(e)merge's performance and critics

I've been scrubbing what art critics have been writing about the second iteration of DC's (e)merge art fair, which...
(a) they all agree has become the world's leading "performance art fair" and
(b) mostly get overwhelmed by sooooo much performance offerings that they get Artomatic Syndrome and
(c) are unable to have the brain power to process sooooo much performance,
 and then shut down after the first two or three and call it a day some, (such as the CP's fired-then-rehired art scribe), even make some newbie reporting mistakes (but hey - not the first time... right?). You get what you pay for...

But - and this is a nice surprise - the Pink Line Project's Eames Armstrong delivers what is the best piece on (e)merge's spectacular delivery of performance art. It is clear that Armstrong didn't just hang around the Skyline's Hotel's cool bar, drinking on the job after just watching a couple of performances, but returned to (e)merge a few times, watched several artists and then put down some intelligent thoughts for a superlative and insightful review of (e)merge's best offerings in their surprising unique strenght: performance art.

Bravo Zulu Eames! Check him out here.

Read this...

When he dies, his skin will be cut up and framed. His family had to agree to it. Steiner says he doesn’t care what happens after he dies.

 Read the whole thing here.

Who's on Second?

(Via)

Although Switzerland’s Art Basel is still incontestably the top fair for contemporary art, London’s Frieze, which took place last week at Regent's Park, and Paris's FIAC, which begins Thursday, are now sharing the  second place on the podium.

"Each fair has a different identity and energy. Paris is more established, while London is younger. The different languages spoken attract buyers from different geographical regions," says Olivier Belot, director of the Yvon Lambert gallery, which is exhibiting at both fairs.

Frieze London is more hip and focused on contemporary art, while FIAC, more prestigious in its beautiful Grand Palais museum setting, shows a wider spectrum, from modern to contemporary art. It features international galleries and "bankable" artists, although it also includes some promising younger artists, for collectors looking for the next big thing.

Read the whole story here.

For Halloween

Remember the world's worst ever art restoration?

In 2008, it was Sarah Palin. In 2011, it was Amy Winehouse. This year, pundits are predicting that the Halloween costume of choice will be none other than Cecilia Gimenez’s bastardized “Ecce Homo.” Widely known as “Beast Jesus,” the Spanish octogenatian’s botched restoration of a 19th-century fresco gained worldwide fame last month, just in time to inspire scores of homemade costumes like this one in advance of Halloween. If you still need help with your costume, ARTINFO has compiled three different methods to recreate “Beast Jesus” with minimal effort and maximum effect.

Read all about it here.

When Cubans argue politics

Check out what happens when two Cubans begin to argue politics; on one corner María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien, half Cuban, Democrat from CNN and anchor of CNN's morning news program Starting Point. On the other corner, John Sununu, full Cuban born in Havana, Republican and former Governor of New Hampshire and former White House Chief of Staff for Bush The First.

See the entertaining video here.

DCCAH Award winners

This year, like many times in the past, I was on the Advisory Panel to the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) for the Artist Fellowship Program, and I was energized by the superior number of applications, which always makes the process harder but more fun... anyway:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray, and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) are pleased to announce the awarding of 258 grants awarded to local artists and not-for-profit arts organizations for fiscal year 2013. The awards total $4.2 million, representing all eight wards of the District of Columbia. This total does not include the new programs that will be released this fiscal year, which have been added as a result of the Commission’s $6.8 million budget increase.

The awards reflect the ten grant programs the DCCAH administers – Arts Education Program, Artist Fellowship Program, Artist Residencies In Schools, City Arts Projects, Community Arts Grant, Cultural Facilities Projects, East of the River, Grants-In-Aid, Public Art Building Communities, and the UPSTART Program.

“A thriving arts community has always been a hallmark of world class cities, and the District is no different,” noted Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “I’m particularly proud of our continuing efforts to integrate art and art based programs into the lives of young people across the District. Once again, we are leading the way.”

The DCCAH will announce additional funding opportunities because of a budget increase granted by the D.C. City Council on June 5, 2012.

“The arts in D.C. have seen tremendous growth this year – both from the Commission as well as the arts community, at large,” said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “The increase in funds for FY 2013 has provided the opportunity to spearhead this growth. The anticipation of funding a second round of applicants gives us great pride.”

This year, the DCCAH received 511 eligible applications requesting over $12.5 million in funding. The funding rate of 50% percent of eligible applications shows both the significant demand for support while also highlighting the ongoing vitality of the not-for-profit arts community.

The DCCAH funded a broad spectrum of innovative and exciting programs and institutions. These grantees will contribute to the District’s cultural landscape that provides an economic impact of over $1.1 billion to the city.

 And the winners are:

Artist Fellowship Program

Program	Organization Name	Official Amount	Ward
AFP	Ben Crosbie	$5,000	1
AFP	Dana Maier	$5,000	1
AFP	Deb Sivigny	$5,000	1
AFP	Helanius J Wilkins	$5,000	1
AFP	Holly Bass	$5,000	1
AFP	Kim Roberts	$5,000	1
AFP	Kristen Arant	$5,000	1
AFP	Nguyen Nguyen	$5,000	1
AFP	Nistha Raj	$5,000	1
AFP	Reginald Cabico	$5,000	1
AFP	Tim Doud	$5,000	1
AFP	William Wytold Lebing	$5,000	1
AFP	Ashley Ivey	$5,000	2
AFP	Brandel France de Bravo	$5,000	2
AFP	Brian Wilbur Grundstrom	$5,000	2
AFP	Evangeline J. Montgomery	$5,000	2
AFP	Jonathan Gann	$5,000	2
AFP	Justin McLaughlin	$5,000	2
AFP	Terri Merz	$5,000	2
AFP	Willona Sloan	$5,000	2
AFP	Alexandra Silverthorne	$5,000	3
AFP	Cory Oberndorfer	$5,000	3
AFP	Dana Tai Soon Burgess	$5,000	3
AFP	Dean Kessmann	$5,000	3
AFP	Elizabeth Graeber	$5,000	3
AFP	John Anderson	$5,000	3
AFP	Martin Irvine	$5,000	3
AFP	Miya Hisaka	$5,000	3
AFP	William Newman	$5,000	3
AFP	Alexis Gillespie	$5,000	4
AFP	Anna Ulrika Edholm Davis	$5,000	4
AFP	Daniel Phoenix Singh	$5,000	4
AFP	Gemal Woods	$5,000	4
AFP	Linn Meyers	$5,000	4
AFP	Marjuan Canady	$5,000	4
AFP	Sarah Browning	$5,000	4
AFP	Assane Konte	$5,000	5
AFP	Brandon Bray	$5,000	5
AFP	Emma Jaster	$5,000	5
AFP	Frederic Yonnet	$5,000	5
AFP	Jack Gordon	$5,000	5
AFP	Kymone Freeman	$5,000	5
AFP	Michael Iacovone	$5,000	5
AFP	Terry deBardelaben	$5,000	5
AFP	Colin Hovde	$5,000	6
AFP	Jeffrey Barninger	$5,000	6
AFP	Tommy Taylor	$5,000	7
AFP	Jason Anderson	$5,000	8
AFP	Melani Douglass	$5,000	8
AFP	Roderick Turner	$5,000	8

See all the winners here

Facts not Bull

About the debate: Before you succumb to the dogma, stretches and outright lies of either side, or if you think your guy is always truthful and the other guy is always full of lies, please visit FactCheck.org.