Open Studio - Go see this!

17 graduating artists!

Artists & Makers Studios Presents
“Compass Atelier Thesis Exhibition”
with seventeen graduating artists 

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn in Rockville will present one exhibit in three galleries for the month of February. The first 17 member graduating class of The Compass Atelier’s Master Artist Program will present their Thesis Exhibition. The Compass Atelier is an art school located within the Artists & Makers Studios flagship studio center on Parklawn Drive. The Atelier runs a unique program of study called the Master Artist Program (MAP). The MAP is a 3-year fully comprehensive course of study for painters looking to master their craft and achieve a professional practice. Students spend their entire third year developing a thesis—a series of paintings exploring a personal and well-executed concept.

“Compass Atelier Thesis Exhibition”
with seventeen graduating artists

Opening Reception

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, February 3, 2017

Artists & Makers Studios

11810 Parklawn Dr., Suite 210

Rockville, MD 20852

Additionally A&M is proud to also present exhibits at Artists & Makers Studios 2 at 12276 Wilkins Avenue in Rockville, just 9/10’s of a mile from the flagship location. “Desolate Beauty: Desert Landscapes” with photographer Alex Keto - an exhibit of desert landscapes that captures the desolate beauty of the American Southwest. Although deserts are known for their wide-open vistas and immense horizons, the land features a sense of light found nowhere else. Additionally “What’s Your Passion” in the New Masters Gallery and “5 by 5” with five members of the Montgomery County Camera Club will fill the galleries at Wilkins, along with artists’ open studios.

Exhibits at both locations open Friday, February 3rd, and continue through Thursday, February 23rd, 2017.  Viewing hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Saturdays, and Sundays/Mondays by chance or appointment.

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 68 resident artists. Newly opened Artists & Makers Studios 2 on Wilkins Avenue in Rockville is a 23,000 sq. ft. facility with 49 resident artists and more to come. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals - through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond their doors. 

Auction Good Deals!

These two signed framed prints (each from a tiny edition of 2) are being offered at a starting bid that is less than the cost of the frames!

See them here...

Anatomy of a another commission

Background: At the 2016 SOFA art fair in Chicago, a local Chicago collector acquired one of my large drawings, and told the gallery that he'd like to discuss possibly commissioning two additional pieces in the same size to create a full wall.

Subsequently the collector and I get in touch, and via email we begin coordinating the commission(s). Essentially he wants two additional pieces that can work together... almost like a planned triptych.

The work that the collector already has, depicts a nude woman, jumping from the upper left of the composition into open space. He actually comes up with an excellent idea: The left-most piece would be the same figure, but walking from left to right; the middle piece is again the same figure, but climbing a ladder to the upper right. His piece, then would show her jumping into space.

I really like the idea, and he also tells me that he's open to other suggestions... I tell him that I'll do some rough sketches...here's what I've come up with:

That's his idea above, and then I come up with a couple of different versions:

In this version, the center figure is on a swing... I also send him a rough sketch of that center piece:

And one last version, where the center figure is on stilts:

And a rough sketch of the "new" middle piece:

And now... let's see where we go next!

Tania Bruguera Brutalized Again

The criminals of Castro's Cuban Workers' Paradise have once again...

Bruguera and Casanella were pulled over due to an alleged technical or administrative problem with the van they had rented, which was laden with donated mattresses and rice destined for citizens of Baracoa, a city that was pummeled by Matthew in October...

...Casanella was allegedly physically attacked during his detention, and Bruguera was questioned for six hours by four counterintelligence officers and Lieutenant Colonel Kenia, who has monitored the artist’s activities in the past. The point of the questioning and the pretext for the pair’s detention remain unknown, but Bruguera will not be permitted to deliver the donated goods to hurricane victims in Baracoa. She plans to travel back to Boston to teach her class at Harvard University today, assuming Cuban authorities allow her to leave the country.

Read the whole report here, and put your own artistic issues in perspective.

The Alper Initiative's Birthday!

The Alper Initiative for Washington Art is one year old!

The initiative 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 American University Museum, to present exhibitions, programs, and resources for the study and encouragement of our DMV creative community.

Longer Mission Statement

Alper At A Glance

• 2,000 square foot space

• 5 exhibitions of Washington art per year

• 1 common gathering area and exhibition space

• The ONLY museum space in DC dedicated to the display, research, and encouragement of the region's art and artistic community

Their presentation of the initiative mission and vision has generated supportive feedback from the community.

"I think there has always been a separation from the National Identity of Washington, DC and the Local Identity of DC. Partnering with the American University Museum helps to soften those boundaries and raise the level of critical attention towards local talent."
— Judy Byron, Local artist\

“The Alper Initiative is in the process of revolutionizing the way that Washington, DC sees its visual artists; this is a game-changer for our area's cultural tapestry.”
— F. Lennox Campello, local artist and art critic

Letter from the Director

The Alper Initiative for Washington Art is the gift of Carolyn Small Alper, a Washington artist, AU alumna, and philanthropist. It provides the space and resources to fulfill one of the American University Museums’s primary objectives and meet one of the region’s greatest needs: to promote an understanding and appreciation of our region’s art and artists from our past, present, and future. It is an exhibition space and a place for study and research. But it is first of all a meeting place for people and ideas. Its most important contribution to the Washington region may well be the opportunities it provides for us to exchange perceptions and, perhaps, rewrite the history of Washington art.

The Initiative presents five exhibitions of regional artists each year, creates publications and programming to engage and build the audience for Washington art, and serves as a resource for its study and critical appreciation. Curators are solicited to propose appropriate exhibitions, and artists are invited to submit their work for consideration on our website.

The Initiative is a part of a thriving museum that for ten years has specialized in presenting Washington artists in the larger context of national and international contemporary art. Washington art is strong, intelligent, and relevant, and has earned a prominent place in contemporary cultural discourse. Thanks to the Alper Initiative for Washington Art, we have the means to present serious, focused exhibitions for all the world’s appreciation and enlightenment.

Jack Rasmussen

Director and Curator
American University Museum