Give an art set for Xmas

AC Moore has really good art sets starting at $9.99 - no better way to get a young mind interested in art!


And here's a $10 coupon.


Give art at Xmas - or an art-creation kickstart!

The curious case of Anatol Zukerman and Charles Krause Reporting LLC v. United States Postal Service

From my good friend DC gallerist Charles Krause comes the below guest piece (reproduced with his permission from his newsletter), detailing the curious case of artist Anatol Zukerman and a customized US stamp.

Personally, I find it very curious that the Zukerman stamp was denied for being "political", while clearly other political stamps (such as stamps for Cruz, Bush, Sanders, etc.) noted below are OK... and this does raise a curious question about this particular Zukerman stamp.

I do have an answer to Charles' question: "Are zazzle and the Postal Service in bed with the Republicans?."

I don't think so.

My answer is based in the fact that there's a gazillion Democratic junk on that site as well, including a lot of both "pro" and "against" Clinton crap.... and even one very funny anti Cuban-American candidate Ted Cruz button (image to the right, cough, cough)... and a truckload (almost 1,400 pages of items!) of both pro/against, but plenty of nasty, sometimes funny, anti-Trump stuff.

And based on that empirical evidence, and loads of other imagery from the site, it is clear to me that zazzle.com is not in bed with the Republicans, but it is an equal opportunity bedmate to both parties and the nuts who make up both parties' extremes.

I see absolutely no zazzle lean to the right or the left: Dems and Repubs are equally applauded and/or pissed on... there's no case here for any political lean.

Where Zukerman and Krause do have case, is why zazzle.com declined to print the stamp.

It may be a "visual" issue (and thus another reaffirmation of the power of the representational visual arts). Both the Cruz, and the Sanders, and the Bush stamps discussed in Charles' newsletter (and seen below less Bernie's) are just mostly words on a stamp, while Zukerman's stamp is a powerful visual reference (in addition to words).

Should this make a difference in the "too political" classification? I don't think so, and this is where the suit may have some legs. And thus it is curious that zazzle.com did what they did. It is also wrong and I hope that the courts rule for Zukerman and Krause.

Read the piece below:

Last week, a team of lawyers from the highly regarded Washington law firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans and Figel, working pro bono, filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Anatol Zukerman, an artist whose oil pastel drawings are often deadlier than the guns he abhors, and my gallery, which has represented Anatol and his work since 2013. 

The complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief asks the Court to find

"the Defendant USPS has, both directly and through its agent, unlawfully engaged in both content and viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution."  The case has been filed as Civil Action No. 15-2131, Anatol Zukerman and Charles Krause Reporting LLC v. United States Postal Service.

As many of you reading this know, I've long believed that Art can be a catalyst for social and political change. Like many others, I've also been convinced for some time that the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, permitting corporations, unions and individuals to donate unlimited sums of money to political campaigns, would sooner or later undermine faith in our elected officials and compromise our democratic system.

And that, it seems to me, is what's already begun to happen: corporations and the super-rich are investing in start-up candidates for Congress and the Presidency, the way Silicon Valley invests in start-up tech companies. It doesn't matter if they drop $10 or $20 million on a couple of start-ups who fail to deliver (Jeb Bush, for example, or Martin O'Malley) because all the donor class needs is one of their candidates to make it to the White House and they've hit the jackpot.  The pay-off is huge for all of them.

For the rest of us? Not so much, or not at all, which is why the Republican base is in rebellion, why Bernie Sanders is doing so much better than expected and why the Supreme Court's ruling in the Koch Brothers' Citizens United case is so dangerous.

Everyone knows that investors, whether Republican or Democrat, expect a return on their investment. And what more and more Americans are beginning to realize is that as long as our elected officials are dependent on the 1 percent to pay for their campaigns, the 99 per cent will get screwed, one way or another.

Just like income inequality, middle class voters especially sense there's a growing disconnect between their needs and their elected officials' willingness to help them. It doesn't seem to matter which party they vote for. Many of them don't know what to do about it or who's to blame. 

That's why Citizens United will be a major focus of The 1 Percent Exhibit: Visualizing IncomeInequality in America, my next exhibit, opening in February. And why, last April, I encouraged Anatol Zukerman to have his Citizens United drawing, which had been exhibited in my gallery in 2013, printed as a postage stamp.

Having worked one summer as a researcher-writer for Chief Justice Warren Burger and having studied Constitutional Law with one of the great teachers of all time, Professor Henry Abraham at the University of Pennsylvania,  I want to believe that, if enough evidence accumulates and enough pressure builds, the Court itself will one day recognize its mistake and reconsider Citizens United, as it has on rare occasions with other decisions before.

But I recognize that day, if it ever comes, is a long

way off. Meanwhile, we've got to do what we can now to keep our politicians honest (or, at least somewhat honest) and the One Percenters in check.  I never thought the 40 stamps Anatol ordered would be more than a band aid, a clever way to interest more collectors in his wonderfully provocative drawings and call attention to an issue we both felt strongly about. 

On the other hand, it never occurred to either one of us that zazzle.com, one of three companies the Postal Service partners with to print "custom" postage stamps, would reject the order on the grounds that our Citizens United stamp was "too political."

After all, zazzle.com had plastered the Cruz for President 2016 stamps it had printed all over its website last April. Since then, it has printed Bush-Texas 2016 and even a Sanders 2016 stamp. How is it possible that those stamps were acceptable if ours was not? 

ARE ZAZZLE AND THE POSTAL SERVICE

IN BED WITH THE REPUBLICANS?

 

Zazzle.com's summary rejection of our stamp --coupled with the Cruz for President stamps,  T- shirts, pins and nasty anti-Clinton bumper stickers we saw on  the zazzle.com website the day Anatol's design was submitted, accepted and then rejected a couple of hours later---immediately raised questions in my mind about zazzle's political neutrality.

While it does print caps and bumper stickers and pins for Democratic Party candidates, Zazzle's website leaves the distinct impression that it's a Republican party vendor, not a US Government vendor free of partisan politics, as one might expect.

Since our suit was filed, zazzle.com has removed all traces of its Cruz for President and Texas-Bush stamps from its website. But it still has plenty of nasty anti-Hillary bumper stickers...

Which raises a number of questions:

• Does the Postal Service monitor these private sector vendors  to ensure they are, and remain, non-partisan?
• What other political stamps has zazzle.com rejected?
• If printing four or five different "Cruz for President" and "Texas for Bush 2016" stamps is okay, why is a stamp saying "Democracy is Not for Sale" not okay?
• What criteria does zazzle use? Are they its own or is this, in effect, outsourced government censorship?
• Did the judges (or censors) decide "Democracy is Not for Sale" is not a true statement? Will they argue that Anatol was being facetious by placing it next to his drawing? 
• Will they try to shift the focus from their own apparent failure to properly oversee zazzle.com's custom stamp operation by suggesting our proposed stamp presented an unfair and inaccurate representation of the Citizens United decision?

We should only be so lucky.

I would love the opportunity to depose the Koch Brothers, asking them why they created Citizens United in the first place; how much they paid the lawyers who won the case for them; and how much more money they've been able to pump into their political machine as a result of the Citizens United decision.

I'd also like to ask them, since they purport to be libertarians, whether they think the Postal Service and zazzle.com did the right thing by refusing to print our stamp.

Critique led by visual artist Cory Oberndorfer

Thursday, January 14, 7-9:30pm

 

Greater Reston Arts Center invites interested artists to bring 1-2 recent artworks to the gallery for a group discussion and critique.  Each critique will be run by a guest artist or curator and the GRACE Education Director. GRACE will provide light refreshments and beverages. All participants must be willing to discuss their artwork and the artwork of others. Space is very limited. Ages 18 and up. Registration #402645.

 

Register by contacting the gallery at (703) 471-9242 or info@restonarts.org

 

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this:

From:

Adam Vinter (am.casey@comcast.net)

Greetings,

I will like to make a purchase to my store in Finland. I will be making payment by means of my credit card. I will like to know if there is any special discount. Lastly regarding shipment, my picker will come for the pickup after payment. Kindly get back to me at adamgreatlife1@aol.com

I hope to hear from you soon

Warmest Regards.
Adam Vinter

Artist Talk: Hannah Spector

Saturday, December 19, 3pm at Transformer

Join Transformer this Saturday for an artist talk with Hannah Spector as she discusses her new body of work in We Lost Our Teeth For A Second Time.

Transformer's 13th Annual DC Artist Solo Exhibition presents the work of Hannah Spector in her first solo exhibition.

Featuring a new body of collage and mixed-media installation that examines shape and color in relation to myth, We Lost Our Teeth For A Second Time plays upon a lyrical interpretation of man's mythical understanding of consciousness through symbols and shadows. Through an investigation of seemingly irrelevant shape and form, Spector aims to choreograph color and shape, exploring the dichotomy of form and sensation.

t r a n s f o r m e r | 1404 P St NW  Washington  DC  20005 | 202.483.1102 | transformerdc.org

 

Percent-for-Art Programs

If you've taken my "Bootcamp for Artists" 8-hour seminar, then you know that I've been preaching this for almost two decades now... but just in case you didn't believe me...

These ordinances, called percent-for-art programs, are seeking to use public spaces to bring art into the consciousness of a wider public by requiring a fee, usually some percentage of the project cost, on large scale development projects in order to fund and install public art.  That percentage usually ranges from 0.5% to 2%, with most programs (ironically) adopting 1% allocation.  As such, percent-for-art programs have been popping up all over the country, although the details may vary from area to area.  For example, the City of Los Angeles’ 1% for arts program, has developers pay an amount equal to 1% of the construction value of a large-scale project to fund public art at the construction site.

Check Nicolita Martinez article here.

Brentwood Arts Exchange is hiring a full-time Assistant Director!

The Brentwood Arts Exchange is seeking candidates for a full-time Assistant Director.

Qualified candidates should have a diverse skill set, including a strong understanding of contemporary art; familiarity with arts marketing; understanding of community-focused arts education programming, excellent written and oral communication skills; knowledge of art handling best practices; proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud applications;  and knowledge of graphic design principles.

Complete job description and application are available here.

Hurry!!! Application closes 1/26/16.

Press mention

The very talented Elissa Farrow-Savos gets a nice mention in Esther Nash's report on ABMB week:

Showcased at context art fair, the Piece is called totem pile by Elissa Savos art work is a narration of inner worlds revealed. They are about the moments in life we are not sure we should share, and feelings that we are not quite sure we should feel, about our bodies, our families, our choices. 

Read the whole report here.

Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship

APPLICATION FOR 2016-2018 NOW OPEN

The 9th annual open call for the Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship is now open. Advancing the professional development of emerging visual artists, the two-year program serves as a steppingstone for the next generation of contemporary artists in Washington, DC. What will you receive as a Hamiltonian Fellow? -  Solo and group exhibitions in Hamiltonian Gallery -  Mentorship from established artists and art professionals   -  Exhibition support and peer critiques -  Access to professional development lectures and career resources  -  Annual $1,000 stipend   -  Gallery representation through Hamiltonian Gallery  -  Community engagement and outreach opportunities   Apply Today! We have taken our application process online! Visit www.hamiltonianartists.org/apply for all information on application guidelines, fellowship requirements, the selection process, as well as our submission form.   Deadline: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 COB

HAMILTONIAN ARTISTS INC. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing professional development opportunities to innovative visual artists early in their careers. We offer a competitive two-year fellowship program to artists who have finished their academic training and are looking to transition into a professional art career. Artists working in all media are encouraged to apply. We also run a Professional Development Speaker Series that is free and open to the public.

CONTACT:   1353 U Street, NW Washington, DC  20009 202.332.1116 www.hamiltonianartists.org www.hamiltoniangallery.com

Celebs and other art symbiots at Miami

This year's Art Miami and Context Art Miami fairs were visited by prominent attendees, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who was the first to see both fairs in a private tour prior to the opening, and actor/artist Adrien Brody attended the closing on Sunday. 

Many other notable celebrities, collectors and art advisors filled in the week, including Elle Macpherson; Troy Garity (Jane Fonda's son); Jorge and Darlene Pérez; Canadian business mogul and "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary and his wife Linda; basketball star Alonzo Mourning; fashion magnate Tommy Hilfiger; Stephen and Kara Ross; George Collins (former CEO of T. Rowe Price); Edgardo Defortuna; TV producer Larry W. Jones; Jessica Goldman Srebnick and Scott Srebnick; Richard Perlman and Ellen Hanson; Chris and Jane LaGuardia; Sandy Gross; Hilary and Wilbur Ross; owner of Philadelphia Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie; President & CEO of Miami Dolphins Tom Garfinkel; Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak and wife Nili Priel; U.S. Ambassador Earle Mack; Ahmet Kobasiuk (Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul); Harry Cooper (curator and head of modern art at the National Gallery of Art); The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery assistant curator of prints and drawings Asma Naeem; Don Bacigalupi, Founding President for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Chicago) and Former President and member of the board of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; collectors Lizbeth and George Krupp (Boston); David Mirvish (Toronto); Howard and Mary Frank (Miami and Southampton); Maxine and Stuart Frankel (Michigan); Paul and Paula Wittmann (Palm Beach); Andrew and Stacey Kroll; collectors Robert and Dede Moss; basketball player David Lee; philanthropists Jeff and Yolanda Berkowitz; artist Carole Feuerman; Derek Harte; entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Ein; andart advisor Kim Heirston. Artists present included Bernie Taupin and wife his Heather; Apex; Alexis Diaz; Gino Miles; Gary Lang and Ruth Pastine; John Henry; Doug Argue; Dana Louise Kirkpatrick; and Robert Sagerman. Notable guests at the VIP Preview included board members, artists, major collectors, business leaders, curators and directors such as: Merrill Lynch Wealth Management's Market Executive Josh Moody and Managing Director Andres de Corral; Christie's International Real Estate's CEO Dan Conn, Senior Vice President Rick Moeser, and Founding Member and Advisory Board member Jeff Hyland; Debi and Jeffrey Wechsler; Martin and Audrey Gruss; Bruce Makowsky; Marvin Ross Friedman and Adrienne Bon Haes; Ed Shumsky and Sue Kronick; Michel Witmer; art advisor Kim Heirston; Pérez Art Museum Miami's new Director Franklin Sirmans and Deputy Director for External Affairs Leann Standish; Bechtler Museum's (Charlotte, NC) Andreas Bechtler; Steve Schwarzman; Jerry Powers; Jane Wooldridge and Stetson Glines; developer Tony Cho; and stylist Elysze Held, along with many museum donors and young contemporaries from Pérez Art Museum Miami, Guggenheim Museum of Art, CORE Club, Cooper Hewitt Design, Bass Museum of Art; Frost Art Museum, ICA Miami, St. Louis Art Museum and Wolfsonian, among many others.

The Alper Initiative is ready to accept proposals

 
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art promotes an understanding and appreciation of the art and artists of the Washington Metropolitan Area. They provide and staff a dedicated space located within the gorgeous American University Museum, to present exhibitions, programs, and resources for the study and encouragement of our creative community.

The Alper Initiative space will feature five exhibitions per year. 

Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the AU Museum, and one the DMV's strongest supporters of area artists, will select a curator (or curators) for each exhibition to develop shows that highlight regional artists. Washington area artists and curators are encouraged to submit exhibition proposals and work for consideration.

You can submit your proposal here. 

I plan to submit a proposal! If you have any ideas, drop me a note.

Wake effect

Constant readers already know that I'm always taking about the "wake effect" of doing art fairs.

Tim Vermeulen showed with us at Context Art Miami this past week and sold well.

We've also now just closed the deal on five commissions for him!

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival

Application Deadline: December 20

The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival features 130 booth spaces for artists. All original fine art and fine craft is eligible to apply. All work must be created by the artist; no manufactured or mass produced work is eligible. All artists must provide their own white tents and weights.

Details and application here.

Last chance to see Artomatic!

This Saturday is your last chance to visit Artomatic 2015!

 

This Saturday, December 12th, is the final night for Artomatic 2015!. This is your last chance to meet the talented people who make Artomatic shine. Come out to view artworks by hundreds of artists, watch a film, see a performance, take a workshop and find the perfect gift while supporting your local artists! 

 

Don't miss it - there is something for everyone!

 

Weekend finale highlights:

 

In celebration of the holiday season there is a bad Santa and Ugly sweater competition on Friday at 10PM, winners get an Artomatic swag bag with goodies including a special surprise!

Latino Heritage Night - Join them in celebrating Latino Heritage and Meet the Artist Reception at 7pm; Dance to the beat of DC Cuban All Stars Band from 8pm onwards!

Join the final night festivities on Saturday - anything can happen the last day of Artomatic! Fire, Dance, Food, Art, Photo Booth and More!

Palette 22: New Opportunity!

Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP) David Clapp and Dave Nicholas recently appointed Cara Leepson as the arts director for Palette 22, which is opening this January within the heart of The Village at Shirlington at 4053 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA, 22206.  

 

A native of Middleburg, Virginia, Leepson graduated in 2009 with a BA in Studio Art with an emphasis in photography, and minor in museum studies from Lynchburg College.  She earned her MA in Art History & Museum Studies with a focus on public programming and contemporary art from Georgetown in 2011.  Her art education and career path has taken her to Charleston, SC, Washington, DC, Florence, Italy and New York City to study and to work in museums, galleries and in non-profit art centers.  Leepson has garnered experience working with esteemed art institutions, Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Hillyer Art Space.  She also worked at the art management firm, ArtSee as Washington’s creative program director, and at Potomac, Maryland’s Glenstone as a collections assistant and docent, before accepting the new director position at Palette 22. 

 

One of Leepson’s first initiatives is to spearhead both art programs that will play an integral role in launching Palette 22, which is opening in January 2016. 

 

All the programs will offer unique opportunities for local artists to showcase their work in a public setting.  Artists within a 90-mile radius of the restaurant, which is located in the heart of The Village at Shirlington at 4053 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA, 22206, are eligible to submit their artwork to be considered for one of two programs: Artist in Residence Program and Merchandising Program.  

 

Artists are asked to submit a sample portfolio of their work and specific the category, to Palette 22’s Arts Director, Cara Leepson, via email at: cara@palette22.com.  

 

Additional information about Palette 22 can be found here.

Artists' Studios Open House

Noon- 5pm  on Saturday, Dec 12

The artist studios around the Washington Glass School are also open -  Artbar, ReCreative Spaces, Otis Street Arts, Project, White Point Studio, Orange Door Studios, Tanglewood Works, Blue Door Studios, and more. Nearby Brentwood Arts Exchange has their craft store and will have specialty beer tastings.

The list of artists in the Washington Glass School: http://washingtonglassschool.com/washington-glass-school-mount-rainier-artist-studio-winter-open-studio-december-12-2015

Don't miss Alma Selimovic's new work at next door's Otis Studio, and of course, see the work by Mordini and Hennessey there as well!

See ya there!

ABMB Report: Final Day

I'm up around 6AM.

Why?
 
Because if you get down to Wynwood early on Sunday, you can get a great parking spot a few feet off the loading docks and it makes a world of difference when 6PM arrives and the fair ends and the dance of trucks and vans start to reload for the trips back home.

Today it was packed.

Humanity crowded the aisles, but this was a "strolling" crowd... not really interested in art; while the aisles where crowded, the gallery booths were empty! The people chatted, interacted with each other, push their strollers and had a nice stroll with little peripheral interest in art.

No matter: We've had a monster art fair - the two previous days set new records and at the end - the bottom line is that lots of new works of art by several artists (most of them from the DMV) have found new homes all over the planet.

At six  the fair ends... two minor sales all day. And at the end, a quick cursory look at the sales book indicates that this has been the best art fair that we've done in almost 10 years of doing art fairs! And the work is going all over the place, not just Miami/Florida area, but Germany, UK, Puerto Rico, Chicago, LA, NYC, Argentina, and one even coming back to DC!

By 7:30PM we're packed and the gallery van is ready to go: new record from scrambling out of there!

Tomorrow, wake up call is around 4:30AM in order to catch the flight back to Reagan National while Audrey drives the gallery van back to the DMV.

Another ABMB week down the hatch.

ABMB Week: Saturday Report

In the morning we departed our cool hotel-by-the-beach at Ft. Lauderdale and that night, after the fair, we'll head to my cousin's fortress house in Little Havana, where we'll stay for the next couple of days.

As soon as we got to Context, yesterday's vibe continued today as the crowds (and the rain) continued to come and fall to Context Art Miami.

There seemed to be good sales all around, and there was definitely a continuation of yesterday's art-buying crowd.

Multiple sales of my work, plus a "come backer" disappointed to find that the piece he wanted was sold - so he ordered a commission.

Also first sale of a wondrous Simon Monk piece as well as multiple sales by Elissa Farrow-Savos.

Elissa also got attention from a press art critic, and we expect to see her mentioned when the review comes out.

The reports from DMV visitors and others about the other fairs also began to pour in - some not so good, but good reports about Scope, Miami Projects and others.

By the end of Saturday, a cursory look at the "numbers" showed that we were having the best fair (from a  financial perspective) ever!

We closed at eight and headed to Little Havana - less than four miles away - on the way we ran into a monster traffic jam in from of the Marlins' Stadium (there was a concert)... we actually stood at a red light on 7th and 17th for 20 minutes before the cops changed it to green.

Once at my cousin's house, his wife had dinner ready for us; a couple of wine glasses later, I punched out.

ABMB Week: Friday Report

Morning starts with the December issue of the super glossy Brickell Magazine, which has done a people focus piece on me! See it here (scroll down a little).

Rainy day again.

Part of being at the big dance in Miami is the fact that Miami weather has a big impact on the fairs. Context is no exception  and this morning there was ample evidence of rain damage to some booths from last night's torrential rains.

At 11AM good crowds begin to pour in, and yesterday's good art "vibe" continues. As the day progresses we get multiple sales by Elissa Farrow-Savos, who once again (this is her second exposure to Miami) is getting extraordinary attention (and 100s of photo-taking events).

 A sale to a New York collector of Alma Selimovic's "Hammer Girl" soon follows - this is Alma's first exposure to Miami.

Hammer Girl by Alma Selimovic

My own work hits a good stride and I sell my latest video work (Mother Nature Observing and Upside Down World Version Two), which goes to a member of the board for the Birmingham Art Museum as he rushes out to the airport - several drawings follow - including two heading to Puerto Rico and one to Boston.

The Bostonian piece is my latest work - completed just minutes before the van had to leave for Miami: How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnets to the Portuguese). 

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnets to the Portuguese)

Later on, my 2012 video piece on Frida Kahlo finally finds a home with a local collector; this piece has been traveling around in various University shows in the west coast.

Fellow DMV art dealer Maurine Littleton comes by and we chat for a while - she reveals a great secret to minimize feet pain during an art fair: switch shoes several times a day!

Cell phones beep all over the place... we're all getting a weather warning for tonight...