Arte Sin Fronteras



Let me relate this again: a few months ago Joan Belmar and a group of friends got together and decided to help a small organization called The Family Place.

The mission of Family Place is to work with mothers and children, prevent domestic violence, and provide healthy meals to children and parents. Now he has curated an art exhibition, Art Without Frontiers, put together to raise funds for The Family Place.

The opening reception is Oct. 30th from 6:30 - 9:30PM at the beautiful Cultural Institute of Mexico in DC. Details here and RSVP required to lfleitas@thefamilyplace.org.

Artists include Sondra Arkin, Joseph Barbaccia, Constance Bergfors, Salvados Casco, Nina Falk, Carles Guasch, Willem De Looper, Adrienne Moumin, Linn Meyers, Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Minna N. Nathanson, Kevin Postupack, Katya Romero, Raimundo Rubio and I am proud to also be part of this effort.

Instead of dining out on October 30, why not join us for this reception? It's a tax-deductible contribution. If you choose to buy some art, your tax-deductible contribution will go even farther since 50% of the sales will go directly to The Family Place.

See ya at the opening!

Artist giving a mike a rim job hummer

Not kidding! See it at Bailey's.

Student Art at GW

Everyone knows that I am a great fan of student art, and work by first- and second-year MFA students from the George Washington University is on view now through Halloween at Classroom 102, the new gallery space at the Smith Hall of Art.

Co-curated by GW art historians Jeffrey Anderson and Bibiana Obler, the show seeks to "make visible and catalyze further the interactions taking place in the studios upstairs." Art by Steve Ioli, Sarah Koss, Patrick Mc Donough, Ding Ren, and Teresa Sites. The reception on October 28, 5-7 pm, will round out the exhibition with food art by Chanan Delivuk and music by Bible Kiss Bible.

Mark St. John Erickson on Sesow

DC artist Matt Sesow gets an excellent review by Richmond's art critic Mark St. John Erickson here.

Scary Times

"How to Survive as an Artist in this Frightening Economy" is the title of a panel being presented by the Washington Project for the Arts. It is next Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 6-7:30 at the WPA.

The presentation by Kim Ward, Executive Director of WPA and Tim Ward, Deputy Director of Examinations, Supervision, and Consumer Protection, Office of Thrift Supervision.

Following the presentation there will be time for questions and answers, and member networking.

Refreshments will be served. Space is limited and you must sign up for the workshop (open to current WPA members only). To register email Kristina at: kbilonick@wpadc.org

Hizzoner Responds

Last June I posted about the subject of the new DC Art Commission leadership and the selection process.

It must have been brought up to the attention of Mayor Fenty, as he responds below in an email that I received today:

Dear Mr. Campello,

Thank you for your suggestions in regards to the leadership of the DC Commission of Arts and Humanities. Please be assured that all DC government leadership is chosen by qualiifications.

Lionell Thomas, formerly the deputy director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, has been named the Interim Director.

Lionell held a host of other responsibilities prior to being named the deputy director for the DC Arts Commission such as the legislative and grants manager, grants assistant, mailing list coordinator, program officer for media, music, visual arts and craft, and literature grant programs and program coordinator for a number of special projects and initiatives such as the Customer Service, Risk Management, Washington Writers' Week/Larry Neal Writers' Awards Program, Mayor's Arts Awards, and Arts Resource Fair. He also founded the DC Advocates for the Arts, a network of local artists, arts professionals and arts representatives and patrons that support the ongoing development arts and culture in Washington, DC.

Thank you for your comments. They are greatly appreciated. Thank you for writing me.

Sincerely,
Adrian M. Fenty,
Mayor

Lionell Thomas is not only a superbly qualified Interim Director, but he has my vote for the permanent assignment as he would make a very good leader for the Commission.

Update: OK... I'm officially confused! As Paul Ruppert noted here and as I noted here, Gloria Nauden has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Commission.

I've emailed the Mayor to ask for clarification.

Awarded

Last weekend I was down in Norfolk for the Stockley Gardens Fine Arts Show, where I was selling my own work.

And I for the second year in a row I was honored with an award, as the juror awarded me the Edward G. Carson Memorial Award, which I am told is given to honor a strong supporter of artists in the Norfolk area.

I am honored by the award and happy to have received it!