Opportunities for Artists

Deadline: June 25, 2007

The Arlington Arts Center is currently accepting submissions for Solo Exhibitions 2008 occurring in Fall and Spring 2008. The AAC has seven galleries with 525 combined running feet of wall space as well as 2 galleries dedicated to installation, technology or other works requiring a complete environment. The grounds surrounding the AAC can accommodate outdoor sculpture.

Eligibility: Open to all artists in all media in the Mid Atlantic States (DE, PA, MD, DC, VA, WV).

Submission Guidelines: submit up to 20 slides or JPEGs (PC compatible, 300 dpi (or smaller) files, no larger than 4 x 6 inches), along with artist statement, resume, and description of exhibition proposal.

Entry Fee: $25 for non member, $15 for AAC members.

Juror: selected by a panel of artists, arts professionals and collectors. Recent and/or current panelists include Stephen Phillips (Phillips Collection), Phyllis Rosenzweig (formerly of the Hirshhorn), Carole Garmon, Maria Karametou, Philip Barlow.

More Info: to download a prospectus and view floor plan, visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org, or send a SASE to 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.

NEA Bucks

The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), has just approved a $35 million increase for the NEA for its FY 2008 spending bill.

If this funding level is maintained by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush, it will represent the largest increase in NEA history.

Jury Duty

Next month I will be the juror for "Paint Alexandria," which will be on display from June 6 - July 2, 2007 at the Art League Gallery in the Torpedo Factory. I will be selecting pieces from both Art League School instructors and member artists.

Artists can join the Art League here.

Talking about the Torpedo Factory, I've been hearing good things about the Target Gallery's current exhibition, in which Target has teamed up with the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to join in the celebration of the AIA 150th Anniversary by presenting the exhibition Sense of Place. This exhibition showcases artists and architects from across the country portraying their perspective and personal interpretations on the idea of a sense of place. The exhibition goes through June 10, 2007.

DC Mural Looking for a home

DC artist Rita Elsner writes:

I'm sending out this general inquiry to some of you in the DC arts community to see if anyone may have information as to where I might be able to relocate a mural. I hope to find an organization, school, library, marketplace, etc, or possibly a grant opportunity, if one exists.

A mural that I produced for a local WholeFoods (72'w x 3'h, on 18 consecutive masonite panels), was recently removed for renovation purposes and I was fortunate to be able to retrieve it. The subject matter is a landscape depicting the four seasons and includes a small reference to the DC skyline. You can see it on my website (Go to Murals --> WholeFoodsMarket, Georgetown).

I would deliver the mural and advise/take part in its installation. In looking for a spot to relocate this painting, my priority of concerns are:

1) To find a location, in DC or w/in the beltway, that offers a "safe environment" for the piece (an indoor setting with an average amount of temperature/humidity control, away from the elements/direct sunlight) with the need to physically alter the mural for fitting/placement kept to a minimum, preferably zero.

2) To find an existing call for public art or grant that this piece may be applied to.

3) To find a recipient to accept this piece as a donation. If a recipient is found, depending on their profit status, a cash donation may be negotiated to be made to a charity of my choice in return for the mural.

If you have any suggestions/insight as to where a new home for this might be found, please let Rita know at info@ritaelsner.com.

For this Saturday in DC

Go see Robert Mellor’s opening, New Scenarios, this coming Saturday at Irvine Contemporary in DC. I am told that this Chatham, Virginia-based, Claremont MFA’s new body of work is an amazing leap forward in his multi-layered figural abstraction painting approach. He was also an awardee in last year's Trawick Prize.

The opening reception is Saturday, May 26, from 6-8 PM and the show goes through June 27, 2007.

Bethesda Painting Award Finalists

The Bethesda Painting Award finalists have been announced. They are:

Heidi Fowler, Reston, VA
Matthew Klos, Baltimore, MD
David Krueger, Hyattsville, MD
Maggie Michael, Washington, D.C.
Cara Ober, Baltimore, MD
Phyllis Plattner, Bethesda, MD
Fiona Ross, Richmond, VA

The jurors are Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune, 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; Professor Tanja Softic’, Associate Professor of Art at the University of Richmond.

The finalists will be invited to display their work from June 6 - July 7, 2007 in downtown Bethesda at the Fraser Gallery. There will be an opening exhibition and announcement of the Bethesda Painting Awards winners on Friday, June 8 from 6-9pm at the gallery, held in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk.

Congratulations!

As far back as 2004 I have been telling you about this amazing young DC area artist named Jenny Davis, whom I consider to be wunderkind of an artist. When I first wrote about her, she was 15 years old, but already showing the signs of spectacular talent, and back then she was completely self-taught too.

Since then she has exhibited in several DC area art galleries, is now in college, and continues to grow as an artist at the ripe old age of 18.

And Jenny Davis just won first prize in the National Society of Arts and Letters Career Awards Competition May 19th in Tempe, Arizona.

Her watercolor painting titled Portrait of Tess was selected from a field of 19 finalists from across the country. The jurors were M. Stephen Doherty, Editor-in-Chief of American Artist Magazine; artists Robert and Louise McCall; and Dr. Mel Yoakum, Director of the F. Gilot Archives.

Before naming Jenny as the top national award winner, the NSAL presented Robert McCall with the 2007 National Gold Medallion Award for his lifetime achievements. Mr. McCall is well known for his six story tall mural in the National Air and Space Museum, among many other career highlights.

An exhibition featuring the work of the finalists is on display through June 8 in the City Hall Gallery in Tempe, Arizona.