A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

"A Democracy of Images [...] it's the story of photography itself."

"The 'democracy' of "A Democracy of Images" also can be read as an allusion to America itself, suggesting that the show is, in some ways, a portrait of our nation formed by looking at it from many angles."

"Like many Americans, several of the artists in "Democracy" were not born here. Robert Frank came from Switzerland, Ana Mendieta, from Cuba. Muriel Hasbun, the daughter of a Frenchwoman with a Polish-Jewish background and a Palestinian Christian father, was born in El Salvador and now teaches at the Corcoran.

This melting pot is, of course, quintessentially American. And the outsider's eye often helps an artist see things that those born here might miss. One of the show's sub-themes is photography as a tool of political commentary." [...]

Read the WaPo review here.

Miami report

Although as usual I'm always stuck at whatever art fair that I'm doing, and seldom have the chance to explore other art fairs, DMVers in Miami for the fairs, as well as fellow dealers are always reporting to me.

I'm at Context Art Miami, which so far has been doing very well for us. We have DMV artists Ric Garcia and Audrey Wilson (and my own brilliant work, of course). Wilson, who will have her first solo show coming up in DC soon (more on that later) has been especially doing well, both in sales and commissions, as well as curatorial attention. The key here is that DC collectors need to buy Audrey Wilson now, as soon as she has that first solo show.

Also at Context are DMV artists Tim Tate, showing with California's Seager Gray Gallery and Mark Jenkins, showing with LA's Fabien Castanier Gallery.

Context is easily the best art fair that I have ever been to - the level of artwork is right up there with the top of the art fairs food chain. There is powerful diversity at Context - both in artwork as well as geographic distribution of the galleries. It's clear to me that this art fair made a powerful debut last year and now has made an even more powerful statement in its second year.

Scope had a great opening night on Monday with strong sales on their previews, but just like Untitled, they are now facing the same challenges as Untitled because Ocean drive in Miami Beach is down to one lane because of constructions. Also the hike between the two was tough (either across the beach or all the way back to Ocean Drive). Scope's VIPs had free rides from Fiats, which was a good coup as they could get rides around; I hear that the Fiat Pop was a delightful car.

DC's Project 4 is showing at Scope. Also at Scope you can find DMV artist JT Kirkland with New York's Blank Space. I am also told that Miami's Emerson Dorsch Gallery in Untitled has an arresting video program that is that highlight of that fair. Victoria Fu's "Belle Captive II" video has been getting rave reviews from some key video collectors that reported to me.

Some think that "Aqua is struggling," in part because "the young, quirky galleries have mostly been replaced by established galleries and replaced by Art Miami galleries," said to me one collector. There is also some sort of "art project" sign hanging near the entrance to Aqua that is causing some consternation to some galleries, as the sign (which again, is an art project) delivers the "impression that Aqua is where one goes to get cheap art for the office." On the other hand, Norfolk's Mayer Fine Art Gallery is reporting booming sales (she's also exhibiting DC's Victoria Gaitan's gorgeous photography). DC's Morton Fine Arts is also showing at Aqua, and some DMV artists, such as Eric Finzi and Barbara Januszkiewicz, are also there with other galleries.

Texas collector Ardis Bartle noted that "Aqua traditionally brought in an University or college art program and the emerging artists out of that program, and as a collector I would always buy one those pieces, and it gave the University (last year it was Atlanta University) a chance to shine."

"This year," she noted, "they curated two emerging artists who looked like the rest of the show: it was somewhat banal." She added: "Bring back the Universities."

Art Basel apparently has added a lot of new, upcoming artists from all over the world, that there seems to be a new wave of newer artists (Claire Morgan's name was mentioned to me) in addition to all the multimillion dollar blue chip artists.

I went to the grand opening of the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) last night, which could now possibly be the most spectacular museum architectural design on the planet -- the video by Yael Bartana that they were playing on the screen at the opening was breathtakingly beautiful and full of raw power.

PAMM's grand opening was packed to the gills - I mean thousands and thousands of people! Everyone and anyone who is someone in the arts world seemed to be there, as well as thousands of people who had previously probably never set foot in a museum... cough, cough...

I'm a little worried about the PAMM's ability to stand a strong hurricane though... there are a lot of wood floors! I wish them the best of luck - it is a spectacular museum at an even more spectacular location.

At Pulse I hear that "it was too crowded! They need to do something about the bathrooms!" Being too crowded if a good thing most of the time. I hear that Sabrina Gschwandtner's quilts of 16mm film are the true find of Pulse - at least two major collectors passed that info to me.

Art Miami across the way from Context is also very impressive - DC's Connersmith is there (they are also at Context).

Ardis Bartle noted that the Zoom In video halls were impressive, but "it's too hot inside those tents during the day to stay in there long!" Good advice from a very intense collector!

More later!

Miami at Night...

Miami at Night - Grand Opening of The Perez Museum

Miami at Night - Grand Opening of The Perez Museum

Art 2.0: The Art of Collecting Online

Millennium Arts Salon Board Member Sharon Burton directs the Artinista Art Advisory which will present  a panel on the changing climate of purchasing art online coming in early 2014, venue to be announced.

  "Art 2.0: The Art of Collecting Online", will feature Myrtis Bedolla, Founding Director, Galerie Myrtis, Catriona Fraser, Director, The Fraser Gallery, and Victoria Reis, Co-Founder, Transformer, to speak on their experiences and provide guidance to collectors with online art sales and purchases.  

The cost for the presentation including refreshments and materials (including a guide to purchasing art online) is $10 in advance and $15 at the door.  To reserve your space, visit: The Artinista RSVP.  

Artist Talk

Please join the Gateway CDC at the 39th Street Gallery for an artist talk with Pat Goslee on Sunday, Dec 15 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.  Pat has been Gateway CDC's Artist in Residence for the past 4 months. Please join them to view Pat's work and  hear about her process.

3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, MD 20722

(second floor, 39th Street entrance)

VIP Night at Context

Sold three drawings of mine at VIP night at Context Art Miami, and we're working an offer for a major double commission for Simon Monk.

And just as we were closing, we sold "And then she invented a machine to make him change," Tempered Glass & Found Objects by Audrey Wilson!

Also saw lots of familiar DC faces walking around as the DMV crowd hits the Wynwood openings.

Nazi art loot

German authorities have released another 101 images of artwork found in a Munich apartment which had been stolen by the Nazis.  This release, now totaling 219, include drawings and watercolors by Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso as well as the painting Two Riders on the Beach by Max Liebermann.

The works were found in the Spring of 2012 during an investigation into money laundering.  The apartment owner, Cornelius Gurlitt’s was stopped on a train to Swizerland in 2010 carrying 9,000 euros in cash during a sweep looking for Germans with undeclared bank accounts. The works were discovered during a follow-up search of Gurlitt’s home which uncovered over 1400 pieces of art, hoarded in disarray, some lying behind tins and packets of food. Gurlitt was the son of a prominent German Art dealer, only one of four people allowed to seal “degenerate art” during the Nazi era.  Gurlitt Sr., who died in a car accident in 1956, left all his paintings to his surviving family.

Read it all online here.

Context Art Miami hanging is done!

And for the first time in the many years that I have been doing art fairs, we are actually finished with all the hanging and the fair doesn't even open until 5:30PM tomorrow for the VIPs!

Miami bound... but a note about art fairs

As I write this for later posting here, we're flying to Miami to participate in the annual Art Basel week of art fairs. As I've written many times before, this is the world's "big dance" when it comes to the visual arts; this is the big party and everyone is invited. However, it is a matter of getting here that's the issue.

Art fairs are very expensive. As I've noted before, many galleries risk everything to come to Miami, and I suspect that many are financially destroyed at the end of the week. And yet, many do well and return year after year.

Between my years with the Fraser Gallery and now with AAAP, we've been returning to Miami for many years now. Other DMV and regional galleries that keep coming back are my good buds at Connersmith, Hamiltonian, and Virginia's Mayer Fine Arts. They consistently take the financial risk and venture to Miami (and in some cases all over the US and Europe). Some newer participants are Morton Fine Arts and Adah Rose; both galleries did their first art fairs a year or two ago and both are enthusiastically now doing art fairs all over.

Others have tried a year or two, crashed and burn and never return to the party.

Is there a formula to this? What the the magic that makes this work for some and not for others?

I know of at least two galleries in the Mid Atlantic who have "financial backers" who absorb most or some of the financial risk involved in doing an art fair. Since these sort of galleries are very limited (who wouldn't love to have a financial backer?), they are the "outlayers" in the formula for clicking the right button in the art fair game.

Some non-profiits have the economic stability to play consistently in the art fair game; and to make it easier for them, many art fairs have special, lower pricing for non-profits. So they are also a special case, I think, because in most cases, the financial risk is absorbed by the state of their income-gathering to stay afloat as a non-profit.

It is a mystery to me why not more DMV area non-profits go to the art fairs. Hamiltonian is a notable exception, as is Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia. And the WPA does participate in our own (e)merge.

But I would submit that there are several area non-profits that could, and should participate in Miami and New York art fairs as part of their business model; if a local non-profit can afford to pay $70-$80,000 a year to its executive director (and several DMV non-profits are in that range), then it can certainly afford to budget $12-18K to participate in an art fair outside of the DMV. I think this anyway... As an outsider to the money shell game that running a non profit must be (I tip my hat to them).

I'm not saying that all visual arts non-profits should do this - I am sure that the mission of some of them are strictly focused on "local" only, rather than expanding their artistic presentations outside the capital region.

But that still leaves several key ones that (if I was the DMV art dictator) should be in NYC and Miami during art fair times.

This also applies to some of our large membership-based visual arts organizations and cooperative galleries, such as The Art League.

I'm a big fan of The Art League, and when I lived close to Alexandria I was a member for many years, and I have been honored multiple times by being selected as a juror for them.

And thus I am going to use them as an example, but this example applies to the multiple "other" art leagues, groups, clubs, cooperatives, etc. that exist around our region and which are important and significant components of our cultural tapestry. I could just as easily have picked the Rockville Art League, or the Reston Art League, Gallery West, Touchstone, Fairfax Art League, CHAW, etc.

The money part is always an issue, but when the money part can be divided into several (rather than one) entities, then the financial risk is reduced, because it is spread, rather than concentrated into one (the independent commercial gallery) bank account.

So let's proceed with this possible example using The Art League.

They have several thousand members and run a very successful and important program at their space inside the Torpedo Factory and assorted classrooms all over the area.

So the issue is, how does The Art League (again, you can fill in any of multiple DMV area membership-based art organizations) pick or select the 3-5 artists to take to an art fair?

The "good" art fairs are nearly always tightly juried. There are many art fairs where one just pays and anyone and everyone can go - those usually suck and in about a week or so, some DMV galleries and many DMV solo artists will unfortunately discover this.

And thus for Miami/NYC fairs I am thinking (in no particular order) about Art Miami, Context, Aqua, Pulse, NADA, Affordable Art Fair(s), Scope, Miami Project, Frieze... some of these are very, very hard to get in, but they're listed nonetheless, because there is a "food chain" of art fairs, and the bottom-feeders usually spell disaster for the participants.

And thus The Art League would need to establish a process to pre-jury its membership to 3-5 artists and apply with those artists to an art fair. I would start with The Affordable Art Fair in New York. They are close by and they are a "proven" fair. I have done it many times and consistently recommend it to any gallery that asks me about art fairs in general.

And thus redux The Art League would need to canvas their membership and find out who's interested in being juried for possible selection for further jurying into an art fair. I would make this process independent from the Art League itself - just like they do for their monthly juried shows, and have interested artists bring their work in to be juried by an independent juror.

That juror has to be a very special juror - in fact 98% of your standard-issue visual art juror (art professors, art critics, art writers, art center directors, artists, etc.) would guarantee a disaster to this process. In the DMV the jury pool for this process is very limited and its members are only those gallerists who have participated in multiple art fairs. In fact I can't think of anyone better to jury this part than me!

Back to the generic process... In the next post... Or soon... All DMV (and nationwide visual arts non profits/co-ops and clubs should be reading this...).

Channeling Jackson Pollock

I've created a large painting in the style of Jackson Pollock, with a window in the middle where a video plays and shows that part of the painting (where the window has been cut) as it is being created... below is the video itself.

In other words, if you see this piece hanging, you may glance at it and think: "There goes another artist channeling Jackson Pollock..." but if you stay a few seconds, the middle of the painting dissolves (it is a video) and it starts with a blank, white space, which slowly gets covered in drips of paints, until the piece is finished again!

Below is the piece drying inside my studio in between layers of paints... note the window in the center...

And here is the work, still with the cut out window in place, but now with all the Pollockian layers of paint...

And here is the video that plays in that middle window...

And below you can see several images of the finished piece with various parts of the video playing where the painting develops... some shot inside studio and one outside in bright sunhine... but behold "Channeling Jackson Pollock"

Channeling Jackson Pollock
Oil and embedded video on Gessoed Paper. 2013. 30x60 inches.

Heading to Miami tomorrow...

1. Artwork shipped - Check
2. Bags packed - Check
3. Computers backed up - Check
4. Heat set on vacation mode - Check
5. VIP passed mailed - Check
6. Hotel reservations confirmed - Check
7. House sitter while we're gone - Check
8. Heated blanket for house sitter - Check
9. Ride to airport arranged - Check
10. Pick up from airport arranged - Check

Context Art Miami - here we come!

I still have some free passes - drop me an email if you want some... In booth E-82 we will have Dulce Pinzon, Simon Monk, Audrey Wilson, Ric Garcia and yours truly!

Northern VA Fine Arts Festival Deadline coming!

GRACE's terrific Northern VA Fine Arts Festival's deadline is coming! Applications close on Saturday, December 7, 2013.

The 2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will be held in the streets of Reston Town Center. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) and is a competitive, juried, out-door event that showcases the best contemporary fine art and craft from around the country.

Details here.

DMV area galleries heading to Miami

I probably don't have a complete list, but from what I've gathered, the usual group of DMV and neighboring cities' galleries are heading south next week for the Art Basel Miami Beach week of fairs around the Greater Miami area.

We are heading to the Context Art Miami fair in Wynwood - come see us in booth E-82.  Connersmith, C.Grimaldis and Goya Contemporary will be next door at Art Miami; Adah Rose and Adamson are heading to Pulse; Mayer Fine Art, Ghostprint, Hamiltonian and Morton Fine Art are all heading to Aqua Art Miami (where we were for the last three years and had our best fairs ever!); Project 4 is in Scope, and Randall Scott Projects is at Miami Project.

As I've noted many times before: if you are a 21st century gallerist or artist, you gotta go to the dance.

There's a truckload of more art fairs... check them out here.

Channeling Jackson Pollock

As I noted earlier, recently I was approached by the chief curator for an outfit that is hired by firms all over the world to acquire artwork for their spaces. In this case this curator was acquiring art to include in the collection of a brand new luxury liner currently being built.

She wanted me to submit a proposal that fit a particular theme for one of the decks of the ship. I struggled with an idea that has been growing little by little in my brilliant mind... cough, cough. 

Here's the proposal that I sent them:

In response to the request for an art proposal for _____________’s collection for the ship’s third deck along the theme “_______________” I hereby submit the following proposal. It should be noted that the concept is adaptable since it will be created specifically for this project.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors.” This work would be a mixed media piece with three embedded video components. The painting part of the work is a large, colorful drip painting done in the style of Jackson Pollock. Embedded in the piece are three video windows, which start as “part” of the painting (in other words, the video starts as a drip painting window as well, and at first sight it is just a continuation of the painting). After five seconds of the video windows being part of a Pollock-style painting, they all fade into three individual videos of (1) rock, (2) paper and (3) scissors. In all three cases the video will be customized to show a falling object (i.e. a rock, or a sheet of paper, or the scissors) falling in slow motion and bouncing on a hard surface. The video loops and starts all over again. The size of the piece is adaptable to the space, but will be framed under glass and requires access to electricity. The largest dimension that it can be is 40x60 inches.

A variation to this approach could be a Piet Mondrian approach, where one, two or three of a Piet Mondrian-style painting’s squares shift colors, thus forever showcasing an ever changing work. This can also be approached in the same “Rock, Paper, Scissors” playful idea discussed above; that is, three of the painting’s windows shift to videos of rock, paper, scissors.

Installation of this work requires access to US electric wall outlet standards, which all ships generally have. The electrical cord and connection will require an electrician to hard-wire the piece behind the wall, or it can also be channeled on the wall itself to the nearest electric outlet. The work comes with a remote control, which allows the piece to be turned off and on as desired.

The artwork and framing can all be done within the budget assigned for this project ($______ USD), and installation would be the responsibility of ________.

I am honored to be considered for this project. Please feel free to contact me at my cell (301/_______) or via email (lenny@lennycampello.com) if there are any questions.

After I submitted this proposal I decided to see if I could create a variant on the idea for the Miami art fairs... I will be at the CONTEXT Art Miami (within Art Miami) fair in Wynwood in booth E-82. In the variant, I've created a large painting in the style of Jackson Pollock, with a window in the middle where a video plays and shows that part of the painting (where the window has been cut) as it is being created... below is the video itself.

Below is the piece drying inside my studio in between layers of paints... note the window in the center...

And here is the work, still with the cut out window in place, but now with all the Pollockian layers of paint...

And below you can see several images of the finished piece with various parts of the video playing where the painting develops... some shot inside studio and one outside in bright sunhine... but behold "Channeling Jackson Pollock"

Channeling Jackson Pollock
Oil and embedded video on Gessoed Paper. 2013. 30x60 inches.

Grant for Latino/a artists

DEADLINE: 2/6/2014

The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) is a national grant program open to US-based Latino working artists, ensembles and Latino arts organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence in pursuit of social justice through the arts. To date, the NFA has awarded over one million dollars to a diverse range of artists and organizations representing every discipline and region of the country. Applying to the NFA is a benefit of NALAC Membership.

Details here.

New Executive Director at GRACE

The Board of Directors for the Greater Reston Arts Center today announced the appointment of Holly Koons McCullough as the Center's Executive Director. Ms. McCullough, who currently serves as the Center's Curator, will keep that responsibility as well. 

The Board praised Ms. McCullough as uniquely positioned to not only manage the institution and envision its future as part of the "Destination Reston" proposition with the coming of Metrorail, but someone who can articulate and model that vision in ways that are essential for fundraising. 

"My goal is to lead GRACE to a position of growth and prosperity, allowing the organization to better serve its mission to enrich community life by promoting involvement and excellence in the visual arts," Ms. McCullough said. "I intend to bring in exhibitions that inspire and educate, in addition to promoting Reston as a cultural destination. I also hope to expand the reach of our educational programming that currently serves over 20,000 students in more than 40 schools regionally, and take our highly-anticipated annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival to an even higher level of quality and success." 

Ms. McCullough has a 17-year career devoted exclusively to the visual arts. She served as the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, in the 15 years prior to her appointment as the Center's Curator. She managed the Telfair's prestigious permanent collection and twelve to sixteen changing exhibitions annually, was responsible for an extensive curatorial budget and staff of six, and pursued grants and fundraising in support of exhibitions, collections, and acquisitions. 

Moving to the Center in 2012 she inherited an exhibition program largely structured through 2013, but has infused it with her personal choices. She has scheduled upcoming exhibitions featuring nationally-recognized artists and has proposed collaborative installations beyond the gallery’s walls, cultivating a greater awareness of the Center and its mission. As Curator she has gained an understanding of the Center’s operations and built positive relationships with staff, Board Members, and partner organizations. 

Ms. McCullough holds a B.A. in English and Art History from the University of Georgia and an MA in Art History from the University of Notre Dame. She will assume the Executive Director role January 1. 

"The Center is a special place, and with the coming of Metrorail we are uniquely poised for growth," said Ms. McCullough. "I am delighted to be working with such a talented staff and engaged Board of Directors to launch the next chapter in the organization's development."

50% off coupon

And with your teacher ID you get an extra 10% off! Now go get some art supplies and create something!

Click here. Coupon good today through Wednesday only.

Karyn Miller is new director of exhibitions at AAC

Arlington Arts Center announced yesterday that Karyn Miller has joined the organization as the new director of exhibitions. In this role Miller will be responsible for conceiving and delivering a year-round exhibition schedule including public programs for three distinct exhibitions programs.

This addition to AAC's staff coincides with the organization's upcoming 40th anniversary exhibition slated to open January 2014. Miller's arrival at AAC will be heralded by this show designed to celebrate mentorship and emphasize AAC's contribution to the careers of local artists.
 
"Arlington Arts Center has prime space for exhibitions. I'm eager to leverage my relationships and knowledge of regional artists, work with them to transform the space, and to create dynamic programs that stimulate and engage audiences," Miller commented.

For more than six years Miller headed the visual arts and communications at CulturalDC where she directed the artist recruitment and selection at Flashpoint Gallery while leading exhibition efforts for public projects like Construct and CONNECT 4. Prior to this she served as gallery director for five years at Connersmith giving her more than 11 years of experience in her field.

With her knowledge of emerging arts, Miller is a perfect fit for AAC's mission which supports regional artists in the early stages of their careers. Her experience curating exhibitions coupled with her long history in DC's contemporary arts scene is a significant addition to the programming at AAC. 

"This is a great gain for AAC, because I know she'll bring energy, ideas and momentum to our exhibitions program," commented AAC Executive Director Stefanie Fedor. 

Along with her work in the arts, Miller has also served on panels and given talks at various institutions including the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Corcoran College of Art + Design, and will be serving as an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University this spring.

JFK said...

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

Am I the only one who thinks that the first line above has been reversed in the last few decades?

Wanna find a place to draw?

Looking for a chance to hone your figure drawing skills? Del Ray Artisans offers a range of open life drawing sessions for just this purpose. These sessions operate on a drop-in basis so there is no need to register in advance. Bring your supplies and join them at the gallery to draw or paint their live models. They don't supply easels - only plenty of chairs - but you are welcome to bring your own if you want to use one. All skill levels are welcome.

Gesture Sessions (two hours)
Come to the gesture sessions to loosen up and participate in a fun, fast-paced drawing experience. These two-hour sessions are composed primarily of multiple series of dynamic 1-5 minute poses. Occasionally they throw in a continuous motion drawing exercise to keep things interesting.

Short Pose Sessions (two hours)
Short pose sessions predominantly feature poses lasting 5-15 minutes. These sessions are a wonderful way to get in lots of drawing practice with a wide variety of poses.

Short/Long Pose Sessions (three hours)
The three-hour short/long pose sessions start with some short 1-5 minute warm-up poses and progressively move into longer poses lasting 10-45 minutes. These sessions provide a great opportunity to hone your drawing and observation skills.

Long Pose Sessions (three hours)
If you want to spend an extended amount of time on a pose, come to their long pose sessions. These sessions are generally be composed of two long poses with perhaps a few warm-ups at the start. Please no acrylics or oils; but pastels, watercolor and ink are welcome.

The fee for each three-hour session is $10 for Del Ray Artisans members and $12 for non-members. Two-hour sessions are $8 for members and $10 for non-members.
 

For session dates and times, visit their online calendar at calendar.TheDelRayArtisans.org. If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Rand at 703-836-1468 or LifeDrawing@TheDelRayArtisans.org.