Fifteen artists around the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle areas of DC are opening their studios to the public this coming weekend; great opportunity to meet the artists!
The artists participating include:
Kristina Bilonick
Colin Winterbottom
Brian Petro
Saturday and Sunday - noon till 5 PM
Gary Fisher
Charlie Jones
T Santora
John Talkington
Glenn Fry
1 pm - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday
1 pm - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday
Sunday 1- 4 PM
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5 PM
Saturday and Sunday 1 - 4 PM
Saturday 12 - 5 PM
Sunday 12 - 4 PM
Saturday 11 - 6 and Sunday 11 - 5 PM
Monday, September 20, 2004
This website has some really good advise for artists on how to apply for grants.
By the way, there's no better resource in the world for connecting artists and grants than the Foundation Center, which happens to have a local office here in Washington, DC.
They also offer a CD ROM (for $75) titled Guide to Greater Washington D.C. Grantmakers that features profiles of over 2,500 grantmakers located in the DC region and funders in 40 different states that have an interest in funding DC-area projects.
DCARTNEWS reader and photographer James W. Bailey, after reading the posting about the Washington City Paper's article on the grubs, writes in with his own memoirs of them:
" ... had to email you about "the grubs" after reading the Washington City Paper article and your post.
During my 2 ½ years at the Greater Reston Arts Center, they never missed any of our openings, including fine art openings in the main gallery, Market Street Bar & Grill openings for solo artists at Reston Town Center, children’s art openings for the children who participate in Summer Art Camp and GRACE’s Art-in-the-Schools Program, it didn’t matter. If we had an opening that included wine and food, you had better believe they were there.
When I was new to Reston, several Restonians told me that they were one of the original new town pioneer couples who moved to Reston during the early 1960’s; that they had fallen on hard times and that the only thing they had left was their $600,000 Lake Anne home and were struggling to survive on their last $200,000 in the bank.
Having lived in New Orleans for 20 years - New Orleans being the poorest American city per capita - I know a thing or two about real poverty and people really down on their luck and doubted the accuracy of many of these Reston tales about them. Again, being from New Orleans their eccentric behavior and dress would merit them about one quarter of one nano second of attention in the Big Easy where Bank Officers, Corporate Executives and Baptist preachers parade around dressed like something out of a Mardi Gras nightmare. However, in Reston, they were obviously something of a spectacle. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and I just flat out asked them who they were and what they were all about while they were munching away on imported English cheese and crackers at one of our openings.
They were kind enough to share the history of their lives and experiences (pretty much per the article) and, yes, their art interests, with me. This conversation took place in probably October or November of 2002. Later in 2003 they attended one of our catered functions at Market Street Bar & Grill (a very very popular venue for them because the Hyatt puts on quite an impressive seafood spread with decent wine) and I told them about being notified that I had been selected for a solo exhibition at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center for October of 2004.
They both gave me this profoundly disappointed look and said that they had stopped going to that venue because the artists themselves cater their own receptions and the quality of their past experiences was appalling. I promised them that being from New Orleans I could guarantee that they would leave my reception dancing in the streets with joy over the spread I would be importing from some of the finest restaurants in Louisiana. They said they would consider it as my show got closer.
On the day of my reception, 9-11-04, I was starting to panic around 2:45 pm. My reception was scheduled to run from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. During the process of taking down the food and beverage tables, along with "The Death of Film" installation piece designed by a friend of mine and fellow Board Member of the LRA, Robyn Spence, suddenly I looked up and there they were... with a look of calm hunger on both their faces. They proceeded to filter through various food items that had already been packed into the ice chests. I was so relived. I told them that I too would have considered myself a failure had they not attended my reception.
They didn’t buy any of my work. They never bought any work while attending GRACE functions to my knowledge either. It’s really a wonderful pleasure to know that there are people in this world who love art enough to protect the value of their wallets. I’m not sure just what that means that I just said, but I do know that they have promised to come to my January 2005 solo show in Reston, even though I’m not catering food and wine for that one!"
Sunday, September 19, 2004
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities: Money For DC Artists 18 to 30 Years Of Age
Deadline: Tuesday, October 12, 2004
The Arts Commission recognizes up and coming DC artists with The Young Artists Grant Program, which offers grants of up to $3,500 to DC artists between the ages of 18 and 30. For more information and an application, call 202-724-5613, or visit this website.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
John Metcalfe's "The Hunger Artists" in the current edition of the Washington City Paper is one of the most readable and funny articles that I have read in ages.
I had always heard that they "bought" work, but in over 100 shows between the two Fraser Galleries, they've eaten a ton of food and drank gallons of Sangria, and yet never, ever even feigned remote interest in any of the artwork - now I know why: we don't show colorful abstraction.
But they still come to every opening, devour whatever is on the plate, and head straight out to the gallery next to us.
And let me tell you: These guys know this city's art scene (as long as there's food) better than anyone else! They could give even the most seasoned of gallery goers and every art critic in this town a lesson on art spaces and where they are and what food they serve.
And I don't know how they do it, but they are also at every embassy, restaurant opening, etc. I've seen them as far south as Virginia Beach.
In Canal Square we call them "the grubs." There are several others in the locust pack besides the ones mentioned in the article.
Worst story I've heard allegedly about them: A now defunct gallery in Leesburg actually had some of Coxe's works in a group show (she's a stained glass artist); the whole gang was there, and apparently it was the daughter's birthday.
To the gallery owner's dismay, he discovered that once all the food and drinks had been devoured in the main gallery, and before he noticed, the grubs all went to the backroom area, and ate all the food that was stored inside the refrigerator there plus two cases of beer.
When he took them to task for doing this, they responded that they were celebrating the daughter's birthday!
I was told that he was so upset that he had her remove her work from the show and threw them out!
It takes all kinds to make a city's art tapestry: Even the grubs!
Opportunities for Artists at University Galleries
None of these have any application or review fees...
Deadline: October 1, 2004
Monterey Peninsula College is currently reviewing slides by U.S. artists for new exhibitions for the 2005-2006 season. Send up to ten slides and supporting materials to:
MPC Art Gallery
Monterey Peninsula College
980 Fremont St
Monterey, CA 93540
(831) 646-3060
Deadline: October 15, 2004
Valdosta State University's fine arts gallery is now reviewing proposals for solo and small group shows for the 2005-2006 season. Open to all U.S. artists. No sales commission. Send proposal letter and 20 slides, resume and statement to:
Valdosta State University
Dept. of Art
1500 N. Patterson
Valdosta, GA 31602
(229) 333-5835
Deadline October 23, 2004
Cecilia Coker Bell Gallery at Coker College is reviewing proposals for five solo shows in 2005-2006. No sales commission. Send ten labeled slides, slide list, statement, resume and SASE to:
Larry Merriman
Gallery Director
Cecilia Coker Bell Gallery
Coker College
300 E. College Avenue
Hartsville, NC 29550
(843) 383-8156
Deadline November 30, 2004
Edinboro University's Bruce Gallery is reviewing proposals for inclusion in small group shows for 2005-2006 season. Send letter of intent, eight slides, resumes, statements and supporting materials to:
Gallery Director
Bruce Gallery
Art Department
Doucette Hall
215 Meadville Street
Edinboro University of Pennsylavania
Edinboro, PA 16444
(814) 732-2513
The best thing that happens to Washington, DC visual arts is Art-O-Matic and there will be one in 2004!
This is Nirvana for visual artists... if you don't know what Art-O-Matic is then, visit their website and then read my review of the 2002 show here and a second review here.
Over the three Art-O-Matics that have taken place over the years we have picked several artists for our galleries by visiting Art-O-Matic.
Artists such as Adam Bradley, Erik Sandberg, Scott Hutchison, Brad Rudich, Tim Tate, Ardath Hill, and others first came to our attention through these huge, wonderful shows.
