Light Up The Warehouse

On May 14th, Warehouse is hosting a "Light up the Warehouse" party to raise funds to pay for new lights and sound equipment for the theater and they need your help.

Warehouse Theater and Gallery is another one of the great jewels in the cultural tapestry of our region.

I intend to donate a piece of art and so do the following DC area artists (so far):

Jim Adams, Tommy Adams, Felix Angel, Sondra Arkin, Scott Brooks, Gabriela Bulisova, Beth Cartland, Chez Chez, Mark Clark, Kevin Cowl, Lily Cox-Richard, Richard Dana, John De Fabbio, Margaret Dowell, Michael Dumlao, Dara Friel, Christopher Goodwin, Pat Goslee, Stuart Gosswein, Carlos Graupera, Ryan Hackett, Michael Wm Hall, Eric Hammesfahr, Bing Huang, Brece Honeycutt, Joroko, Mariah Josephy, Seth Kaplan, Jenufa Kent, Karey Kessler, Richard Kightlinger, Soumiya Krishnaswamy, Bridget Lambert, Chris Lee, Marian Lemle, Heather Levy, Mike Lowrey, Tim Martin, Rosetta McPherson, Ryan Miller, Isabel Manalo, Tim Martin, Elizabeth Morisette, Dan Murray, Noonieneon, Frederick Nunley, Steven Ochs, Dino Paxenos, Gail Peck, Mark Planisek, Philip Pradier, Mary Beth Ramsey, Karie Reinertson, Jose Ruiz, Charles St Charles, Andy Scott, Jessica Shull, Alexandra Silverthorne, Stoff Smulson, Steven Stichter, Randy Stolfus, Elena Strunk, JD Talasek, Tim Tate, Ira Tattleman, Ruth Travarrow, Susanna Thornton, Trish Tillman, Anita Walsh, Justin Winokur, Peter Wood, and Ellyn Weiss.

A preview party honoring the artists will be held May 6th. Artists wishing to donate a work of art should email Molly Ruppert at ruppertm@erols.com.

Then, on May 14, the "Light Up the Warehouse" Fundraising party will take place at Warehouse. They are planning to sell 100 Sponsor tickets at $150.00 each, which will include and original work of art. Each $150.00 ticket holder may then buy a companion ticket for $50.00 entitling the companion to the dinner, drinks, music, live and silent actions. There are also general tickets available for $100.00 for dinner, drinks, music, live and silent actions. The special artist price for the same is $50.00.

Again, artists wishing to donate a work of art, or collectors who'd like to get a ticket, should email Molly Ruppert at ruppertm@erols.com or contact her at 202/257 5989 or 202/783-8263 or 202/783-3933.

The Weekend Reviews

At the WaPo, O'Sullivan reviews "On Music: Tim Rollins + K.O.S. (Kids of Survival)" at the Kreeger Museum

As I noted here, on Saturday, Fusebox Gallery will open a show of paintings called "Freedom Works," putting the art of Rollins and K.O.S. in a different, broader context. An opening reception is scheduled from 6-8PM.

O'Sullivan also has a really good review of Collaboration as a Medium: 25 Years of Pyramid Atlantic

Powerless Critics

In the popular imagination, the art critic seems a commanding figure, making and breaking careers at will, but one hard look at today’s contemporary art system reveals this notion to be delusional. "When I entered the art world, famous critics had an aura of power," recalls ArtBasel director Samuel Keller. "Now they’re more like philosophers— respected, but not as powerful as collectors, dealers or curators. Nobody fears critics any more, which is a real danger sign for the profession."

Read the Art Newspaper article (by Marc Spiegler) here.

"The role of the critic has been gradually taken over by the curator," notes Stockholm’s Power Ekroth, who writes criticism for artforum.com, edits Site magazine, and also curates exhibitions. "The curator builds up a career by becoming the new stronghold for validation of taste. The curator is also closer to the artist, because where the critic is trying to be 'objective' the curator is clearly subjective."

Here we go again...

Painting is dead, painting is hot... the never ending, boring debate....

Secret Service Visits Art Show

This story is a little scary.

Organizers of a politically charged art exhibit at Columbia College's Glass Curtain Gallery thought their show might draw controversy.

But they didn't expect two U.S. Secret Service agents would be among the show's first visitors.

Read the whole story here.

Secrets in the CP

Frank Warren's PostSecret project continues to grow.

Page 150 of the current edition of the Washington City Paper has one of Frank's cards and will run a new one each week; Very cool!

Frank is also working on a book deal for the project.

DC Collectors

We just closed our most successful photography exhibition ever, featuring 50 years of photography by Lida Moser. The exhibition received extensive press coverage (here and in New York), both in the mainstream media, online and on television.

And yet, it shows (again) the puzzling side of DC area "collectors." Most sales were made to New York (several pieces), Los Angeles (most expensive piece), Miami and Great Britain (multiples). In spite of all the press and really good numbers of people who came to see the exhibition, only three DC collectors (if we exclude Holly, our gallery attendant, who purchased a piece) acquired work. And the other two collectors told us that it was the "first time that they had actually bought photography from a DC area gallery."

This continues a trend (for us) that sees a rather sizeable number of our art sales going to New York and West Coast collectors, while the DC "collector" market remains hard to identify in the numbers that our area's wealth and numbers should support.