The College Art Association assists artists financially in completion of MFA and Ph.D. programs. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to individual artists. Deadline is ongoing. For information, contact:

The College Art Association Fellowship Program
275 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 691-1051

One of my pet peeves about people who say that they write about the Washington visual art scene is the fact that some of them rarely immerse themselves in it. I believe that in order to really be qualified to write about Washington art galleries and Washington artists, then you need to spend a lot of time going to Washington art galleries and talking and meeting and kibitzing with people involved in the arts and artists.

This doesn’t mean just hanging around the three or four fave galleries, where you know the owner, and he/she knows you and greets you when you come in. This doesn’t mean focusing on just the museums and writing about the big names.

And above all, this doesn’t mean dismissing all the galleries that you never visit or perhaps then unfairly perceive as not relevant or interesting. The gall to dismiss art that you never see, or to evaluate a place that you’ve never set foot on, is not only short-sighted but downright unethical.

But it happens.

To write about Washington galleries one needs to spend a lot of time visiting galleries. Not just a handful here and there because you day job is so demanding on you, but 2-3 a week and all over the area – Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Alexandria, Bethesda, 7th Street area, Arlington, the universities, the various ethnic/embassy cultural centers and galleries, the non-profits in Rockville, Reston, etc. A lot of driving; a lot of time; a lot of viewing and digesting.

Being on the "inside" affords me some interesting views of the world of art. One of these views are of and about art critics and writers, most of whom are smart, eloquent, fair and intelligent symbiotic members of our art scene, and some of who operate under the mantle of being objective and fair and open minded, and yet carry hidden agendas, lazy gallery routes and unethical practices.

Let's discuss the latter.

They just don’t have the time, or desire, to see a lot of galleries. I don’t blame them – it’s not easy... but then don’t pretend that you then "cover the DC area."

Sigh... here it comes.

We are without a doubt one of the most reviewed galleries in the Greater Washington area – that is one thing for which we cannot complain (in fact, we have a small mention in today's Arts Beat column in the Post). All three major DC area newspapers (Post, Times and WCP) have been more than generous in reviewing our galleries over the years. Especially when one realizes how meager is the Post and Times’ printspace dedicated to the art galleries.

The one notable exception as far as printspace being the WCP, which under the guidance of its Arts Editor, Leonard Roberge, has taken the lead in reviewing and discussing the area’s visual art scene and delivers more reviews in a weekly format than the two dailies combined.

However, after dozens and dozens of reviews by the papers, national and international magazines, and even television. And after being around for over eight years, and having offered well over 100 art exhibitions… I still know of at least two widely published area art scribes who have never set foot in either of our galleries (at least as far as I know)… or in most other galleries in our area (I know because before I wrote this I talked to four gallery owners at random and asked them: "As far as you know, has fill-in-the-blank ever set foot in your gallery?"

The answer was no.

Interesting uh?

A local collector, who lives in Annandale, Virginia has more than 10,000 pieces of art in his private collection.

He does not collect, however, any contemporary American art.

"All art is a sign of its times," he said, "and from the 1950s forward, there is nothing in our society that's worth pursuing. That art has no future. It will just continue to become extinct -- as it should."

Sounds interesting? Read the Washington Post story here.

Thinking Inside the Box: The Art of Andrew Krieger opens at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on July 24 and runs until November 15, 2004.

It is great to see a Washington area artist's work in one of our museums. This show is curated by Eric Denker. The exhibition showcases more than 100 works from this Washington, DC-based printmaker, sculptor and draftsman. A well-deserved and richly-earned congratulations to Krieger.

Denker is another of the rare few local curators who has his finger on the DC art scene. He notes that "this exhibition underscores the Corcoran’s continued commitment to spotlighting local artists worthy of wider national recognition."

A suggestion to the Corcoran: How about a show for Manon Cleary?

Opportunities for artists...

Deadline August 15,2004

Portland Art Gallery Accepting Submissions for Latin American Art Exhibit (10/1-12/12). The Latin American Arts and Cultures Council of Oregon and the Belinki and DuPrey Gallery are presenting an art exhibition celebrating Oregon's Latin American cultural heritage. Featuring traditional arts (textiles, ceramics, folk art, etc.) and fine contemporary art by Latino/Hispanic/Latin American or artists of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry from Latin American countries, this exhibit will provide a visual accompaniment to other community events celebrating Latin American art and culture.
Belinki and DuPrey Gallery
1224 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
503.227.1242, email: erin@belinkiandduprey.com.

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Deadline August 15, 2004.

Public Art Project: The NC Zoo – North Carolina is seeking qualifications from artists or teams led by a professional artist for a large-scale sculpture that promotes renewable energy. This is an opportunity to design a participatory, kinetic work driven by the technology of renewable, "green" energy generation for an exterior setting. Up to 3 artists will each receive a $500 honorarium to visit the sites for an interview and proposal presentation. Project budget - $73,000 inclusive of artist fee, engineering, fabrication, installation and other associated costs. For more information contact Ellen Greer at ellen.greer@ncmail.net or 336.879.7450 or see this website.

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Deadline August 15,2004

15th Northwest Annual: Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) – Washington state. From Oct 9-Nov 20 CoCA presents the 2004 Northwest Annual, a juried exhibition now in it's fifteenth year, which is open to all professional artists residing in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Northwest Annual is an opportunity for artists to gain regional and national exposure and serves as a vital showcase for experimental work and emerging talent. CoCA is accepting submissions for the following media: painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, works on paper, and video. The juror for the CoCA's 2004 is visual artist Ken Lum. Prospectus and entry form can be found at this website, or email jim@cocaseattle.org.

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Deadline August 9,2004
Audubon Artists 62nd Annual National All-Juried Exhibition – NY. Sep 18-Oct 8, 2004. Salmagundi Club. Aquamedia, graphics, oil, pastel, and sculpture. Awards: over $12,000. Art lecture by Robert Gamblin on Oct 3, 12:30-1:30 pm. For prospectus, send SASE to:
Raymond Olivere
1431 Lexington Ave, #11D
New York, NY 10128

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Deadline August 21, 2004 - Pastel Society of New Mexico 13th National Juried Exhibition – NM. November 5-21. Expo New Mexico (Fairgrounds). 80% pastel. Judge: Richard McKinley. Awards: $5,000 in merchandise and cash. Entry fee: $25/3 members, $30/3 nonmembers, maximum 3 slides. For prospectus, send #10 SASE to:
PSNM-B
PO Box 3571
Albuquerque, NM 87190-3571

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Deadline: September 20, 2004

Allied Artists of America 91st Annual Open Exhibition - NJ. Nov 13-30, 2004. National Arts Club. All artists. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, casein, pastel, graphics, sculpture. Awards: $16,000 cash, medals. 20% commission. For prospectus, send SASE to:
R. Yanow
12 Korwell Circle
West Orange, NJ 07052

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Deadline August 25, 2004

2004 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition: Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State University – AR. Delta National Small Prints Exhibition: Oct 21 - Nov 19, 2004. Juror: Shelley R. Langdale, Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Full color catalog of all work in the exhibition. Several purchase awards, sales encouraged. For a prospectus send SASE to:
2004 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition
Bradbury Gallery
Fowler Center
PO Box 2339
State University, AR 72467
Or email: dnspe@astate.edu

Wanna have fun with Egyptian Hieroglyphics?

The New York Times has a story on an idea for a pension trust for artists that I discussed here last May.

Read the NYT story here.