Shape of things to come

I've got a lot of openings and art stuff to discuss and promote as I try to get back into the art groove after spending over a week in the Left Coast with an ornery laptop. Come back later.

I'm also getting an unusually and constant high number of visitors today from all over the world. Wonder what triggered that? but to all new visitors: Hello and come back often!

A trip to Alexandria

Before I left for my latest left coast venture, I spent a few hours in Old Town Alexandria (as opposed to Old Town San Diego, which is really cool, not to say that Old Town Alexandria is not cool)... anyway, herewith some notes on that visit to our Southern suburb...

Count on the Art League to deliver a terrific group show each month. That should be an art aficionado’s mantra.

And the most recent juried show was selected by Howard Paine, the former art director of National Geographic Magazine, and a regular juror at the Art League (this is the 6th show that he has juried!).

And such an experienced juror brings some good advice to artists.

Payne states that he brings a selection process that is "intuitive, based on decades of looking and working with art, So I almost immediately know what seems right and what seems wrong, overall, or uncertain details of color, composition, perspective, or even framing."

Good for Payne! And this is often the main difference in a show selected by a new juror, as opposed to an experienced juror, and yet Paine walks right into one of my pet peeves in juried art shows when he says also: "I try to select a balance of subject matter and techniques." And while that it what most jurors go for, it is what I avoid personally. When I jury a show, whenever possible I aim to leave a focused show that leaves a footprint on what I like, and my shows disregard 100% of that stuff that I don’t appreciate (read "like") in art.

Paine selected a large semi-abstract painting by Marcia Dullum, titled "Tribute to Bonnard" as the winner of the Shayna Heisman Simkin Award and issued 16 Honorable Mentions.

After walking the show a couple of times, my own selections are a bit different (as usual), and I first of all, I was absolutely amazed by a brilliant oil by an artist named E. Atzl titled "Vidalia," and which depicts the famous onions in absolutely full and total mastery of the oil medium, but with that added touch of genius that takes such a mundane subject and elevates it to the sublime level.

Because I’ve never seen Atzl’s work before, I asked about the artist; and to my next level of astonishment, I was told that it was the work of the 17-year-old daughter of one of the Torpedo Factory artists. "Vidalia" is a classical painting, and perhaps that’s why it was ignored by Paine for an award. It is however; the best oil in the show, and although vastly overpriced at $1250, it represents an amazing new discovery of obviously a hugely talented young artist.

By the way, someone should check the water at the Factory; this is at least the third teenaged offspring of a Factory artist who has managed to astound me in the last few years. Prior to her I was left speechless when I first saw the watercolors by Jenny Davis, daughter of one of the Factory’s best watercolorists: Tanya Davis.

My other top choices for this show were Susan Herron’s "Road at Tilghman Island," an exquisite and loose landscape painting (and a steal at $400), and Sheep Jones’ "Allium Akaka." I cannot say enough good things as to how good both these artists are; their work is immediately recognizable as theirs, and it just keeps getting better and better.

I also liked Fae Penland-Gertsch’s sexy red shoes watercolor titled "Inner Soul," Jackie Saunders "Three Views of Alan," and a gorgeous charcoal drawing by M. Slater titled "Solitude."

"Solitude" was by far the best drawing in the show, but it was unfortunately badly framed under acidic double mats and the charcoal was not properly fixed, and had already begun to drip charcoal bits on the cut edge of the mat. Tsk, tsk...

In the Art League’s solo show, painter Michele Rea’s watercolors for "Urban Survivors" (the title of her show) had done exceptionally well. When I walked through, over half the large paintings had been sold. "Urban Survivors" focuses on exceptional city features of Rea’s two favorite places: New York and Chicago.

The Art League’s nearby neighbor, Target Gallery, had "Role Play: The Definition of Self in Contemporary Society," another juried exhibition. This one was curated by my good friend J.W. Mahoney, a well-known DC area artist, teacher, curator, and art critic for Art in America magazine.

Mahoney selected a mixed bag show, which is often the direct result of the pool of entries submitted for a juried competition. The best entry in the show (by far) are three macabre digital pieces by Stephanie Hocker titled "Fear 4,5,6."

I liked them because they are so adept at standing out in the show, and because they use the magic of digitalism well. I also liked Trish Klenow’s two entries "Reborn Self" and "Self Portrait in Yellow" because they were not only good paintings, but also because they gave me a peep into the artist herself. Also on my short list was Laurel Hausler "Paxil," a quirky painting that was funny and intelligent – sort of a modern "Las Dos Fridas."

Upstairs, after visiting Rosemary Feit Covey’s studio, and after going gaga over her last project, which involves the creation of whole new set of her amazing wood engravings focused on the theme of head operations, head trauma, the brain, etc., I came away, as I always do, realizing that Feit Covey is one of the most amazing artists in our area, and another one that the Corcoran should add to their short list of ignored area artists deserving a retrospective.

Still on cloud nine from Feit Covey’s works, I visited Multiple Exposures Gallery to see the landscape photographs of Colleen Spencer Henderson, and I was again very impressed how digitalism is making old things new.

There isn’t a single photograph in this show that doesn’t owe a debt to the great masters of landscape photography, but there isn’t a single photograph in this show that also doesn’t carve a new road for this talented photographer, who has flexed the power of digital color so as to blur the line between what nature offers the photographer and what Colleen has muscled in through the magic of ink and dyes and bits. For example, "Blue Moonlight," a tiny photograph ostensibly of clouds, is not about clouds at all, as the digital medium’s exaggerated colorization of the blue, has yielded an exceptional, intimate work that pushes deep into the realm of color and abstraction while seducing us with a hint of recognition.

Bravo Colleen!

Airborne today and heading back home with a ton of stuff to post and discuss!

Things that make me go Mmmmm...

Still in San Diego, working hard, but this weekend visiting some "galleries" in the San Diego and La Jolla area... and some thoughts about things that make me go mmmm...

• Art galleries that have a locked door and you have to be buzzed in, and once you are buzzed in, no one says a word to you.

• Art Bloger(s) who have a page counter, but then put it under a password to hide their number of visitors, lest we all discoverer what an insignificant number of people we all reach on a daily basis.

• Art galleries where it takes an Act of Congress to get a price list or a listing.

• Right wingers who opposed the invasion of the Balkan nations but who endorsed the invasion of Iraq.

• Left wingers who applauded the invasion of the Balkan nations but who opposed the invasion of Iraq.

• Washington museum curators who travel all over the world to see emerging artists' works, but who will not visit Washington galleries or area artists' studios.

• Newspaper culture editors who have seldom set foot inside a museum or art gallery in the city that they are supposed to cover.

• Newspaper art critics who do not write about their city's art and artists.

• Huge major local corporations who ignore local art groups pleas for help in funding, while some small businesses contribute generously.

• Art galleries with contracts where the artist is responsible for the cost(s) of an exhibition.

• Writers, commentators, critics and blogers who bitch about everything and anything without ever actually doing anything constructive to solve the issue at hand.

• Old right wingers who immediately dismiss anything that young liberals have to offer, while forgetting that most likely they were once young lefties.

• Young left wingers (who one day will most likely age into old right wingers) who boo and shout down anyone that they disagree with, all the while apparently espousing freedom of speech.

• People who have never run an art gallery, but who are always giving out advise on how to run one.

• Drivers who never use their turn signals.

• Senior citizens driving huge RVs, and who leave their turn signal on for miles and miles.

• Grubs who come into the gallery, head straight for the food and wine, grab some of each and go back outside without even a glance at the artwork.

• Otherwise law-abidding citizens who think it is OK to leave their dog shit on your lawn.

Boot Camp for Artists

On Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, we will present another one of our highly successful "Success as an Artist" Seminars. This next seminar will be jointly hosted with the good people from Art-O-Matic, and the Warehouse Theater, Café and Gallery, on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005 from 10:30-6PM, with lunch provided.

The seven hour seminar, which has been taken by over 2,000 artists and arts professionals from all over the Mid Atlantic is designed to deliver information, data and proven tactics to allow artists to develop and sustain a career in the fine arts. The seminar costs $80 (includes lunch) and is limited to 50 people. For more details please visit this website. For this seminar, sometimes called "Boot Camp for Artists" by the attendees, people as far as Arizona, California, New York and South Carolina have attended, including many, many university level art professionals.

In its seven hour format, the seminar covers a wide range of structured issues including:

1. Materials - Buying materials;strategies for lowering your costs, where and how to get it, etc.

2. Presentation – How to properly present your artwork including Conservation issues, Archival Matting and Framing, Longevity of materials, a discussion on Limited editions, signing and numbering, Prints vs. Reproduction, discussion on Iris Prints (Pros and Cons).

3. Creating a resume - Strategy for building your art resume, including how to write one, what should be in it, presentation, etc.

4. Juried Shows – An Insider's view and strategy to get in the competitions.

5. How to take slides and photographs of your artwork

6. Selling your art – A variety of avenues to actually selling your artwork, including fine arts festivals, corporate acquisitions, galleries, public arts, etc.

7. Creating a Body of Works

8. How to write a news release

9. Publicity – How to get in newspapers, magazines, etc. Plus handouts on email and addresses of newspaper critics, writers, etc.

10. Galleries – Discussion on area galleries including Vanity Galleries, Co-Operatives, Commercial Galleries, Non-profit Art spaces, etc.

11. How to approach a gallery – Realities of the business, Contracts, Gallery/Artist Relationship, Agents.

12. Outdoor Art Festivals – Discussion and advice on how to sell outwork at fine arts festivals, which to do, which to avoid, etc.

13. Resources - Display systems and tents, best juried shows and ones to avoid.

14. Accepting Credit cards – How to set up your art business.

15. Grants – Discussion on how to get grants in DC, Regional and National, including handouts on who and where and when.

16. Alternative Marketing - Cable TV, Local media

17. Internet – How to build your website at no cost, how to establish a wide and diverse Internet presence.

The seminar has been a spectacular success, and the feedback from artists can be read online at here and we continue to receive tremendous positive feedback on the practical success that this seminar has meant for those who have taken it.

You can sign up for the seminar at 301/718-9651 (starting next week) or via email (immediately) at info@thefrasergallery.com. Hurry, as the 50 spaces usually book very quickly, and we already have a bunch of people signed up (they already were on a wait-list from the last time that the seminar was offered and sold out).

Marianela de la Hoz

When I visited the Mirrors/Espejos exhibition currently at the Cultural Institute of Mexico, I immediately fell in love with the tiny paintings of Mexican artist Marianela de la Hoz.

Last night I had dinner with her (she lives in San Diego), and I am happy to report that we will be bringing her work to the DC area in the future; meanwhile go see her amazing work at the Institute.

Galleries in Mags

I haven't seen the magazines yet, but I am told that the Washington Flyer magazine has an excellent article on the 14th Street galleries. You can read that article online here. Other than one to-be-expected negative and typically ill informed, fact-less opinion/quote, it's a super article by Heather Morgan Shott, which describes the art scene around the many galleries now clustered around the 14th street corridor, and rightfully so focuses on the hard work of Sarah and Patrick of Fusebox in becoming the initial gallery magnet for that area.

And the first issue of the huge new super glossy DC, published by Modern Luxury is also out, and this first issue has a profile of the Hirshhorn's Olga Viso and also a profile and discussion of our upcoming Georgetown video/painting show by Scott Hutchison.

Let's hope that DC magazine continues to pay attention to our area's visual art scene, and let's also hope that Washington Flyer continues to discuss our city's widespread gallery pockets in future issues.

Well Done!