Saturday at Context Art Miami

Saturday was so far the best day at Context Art Miami. In fact, in the eight years that I have been doing art fairs, this was the best one day ever.

The day started early, as we shifted home base from the beach hotel in Hollywood Beach to Little Havana, in order to be closer to Wynwood for the crucial last two days of the fair.

After dropping the luggage and getting two "colados" to kick start the sleepy systems, and on the way to the fair, a phone call resulted in the sale of six of Dulce Pinzon's amazing work; that's the way to start the day.

The crowds at Context were huge; it was actually hard to navigate the halls!

We sold work by Simon Monk, multiple pieces by Elissa Farrow-Savos, and several of my drawings, including a major video drawing.

It was frenetic selling, with multiple trips to the gallery van to replenish the walls. We also noticed that the dealers around us seemed to be selling well. It is all a question of numbers: Art Miami succeeded in bringing large crowds to the fairs, and this is in direct proportion to the probability of a sale.

There were also multiple "wake" events as I call them. They are the potential after-effects of doing an art fair... For example, there are at least two galleries interested in Elissa's work, and one in Audrey Wilson's work and a local Miami gallery in my work.

Sunday is the last day; apparently there are more street protests scheduled, so it may get interesting.

Protest night

Friday was packed with people at Context Art Miami, and today I really saw some dealers move art off the walls - most noticeably our neighbor across the hall, a gallery from Colombia who was doing well with some gorgeous work by Colombian artists.

We also had our best day so far, selling a nice sculpture by Elissa Farrow-Savos and a very large drawing of mine.

Around seven PM, the sounds of helicopters overhead were quite loud, and a little checking revealed that street protesters (some protesting the sad
Eric Gardner issue, and others the death a year ago of a local graffitist who died after being tasered by the police) around Wynwood and eventually shut down I-95.

Needless to say this caused the area's usual gridlock to become gridlockier.

With the aid of some dexterous driving and Google maps we drove through Little Haiti and picked up I-95 north of the closed part and managed to get to our Hollywood hotel with little loss of time.

Thursday at ABMB Week

The sky fell yesterday, or at least it sounded that way when it started to rain hard, really hard and one is inside one of those gigantic tents where most ABMB art fairs are held.

Tents, regardless of size, always leak, so today was an interesting day in the life of a gallerist, as we scrambled to prevent art from getting wet.

The City Paper's Christina Cauterucci and Perry Stein were over in Miami Beach and delivered an outstanding report on DMV area galleries and artists at Aqua Art Miami, although somehow they missed the three DC artists being exhibited by Mayer Fine Art. Read their report here.

All three of these artists, Judith Peck, Victoria Gaitan and Jeannette Herrera, have been showing in Miami for ABMB for the last few years.

Art Scam Alert!

This is a scammer trying to rip off artists... pass it on!

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Call to Artists

 Deadline:  December 7, 2014

 

WHAT: The 24nd Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival

 
WHERE: In the streets of Reston Town Center, an upscale, elegant, shopping destination, located a vibrant suburb of Washington, DC.
     
WHEN:Friday, May 15 NEW Festival Launch Party - all artists invited to attend a complimentary dinner; Saturday, May 16, 10 am - 6 pm NEW Artist awards champagne reception 6:30 - 8pm; Sunday, May 17, 10 am - 5 pm.

           
From GRACE:

* Our Festival is annually produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to enrich community life through excellence in contemporary art. The proceeds from the Festival directly support our educational and outreach programs.

* Our Festival is limited to approximately 200 juried artists in 16 media categories. We are committed to presenting original, well-conceived, and expertly executed works, made either by hand or with appropriate tools, by the exhibiting artists.

* We encourage artists who are exploring the boundaries of their media, by incorporating the use of found objects, repurposed materials, or technology, to apply.

  

* We have made significant changes to the Festival to reflect our desire to place emphasis on the art and our artists, and were developed based on direct input from the 2014 participating artists. Some of these changes include a Festival Launch Party that all participating artists are invited to free of change on Friday, a champagne awards reception on Saturday evening for all participating artists.   

* GRACE is committed to elevating the profile of our Festival, and has doubled its marketing budget for 2015 to reach new audiences and promote interest from collectors. To enhance regional appeal and promote an art-focused atmosphere for the Festival, GRACE is also partnering with internationally-recognized earth artist Patrick Dougherty. Mr. Dougherty will construct a site-specific, immersive, temporary installation in Town Square Park, which will be on view during the Festival and will be promoted as part of the Festival activities.

* Artist amenities include ample volunteer support, booth sitters, continental breakfasts for artists, drive up booth set-up/ tear down, free bottled water delivery, indoor restrooms, reduced hotel rates, reserved artist parking for oversize vehicles, security, and artist mentor opportunities in local schools.

* We are pleased to offer ten $500 equal merit Excellence Contemporary Art Awards selected via category to ensure more equitable distribution and the award winners will be recognized in a public forum. All artists are invited to GRACE for an awards presentation with complimentary champagne and light hors'd'oeuvres on Saturday evening.  

* Of the artists who answered the question regarding amount of sales on the 2014 artist surveys, 20.5% said they sold between $6k and $20k, with 9.3% saying they sold more than $10k, and 31% said they sold between $ 500 - $5,999. The 2014 Art Fair Source Book report from 21% or our artists shows an upward trend, with average gross sales at $5,882 per artist.

* We have an aggressive marketing and promotion campaign to better market, recognize, and celebrate our festival artists with well placed advertising in prominent magazines and newspapers, arts focused catalogues, online Going Out Guides, and outreach through social media, radio and television.

*Jury/Booth fees are $50/$500 for a single booth, with corner and double booths also available. Upon acceptance artists can indicate preference on street location for an additional fee.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS:  
Deadline:  December 7, 2014

Notification:  January 21, 2015
  

Apply at Juried Art Services http://www.juriedartservices.com/index.php?content=event_info&event_id=840

      

For more information please visit  www.restonarts.org

Call or Email questions to Erica Harrison 703.471.9242 ext. 113
ericaharrison@restonarts.org

Streaker and other things... Context Day Two

Today was the opening to the general public of the Context Art Miami fair.

We arrived a few minutes after the official opening time of 11AM, as did most other dealers (we saw the hardworking Leigh Conner hustling to Art Miami).

This is the result of trying to get off the highway to North Miami Avenue... this simple operation seems to be a permanent parking lot at practically any time.

Plan for about 15-20 minutes to get from the highway to the fair; traffic is that bad!

Today was a much calmer and slower day than yesterday, with noticeably less young women, slim as rifles (and just as dangerous) confidently walking the aisles of the fair on needle heels and unshaven young studs with shiny hair, otherwise clean as a new stiletto, taking phone pictures of the artwork.

The day went fast, with the only novelty being the arrival of a couple of well-known DMV artists, Tim Tate and J.T. Kirkland, as well as a local guerrilla artist paddling his artwork ($20 a painting) while streaking through the fair.

Context Art Fair: VIP Preview

In typical Floridian puzzle-weather, it was very rainy up in Hollywood Beach, which is where we are staying as we have for the last few years. A few blocks south, the sun was bright and fully ready to endorse the VIP opening at Context Art Miami.

Once we got to Wynwood, we dropped off a piece for a special exhibit that the Art Miami folks had arranged with the local Marriott hotel. It was a delicate dance of driving in the serpentine challenges presented by Maimi drivers, but we installed the piece (a wonderful sculpture by Elissa Farrow-Savos) and headed back to Wynwood.

We finished off labeling the work, which brings to mind the interesting tidbit that just a handful of years ago, one seldom saw any labels at art shows or art fairs. It was as if all curators and gallerists in the upper artsmosphere of the art world that made a decision to endorse David Parnas' information hiding principle. Today, it is the opposite, as delivering as much information about the work seems to be the trend.

We've always used labels... just sayin'.

I rushed through the fair to try to get a flavor for the quality of this year's Context... and my report is that new director Julian Navarro has done a spectacular job: this is by far the best art fair that we've ever been honored to be part of; Context has set new standards this year... more on that later.

Simon Monk wall at Context Art Miami - Alida Anderson Art Projects

There were long lines waiting for the 5:30 opening at both Context Art Miami and Art Miami, as I was very impressed how the crowds increased as the evening progressed. The Wynwood district where several of the art fairs are staged is a pretty congested area without the art fairs and unless you are savvy enough to dance the traffic dance, it can be challenging on the night when everyone wants to go to the art show. In addition to the two best-known Art Miami fairs, there are several satellite fairs in Wynwood which now use Art Miami as the magnet fair, just as all satellite fairs use Art Basel Miami Beach as the magnet fair.

Almost immediately DMV artist Audrey Wilson broke the ice and at the same time proved my point about the importance of art fairs for artists. Wilson sold a major piece to a collector who has now bought one of her pieces at Context Art Miami 2013, Wynwood Art Fair 2014 and now Context Art Miami 2014. He also bought one of my drawings, which was nice.

It is always good to break the ice on opening night... as the night ended I sold three more of my pieces.

Overall I noticed that all the dealers around us seemed to be making sales, and this is a great indication of the hard work that it takes to get a critical number of collectors to an art event.

Tomorrow the fair opens to the public.

Unloading day

Today it was the typical brutal day as we unloaded and started setting up at Context Art Miami in Wynwood.

After trolling around for a while looking for a parking spot, we found a Doris Day spot nearby the loading docks for the fair. The place was a beehive of workers delivering crates, European gallerists walking back and forth barking worried orders on their cell phones, cleaning crews on a constant battle to keep the place clean, Haitian day workers hanging around hoping for a job, security checking badges and asking for wrist bands, and the savage art sounds of hammers banging and drills drilling and the random and heartbreaking sound of glass breaking somewhere.

Hundreds of trips later we had taken most of the art out of the van with only one casualty - this is the brutal part of driving your work down instead of having it shipped and delivered to your booth.

Ran into the DMV's Andrea Pollan and then Calder Brannock; both are working the fairs.

After a ten hour day we are 90% done... all the work for opening night is hung, and almost all labeled; all the electronics are working, and Simon Monk, Dulce Pinzon and me are on the walls and Audrey Wilson and Elissa Farrow-Savos are on the floor.

The VIP Preview is tomorrow. The fair opens on Wednesday.

At the Embassy of Argentina

Art exhibition at the Embassy of Argentina:
Interpretation of Trees: New works by Felisa Federman
Dec. 3rd to Jan. 30th
Reception: Wed Dec 3rd 6:30-8pm

Embassy of Argentina
1600 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington DC 20009

View from the room

Another reason why artists need to find a way to get to ABMB in December...

In the land of flowers

Took an Oh-Dark Thirty flight to Florida today in prep for Art Basel Miami Beach week, as we'll be participating at the Context Art Miami fair in Wynwood.

The most able Audrey Wilson arrived last night to Ft Lauderdale and picked me up at the airport.

As soon as you land in FLL you know that you are in the land enriched by the historic Cuban diaspora.

Check out the cuisine at the airport!

Studio Gallery DC looking for new members

Studio Gallery DC now accepting applications for membership. 

Studio Gallery DC, located in Dupont Circle, is the District's longest running artist's cooperative showcasing contemporary work by emerging and mid-career artists living in the DC metropolitan area. 

If you are interested in submitting an application please visit the Studio Gallery website and view the past exhibitions to see if this is an appropriate venue for your work. 

For more information, email the Gallery director.

ArtsAction DC

A new arts coalition, ArtsAction DC, has been meeting monthly at Arena Stage since the spring of 2014. The coalition of 40 organizations represents performing and visual arts and the creative economy. The group is developing a study entitled "Funding for a Cultural Plan for DC," which the group intends to release prior to the FY16 Budget process next year with the goal of making the case for increased funding for the arts in D.C.

AOM party

You're Invited to the Artomatic Holiday Party on Friday

Please join AOM for Artomatic's Holiday Party this coming Friday, December 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in The Gallery Walk at Reagan National Airport -- the location of Artomatic Takes Flight. They'll share information about exhibiting and volunteering at Artomatic. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here.

Heading South

The van was packed today, almost everything fit... almost. It will soon head South to Context Art Miami, where we will be in booth E-44 and showcasing the work of British painter Simon Monk, Mexican photographer Dulce Pinzon, and the sculptures of American sculptors (and DMV area artists) Audrey Wilson and Elissa Farrow-Savos.

Oh yeah... had to drop $1600 in repairs to the van just prior to the drive to Miami... better here than on the road!

I fly down on Saturday and will start daily reports on Monday!

Who's going to ABMB this year?

The below list is courtesy of The Center for the Creative Economy

DC Area Artists - Art Basel Miami - 2014

..........................................................

VENUE Aqua www.aquaartmiami.com

Jennifer Jacobs, Aqua Art Miami Director  jjacobs@art-miami.com

(T) 503.810.7903

Mayer Fine Arts - Aqua Art Miami

Judith Peck judithpeck@prodigy.net (with Mayer Fine Arts at Aqua Art Miami)

Victoria Gaitan (with Mayer Fine Arts at Aqua Art Miami)

Morton Fine Art - Aqua Art Miami

Stephon Senegal (Morton Fine Art, Aqua Art Miami)

Victor Ekpuk vekpuk@yahoo.com (Morton Fine Art, Aqua Art Miami)

Hamiltonian Gallery - Aqua Art Miami - www.hamiltoniangallery.org

Joshua Haycraft <haycraftj@bhbitb.com> (Hamiltonian Gallery at Aqua)

Annette  Isham <annette.isham@gmail.com> (Hamiltonian Gallery at Aqua)

VENUE Context Art Miami www.contextartmiami.com

Alida Anderson Art Projects - Context Art Miami info@alidaanderson.com

Audrey Wilson audreywilson4@gmail.com (with Alida Anderson at Context Art Miami)

Lenny Campello lenny@lennycampello.com (with Alida Anderson at Context Art Miami)

Curator’s Office – Context Art Miami  www.curatorsoffice.com

Larry Cook <larrywcookjr@yahoo.com> (Curator's Office at Miami Context Art Miami)

VENUE Latin American Art Pavilion latinamericanartpavilion.com

Latin American Art Pavilion latinamericanartpavilion.com

Joan Belmar Joanbelmar@gmail.com (The Latin American Art Pavilion at Red Dot Art Fair) curated by Dennys Matos

VENUE PRIZM Art Fair

Contact: Prizm Art Fair www.prizmartfair.com in Miami and the founder director is Mikhaile Solomon

Holly Bass hollybassdc@yahoo.com

Shaunte Gates Studiogates.gates@gmail.com

Wesley Clark wclark79@gmail.com

Amber Robles Gordon amberroblesgordon@gmail.com

Jamea Richmond Edwards ejamea@gmail.com

Irene Clouthier, www.ireneclouthier.com

Adrienne Gaither adriennegaither.com

VENUE Art Miami www.art-miami.com/

Connersmith Contemporary http://www.connersmith.us.com/

Erik Thor Sandberg  iconologicart@gmail.com

Sheldon Scott  https://www.facebook.com/servingsheldon

DC Area Galleries

Alida Anderson Art Projects info@alidaanderson.com

Connersmith Contemporary info@connersmith.us.com

Hamiltonian Gallery paso@hamiltonianartists.org, angie@hamiltonianartists.org

Morton Fine Art - MFA Amy Morton mortonfineart@gmail.com

Curator's Office andrea@curatorsoffice.com

Mayer Fine Arts www.mayerfineartgallery.com

Miami Organizations that have shown DC artists via application (Note: Aqua Art Miami doesn’t show individual artists, but only galleries via a rigorous application process; however, in the past they have vetted individual performance artists)

From Holly Bass - Map from 2012 - Beginners Guide to Art Base Miami

http://www.boydlevel.com/pdf/MiamiGuide2012.pdf

Beginner's guide to Art Basel:

Art Basel Miami Beach For Beginners | The Pink Line Project

Another scam

This is a scam - they're just beginning to hit artists and galleries with their own domain names:

Subject:   alidaanderson domain and keyword in CN From:   "David Zhang" Date:   Tue, November 18, 2014 11:55 pm To:   info@alidaanderson.com Priority:   Normal

(Please forward this to your CEO, because this is urgent. Thanks)

We are a Network Service Company which is the domain name registration center in Shanghai, China. On Nov 17, 2014, we received an application from Huabao Holdings Ltd requested "alidaanderson" as their internet keyword and China (CN) domain names. But after checking it, we find this name conflict with your company name or trademark. In order to deal with this matter better, it's necessary to send email to you and confirm whether this company is your distributor or business partner in China?

Kind regards

David Zhang

General Manager

YIGUDNS (Headquarters)

B06, Yujing Building, No.1 Jihe Road,

Shanghai 201107, China

Tel: +86 21 6191 8696

Mobile: +86 138 1642 8671

Fax: +86 21 6191 8697

Web: www.yigudns.com

Quantum of the Seas in NYC

Super talented DMV area photog Alan Sislen writes...

I was in NYC this weekend doing some photography.  Last night I was shooting lower Manhattan from New Jersey and heard this enormous ships horn.  Coming up the Hudson River was your "Channeling Jackson Pollock: Rock, Paper, Scissors” being transported by Quantum of the Seas!  In the background is the World Financial Center and the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center).

Thank you Alan!

Amber Robles-Gordon at the Capitol Skyline tomorrow

OPENING RECEPTION TOMORROW --  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 FROM 7-9PM

OPENING RECEPTION

November 20, 2014, 7-9pm

LOCATION

South Capitol Street Facade
Capitol Skyline Hotel
10 I (Eye) Street SW
Washington, DC 20024

WPA presents a new work by DC-based artist Amber Robles-Gordon as the second installation in its South Capitol Skyscape series. For the 50-foot banner on the South Capitol Street façade of the hotel, WPA has excerpted a portion of Robles-Gordon's new work entitled At the Altar: Dance of the Serpents. Created through the artist's signature assemblage process combining textiles and found objects, the work takes new form using a recycled hammock as its support and foundation, representing the structural constructs of the past and the restrictive patterns of repetitive thinking.

The next copyright act???

Chris Reed is a former senior policy advisor to the Register of Copyrights and author of Copyright Workflow for Photographers.

Check out his piece here.