Review: Burning Man: Art on Fire

For decades now I have been discussing, ranting, and raving about how fine art fairs have become the epicenter of the art world, as well as how outdoor art festivals are also a key component to the tapestry of the visual arts.

Let me add to that what is perhaps the greatest single week-long art happening in the history of the planet: Burning Man.

The description of the event goes like this:

For one week every August, a remote Nevada desert becomes Black Rock City, the home of Burning Man where 80,000 participants build a temporary city devoted to creativity and community. There is no money, no running water—and there are no constraints. Artists bring enormous sculptures for participants to climb. Outrageous Mutant Vehicles glide through an opulent mirage. This is a dreamscape of permission. For seven days and nights, the artistic movement of our time materializes—and then disappears without a trace.

Burning Man: Art on Fire (Epic Ink | July 4, 2023 | $45.00 USD), is a gorgeous new and completely revised, expanded edition book illustrated with over 250 spectacular color photos. 

The book is a labor of love by Jennifer Raiser; "a writer, nonprofit leader, and Burner." 

It is also two talented photographers' insight into the raw, unlimited power of human creativity when allowed to unleash itself once a year. The photographers are Washington, DC born Scott London, who has been documenting the art and culture of Burning Man for nearly two decades, and Brazilian-born photog Sidney Erthal.

This authorized collection also includes: 

• Over 150 new photographs and descriptions of individual pieces of Burning Man art from over two decades, including art from the 2022 Burning Man event
• Over 32 new pages featuring incredible sculptures and Mutant Vehicles
• A fully updated text, which considers Burning Man’s evolving significance in the art world, and how Burning Man is the art movement of our time
• A foreword from Burning Man CEO and Co-Founder Marian Goodell
• A new epilogue about the growing importance of Burning Man art beyond Black Rock City and throughout the art world, including museum exhibits, public art, and over 100 regional Burning Man events worldwide
• A tribute to Burning Man Founder Larry Harvey, with highlights of his philosophical approach to art

The art created and often destroyed for Burning Man is an important and unique addition to the fine arts world.

In fact, I believe that it is the most significant “art happening” on the planet, and as this book and the associated documentary proves, it is art on a scale of objects nowhere else achieved, and perhaps barely imagined by such minds as Christo’s, as well as a vibrant and imaginative riot of people who often become art objects and subjects themselves.

Burning Man: Art on Fire, Revised and Updated Edition publishes July 4, 2023. 

You can order it here.

The Juried Exhibition Grant: Call for DC artists

 

FY24 Juried Exhibition Grant

The Juried Exhibition Grant (JEG) provides support for District-based artists to exhibit their work in a juried, themed visual art exhibition through grant awards and the use of CAH’s exhibition space located in the lobby of 200 I Street, SE.

RFA Release: Monday, June 26, 2023

Submission Deadline: 9 pm ET, Friday, July 28, 2023

This Request for Applications (RFA) seeks works for an exhibition that will reflect on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 during its 60th year anniversary in 2024 and how DC artists have been influenced, both explicitly and implicitly, by the social progress and reform of the past 60 years. This landmark legislation aimed to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. By exploring this significant milestone, the exhibition seeks to provide insight into the progress, challenges, and ongoing efforts towards achieving equity and social justice.

JEG seeks works from DC artists that:

• Feature how artists in DC utilize their practices to respond to and engage with the social, political, and cultural changes resulting from this pivotal law.
• Highlight artists' documentation and interpretation of the political landscape on the local, national and international level.
• Engage archival, historical, and artistic movements that have emerged since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 until the present day.
• Examine how present moments and developments have shaped the landscape of Washington, DC.
• Delve into historical influences of the past, capture the transformative aspects of our present, and engage with imaginative approaches to building a better future.

Staff Contacts:

• Ron Humbertson | ron.humbertson@dc.gov
• Deirdre Darden | deirdre.darden@dc.gov

Find more info on the FY24 JEG RFA RSVP for FY24 JEG Workshops

National Small Works at WPG

the 2023 Peggy Doole

Competition and Exhibition



National Small Works

June 30-July 30, 2023

National Small Works

including work from 36 artists,

representing the DC and 17 states



Opening: Saturday, July 8, 2:00-5:00 pm

It is with great pleasure that we announce the 23rd year of the National Small Works Show: the first since 2019, due to Covidian cancellations. This year’s exhibit honors Peggy Doole (1934-2021), long-time resident of the DC area who shared her love of art by giving lectures, sponsoring exhibits, and leading tours at the Hirshhorn, the National Gallery of Art, and other museums throughout Europe and the U.S. Her post-graduate museum work led her to a focus on, and a special passion for, printmaking.

The exhibition includes 36 pieces – fine art prints, photographs, and artist books chosen by the juror LuLen Walker, Art Curator for Georgetown University. 

Washington Printmakers Gallery ● 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW ● (202) 669-1497

info@washingtonprintmakers.com ● www.washingtonprintmakers.com

This weekend at Glen Echo

This weekend is your last opportunity to take in the beauty of Glen Echo's Partnership Galleries' June exhibits; they close end-of-day on Sunday, the 25th! 

Stop by Stone Tower Gallery for a sci-fi journey through Blair Anderson's A Silversmith's Guide to the Galaxy, Popcorn Gallery for a special exhibit by Yellow Barn Studio instructors, and Park View Gallery for unique silk painting in Nico Gozal's Wonderland.

Yellow Barn Gallery's weekend exhibit features works by painter, illustrator, and instructor Eric Westbrook. Opening Reception Saturday from 4-7pm.

Saturday morning, hear from a leader in the 'eco-artist' world during Art Clinic Online. Erwin Timmers has a fascinating background and impressive career transforming materials that often aren't recycled into art.

Later in the day on Saturday, tune in to Photoworks' Artist Talk with Sandy Sugawara and Catiana Garcia Kilroy as they share the difficult but important topic of their new book, Show Me the Way to Go Home: the World War II incarceration camps that held Japanese Americans.

On Sunday, Photoworks is contributing a fascinating talk to the Diverse Voices: A Juneteenth Celebration FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM. Documentary photographer Marvin Tupper Jones will be discussing the new exhibit at the Chowan Discovery Group: Building a Mixed Race Community.

Mark your calendars! Their third Art Walk of the season is coming up on Friday, July 7th!

Why waste precious print space?

One of the constant threads of this blog in its two-decade history has been my perennial complaint about the Washington Post's lack of adequate coverage of the visual arts in the Greater Washington, DC region (a.k.a. the DMV - a term which I apparently invented).

In fact, DC ART NEWS' first ever blogpost (see it here) was me bitchin' about the WaPo and its lack of visual arts coverage.

In the nearly two decades since that post, the WaPo's visual arts coverage of our area galleries and visual arts spaces have gone from scant - to nearly non-existent. Back in 2003 there were two weekly columns in the Arts Style section of the paper - both on Thursdays: the Galleries column by Ferdinand Protzman, then Jessica Dawson, then a string of freelancers, and the Arts Beat column by Michael O'Sullivan, which rather often "augmented" the Galleries column.

Today we have Mark Jenkins' Galleries column - Arts Beat ended years and years ago... and we are grateful for that column and Mr. Jenkins' travels through the DMV covering various visual art shows in both independently owned commercial art galleries as well as non-profit art spaces. He's the only one who does that - apparently Mr. Sebastian Smees only does museums.

And thus I am somewhat baffled as to why Mr. Jenkins (who as far as I know is probably a nice, regular guy) would waste precious print space in the column to take a swipe at a physical location which is host to some of the top art studios, schools, and galleries in the region.

In today's review of the Laurel Lukaszewski exhibition at Artists & Makers in Rockville, Jenkins opens with:

Not exactly a garden spot, the gallery exhibiting Laurel Lukaszewski’s ceramics is a windowless room in the Artists & Makers complex, which sits in a charmless, light-industrial section of Rockville.

That opening seems out of place, as it has nothing to do with the show, or the rarity of an actual building in our area full of art studios, art schools and art galleries.

The complex where Artists & Makers calls home in Rockville is an important part of the DMV's art scene - much like the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria (which the City of Alexandria seems focused on screwing up), or the warren of art studios and galleries in the Gateway Arts District, or STABLE, etc. 

Located in the heart of Rockville’s White Flint/Twinbrook business district, Artists & Makers Studios is a 13,000 square foot complex  consisting of 43 studios, and it is home to three galleries and 65+ creative and talented minds.

And as any artist in our region who struggles to find affordable studio space knows, the power that comes from being part of a hive of creative minds (such as the tenant artists of this wonderful space know), is key to keeping the artistic juices flowing and easily overshadows any issue raised by location and prettiness of the bricks and mortar that house the artists.

And as any city dweller knows, including I suspect Mr. Jenkins, in most cities the "garden spots" are usually taken by chains and franchises and cash-rich organizations who can afford the best commercial locations and not the "light industrial" sections.

And as any light student of real estate operations also knows, it is in places such as this area where artistic endeavors such as Artists & Makers can establish a footprint and work hard to keep it and offer a visual arts presence to an otherwise gray and boring city scene.

As a keen observer of the DMV's art tapestry for over three decades, I also personally know how hard the leaders and the executive director of Artists & Makers have worked over the decades and continue to work to ensure that places such as this jewel not only continue to exist, but prosper well into the future.

I am far from subjective on this issue, but that does not bother me when I send them a message: "Continue to do what you do so well - and thank you for all that you do!" 

Simul Prosperatur

More on the City of Alexandria and the Torpedo Factory

Last month I was pretty harsh in examining, reviewing, and criticizing  the City of Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory “new” artist/studio selection process, which as the many, many comments both here and in various social media platforms gave evidence to, has been and remains a contentious point at the Factory.

My focus was on the process, but some commenters felt that my critical approach to the process problem also reached to the new artists’ themselves – that was not my intention and for that I apologize, and must note that as recent as December of last year I lauded several of the new artists.

Bottom line: The process; not the artists.

Next month, after communicating with various City officials, I will have part two of my thoughts on the City of Alexandria and its handling of the Factory and its artists.

Last year, former Congressman and former fellow U.S. Navy Officer Joe Sestak authored a brilliant OP-ED here titled “No Higher Honor” Than to Preserve Torpedo Factory Artist Space Against City’s “Vibrancy” Plan.

Sestak notes:

The Council needs to decide if the Torpedo Factory’s new purpose is to become like Tik Tok — or remain the inspiration and appreciation one can only imagine from visitors watching such an artist making fantastic art...

This Op-Ed is more than worth the read -- it's also an intelligent view and opinion from someone who "sees" the Torpedo Factory from an angle that me (as an opinionated insider) and artists (as subjective participants) and City officials (as ????) cannot. 

Read it here.

Gateway Design Day 2023

Time & Location: Jun 28, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM in Mount Rainier, 3700 Otis St, Mt Rainier, MD 20712, USA - Details here.

Gateway Design Day -- Join over 50 artists working at the juncture of art and design in their studios for the inaugural Gateway Design Day.

Gateway Design Day celebrates the diversity and creativity in the DMV, and the incredible resources available locally to the design industry, providing a platform for designers, arts consultants, and public art administrators to:

• learn about local artists and arts-resources
• connect with artists and other professionals
• inspire each other

Studios will be open for artist meet and greet, demonstrations and formal talks throughout the day from 11am – 4pm.

From utilizing recycled materials in design and exploring design ideas with emerging and unconventional technologies, to a sneak peek at a public artwork fabrication to the role ceramics can play beyond the table, artists will share their knowledge and projects throughout the day. 

Participating Studios:

Washington Glass School | Otis Street Art Projects | Ampersand Art Space | Orange Door Studios | Green Door | Icebox Studios | Janis Goodman | Artists by the Tracks | Blue Door Studios | Mark Kelner Studio |Joe Hicks Ceramics

This event is free - Free parking on-site

You just gotta see this

 You gotta see this!!!

ACO presents Erwin Timmers

The ACO presents Erwin Timmers

hosted by Friend of the ACO, Michael Janis

Saturday, June 24, 10:30-11:30

From my good buds at ACO:

I am thrilled to announce that Erwin Timmers, an eco-artist known for his work in glass and steel, will be presenting this Saturday, June 24th, for the Art Clinic Online. Erwin is not only a dear friend of mine but also an incredibly talented artist, and I am sure that you will enjoy his work and the inspiring stories behind it. In fact, you might even recognize some of his installations around the DMV area in public spaces.

At ACO, we have been hosting some remarkable artist discussions. I highly recommend checking out the interview we conducted last year with Michael Janis, co-director of the Washington Glass School, who will be introducing Erwin this Saturday. Michael and Erwin frequently collaborate on various projects. You can find their discussions and more on the ACO page.

Also, mark your calendar for July 8th as Glen Echo's own, Christine Lashley will be presenting on her work as well as give us a glimpse of what it is like being a plein air artist competing for prize money. She will be fresh off her trip at the Telluride Plein Air Arts Festival so we will get to hear all about her experience.

Although we have fewer summer classes at the Art Clinic this year due to some much-needed vacation time for Mariana and myself, we do have exciting summer workshops available. These workshops cover a range of topics, from Color Theory to Figure Drawing and Painting, and they promise to be both enjoyable and immersive. Designed to be short yet intensive, they allow you to pursue your artistic exploration while accommodating your summer vacations.

Zoom Link for the ACO

Check out some of the past ACO artist discussions HERE!

 

Treasures of the DMV Art Exhibit coming this August!

Treasures of the DMV Art Exhibit

August 4–26, 2023

Reception: Friday, August 4 from 7-9pm

The “Treasures of the DMV” exhibit (August 4–26, 2023) at Del Ray Artisans gallery features art that celebrates the wonders of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. 

Come see famous and overlooked regional gems from the perspective of local artists. 

On display at Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA. Opening Reception: Friday, August 4, 7-9pm. Open Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-9pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm (Closed on August 27). DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits

Couragemonger

"Couragemonger" by Gino Castellanos and part of the 36th Annual Northern National Art Competition at Nicolet College in Rhinelander,  Wisconsin.

Emma Lapine

"The Kindness of Transformation" by Emma LaPine at the 36th Annual Northern National Art Competition in Nicolet College,  Rhinelander,  Wisconsin.

This is a brilliant,  fantastical work by a very young artist from Rhinelander.  We need to find her a good gallery to take her unique work to some art fairs!

Like my Father Before Me

"Like my father before me" by Jason John and part of the 36th Annual Northern National Art Competition in Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
 

Courtney Applequist & Sharon Wolpoff at Adah Rose

 

Dusty Rose

"Being Paid for Dreaming" by Dusty Rose at the 36th Annual Northern National Art Competition in Nicolet College,  Rhinelander, Wisconsin. 

Scarecrow in the Garden

"Scarecrow in the Garden" by Robert Jinkins and part of the 36th Annual Northern National Art Competition at Nicolet College in Rhinelander,  Wisconsin.