Cuban Food?

 

Alberto Gaitán

I am sad to pass that my good friend Alberto Gaitán has moved on... here he is with Victoria F. Gaitán at the book party for my 2011 book hosted by Leigh Conner at her iconic gallery. 

Photo by the talented Rebecca D'Angelo.

 Alberto leaves a gigantic artistic footprint behind... more later.

When Che Guevara almost got me whooped!

Read this cool 2011 piece by Maura Judkis on how an irate Cuban once threatened to kick my butt in Miami during Art Basel week - by the way, that piece is now in the permanent collection of the University of Oregon!

Read it here.

Teresa Jade Jarzynski at Artists & Makers Studios

Artists & Makers Studios welcomes Teresa Jarzynski back for her solo “Strange & Beautiful” with Resident Artist exhibit “Real or Imaginary”, and the talented Member Artists of Gallery 209.

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville hosts the work of Teresa Jarzynski in her latest solo exhibit “Strange and Beautiful”, the Resident Artists’ “Real or Imaginary” exhibit - along with new work in Gallery 209 and building-wide Open Studios. The August 6th opening will run from 11am – 3pm. Fantasy, skewed perspective and other elements of imagination interweave with impressionistic applications of recognizable subjects. Some more strange, some more beautiful, but every piece contains a bit of both for the viewer to take in. By focusing on flowers, inanimate objects, and people from various encounters in life, Teresa challenged herself to transform the ordinary into something more extraordinary. Although each painting initially stems from direct observation, the act of painting turns each reality into an imagined place, no longer restricted by traditional ideas. The Resident Artists will fill the beautiful Gallery Hall with “Real or Imaginary”, and the Artists of Gallery 209 will feature new work in the large Gallery and adjoining halls for visitors to discover.

Opening Reception

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Saturday, August 6th, 2022

“Strange and Beautiful” Artist Talk, 1:00 PM, August 20th, 2022

Artists & Makers Studios

11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210

Rockville, MD 20852

Exhibits will run from August 3rd through August 24th. 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.

Printmakers

 Printmakers -- true hardcore printmakers, not the kind that takes their drawing or watercolor to a digital wizard and says "Hey buddy, give me a 1000 of these in a poster size." But the kind that likes the smell of acid as it burns and etches their metal sheets; the ones that roll thick black ink onto etched plates, and lose track of where the cheesecloth is, and the ones that really know what a "ghost print" is - that kind of printmaker represent some of the least appreciated artists in any genre of the visual arts today.

The word "print" has been kidnapped by marketers and watercolorists and photographers and every kind of visual artist on the planet wanting to sell more than one of their original. 

But remember this: anything that is in a media that is different from the original piece is a reproduction - not a print. A true print is something created by an artist from beginning to end: a woodcut, a linocut, a lithograph, an intaglio etching, etc.!

One of the best places in the nation to find great real artists' prints is here in the Washington area DMV at the aptly named Washington Printmakers Gallery. 

A 20 year old idea which is still hot!

Twenty years ago I proposed the below idea to kindle our Greater region's visual art scene -- the Universities have (so far) all ignored the idea (P.S. - note the quaint use of "slides" :-):

Merry Xmas!

As promised, the first one of ten steps (in no particular order or ranking) to kindle the District/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) art "buzz" into a roar:

Number 10

The Universities

There are several important, major universities in and around the DMV area. In most cases each is working, as most universities do, their own, individual visual arts exhibition program, which is normally mix of exhibitions by their students, faculty and invited artists.

Almost without exception there is very little coordination between the different venues, which in some cases boast some of the nicest exhibition spaces in town. This is not unusual, as I imagine that in most cities this is also the same case, as the focus of the university gallery is in fact the university.

And here is where we can make a major change, and use the extraordinary resources afforded to our area by these venues, and their academic standing, to help Washington expand its worldwide visual art standing.

What we need to happen is for one of the local university art school chairs, or college deans, or even university gallery directors, to take the initiative to start coordinating a joint effort to create one annual combined, joint exhibition that synchronizes a focused exhibition that is spread throughout the Greater Washington area.

Imagine a national survey of art, with a good title and perhaps even a good, donated chunk of money as a prize. Say we call it “The Capital Art Prize” (OK, OK we’ll have to work on the title) and because good ideas sometimes attract funding, maybe we can convince a major local company like Lockheed Martin or AOL or Booze Allen and Hamilton, or (be still my beating heart), The Washington Post, to help fund it on an annual basis.

This synchronized event can be modeled somewhat on what the Whitney does, but better. The Whitney Biennial’s Achilles heel is its over-reliance on hired curators. Unless an artist lives and works in NYC, LA or SF or is already in the local radar of one of the curators for that particular year, chances are slim to none that the artist will come to the attention of those Biennial curators. Hence great art and potentially great artists may be ignored.

In addition to the use of invited curators, also imagine that this event puts forth a national call for artists, independent and museum curators, schools, art organizations and galleries to submit works for consideration. Send us your slides, CD ROMS and photographs (and a self addressed, stamped envelope for their return).

Anyone can submit and in a fair selection process, since art is truly in the eyes (and agenda) of the beholder, anyone can be selected to exhibit. A truly American concept for a national American art survey that will leave the Whitney and other continental Biennials in the dust.

And because the exhibition venues are spread around the capital area region, in galleries at Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, American, Catholic, Howard, University of Maryland, Montgomery Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and the many others I am sure to be forgetting momentarily, we could put up one of the largest, most diverse, and influential American art surveys in the nation.

This will take a lot of work to set up initially, as one key university person needs to take the lead and emerge from the pack of largely unknown, anonymous group of academics currently running our area’s university art programs. On the other hand, this could be an exhibition that can and will put names and faces on the international art world map, much like the Whitney Biennial sometimes elevates its curators a notch above the rest

Some universities will resist, as the easiest thing to do is to do things as they have always been done, and not really create “new” work. But given that a strong leader among our academic community emerges and takes the lead for this idea, then even if we start with a set of four or five venues, in a joint, coordinated effort, others will follow.

This will not be an easy job to do, and as it grows, so will the burocracy around it. But starting it up will be the hardest part, and as momentum grows, things will become easier. Whoever, if anyone, takes this idea and runs with it, will face many huge obstacles and many negative people. He or she will need to convince other university/college gallery directors to participate. They in turn, will have to convince their superiors, who will, in turn have to approve (and perhaps help kick-start the funding) the joint project.

This leader will also have to coordinate the approach to get a local giant to fund this effort, but I suspect that once he has aligned a few colleges and universities, this may become easier (it’s never easy) as the “buzz” and need for the event develops.

This is all a lot of work, and initially, until a burocracy is established around the annual event, many, many volunteers will be needed. I hope that some of these can be drawn from the school’s student body, alumni who are artists, and other local artists, much like Art-O-Matic draws from the collective muscle of our area’s significant artist population.

Our area universities and colleges already have significant media resources at their disposal, to help spread the word. They run school newspapers, radio stations, etc. and also provide a constant flow of new blood to our major mainstream media.

The goal (or perhaps “the dream”) would be a national level survey of art, which may look, review and/or jury the work of maybe 50,000 artists around the nation, and select perhaps 100 each year, showcase their work around a dozen academic galleries, and award a $100,000 cash award as the Capital Art Prize, plus various other awards (Emerging Artist, Young Artist, etc.). Art of a nature and scale that will attract visitors to the university galleries, attention to our area, piss some people off, excite others, create interest, discussion and buzz around Washington and our art scene.

There’s nothing more empowering than an idea whose time has come.

A guerrilla technique for saving money on framing costs

First and foremost: Prepare! Do not leave your framing to the very last minute. Having said that, I know that most of you will leave the framing to the last minute and, then panic, as this is part of the average artist DNA. You will then go to your neighborhood framing shop, and drop way too much money to get custom frames made for your artwork. If you can afford it, and the price history of you artwork can sustain it – then skip this article. But if you want to save a lot of money on framing, then prepare

Read the whole article here.

The Paint the Town Labor Day Show

I will be the judge for this year’s "Paint the Town" Labor Day Show sponsored by the Montgomery Art Association

The Paint the Town Labor Day Show is one of the region’s largest and longest-running art shows composed of all local artists. The show will be open to the public Saturday-Monday, September 3-5, and I will do both the closed-door judging and then and on Saturday, September 3, I will also judge the plein air competition and then present the awards. 

About the Plein Air Competition: As you walk around Kensington on the Saturday of the show weekend, you'll see dozens of artists painting and drawing all over town. Those are participants of the annual Plein Air Competition. From 7 am-3 pm, adults and children complete paintings with a Kensington theme and submit them for prizes awarded by me. The competition is open to all adults and children. Free for children under 18 and current MAA members; adults pay $10 per person. Registration opens July 15.

Details here.

Schedule 

FRIDAY, JULY 15: Call for entries opens (members only)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: Exhibit floor open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Plein air art competition, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Awards ceremony, 6-8 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Exhibit floor open, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: Exhibit floor open, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Pick up purchased artwork, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: Pick up purchased artwork, 9-11 a.m. 

Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show

I am honored to serve as 2022 judge of one of the region’s largest and longest-running art shows over Labor Day Weekend: the Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show at the Historic Armory in Kensington, Maryland

I will review more than 500 works in seven categories at the Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show at the Historic Armory in Kensington, Maryland. I also will judge the one-day Kensington plein air painting competition and will present prizes at the September 3 reception.

The annual art show runs for three days—September 3-5—and features hundreds of pieces of artwork by member artists. Original paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photography—plus prints and notecards—will all be for sale. A portion of proceeds goes in support of MAA’s educational mission.

The show is accepting entries from artists 18 years or older in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. MAA annual membership is required to participate. In addition to the main show, MAA will host its annual plein air competition. Members, plus adults and children from the community, are invited to participate and have up to eight hours to complete a work within the boundaries of Kensington. Free for children and members, and $10 for non-member adults.

About MAA: The Montgomery Art Association (MAA) is a Maryland-based nonprofit membership group supporting the visual arts and artists in the DC area. A portion of sales goes to support our educational mission, including providing scholarships to art students. Learn more.

About the Show: The annual three-day Paint the Town Labor Day Show will take place at the Kensington Historic Armory, 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, MD, September 3-5. The event is free and open to the public. The Town of Kensington is a proud sponsor.

Register here.

The Coronavirulization of the art world

Covidian? …Covidism? …Covidnineteenism?…Coronaism?

A couple of months ago I wrote about some help lines for artists as the Coronavirulization of the art world, another victim of the planetary infection in what I now call The Covidian Age, was in full attack...

... Leave it to artists to actually do something positive not only with these two political interpretations of a disease, but also with a myriad of interpretations of the Covidian Age and Covidism – and I suspect that a millennia from now, when perhaps even more dark events have been survived by the human race, it is the First Covidian Age artwork which will truly tell the story and mark the crowning spot (pun intended) of the Coronavirulization of art.

Read the whole article here.

What shows up on Ebay

 

Skies above the Montrose Links, Scotland
1990 Watercolor on paper by F. Lennox Campello

This 1990 watercolor - done while I lived in Scotland is currently up on Ebay for a steal! See it here

When you get grease on paper

Master iguana-eaters perfect their eating craft while carrying one of those giant buckets of popcorn (at the movies) in one hand, and a giant soft drink in the other. No one can resist waiting to be seated to start on the popcorn, and so many of us iguana the popcorn enroute to our seat… the head dips, the mouth opens and popcorn is iguana into the gullet.

As a master iguana-style-eater, I decided to grab another piece of steak, and then head upstairs for the utensils…. my head dipped down into the plate… black charcoaly hands spread out for balance.

I iguana’d the steak bite, raised my neck, and a smaller piece of meat, which had been barely attached to the larger piece in my mouth, went flying… and landed squarely on the middle of the drawing.

Read the whole 2017 article here.

My picks for the current Art League show

An easy way to spend most of a summer rainy afternoon (and there are plenty of hem coming!) is a visit to the Torpedo Factory, host to many art studios and some key galleries. While you’re there, go check out the current Open Exhibit, juried by artist Jessie Boyland.

If you’re a constant reader of this blog, then you know what comes next: The Campello awards!

Are you ready for a shock? I believe that for the first time since I’ve been messing around with re-jurying other jurors’ shows and awards (first time was around 1981), this is the FIRST time that I’ve agreed with the Best of Show!

Wendy Donahoe’s “Traveler”, a spectacular charcoal and carbon pencil drawing, is not only a superbly crafted technical masterpiece, but also a work that does something that a master like Donahoe does so simply: in this case capture the psychologic presence of the subject.  She nails it and do not be fooled by the simplicity of my words in describing her accomplishment with this piece. These are finely tuned and trained artistic muscles which Donahoe flexes so easily in this work and which are in reality impossibly difficult to deliver.

I also quite liked some of the Honorable Mentions, especially “Transposition” by Susan O'Neill, an elegant figure study employing charcoal, red chalk, and mixed media on paper.

Personally I would have given an award to “Art Lovers 1 - Picasso - Le Gourmet 0” by Leni Gurin, a very elegant Acrylic and a take off on the great Spanish master.  That painting is the steal of the show! At 14 × 78 × 11 inches, the cool painting by Leni Gurin is a steal at $900! Go buy it!

Traveler by Wendy Donahoe

Transposition by Susan O'Neill

"Art Lovers 1 - Picasso - Le Gourmet 0" by Leni Gurin

I keep giving this advice out...

This month this column is just going to re-address some thoughts about our DMV area non-profits – an idea which I’ve been venting on about for years

The Art League in Alexandria is not only one of our area’s largest artists’ organization, with over 1,200 members, but also a jewel in our area’s art presence. The Art League also operates a school with over 2500 students per term and a supply store for the purchase of art supplies by students and members.

Read what my idea is here.

Death on Tik Tok

The arrival of Death will be on Tik Tok
2022 watercolor by Florencio Lennox Campello

 

Arlington Art Center to become a museum

The Arlington Arts Center will reopen on 1 October as the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington!

Cool or what?

Lucky find

A few years ago I told you how I sneak artwork in Thrift shops... perfect way to dispose of frames which have seen better days. etc.

Anyway... recently I placed some art school vintage works in a very large area Thrift store, and even before I had left the store, I noticed that the below sharp-eyed collector had already snatched two of the four pieces that I had placed in the shelves!!!

She left behind this etching of Che Guevara behind... maybe not a big fan of the Argentine mass murderer.

The mass murderer Ernesto Che Guevara
1978 litho by Florencio Lennox Campello

On the subject of photographers

You can put money on this: a thousand years from now, there will still be photographers who still use the techniques of that profession that were invented at the beginning of photography itself. There is something so attractive to the masters of the darkroom about photographic processes such as handmade prints from glass negatives, and other 19th century processes such as Platinum Palladium, Cyanotype, Oil, Carbon, Gum Bichromate, VanDyke Brown, Salted Prints, Tintypes, and Ambrotypes.

Virginia’s Sally Mann, not only one of the planet’s top photographers, but also someone who has been a contemporary pioneer in revitalizing some of these archaic techniques, often speaks of “old-time, folksy, soulful, artisanal processes”… that “slicker technologies have displaced.”

She labels these processes “holistic.

Wanna see some of these holistic processes and the gorgeous works that they yield?

At Glen Echo Park’s Photoworks Gallery, “a group of likeminded photographers presents work that is more than just nostalgia. Each photographer lends her/his own voice with their unique, hand-made images, some of which are augmented by hand tinting. While the images are contemporary, the artisanal nature of the images harkens to an earlier age. The tension between these qualities makes them TIMELESS.”

Represented in the exhibit are works by Rodrigo Barrera-Sagastume, Paige Billin-Frye, Mac Cosgrove-Davies, Scott Davis, Sebastian Hesse-Kastein, William Shelton and Redeat Wondemu.

In addition to the opening, Photoworks will be offering related demonstration and hands-on events during the exhibition:

Zoom Artist Talk (Friday, July 15, 7-8pm) – for those unable to attend the opening, this is an opportunity to hear from and interact with the artists. Learn about the artist and their vision, their chosen photographic processes and related classes offered at Photoworks.

Champagne and Platinum (Friday, July 22, 7-10pm at Photoworks) - spend a delightful evening with the Alt-Photo crowd in the Photoworks Gallery sipping bubbly and watching a live demo of the platinum printing process. Platinum printing allows delicate rendering of image detail with an astonishing tonal range and legendary permanence. ($20 per person)

Wet Plate Demonstration (Saturday, July 23, 11am-2pm at Glen Echo Park) – This is a live demonstration of the photographic process that was dominant from the 1850s-70s (i.e during the US Civil War. The photographer must sensitize, expose, and develop the plate in a matter of minutes, using a portable darkroom. Results are available immediately.

Sun Printing (July 30, 11am-2pm) - A family friendly fun-for-all where everyone makes cyanotype shadowgrams. This is an excellent introduction to cyanotype process. Cyanotype is the simplest historic photographic process to learn. It also can deliver extraordinary creative expression.

Staying on the theme of photography, and through July 24, Multiple Exposures Gallery presents an exhibition of New Photography by Tom Sliter titled "Cold Warriors." On exhibit is “a series of images that takes a different look at the aircraft that defined the Cold War. Rather than focusing on the aircraft’s characteristics, the exhibit delves into the underlying design elements -- the grand sweeps, smooth lines, sharp angles, and graceful curves that are a hallmark of pushing boundaries.”

Multiple Exposures is located inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, one of the great art jewels of the Mid Atlantic.

37TH Annual Mayor's Arts Awards

The 37TH Annual DC Mayor's Arts Awards will take place in September 2022! 

Please visit www.dcmayorsartsawards.com for more information and to RSVP -- Click here to create an account and to vote!

Me bitchin' to the WaPo in 1995

A general rule of any code of ethics is that if something feels funny or unethical, then it probably is. Add a corollary -- if an action, whether ethical or not, gives the appearance of being unethical, then it is -- and you have a problem with the NMAA and its legacy from the late artist Gene Davis.

Read my Letter to the Editor from 1995 here.