Calling all teaching artists‏

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is currently gathering information on DC teaching artists to advance Arts Education in our schools and to promote life long learning.

Please take just a few minutes of your time to complete their survey, or forward it to someone you know who is a teaching artist. Their goal is to amass a Teaching Artist Roster. Take the survey here.

McKaig on Mayorga

By Bruce McKaig

Walk into the OAS General Secretariat Building on F Street NW, head down the stairs to the Terrace Level Gallery, round the corner and look down the hallway space housing this exhibit -- a space that looks somewhat like a path to a launching pad for the Starship Enterprise. The windowless, sterile architecture is flawlessly clean in proportion, line and light... and ends at a company cafeteria.

The setting could not be better for Carolina Mayorga’s site-specific installation of videos and photographs, Love Me, Quiéreme, Buy Me.

Last fall, Third Root Aesthetic, “a female owned art consulting and management business that collaborates primarily, but not exclusively, with artists, collectors and scholars of color,” approached Carolina about doing an exhibit in March 2010, National Women’s History Month. They also made a pitch to Fabian Gonclaves Borrega, Exhibit Coordinator for the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA) that includes the Terrace Level Gallery. He accepted the proposal and Carolina began conceiving and producing the works now installed at the museum.

Baby Doll 2010 by Carolina Mayorga.
Mr. Gonclaves first met Carolina in 1999 and has seen the evolution of her work over the past decade. He describes her installations ten years ago as more politically themed and geographically related to Colombia, her country of birth. At some point, he noticed her political themes had become less geographically specific. In the most recent years, he describes her shift to themes of individual identity, specifically feminism and consumerism: “Her work is often very sexually charged, and she herself wears make-up and has dyed her hair. That’s an interesting contrast to some performance artists in the 1960s, who wore little or no make-up, very drab clothing, had a cruder, rawer presence. Carolina knows who she is and, though she herself poses in her works – not a model-for-hire – the works are not really about her identity but about identity in a much more general way.”

Carolina wanted to use photographs and videos of herself to look at issues of culture and identity. “If I am wearing make-up, does that mean that I am stupid? If a woman is plain, does that mean she is intelligent?” These and other questions about stereotypes and cultural expectations are some of the thoughts Carolina explores in this installation. From front to back, the sequence of images moves from more local, DC scenarios to large mouths and more private imagery as the exhibit proceeds. Some of the still images are draped on the walls, curving in a sculptural way. “That was not the original idea,” she explains, “but as we installed, the people I was working with at the museum thought it might be a stronger presentation to leave the organic look. Sometimes, you just want to control everything, but as I thought about it, I thought they were right. It’s all about trying to discover a new way of thinking about or doing something.”

Those words about relinquishing control and thus discovering something new resemble words by the performance artist Marina Abramovic, currently exhibiting at the MOMA in NYC: “If you do things that you like, you never change, you always do the same thing again and again.”

The various video works are on two screens, one at the head of the exhibit, the other suspended along side the still images. One video shows close-ups of the artist applying lipstick, very unforgiving close-ups that visually straddle the fence between hyper realism and comic book animation. Likewise, the still images of hair or boots or mouths retain all the reality that photographs are expected to portray, but their content and garish print qualities manage to blur distinctions between hysterically horrific and comic slap-stick.

This odd blend is present in much of Carolina’s work, something like Vaudeville skits directed by Quentin Tarantino. In October 2009, she performed “The Miraculous Artist” at the Washington Project for the Arts. In that performance, she sat, robed in religious regalia, inside a confessional to give out one-on-one advice to the curious public. Her advice to me? “Since you are entering the golden years of your life, you should definitely buy several of my prayer cards.” That performance included a video playing testimonials from satisfied customers. In 2004, Carolina built a snow sculpture on a beach in Sweden that spelled out, ”by the time this sculpture melts 45,000 children will die in war.” During her Newspaper Soup performances, she gives out cooking tips about food for the destitute.


Love Me in DC, 2009 by Carolina Mayorga

How does Carolina describe the AMA installation?

"You get it out of your system kind of thing, using both photography and video, to experiment, even if people don’t see it. The feet, the sequence, the female thing, I’ve been using feet for many years, feet or shoes tell a lot about the body. I am not a photographer. I use photography to produce my installations, but I don’t want people to think of me as a photographer. Is there an international message? Its pretty open… beauty and identity are issues in many cultures… baby doll, lips, Photoshop'd to look unrealistic, using stereotypes… Language is important, not exactly in English, not exactly in Spanish, using words in the language that I think of them… why translate, if that ends up with a version that is not the way it happened? Its not just questions about gender, I also have questions about my Latina heritage. I don’t ignore it, but I try to avoid submerging into any subculture."

Love Me, Quiéreme, Buy Me by Carolina Mayorga
The Art Museum of the Americas
March 12-April 30, 2010

Terrace Level Gallery
OAS General Secretariat Building
1889 F Street, NW
Washington DC 20006
Hours: 10 – 5, Monday through Friday

For more information about Carolina Mayorga click here.

For more information about the Art Museum of the Americas, click here.

For more information about the author, click here.

Congrats!

To artdc's Jesse and Amy Cohen, who recently tied the knot! Details here.

Obama on Cuba

Recent events in Cuba, including the tragic death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the repression visited upon Las Damas de Blanco, and the intensified harassment of those who dare to give voice to the desires of their fellow Cubans, are deeply disturbing.

These events underscore that instead of embracing an opportunity to enter a new era, Cuban authorities continue to respond to the aspirations of the Cuban people with a clenched fist.

Today, I join my voice with brave individuals across Cuba and a growing chorus around the world in calling for an end to the repression, for the immediate, unconditional release of all political prisoners in Cuba, and for respect for the basic rights of the Cuban people.

During the course of the past year, I have taken steps to reach out to the Cuban people and to signal my desire to seek a new era in relations between the governments of the United States and Cuba. I remain committed to supporting the simple desire of the Cuban people to freely determine their future and to enjoy the rights and freedoms that define the Americas, and that should be universal to all human beings.

- President Obama

A little background on Las Damas de Blanco here, a brave group of Cuban women who appear to be spear-heading what I hope to be the end of the world's longest and most repressive dictatorship.

Sesow in French press

Local artist couple Matt Sesow and Dana Ellyn are in Europe having solos in France and Spain. Matt's solo in Albi, France, which had received a huge number of pre-opening sales, was just reviewed in the French press. Read it here.

Opportunity for emerging artists

Deadline: June 1, 2010

Conner / *gogo emerging art projects is accepting submissions for their 2011/2012 seasons.

Emerging artists (individual or collaborative groups) are encouraged to send proposals for a new project, a new performance, or an exhibition of new work in any medium, which utilizes the gallery's outdoor area, or media room, or gallery B space.

The duration of the show may range from a one night event up to an 8-week exhibition.

Please include:

> a concise written description of the project, one page or less
> a visualization of the project in the space
> Five low-res jpgs of current works
> CV and biography of the artist(s)
> your website(s)

Deadline: June 1, 2010

Send to: info@connercontemporary.com, Attn: Jamie Smith, curator

Proposals will be reviewed by September 1, 2010.

Mellema on Lin

"It's hard to argue with the notion that Amy Lin gets more press coverage than any other artist in the greater Metro area."

That's the beginning of a most excellent review by Kevin Mellema of the Amy Lin show currently at Addison Ripley in Georgetown. Read the whole review here. Mellema is right, Lin has received tons of press and critical attention in her past and current exhibitions.

It's also hard to argue with the puzzling fact that so far the Washington Post's Jessica Dawson, whose job is to write about DC area galleries, is one of the rare important critical voices who has so far managed to avoid writing anything about this artist. Lin has managed to capture the attention of nearly every art critic and writer in the region but Dawson's.

Says something about having a "finger on the pulse of the DC art scene" doesn't it?

I really hope that Dawson proves me wrong and plans to review this current Lin show and bring one of the District's top visual arts voices to the attention of the WaPo's readers.

On the other hand, me bitching about Jessica's review choices (or lack thereof) could result in a permanent poisoning of the well and guarantee that Dawson will black list Lin forever.

Still on yet another hand, in 100 years no one will know who Jessica Dawson was, but Amy Lin's artworks will still be around and being enjoyed for centuries to come.

The place to be tonight is...



a pop-up project has it s grand opening tonight and hosts the first of many pop-up group exhibitions, lectures and events at venues throughout the DC area. For its inaugural exhibition a pop-up project will open I Dream Awake from March 18 to May 28, 2010 in the former Numark Gallery space located in Penn Quarter at 625-627 E St NW.


I Dream Awake is a curated selection of works that presents original artist expressions which explore the link between awakened realities and unconscious dreams.

The exhibition includes artwork in various media by New York artists, Mikel Glass, Kenichi Hoshine and Margaret Bowland; Los Angeles artists Vonn Sumner and Susan Burnstine; and local artists Rosemary Feit Covey, Laurel Hausler, Lizzie Newton and Tim Tate.

The formal opening reception with the artists in attendance is tonight, Friday, March 26th from 6 - 9pm.

See ya there!

Wanna go to a couple of openings in DC tomorrow?

Start at Irvine Contemporary, who has a couple of favorites of mine opening: Susan Jamison: Swallowtail: New Paintings and Susana Raab: American Vernacular: Photographs. Opening reception with the artists: Saturday, March 27, 6:00-8:00PM.

Then head to U Street, where Katherine Mann, Christian Benefiel and Michael Sirvet also open on Saturday, March 27, from 7-9 PM at Hamiltonian Gallery.

A Formidable New Presence

When I first reported the news about a new art space to open at the former Numark Gallery space in DC, some of the emails that I received back generally said something along the lines of "about time!" After all, the award winning space (the space won its architectural designers an award for gallery design when it opened a handful of years ago) had been empty since Numark's sudden and unexpected closing a couple of years ago.

I dropped by a pop up project, which is the new art space at the former Numark space at 625-627 E St NW, in Washington, DC, and I am relieved to report that, judging from their first exhibition, and from meeting the enthusiastic and experienced owner, I am going to predict that the District is about to have a formidable new visual arts presence in its cultural tapestry.

The owner is Amy Morton, an experienced curator with a lot of background working with auction houses, art associations, and galleries in Los Angeles, CA, Boston, MA and the DC area. As many gallery owners are, she is also a collector, and is sure to bring her own collecting sensibilities to the mix. Unlike some gallery owners, Morton brings a refreshing, bright, and smiling personality which is far removed from the cool, aloof demeanor that some art dealers like to portray. And it is clear to see that her personality is also displayed in some of the subtle innovations that she is bringing to the gallery business; more on that later.

The inaugural exhibition, titled "I Dream Awake", brings together some of the artists either collected by Morton or whose work she has followed and admired over the years. The exhibition includes artwork in various media by New York artists, Mikel Glass, Kenichi Hoshine and Margaret Bowland; Los Angeles artists Vonn Sumner and Susan Burnstine; and DC area artists Rosemary Feit Covey, Laurel Hausler, Lizzie Newton and Tim Tate.

Immediately upon entering the gallery the visitor is confronted by what can best be described a sculptural painting installation by Mikel Glass. A Victorian frame, surrounded by original radio tubes and assorted seminal electric paraphernalia, hosts a painting which is a copy of Richard Rothwell's 1840 portrait of Mary Shelley.

The steam lines, antique doll's head and other assorted brass found objects, which of course include a brass Frankenstein head, gives the viewer an immediate clue about the work which is confirmed by the title: Machine in the Garden - Steampunk Shelley.

Glass explains:

A re-telling of the Frankenstein myth from a feminist perspective inspired Steampunk Shelley. In The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Elizabeth and Victor were raised together from childhood in order that they form an alchemic union that would allow Victor to achieve his full potential. Along the way, however, Elizabeth is beset by the strenuous limitations imposed upon her by a rigid, male-dominated society which eventually drives her into the arms of a Wicca coven.

In the original Frankenstein, Elizabeth had many autobiographical qualities of Shelley. In Steampunk Shelly I represent Shelley herself as Elizabeth. Her torment in the re-telling had much to do with the fact that, as in Shelley’s life, Elizabeth struggled to conceive a child. She finally succeeds, but ironically simultaneously to Victor’s scientific breakthrough – he realizes that he needs the tissue from a living baby to animate his creature. The moment depicted in the painting is intended to evoke the terrible choice that confronts Elizabeth: loyalty to the husband she worships versus personal fulfillment.

The background imagery and the frame are inspired by the Steampunk aesthetic, which is a combination of Victorian imagery with industrial technology. The frame is intended as an homage to Frankenstein and the society that he came from which, unfortunately, repressed women. The frame and all of its attributes were scavenged from various sources. For example, the valve that distributes the steam to each portal was salvaged from a defunct cow-milking machine. Frankenstein’s head was found in a scrap metal yard.

Long before I ever set brush to canvas my roots in art were germinated in the nurturing soil of found object sculpture. After moving to New York City for art school about twenty years ago, I pursued painting for logistical reasons - it took up less space. And while my heart never strayed from the abundant objects I coveted all around me in the city, I focused on trying to represent them in two dimensions. Over the years I’ve only infrequently allowed myself the indulgent transgression of pursuing expression through sculpture and performance. But Steampunk Shelley potentially represents a turning for me where I am comfortably exploring the intersection between all three. It’s a comfortable place for me, and I hope to spend a great deal of time there

I depress the brass Frankenstein head, hold it down a second or two, and the piece, like the monster, comes alive.

Wheels turn, the gas tubes light up, and then unexpectedly, we discover individual steam portals that deliver soft plumes of steam to the painting. It is a riveting homage, and I am sure that sooner or later, someone during the exhibition will include the triumphant "It's Alive!" Frankensteinian shout that is the climax of the monster's birth.


The main gallery is dominated by the works of Margaret Bowland (whose work was a finalist for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and is currently also on display at the National Portrait Gallery). The large pastel pieces show not only a remarkable technical facility made even more remarkable by the sheer scale of her works, but also an enviable mastery of a deep psychological agenda delivered by her works.


Another Thorny Crown. Margaret Bowland. Charcoal and pastel on rag paper, 60x48 inches.
The abundance of visual references makes this work a lesson in history and also a critical pitfall in trying to decipher and understand all of them. The child's gaze is hard and well beyond her years. They are old eyes and they are the key that opens up the dialogue to the other clues in the piece: the cotton crown wrapped around her head in a blunt reference to the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during His crucifixion. Cotton was the key driver for the slave trade in the American South; the white face painted on the child is an even harsher aim point at some of the racial realities and perceptions of a Black culture in a White society.

This is mostly an American painting. It is anchored deeply in American sensibilities and history, but it is also a powerful ancestral reminder of all Africans in the New World. Had this painting been done by a Caribbean artist, the child would have been crowned by a crown made up of razor-sharp sugar cane leaves, but the memories in her gaze would be the same. It is a brilliant narrative piece, and by far my favorite piece in the show.

There is also some excellent work by the several local area artists in the show. A new video piece by Tim Tate is sure to be a hit with animation buffs, and his classic "I hear the Siren's call" remains one of the sexiest videos around. Rosemary Feit Covey exhibits a terrific set of her better-known engravings, including her signature piece "Nkonde", which is almost out of print in an edition of 60.

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Morton's open and bright personality comes through in the way in which she has presented the work. The gallery is hung minimally, without overcrowding the work, but it is in the way that information about the work is presented, that she comes through even a little more open and clearly innovative.

I have never been a fan of hiding information in art galleries (such as the whole way of using pins or tiny numbers rather than labels to identify the work). In fact I would submit that the more information that is afforded the viewer, without the viewer having to ask for it, the higher the chances that a "connection" to the work will be made.

Morton uses labels, and that's good, and lots of galleries also use labels to identify the work, the artist, the media and the price. And then she goes beyond that. In addition to the title labels, small circular labels also inform us a little more about the artist. Information such as "This artist is currently on exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery" or "This artist is in the collection of such and such museum."

There's more. Slim floor displays hold cards that add more information about a particular piece. They are clearly a derivative of the well-known museum "wall text" information, but cleverly accommodated to gallery size and space. I think that this is a superb idea and that it will have payoffs for the gallery.

The formal grand opening reception (with the artists in attendance) will be held tomorrow, Friday, March 26th from 6 - 9pm. Don't miss it - it will mark the debut of an important new art presence in our region.

See ya there!

Final Report

"Age of Obama - Nobel Peace Prize" Charcoal on Paper. 16x12 inches.
I am happy to report that the above piece, selected by Mera Rubell for the WPA Auction at the Katzen Museum, drew furious multiple bids and sold for 170% above the high estimate.

And it sold to a VP for Sotheby's who was nice enough to send me an email to tell me how much he liked the work!

Herstory at the Art League

While I was at the Art League gallery recently, I also had a chance to see Herstory, an exhibition juried by Barbara Rachko.

The term "herstory" refers to history ("his story") written from a feminist point of view, with emphasis on the role of women, or with the story narrated from a female perspective.

Rachko gave the Jane Coonce Award to a gorgeous painting by CM Dupre titled "Alice is Decorated." It is permanent proof that in the hands of a skilled artist, any subject matter can be revisited and still yield something new.

I also liked "Ann's Secret" a very good oil painting by Rena Selim, and "With Wine as Accomplice" by Soline Krug, a new artist (new to me anyway) that takes on the difficult challenge of oil leaf and succeeds admirably. Krug's work also takes a somewhat artist-abused subject (wine) and does something not only technically challenging, but also compositionally interesting, and somehow also manages to douse a generous dose of sexuality into the work. It was my favorite piece in the whole show!

Both these pieces are $650 each, framed and are a great deal at that price; someone should go buy them now.

Avec le Vin comme Complice (With Wine as Accomplice) by Soline Krug
Also quite enjoyed "Guardian of Things that Roar in the Night" by Charlene Nield.

The show goes through April 5, 2010.

Free Art Business Seminar for Artists

On April 10, 2010 from 1-5pm, Gateway CDC in partnership with MNCPPC will be hosting my well-known “Bootcamp for Artists” seminar at no cost to the artists.

This seminar is suitable for all visual artists interested in taking their careers to the next level.

Ever wondered how to maximize the attention your work gets from the press, galleries, and museum curators? How to present your work in a professional manner and save money in the process? How to tap into grants, awards and residencies?

Then this is the seminar for you! This program is free, but space is limited so please email John@Gateway-cdc.org or call 301-864-3860 ext. 3 if you would like to attend. Hurry!

This program will be held in MNCPPC’s Brentwood Arts Exchange on the 1st Floor of the Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, MD 20722, just over the District line on Rhode Island Avenue.

Of interest to the general public: a closing reception for the Gateway Arts District Show, which I juried a while back will immediately follow the “Bootcamp for Artists Seminar” from 5-8pm. All are welcome!

Separated at Birth?

Am I the only one who thinks that American Idol's Lee Dewyze looks like Rodney Dangerfield's son?

Check's in the mail

The grants were to have been used in the “coming year,” the foundation said when it announced them in March 2009. But the money — more than $100,000 in total — has yet to be received, and recipients who have tried to contact the foundation for information at its New York headquarters have been met by a disconnected number and returned mail.

Read the NYT story here.

Students at the Corcoran

Six Corcoran student artists have their Fine Arts Senior Thesis Exhibition opening at the Corcoran's Gallery 31 on March 25th from 6pm-8pm.

I'm hearing good things about a piece titled il·lu·so·ry, a huge 3.5 ft x 30 ft mixed media illustration by Jessika Dené Tarr.

Hors D'oeuvres and wine will be served in Corcoran's Atrium which is the room directly next to Gallery 31. Show goes through the 28th. Details and schedule here.

Generations in Glass at Glenview

"Generations in Glass" is presented by the National Capital Art Glass Guild. This juried event includes over 130 unique art glass objects, representing over 60 of the DC area's finest glass artists. Several diverse styles will be on display including blown, kilnformed, flameworked and stained art glass. This is a free exhibit and runs through April 27. See below for more details.

March 28 - April 27, 2010
Glenview Mansion Art Gallery at Rockville Civic Center Park
603 Edmonston Drive
Rockville, MD 20851

Meet the Artist Reception: Sunday, March 28 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. It is followed by a panel discussion.

Contemporary Art Projects Grand Opening on Friday

Remember that I told you that the former award-winning (for gallery design) Numark space was about to be re-used as a gallery space?

Amy Morton of Morton Fine Art will have the grand opening for a pop-up project, a series of innovative, curated art exhibitions and events that “pop-up” at various locations throughout Washington, DC at that space this coming Friday.


The first exhibition, I Dream Awake runs from March 18 to May 28, 2010 at the former Numark Gallery space located in Penn Quarter at 625-627 E St NW.

I Dream Awake is a curated selection of works that presents original artist expressions which explore the link between awakened realities and unconscious dreams. The exhibition includes artwork in various media by New York artists, Mikel Glass, Kenichi Hoshine and Margaret Bowland; Los Angeles artists Vonn Sumner and Susan Burnstine; and local artists Rosemary Feit Covey, Laurel Hausler, Lizzie Newton and Tim Tate.

The formal opening reception with the artists in attendance will be held on Friday, March 26th from 6 - 9pm.

Happy Birthday to the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Today is the birthday of Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, who was born in Marianao, Havana, Cuba, to José Antonio Mestre y Alvarez and his wife María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre.

She graduated from the University of Geneva in political sciences in 1980. It was there that Miss Mestre met Prince Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

They married in 1981.

We're everywhere...

In town...


Previous Virginia Groot Foundation First Place Award Winners were all in town to to review the submissions for the 2010 sculpture award. From left to right, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Tim Tate, Candice Groot, Stanley Shetka, and Christina Bothwell.