Capps on 14th Street Blues

Kriston has a good article in Art in America expanding on his teaser on the potential relocation of several of the DC galleries at 1515 14th Street, NW in DC. Read it here.

President Obama Gives Helen Zughaib's Painting to Iraq

President Barack Obama gave Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, a painting by Arab American and DC area artist, Helen Zughaib, at the White House during his recent visit. As a gift between the two countries, her painting “Midnight Prayers” symbolizes the countries’ relations. Zughaib’s art work is currently on display at The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development in Washington, D.C. as well as at Finding Beauty In A Broken World: In the Spirit of Frida Kahlo exhibition that I juried at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at Smith Farm in Washington, DC (1632 U St NW or 202-483-8600).

For Zughaib, this is a notable development in her artistic career, yet it is not without precedent. Two years ago, one of her paintings, “Reconciliation,” was given to President George W. Bush by then Lebanese Parliamentarian (and current Prime Minister) Saad Hariri as an official gift from Lebanon.

Zughaib, who was born in Beirut, Lebanon, said the piece Obama gave to Iraq is about the prospects for peace she sees in faith. Zughaib was inspired by the Muslim “call to prayer one hears in the Middle East.”

She added, “The beauty of the call to prayer, combined with the rich detail of intricate Islamic designs in blues and greens, symbolize the beauty and lushness of the Arab world. As always, it is a painting that reflects my hopes for peace and tranquility in that region.”

Zughaib helped curate the current exhibit at The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. The exhibit is called "Gaza Conversations" and runs until September 4th. She helped put it together at the group’s Foggy Bottom-based facilities.

She said the exhibit “is meant to focus attention on the situation in Gaza.” There are three artists showcasing their work in the exhibit, which has drawn many visitors--further showing the artist’s increasing prominence.

Zughaib, like her art, has served as a bridge between nations. For instance, she served as United States Cultural Envoy to the West Bank, Palestine. She said, “My intention as an artist, especially after 9/11, is to further the dialogue between East and West, continue to try to understand each other and bring people together in conversation with the hope of mutual understanding, acceptance and respect.”

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?



Aylene Fallah - Meet her at the Opening Reception on Sunday, August 2, 2009
1:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

Airborne


Heading back home today... have spent three of the last four weeks in California and Nevada; but today airborne from Vegas to DC, with a stopover in St. Louis, where Albert Pujols is a god.

14th Street Gallery Blues

Jessica Dawson has a really informative article in the Washington Post on the issue of the various 14th Street gallery cluster in DC that are facing relocation due to rising rents.

Good news is that G Fine Art is not closing, as previously reported, but relocating.

The article had a mistake on the monthly rentals that has been corrected since it was published. The corrections are at the top of the article here.

New BMA Curator

Doreen Bolger, Director of The Baltimore Museum of Art, has announced the appointment of my good friend Kristen Hileman as Curator of Contemporary Art and Department Head of this important collection. Currently Associate Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, Hileman will begin her position at the BMA on November 2, 2009.

"Since its inception, collecting and presenting contemporary art has been an important part of the BMA's mission" said BMA Director Doreen Bolger. "Kristen Hileman continues this incredible legacy, bringing experience working with artists on collaborative projects and a familiarity with Baltimore's cultural community that will serve the Museum well as she guides our contemporary program for future generations."

During her eight years at the Hirshhorn, Hileman undertook projects on the work of Cai Guo-Qiang, Jim Hodges, and Oliver Herring in the Directions series in 2004, 2005, and 2006; organized the exhibition Ways of Seeing: John Baldessari Explores the Collection in 2006; and co-organized with other Hirshhorn curators The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image-Realisms in 2008, publishing an essay for the catalogue. Most recently, Hileman organized Strange Bodies: Figurative Works from the Hirshhorn Collection, which is on view until November 9. On October 8, 2009, the Hirshhorn will open Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection, a major exhibition which she has organized and for which she has written the catalogue.

Hileman began her career at the Hirshhorn as a fellow in 2001, was named an Assistant Curator in 2003, and Associate Curator in 2007. Before joining the Hirshhorn staff she was a Curator at the Arlington Arts Center in Virginia. She has also held positions as an adjunct faculty member at the Corcoran College of Art and Design and George Washington University. She is a graduate of American University with a MA in Art History from the University of Maryland at College Park. In addition to her responsibilities at the Hirshhorn, Kristen has served as a juror for many exhibitions in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as a visiting critic at the Maryland Institute College of Art and at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has also published numerous articles and reviews.

One of Hileman's first projects will be coordinating the BMA's showing of Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, first U.S. museum survey of Warhol's late paintings. This five-venue nationally touring exhibition is organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and scheduled to open in Baltimore in October 2010.The Museum has one of the largest collections of late works by Warhol in the United States and is a major lender to the exhibition.

Congrats to Hileman!

Artomatically speaking

Artomatic 2009 came to a triumphant close July 5, smashing records and making headlines. During the 28 days of art, music, and revelry, AOM had over 76,000 visitors to the 10th anniversary event - a new record high!

Need more proof that Artomatic 2009 was the hottest ticket in town?

AOM filled 10 floors and 275,000 square feet of space with displays by over 1,000 artists. They rocked it out, danced it up and had a grand ol' time with over 600 live performances, 20 artists tours and two socials. There were even a record-number of events for the younger set (aka artists in training), with 54 kids workshops ranging from dioramas to mobile-making.

"I'm Also a Beauty Queen" by Brian Lusher
And currently "The Best of Artomatic" is attracting attention at my old gallery, check out the most recent review here.

DC gallery to close relocate

Just read at G.p. that the District's G Fine Art gallery will close at the end of the current show.

Update: Dawson in the WaPo writes that G will relocate, not close, as interpreted by me from the G.p. post. Relocation due to rising rent

Update 2: Capps expands on his post here.

Examiner

I was on page 27 of the Washington Examiner last Sunday discussing the sobering work of Diane Kahlo at the current Frida Kahlo influenced exhibition that I curated at the Joan Hisaoka Gallery in DC.

Read it here (go to p.27): here.

West

I'm still out West and heading home tomorrow... it has been over 100 degrees every single day that I have been here (first week of July and the last two weeks).

They don't call this area the "Desert Empire" for nuthin'.

Opportunity for young curators

Deadline: 7pm, Friday 30th October, 2009

MARCO/FRAC Lorraine Award for Young Curators: Call For Applications - Organized by the MARCO, Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo, Spain and FRAC Lorraine, Metz (Fonds regional d'art contemporain de Lorraine), France, the purpose of the MARCO/FRAC Lorraine Award for Young Curators is to offer participants the chance to execute an exhibition project to occupy MARCO's first floor and the exhibition venues at FRAC Lorraine. Entries will focus on the field of contemporary artistic creation and contemplate the participation of two or more artists.

The exhibition project will have a budget of a maximum sum of 30,000 Euro for each venue. The exhibition will take place from May to September, 2010 at MARCO Vigo, and from October, 2010 and January 2011 at FRAC Lorraine. Proposals that include works from the Collection FRAC Lorraine shall be taken into account. To visit the Collection click here.

All curators born in and after 1970 are eligible to enter the competition. If an entry is a group creation, one person will be chosen from that group to represent it and act as mediator with the institution. Curators will not be allowed to participate as artists. Entries must be previously unpublished and must contemplate the participation of two or more artists. No more than one project per entrant will be accepted.

The curator of the winning project will sign a contract with the Fundación MARCO and FRAC Lorraine, agreeing to comply with the functions derived from curating an exhibition, the characteristics of which will be specified in the contract. These will include the selection and location of the works, the design and supervision of the installation, and the writing of at least one text for the catalogue. The curator will receive the sum of 7,000 Euro, tax included, as an honorarium.

A jury made up of professionals of the art world will select the winning project and two finalists in November. The jury's decision is final. The jury may declare the award void should they consider this necessary. The criteria for evaluating the entries will be based on quality and suitability to the characteristics of the first floor of the MARCO as an exhibition space and exhibition spaces at FRAC Lorraine.

The jury will be composed by:
Beatrice Josse, FRAC Lorraine Director
Iñaki Martínez Antelo, MARCO Director
Kevin Muhlen, Casino Luxembourg – Forum d'art contemporain Director
Agar Ledo Arias, MARCO Head of the Exhibitions Dept.
Pedro de Llano, Art Critic and curator

The jury's decision will be made public in November 2009 and all participants will be notified.

Entries must be exclusively and simultaneously submitted, PDF format to the following e-mail addresses info@marcovigo.com and fraclorraine.coordination@wanadoo.fr, subject: 'Award for Young Curators'. In case of sending additional information, please send it to: MARCO, Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo. Rúa Príncipe, 54. 36202 Vigo (Pontevedra), Spain and 49 Nord 6 Est - FRAC Lorraine. 1 bis, rue des Trinitaires. 57000 Metz, France. Dossiers received in only one venue will not be accepted. Projects must be preferably written in English, although Spanish, French or Galician languages are admitted.

The closing date for the reception of entries is 7pm, Friday 30th October, 2009. Dossiers received after this time will not be accepted.

For more information:
http://www.marcovigo.com
http://www.fraclorraine.org

Blee on Cleary

Lyrical, and full of grace and light, the recent pastels of Manon Cleary dazzle with their technical bravura at the Addison/Ripley Gallery in Georgetown (1670 Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.) Who else can make a rat’s ear (literally!) into a visual poem? And who could possibly make it as beautiful?

John Blee is such an elegant art critic... and it takes elegance and depth of historical knowledge of the DC area art scene to know what a powerful presence Manon Cleary has been in DC for decades.


Manon Cleary photo by Tom Wolff
Cleary is perhaps the capital region's most talented incarnation of a Renaissance master whose brush translates the greatest achievements of Western realism into a modern contemporary dialogue and whose art mortally wounds the argument of those who claim that painting is dead.

Read Blee's review here and do not miss this show! It goes through August 22.

What kind of print is it?

Join Susan Calloway for Happy Hours in Georgetown abd some art education!

Today, July 29, from 3 pm - 7 pm: What kind of print is it? Caroline Adams, a local artist who studied printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design, explains the different printmaking processes which produce etchings, engravings, lithographs, mezzotints, etc. Also, take 20% off all antique prints that day.

www.callowayart.com
www.georgetowndc.com

--
Susan Calloway Fine Arts
V 202.965.4601 F 202.338.1660
gallery@callowayart.com

Emily Lyons on DC artists

The advice for would-be collectors is endless: Buy the best art you can afford. Buy what challenges you. Buy what makes you feel at peace. Buy from artists you know and admire. Buy work your mind revisits days after you’ve seen it. Buy with a sentimental eye.

Whatever your strategy, art can be a wise investment, producing happy returns. If well-selected and cared for, its value will likely increase.

Read Lyons in Washington Spaces here.

Mellema on Best of AOM

Kevin Mellema reviews the current AOM pick show at Fraser. Read his review (scroll down) here.

Things I don't understand

Why do couples bring their kids to Las Vegas? From rugrats to pre-teens to teens all wondering around the halls adjacent to the gaming areas.

I guess this is how the gambling seed is planted on the young: shine all the pretty lights and sounds of gambling in front of their eyes, but forbid them from entering the area.

And as soon as the right age is achieved: booze and chips galore!

Las Vegasing

For the weekend anyway... below is the view from my room of one of the oddest cities on the planet and one of the Universe's most unique spots, visited, as I have noticed, by many aliens and mutants.

Trawick Prize Finalists Announced

Well, nobody told me or sent me a press release... but they are announced and online here.

Congrats to all the finalists! The eight finalists for the 2009 Trawick Prize Awards will be on exhibit at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda from September 2 - October 3, 2009.

My bet is on Molly Springfield with Laure Drogoul also a strong contender.

Wiki Wars

Drawing up battle lines – art gallery takes on Wikipedia

The appearance of some of the world's most famous portraits on a website could create a legal landmark

Read about it here.

Opportunity for artists

Deadline: Friday, August 21, 2009 at 5:30pm.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in collaboration with District of Columbia Public Libraries (DCPL) is seeking East-of-the-River artists, including writers, to submit proposals for four prominent areas inside the new Benning and Anacostia Libraries which are expected to open in the spring of 2010. The proposed artwork sites provide artists and writers the opportunity to display their work in a large-scale format in a public building. Artist Honorarium: $2,500. For more information about the project contact Rachel Dickerson at rachel.dickerson@dc.gov or (202) 724-5613. To obtain an application go to www.dcart.dc.gov (Public Art - Current Calls to Artists)

For more information about the libraries go to www.dcpl.dc.gov (DCPL Construction Projects).