Opportunity for artists

Deadline: May 21, 2007.

The Montpelier Arts Center has a biennial competition open to all Maryland artists. This year's juror is Dr. Gary Vikan, Director of the Walters Art Museum and fellow arts blogger.

Vikan will select 8-10 two-month long exhibitions to be held in the Library Gallery. This is a wonderful exhibition opportunity for both emerging and established artists. An honorarium of $300 will be presented for each exhibition to the artist or artists exhibiting (i.e., groups share the $300 honorarium). The Montpelier Arts Center staff handles all promotion and installation of work, as well as an opening reception.

The prospectus is available online for downloading here or call the Montpelier Arts Center at (301) 953-1993 to receive a copy in the mail.

But, how do you really feel about it?

"For the first time ever, an artist who has been dead for more than a decade - Felix Gonzalez-Torres - will represent the United States, presumably because he was the best the commissioners could come up with. If that isn't a failure of nerve, what is?

One of the most deadening trends in recent years has been the Great Chinese Art Swindle. For years now we've been hearing about the vibrancy of the art coming out of Beijing and Shanghai - and it's all baloney."

Read the whole article by Richard Dorment in The Telegraph here.

Bethesda Painting Awards Semi-Finalists

The 38 artists selected as semi-finalists for the 2007 Bethesda Painting Awards are:

Lilian Bayley, Baltimore, MD
Mark Boyd, Beltsville, MD
Amy Chan, Richmond, VA
Bernard Conda, Virginia Beach, VA
Sarah Demas, Washington, D.C.
Susanne Eisinger, Potomac, MD
Deborah Ellis, Alexandria, VA
Paul Ellis, Washington, D.C.
Fred Folsom, Wheaton, MD
Heidi Fowler, Reston, VA
Inga Frick, Washington, D.C.
Elizabeth Geiger, Charlottesville, VA
F. Penland Gertsch, Reston, VA
Freya Grand, Washington, D.C.
Josephine Haden, Arlington, VA
Jee Hwang, Salisbury, MD
Ron Johnson, Richmond, VA
Ronni Jolles, Great Falls, VA
Matthew Klos, Baltimore, MD
David Krueger, Hyattsville, MD
Samuel Lacombe, Baltimore, MD
Joey Manlapaz, Washington, D.C.
Maggie Michael, Washington, D.C.
Michele Montalbano, Burke, VA
Cara Ober, Baltimore, MD
Pamela Philips, Glyndon, MD
Phyllis Plattner, Bethesda, MD
Selena Reames, Brookeville, MD
Fiona Ross, Richmond, VA
Nancy Scheinman, Baltimore, MD
Heidi Schneider, Williamsburg, VA
Alexis Semtner, Richmond, VA
Jacquelyn Singer, Baltimore, MD
Susan Tolbert, Norfolk, VA
Mary Walker, Owings Mills, MD
Aron Wehr, Baltimore, MD
Michael Weiss, Baltimore, MD
Bruce Wilhelm, Richmond, VA
They were chosen by a jury comprised of Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune is the Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery, Professor W.C. Richardson, Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Maryland, and Professor Tanja Softic’ who is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Richmond.

Several of the above artists are also on the semi-finalists list for Baltimore's Sondheim Award. In 2006, Tony Shore of Baltimore, MD was awarded the Best in Show prize of $10,000.

Washington Glass School Artists' Walkthrough

This past weekend, The Washington Glass School hosted a review of affiliated artists of the Washington Glass School showing at Artomatic art fair (until May 20th in Crystal City - details at www.artomatic.org)

The artists participated in a tour, talking about their work, inspirations, and process, answering questions from an audience so large, that many could not fit into the tiny offices that make up the galleries on Level 6, and overflow spilled into the surrounding corridors. They had also invited several jurors to take a part in the walk. After the talk, the invited jurors made their selection of artists to receive a special award.

Local arts patron and collector, and founder and funder of the Trawick Prize and the Bethesda Paintings Awards, Carol Trawick, awarded Deb Conti an "Encouragement Award" for her sculptural jewelry. Carol liked the "incorporation of poetry by Deb's husband, and the creative presentation of the pieces."

Fraser Gallery's Catriona Fraser, also awarded Alison Sigethy an Encouragement Award. "The work is simple and sophisticated. I love the way that Alison has been inspired by her environment to create beautiful, organic sculpture," she said.

Habatat Gallery's Lindsey Scott selected Kirk Waldroff, as she was quite taken with his "sophisticated and professional" presentation of his cast glass prints.

The affiliated artists showing at Artomatic included: Kerri Sheehan, Jennie Lindstrom, Sean Hennessy, Rania Hassan, Kristina Bilonick, Dave Vanore, Cheryl Derricotte, Allegra Marquart, Lynette Spencer, Alison Duvall, Pete Duvall, Alison Sigethy, Deborah Conti, Elizabeth Mead, Erwin Timmers, Tim Tate, and Michael Janis.

Not that he needs it, but the Mid Atlantic Art News "encouragement award" goes to Erwin Timmers' brave exploration of green art in his work.

Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize Semi-Finalists

The semi-finalists for the $25,000 Sondheim Prize in Baltimore have been announced and they are:

Seth Adelsberger, Baltimore MD

Chul-Hyun Ahn, Baltimore MD

Lillian Bayley, Baltimore MD

Heather Boaz, Towson MD

Mark Cameron Boyd, Beltsville MD

Edward Brown, Salisbury MD

Lynn Cazabon, Baltimore MD

Richard Cleaver, Baltimore MD

Mary Coble, Washington DC

Kathryn Cornelius, Washington DC

Frank Hallam Day, Washington DC

Eric Dyer, Baltimore MD

Neil Feather, Baltimore MD

Shaun Flynn, Baltimore MD

Steven Frost, Washington DC

Dawn Gavin, Baltimore MD

Geoff Grace, Baltimore MD

Susannah Gust, Baltimore MD

Maren Hassinger, Baltimore MD

Sam Christian Holmes, Baltimore MD

Jason Horowitz, Arlington VA

Courtney Jordan, Baltimore MD

Brian Kain, Emmitsburg MD

Avish Khebrehzadeh, Washington DC

Magnolia Laurie, Baltimore MD

Joey P. Mánlapaz, Washington DC

Gabriel Martinez, Washington DC

Jeanette May, Alexandria VA

Lisa Moren, Baltimore MD

Brandon Morse, Takoma Park MD

Jeremy Rountree, Baltimore MD

Erik Sandberg, Washington DC

Tony Shore, Baltimore MD

Molly Springfield, Washington DC

Deirtra Thompson, Baltimore MD

René Treviño, Baltimore MD

Karen Yasinsky, Baltimore MD

Jason Zimmerman, Washington DC
The winner selected from the six finalists will be announced at a special ceremony and reception held at the BMA on Friday, July 13. Another exhibition of semifinalists will take place at the Maryland Institute College of Art’s Decker and Meyerhoff Galleries during Artscape on July 20 and continuing through August 2, 2007.

In 2006, MICA’s Rinehart School of Sculpture alumnae Laure Drogoul received the first-ever $25,000 honor and the above list is stacked with MICAists: MICA alumni Chul-Hyun Ahn ‘02, Lillian Bayley ‘05, Heather Boaz ‘03, Richard Cleaver ‘78, Eric Dyer ‘04, Geoff Grace ‘04, Susannah Gust ‘06 (Mount Royal School of Art), Sam Christian Holmes ‘95 (Mount Royal School of Sculpture), Courtney Jordan ‘06, Brian Kain ‘85, Magnolia Laurie ‘07 (Mount Royal School of Art), Jeremy Rountree ‘06, and Deirtra Thompson ‘05; as well as Maren Hassinger, director of the College’s Rinehart School of Sculpture; foundation faculty member Tony Shore ’93; and graduate studies office manager René Treviño ’05 (Mount Royal School of Art).

Second Thursdays and Second Fridays in Philly

This Thursday is the second Thursday of the month and thus time for gallery hopping in Philly's Second Thursdays gallery openings event.

And then on Friday is the city's ever growing Second Fridays gallery openings and extended hours.

Bethesda Art Walk

This next Friday, May 11, is the second Friday of the month and thus it's the Bethesda Art Walk with 13 participating venues and with free guided tours.

My old gallery will host the opening for two of the hottest Cuban artists on the planet: Sandra Ramos Lorenzo and Aimee Garcia Marrero, both coming off highly successful museum shows in Latin America and Europe. Details here.

"Interposed" Oil on Linen, Thread, Stones by Aimee Garcia Marrero, 2006

Both these artists had their American and DC debut shows with Fraser Gallery a couple of years ago, and both the exhibitions sold out.