Mapping It

Rebecca Hinton has a most interesting map derived from US Census data showing the number art, entertainment, and recreation establishments (i.e. music venues, art galleries, cultural sites, for each U.S. state, according to the 2002 census (generalized)).

I would suspect that the census data would not include venues (such as libraries and restaurants, etc.) that also regularly display art as part of their daily business, since that's not their census code. And I bet that in DC's case, it also does not include the dozens and dozens of art galleries that are located inside the foreign embassies in our city, since those are not (technically) located inside the U.S. nor are they U.S. businesses.

Click on the map or go here, to see a larger map.



Well done Rebecca! You get an A+ from DC Art News!

Crawl

Last night I first had dinner (some excellent Dominican food) at Los Arrieros in Silver Spring and then saw the ArtDC fundraiser exhibit (where I bought a tiny watercolor by Patricia Hartnett), then I walked the frozen tundra of Georgia Avenue and dropped by Pyramid Atlantic to see the amazing Francie Hester collaborative installation "Articulation," in memoriam for Diane Granat Yalowitz.

Earlier on the day I also saw the two art shows up at the Art League in Alexandria and also visited the current photography show at Multiple Exposures and the current show at Target Gallery.

More on all those later, as I have a superbusy day today!

Opening this weekend

The Mitch Snyder Arts & Education Center, dedicated to providing homeless people access to education, computers and the arts, is holding an art opening this weekend, showcasing work done by homeless Washingtonians as well as local artists involved with the program.

They are seeking to raise awareness about homelessness, showcase the work of our artists, and raise funds for the Center.

The openings are Friday Dec. 16th, 5:30 – 7:30 pm and Saturday Dec. 17th, 12:00 – 2:00 pm. The openings feature recent artwork by Clive Turner, Qin Xi Lin & Lucy Umberger; a new exhibit: The Steps of Homelessness, which is a stairway display of poetry and artwork by residents of CCNV homeless shelter; new & used art sale to benefit the Arts Center, and music and refreshments.

Mitch Snyder Arts & Education Center
117 D St. NW, 2nd floor
Washington, DC 20001
202-393-1909 ext.300

DC Arts Commission Grants

Deadlines: January 18 and 20, 2006.

The New Media and Audio Program offers individual grants of up to $10,000 to artists and arts organizations for support of innovative New Media and Audio projects. Deadline: Jan 18, 2006.

There's also a "Folk Arts Mini Grants" of $1000.00 each. That deadline is January 18, 2006. The Folk & Traditional Arts Mini-Grant (FTA) offers quick response small-scaled grants up to $1,000 to artists and arts organizations practicing or supporting folk traditions.

For more info, go to this website and click on "Opportunities for Artists."

There's a "How to Apply" workshop at the Arts Commission on December 15th from 6 - 7 pm. (it is free). Call them for more info at 202-724-5613.

Wanna go to an opening tonight?

There is an opening at Los Arrieros Restaurant (7926 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD) starting at 7PM. This exhibition is the artdc.org fund raiser. All artwork is for sale ranging from $50-$300.

If you believe in artdc.org and have a few bucks to spare, stop by and buy some art. 70% goes to the artist directly. The rest will be used to help them with marketing or printing costs, snail mail, and other promo avenues.

ArtDC.org has been growing in leaps and bounds and now has 685 registered users. Some of the artists in this show include: Vèrta Reyes, Matt Achhammer, Angela Kleis, Heather Levy, Kim Reyes, Robin Walker, Jessie Marie Maraschiello, Joshua Yospyn, Eric Reiffenstein, Rose Kane, Lola Akinmade, Matt Billings, Erin Antognoli, Andy Cleavenger, Lee Vaughan, John Spaulding, Mara Odette, Virginia Nostrand, Sheffied Burroughs, Christopher Goodwin, Richard Chu, Antoinette Wysocki, Darren Smith, J. Halloran, Behnam Farahpour, Patricia Hartnett and Stephanie Booth.

Songs about art, artists & painting

Anna L. Conti has a most excellent list of songs about art, artists and painting.

See it here.

WPA\C Presents: PostSecret

At last!

Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran Association (WPA\C) is hostng the PostSecret exhibition, a public art project founded and curated by Frank Warren and first debuted in the much maligned (in the DC press that is) Art-O-Matic.

Nothing like spectacular success to make all the AOM critics eat crow, uh?

The opening reception (and fundraiser for Kristin Brooks Hope Center) will be held on Wednesday, December 14, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. ($10.00 suggested donation).

Warren's instructions were simple, and judging from his spectacular achievements, the results have been perhaps one of the most successful public art projects in history!

"You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything --- as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative."

In November of 2004 Frank Warren printed 3000 postcards inviting people to share a secret with him.

He then handed these out at Artomatic, in art galleries, slipped them in pages of library books, then slowly, the secrets began to find their way to his mailbox. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and some of the cards are themselves works of art. As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project.

PostSecret has grown into a global phenomenon and (in my opinion) is the most flagrant missing piece of the 2006 Whitney Biennial!

Exhibition Information:
LOCATION: 3307 M St. NW Washington DC (The former Georgetown Staples store)

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, December 15th, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

FUNDRAISER: Wednesday, December 14th, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Exhibition Dates: December 15, 2005 – January 8, 2006
Exhibition Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. or by appointment through WPA\C.

The book, PostSecret Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives compiled by Frank Warren, with a foreword by Anne C. Fisher, Ph.D. will be available for purchase during the exhibition, along with the Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran Artist 2006-2007 Artist Directory.




See ya there!