Takin' to the streets (Museums)...

Are street art and street artists the newest "new"?

Read this.

And in Europe, check this amazing Brit.

In my opinion, DC's three heavy hitters of street art are (in alphabetical order):

Borf (now retired I assume)

Mark Jenkins

Kelly Towles

Update: A couple of readers have pointed out to me the similarities (read he copied him) between Borf and Banksy.

Update II: I am told that Borf is far from retired and is now putting up work in NYC.

Hirshhorn Lectures (Is Painting you-know-what?)

There are a few of interesting lectures coming up at the Hirshhorn.

Next Wednesday, MOMA director Glenn Lowry delivers "Ranking the Modern: New Perspectives," as part of the Second Annual James Demetrion lecture. Wednesday, October 26 at 7PM at the Ring Auditiorium.

On October 28, 2005 at 12:30 pm, Renée Stout, who is a Washington, DC-based artist whose work I first saw at a past Art-O-Matic, and who uses objects from everyday life in her art, will explore the ways "modern and contemporary artists have transformed ordinary materials into works of art." Stout's work is now on view at Hemphill Fine Arts and closes Sat. Oct 29th. Meet Stout at the Information Desk.

And this one should be interesting: Canadian-born and now DC-based painter Lucy Hogg, whose superb work I reviewed here a while back (and who is the wife of "painting is dead" acolyte and WaPo chief art critic Blake Gopnik) will deliver a talk with the interesting (and tired) subject of Is Painting Over?

Hogg's lecture is November 4, 2005 at 12:30 pm. Hogg will be "looking to works in the Hirshhorn's collection and will examine the relationship between abstraction and figuration in 20th-century painting. She will explore the similarities between contemporary painting and work created prior to World War II." Meet at the Information Desk.

That last one sounds interesting, doesn't it? Let's keep an eye and an ear out for it.

Something New

That overrated qualifier, something new, happens in the world of contemporary art tonight, as Andrew Wodzianski opens in our Georgetown gallery.

Andrew's innovative marriage of technology, not as part of his artwork, but as a vehicle to discuss it and learn about it, has so far received a lot of interest from the press and assorted art venues.

Opening is tonight from 6-9PM as part of the five Canal Square Galleries openings. Catered by the Sea Catch Restaurant.

See ya there!

Bromirski on Options 2005

Anaba discusses Options 2005.

Read it here.

Bailey on Jenkins

Bailey opines on Mark Jenkins.

Read it here.

Congratulations

To area artist Richard Dana, who was one of the key artists in Seven, and who's having a great show in New York at Tribes Gallery.

And congrats to Seven artist Samantha Wolov, whose sexy photos have been selected by Nerve for publication.

And congrats to Seven artist Frank Warren whose The PostSecret Book, "PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives," is now available from Amazon and continues to have great pre-publication numbers!