Cubans

Photographer Rachel Been has just completed a really good photo documentary addressing Miami's influential Cuban and Cuban-American population. See her photos here.

Cultural bragging follows: I think that one of the reasons for the spectacular success of the Miami-based art fairs is the economic and cultural power of Miami's Cuban ancestry population, which as anyone who has been to Miami knows, is the dominant ethnic group in that city.

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, we Cuban-Americans represent only about four percent of the 45 million or so Hispanics/Latinos that are living in the US, but unlike other Latinos, your average C-A is a Republican, disproportionally represented in Congress, and C-A average annual income is higher than that of Anglos and other non-Hispanic whites and Non-Hispanic blacks, and more than 50% of the top 100 wealthiest Hispanics in the US are Cubans as are more than 50% of the top Hispanic-owned businesses in the US.

So why do Miamians with disposable income, and New Yorkers of all ancestries with disposable income buy art, but Washingtonians and Philadelphians of the same wealth level do not?

A while back I submitted my theory for DC's case here; now working on Philly's case. More later...

Wanna go to a Virginia opening tomorrow?

Habatat Galleries

Wanna go to a Philly opening tonight?

Schmidt Dean Gallery has an opening reception for Susan Fenton: "Japan Series," and Wei Jia: "Made in China." Through June 30, 2007. Starts at 7:30PM.

Wanna go to a DC opening tomorrow night?

"Industrials" opens this coming Saturday at Randall Scott Gallery in DC featuring works by Jackson Martin and Michael Sandstrom.


The opening reception is May 26th 6-9pm and the exhibition goes through June 16th, 2007.

Trawick Prize Semi-Finalists Announced

Thirty-two artists have been selected as semi-finalists for the fifth annual Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The first place winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young artist” whose birth date is after April 10, 1977 may also be awarded a $1,000 prize sponsored by the Fraser Gallery.

Travis Childers, Fairfax, VA
Mary Coble, Washington, D.C.
Eric Dyer, Baltimore, MD
Mary Early, Washington D.C.
Susan Eder & Craig Dennis, Falls Church, VA
Suzanna Fields, Richmond, VA
Inga Frick, Washington, D.C.
Eric Garner, Bethesda, MD
Jason M. Gottlieb, Potomac, MD
Jeannine Harkleroad, Chesapeake, Va
Maren Hassinger, Baltimore, MD
Linda Hesh, Alexandria, VA
Jason Horowitz, Arlington, VA
Ian Jehle, Washington D.C.
Lisa Kellner, Hanover, VA
Nathan A. Manuel, Washington, D.C.
Baby Martinez, Washington, D.C
Robert Mellor, Chatham, VA
Steve A, Prince, Hampton, VA
Beverly Ress, Silver Spring, MD
Christopher Saah, Washington, D.C.
Michael Sandstrom, Baltimore, MD
Kathleen Shafer, Washington, D.C.
Foon Sham, Springfield, VA
Jo Smail, Baltimore, MD
Judy Stone, Riverdale Park, MD
Matthew Sutton, Washington, D.C.
Rob Tarbell, Richmond, VA
Tim Tate, Washington, D.C.
JL Stewart Watson, Baltimore, MD
Bruce Wilhelm, Richmond, VA
Nicholas F. Wisniewski, Baltimore, MD
With some "new" names excepted, that list is essentially almost a "Who's Who" in the art scene of the Greater DC area - perhaps the toughest field in the Trawick's short history.

The jurors for the Trawick Prize are Rex R. Stevens, who is the Chair of the General Fine Arts & Drawing Departments at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland; Amy G. Moorefield, who is the Assistant Director and Curator of Collections for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anderson Gallery as well as an Assistant Professor there; and the fair Anne Ellegood, who is the Associate Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden where her focus is contemporary art.

Opportunities for Artists

Call to Artists working on Women's Issues - Honfleur Gallery in DC is seeking artists working in two or more of the following themes for an upcoming project/exhibition; womens issues, feminism, nutrition, self/body image and race. Visual artists working in any media may apply. The chosen artist/team of artists will participate in programming including workshops and artist talks as a part of this project.

$4,000 of support is available to the artist or team of artists chosen. Further
inquiries should be addressed to Briony Evans, Creative Director, Honfleur Gallery, via email at bevans@archdc.org or telephone at 301-536-8994. Applications due June 4th, 2007 should include 10 slides, an artist's statement and a resume.

MICA Student Art Sale

We at Middie-A are big fans of student art sales and events.

Two annual, much-anticipated art sales take place at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) bringing together past and present students and their art. A longstanding tradition and one of Baltimore’s favorite sales exhibitions, 15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale runs Saturday, June 2–Sunday, June 24 in Fox Building’s Meyerhoff Gallery at 1303 Mount Royal Avenue. A reception is held on Sunday, June 3 from 1–4 p.m. Coinciding with 15x15, the annual Graduate Art Sale takes place Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from noon–4 p.m. in MICA’s recently rededicated Mount Royal Station (1400 Cathedral Street); Studio Center, fourth floor (113-131 W. North Avenue); and the Fox Building.

15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale features small artwork not exceeding 15 inches in any dimension (including framing, matting, and/or boxes) by more than 200 MICA alumni from across the United States and around the world. This exhibition and sale benefits the exhibiting artists, as well as current MICA students with 40% commission on the sale of any work going towards the College’s Alumni Scholarship Fund. Gallery hours for 15x15 are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday from noon–5 p.m.

MICA’s annual Graduate Art Sale provides an opportunity to see and buy outstanding contemporary art by the accomplished artists of the Hoffberger School of Painting, Mount Royal School of Art, Rinehart School of Sculpture, as well as the graduate photography and digital imaging and post-baccalaureate certificate programs. All proceeds raised benefit the artists.

"15x15: An Alumni Benefit Exhibition & Sale” runs Saturday, June 2 – Sunday, June 24, with a Reception on Sunday, June 3, 1–4 p.m.

“Graduate Art Sale” takes place Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from noon–4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.mica.edu or call 410-225-2300.