Opening next week

40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE
September 12 – November 2, 2013
Opening Reception September 12, 6-9pm, free and open to the public 

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is pleased to present 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE, from September 12 through November 2, 2013. A retrospective exhibition marking GRACE’s 40th anniversary, 40 for 40 celebrates the organization’s continuous engagement with contemporary art in the metro D.C. area since its founding in 1974. The show will feature a selection of forty artists who have exhibited at GRACE, or have been closely involved with the organization, over the course of the past four decades. 

Launching the 2013-14 exhibition season and the Greater Reston Arts Center’s 40th year of operations, 40 for 40 will feature works in a broad range of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, glass, and ceramics, the exhibition will celebrate the variety and quality of work that has been exhibited at GRACE since its inception. 

Speaking about the exhibition, Curator of Exhibitions Holly Koons McCullough said, “This show highlights the impact the Greater Reston Arts Center has had within the regional artistic community. Some of the artists on view in 40 for 40 literally founded the institution. Others had exhibitions here that would become important milestones in their careers. Still others exhibited works that have come to define GRACE’s unreserved embrace of contemporary art in this region, in all its diversity and vigor.” 

40 for 40 will present works by some of the pioneers of the institution, including Brenda Belfield, Judith Forst, Joan Kelly, and Connie Slack. These artists held positions on GRACE’s staff and board, and helped to develop the organization’s overarching mission of engaging and educating the community in contemporary visual art. 

Other works on view reflect GRACE’s more recent exhibition history, such as a luminous Mylar sculpture by Rebecca Kamen, a site-specific ceramic installation by Elizabeth Kendall, and cerebral wood-based sculptures by Foon Sham and Evan Reed. Together with works by the other noted contemporary artists featured in 40 for 40, these pieces reflect the broad-minded, progressive nature of GRACE’s exhibitions, particularly since the institution relocated to its current site in Reston Town Center in 2006.

“We are thrilled to be able to highlight the rich and vibrant history of the Greater Reston Arts Center,” notes Executive Director Damian Sinclair. “For over forty years the work of this organization has been central to the cultural growth in our region and we look forward to being a leader of the artistic community in the next forty years.” 

Most of the works in the exhibition are available for sale, and many of the artists are donating 50% of sale proceeds back to GRACE in recognition of the organization’s anniversary and in support of its future. 

Artists Represented in 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE 

John Adams, Ann Barbieri, Joanne Bauer, Brenda Belfield, Ed Bisese, F. Lennox Campello, Michael Cantwell, Dickson Carroll, Travis Childers, Ellen Cornett, Laura Edwards, Elissa Farrow-Savos, Judith Forst, Heidi Fowler, Suzi Fox, Rik Freeman, Rebecca Kamen, Joan Kelly, Elizabeth Kendall, J.T. Kirkland, Craig Kraft, Robert Lobe, Dalya Luttwak, Carolina Mayorga, David Meyer, Marco Rando, Matt Ravenstahl, Evan Reed, Pam Rogers, Dana Ann Scheurer, Eveleen Severn-Sass, Foon Sham, Connie Slack, Robert Straight, Tim Tate, Novie Trump, Shinji Turner-Yamamoto, Mary LaRue Wells, Millicent Young, and Andrew Zimmerman.

Public Programs:
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 12, 6-9pm. Free and open to the public.
40th Anniversary Family Day
40 for 40 public celebration and family day
Sunday, September 5, 2-5pm. Free and open to public.

Facebook's new terms of service and your pics...

Effective today (September 5th, 2013) Facebook has put into effect new Terms of Service and privacy policies that radically and significantly increase Facebook’s power to use your content and identity.

“The new Facebook Terms of Use have been modified to allow the company to sell virtually anything that is uploaded to the service, including all your photos, your identity and your data. Facebook has explicitly removed the privacy protection from the commercialization rights.”

Details here and good Q's and A's here.

New director for Clarice Smith

Effective October 1, Martin Wollesen will be the new executive director of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park. An arts administrator at the University of California, San Diego, "he is known for developing innovative arts programs to involve students and the community. Wollesen plans to bring the same inventiveness to his new job as executive director of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center that he did to his previous job in California."

Susie Farr, who is retiring after 14 years as executive director at Clarice Smith, was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council in July of this year.  

Wollesen will be working with the UMD School of Music and also the School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. He will also be overseeing the visiting artists’ program, raising funds and finding new ways to connect students and the public to the arts at the University of Maryland. 

Welcome to the DMV!

Wanna go to an opening Saturday?

28th annual Mayor's Arts Awards

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today joined the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in announcing the 30 finalists of the 28th annual Mayor's Arts Awards. The Awards are the highest honors conferred by the District of Columbia in recognition of artistic excellence and service. This year's finalists demonstrate the wide range of talent the District of Columbia arts community has to offer. Finalists were chosen by the Mayor's Arts Awards Advisory Jury comprised of prominent members of the District's arts community with expertise in dance, music, theatre, literary arts, visual arts, arts service and arts education.

The nominees in our areas of interest are:

Outstanding Emerging Artist
Caitlin Teal Price
Brian Grundstrom
Tommy Taylor, Jr.
Luis Peralta


Outstanding Service to the Arts
Carla Perlo
Washington Project for the Arts
DC Arts and Humanities Ed. Coll.
DC Shorts
Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
BloomBars

La Llorona

"La Llorona"
Charcoal, conte and embedded electronics
Framed to 25 x 31 inches

This is the word that we heard...

L’Shana Tova...

(e)merge art fair announces galleries and artists

The (e)merge art fair returns for a third year with the 2013 edition featuring an international roster of 80 exhibitors presenting works by 150 artists from 30 countries. 

Exhibitors will show new works in painting, sculpture, video, performance, installation, and other media.

For four days, the public is welcome to view a carefully curated selection of emerging art at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, exhibited on three levels inside the hotel and throughout the hotel's grounds and public spaces.

GALLERY PLATFORM > galleries and non-profit art spaces:

AUSTRIA: Bäckerstrasse 4 , Vienna | BELGIUM: NOMAD, Brussels | FRANCE: galerie bruno massa, Paris | GERMANY: Blink Media Art, Frankfurt / ROCKELMANN&, Berlin | ITALY: metroquadro, Rivoli | THE NETHERLANDS: Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam | SWITZERLAND: Aureus Contemporary, Basel | U.K.: Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London / Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne | U.S.A.: Alida Anderson Art Projects, Washington, DMV / Animals + Fire, Washington, DC / C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD / Charles Krauss/Reporting Fine Art, Washington, DC / CONNERSMITH., Washington, DC / DCCAH, Washington, DC / Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC / Gallery A, Richmond, VA / Gallery C, Raleigh, NC / Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD / Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington, DC / Julian Navarro Projects, Long Island City, NY / Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, DC / Present Company, Brooklyn, NY / Print/Collect, Baltimore, MD / Segal Projects, Los Angeles, CA / slow, Chicago, IL / sophiajacob, Baltimore, MD / Transformer, Washington, DC / Victori Contemporary, New York, NY / Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

ARTIST PLATFORM > independent artists:

Joey Alzamora, Washington, DC | Benjamin Andrew, Baltimore, MD | Selin Balci, Istanbul, Turkey / Annapolis, MD | Holly Bass, Washington, DC | Tiffaney Bishop, Ferny Creek, Australia | Catherine Borg, Baltimore, MD | Alex Braden, Arlington, VA | Mandy Cano Villalobos, Grand Rapids, MI | Karla Caprali, Belem, Brazil / Miami, FL | Maya Ciarrocchi, New York, NY | Julie Combal, Brooklyn, NY | Nancy Daly, Baltimore, MD | Brian Davis, Woodbridge, VA | Imani Dennison, Washington, DC | Patrick Donovan, San Francisco, CA | Double A Projects, Brooklyn, NY | Dave Eassa, Baltimore, MD | free[space]collective, Washington, DC | Max Gomes, São Paulo, Brazil | Tristan Hamel, Helsinki, Finland | Jesse Harrod, Toronto, Canada / Harrisonburg, VA | Linda Hesh, Alexandria, VA | Markus Hofer, Vienna, Austria | Jihyun Hong, Seoul, Korea / Baltimore, MD | Monica Jahan Bose, Bangladesh / Washington, DC | Benjamin Jones, Northampton, PA | Magnolia Laurie, Baltimore, MD | Kirsty Little, Chevy Chase, MD | Raewyn Martyn, Oamaru, New Zealand / Richmond, VA | Lavar Munroe, Nassau, The Bahamas / Montgomery Village, MD | Nara Park, Seoul, South Korea / Baltimore, MD | Dan Perkins, Washington, DC | Thomas Petzwinkler, Washington, DC | Camden Place, Washington, DC | Flore de Preneuf, Louveciennes, France / Washington, DC | Nick Primo, Baltimore, MD | Sean Naropa Robinson, Washington, DC | Christto Sanz + Andrew Weir, Doha, Qatar | Danielle Scruggs, Washington, DC | Judith Seligson, Alexandria, VA | Paul Shortt, Washington, DC | Alette Simmons-Jimenez, Miami, FL | Sophia Sobers, Budd Lake, NJ | Eduardo Terranova, Cali, Colombia / New York, NY | Borjana Ventzislavova, Sofia, Bulgaria / Vienna, Austria | Adam Void + Chelsea Ragan, Asheville, NC | Daniel Wilson, Nova Scotia, Canada / Brooklyn, NY | Andrew Wodzianski, Washington, DC

FAIR HOURS AND ADMISSION
Thursday, October 3
5pm – 7pm / (e)merge VIP & Press Preview. By invitation only.
7pm – 9pm / OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW
9pm - 11pm / Concert by the Pool with MIAMOUNA YOUSSEF (live set) and John Thornley of U.S. Royalty (DJ set)
Admission is $35 advance purchase, $50 at the door.

To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE.

Friday, October 4: 12pm – 7pm
Students with valid ID free: 12pm – 3pm
Saturday, October 5: 12pm – 7pm
Sunday, October 6: 12pm – 5pm

Daily admission is $15; $10 for Seniors and Students with valid ID.

www.emergeartfair.com

Location:
Capitol Skyline Hotel
10 “I” Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024

For tomorrow...

L’Shana Tova to all readers celebrating Rosh Hashanah...

The Wikipediafication of Fine Art

And this is the wonder that Wikipedia and its contributors and donors gives us: a richness of topic and visual cues to lead us down a myriad of paths instead of one-note shocker headline images. The fine art coming out in the next 20 years will be richer and hopefully more insightful than the instant sight-cues of recent decades. 

(Via) This interesting piece is by Glendon Mellow... check it out here.

Who's gonna win the Trawick?

Here are the Trawick Prize Short Listed artists...

Lauren Adams - Baltimore, MD

Selin Balci - Annapolis, MD

Travis Childers - Fairfax, VA

Adam Hager - Washington, D.C.

Mariah Anne Johnson - Washington, D.C.

Gary Kachadourian - Baltimore, MD

Kate Kretz - Colesville, MD

This year is a tough call, made tougher by the fact that the Trawick has progressively become more competitive each year; congrats to all the artists!

My favorite artist in this lot, and by far the one with the most exposure, experience and artistic DNA is Kate Kretz (remember when one of her paintings achieved worldwide attention a few years ago?).

Kretz should win this prize, and if she was picked by whoever was the "big mouth" (BM) from among the three jurors, then she will win. If I was one of this jurors, because I am a big mouth myself, then Kretz would definitely win.

But the fact that there are a couple (or three actually) of artists with very similar artistic interests in this lot, it seems to indicate to me that the BM was the "chooser" of those two and her own artistic agenda pushes more that way - if I'm correct, then Kretz was backed by the only artist in the panel.... who possibly also backed Mariah Anne Johnson.

UMD graduate Selin Balci's fascinating work gives me the impression of making her a  "juror's artist" (check out her CV here and see how many high profile juried shows have selected her amazing work recently) and I'm gonna predict that she wins this prize.

The show is at Gallery B (the former Fraser Gallery space in Bethesda) and I am told that the prize announcement will be September 16 - the show runs through Sept. 28.

AOM Fred almost here!

Artomatic Frederick opens on September 4...

New photographic discovery...

As some of you know, for years I have been researching on the history of Roberto Estalella, who at age 24 in 1935 made his debut with the Washington Senators.

While everyone knows (and the world owes a huge debt to) that Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues, what many people do not know, is that he was not the first man of African descent to play in the modern Major Leagues - Estalella was.

While white Cuban players had been playing in the Major Leagues for decades prior to Estalella's debut with the Senators, "Tarzan", as the American press nicknamed him, was the first Cuban player who managed to "pass" the color test by being identified as a "Cuban" rather than as a black man. This is but one of many examples of the embarrassing and erroneous American tendency to use race, ethnicity and national origin interchangeably.

Cuban newspapers of the period had a good time discussing the fact that while everyone in Cuba "knew" about Estalella's racial background, he was such a good player that Clark Griffith's Senators were quite happy to look the other way, cough, cough and pretend that the handsome half black, half white third baseman was "white"; after all, the many Cuban players who preceded him had blended in perfectly fine into the all white Major Leagues. A Cincinatti newspaper even described a couple of them who played for the Reds in 1910 as "two of the purest bars of Castille soap that ever floated to these shores."

But back to Estalella, I've just come across the below picture, which is possibly the earliest known photo of Estalella in Washington.

We see Estalella in uniform shaking the hand of the Cuban consul in Washington. To his left is Joe Cambria, the Italian-born agent who signed Estalella (and over 400 other Cuban baseball players) to play professional baseball in the US; to Cambria's left is Clark Griffith, owner of the Senators.

Who knows what private suffering and insults in baseball's harsh racial climate of the 30s, 40s and 50s this powerful man endured in his many years in professional baseball, and like Robinson, was forced to bite his lip and look the other way?

That's also Estalella to the right.

We tip our hat to this unsung hero.

Later I will tell you about Manuel "Chino" Hidalgo, quite possibly the first baseball player of Asian ancestry to play professional baseball in the US.

This is Che

Below is a recent work depicting the mass-murdering racist psychopath known as Ernesto Guevara de La Serna Lynch... this piece will be part of "The Art of Political Change" show that opens at MOCA DC on September 14.

The image is appropriately ripped off from a Commie photographer and reinterpreted in the context of the truth.

My goal is to try to change the way that people who do not know about the real Che Guevara perceive him. Would you wear a T-Shirt with this man's face on it? Only if it says "MURDERER" written across it.

Comunista comemierda.

This is Che
Charcoal, conte and embedded electronics on paper
24 x 20 inches

This is Che (Detail)

This is Che (Detail)

This is Che (Detail)

Heineken Mural Project DC

Photos of people looking at art

(Via) - Just click here.

Rocky Red Stripe

Rocky The Squirrel in Red Stripe Jamaican Lager Box

Trawick Prize Finalists

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts and 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.

The 2013 exhibition will be held September 4-28 at Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD 20814. 

Congratulations to the 2013 finalists!

Lauren Adams - Baltimore, MD

Selin Balci - Annapolis, MD

Travis Childers - Fairfax, VA

Adam Hager - Washington, D.C.

Mariah Anne Johnson - Washington, D.C.

Gary Kachadourian - Baltimore, MD

Kate Kretz - Colesville, MD

The 2013 competition was juried by Cynthia Connelly, Alexander Heilner and Vesela Sretenović - interesting to note that possibly for the first time or second that I can recall, there are no Richmond-based jurors, and thus the lack of Richmond-based artists. The MICA juror brings in two Baltimore artists (and possibly the Annapolis artist), but the rest are DMV area artists, reflecting the other two DMV-based jurors.

Cynthia Connolly, Photographer and Visual Arts Curator at Artisphere, Arlington, VA, was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in Washington, D.C. where she attended the Corcoran School of Art (bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design 1985). In 2003 she received a certificate from Auburn University’s design/build architecture program The Rural Studio. Internationally shown and a prolific artist, she is known for works in the Beautiful Losers exhibit, the book Banned in DC, her post cards, and curatorial work at DC Space, the Ellipse Arts Center and Artisphere. Her photography is in many private collections as well as the Smithsonian Museum of American History and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Her art connects disparate places, people and things.

Alexander Heilner is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in photography, video, digital imaging, installation, lighting design and sculpture. His work has been exhibited, screened, and performed nationally and internationally, from MoMA to Burning Man. Earlier this year, he won Baltimore’s Baker Artist Prize and his commissioned digital collages were featured in the new Johns Hopkins Hospital complex. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree at Princeton University and his master’s degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He has been teaching photography at Maryland Institute College of Art since 2003, and currently serves as the college’s Associate Dean of Design and Media Studies.

Dr. Vesela Sretenović is senior curator of modern and contemporary art at The Phillps Collection in Washington, D.C. She joined The Phillips Collection in January of 2009, bringing significant experience as a museum professional and scholar. Prior to joining the Phillips, Sretenović spent 10 years as curator at the David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University. She has also taught courses in contemporary art and art theory at the Rhode Island School of Design. Earlier in her career, Sretenović worked for the University at Buffalo (SUNY) Art Gallery and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, as well as several galleries in New York. She received her doctorate in humanities from Syracuse University; a master’s degree in modern art history, theory, and criticism from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and a bachelor’s degree in the history of art from the University of Belgrade, former Yugoslavia.
Who's gonna win? I'm like batting 70% picking these, so let me do a little research and by next week the Lenster will have the inside scoop on the potential winner... I like the fact that for the first time the Trawick had an artist in its jury panel...

Wanna be in the (e)merge art fair?

Deadline: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 5pm

Washington Project for the Arts is pleased to announce a call for 8” x 8” works on paper by WPA Member Artists to be on view and for sale in WPA’s room during the (e)merge art fair. 

All current WPA members are invited to submit one 8” x 8” work on paper. Work submitted MUST be 8” x  8” and must be delivered without a mat or frame. If a member artist wishes to submit a work that is smaller than 8” x 8”, it must be submitted mounted to an 8” x 8” sheet of paper. WORK THAT IS LARGER THAN 8” X 8” WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

Check out the usual great opportunity by the WPA here.

(e)merge art fair's Call for Volunteers

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: (e)merge art fair
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS (Click here to view this as a .pdf online.)

WHAT: The third edition of the (e)merge art fair is coming right up and they need your help! Every year, volunteers provide instrumental support to their team by working the box office, assisting with production, and creating an inviting and warm atmosphere for fairgoers. Volunteers receive complimentary admission to one day of the fair for each shift worked. As a volunteer, you will also have the opportunity to engage with artists, curators, collectors, and industry professionals throughout the 4+ days of the fair. All volunteers must attend an Orientation session in advance of the fair (details forthcoming).

WHEN: The following represents the schedule of volunteer shifts for the 2013 (e)merge art fair, which runs from 5:00 PM, Thursday, October 3 through 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 6. Please note that a shift can run from 4-5 hours, depending on your availability:

Tuesday, October 1 (production): 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday, October 2 (production): 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, October 3: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Fair Hours: VIP/Press Preview 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM; Opening and Concert 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Friday, October 4: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 5: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 6: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 5:00 PM

WHERE: The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 “I” Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 (Green Line: Navy Yard Metro)

WHO: Students, artists, art enthusiasts…all are welcome to apply. Some event volunteer/management experience is preferred (but not required), with a big plus for art fair experience. Reliability, strong customer service orientation, flexibility, positive attitude, and sense of humor required.

HOW: Email a resume, cover letter, and availability to info@emergeartfair.com with “Volunteer Application” in the subject line. Interviews will be held from September 13-14, 2013.