Change in Cuba... NOT

Prior to the U.S. delegation arriving in Havana, Castro's mouthpiece, Granma, listed (as Cubans say, "con cara dura") its conditions for "normalization." They are:

1. Repealing the Cuban Adjustment Act.
2. Lifting the embargo.
3. Removing Cuba from the "state-sponsors of terrorism" list.
4. Recognizing the Castro regime's "official NGOs" -- e.g. Committees for Defense of the Revolution, Youth Communist League.
5. Compensating "damages" caused by the embargo.
6. Ending the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program.
7. Opening embassies in Havana and Washington, D.C.

So what does the Cuban regime have to do in return for all these demands of the Obama Administration?

Nothing, of course.

Asked whether Cuba's regime might at least examine how to expand freedoms to help the Obama pitch Congress on lifting the embargo, Castro's top negotiator Josefina Vidal said:

"Absolutely not. Change in Cuba isn't negotiable."

Details here.

PostSecret

Everyone who knows me already knows that I consider Frank Warren's PostSecret as the most successful art project on the history of the planet... as a pedantic Virgo, my evidence is simple and straightforward: numbers of people involved, either individually as a submitter to the project, or en-mass, as the millions of people around the globe and on planet B612 who have seen the project (and continue to see it).

These days Warren travels all over the same globe (not to B612 yet) discussing and showcasing his spectacular project., but we can also hear him on the air... he has been invited by Andy to be on Business Matters on WPFW - this coming Monday morning at 9AM.

And tomorrow on Sunday, he’ll be talking about secrets on NPR’s TED Radio Hour at 11 AM on WAMU. The audio is live on the web already: http://n.pr/1y7Zv46

Artomatic 2015

“Artomatic is collaborating again with our Sister City Sunderland England, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Solas Nua and others in advance of an International Artomatic in the 3rd quarter of 2015 on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC).”

More as I find out more...

Primal Connections

Deanna Schwartzberg’s exhibit of paintings; Primal Connections, will hold an opening reception at The Art Museum of the Americas, OAS/ AMA F Street Gallery, 1889 F street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, on  Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 6:00 to 8:00 PM.  

 

In the paintings of Deanna Schwartzberg we contemplate the sensuality of nature and the human form.  In her larger works elements of nature merge with the figure reaffirming her belief that humankind and the environment are inseparable.  Included in the exhibit is an installation of 28 small paintings of faces inspired by her poem, “Primal connections”.   In the poem she uses a female voice, her own, to express our relationship with nature.  These works don’t seek to illustrate the poem as much as to find their own poetic rhythm to illuminate the flux and flow of humanity and the natural world.  Schwartzberg’s art sets up a dynamic of color, light and form that sweeps through the canvas suggesting the sweep of natural phenomena and the role of humanity as part of this display.

Opportunities for Artists

EMULSION 2015 is East City Art's second annual regional juried exhibition and are privileged to have none other than my good friend and hard-working DMV gallerist, the wonderful Adah Rose as their juror this year!

The deadline to apply is February 15.  Here are the links to the webpage, the prospectus (in PDF) and the online application site:

http://www.eastcityart.com/emulsion/
http://www.eastcityart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/prospectus-2015.pdf
https://emulsion.submittable.com/

Friducha

"Friducha"
Hand-colored stone lithograph, c. 1980, 2 x 1.75 inches. Edition of 10
Done as an assignment at the University of Washington School of Art

Washington Post's continuing the downward path

One day I will tell the story of how the Washington Post's anemic presence in the area's visual arts essentially entered Zombie-land during the disastrous years that Eugene Robinson was the Style Section editor... Part of me understands the financial reasoning behind this latest decision... but here's another nail in the coffin for the WaPo's "if you don't get it" attitude towards our area's galleries:

From: "Orndorff, Amy" <Amy.Orndorff@washpost.com>
Date: January 22, 2015 at 5:38:38 PM EST
To: "Orndorff, Amy" <Amy.Orndorff@washpost.com>
Subject: Changes to the Weekend section

Hi all,

I wanted to reach out to everyone before our section hits doorsteps tomorrow and let you all know about significant changes to the listings.

This was a free service for many years and we loved doing it, but for various reasons we are having to make significant changes to the way we do it. We have to cut newsprint due to rising costs, and we see the most value for our readers in the stories that we do.

With that in mind we are eliminating the following lists: Et cetera, For Families, Galleries and Art Spaces.

In the coming weeks we will be dramatically reducing the rest of the lists -- Nightclubs, Concerts, Museums, Theater and Film. For those of you with venues that have multiple kinds of events, you will be seeing more emails from me soon about what is going to happen next.

Anything already submitted for the Style and Arts Guide will be printed and/or published online.

Thank you,

Amy

Opportunity for Photographers

Submission Deadline: January 25, 2015 (11:59PM)

MY LITTLE TOWN
A Juried Photography Exhibition About Washington, DC

Juror: Peter Garfield, Award-Winning Photographer for Washingtonian, Smithsonian, The Washington Post

"MY LITTLE TOWN" is a juried photography exhibition about Washington, DC.  We are all familiar with the iconic images of Washington, DC.  But what does our city mean to you?  Show us the neighborhoods.  Send us pics of your favorite haunts.  Show us how you have made the big city "your town."

1.  Submit up to five (5) jpg images photographs to photoworks.gallery@gmail.com
2.  Pay submission fee of $40 at http://glenechophotoworks.org/2014/12/10/call-entries-little-town/
3.  Visit glenechophotoworks on Facebook for rules and guidelines:  https://www.facebook.com/glenechophotoworks
WEBSITE LINK:  http://glenechophotoworks.org/2014/12/10/call-entries-little-town/ FB LINK:  https://www.facebook.com/glenechophotoworks

Artomatic 2015

There will be an Artomatic in the DMV this year... stay tuned and I will tell you where soon... meanwhile, if you want to participate, sign up and stay in tune with Artomatic here.

Forgery ring busted

Spain's Civil Guard has arrested three people in the cities of Zaragoza and Tarragona for trying to sell fake Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse drawings, El País reports. They have been charged with crimes against intellectual property and fraud.

It is the culmination of Operación Mirones (Operation Voyeurs), launched in July 2014 to put an end to an art forgery ring. The investigation kicked off during a routine check at the border control in Lleida, when the Civil Guard stopped an Andorran resident carrying a series of Miró drawings and their certificates of authenticity. The agents, suspicious, asked experts to analyze the works, which were confirmed to be fake.

 Read it all here.

New searchable resource for lost, stolen and disputed works of art and cultural heritage

Art Recovery Group has launched a new searchable resource for lost, stolen and disputed works of art and cultural heritage.

The ArtClaim Database will launch publicly today after 12 months of development in consultation with art market, law enforcement and insurance professionals. In response to their needs, the Database offers new ways of identifying and recording interests attached to works of art.

The ArtClaim Database brings innovative technological solutions to art-based due diligence, offering fully-integrated image recognition technology and a total of over 500 possible data fields for every item registered or searched. Their inclusion provides greater transparency and less risk to transactions by identifying and recording the widest range of obstructions to clear title.

Users of the Database are offered four services: a search facility, registration of items, instant alerts and collection management.  These services are overseen by ArtClaim’s international team of provenance research specialists and art market analysts. Currently around 5,000 items a week from a range of new, historic and exclusive data sources around the world are being added to the Database.

Christopher Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery Group, said:

“We are extremely proud of the ArtClaim Database and the progress that it represents for this area of the art market. As the issues attached to objects grow in complexity there has to be a solution that is able to adapt in identifying them.

Our ArtClaim database has been developed to meet both the needs of the current market and those of the future – a future in which we aspire to be assisting every significant art transaction in the world.”

In the month following this launch all ArtClaim services will be free to use. Thereafter, loss records for uniquely-identifiable objects will always be free to register on the ArtClaim Database and competitive fees will apply to search requests and registrations for works on loan or in storage.  

For more information, please contact: Jerome Hasler Head of Communications & Strategy, Art Recovery Group +44 (0) 203 763 3546        +44 (0) 7436 151 855 jerome@artrecovery.com

Art Guarantees: Lofty

From Art Law Journal:

Finally, there is Lofty, which comes at art from the seller’s perspective, rather than the buyers. While Lofty provides a traditional online marketplace for valuable fine art, antiques and collectibles, each Lofty item is reviewed and valued by a carefully selected network of experts, which includes qualified appraisers, current and former auction house specialists, reputable dealers, and other art world professionals with decades of experience evaluating items in their specialties. One problem with buying art online, especially when it has a heavy price tag, is making sure it is authentic, and actually liking the piece once it is seen in person. Art can look very different from what is seen on a computer screen. To counter those issues, Lofty provides a 5-year Authenticity Guarantee and a 100% Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee within seven days of delivery. In 2014, Lofty received $2 million in Seed investment.

Eyes and more eyes

Below you will see a significant set of "Eye Studies." These are tiny original drawings on paper done in 2014 as studies for larger pieces (in most cases) or simply as exercises. 

Most of them are charcoal, some have added conte and/or colored pencils/watercolor. They are all very small, and they are all matted in a white, pH-balanced, acid free hand-cut beveled museum mat and then framed under glass to a 5x7 inch size in a minimalist white wood frame. 

They are all the same price ($125 each) and if you are interested in any of them, let me know and I will refer you to the gallery which has that particular drawing.

Eyes of Anderson Campello

Eyes of a Woman Looking for Peace

Eyes of a Porn Star

Eyes of a Woman at Peace

Eyes of The Morrigan

Eyes of The Lilith

Eyes of Fear

Eyes of a Smiling Woman

Eyes of The Morrigan II

Eyes of a Woman watching MSNBC

Eyes of a Woman about to sigh

Eyes of a Chocolate Lover

Eyes of a Happy Child

Eyes of The Morrigan III

Eyes of The Lilith II

Eyes of a Woman Planning Revenge

Eyes of Bettie Page

Eyes of President Barack Obama Smiling

Eyes of Bettie Page II

Eyes of Frida Kahlo

Eyes of Paul McCartney

Eyes of Diego Rivera

Eyes of Mr. Spock

Eyes of Frida Kahlo

Art Miami New York

Art Miami New York makes its debut in May during Frieze week in NYC and they have announced the new director:

It is with great enthusiasm that Art Miami LLC announces the appointment of Katelijne De Backer as Director for Art Miami New York, debuting on May 14, 2015 during Frieze Week in New York City. De Backer previously served as the Director for The Armory Show at Pier 94 for 12 years, the same location where Art Miami New York will take place this year. De Backer was instrumental in transforming the bohemian-style fair of 75 galleries to a world-renowned exhibition of more than 200 galleries.

De Backer's impressive experience includes her position as Director of Exhibitor Relations for SCOPE, who hired De Backer to raise the profile of the fair and bring her discerning eye and unparalleled professionalism to the organization. De Backer also served as Managing Director for top contemporary art gallery Lehmann Maupin, where she oversaw several teams with locations in New York's Chelsea and the Lower East Side, as well as in Hong Kong.

"Art Miami LLC is thrilled to have Katelijne as part of the team to welcome an exciting new fair into our family. Katelijne has worked with some of the worlds most respected fairs and brings tremendous experience and confidence to offer only the best support for the extraordinary galleries, collectors, curators and art professionals who attend our fairs," said Art Miami Executive Vice President & Partner Nick Korniloff.

"I am honored and excited to join the Art Miami New York team. I look forward to building on this rich tradition as we move ahead with a new edition in New York City.  To be back at Pier 94, where I have worked for so many years on The Armory Show, it feels only natural and is a welcome déjà vu!" adds De Backer.

Art Miami New York will cater to both seasoned and new art collectors commencing with an elegant invitation-only VIP Preview on Thursday, May 14 from 2-5 p.m. The VIP Preview will provide collectors, art advisors, curators, and members of the press with the first look and opportunity to acquire the finest works available in the market before the fair opens to the public that evening through Sunday, May 17.

Produced by the Art Miami LLC team, Art Miami New York's refined ambiance will be welcoming and appealing to all levels of visitors, from the seasoned collector looking to acquire new works to the budding art enthusiast looking to create a collection.  Prestigious galleries will exhibit within the intimate and modern setting of Pier 94, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Hudson River. Featuring a 133,000-square-foot exhibition hall at 55th Street and the West Side Highway, Pier 94 is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan within close proximity to the Chelsea art district, museums and major auction houses.      

About Art Miami New York

Art Miami New York is operated and produced by a partnership consisting of art and media industry veterans Nick Korniloff, Mike Tansey and Brian Tyler. The ownership team also produces Art Miami, CONTEXT, Aqua, Art Wynwood, CONTEXT New York, Art Southampton and Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco Fairs. For more information, visit www.artmiaminewyork.com. 

SELECT 2015

Anyone near Tacoma, WA?

Then go see my daughter ELISE CAMPELLO TORRALBO, who is playing Olive Ostrovsky, the quiet only child with the absent father, and who makes her return to the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Elise was last seen in Shout! The Mod Musical (Blue Girl) at TMP exactly a year ago!

This weekend shows include:
Friday, January 16 | 8PM - Opening Night
Saturday, January 17 | 8PM
Sunday, January 18 | 2PM

Get your tickets online http://tmp.org/index.php/mainstage-shows-or-2014-15-season/

A certain degree of cowardice

On Monday, Charlie Hebdo revealed the cover of the first issue to be published after Islamic extremists terrorists assassinated eight members of the satire magazine's staff. 

On the cover of this post-murdering attack issue, the prophet Mohammed sheds a tear while holding a “Je Suis Charlie” sign, under the words “Tout Est Pardonné” (“All Is Forgiven”).

CNN says that it  won't show the cover due to “potentially offensive images of the prophet.”

“CNN will not show you the new cover, which depicts the Prophet Muhammad, because it is our policy not to show potentially offensive images of the prophet”

NBC and MSNBC also refused to show the cover; most other national TV stations didn't lack the backbone.

CNN's claim, is (of course) full of bullshit, since they had no issue (no pun intended), as recently as 2014 in publishing Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ," which is certainly an offensive image to some Christians, none of which, as far as I know, has retaliated to CNN in any terroristic manner.  Furthermore, Muslims also consider Christ a Prophet!

The power of art reveals the double standards of these cojonesless news organizations... uh?

Cowards...

PHOTOWORKS: Presence of Place at AU

PHOTOWORKS: Presence of Place

January 24 through March 15, 2015

American University Museum

The Katzen Arts Center

4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, DC

  

Opening Reception

Saturday, January 24, 2015

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Gallery Talk

Photoworks Artists

Museum Director & Exhibition Curator Jack Rasmussen

Saturday, January 31, 2015

4:00 pm

 

Participating Artists

Elsie Hull Sprague : Brad Beukema

Joe Cameron : Tanguy de Carbonnières

Eliot Cohen : Sora DeVore

Rebecca Drobis : Saman Michael Far

Peggy Fleming : Henry Friedman

Sheila Galagan : Frank (Tico) Herrera

Michael Horsley : Karen Keating

Michael Lang : Julie Miller

David Myers : Christine Pearl

Mark Power : Molly Roberts

Gayle Rothschild : Sarah Hood Salomon

Sonia Suter : Grace Taylor

Tom Wolff : Alejandra Vallejo

Fred Zafran : Judith Walser

Exhibition Overview

Forty years ago, in a derelict building hidden among the abandoned amusement park rides of Glen Echo Park, four young photographers founded Photoworks with little more than a shared passion for the daily work of seeing, shooting, and printing images of lasting beauty and artistic integrity. Photoworks: Presence of Place features works by past and present members of the Photoworks community, faculty and students who have distinguished themselves by the quality and integrity of their work. This exhibition is in memory of Elsie Hull Sprague, an artist with a MA in Film from the School of Communication, American University.

American University Museum

The Katzen Arts Center

4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, DC

11am - 4pm, Tuesday - Sunday

www.american.edu/cas/museum

Bethesda Painting Awards

Deadline: February 13

Requirements

Each artist must submit five images, application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25. 

Eligibility

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

Awards
Best in Show: $10,000
Second Place: $2,000
Third Place: $1,000
Young Artist: $1,000

Apply online or download the application for more details.

Fundraising auction

Any artist interested in submitting any pieces; there's no entry fee, W7AC retains 20% of all sales... 

Contact Jessica at jdamilleconciergeandevents@gmail.com