Erotica 2011

Wanna do something different tonight? Here is the schedule of activities for MOCADC's Erotica 2011 show.

Fri Mar 4 Opening Reception (6 pm to to whenever)
- Live Tattoos by Artist Redz
- Tattoo & Piercing Contest
- Body Painting - Audience Participation

Fri Mar 18 Galleries 1054 Open House 6 to 10 pm

Fri Mar 25 DMV Nude (Sponsored by DMVIFF)
- Call to reserve space 202.342.6230

Fri Apr 1 Closing Party - 6 pm to whenever
- Body Painting Demo - 2 models - 6:30
- Models Perform Geture Poses on stage under Blacklight - 7:30
- Body Painting - Audience Participation

Tonight in Philly: Little Treasures – Big Rewards

The role of small works of art has, in modern culture, been delegated to the “minor works” category. They become overlooked, poorly appreciated and frequently labeled as good choices for a holiday show to generate a few sales. They have also been the subject of shows where size is all that matters, i.e. all works will be postcard size, measure 12”x12”, etc. Historically, the role of small works has been very different. The Mona Lisa is perfectly sized for a good holiday show, as is Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” Many of Rembrandt’s great portraits would also qualify, and the finest works ever done by Rubens would neatly fit into a child’s knapsack. The creation of small works for many artists has been a device where the improbable becomes possible, an idea is tried or a risk is easily taken.

“Little Treasures – Big Rewards”assembles a group of artists all deliberately working in the small format. For Elizabeth Bisbing, the diminutive scale is her forte, where her collages take on the grandeur of Renaissance masters. For others, such as Vivian Wolovitz, whose large works easily command the viewer in any gallery space, in recent time she has found a rich and varied voice in the pocket size, creating a deep space for the gravity of her painted atmosphere. Alex Queral continues to push the envelope incorporating recycled phone books. Ross Bonfanti utilizes concrete to warm the heart and surprise the senses. Susan B. Howard combines the political with the fanciful, sending a powerful message in a seemingly sweet package. Craig Cully reminds us of the Dutch master Franz Hals with his dazzling Hershey candies, while Caleb Weintraub demonstrates that the sweet world of contemporary children is a troubled place due to the modern obsession with war game technology. Frank Hyder demonstrates the experimental arena of the small works with examples from his perdido and rhythm series. F. Lennox Campello brings us his relentless salsa seasoned social commentaries, invigorating pencil and paper into a sword and shield bent on righting injustice wherever it is found.

In “Little Treasures – Big Rewards,”Projects introduces Canadian realist, Matthew Schofield, working in a diminutive scale using images from his childhood experiences. Zoe Spiliotis makes a debut with a formal spin on geometric linear explosive abstractions. Debra Van Tuinen from Portland, Oregon, serves up sensuous sky-like images made in encaustic that appear to be mixed with air. Projects also introduces Marcelo Suaznabar, a Bolivian artist currently living in Toronto, whose surrealistic vision presents a world where nothing is as it should be but often is more appealing than how things are. Amy Orr arrives for the first time at Projects with her imaginative up-cycled transformations, while E. Sherman Hayman returns with selections from her coffin series, loaded with meaning and too good to bury. This group exhibition puts the emphasis on the rewards, not the ruler, and packs a real punch.

“Little Treasures – Big Rewards”will be on display at Projects Gallery in Philadelphia from March 4 - 26, 2011. There will also be an artist’s reception First Friday March 4th from 5 - 9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Geez

Just found out that there is a "Real Housewives of Miami" show now... and that the three Cuban ladies in the cast are already making my peeps look bad.

That's Alexia Echevarria, one of the Cubans in the TV show and (I'm told) known in Miami as the Cuban Barbie.

Ay Dios Mio!

Ruth Trevarrow this Sunday

Painter Ruth Trevarrow "dares us to see the lush beauty in bare bones, with a collection of powerful shapes and lines distilled from skeletal remains."

Please join her at the beautiful Athenaeum in Old Town Alexandria for the opening reception on Sunday, March 6 from 4 to 6 pm.


On Sunday, March 20 at 4 pm, Trevarrow will be joined by scientists from the Smithsonian Institution to discuss the relationship between her art and the bone collections that inspired the works in the exhibit.

I think that this artist is one of great "undiscovered" jewels in the DMV. Don't miss this show.

Major DMV Gallery to close

Have heard from a couple of artists that a major DMV area gallery, which has been around for almost two decades has announced to them that it will close its physical location.

As this gallery is one of the few DMV galleries that does the major art fairs, I suspect that they will now just become an online dealer and simply continue to do the art fairs.

Update: I think that I broke this story, but Lou Jacobson confirms it in the Washington City Paper... Fraser Gallery will close.

Update 2: Heather over at DCist gets the credit for breaking the story... see it here.

Update 3: artdc has an interesting string of artists' comments about Fraser closing; read them here.

Opportunity for Artists

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 2, 2011
NOTIFICATION DATE: May 23, 2011
EXHIBITION DATES: June 22, 2011 - August 21, 2011
OPENING RECEPTION: June 24, 2011, 6 to 9 PM

PLANNING PROCESS: Drawings and Finished Works at Arlington Arts Center.

Juror: Helen Allen, former creator and Executive Director of PULSE Art Fairs, former Executive Director of Ramsay Art Fairs, and current partner for the upcoming (e)merge art fair in Washington DC.

PLANNING PROCESS is a juried drawing show with a difference: All of the drawings selected for inclusion must be studies created in preparation for finished artworks.

Winning studies will be shown alongside finished pieces in a variety of media: A sculptor or a painter could show sketches alongside finished objects . . . a video artist could show storyboards alongside video . . . an installation artist could show plans alongside photos documenting a finished project--or a recreation of that project onsite.

Artists can submit images of up to three projects, and four preparatory drawings per finished project. The juror will pick as many projects from a given artist as she likes, and as few or as many studies connected to each project that she would like to feature.

BOTTOM LINE:

- This show is open to cutting edge contemporary artists working in any/all media, and who live or work in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania.
- You may submit images of up to THREE PROJECTS: Up to four images of preparatory drawings may be submitted for each project; submit one JPEG of each finished 2-D work; up to TWO JPEGs of 3-D works; and MPEGs no longer than five minutes for video works.

Application here.

Armory Week in NYC

The Armory fair starts tomorrow in NYC, and this year an ever growing number of satellite fairs tag along, including a first for Brooklyn!

It's a little puzzling to some why it seems like (in the US) art fairs only tend to be successful in Miami and New York - and the best evidence of that is the growing number of satellite fairs which tag along Art Basel Miami Beach in Florida and Armory in NYC.

Moving Image, a fair dedicated to video, makes its debut this year, and it is offering free admission! The fair is co-founded by Edward Winkelman of Winkleman Gallery and Penny Pilkington and Wendy Olsoff of PPOW Gallery, continuing the trend of gallerists starting their own art fairs.

DMV galleries are mostly staying home this year, but Conner Contemporary is at the Armory show itself, and Civilian is at Scope, while Richmond's ADA and Norfolk's Mayer Fine Arts are in other satellite fairs.