Dali

When an anonymous donor gave art to the Goodwill as an early holiday gift this month, the staff thought it was junk.

"Across the board they thought it was ugly," said Shea Munroe, who sorts the art and collectibles donated at Goodwill Industries in Federal Way, Washington.

Co-workers told her: "What is that? And why would anybody want that?"

The art is actually a Salvador Dali original, by the master surrealist who in his day relished the role of public provocateur with his mind-bending imagery.

Read the story on CNN here.

Opportunity for Photographers

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is currently seeking submissions for its seventh annual contemporary Photography Exhibition running February 2^nd through March 1, 2013 at CHAW, 545 7^th Street, SE.   CHAW is looking for any and all types of contemporary photography including traditional, alternative, black and white, color, photojournalism, fine art, time based, performance, installation…if you think it involves photography, please submit by December 14, 2012 at www.chaw.org.

The exhibition will be curated by Bruce McKaig, chair of the Photography Department at CHAW (www.brucemckaig.com).  All submitting artists will be invited to participate in a workshop on business tips for artists and receive a marketing packet with exhibition, publication, marketing and funding sources.  CHAW will present cash awards and one or more participating artists will be invited to a public art project at Canal Park in 2013.

The entry fee is $25 and artists may submit three to five works or three to five minutes of video. Please call (202) 547-6839 or visit www.chaw.org for more information and to submit work. 

Opportunity for Artists

BlackRock Center for the Arts Call to Artists 2014
BlackRock Center For the Arts is accepting entries for exhibits January - December 2014. You can download the prospectus by clicking the link to the right or go to www.blackrockcenter.org Deadline:  Friday, December 21, 2012 Entry Fee: $35 check or money order made payable to BlackRock Center for the Arts Eligibility: Open to all artists 18 years and over residing in  Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.  Special Consideration: Artists who are willing to conduct a lecture or workshop for a BlackRock standard fee will receive special consideration during the selection process.     About the Gallery BlackRock Center for the Arts gallery is 1500 square feet of gallery space.  Its high white walls and beautiful windows allows in just the right amount of natural light. We take pride in the outstanding artists we have exhibited over the years, which have been reviewed by Claudia Rousseau, Lenny Campello, and other art critics in the area. Eligibility The Call to Artists is open to all artists residing in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC over the age of 18 for original artwork only. All work must be ready for sale and to be presented in a professional manner to the public at the time of delivery. (See Terms for Exhibit for details.) Pedestals are available for three-dimensional work. Selection Process This call will cover exhibits in the Gallery from January to December 2014. An exhibit may include one applicant or a combination of applicants, based on the judgment of jurors (i.e., 1 or 2 wall artists may be combined with a pedestal artist). A jury will select the artists and create eight exhibits to be included in the exhibit year. This season, the jury panel is comprised of Lenny Campello (artist, writer, blogger), Marsha Staiger (artist, Torpedo Factory), and Tim Tate (artist, Washington Glass School). In addition, the panel will have an alternate juror, Krista Bradley (Executive Director of BlackRock).	CLICK HERE FOR PROSPECTUS Send to: BlackRock Center for the Arts Call to Artist 12901 Town Commons Drive Germantown, MD 20874 Questions? Contact: Kim Marshall Gallery Manager kmarshall@blackrockcenter.org All correspondance by e-mail, no phone calls please.

All animals are equal

But in the Castro Brothers' Workers Paradise, some animals are more equal than others...

In Cuba (Via) this week, three dozen Ladies in White were beaten and arrested for trying to attend Mass; two dozen pro-democracy leaders were beaten and arrested for inquiring about a colleague's imprisonment; and a dozen pastors were arrested for trying to distribute independent hurricane relief to victims in eastern Cuba.

So how does the State Department reward this surge in repression by the Castro's dictatorship?

By granting a U.S. visa to Raul Castro's grand-daughter to attend an art exhibit with her boyfriend in New York City.

That's right, according to the Cafe Fuerte blog, Vilma Rodríguez Castro, grand-daughter of Cuban dictator Raul Castro, is in New York City this week attending the contemporary Latin American art fair, PINTA 2012. She was accompanying her boyfriend, Cuban artist Arlés del Río.

Witnesses spotted her last night wearing Chanel shoes, a Louis Vuitton purse and a Rolex watch, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Is this ignorance, irresponsibility or just policy malpractice by the State Department?

From Amnesty International:

URGENT ACTION

Cuban Man Targeted for Government Criticism

Government critic Antonio Rodiles has been charged with “resisting authority”. It is believed the charges may be used to punish and prevent his peaceful criticism of Cuban government policies.

A coordinator of a civil society initiative calling on the government to ratify international human rights treaties, Antonio Rodiles, has been charged with “resisting authority” (resistencia). He has been placed in pre-trial detention (prisión provisional), but no date has been set for his trial.

Shortly after the arrest of the independent lawyer and journalist Yaremis Flores on 7 November, Antonio Rodiles, his wife and several other government critics went to the Department of State Security headquarters, know as Section 21 (Sección 21) in the neighbourhood of Marianao in Havana, to enquire after her whereabouts. Before they could reach the building they were approached by 20 people, all plain-clothed, as two officials from the Ministry of the Interior looked on. Antonio Rodiles was reportedly knocked to the ground and pinned down by four men. Several of the other activists were also manhandled and were forced into a police vehicle and sent to various police stations around Havana. All were released by 11 November, except Antonio Rodiles.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (fiscalía) informed Antonio Rodiles’ wife on 14 November that he was being charged with “resisting authority” but a formal charge document has yet to be issued.

Antonio Rodiles is one of the coordinators of Citizen Demand for Another Cuba (Demanda Ciudadana Por Otra Cuba), an initiative calling for Cuba to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which the country signed in 2008. Amnesty International believes the charges against him may be being used to punish and prevent his peaceful activities as a government critic and is gathering further information on his case and treatment.

When museums bite

Susan Helen Adler paced the corridors of the Baltimore Museum of Art, searching for objects that once belonged to her great-great-aunt, the late Saidie Adler May.

In one room, she encountered about a dozen pieces, next to plaques that read “Gift of Saidie A. May.” But Adler, hungry to see more May donations on display, quickly grew upset with how much she thought should be there.

She was already frustrated that one of her great-great-aunt’s paintings, a small Renoir, had turned up in a box of junk at a West Virginia flea market. The painting, she eventually learned, had been stolen from the museum in 1951 and then largely forgotten. How could that have happened?

Read the article by Ian Shapira in the WaPo here.

Support Chickenhead!

Jessica Rose is one of the young artists that I am helping to mentor through Strathmore's highly successful mentoring project. She has created a children's book and now needs a little bit of our combined help to assist her into the next phase. See her note below:

My first children's book "Chickenhead" is nearing the home stretch! In preparation for its completion, I've launched a short, ambitious campaign to fund a limited initial print run, to get the book into the hands of prospective publishers and enthusiastic readers.

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Go to the campaign page to learn more about the book (and what you can get for supporting it)!: 

http://www.indiegogo.com/chickenhead?a=1663505

Even if you can't support me financially, HELP ME BY SPREADING THE WORD! Follow the BLOG and share it on Facebook!

Thank you so much for your support!!

Jessica

www.DefyinGravity.com

Go to this tonight!

At the Mansion

Opening Reception
Tuesday, November 20
7:00 - 9:00PM  

Grayscale
Forget about fifty shades—the magic of grayscale is infinite! From white to black and back again, the art of Grayscale explores the connection of grayscale images to the past and their meaning in the present, and addresses viewers’ ability to ascribe color to a black and white image by assessing the intensity of light that is different for every color.

The Mansion at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD 20852-3224
Exhibition Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 10AM-4PM
Wednesday - 10AM-9PM
Saturday - 10AM-3PM
Closed Sunday

Opportunity for Latino Artists

Entry Deadline:  November 18, 2012 (might be extended)

Call For Entries: Converging Cultures: Works by Latino Artists

September 6–October 4, 2013

I will be one of two jurors for this show...

Entries must be submitted via email.  Instructions are contained in the exhibition prospectus.

Click here to download the exhibition prospectus.

Click here to download the entry form.

This Thursday: Do This!

Kind of a Big Deal...

Opportunity for Latino Artists

Entry Deadline:  November 18, 2012

Call For Entries: Converging Cultures: Works by Latino Artists

September 6–October 4, 2013

Entries must be submitted via email.  Instructions are contained in the exhibition prospectus.

Click here to download the exhibition prospectus.

Click here to download the entry form.

Art Scam Alert!

Michael Gard, email address m.gard212@gmail.com is a mutant bastard trying to rip off artists - if you get the usual scam email from him (such as the one below), ignore it.

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:17:35 +0000
Subject: Art Order
From: m.gard212@gmail.com
To:

My name is Michael Grad, i will like to order for some piece of your work from your studio as gift for my parent that are celebrating their wedding anniversary nest month. i'll be glad to have your response as soon as possible, to make it easier you can send me your website address to choose or send me four of your artworks via email that is available for me to choose.

my price range are from $100  to $1000.

Waiting to read back from you as soon as possible, so that we can make some progress.
Michael.

Gagosian Suit Offers Rare Look at Art Dealing

(Via) Sopa opera from the blue chip art dealers...

A central question in the case has been whether Mr. Gagosian in essence worked both ends of the deal — not disclosing to Mr. Cowles that his gallery had a relationship with the buyer and that it was trying to get a favorable price for that buyer. In a deposition made public on Wednesday, Mr. Gagosian said that he frequently represented both the seller and buyer in a deal without disclosing that fact to either party. “To be honest with you, the question hardly ever gets asked,” he said. “I never get asked the question, ‘Are you representing both sides.’”

Read the whole NYT article here and after you read that one, then read this one.

Thank You to ALL Veterans!

Thank you!


To all US veterans, both those who have served and those who are serving in all corners of the planet while we're home with our families. A well-deserved thank you to all the soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, Marines and Coasties.

Below is Petty Officer Third Class Lenny Campello back in 1975 while stationed aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) in Mayport, Florida.


And then Lieutenant Commander Lenny Campello back in 1992 while assigned as the Executive Officer (XO) of NSGA Skaggs Island, California.

Aurelio con Camiseta

Aurelio con Camiseta
Photograph by Cirenaica Moreira

Mariana Primera
Photograph by Cirenaica Moreira

Happy Birthday Devil Dogs!

A happy 237th birthday to the United States Marine Corps, with many of whom I had the honor to serve when I was in the Navy. That's me below with two Leathenecks in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983.

Heading to Australia

Their first fight: The Lilith and Eve
Watercolor on Paper, 10 x 14 framed to 16 x 20 inches

Soon to be part of the collection of Monash University in Victoria, Australia...

Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?

“Evidence” by Lori Anne Boocks

EXHIBITION DATES: October 31 - November 24, 2012

First Friday Reception: Nov. 2, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Opening Reception: Nov. 10, 4 – 6 PM

WHERE: Studio Gallery, 2108 R Street N.W. Washington, DC 20008 

Lori Anne Boocks's solo show at Studio Gallery is a dynamic exploration of the power of stories and memory. In her acrylic paintings, she renders text in expressive charcoal and forces the personal to become universal. Words are rehashed, reworked, and stripped down to the bone then built up again. Layers of color are added and partially removed to become a lens through which she shares her cache of stories and invites viewers to reflect upon their own.

By documenting the past, she is gathering evidence: Evidence to describe what a memory looks like and how it changes over time. Evidence from the little crime scenes of our lives and the things we walk away from—or the things we can't. Through these works, Boocks offers visible proof of the significance of the many moments that make up our lives while questioning her own remembrance of events.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Lori Anne Boocks received her BFA from Old Dominion University. Her work is included in private collections in the Metro DC area, California, and beyond. Recent solo and group shows include the University of Maryland University College, Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, Maryland Federation of Art, and Adah Rose Gallery.

For more information about Lori Anne Boocks visit:

http://www.studiogallerydc.com

Paintings: lorianneboocks.com
Art Blog: laboocks.blogspot.com

Jobs in the Arts

Several very nice job openings at MoMA in New York. Check them out here.