Nude Removed from Pennsylvania show

Now it's time for Pittsburgh to be embarrassed.

From the AP:

An artist's nude depiction of bathing with milk and honey has been removed from a popular Pittsburgh arts festival due to complaints by one of the city's largest businesses.

The video installation by Chilean artist Carolina Loyola-Garcia, titled "The need to wash the self with milk and honey," was covered up and unplugged over the weekend by PPG, which owns the plaza where the multimedia display was exhibited.

The controversial footage portrayed the naked artist bathing with milk and honey in the forest. It was part of the "Best of Pittsburgh 2007" exhibit. PPG found the display inappropriate.

This is within its "rights as a corporate partner to ask us to abide by guidelines they have," said Elizabeth Reiss, executive director of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, currently on display in downtown Pittsburgh.

Reiss told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette she had not seen the video herself, but was told the display included full frontal nudity.

"Nudity doesn't belong in street-front windows. For several years now, Three Rivers has worked hard to put important good work in galleries and responsible pieces on streets," Reiss said.

Art shown in street booths should have a "more family friendly value," she added.

And Mary Thomas writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details a few other interesting issues with nudity by the festival (which I did a few years ago). Read her excellent article here.

Shame on you Pittsbugh.

Congrats

To Bailey, whose work "The Disintegration of the American Empire, A Disillusioned Triptych: In Memory of President Thomas Jefferson, In Memory of President Abraham Lincoln, In Memory of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Kennedy", was just awarded Best in Photography at artReston 2007.

See all the award winners here.

Who says political art is dead?

Public Art Projects for the Nation's Capital

The Public Art Building Communities grant program offers funds to eligible artists and nonprofit organizations for the creation and installation of permanent public art projects with a life span of at least five (5) years.

Projects must be installed in the District of Columbia and should encourage the growth of quality public art throughout the city, support local artists and nonprofit organizations, and make public art accessible to District residents. Projects must provide exposure of public art to the broader community or to persons traditionally underserved or separated from the cultural mainstream due to geographic location, economic constraints, or disability. Eligible, projects include, but are not limited to: sculpture, mosaics, murals, paving patterns, custom benches, stained glass windows, artistic gates and railing, etc. Funding is available for all fees associated with the design, fabrication and installation of the artwork(s) including: artist fees, materials, insurance, engineering, shipping,
installation services, permit fees, and photographic documentation.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: September 20, 2007

Montgomery College – Rockville Art Department is accepting entries for the national juried exhibition: Rhythm & Blue. Artwork can be any medium that incorporates rhythm (visual or otherwise) and/or blue (color or feeling). The entry deadline is September 20, 2007. The exhibition will run November 14 – December 12, 2007. No entry fee. Download prospectus here.

Questions may be directed to Michael Sellmeyer, 240-567-7653, or email him at michael.sellmeyer@montgomerycollege.edu - The jurors are Professor Michael Sellmeyer and Professor Kay McCrohan of the Montgomery College-Rockville Art Department. The Montgomery College – Rockville Campus is located in Rockville Maryland, just north of Washington, D.C.

The Consistent Inconsistency of Beauty

Check out the amazing video below for a gorgeous trail of the West's depiction of beauty.

Grants for Maryland Artists

2008 Individual Artist Awards Deadline: July 26, 2007

The Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards are grants awarded to Maryland artists through an anonymous, competitive process to encourage and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence.

2008 Artistic Categories

* Dance: Solo Performance
* Fiction
* Media
* Music: Solo Instrumental Performance
* Music: Solo Vocal Performance
* Theater: Solo Performance
* Visual Arts: Computer Arts
* Visual Arts: Installation and other genre
* Visual Arts: Painting
* Visual Arts: Works on Paper

The MSAC Individual Artist Awards Program is administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. IAA applications will no longer be printed and mailed to you, you must read or download them from the Internet. All Individual Artist Award applicants now have the option to use eGRANT, an electronic grant application that allows you to submit your application via the Internet.

For information on the application and workshops, contact Adam Bernstein at the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation at adam@midatlanticarts.org or call 410-539-6656, ext. 114. TTY Maryland Relay at 711.

New Gallery Blog

DC's Randall Scott Gallery has a new blog! Visit it often here.