500 children, 500 cameras, 500 moments

Photojournalist Ramzi Haidar launched the project Glimpse (Lahza in Arabic) to bring together photographers, journalists and artists with children ages 5-12 in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The children worked with these volunteers for one year to learn the basics of photography. The images they produced with their cameras are entirely their own, giving them a power to reveal a reality rarely seen. Large scale photos and books about the project are on display at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery.

At the The Jerusalem Fund Gallery (2425 Virginia Ave. NW, Washington DC 20037). From March 11– April 8, 2011 with an Opening reception on Friday March 11, 6-8 PM.

A Bissel Smaller

I was raised in Brooklyn, and all my early jobs were working in the stores and delis around Pitkin and Belmont Avenues in Brooklyn. I've also spent several months living and exploring Israel.

Why am I talking about this? Because I think those life experiences give me a solid background in opining about Jewish delis, and in my opinion, the DMV's Parkway Deli is amongst the best on this planet.

Not only do they make excellent Jewish fare, but I also like that no matter when you get there on a weekend there's always a huge line (I'm not sure why I like this, but it is reassuring), and that the crowd is so diverse, covering all four races and countless ethnicities; clearly the quality of the food draws all hungry facets of mankind.

Yesterday I ordered my usual: matzoh ball soup and the deli twins (a mound of corned beef and a mound of pastrami on two onion rolls with a side). My wife ordered a large salad and a side of spinach (that's why she's a fideo).

When the delicious soup arrived, I noticed that they had a new set of serving dishes; more modern and square; I even complimented the waiter on how cool they looked.

As I began to eat my soup and my wife her salad, we both noticed something: the new dishes were quite a bit smaller than the old dinnerware! I'm not talking 10% smaller, but maybe 25 - 35% smaller.

Feh! And I will admit that the old soup sizes were quite generous, and the deli twins were the same size, but it kinda bummed me out a little that my favorite dish in the whole joint is now a lot less soup for the same amount of sheckels.

PS - If you are a carrot cake buff (like I am), The Parkway Deli has one of the best carrot cakes in this Universe.

Cudlin in the WaPo

Just read Jeffry's most excellent (although I disagree with his closing paragraph) review of the Picasso show at VMFA.

For some reason, there's no link online yet, but it is a huge review about the 20th century's most important artist.

One Picasso relationship that is seldom explored when the illuminati discuss Picasso's African influences is the very direct influence that one of Picasso's young friends' artwork had upon the Malaga-born master (and viceversa)

I'm referring to Wifredo Lam, the Afro-Chinese Cuban-born painter who became one of Picasso's best friends when Lam arrived in Paris in the late 30s and whose focus on African imagery (according to Lam anyway) received a lot of admiration and attention from Pablo The P.

Cudlin goes yard with this review; and kudos to VMFA for bringing this spectacular show to the Mid Atlantic.

See Alex Nyerges, Director of the VMFA, talk about this show:

Torpedo Factory Art Center Visiting Artist Program

Deadline: February 28, 2011.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center invites emerging and experienced artists to apply for one, two, or three-month residencies between June 1 and August 31, 2011.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center (www.torpedofactory.org) in Alexandria, Virginia is home to more than 140 visual artists working in 82 studios. Artists create in a wide variety of media including painting, fiber, jewelry, ceramics, printmaking, cast and stained glass, and sculpture. The Torpedo Factory is open to the public every day; visitors are invited and welcomed into studios to watch artists at work, ask questions, and purchase original art – allowing the public an opportunity to share in the excitement and fascination of the creative process.

The projects undertaken by Visiting Artists for this self-directed, creative residency must be compatible with available working studio spaces and facilities.

Visiting Artists will be provided with studio space and will be able to display and sell original work.

Finalists will be selected by yours truly. There is no application fee.

Download the Prospectus and Application Form from www.torpedofactory.org/vap.

Tonight in Norfolk

Several DMV area artists, such as Tim Tate, Andrew Wodzianski and yours truly are in MFA's Winter show. The reception is February 26, from 7-9PM.

MFA is easily and by far (in my clearly subjective opinion, but easily checked out), Norfolk's top fine arts gallery, with a gorgeous location on the city's waterfront.

Mayer Fine Art
333 Waterside Drive
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 803-4749