one of the nation's best venues to get some good original artwork on your walls and finally get rid of those college posters (and if you are a gallerist, a terrific opportunity to scope out some new talent).

The auction is from 5:30-9 PM at the University's Meyerson Gallery. Work from over 40 artists will be available including work by Terry Atkins, Jane Irish, Doug Martenson, Eileen Neff, Nigel Rolfe, Judith Shea, and Jackie Tileston.

The art being offered includes drawings, paintings, ceramics, prints, sculptures, and photographs. There will also be gift certificates from Philadelphia restaurants and businesses. Everything is affordably priced with some items starting as low as $10. Appetizers, beer, and wine will be served and DJs will provide music through out the evening. Free and open to the public.

For more information check out this blog or contact the Graduate Department of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania at 215-898-8374.

The gallery is at 210 S. 34th St. at Walnut. For building locations on Penn's campus, please consult the online maps here.

The Palin Hoax

This story in the New York Times got me to thinking...

"It was among the juicier post-election recriminations: Fox News Channel quoted an unnamed McCain campaign figure as saying that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.

Who would say such a thing? On Monday the answer popped up on a blog and popped out of the mouth of David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor. “Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks,” Mr. Shuster said.

Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn’t exist. His blog does, but it’s a put-on. The think tank where he is a senior fellow — the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy — is just a Web site. The TV clips of him on YouTube are fakes.

And the claim of credit for the Africa anecdote is just the latest ruse by Eisenstadt, who turns out to be a very elaborate hoax that has been going on for months. MSNBC, which quickly corrected the mistake, has plenty of company in being taken in by an Eisenstadt hoax, including The New Republic and The Los Angeles Times."

Are there more hoaxes out there in other realms of information? - of that I am pretty sure, but my focus is the visual arts and thus my question to myself is: could such a hoax be executed in the fine arts?

I don't think so, and the reason that I don't think so is because unlike the need to demonize our political opponents that exist in places like Fox and MSNBC, the fine arts world is sort of a self-licking ice cream where 95% of the people who pay attention to it and want a lick at the ice cream are somehow involved in the art world itself, and very few are interested "outsiders," who are the ones needed to consume such a hoax and spread it eagerly.

And I'm not sure if the people who write about art lack the very basic "check the story" and "check it again" mentality of the political press, always frothing at the mouth to report something negative about the other side.

And of course, news outlets generally could give a rat's ass about the fine arts unless it involves some sort of scandal, sex, censure or shock.

Mmmm...