More bucks for DC public art

The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has just announced a proposed $2.3 million increase to the city's public art budget in the most recent Capital Improvements Plan by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. The proposed budget increase, which will take effect in FY 2014, will allot a $5 million annual capital allocation for public art over the next six years.

The DCCAH administers public art in the District through its DC Creates! Public Art program. This program, which is funded by the city's Capital Budget purchases, commissions, and installs artworks for public sites throughout the District of Columbia, including parks, libraries, community centers, government offices, bridges and other public venues. The collection includes more than 100 permanently sited and integrated works and over 2,600 portable works in District Government offices.

"The mayor's $2.3 budget increase is a significant investment in making the District of Columbia a world-class arts and culture destination," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Investing in the aesthetic qualities of this city provides for a improved quality of life, creates cultural attractions as well as develops a sense of place in our neighborhoods."

Sleepout at the Capitol Skyline Hotel

Pencil it in: April 20

DC's own WPA is hosting an art-filled, art-music-and-film-fueled sleep-out at the Morris Lapidus-designed Capitol Skyline Hotel!  

There will be installation art by Megan Blafas, embarrassing opportunities in karaoke with Jeremy Flick, and performances by the very cool Calder Brannock, Maida Withers' Dance Construction Company, chukwuma agubokwu, and the very fair and talented Kathryn Cornelius!

Get your tickets here !

When sailors drink...

Here's a puzzle that has confounded Sailors for decades... even the brightest among us.

You are on a Horse, galloping at a constant speed.

On your starboard side is a sharp drop off.

And on your port side is an Elephant traveling at the same speed as you.

Directly in front of you is a galloping Kangaroo and your horse is unable
to overtake it.

Behind you is a Lion running at the same speed as you and the Kangaroo.

What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?

After years of research, the DoD has come up with the answer to this rather odd, but unusually common situation... been there and done that.... scroll down for the answer...






























Hey Squid!!! Get your drunk ass off the merry-go-round!

Trawick Prize Deadline is Monday!!!

The deadline for TheTrawick Prize: BethesdaContemporary Art Awards is next Monday!  

This annual juried art exhibition awards $14,000 in prize money annually to the top four artists. A group exhibition of the finalists’ work will take place in September 2013 at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda. With a top prize of $10,000, The Trawick Prize is one of the largest and most prestigious contemporary art awards in the nation.

The 2013 competition will be juried by Cynthia Connelly, Visual Arts Curator at Artisphere in Arlington, VA; Alexander Heilner, Associate Dean of Design and Media Studies at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; and Vesela Sretenović, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.  Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video are accepted.  The maximum dimension should not exceed 96 inches in any direction. No reproductions. Selected artists must deliver artwork to the exhibit site in Bethesda, MD. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards. Each artist must submit five images (10 for 3-D work), application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25.

Artists may apply online or download an application at http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/trawick-application.

Abstraction at Foundry

 

OUTLOUD!  ABSTRACT ARTISTS

Non-representational, intuitive paintings range from bold, explosive multimedia collages to subtle, many layered mysterious paintings.

Judith Baldinger, Amy Barker-Wilson, Shaune Bazner, Tory Cowles, Jacqui Crocetta, Donna Grossman, Carol A. Jason , Donna K. McGee, Michiyo Mizuuchi, Bobbie Salthouse, Roger Strassman  

Wed., Apr. 3 - Sun., Apr. 28, 2013 

Opening Reception -- Friday, April 5, 6 - 8 pm

 

1314-18th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

202-463-0203

www.foundrygallery.org

Corcoran College of Art and Design 2013 Graduates

Fast Forward:  

Corcoran College of Art and Design
2013 Graduates

Dates: April 22 - April 27, 2013   

    

Closing Reception: 

Saturday, April 27, 2013; 5-8pm
in the Brentwood Arts Exchange
with performances in the 39th Street Gallery    

Location:  
Brentwood Arts Exchange
in the Gateway Arts Center
3901 Rhode Island Ave.
Brentwood, MD 20722

Contact:
Phil Davis; Acting Director; phil.davis@pgparks.com; 301-277-2863

The Brentwood Arts Exchange presents Fast Forward: Corcoran College of Art and Design 2013 Graduates from April 22 - April 27, 2013.  This exhibition, hosted in partnership with the Corcoran College of Art and Design and the Gateway CDC, invites graduates from Corcoran's 2013 class to take over the gallery for an exciting week-long exhibition. Featured artists include Mazin Abdelhameid, Julia Bancroft, Kyrae Cowan, Annie Hanson, Jeremiah Holland, Rachel Hrbek, Deshaundon Jeanes, Katelyn Kang, Daesik Kim, Jessica Levin, Armando Lopez-Bircann, Dandan Luo, Katie Macyshyn, Rene Medrano, Gabriel Mellan, Micah Myerov, Judas Recendez, Morgan Roberts, Bryana Robinson, Rostin Rostai, Jordan Sanders, Hope Sorensen, Cynthia Tidler, Indigo Wakatama, Robert Yi and Jisun Yoon.

Don't miss this!

WILMER WILSON IV: THE FOREVER AFTERMATH

Curated by Laura Roulet
WED APR 3 – SUN JUN 30
FREE

Opening Reception: Thu April 18 / Free / 5-7pm
Curated by Laura Roulet

Seizing on a dynamic moment in D.C. performance art, the exhibition titled Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath culminates Wilmer Wilson IV’s performance art series Henry “Box” Brown: FOREVER, and provides through innovative programming a forum for other DC-area artists to explore the evolution of performance as an art form. The exhibit and forums focus on the aftermath of performance art. On display is a rotating selection of documentation and detritus from the Henry “Box” Brown: FOREVER performances, which were commissioned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities as part of the spring 2012 5x5 temporary public art project.

Inspired by the historic figure Henry “Box” Brown, a 19th century slave from Richmond, Virginia, who mailed himself to freedom, Wilmer Wilson IV used his own body to examine what freedom means. Artisphere’s Artist in Residence Studio becomes a platform for a discursive, flexible exhibition, collapsing the working space of an artist’s studio and an exhibition gallery, and rethinking spectatorship.

Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath helps kick-off of the Rosslyn-wide SUPERNOVA, a performance art festival, June 6-9, curated by the Pink Line Project and commissioned by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District. Wilmer Wilson IV: the FOREVER Aftermath is made possible by the Rosslyn BID and supported in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities' DC Creates! Public Art program.

PERFORMANCE: AFTERMATH
Thu April 18, Thu May 16 and Sat June 8 / Free / Dome Theatre
Performance: Aftermath coincides with Wilson's residency and addresses the ongoing life of performance art. Local performance artists are invited to collaborate and present their practices in whatever inventive format they choose. During the weeks leading up to each forum, videos of the presenting artists’ work will be rotated on Artisphere’s Video Wall.

MPAartfest Call for Entries

MPAartfest 2013
Call for Entries now online!
click here for PDF

Mark your calendar for this year's show!

Sunday, October 6, 2013
10 am - 5 pm
in McLean Central Park
(rain or shine)


For more information contact:
Amy Swaak
MPAartfest Director
aswaak@mpaart.org

Another reason why Communists suck...

Warhol’s Mao Works Censored in China!

Mao Zedong’s [otherwise known as history's biggest mass murderer: Mao Tse-Tung] face has long graced trinkets and kitsch sold at tourist markets across China. But in the country’s top art museums, his most famous portrayal by a Westerner isn’t welcome.

Sorry, Andy Warhol.

Although the scion of Pop Art passed away in 1987, Warhol is still generating controversy. A vast traveling retrospective of his work, “Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal,” has already made stops in Singapore and Hong Kong as part of a two-year Asia tour, but when it moves to mainland China next month, the artist’s Mao paintings won’t be coming along.

Read about it here... this is what happens when the government decides everything for the good of everyone... cough, cough...

Artist Studio Space Available

Pyramid Atlantic is currently offering a private studio work space for an artist (or artists) to share.  The 200 square foot studio space has great lighting, access to water and free WiFi access.  Rent is $350 per month.  

 

Artists working in all mediums are encouraged to apply.  

 

Artist interested in applying for the private space should contact jdominguez@pyramid-atlantic.org.

Simon Monk

Alida Anderson Art Projects represents the work of British painter Simon Monk... he will be showcased next month at the Affordable Art Fair in New York. Scroll to the bottom to see a video of the artist discussing his work.



Trapped Batman. 2013. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Peter Parker. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Clark Kent. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Miami Beach, Florida.


Bruce Wayne. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Long Beach, California.


Tim Drake. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Steve Rogers. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


Tony Stark. 2012. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Seattle, Washington.


Dr. Donald Blake. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in Seattle, Washington.


Dr. Bruce Banner. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).


The Carrier Bag Week - Tuesday. 2011. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 60 x 50 cm (23.6 x 19.7 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


Superhero Bag. 2007. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 24 x 18 cm (9.5 x 7 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


The Witching Hour. 2006. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 50 x 35 cm (19.7 x 13.8 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.


The Phantom Stranger. 2006. Oil and Alkyds on Wood. 50 x 35 cm (19.7 x 13.8 inches).
In a private collection in the United Kingdom.

Trawick Deadline Coming!

Deadline: Monday, April 1  

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The annual juried competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to selected artists and features the work of the finalists in a group exhibition.

Click here to get more information and apply.

Let the Games Begin...

Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: April 5, 2013

The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center located in historic downtown Frederick, Mayland announces the 2013 Annual Juried Exhibit. Dates: May 4 - June 23. Open to any artist living or working in the United States, all media is eligible, no size restrictions. $1150 in prize money awarded, $500 first prize. Juror: Gerald Ross, Director of Exhibitions at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland. For details on how to enter: http://www.delaplaine.org/exhibits/exhibit-opportunities/

Mark Jenkins in the WaPo

The WaPo's Mark Jenkins with two excellent reviews in the WaPo - check them out here.

Maryland honors artists...

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, has recognized 87 Maryland artists for creating work of exceptional quality within a range of disciplines. This class of outstanding writers, artists and performers was selected from nearly 600 applicants (including yours truly) and awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 to advance their artistic careers. This year’s Individual Artist Awards went to artists working within the disciplines of Fiction; Painting; Media/Digital/Electronic Arts; Solo Theatrical Performance; and Works on Paper. Although I was rejected for the billionth time, I congratulate all the artists who received an award - yay!

Portrait of Fair Young Fia as Licensed Royalty by Katherine Miller

Selected submissions by award recipients are available to view at www.msac.org/iaa2013, where information on the artists' home county, artistic discipline and grant amount is also provided.

“Artists and art making in Maryland help fuel our creative economy and expand opportunities for cultural engagement across the state,” said Theresa Colvin, Executive Director of MSAC. “The diverse works of exceptional individual artists is essential to the arts industry, which generates a billion dollars a year in Maryland.”

The MSAC’s competitive Individual Artists Award (IAA) is a program administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation that recognizes the value of artists and their work to the cultural vitality of Maryland. In determining the awards, an out-of-state jury reviews unidentified IAA submissions and recommends grant awards solely on the basis of artistic ability.

Many artists report applying IAA grant funds toward the cost of materials needed to complete their projects. Sculptor David Knopp, a 2012 Individual Artist Award recipient wrote, “Since receiving the award, I have completed two more functional sculptures, and the monetary award supplied the materials to complete them. I will be experimenting with incorporating other hardwoods into my sculptures and hardwoods come at a hefty price. The award will aid in purchasing the lumber.” Knopp, a lifelong Baltimore resident who works a night shift, and spends the days producing art, was later named one of only three 2012 Baker Artists—a prestigious distinction accompanied by a $25,000 grant.

The IAA Program reviews a total of 18 artistic disciplines, which are separated into three competition groups that are awarded once every three years. The 2014 Individual Artist Award will open to applications around June 1, with a deadline of July 26, 2013.  Eligible categories include: Choreography; Classical Music Composition; Classical Music Solo Performance; Poetry; Sculpture; Solo Dance Performance; World Music Composition; and World Music Solo Performance.

A celebration in honor of Maryland’s 2013 Individual Artist Awardees will be held in May.

Frank Hyder at Projects Philly

Projects Gallery Philadelphia (which represents my work in Miami and in Philly) has a great exhibition coming that deserves a mention in DC's best art blog (since I lived in the Philly suburbs from 2006-1009... cough, cough).

They will showcase The Frontier, a solo exhibition by Frank Hyder. Works being featured include mixed media paintings on Mylar and illuminated sculptures. This show is held in conjunction with Hyder’s installation “Sea Dream“ on display in Terminal C of the Philadelphia Airport.

Hyder has reached into his past and leans into the future with this dynamic series of works. For more than thirty years, innovative use of woodcuts such as “Sea Watcher” in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and shaman prints, again part of the PMA and the Library of Congress collections, have been signature works for this native Philadelphian and now Miami resident. In recent years, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas and the Museum of Catholic Art and History in New York City have provided venues for his large-scale installations, combining sculpture, prints and painting to create narratives about the forest and traditions of the Americas.

The Frontier series began as a site-specific installation painting for the Miami Beach host site of the Select Art Fair during Art Basel Miami 2012. The main element of this installation was a 7 x 20 ft. mixed media work on Mylar that filled the stairway glass walls connecting two floors of the fair. Moving up or down these stairs immersed the viewer into the painting and environment of the forest. The work is peppered with digital prints on tracing paper, supplying sporadic bursts of color throughout. The forest is dominated by black and white contrast, a contrast that continues throughout the works of the show. 

Developing on the concept, Hyder has made paintings that focus on these prints and how they are fitted into the invented landscapes that surround them. He continues using this black-and-white-versus-color concept in a series of 3-dimensional LED illuminated prints on shaped Plexiglas, which create a small, lighted installation in one room of the gallery. The artist also steps off the wall here with freestanding sculptures from his “Chrysalis Series.”  These sinuous standing forms are abstractly animated by collaged black and white woodcuts and eerie luminous colored light.

This truly international artist has had over 100 solo exhibitions, including nine in New York City and throughout all of the Americas, Europe and Asia.  In the past year he has shown in Atlanta, Hong Kong, London, Miami, Singapore and Toronto.  He is one of the few North Americans to have had solo exhibitions in major museums in Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela.  Other solo museum exhibitions include the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art’s Museum of American Art, the La Salle Museum of Art, the Susquehanna Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum in California.  For the past several years, he has participated in “Giants in the City,” whose heroic inflatables exhibit during Art Basel Miami. 

His works are in the collections of art museums in Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, Ontario, Caracas and Maracaibo, Venezuela, as well as the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Library of Congress and in numerable corporate and private collections.  Major awards include a Senior Fulbright Research Grant to Venezuela, U.S. Embassy Cultural Grants, MidAtlantic NEA, two Pennsylvania State Council Grants and an International Art Programming Network Partners Grant.  Public commissions include the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program “Hanging Garden of I-95”, “Honey’s” and “Bell’s Pond” wall murals; Terminal Freezer, Oxnard, CA, ceramic wall mural; and the Museo Jacobo Borges “Bridge of Life” ceramic walkway in Caracas, Venezuela.  

The Frontier will run April 5 – June 15, 2013 with an artist reception on First Friday, May 3rd from 6-9. The reception is free and open to the public.  Projects Gallery is located at 629 N. 2nd St. in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties section. A preview of works may be viewed on the gallery’s website at www.projectsgallery.com. For more information and images, please contact Projects Gallery at 267-303-9652 or info@projectsgallery.com

Hotmail blues...

Hotmail has been down all day... since I get about 300+ emails a day there, if you've sent me something, then I'm not ignoring you - and you should all be using lenny at lennycampello dot com anyway...

Talk: Cracking the critics' code

Tomorrow, Saturday, from noon-2PM I will be giving a talk at the Art Gallery of Potomac about getting attention from art critics and writers in general and getting some press out of your art exhibits.

Free and open to the public 
www.theartgalleryofpotomac.com - 9945 Falls Road, Potomac, MD
(Potomac Village Shopping Center, next to the bike store)

Hope to see ya there!

Wanna go to a party tomorrow night?

On Friday March 22, 2013 from 5:30 on for Swag Funk sponsored by Twins Jazz at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in DC.

Originally formed in the winter of 2008, SWAGFUNK has since hit numerous milestones. In addition to performing shows all over the DC; MD; VA; and the Baltimore area; SWAGFUNK has also performed regularly in the northeast over the years. SWAGFUNK has developed a very loyal following globally. They have been adopted by the locals and have paved the way to a great music scene.

The Closing Party will continue from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Come join them for wine and beer with the Closing of the International Glass and Clay Exhibition at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th street NW.