Call for Curatorial Proposals

Deadline: January 31st, 2007

The Bronx River Art Center, a 2,000 sq. ft. storefront exhibition space consisting of two interconnected galleries, is seeking dynamic and challenging curatorial proposals from emerging and mid-career curators. Selected proposals will be included in BRAC’s 2007-2008 exhibitions program.

They welcome innovative concept-based proposals involving new media, new genres and interdisciplinary practices as well as projects that interweave site-specificity and public/community interaction, however all submissions will be reviewed and considered.

All proposals should include:

*A written statement of the proposed project (including its concept and its relevance to contemporary society, contemporary art and/or the Bronx community)

*CVs and bios for all participating artists and curator(s)

*Documentation on the artwork proposed in slide form, 8.5”x11” prints, CD or DVD

*An accompanying Image List for all of the visual materials submitted. This list can also include a short description of each of the pieces if applicable.

*A SASE for the return of materials (optional)

Proposals should be mailed to:

Bronx River Art Center
c/o Jose Ruiz – Gallery Coordinator
1087 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10460

For additional information, please contact:
Jose Ruiz – Gallery Coordinator
(718)589-5819 (x14)
jruiz@bronxriverart.org

$7 Million Gift for the Eakins' Cause

Athena and Nicholas Karabots of Fort Washington, PA, have contributed a total of $7 million to the homegrown Philly effort to keep Thomas Eakins' "The Gross Clinic in Philadelphia."

This is the second largest gift towards the effort after after that of the Annenberg Foundation. So far $37 million has been raised.

Now... if DC could get their local Greek-American philantrophist(s) such as Ted Leonsis (go Caps!), to contribute a good chunk of greenbacks to the cause of a Washington Art Museum for Washington, DC - as every other major American city has a "local" museum, then we'd all be in sweet art heaven.

Honfleur Gallery

Today I visited the under-construction spaces for the new Honfleur Gallery in order to deliver to them three pieces which will be included in their soft-opening "No Scratchers."

Even under the construction dust, it is easy to see that this new space will be a beautiful new addition to the Greater DC area art scene, and this Anacostia neighborhood right off the MLK, Jr already seems alive and bright with new construction everywhere (the NAACP is having its new headquarters being built almost right across the street.

ARCH has done an excellent job in designing and staffing the gallery, and already they talked to me about an energetic and aggressive exhibition program that has both national and international roots.

Above the gallery are four brand new studios, and four lucky artists have already rented them out and have got a terrific deal (the studio size ranges from 100-125 square feet, and the prices from $155-$200 a month, based on square footage. Each studio has its own skylight. Spaces will be rented on 6-month or 1 year term).

The Gallery and Studios are located at 1241 Good Hope Road SE, in historic Anacostia. They are a 10 minute walk from Anacosia Metro Station and directly on the bus line. To make an appointment to view the spaces (still under construction), contact bevans@archdc.org or call (202) 889-5000, x 113.

Their first show opens Saturday January 20th, 2007, with a reception at 7pm. The show is an informal exhibition highlighting works of art created by D.C. Tattoo Artists. The exhibition is curated by Imani Brown, area artist and photographer, whose work I saw while I was there and speaking of Brown's artwork, I predict that it will be surprisingly refreshing and a welcome addition to our capital's artistic dialogue.

The grand opening is Saturday, February 24, 2007, with an opening reception at 7PM and an exhibition titled "The East of the River Group Show," and featuring work by Jonathan French, Gilbert Trent, Anne Bouie, Fred Joiner, Henry Ferrand, Prelli Williams, Bruce McNeil and more... all artists with East of the River connections.

Randall Scott's Top 10

Randall Scott opened his cool new art gallery in DC last year and very quickly has established it as one of the leading new galleries in the area. Below are his choices for the Top 10 DC area art shows:

1. Sugimoto
2. DADA
3. Keifer
4. Opening of Nat. Gallery
5. Jennifer Steinkamp at the Corcoran (should be perm.)
6. Redefined at the Corcoran
7. Teo Gonzolez at Irvine
8. Christenberry
9. Ledelle Moe’s heads at Metropolis ground floor
10. Wall Snatchers at WPA/C

Opportunity for Artists

Keystone Art and Culture Center (KACC) is a non-profit arts educations center located in Lancaster, PA. The Center houses a 1,800 sq. ft. gallery space and adjacent art foundry facilities. The exhibit space is 10 feet high with a 40 feet by 50 feet floor space.

They are now planning their 2007-2008 calendar of shows and are looking for artists to exhibit their work. Shows run on a 1 to 2 month basis with an opening event typically on the First Friday of each month. KACC may also hold special events in addition to the first Friday openings.

For more information please visit www.artfoundlancaster.org to download the application form.

Jack Rasmussen's Top 10

Few people know more about the art and artists of Washingmore (Washington + Baltimore) than my good friend Dr. Jack Rasmussen, who runs the American University Museum at the Katzen. Below is his Top DC area (sort of) shows for 2006:

"I don't get out of my own space enough to be a good judge of what other places were showing in 2006.

Certainly Da Da at the National Gallery of Art was the greatest.

Then, in no particular order, I liked everything I saw at the Hirshhorn, Jonathan Binstock's selections from the Corcoran's Collection, and Sean Scully and The Société Anonyme at The Phillips Collection.

I thought the new Smithsonian American Art Museum was OK, and I know I would have liked Manon Cleary's show with WAM if I had only been able to extricate myself from here.

I did manage to see Hemphill's shows of Steve Kushner and Robin Rose, beautiful as usual, and the great pairing of Jeff Spaulding and Ledelle Moe at G Fine Art.

The show I wish I had seen the most was the one Kevin MacDonald had been planning for the American University Museum. But it seems only the good die young."

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: January 31, 2007

The Third Annual Bethesda Painting Awards - Submissions must be received by January 31, 2007. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the third annual Bethesda Painting Awards, which are mostly funded through the immense generosity of Bethesda businesswoman and arts activist Carol Trawick.

Eight finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June 2007 at the Fraser Gallery in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies. Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a "Young Artist" whose birthday is after January 31, 1977 will be awarded $1,000. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

All original 2-D painting including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimension should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibition. Each artist must submit five slides, application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25.

For a complete application, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Urban Partnership
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814, or call 301/215-6660.

The 2007 Bethesda Painting Awards will be juried by Dr. Brandon Fortune, Professor W.C. Richardson and Professor Tanja Softic'.

Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune is the Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery. She has spent the last three years researching contemporary portraiture, and was the Gallery’s coordinator for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.

Professor W.C. Richardson is a Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Maryland. His most recent one person shows were at Loyola University, Baltimore, MD, March 2004; Fusebox, Washington, DC, June 2003; Fusebox, Washington, DC, July 2002; Baumgartner Gallery, New York, NY, September 2000.

Professor Tanja Softic’ is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Richmond. Softic was a recipient of the 1996 National Endowment for the Arts/ Southern Arts Federation Visual Artist Fellowship and Soros Foundation—Open Society Institute Exhibition Support Grant in 1997. She recently participated in the 12th International Print Triennial in Cracow, Poland and won a first prize at the The 5th Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints, Ino-cho Paper Museum in Kochi, Japan in 2002.