Gallery Owners Win Ruling in Kinkade Case

"An arbitration panel on Thursday awarded $860,000 to two former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners who accused the self-proclaimed "Painter of Light" and his company, Media Arts Group Inc., of fraudulently inducing them to invest in the business — and then ruining them financially."

Read the LA Times story here (tks AJ).

Anyone who "invests" in art needs to have his/her head examined.

Another one under the belt

Just back from presenting the Success as an Artist seminar, which we once again held in partnership with Art-O-Matic at the Warehouse Theatre.

Another 50 satisfied and tired artists and artists' reps!

The next seminar will be held on Sunday, March 26, 2006 in partnership with The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and will be held at the Round House Theatre Education Center located at 925 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD from 10:30AM - 6PM. This seminar is open only to Montgomery County residents.

Please visit this website or e-mail us or call 301/718-9651 if you would like more details. Register using this form (limited to 50 attendees).

And click here to read feedback from artists who have attended the seminar.

Washington Glass School Seminar

Date: March 15, 7 to 9:30pm

The Washington Glass School and the Arlington Arts Center are co-sponsoring a seminar this coming March on the topic of How to Get Your Work Noticed By Newspapers, Galleries and Museums.

Cost: $40 in advance - $45 at the door. To register, call the Arlington Arts Center at 703-248-6800. They will take credit cards over the phone.

Location:
Arlington Arts Center
Tiffany Theater
3550 Wilson Boulevard
Right across from the Virginia Square subway
Arlington, Virginia

Panelists:
Michael O'Sullivan - Washington Post Art Critic
Lee Lawrence - Contributing Editor for American Style Magazine
Claire Huschle - Executive Director- Arlington Arts Center
Phylis Rosenzweig - Former Curator, Hirshhorn Museum
and Me!

Frenn Talk Today

Prof. Chawky Frenn speaks about his current exhibition at Fraser Gallery - talk starts at 1PM today.

Irvine move

By the way, it's official; the most fair gallerina Heather Russell of Irvine Contemporary not only bought some terrific artwork at WallSnatchers' opening last night, but also announced that the move of Irvine Contemporary to the fomer Fusebox space is now official.

Wallsnatchers Photos

More on Wallsnatchers later (the opening was packed!), but for now some photos:

Opening night crowd

WPA/C's Kim Ward and GMU's Chawky Frenn

Curator Kelly Towles (with glasses)

Ubercollector Steve Krensky and Photographer/Blogger Alexandra Silverthorne

Whitney Biennial Scoop

Anon Female Artist seems to have an insider story about the potential (actually highly visible) conflict of interests with one of the Whitney Biennial's curators and his choice of artists.

According to AFA: "Philippe Vergne is co-curator of the 2006 Whitney Biennial. His partner, Sylvia Chivaratanond, is Partner and Director at Perry Rubenstein Gallery. Six artists who are represented by or have been in recent exhibitions at Rubenstein were chosen to participate in this year’s Biennial."

Read the whole story here.

This story ought to make the front page of every newspaper's art section.