Sandra Ramos at the NGA

Please join the NGA's Michelle Bird on Tuesday, June 21, for the next program in the “Works in Progress” series “More Than 90 Miles Away” where her guest will be Sandra Ramos. The program will take place at 12:10 and 1:10 in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art Small Auditorium.

Like all the artists in the series, Sandra Ramos lives and works in Havana. Primarily a printmaker, she uses a variety of media to explore issues related to the recovery of both an individual and collective memory. Blending memorabilia from past events, real and imagined, personal and historical, the artist creates a phantasmagorical new world from the "ruins of a utopia." In this world, forbidden topics such as migration, marginalization, and the political manipulation of history become the quotidian subjects of her art. The main protagonist, a character that fuses her own self-image with that of a print of a 19th–century Dutch princess, navigates her way through the complexities of life on the island like a postmodern Alice in Wonderland. Floating somewhere between the foreground and background, the figure is not fully integrated into her surroundings, but exists in the intervening space of her environment and circumstance. As a result, Ramos' art is not solely autobiographical, but bears the weight and vulnerability of the island and its people.

Fathers' Day


See that big, hulking, smiling, blond man sitting in the driver's seat in the Jeep? That's my dad at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba, sometimes in 1946.

Feliz Dia de los Padres, Dad!

Must go to opening this week?

For PLANNING PROCESS at the Arlington Art Center, juror Helen Allen — formerly of PULSE art fairs; currently planning D.C.’s first-ever (e)merge art fair, opening this September — selected 12 artists from across the mid-Atlantic region who were willing to reveal the ways they think and problem-solve in the studio (or in my case, in a hotel room).

These artists will exhibit preparatory drawings, computer models, and even notes scribbled in the margins of newspapers next to the finished artworks those starting steps inspired—including traditional paintings, sculpture, installation, earthworks, and even neon.

“PLANNING PROCESS” as well as the concurrent exhibition “Damsels & Daemons” are on view June 22 – Sept 25, 2011. The opening reception for both shows is this next Thursday, June 23, 7 – 9 pm.

Gallery hours: Wed – Fri, 7 – 9 pm; Sat + Sun, Noon – 5 pm

Arlington Art Center
3550 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703-248-6800

Game of Thrones: WTF?


I still can't believe they executed Ned Stark...

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?

CultureScape opens at Addison / Ripley! On Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., Addison/Ripley Fine Art will host a free opening reception for the artists.

CultureScape, curated by my good friend Isabel Manalo, runs June 18 - July 30, 2011 and includes work by:

Mei Mei Chang
Elise Richman
Lisa Blas
Hedieh Ilchi
Bridget Sue Lambert

Children Artists?

Read this as Grumpy Visual Artist breaks the story behind the latest "child artist" and does the job that reporters should have done.

BITE: Identity and Humor

Wilmer Wilson IV, one of the artists in the Strathmore Mansion mentorship program that Susana Raab, Tim Tate and yours truly has been working with, will have video works, film stills, and a sculpture in an exhibition entitled BITE: Identity and Humor, curated by Jefferson Pinder, at the Greater Reston Arts Center.

The show will be up from June 23 to July 29. There is an opening reception on Saturday, June 25, from 5-7p. In addition, my good friend Phillipa Hughes will moderate a dialogue in conjunction with the show on July 11 at 7:30p.

See ya there!

Help!

As I noted before, For PLANNING PROCESS: Drawings and Finished Works, I proposed re-creating the Hotel Art Intervention process itself by recreating an entire hotel room at the Arlington Art Center (or at least a subset of it). There would be a bed and other hotel paraphernalia, including some usual hotel wall décor hanging on the wall, and one disassembled piece laying on the bed and been “intervened” upon. At various times during the exhibition period, this piece would be worked on and added to (by me), and at the end of the show the “finished artwork” would be hung back on the wall.

If anyone out there works in a hotel or knows someone who works in a hotel/motel, etc. I need some assorted hotel peripherals for this installation and I need them now!

I'm talking stuff like ice cube bucket and tray, some of the advertising stuff hotels put in their rooms, etc. The more the better, but I have the rest sort of lined up. In the best case scenario, a hotel would lend me "everything" to re-create their room at the Arlington Art Center, but I'm happy with just some assorted hotel stuff.

None of this would be at any cost to the loaning hotel, and in return, during the exhibition I would have a visible note at the gallery stating that the hotel artifacts are courtesy of the hotel.

During the exhibition I will be creating a work of art at this re-created hotel room, and at the end of the exhibition I will give the participating hotel this new work of art as a gift and as a thank you for their assistance.

Can anyone out there help? If so, drop me an email to lenny@lennycampello.com or call me.

Closing Party

Join the artists of the Washington Glass School as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a closing party / birthday bash at Long View Gallery.

The highly successful exhibit "Artists of the Washington Glass School: The First 10 Years" will close that night and the artists, art lovers, supporters and friends will gather for the anniversary event.

If you haven't seen the show that is an 'Editor's Pick' of the WaPo, and had the arts critic Michael O'Sullivan "feel like a monkey in front of a ball of shiny, shiny tin foil" - here is your chance!

Washington Glass School
10th Anniversary Party
Long View Gallery
1234 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Sunday, June 19th, 2011
2-5 pm

See ya there!

Guess what arrived via FEDEX this afternoon?

The 100 Washington, DC Artists' advance copy just got delivered to my home today and the book is gorgeous!

And the back cover has quite a few pieces of art; work by Rik Freeman, Alexa Meade, Melissa Ichiuji, David D'Orio, Adam Bradley and others - this was a pleasant surprise, as I didn't know that they had chosen art for the back cover!

The publisher also shipped a bottle of Stargazer 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon to celebrate the release of the book - I'm touched by this class act!

Those of you who ordered books should get them soon, as they arrive in the publisher's warehouse in a few weeks.

Later: news of the book release party!

Azucar Moreno

The words to this international megahit by Spain's Azucar Moreno (the Salazar sisters) is what makes me wish that everyone could understand the beauty of Spanish as a lover's language. The title of the song is "Devour me again..." Enjoy the marriage of Spanish classical music with a contemporary beat:

Planning Process at AAC

While I was in the UK I got the news that I had been selected by Helen Allen (former creator and Executive Director of PULSE Art Fairs; former Executive Director of Ramsay Art Fairs; and current partner for the upcoming (e)merge art fair in Washington, DC) to exhibit at the Arlington Art Center's "Planning Process" exhibition.

What's this exhibition about? From the prospectus:

PLANNING PROCESS is a juried drawing show with a difference: All of the drawings selected for inclusion must be studies created in preparation for finished artworks. Winning studies will be shown alongside finished pieces in a variety of media: A sculptor or a painter could show sketches alongside finished objects . . . a video artist could show storyboards alongside video . . . an installation artists could show plans alongside photos documenting a finished project—or a recreation of that project onsite.

So for this show I will be doing an installation of my Hotel Art Intervention Project.

As many of you know, since 1977 I have been conducting a one man crusade to add original artwork to hotel rooms. As part of this process, when I travel I often bring a minimal set of art supplies as well as tools. Once I check into a hotel room, I identify a piece of hotel wall décor to be “improved” by the addition or substitution of original art. I usually disassemble the piece, and sometimes add imagery to the original piece. In some cases, whenever I feel that I can “get away with it,” (which depends on what other images are hanging in the room) I do a complete substitution of the original hotel piece (most often substituting it with an original drawing or watercolor).

For PLANNING PROCESS: Drawings and Finished Works, I proposed re-creating the Hotel Art Intervention process itself by recreating an entire hotel room at the Arlington Art Center (or at least a subset of it). There would be a bed and other hotel paraphernalia, including some usual hotel wall décor hanging on the wall, and one disassembled piece laying on the bed and been “intervened” upon. At various times during the exhibition period, this piece would be worked on and added to (by me), and at the end of the show the “finished artwork” would be hung back on the wall.

The artists selected by Allen for this exhibit are:

John James Anderson

F. Lennox Campello

R. L. Croft

Craig Kraft

Magnolia Laure

Jessie Lehson

Ephraim Russell

Samuel Scharf

Dan Tulk

Jessica Van Brakle

Tom Wagner

Andrew Wodzianski

Wards 7 or 8 artists

Are you an artist and live in either Ward 7 or 8? If so, drop me an email at lenny@lennycampello.com - I may have a good opportunity for you!

Flux Studios' New Emerging Artist Program

Flux Studios in the Gateway Arts District in Mount Rainier, MD has announced their new Emerging Artist Program.

Accepted applicants will receive a 45 square foot work space, 24 hour access with free parking, an annual solo exhibition at Flux, immersion in a professional art studio and the opportunity for mentorship in their art practice as well as in areas of professional development.

Cost is $200/month, one year commitment required.

Flux Studios is now accepting applications for this program. If interested in applying, please contact Novie Trump at info@fluxstudiosdc.com

Flux Studios LLC is a contemporary art space in Mt. Rainier, MD housing the professional studios of six artists and a small informal gallery space with rotating exhibitions.

Flux Studios has a visiting artist program, hosting artists from the US and abroad for residencies ranging from two weeks to three months. They also offer workshops taught by master artists in a variety of media, ranging from encaustic to ceramic sculpture.

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: July 1, 2011

Each year, the Arlington Arts Center selects 10 to 14 artists from across the Mid-Atlantic region for solo exhibitions in AAC’s seven separate gallery spaces—or outside on the grounds. Proposals that specifically consider AAC’s space, layout, and surrounding environs are encouraged. Floors plans are available on their website. Any existing works must have been completed within the last 3 years in order to be considered.

Three guest panelists will lead the review process for SOLOS this year, and consider every artist application received: Klaus Ottman, Curator at Large and Director of the Center for the Study of Modern Art for the Phillips Collection; Karen Milbourne, curator for the Smithsonian African Art Museum; and JJ McCracken, DC based installation artist and art professor (and one of the artists in my 100 Washington, DC Artists book).

SOLOS 2012 applications can be found here.

Breaking News: Art-O-Matic in Frederick

A large building (belongs to the Frederick County Board of Education and has 27,000 sq feet) has been secured for a Frederick, MD based Art-O-Matic and the event, in all its glory, buzz, impact, detractors and career-making opportunities for artists is expected to take place in historic downtown Frederick in the fall.

I hear that Frederick artist Steven Dobbin and crew have the lead for this project.

I also hear that this will take a lot of leads and guidance from the DC area ArtOMatic.

Also, of special note - Frederick, MD was just rated the 8th top small town arts destination in the country; Congrats!

This kind of event may certainly spike that number!

Book almost here!

The 100 Washington, DC Artists book is almost here!

I am told by the publisher that the advances arrived on Monday and that I will get an advance copy by next week, as for arrival in the warehouse for distribution, they have it slated for arrival on or about June 30th.

Strictly Painting 8

This much anticipated biennial juried exhibition at McLean Project for the Arts presents the work of artists exploring the medium of painting who reside in the Mid-Atlantic region. Juried by Jayme McLellan, well-known curator and Director of Civilian Art Projects, the exhibit will include works by thirty-seven artists. Free and open to the public; Opening reception and talk: Thursday, June 16, 7 - 9 pm.

John Anderson
Maremi Andreozzi
David Barr
Marcus Beauregard
Jennifer Bishop
Bong Kyun Noh
Kathy Brady
Nancy Bruce
Thomas Bucci
Mike Cantwell
Carolyn Case
Leigh Anne Chambers
Karl Connolly
Brian Dang
Joel D'Orazio
Joy Every
Claire Feng
Cavan Fleming
E Garner
Seth Havercamp
Timothy Horjus
Margaret Huddy
Rachel Jeffers
Ryan Carr Johnson
J.T. Kirkland
Marni Lawson
Matthew Mann
Greg Minah
Michele Montalbo
Sarah Robbins
Nicole Santiago
Judy Southerland
Nora Sturges
Champ Taylor
Dan Treado
Jessica Van Brakle
Andrew Wodzianski

Airborne
Heading home today via Amsterdam... more later.

York, Walker and 30 pieces of silver

Today we took the train from Harrogate and spent the day walking around York, enjoying a nice sunny day in this picture postcard Northern English town. My focus was to try to see Cornelia Parker’s Thirty Pieces Of Silver, which had been re-installed (on loan from the Tate) at York St Mary’s medieval church.

And guess what?

The installation looks 1000% better in this medieval setting than in the Tate! In fact, the modern aspect of the flattened spoons, plates, musical instruments, etc. all really seem to make an "easier" leap to the famous biblical story when presented in this space full of a vast history of its own.

Heading back home tomorrow, via Amsterdam.