A couple of days ago I was filmed by a TV crew who is doing a 13 part TV series called "Art Adventures." It is focused on collecting art, mostly for beginning collectors.

They also focused on the work of Tim Tate, as the series also identifies new emerging artists.

It was supposed to be a five minute screen time, which in TV-land always means a couple of hours of shooting.

Dr. Claudia Rousseau, the over-qualified art critic for the Washington Post-owned Gazette newspapers writes a singularly eloquent and intelligent review about our Winter Group Show in our Bethesda outpost.

Cough, cough...

At the risk of sounding nepotic (and definitely waaaaaaaaay past objective!), I think she really drilled into what some of the artists that she writes about are trying to deliver. It's hard to write eloquently about a group show (always some good.. always something forgettable).

Before moving to our area, Rousseau was one of Latin America's most influential art critics. It is no surprise that she gets Cuban artist Sandra Ramos right off the bat and writes:

"Cuban artist Sandra Ramos' approach to figuration uses a surrealist vocabulary to convey politically charged content. "In my paper prison" is part of "Isla prisión," a strongly emotive series about Cuba as a prison in both political and artistic senses. Here, the artist's body, wearing the uniform of Castro's "Communist Youth," lies in the shape of the island behind prison bars formed by pencils. Ten unmounted paper sheets in plastic sleeves comprise "The Inability to Trap Images." Each shows a silk-screened hand with a small image printed above it.

Taken together, Ramos' work can be interpreted as a reference to the failure of artistic censorship, or simply to the travails of the artist to capture reality. Either way, the images make an indelible impression because they clearly have profound meaning for the artist, and hopefully, for the viewer."

And she gets our own area's Tim Tate; she writes about him:

Glass artist Tim Tate's new works, "A Slice of Heaven/A Slice of Hell," the first an icy blue, the second red, hang side by side in long, narrow cast bronze frames. An examination of their imagery presents the same provocative vocabulary that has made Tate so successful in recent years. Much of it appears universal, even Dantesque, but is instead very private and autobiographical in nature. For example, what may recall a Catholic votive for many viewers -- a red glass flame topping a blown glass heart bearing a cross, in turn containing yet another red flame -- is titled with a distinctly non-religious ring: "Hunka' Hunka' Burnin' Love." Yet for the artist, the eternal flame on top, inspired by John F. Kennedy's tomb site, is a healing image, intended to convey ideas of love and spirit outliving death and pain.

Tate uses private images of healing all through his works. In "Nine Paths to Heaven or Hell," a circular piece made of nine glass voussoirs (wedge-shaped pieces that form an arch), the topmost element contains a hand surrounded by rays holding a beaded ball (a nucleus perhaps?), also conceived as a healing image.

Tate's technique is impeccable. Yet his allusive and mystifying content is a far cry from the craft approach often associated with glass art.

Read the whole review here.

New Gallery to Open in Potomac

Potomac, a wealthy Maryland suburb of Washington, DC is located within the Soviet Socialist Republic of Montgomery County, and it is one of the nation's most affluent regions, with an average household income of $246.271 and a median housing value of $919.958, and yet... there's not a single fine arts gallery anywhere in Potomac.

Soon to be resolved!

Potomac will have its first active fine arts gallery beginning early next year. The Kathleen Margaret Srour Gallery promises that it will offer an artists' cooperative gallery and will offer a cooperative management, quality work and low commissions.

Yolanda Prinsloo, its director and founder, is currently reviewing artists for membership. Anyone who is interested, please contact Yolanda at this email address or call her at 301.765.6739.

Artist's Studio Space Available

Premium artists' studio available immediately. Huge, open studio space on ground floor. Secure, 24 ft high loft ceiling, mezzanine, loading dock in prominent Brookland artists' building. Blocks from Metro. $2000/month. Smaller unit available also. Call 202/543-3370 for info or email to this email address.

Corcoran responds to Weil's resignation

Christina DePaul, the Dean of the Corcoran College of Art + Design has submitted the following response to the resignation of Rex Weil.

"Rex Weil is well loved by his students and respected by Corcoran faculty for his energy, passion and unique approach to teaching. We are sorry that he has chosen to resign and find it unfortunate that he does not agree with the direction the College is taking to advance the curriculum and integrity of the institution."

My thanks to Ms. DePaul for taking the opportunity and time to respond.

Congratulations to area photographer James W. Bailey, whose Circle Theater Rough Edge photograph will be published in the Winter issue of the Tulane Review back in his home turf in New Orleans.

Talking about New Orleans, another unusual fact that I discovered in my recent reading of Prof. Louis Perez's excellent book On Being Cuban was the fact that Truman Capote (who was born and raised in the Big Easy) got the "Capote" last name from his Cuban stepdad.

Museum Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: April 30, 2005

Call for Submissions: Radford University Art Museum, Virginia. Artists are encouraged to submit slides or a CD with images of recent work, along with a vita and artist's statement. They have several exhibition spaces ranging from 250 to 1750 square feet, and are open to novel approaches to the exhibition process. Qualifications: "Thoughtful and thought-provoking artists."

Send materials to:
Radford University Art Museum Curators' Committee
Box 6965
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142