A viewpoint of the unlikely (and definately surprising) Reagan legacy to the arts can be read here. He brought the NEA funding to an all-time high.

Lou Jacobson comes through with a great review of the Sandra Ramos show in the Washington City Paper.

Want to get your artwork into major museums? Photographer Tracy Lee passes this cool story on just how to do that.

Jessica Dawson really gets what Sandra Ramos is all about in this very good review in today's Washington Post.

Last night we took down Tim Tate's exhibition from the Bethesda gallery - once again Tate delivered a spectacular show following his solo debut last year in Georgetown with a nearly sold out show.

The Sandra Ramos exhibit currently in Georgetown has been also spectacularly successful, and will be reviewed tomorrow in the Washington Post and also in the Washington City Paper.

This Friday is the second Friday of the month and thus the Bethesda Art Walk.

Seventeen galleries and spaces participate from 6-9 PM with a free minibus to take art aficionados around the various spaces. We will host about twenty photographers from around the area, nation, Europe and Latin America. Among the photographers are Joyce Tenneson, Jan Saudek, Deborah Nofret, Marta Maria Perez Bravo, Elena Volkov and many others.

---

This coming Sunday is the Bethesda Artists' Market, which has rapidly been expanding. Now in it's third showing, the market will feature the work of about 40 area artists set up around the gallery in Bethesda Place Plaza located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue. Unfortunately I won't be there participating as I am doing ar art fair away from the area. But I'll be at the next one on July 11.

---

A couple of years ago we tried working with Nikki S. Lee's gallery in New York to bring her photography to the Washington area, but couldn't make it happen. However, Cheryl Numark has and her beautiful new gallery will host Lee's debut in the DC area. She's hosting a party/special event to kick-off Nikki S. Lee's exhibition, titled "Parts & Projects," and DJ Stylus will be spinning Caribbean, Latin and African music at Numark Gallery on June 11 from 6:30 to 9 PM.

---

And for nearly three years we had been also working with Sally Mann's dealer, also in New York to bring Sally Mann's new work to the DC area at the same time as her Corcoran exhibition, which is titled "What Remains" and has been curated by Philip Brookman and promises to be one of the power photograhphy shows of the year.

Then the New York gallery director we had been working with decided to have a family, and (I think) she moved to France and everything dropped through the cracks in the interim. Luckily for Washington area Sally Mann fans, Hemphill Fine Arts in Georgetown will be showcasing Mann's work in a show titled "Last Measure" which opens this Thursday with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

---

And tonite I am escorting legendary photographer Lida Moser to a reception at the Phillips Collection, where some of her work is on display as part of the Aaron Siskind: New Relationships in Photography exhibition. A portrait of Siskind by Moser is in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery and a portrait of Moser, by Alice Neel is in the permanent collection of the Met in New York.

The thief who stole the life sized statute from the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival (see my May 26 entry) has been caught, according to WTOP News.

Washington Sculpture Center (WSC) Opens.

The WSC will be bringing new creative resources and cultural energy to the Washington Area.

The Washington Sculpture Center (WSC) announces the grand opening of its sculpture studios in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 19, 2004 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The public is welcome to visit the facility at 1338 Half Street SE (located between "N" & "O" Streets SE, two blocks south of the Navy Yard Green Line Metro Station) and watch demonstrations in a variety of sculptural techniques. This is a free event, everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served. Instructors will be on hand to answer questions about their work and about WSC.

The Washington Sculpture Center is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that promotes:
- The teaching of sculpture including glass, metal, and stone to all levels of students so that they may develop their creative potential.
- The placement of sculptures in public spaces in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.

The WSC was founded in 2003 by Patricia Ghiglino, a businesswoman and Reinaldo Lopez, artist. The WSC, a one-of-a-kind resource in Washington, offers instruction for beginner through advanced students, taught by local artists, in the following specialties:

· Flamework (bead making, glass blowing, and sculptural work -- Lisa St. Martin, Elizabeth Mears, instructors)
· Mosaics (Gene Sterud, instructor)
· Stained Glass (Jimmy Powers, instructor)
· Blacksmithing (George Anderton, instructor)
· Stone Carving (Reinaldo Lopez, instructor)
· Bronze Casting and mold making (Patrick Birge, instructor)

There will be a drawing for a free class for those who come to the opening June 19 and leave their business card and e-mail address. Winner will be notified June 21, 2004, by e-mail and his/her name will be posted on the website. For more information on the Washington Sculpture Center (WSC), visit their website at: www.dcsculpture.org.