Opportunity for Artists and Curators

Deadline: June 15, 2007 (Postmark)

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is requesting proposals for exhibitions for its main gallery space for periods of approximately 4-6 weeks. Proposals will be accepted from artists, independent curators, or arts organizations.

Visit this website for more details.

Talking About Drawing

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, from 6-9 pm, DC's Civilian Art Projects will host "Draw In."

This open to all community drawing event is organized by artist and musician Reuben Breslar. About the project, Breslar says:

"The Draw-In project, as I have come to name it, is a community awareness happening composed loosely around art environments and the act of drawing.

It is in continuum and will occur as often as possible. It combines issues of personal sincerity and interaction in the public scenario. The idea has evolved from the crossroads of two major influences in my life. The first being the joy of drawing amongst friends over drinks, and the conversation and serendipitous moments that come about from social engagement based around drawing. The second stems from issues of cultural awareness and identity- subjects that need to be addressed in the artworld as well as the public sphere amongst the contemporary artmarket and other pressing insularly 'conversations.'

My end goal is to have the event serve as a reminder as to the potential of art and the need for wholesome human relations."

When: Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, 6-9 pm

Where: Civilian Art Projects (406 7th St., NW, Floor 3 WDC 20004, 202-347-0022)

The event itself is an after work affair, an evening of drawing, drinking, eating and having a good time. Some drinks will be provided, all you have to do is show up. Please come with your materials of choice.

Art for DC baseball stadium struck out of budget

Last week I told you about a call for art for the new Nats stadium.

Now Michael Neibauer in The Examiner tells us that "plans to decorate the new Washington Nationals’ new stadium with crafts, sculpture and bronze figures are in limbo after the D.C. Council eliminated money in next year’s budget for a public arts project."

Read the article here.

Drawing!

Because drawing is my preferred genre of art, "Three Part Harmony: Definition, Delicacy and Detail in Drawing," an exhibition co-curated by Dr. Fred Ognibene and Andrea Pollan, and opening this coming Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 6 - 8 pm at Curator's Office in DC, is one show that I am really looking forward to.

The show has a powerhouse of a list of artists from the USA, Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Germany, Japan, Iceland, and England, including:

Gary Batty
Sandra Cinto
Marcel Dzama
Peter Feiler
Adam Fowler
Mary Judge
Avish Khebrehzadeh
Takehito Koganezawa
Ricardo Lanzarini
Kristofer Lee
Amy Lin
A.B. Miner
Beverly Ress
Frances Richardson
Eduardo Santiere
Chris Scarborough
James Siena
Sigga Björg Siggurdardóttir
Zach Storm
Daniel Zeller
Not that they need my help, but to this list I would have added Ben Tolman, whose drawings have to be seen to be believed. Read the 2005 City Paper profile on Tolman here.

New DC gallery

A while back I told you about a new DC area gallery that would be opening next year. The WaPo's Amy Joyce has a profile on the idea for this new space and the man behind it.

Read it here.

Lawrence on artDC

Writing for Artnet, Sidney Lawrence delivers a superb discussion and review of artDC, the District's first contemporary international art fair.

Read it here.

Bin Diving

In the past we've discussed the merits of bin diving, or the art of ahh... finding art in art schools' and artists' trash bins.

My own particular practice started in art school, where anytime that I needed some stretched canvas for a new assignment I would visit the large trash bins behind the art school and always come up with a few discarded canvasses. After that I would remove the canvas, turn it around to the unpainted side, re-stretch it and bingo! a new surface to paint on.

Anyway, this Guardian story describes the recent auction of the trash from artist Francis Bacon's studio in west London, which just made £965,490 (close to two million dollars) for the garbageman who bindived for it over the years.