Therman Statom Workshop
The Washington Glass School will be hosting the Renwick Alliance's upcoming workshop with Therman Statom on Saturday, May 6th, 2006, from 10am to 3pm.
Raised in Washington, DC, Therman studied at the Pilchuk Glass School, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Pratt Institute, where he studied sculpture.
He has become known and revered worldwide for his innovative use of materials, processes, and forms, and particularly for his unusual uses of glass that do not require extensive equipment, hot shops or teams. Much of his signature work is done with glass plate, and includes a diverse array of forms.
The workshop costs $20 and it is mostly filled, but there is still gallery space left. Its a great affordable way to see Therman Statom and get to hear his unusual approach to sculpture.
Reserve your space at 202-744-8222 or email the school at WashGlassSchool@aol.com.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Heineman Myers Contemporary Art to Open
Heineman Myers Contemporary Art is set to celebrate its grand opening at 4728 Hampden Lane in Bethesda on Saturday, April 8th with a reception open to the public from 5-8pm for Baltimore photographer Connie Imboden.
According to Zoe Myers (the new gallery's director), "a mix of international and local artists working in all media will be shown in this newly designed art space, including large-scale works by such artists as sculptor Rick Cleaver, Grand Prize Winner of the 2003 Trawick Prize, and sculptor Javier Marin, Mexico’s participant in the 2003 Venice Biennale."
"Heineman Myers Contemporary Art will engage the D.C. area’s local, national and international community of artists, business leaders, collectors, curators, educators, public officials and students by providing a program of events and exhibitions for everyone who is interested in art," also said Zoe Myers.
"We are thrilled to have Heineman Myers Contemporary Art opening in downtown Bethesda. Our goal of making Bethesda a regional destination for the arts is further achieved by attracting fine art galleries such as the Heineman Myers," said Carol Trawick, Chair of the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District.
Zoe spent over two years went into the search for space around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
For the new gallery, the award-winning project team of HOK Architects and AR Contracting created a state-of-the-art exhibition space. In 2005 the team of HOK and AR Contracting won both the Gold Award from the International Interior Design Association for Retail Category in the Mid-Atlantic, and the Award of Excellence for Best First Floor Use from the D.C./Maryland chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks for the Numark Gallery project in downtown Washington.
I have no doubt that this new gallery will be a powerful new presence in our area and I am looking forward to its exhibitions and wish Zoe the best of luck.
The Power of the Web
Photographer Scott Lassman writes:
"I've got another power of the web story for you. I have a pretty pathetic website -- it's on my list to fix this year -- but at least I have a web presence. And it worked.I agree with Scott: pretty weak website with great photos!
I received an email two days ago from a collector in Beverly Hills, California who found my website while surfing the net and loved my work. She asked about purchasing some of it, we arranged payment through Paypal, and completed the sale yesterday.
I'll drop the print in mail on Monday. And she's already got the print listed on her own website as part of her growing collection (along with prints by Sally Mann and Will Van Overbeek). Pretty cool!"
Text Opening
TEXT opened last tonight at the Greater Reston Arts Center.
Left to right are Denise Wolff, Kriston Capps, Michael Janis and Molly Springfield. Behind them is the great artwork of Victor Ekpuk. More pics later... meanwhile, the Right Reverend Bailey (who is a Restonian by location) has an early look at the show here.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
WaPo looking for Style Section Arts Editorial Aide
Received the following from the WaPo:
Full-Time Editorial AideI suppose that interested parties should call the WaPo and ask for the Arts Editor or the Human Resources Office.
March 28, 2006
We are pleased to announce that Jonathan Padget, Style's arts editorial aide for the last three years, is moving to the Style copy desk, as a two-year intern. While filling in on the copy desk for the past two months, Jon has clearly demonstrated his talent for editing. We're very happy to welcome him to the corps of copy editors.
The editorial arts aide job is pivotal to our arts coverage, and our aim is to find a replacement quickly.
We seek someone with infinite patience and civility, as well as broad knowledge and interest in the arts and literature. The job involves many hours on the phone tracking down photos and talking to publicity agents, museums and publishers' reps. Strong organization skills are a must as the position serves as information central and provides support for all arts beats, visual arts as well as the movies. The job also involves occasional writing and reporting.
On a related note, Ben Forgey, who has been the WaPo's architecture critic since August 1981, will retire on June 2, 2006, so I suspect that the WaPo will be looking for a new architecture critic or more likely, promote someone from within.
Art Fair in DC?
It's too early to announce formally, but one of the major art fair outfits, who puts up art fairs at all the US cities where people actually buy art regularly (NYC, Chicago, LA and Miami) has been sniffing around the DC region to see if they have the groundwork, interest and reputable dealers aligned to do a major DC art fair at the new Convention Center.
If they are serious, I hope that:
(a) they are prepared to lose a ton of money for the first few years while the fair takes a solid footing in the region, which I think (if done right) it will. And this will be good for DC in the long run, because if the fair takes hold and makes money for the galleries, eventually it will grow and make money for the organizers and for DC galleries.
(b) they have a business model that allows soem flexibility and scaling and even haggling in pricing, so that local galleries can be attracted to participate, and also so that national and international galleries are given breaks to accommodate travel and expenses for a new market trial, and that non-profits are given some sort of price break as well - maybe scaled to the size and budget of the non-profit.
(c) they have some way to attract collectors from the region - rather than just DC.
More later as this solidifies.
Text Opens Tonight at GRACE
TEXT opens tonight from 6-8PM in the beautiful new spaces of the Greater Reston Arts Center.
The exhibition brings back all but one of the original Text artists from Seven.
It's super easy to get there off the Dulles Toll Road - See ya there!
Opportunity for Photographers (Under 25 that is)
Deadline: April 28, 2006
Duke University has an excellent competition for photographers under 25 years of age.
Every five years, the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University publishes a collection of work showcasing the talent of twenty-five of America’s most promising photographers, twenty-five years old and younger. The second book in the series, 25 Under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers, was selected a Best Book of 2003 by Photo District News.
Submission guidelines and all other info is available online here.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Bad at Sports
Bad at Sports is a podcast about surviving as an artist. It's a professionally produced art show that has quickly gained popularity among artists, hipsters and the top curators of the arts.
Bad at Sports shows a ground-level view of the visual arts from the perspective of practicing mid-career artists. It's anti-intellectual, but streetwise, and it combines to create a show that is very lively and funny.
The conversations and interviews often begin with the meaning behind the art, or the logistics of the project, but the discussion will eventually veer in the direction of the person's career path, their opinions of art scene, and their own personal goals, aspirations and frustrations.
They've had correspondents from London, New York, L.A. and San Francisco, and would now love to hear some art voices from DC.
They ask that interested people check out an episode first, because there's a very specific tone to the show, and if you don't get a sense of what the show is like, someone could easily make an audio file that's not a match for them.
Check them out here.
Wanna go to an opening tonite?
"From Sea to Shining Sea" at DCAC - Opening Reception is tonight,Friday, March 31 from 7-9 pm.
Curated by Ori Z. Soltes and assisted by Cara Ober. Featured artwork includes that of DC artists Craig Cahoon and Steve Cushner.
CP Blog
Hey! The Washington City Paper has a new online blog!
It's titled City Desk and can be read here.
Hopefully some of their art writers will emulate what some of their theatre critics have already done with area plays and start pushing some visual art shows... go Jeffry, go Lou!
Jacobson on Photography
Louis Jacobson reviews our current photography show in the City Paper. Read the review here.
Micro-Monumental
Can a sculpture the size of a kitchen matchbox have monumental impact? Kristen Hileman, Assistant Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, who a couple of years ago juried one of our best art competitions in years, has chosen 47 tiny sculptures from a field of 90 entries submitted by artists from Baltimore and Washington, Philadelphia and New England for a coming exhibition at Flashpoint.
This unusual collaboration of four regional sculpture groups (Washington Sculptors Group, Baltimore’s Sculptor’s Inc., in collaboration with the Philadelphia Sculptors Group and New England Sculptors Association.) is a "microcosm of the world of sculpture in 2006, exemplifying the diversity of artists, their materials and themes in the Northeastern United States."
Micro-Monumental is at Flashpoint Gallery April 6 to May 27, then travels to Xavier University Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio for the International Sculptors Conference: June 20 through July 22, 2006. The Artists' reception at Flashpoint is April 20, 6-8pm and the Juror’s talk is that same night at 7pm.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tapedude in the Morning News
The Morning News interviews Tapedude Mark Jenkins. Read the interview here.
DC Shorts Film Festival
The DC Shorts Film Festival showcases short films from around the world, followed by moderated discussions with filmmakers.
The annual festival seeks films 20 minutes or less, with a special cash awards for first-time, women and local (Washington DC area) filmmakers. They also screen specially selected films at the Canadian Embassy as part of a community arts event.
Filmmakers attending DC Shorts enjoy relaxed parties, city tours, free housing, meals and transportation. Most importantly, they get the opportunity to meet and learn from other filmmakers—an experience that comes from a showcase dedicated to short films and the people who make them.
Festival Name: DC Shorts Film Festival
Festival Address: 916 G Street NW, Studio 203, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 393-4266
E-mail: info@dcshorts.com
Website: www.dcshorts.com
Upcoming Festival Dates: Sept. 14-21, 2006
Upcoming Call for Entry Deadlines: June 30, 2006
Festival Contact (not for publication): Jon Gann, 202-393-4266, or email him at jon@dcshorts.com
After Effects
Just a reminder that the first night of the three part WPA/C Media Series, entitled "After Effects," curated by the fair Kathryn Cornelius will take place tonight, March 30th, from 7-9pm in the Corcoran's auditorium.
Details here.
Text at GRACE
Yesterday some of the artists participating in the second iteration of TEXT, which opens on Saturday from 6-8PM in the beautiful new spaces of the Greater Reston Arts Center, installed their work.
The exhibition brings back all but one of the original Text artists from Seven.
The artists in this iteration of Text are Molly Springfield, Mark Cameron Boyd, Michael Janis, Victor Ekpuk, Denise Wolff and Tim Tate.
Originally, J.T. Kirkland was part of the first group of Text artists, and part of the original proposal to GRACE; however, JT got selected for a well-deserved solo show that immediately follows Text at GRACE and we all thought that it would be better for Kirkland to go solo and thus I replaced him with Tate. Kirkland's opening at GRACE is Saturday, May 13 from 6-8pm.
For this version of Text, all artists have created mostly new work, and the very busy Molly Springfield, who has been having a spectacular 2006 so far, has a digital slide show of her "Notes" for this version of Text.
The exhibition opens this coming Saturday, April 1st with an opening catered reception from 6-8PM. Then we will have an artists' talk the next Saturday, April 8 starting at 7PM. Direction to GRACE are here.
See ya there!
Lassman's Cockroach Girl
Alexandra Silverthorne over at Solarize This has an interesting posting on the terrific photograph by Scott Lassman titled "Girl with Cockroaches" that is currently part of our Bethesda International Photography Exhibition.
The photo has attracted a lot of attention, and as Alexandra points out, there are various merit and creep factor reasons for some of the attention. I have also overheard some discussion by gallery visitors, and even answered a few questions about the photo.
Here's some background:
- The cockroaches are real and are not superimposed on top of the little girl's body.
- Not only are those huge suckers real, but they are Madagascar hissing cockroaches, so they make noises as well!
- The roaches are the pets of the little girl.
- One of them was recently lost in a hotel room in New England. I don't know about you, but I'm skipping visiting New England for a while.
Aother darker (and ignorant) set of comments overheard (just the usual handful of two or three idiots), have been a few folks who have been offended by the nudity of the little girl in the photo. I have zero patience for people who see something bad or sinister or morally wrong with nudity, and have very vocally challenged the "commenters" about the fact that perhaps there is something wrong with "them" in seeing something bad about a happy little girl resting on the grass, with a huge smile as her repulsive pets tickle her tummy, simply because the photo implies that she's in the buff.
It's an excellent photo and a great deal as well by the way... it measures 17x11 inches and it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free mat and framed under glass in a black metal moulding frame to 32.5 x 20.5 inches and sells for $600. Call the gallery at 301/718-9651 if you are interested.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Rousseau on Photography
Dr. Claudia Rousseau, the art critic for the Gazette newspapers reviews our current Bethesda International Photography Competition show in today's paper. Read the review here.
Rousseau notes that:
The fourth annual Bethesda International Photography Competition coincided with the publication of a national art magazine cover that features the headline "Photography: What’s Hot" — both a question and a statement.You can see the exhibition online here and you can read the rest of Dr. Rousseau's review here.
What is hot in photography these days? Art photography is more popular than ever. Collectors are willing to spend large sums, more than a million dollars in a recent auction, on individual prints. A look at the work of the competition winners now at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda also indicates that traditional photography is still healthy — despite Kodak’s 2005 announcement that it would no longer manufacture black and white printing papers.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Jamison Opens at Irvine
Susan Jamison's long awaited solo opens at Irvine on April 6 with an opening reception from 6-8PM.
Jamison's had a tremendous 2005. For starters, I selected her for the Seven exhibition, where Martin Irvine discovered her amazing works and signed her up.
And Irvine Contemporary has done wonders for Jamison. She was taken down to Miami for scope, where I am told she sold out; she was also at Irvine's highly successful New York adventure recently.
And now Susan will make her DC solo debut in the front gallery of Irvine's space on Connecticut Avenue, while Robert Mellor takes up the rear gallery with a show of new work.
Both exhibitions will run from April 6 through May 5 with an opening reception with the artists on Fri. April 7 at 6 PM. Jamison and Mellor will also give gallery talks about their work on Sat. April 8 at 2 PM.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Tale of two Jacks
Jack Boul Does The Art League
When I picked up the list of artists selected by juror Jack Boul for the Art League’s monthly juried exhibition, I was pleasantly surprised to read one of the shortest and most to-the-point juror statements that I’ve ever read.
Boul’s statement:
"In a recent review of the contemporary art at the 2006 Whitney Biennial, the reviewer said: ‘The state of our nation’s artists is grim.’Bravo Jack!
After selecting the show at the Art League, I disagree. Artwork is not in crisis. It is alive and well at The Art League. And I find it refreshing!"
Boul reviewed 591 entries and selected 128 for the exhibition. His top award went to a very painterly oil by Nancy Tankersley titled Kitchen Pas de Deux. It is one of the rare times that I’ve agreed with a juror. It’s an intelligent and well-crafted painting. I also quite liked a pastel by M. McGurk titled "Corner Booth" that shows a Hopper-like, aloof blonde beauty, immersed in her own icy world of loneliness.
Sexy in a different way was M. Mitsuyasu's photograph titled "Night Blooming Cereus Portrait 16" and Jackie Saunders' always superb watercolor entry titled "Elena, Elegant." I also liked Isil Ozisik’s masterful wet-on-wet watercolors series "Rain." I know of no one in our area that can paint Washington, DC better than Ozisik.
But let me tell you about the piece that took my breath away."Pippy Takes a Ride" is a magnificent oil portrait by Edward J. Reed, who goes by Ted, and who teaches portrait painting at the Art League in Alexandria.
In this work, Reed captures that immensely difficult wisp of essence that makes a portrait change from a painting of a person to a portrait of a person.
He has not only captured the pretty-girl quality of the model (who is one of the most popular and talented Art League models around), but also managed to catch her presence and spirit. This is just not a painting of a deeply sensual woman dressed in tough biker gear; this is a work of art that steals a little bit of the soul and presence of the model and embeds it in the oil and medium and visual weight of the work.
WOW!
I was absolutely hypnotized by the work, and on a second and third view of the work, I noticed a clever hanging of the works around it. Right below the painting was a very sexy black and white photograph of a woman’s curled toes. The photograph is lined up directly below where Pippy’s legs end.
"Did you know?" I asked the gallerist at the Art League, "that those toes are the toes of the same model who posed for Pippy?"
The gallerist glowed. "Yes!" she smiled, "that’s why I put them there."
Jack Rasmussen does Target
While I was in Alexandria I dropped by the Target Gallery to see the show juried by my good friend Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the Katzen Arts Center. He juried a show titled "Stretched Tight," with a fascinating set of works and artists, and like any group show, some superb selections and a dud or two.
The piece that took my immediate attention on the first go-round was Brent A. Holland’s "Self-Portrait," a gorgeous oil on panel work that reminded me of the hard-core grittiness of harsh realists such as Gregory Gillespie was.
I also like Pat Goslee’s continuing exploration of the vast, moist world of odd, sensual vaginalism in an encaustic work titled "In Her Synaptic Gap."
Three works by Cara Ober were awarded the Best in Show by Rasmussen, and were all three intelligent choices.
Another piece that I liked was Anna Davis’ "Back to the Cradle," another one of her bright paper-on-canvas-that-look-like-mosaics works.
The dud in the show (in my opinion) was Laura Yang’s "Untitled 533" which was a fair enough of a painting, except that I’ve seen this sort of "quickie" Marsley-like thing a million times over the last few decades, and it never worked for me the first time, and not this millionth time.
Overall it was a top notch show, a nicely-done juried job by Jack, and another good exhibition by Target, which continues to do well thanks to a well-developed juror pool that uses the best in our area to select work for the gallery each month.
Silverthorne reviews
Alexandra Silverthorne continues to take an in-depth look at our current photography exhibition.
Overall review here.
Review of Aleksei Pechnikov here.
Review of Lee Goodwin here.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Art Deal of the Week
My third pick is this intelligent New York photograph by American photographer Chris Davis.
It is titled "New York Niche" and the photograph measures 28x19 inches and then it is matted in a white pH-balanced acid free white museum mat and framed in a black metal moulding under plexiglass to a framed size of 36x24 inches. Photo is signed by the photographer. The price (including frame): $200. That's an incredible deal for this large photo.
To buy it call 301/718-9651 or email the gallery.
Artwork Needed for Charity Auction
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is soliciting for artist donations for a silent auction held at the 17th annual DC Leadership Awards at the Omni Shoreham on May 6, 2006. All proceeds from the Leadership Awards benefit the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation.
In exchange for your donation, you will receive a listing in their program and public acknowledgement of your gift during the auction. Participation in the Silent Auction is an amazing opportunity to promote your art to a highly desirable target audience, as well as provide support to a wonderful cause.
For further details, including deadlines and pick-up/drop off information, please visit www.thetaskforce.org. If you would rather have a form faxed, emailed or mailed to you, and for other inquiries, please contact David Swanson at dswanson@thetaskforce.org.
Opportunity for Photographers
Arts in Healing: Call for Photographers – "Celebrating a Spirit". On Wednesday, April 5, 2006. New Horizons, the arts education and cultural enrichment program at Children's National Medical Center and Sarah Mattingly, founder and director of Celebrating a Spirit, are inviting professional photographers to a new Children's National Medical Center initiative.
To learn more about this wonderful community project of love, please join them at Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, Washington, DC on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at 5:30 pm in the Mini Atrium. For more detail information pleases contact Tina Lassiter, 202-884-3465.
Wanna go to a couple of artists' talk today?
First of all, the WPA\C Presents: Wallsnatchers panel discussion, today Sunday, March 26, 2006 @ 4pm (free) at the exhibition space at 3307 M Street, NW, WDC 20007
Talking points:
* Moving Street Art into the Gallery
* Street Art and Commercial Success
* Street Art and the community
* The Internet
This panel discussion is a continuation of the DCAC's Sunday Artist Talk series -- an opportunity for DC artists to come together and talk about creativity in DC and in the greater art community.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Text Opens at GRACE April 1st
If you visited the Seven exhibition that I curated last year at the Warehouse Galleries, then you saw that one of the seven spaces had an exhibition where the artists all focused around the subject of text in art.
That concept has been picked up by a couple of other art venues, and next April 1st, a second iteration of Text, curated again by yours truly opens at the Greater Reston Arts Center in Reston, Virginia.
The artists in Text are Mark Cameron Boyd, Victor Ekpuk, Michal Hunter, Michael Janis, Molly Springfield, Tim Tate and Denise Wolff.
What: TEXT at Greater Reston Arts Center.
When: Opening reception on Saturday, April 1, 6-8 pm and Artists' Dialogue on Saturday, April 8, 7 pm.
Where: The brand-spanking new GRACE located at 12001 Market St., Suite 103, Reston, VA. Call 703-471-9242 for more info.
See ya there!
The Power of the Web
She then submitted a piece entitled "Floracion Hispana" and it won first place!
The unveiling of the winning work will be held on April 6th, 2006 at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C's Gala Hispanic Theatre - Tivoli. Mayor Anthony A. Wiilliams has been invited to make the opening remarks.
Angela Lubinecky's art will grace the 2006/07 cover of the VEGA Directorio en Espanol for Virgina, Maryland and Washington D.C.
Congrats!
Opportunities for Artists
Deadline: July 1, 2006
Arlington Arts Center – Call for Solo Exhibitions for 2007. Artists working in the six Mid-Atlantic states (VA, DC, MD, WV, DE, PA) may apply for solo exhibitions between January-December 2007 in one of the Arlington Arts Center galleries. All media will be considered. The grounds surrounding the building can accommodate outdoor sculpture.
More information and the application form may be downloaded from their website at www.arlingtonartscenter.org under Exhibitions/Artist Opportunities.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Ohmygawd
When Michelle sent me this link, all her email said was Ohmygawd... I concur.
What is it?
Dedication Honors Nude Britney Spears Giving BirthRead the rest here.A nude Britney Spears on a bearskin rug while giving birth to her firstborn marks a 'first' for Pro-Life. Pop-star Britney Spears is the "ideal" model for Pro-Life and the subject of a dedication at Capla Kesting Fine Art in Brooklyn's Williamsburg gallery district, in what is proclaimed the first Pro-Life monument to birth
Cudlin on Dada
If there was ever a perfect alignment of critic and show to review, I think that it is my good friend's Jeffry Cudlin's interest in theory and his superb CP review of Dada at the NGA.
The key to his review and to the show itself:
"More important, the number of seemingly Duchampian objects produced by the artist’s contemporaries begins to dull any sense of Duchamp as a solitary genius who single-handedly changed the course of modern art."Nail has been hit dead-on the head, sir...
Parsons on Bollocks
God knows what sort of Google traffic that headline will get me, but DCist's Adrian Parsons has a really cool look at itsy bitsy bollocks at Transformer.
Read it here.
Job in the Arts
The Arlington Arts Center is looking for a part time administrative coordinator. Candidate must pay attention to detail, have a good phone demeanor, and experience dealing with the public (and sometimes, with kids!).
He/she should be able to work on multiple tasks simultaneously, and be able to manage a very quick-paced work environment. Some light physical labor is occasionally involved, and nights and weekends are sometimes required. Along with knowledge of all Microsoft Office applications (especially Excel and Access), flexibility, enthusiasm, and a sense of humor are essential. Experience with Photoshop and knowledge of Spanish would be an added plus. (Perfect for an artist who wants to work in the studio and have a job in the arts at the same time.) 20 hours a week, $10/hour.
Please send resume and cover letter via email to info@arlingtonartscenter.org, or via fax at 703.248.6849. No phone calls, please.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
The Power of the Web
We're about to close a major acquisition by a major New York City museum (I just used "major" twice in one sentence) and it has all (well 98%) happened through the Internets.
Other that a phone call or two, most of the questions, answers, images, etc. and transactions have been accomplished through the power of the web.
And a second (fingers crossed) possible major (and multiple) acquisition by a major (geez... "major" again!) Brooklyn museum (did I just give it up?) has so far been coordinated, crafted and negotiated 98% through the Internets and 2% through snail mail.
More on that later.
Goss Goes Gallery Hopping
Try to say that fast three times in a row. In any event, the fair Heather Goss goes gallery hopping (sort of) here.
Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?
"Strong Work Hot Topics" is a show now on exhibit through April 5, 2006 at the Marlboro Gallery of Prince George's Community College.
The exhibition features the work of Marilyn Banner (Bethesda, MD), Tom Block (Silver Spring, MD), Donte’ Hayes (Atlanta, GA), Dylan Scholinski (Wash. DC), and Clarissa Sligh (NYC).
According to the news release, "this exhibit brings together five artists whose work addresses, in powerful and direct ways, peoples’ struggles for survival in the face of violations of human rights and dignity. Evoking issues of anti-Semitism, racism, political imprisonment, and gender identity intolerance, the work asks us to re-consider our own beliefs and assumptions about 'those others,' and to take responsibility for ending scapegoating of all kinds."
The opening is Friday, March 24 from 6-8 pm, with music by Washington Musica Viva.
Another March 30th art event...
Looks like the DC Art Gods have aligned to focus a ton of good stuff to happen on March 30, 2006. In addition to all the great stuff happening on that day that I've already discussed here previously (I'll re-cap later), there's also a good opening at the University of Maryland for those of you who are on the Maryland side and don't feel like trekking to the District.
The University of Maryland's Union Gallery presents "Midpoint: 2nd Year MFA Candidates at the University of Maryland" on display March 30 - April 20, 2006.
The exhibition displays the work of four artists: Peter Gordon, Ben Lock, Brian Sykes, and Adam White. They are all halfway through the University's three-year Masters of Fine Arts program. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held Thursday, March 30th, 6-8 PM.
Also on that day:
Details here for a tour of the new Grant Wood show given by Jane Milosch, the new curator-in-charge.
Details here for After Effects of the Experimental Media Series - Curated by Kathryn Cornelius at the Corcoran.
Details here for Hirshhorn After Hours.
Tapedude on TV
I am told that this morning Channel 7 News had a clip on Mark Jenkins and his outdoor tape sculptures. See them here.
The gallerist as juror
One curious (and welcomed) fact that I've noted about our current exhibition is the relationship to the overall success of a juried exhibition to the background of the juror.
Let me explain.
Since we opened the Fraser Gallery in 1996, as part of our gallery's program, we've had dozens of invited guest curators and jurors over the years tasked with curating and jurying one or two shows a year for us. The idea was and is, to bring some fresh eyes, thoughts and ideas, besides that of the gallery-owners.
These jurors have included multiple curators from the Hirshhorn, from the Corcoran, and other museums, as well as established artists and photographers, and art critics.
They have without a doubt delivered strong, sometimes surprising, shows, and nearly always accomplished the task of offering our public something new and different from what the focus of our gallery has been.
And yet, when one brings the seasoned eye of an experienced gallerist to the juror's task, as it was the case in this exhibition and the many others that my partner has curated for other organizations and art venues, something slightly different happens.
The exhibition has all the strong, aesthetic points that most well-curated shows exhibit in general, but in addition to that, it also sells well!
Fact: the current show has been well received by the critics, but it has also already sold more photographs than all of the previous three photography competitions combined!
This, of course, is a gallerist's dream: to have a show that is well received by the critics and the public, and that also actually sells some work.
Silverthorne on Photography
Alexandra Silverthorne visits our current exhibition.
Read her review here.
Hsu on Springfield
The CP's Huan Hsu has a really good profile of DC area artist Molly Springfield. Read that here.
You can also see some of Springfield's works as part of the "Text" exhibition opening at the Greater Reston Arts Center on April 1, 2006.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Another thing to do on the 30th
This day is really getting packed for art lovers!
On Thursday, March 30th at 3pm, join the Washington Glass School staff at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery for a personal tour of the new Grant Wood show given by Jane Milosch, the new curator-in-charge.
This tour is sponsored by the Renwick Alliance and is a good chance for some of you emerging glass artists out there to meet the new curator and find out more about the Renwick Alliance at the same time. This is totally free of cost and is open to the public.
Meet them inside the main doors at 2:45PM.
