Wanna go to an opening tomorrow

Tomorrow is the opening of the work by the selected finalists for the $14,000 Bethesda Painting Awards. The selected finalists will display their work through June 26, 2010 in downtown Bethesda at the Fraser Gallery. The opening exhibition of the Bethesda Painting Awards winners is on Friday, June 11th from 6-9pm held in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. Many of the finalists and winners will be on hand to discuss their work.

The Bethesda Painting Awards is downtown Bethesda's annual juried art competition that exclusively honors painters from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Congrats to all the finalists!

Deborah Addison Coburn, Rockville, MD
Sheila Blake, Takoma Park, MD
Deborah Ellis, Alexandria, VA
James Halloran, Arlington, VA
Katherine Mann, Washington, D.C.
Lindsay McCulloch, Chevy Chase, MD
Michele Montalbano, Burke, VA
Carol Phifer, Fredericksburg, VA
Nora Sturges, Baltimore, MD

PostSecreting all over the world

I think that by now even the most neocon art critics and jaded art observers around this town realize that the greatest and largest cooperative art project in the history of the world is my good friend Frank Warren's ongoing and ever-growing PostSecret.

There will be PostSecret events in the Fall of 2010 in California, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Mexico, Canada and many more places.

See the full tour schedule with dates and locations soon by following PostSecret on Facebook.

By the way, I think that Warren's immense global art project belongs in the next Whitney Biennial.

Art Basel pass

If anybody wants a couple of complimentary VIP passes to Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, which entitle you to also get into most of the satellite art fairs, drop me an email. First come, first served!

Put me in coach...

WOW! What an amazing debut by the Nats' Stephen Strasburg yesterday! I have a nickname for him and his lightning bolts: Thor!... click on cartoon below for a better view.

Centerfield - John Fogerty

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!
We're born again, there's new grass on the field.
A-roundin' third, and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man;
Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.

Well, I spent some time in the Mudville Nine, watchin' it from the bench;
You know I took some lumps when the Mighty Casey struck out.
So Say Hey Willie, tell Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio;
Don't say "it ain't so", you know the time is now.

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.

Yeah! I got it, I got it!

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes;
You know I think it's time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all - a moment in the sun;
(pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be Centerfield.
Yeah!

Wanna go to a gallery happy hour tomorrow?


With around 100 or so folks attending the opening and more than half the work already sold, Ellen Cornett's Juxtapositions at Studio His already a hit show. There will be a happy hour event tomorrow, June 10 from 6-8PM; go check out this show!

Coming to a gallery near you this fall

First Campello gallery exhibition in DC area in 4 years!

Next Sept 20 - Oct. 15 I will be having my first substantial exhibition in the DC area in four years. The show will be at the School of Art & Design at Montgomery College's King Street Gallery, located in the beautiful Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center at 930 King Street in the Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.

There will be all new drawings in my constant exploration of using the human figure to deliver social, historical, satirical, mythological and political messages. The show also includes work by the immensely talented Johanna Mueller, who was one of my top picks from the last Artomatic and whom I predict will steal the show, as well as Leah Frankel and Leslie Shellow, both of whom are new artists to me.

The show is curated by Dr. Claudia Rousseau and is:

An exhibit of works on paper depicting mythical themes, or themes connoting transformations—mythical, magical or organic.

The exhibit will include prints, drawings and installation works employing paper with wax and other media.

The opening is Thursday, September 23, 5:00 – 7:30 pm. I expect to see all of you there to make me look good...

Saatchi answers

The Daily Beast has been asking ubercollector Charles Saatchi some interesting questions...

Do you think artists are more intelligent than other people?

I have always been hesitant about visiting artists’ studios, and discovering that work I have admired has been made by someone nitwitted. This can be disconcerting if you believe an artist paints with his brains, not with his hands.

Read them here and you can send Sattchi your own question by emailing them to editorial@thedailybeast.com.