Audrey Wilson Silent Auction

As happens from time to time, every artist now and then runs out of money for materials! And this is even worse when the artist has shows coming! 

DMV artist Audrey Wilson has two shows coming up in the near future, including a solo show and a museum show, and she has run out of money for materials to produce the new work!

But we have it in our power to help out a new voice in art today (and get a good deal while we are at it!) There will be a silent auction on August 5, 2014 at the Washington Glass School from 5 to 9pm.

Several of the artists in the studio and others have donated original work towards her cause... work by Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Sean Hennessey and others.

Absentee ballots are accepted as well. Come to the Glass School on Aug. 5, or call them at (202) 744-8222 or send them an email to timtateglass@aol.com to have images emailed to you and/or to put in an absentee bid. 

Below are a few samples... 

Audrey Wilson

Ibn Firnas’ First Glider

9” x 26” x 14”

Pate de verre kiln formed glass, found objects

Retail: $1700 / Minimum: $600 / Buy it Now: $1300

 

Tim Tate

Best Day Ever!

14” x 8” x 8”

Cast Glass

Retail Price: $3500 / Minimum Bid: $ 750 / Buy It Now: $2000

Sean Hennessey

Radiance

Cast Glass

Retail Price: $400 / Minimum Bid $200 / Buy It Now: $300

Michael Janis

The Brightness We Could Not Touch

Cast Glass, Glass Powder Imagery

(2 piece work) 20” x 30” x 1.5” and 20” x 10”x 1.5”

Retail Price: $7200 / Minimum Bid: $2500 / Buy It Now: $6000

F. Lennox Campello

"Suddenly She Wasn't Afraid Any Longer XXIII"

Size:20” x 25”

Retail Price: $500 / Minimum Bid: $150 / Buy it Now: $450

The Torpedo Factory and the lucky city of Alexandria

From the Torpedo Factory to the DMV:

To our Community of Torpedo Factory supporters :

In response to the recent press coverage, particularly the article and editorial in last week’s Alexandria Times, I’m writing to provide clarification on the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s presentation before the Alexandria City Council.

On May 24th, the Torpedo Factory Art Center went before Council to request autonomy in selecting our own board members and to receive a rebate on the annual rent we pay for the public spaces. As the City owns the building, the Torpedo Factory and its tenants pay almost $400K each year in rent and utilities.  We proposed forgoing payment on $137,000 of these funds to re-invest into specific vital projects including new programming, additional marketing, new signage, architectural services and staffing.  This investment of a mere 27 cents per visitor would enable the Torpedo Factory to be a vibrant contributor to the City’s plans to revitalize the waterfront.

Council did not reject this proposal, they choose not to act on it and we hope they will re-consider it again in the Fall.  Given the immensely positive economic impact and community legacy of the Torpedo Factory, our request was not only reasonable and modest but essential to the long term viability of our organization. 

Some key facts: 

• Based on a City-funded study in 2010, the Torpedo Factory generates $16.2 million annually in direct visitor spending for the City of Alexandria.

• Our building has not been renovated since 1983, over 30 years ago. 

• While admission to our building and public programs remain free to the community, there is no line item in the City budget for the Torpedo Factory.

•  Our overhead costs are as low as possible: we spend $2 dollars per visitor as opposed to the national average for museums of $40-50 per visitor.  

Let’s be clear – our proposal was not about minor cosmetic repairs, it is about the ability of the Art Center to grow and thrive.  To do so, we need the support of both the Alexandria community and the City government.  Over the course of a year, our Board of Directors (alongside officials from the Art League and the Artists Associate) met nine times and completed a Strategic Road Map to lay out plans for growth and new programming.  There are exciting developments in progress and we encourage the community to get involved in the following ways:

Visit – we’re open seven days a week from 10 AM – 6 PM (Thursdays til 9 PM). Our numerous events and openings provide multiple reasons to come back to visit our artists.

Donate – gifts of any size will help build new programs and continue our mission to foster connections that ignite the creative spirit.

Volunteer – we always appreciate volunteers to help either on a regular schedule or for special events.

We’re grateful for this valuable press coverage and the opportunity to create dialogue on our organizational needs and plans.  Together, we can make the Torpedo Factory an even better place to experience art in person and in progress!

Eric Wallner
Chief Executive Officer
Torpedo Factory Art Center

After 22 years

In 1991, while I was living in wonderful Sonoma, California, my daughters Vanessa and Elise used to take ballet classes at the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance.

It was a great school, which (as most of these places are) back then was run mostly on love and was always short of funds, and running bake sales, etc.

I had this idea to create artwork of the students, and then hold a fund-raising art show somewhere in town. I figured that the parents would love to have a drawing of their little ones, and that would be a great way to raise funds for the conservatory.

The best gallery in town, Chevrier's Presidio Gallery, which was run by a very nice couple, agreed to host the exhibition and donate proceeds, which was a very generous thing.

And so I started to hang around the ballet a lot, getting permission from the parents, sketching the dances, both the little ones and the professionals, and after about a year, I had over a hundred works, of which I selected and framed about 50, and matted and shrink-wrapped the rest.

Opening night was sometime in early 1992.

The buzz had started earlier, and because this is Sonoma, the jewel of California's wine country and the home of its wine aristocracy, there was some interesting issues that arose from the event.

For example, the grandmother of one very famous wine family called the gallery a few days ahead of time, and informed the gallerist that she would like to pre-purchase all of the works where any of her grandchildren were the subject of, or part of (I had done many multi-people drawings). And so it happened that little Amber, who was actually a teen at the time, and a very good ballerina, happened to be in at least 20 different works (both framed and matted) and they all ended up with grandma, before the show opened.

This, unexpectedly, or perhaps predictably, caused a ruckus on opening night, as parents and families filed in to discover that some of the pieces where their loved ones were part of, had been pre-sold and thus gone.

The poor gallerist caught hell from a parent or two, although usually their child could be found in another piece.

The entire show sold out on opening night... every single piece.

A while back, while cleaning the studio, I discovered one piece that had never made it to the show... I recognized the little girl too.

To make a long story short, it is now heading to California, 22 years later!

Sonya Lawyer at Flashpoint

“A Peace (of the Dream)," Sonya Lawyer’s exhibit of mixed media works at Flashpoint Gallery is getting a lot of attention in the critical press in the DMV (in other words the WCP and WaPo)...

Read Lou Jacobson's review here and Mark Jenkins' (who used to write for the CP and who thank goodness is covering the visual arts for the Style section) here.

And you can read my review of Lawyer's impressive work from 2008 here.

The Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence initiative

Deadline: September 8, 2014

There is not enough that I can say to recommend The Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence initiative (Fine AIR) to all emerging artists.... I have been lucky enough to have been a mentor twice, and can therefore testify what a boost to an artist's career this program is... and it deals and teaches so many diverse areas.... there is nothing even close to it in the DMV, maybe even the nation.

It was established to help cultivate local visual arts talent by connecting established professionals in all aspects of the field with up-and-coming artists.  Emerging artists will be in residence in the Mansion at Strathmore from January – August 2015. During this time, each artist will have the opportunity to develop an audience in the DC metropolitan area, perfect their craft, create and implement an outreach, educational, or special event proposal for Strathmore’s consideration, and premiere a new body of artwork, including a collaborative piece with one’s mentor, commissioned by Strathmore in a culminating exhibition.

The exhibition of new work will take place in August of 2015 and will reflect the artistic growth of the artist in residence.  Throughout the residency artists meet with a professional artist mentor for career guidance and artistic critique; attend career development workshops; and have the opportunity to teach, lecture, volunteer, exhibit or otherwise participate in Strathmore visual arts programming. Apply here: http://www.strathmore.org/education/series/view.asp?id=10102314

Eligibility:
The Strathmore Fine Artist in Residence Program is open to all emerging visual artists.  All media accepted.
Fine AIR Program Timeline
•             September 8, 2014   Deadline for application
•             September 15 – 18, 2014  Select applicants invited to interview
•             September 29, 2014   Notification of acceptance
•             October 2014   Fine AIR contracts finalized
•             November 2014  Incoming Fine AIR class announced to the public
•             January 2015   Official start of the Fine AIR program
•             August 2015   Exhibition of new work

A Residency at Strathmore includes:
•             An exhibition of new work at the Mansion at Strathmore, Summer 2015
•             Strathmore’s consideration of an outreach, educational, or special event proposal
•             A professional artist mentor throughout the residency
•             Career Development workshops and experiences provided by Strathmore
•             A stipend of $1,000 (Studio space and housing are not available with this residency)

Artist responsibilities include:
•             Mandatory attendance at a Fine AIR welcome event, scheduled meetings with artist mentor, and career development workshops provided by Strathmore.
•             Creation of a new body of saleable work, including a collaborative piece created with one’s mentor, to debut at the 2015 Fine AIR Exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore.
•             Creation of an outreach, educational, or other visual arts event proposal for Strathmore’s consideration for future seasons.
•             Volunteering at “Discover Strathmore” and “Strathmore Arts Festival” events and by providing an artist demonstration, pop- up of artwork for exhibition and/or sale, or related artistic presence.
•             Volunteer to teach, lecture, and/or demo for the visual art department at least once during residency.  Strathmore charges admission for these programs and all proceeds go toward supporting the Fine AIR program.

Gallery moves

WPG has moved to Georgetown and it is now right on the main drag of the Town of George!

 

Washington Printmakers Gallery

1641 Wisconsin Avenue, NW | Washington, D.C. 20007

202.669.1497

info@washingtonprintmakers.com | www.washingtonprintmakers.com 

Hours: Wed - Sun 12-5 pm

Wanna go to an opening this Friday?

The power of art

Remember the below drawing? It was one of the pieces that I made a few years ago for Mera Rubell's visit to my studio (see http://blog.art-tistics.com/?p=236 for the whole story).

This work is "Woman who thinks that the tattoo that she just got reads 'Bring Bush Back'" Charcoal and Conte on Paper. 14"x10." Anyway, every once in a while I get a nut job from either the vast right wing conspiracy or the even vaster left wing nuthouse sending me a nasty email as they get their perspective on the drawing from listening either to too much to some talk radio on the right or MSNBC and most other main stream media on the left (but I repeat myself).

I just got one today, and it still surprises me, but nonetheless proves the power of art to kindle responses, visceral or otherwise.

The Winged Lilith

"The Winged Lilith" - Charcoal & Conte on paper. 8.5 x 5 inches, circa 2014.

Alper Initiative for Washington Art

Every once in a while I go the Kojo Nmandi show on WAMU to discuss DC area visual art stuff… and at one of those radio shows, many years ago, I was discussing the lack of interest, or better still, apathy, that most Washington area museum curators exhibit (pun intended) towards our DMV area artists.

In what was to become a battle cry of the ignored, I noted that “it was easier for a local DC area museum curator or director to take a cab to Dulles to catch a flight to Berlin, or London, or Madrid, etc. in order to visit an emerging artist’s studio, than to take a cab to Georgetown, or Arlington, or Rockville to do the same.”

A few years after American University’s gorgeous American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center opened, I updated that statement by noting that the Katzen had taken the lead (in a one horse race) in showcasing, exhibiting and documenting the DMV art scene.  The Katzen had become, and remains, the only major DC area art museum that pays attention to its own backyard!

The driver here is the Katzen’s energetic director Jack Rasmussen. This is a man with a deep connection to the DC area art scene that goes back many decades, and it was a brilliant coup by the AU leadership to hire him.  And I say that not only based on the Katzen’s interest and support of its own city’s artists, but also because Rasmussen has proven to the other area art museums that an intelligent combination of regional artists with national and international artists can be accomplished.

What does that take? I’m not sure, but the libertarian part of me suspects a certain degree of “taking the path of least resistance” on the daily workload of other local museum curators/directors, many of which are government employees; it is much easier to take a traveling exhibition, let’s say, than organizing one from scratch.  I know that I am generalizing here, and often that’s a bad thing, but in the multiple conversations that I’ve had over the years with several generations of curators from the Hirshhorn, NGA, NPG, the Corcoran and others (yes, even other local Universities) I’ve gathered both empirical and anecdotal data to back up that impression.

Any of those museums is welcomed to please prove me wrong!

And it is because of Rasmussen’s stellar leadership and guiding hand, and the Katzen’s record with its own community that I can report the following:

Left to right, Jack Rasmussen, AU Museum Director and Curator, Carolyn Alper, and AU President Neil Kerwin
Photo by Jeff Watts, American University

“… Thanks to a major gift from alumna and art advocate Carolyn Alper, BA/CAS ’68, to the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, more resources will be allocated to the study and exhibition of Washington art.

Alper’s gift will establish the Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the American University Museum. The initiative will dedicate space for displaying the work of Washington artists, including more tightly focused, historical shows; development of space for archives of Washington art (available for both members of the public and AU students); an endowment to support more programming of events, gatherings, lectures and films; and digitization of AU’s growing collection of Washington art.”

According to AU Museum Curator and Director Jack Rasmussen: “Carolyn’s gift provides American University Museum the funds necessary to elevate Washington art to the place of prominence it deserves. All of Washington should be grateful as Carolyn has put her contributions where her heart is.”

Need more evidence? Five of the six exhibits on display at the museum through Aug. 17 feature Washington artists and collectors: Mynd Alive by B.K. ADAMS/I AM ART; Syzygy by William Newman; Continental Drift (Being Here and Being There) by Judy Byron; Passionate Collectors: The Washington Print Club at 50, with prints curated from Washington collections; and The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund: Second Act, with art by grant recipients from the region.

Thank you Ms. Alper, thank you AU and thank you Jack!

Opportunity for artists

My good bud Al Miner, who used to roam these regions, and who is also a kick-ass artist, and thus was included in the first volume of my books on DC area artists, is the juror for this show up in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Massachusetts.

Deadline: September 15, 2014 CALL FOR WORKS ON PAPER South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, MA, invites entries of original work that offer distinctive imaginative imagery using paper. Show dates October 24 - December 21, 2014. Opening Reception October 24 6-8pm Juried by Al Miner, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. $1200 in prizes - all work must be for sale. Entry fee. Details: 781-383-2787 OR https://client.smarterentry.com/SSAC

Gateway CDC Receives $100,000 from NEA

Good news in this news release!

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced plans to award 66 Our Town grants totaling $5.073 million and reaching 38 states in the Our Town program's fourth year of funding. Gateway Community Development Corporation(CDC) is one of those recommended organizations and will receive $100,000 to fund Phase 3 of the Art Lives Here initiative. The goal of Art Lives Here is to boost vibrancy in the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District using a mix of short and long term projects to support existing small businesses, attract commercial in-fill, prepare for the next round of commercial development, and further strengthen our diverse and streetwise creative communities. In Phase 3, the initiative will launch a Creative Enterprise Incubator in the prominent retail space of the Artspace Artist Lofts on the Mount Rainier circle.

This year's Our Town projects demonstrate again that excellent art is as fundamental to a community's success as land-use, transportation, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety, helping build stronger communities that are diverse in geography and character. Our Town funds arts-based community development projects in a way that is authentic, equitable, and augments existing local assets. Since Our Town's inception in 2011 and including these projects, the NEA will have awarded 256 Our Town grants totaling more than $21 million in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Creative Enterprise Incubator will convert a long under-utilized commercial space at the Artspace Mount Rainier Artist Lofts into a vibrant hub of activity to serve arts-related and retail businesses and provide a comprehensive set of resources that will enhance opportunities for the creative economy to thrive. Purpose-built for arts usage, the available space includes 4,000 square feet of open and flexible gallery storefront, room for a mix of private commercial artists studios and offices, a large classroom space, and a residents' gallery. Artspace will build out the space and a committed team of partners, artists, professional arts managers and business leaders will equip the incubator with a self-sustaining structure that brings a curriculum, services and resources to the Gateway Arts District's creative communities.

"Gateway Community Development Corporation demonstrates the best in creative community development and whose work will have a valuable impact on its community," said Chairman Chu. "Through Our Town funding, arts organizations continue to spark vitality that support neighborhoods and public spaces, enhancing a sense of place for residents and visitors alike."

Art Lives Here (ALH) began with an NEA grant of $50,000 to Joe's Movement Emporium to focus on artist-driven strategies to support small business development in Mount Rainier's historic but distressed town center. In phase I (June 2012-June 2013) the initiative (a) engaged citizens through participatory public arts projects; (b) facilitated partnerships to place competitively-selected arts projects in under-performing storefronts to enliven  the space and attract locals and visitors downtown; (c) hosted Soup Nites where local donations were matched 10:1 to support creative business developments; and (d) established a downtown arts season and visibility campaign that swirled public art, social media, street marketing and multimedia into the stock of existing events.

Designed to progress in seasons and up the Gateway corridor, phase 2 was funded with $240,000 by ArtPlace America to Joe's Movement Emporium (July 2013-December 2014) to continue the visibility campaign developed in phase I and to extend it to neighboring towns in the arts district with projects based on the Mount Rainier pilot. In phase 2, the ALH initiative is: (e) hosting Better Block projects in Brentwood and North Brentwood near two active Redevelopment Authority sites; (f) competitively funding pop-up installations and performances woven into existing arts district events; and (g) working with local multimedia professionals to produce a series of artist profiles and spark a multimedia production micro-industry. ALH partners have also undertaken smaller scale urban design projects, including: (h) commissioning a series of 30+ place-making murals throughout the arts district; (i) locally producing boulevard signage for businesses and art spaces; and (j) public works projects around storm drains in partnership with the Department of Environmental Resources. Partners for ALH phase 2 include Art Works Now, Gateway CDC, Hyattsville CDC, Joe's Movement Emporium, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center, Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, and Red Dirt Studio.

"Through the Art Lives Here initiative, our team has strengthened its economic, social, and political ties, already attracting more positive attention to the Gateway Arts District," said Gateway CDC Executive Director Carole Bernard. "With a new round of long-awaited arts-integrated facilities through the two-mile stretch of historic U.S. Route 1, our four large mixed-use development projects over the next 36 months will bring new density, new businesses and an anticipated increased interest in property in the corridor. At this exciting time in the arts district's history, we need to focus on our local businesses and creative communities more than ever and form collaborative infrastructures for new creative enterprises that will enhance opportunities for continued economic growth and sustainability."

"The City of Mount Rainier is pleased to partner with Gateway CDC on phase 3 of Art Lives Here," said Mount Rainier Mayor Malinda Miles. "By activating a commercial space within our business district and converting it into a creative enterprise incubator, our many local artists and businesses will receive critical resources and services that will help them grow and maintain their presence in a changing economic environment."

"Artspace has a long history of investment in facilities across the country that support the arts, and we are excited to work with Gateway CDC, the City of Mount Rainier and the communities of the arts district to pilot this new incubator," said Artspace Senior Vice President of Properties Greg Handberg. "Artspace is proud to be a partner on this NEA grant where we can activate our commercial space and be a part of helping our artist residents and other local businesses move their businesses forward in a community-focused initiative."

"The Prince George's County Redevelopment Authority has invested millions of dollars into the Gateway Arts District because we know what this area and the surrounding communities have to offer," said Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Howard Ways. "We are excited about this project and our partnership with Gateway CDC, and the County looks forward to being a part of the continued community revitalization strategies within the arts district."

The NEA received 275 applications for Our Town this year. Recommended grant amounts ranged from $25,000 to $200,000. For a complete listing of projects recommended for Our Town grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov. Project descriptions, grants listed by state and by project type, and resources are available as well.

All you can eat BBQ!

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