Since 2003... the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet! And with over SEVEN million visitors, F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area.
 |
| When Snipes come out in the sun 1985 Navy cartoon by Lenny Campello |
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place
I can't really complain this time -- I've been in the charity auction several times and even juried it one year when it hung at the Corcoran! Another example of the thick-skinning requirement for artists!
Wishing you all the best, and we look forward to seeing you soon,
Exhibit Opportunity: Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House
The “Second Life” exhibit (April 1–30, 2022) at Del Ray Artisans gallery features art using recycled materials. Various workshops and events are scheduled throughout the month, including Earth Day (April 22).
View artwork at Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA. Open Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-9pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm (closed on May 1st).
Details at DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zenith Gallery’s 44th
“Zeitgeist, the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. It basically means "The Spirit of the Age.” 44 years ago we were sitting around and talking about what to name the gallery, my father said you want to be at the beginning of the alphabet or the end, you don’t want to be stuck in the middle. With my knowledge of numerology we started with Z, the first word I liked was "Zeitgeist" but my father reminded me that no one knew what it meant. The next word was Zenith and that is how we picked the name. Now people actually know the meaning of Zeitgeist! “ Margery Goldberg
 |
| Justice for All by Bradley Stevens |
 |
| The Dual Nature of Love by Elissa Farrow-Savos |
I usually don't like to brag about the expensive places that I have been to, but yesterday I went to the gas station... cough... cough
The Googles just alerted me that I am included in this museum show in Idaho!
The Boise Art Museum is bringing a collection of Cuban art from the collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and compiled by guest curator Jill Hartz.
This is the story behind my work in this show.
Some of the Artists in the Exhibition
I understand that all the various sanctions which will be coming soon against Russia for invading Ukraine will be printed on toilet paper so that the Russians can at least do something with them... cough... cough...Over the last two plus decades, I've contacted Washingtonian magazine multiple times to take them to task over their absolute apathy and lack of coverage when it comes to any coverage of the DMV's visual arts scene.
Multiple editors over the years have responded to my complaints with mostly never filled promises and/or excuses. Many of them have been documented in this blog over the decades, as testimony to their lack of interest in DMV visual arts and art galleries and spaces... and artists.
There's new blood and new leadership over at that legendary magazine and today Damare Baker pops in with a really cool opinion piece on which she highlights her ten fave visual art spaces around the DMV.
Check the article out here. Then email Damare and tell her how much you enjoyed the article and wouldn't it be nice if 2-3 times a year the magazine would review a DC art gallery, or art space, and/or highlight or profile a DMV artist?
The things that show up at auction! Random!
 |
| Diane Vreeland 1978 ink brush drawing, 4x3 inches |
Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville will showcase the work of Marcie Wolf-Hubbard in her solo exhibit “The Weight of Our Environment” and her connection made during the pandemic with the figure and nature - along with two additional exhibits and Open Studios.
In “The Weight of our Environment”, Marcie reveals her connection made during the pandemic with the figure and nature. Her initial charcoal drawings, embedded in encaustic medium, become the subject of her encaustic paintings. Additionally, she has translated her 2D drawings to 3D sculptures in wood cutouts, standing forms, and tiny interiors—- created environments for her figures. Her work includes papier mache, cardboard, and encaustic paint.
Marcie Wolf-Hubbard is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County. Exhibit curated by Cathy Hirsh.
“The Weight of Our Environment” with Marcie Wolf-Hubbard
“Dark and Light” with Resident Artists
The Artists of Gallery 209
Opening Reception
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Saturday, March 5th, 2022
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852
Exhibits for Marcie Wolf-Hubbard and the Resident Artists will run from March 2nd through March 23rd. Gallery 209’s exhibit will run from March 2nd through March 28th. Viewing hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Masks firmly covering nose and mouth are required in the building.
Morton Fine Art (52 O Street NW #302) is pleased to present Descartes Died in the Snow, a solo exhibition showcasing work by Washington, D.C.-based artist Rosemary Feit Covey, on view from March 3–March 31, 2022.
Marking both the debut of new work and the reactivation of older works, the exhibition uncovers new dimensions within the artist’s vast oeuvre. Taken as a whole, this collection of work illuminates the fragility of life on our embattled planet, recognizing the catastrophic ecological losses that mark our current era while turning a hopeful eye towards altogether new horizons.
Covey’s current focus on environmental concerns is informed by 20 years of collaborations with scientists, during which biology, ecology, and mortality have remained steady themes of the artist’s practice. The past three decades have seen the artist rise as an established wood engraver, followed in recent years by an expansion towards mediums including experimental printmaking and mixed media. From the replication of the printmaking process to the carving of the printing block, Covey’s works attend to personal analogies of physical and emotional fortitude; through the manipulation of absence and presence, lightness and darkness, the artist evokes a darker psychological sensibility within complex figural representations.While maintaining the artist's long standing engagement with psychologically challenging—and oftentimes troubling—subject matter, the diversification of Covey’s mediums highlights the artist’s continued innovation in the arenas of both technique and narrative. In a titular nod to the life and work of 17th century philosopher René Descartes, Descartes Died in the Snow reflects Covey’s own artistic philosophy, that of art-as-exploration. In admiration of Descartes’ unfettered curiosity and his resulting great lengths of inquiry, Covey draws parallels with the experimental potential of artistic practice. “We artists can apply logic and intellectual research, then throw it all to the winds, allowing for alchemy and the unconscious to cross-pollinate with the natural sciences as we create,” Covey says.
Moved by recent climate disaster scenarios in South Africa—the country of her birth—Covey’s most recent work responds to the fleeting nature of news cycles and the failure of journalistic channels to manifest sustained public awareness of such crucial issues. Having witnessed this subject matter quickly fall from the front pages, Covey understands her work to serve as an enduring reminder of environmental crises within a global consciousness. Of this profound responsibility as an artist in the present moment, Covey affirms, “In this manner, I am committed to using my skills to portray this delicate balance as we reach a precipice.”
Through delicate lines that comprise masterful compositions, Covey’s work operates at the intersections of beauty and terror, depicting melancholy aesthetics of mourning. From a mass of opalescent strokes, Covey’s Broken Earth (2020) pictures a heap of carcesses, inspired by Covey’s horror of an imagined parched earth. Elsewhere, blooms of pigment suggest oil spills, and falling petals hint at impending decay. Through a push and pull, characterized by sensorial enticement segueing into gripping existential inquiry, the artist’s foreboding imagery unmasks that which is hidden in plain sight.
While often ominous, Covey’s practice nevertheless evades nihilism; through the elevation of phenomena such as fungal networks, the artist’s work also finds its purpose in illuminating the structures which sustain the planet. Resulting from Covey’s partnerships with mycologists, Amethyst Deceivers (2019) depicts the symbiotic relationships between plant and fungal life, relationships that exude restorative potential amidst times of destruction. Through the artist’s lens, Covey’s audience is issued solemn warnings of a speculative future, yet the possibilities for healing are never voided—viewers need only look closer to find them.
Every once in a while I come across one of these... I used to do a lot of cartoons while I was in the Navy... some were published in base newspapers, Navy magazines, Stars & Stripes, etc.
I gave most of them away over the years... here's one of the fabled Seaman Schmuckatelli (Navy sailors know who this fabled sailor was/is) - do they even have clubs on base anymore??? This one was "Seaman Schmuckatelli about to make a giant mistake"
Seaman Schmuckatelli about to make a giant mistake
A 1983 Navy cartoon by Lenny Campello
Holy Smoke! I've been rejected from many art things in my life - but NEVER from an outdoor art show!
NEVER!
And I was even once the juror for this show! And over the years I've won a few prizes at this festival! And that is why artists need to have a THICK skin! And we move on and apply next year...
On the good news side, I've just found out that the Phoenix Art Museum has just acquired one of my pieces for their permanent collection! BOOM!
Dear F. Lennox,
Thank you for applying to the 31st annual Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art Festival, formerly the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.
The highly competitive pool of applications was individually evaluated by three independent jurors and selections were made based on their reviews. Unfortunately, your application of works was not selected for display at the Festival this year. We encourage you to apply again next year when we have a new panel of qualified professional jurors whose perceptions may vary. As a 2022 Festival applicant, you will automatically receive notification regarding the 2023 Festival application in the fall.
We sincerely appreciate your support and interest in the Festival, and we wish you much success in all your artistic endeavors.
Sincerely,
Jaynelle Hazard Hannah Barco
Executive Director and Curator Associate Curator and Festival Director
