Copywrong????

Recently, three studies have been published suggesting copyright law may have some detrimental affects on creation of new artistic works.

Details here...

Frida Kahlo from Art School...

This Frida Kahlo collage was done in 1978 when I was a student at the University of Washington School of Art as part of a special collage class under the legendary Jacob Lawrence... It is the only piece of my own artwork that hangs in my house... All the collage paper (torn from an art magazine) has references to Kahlo's life in one way or another...

President Obama apologizes to me!

Well... technically to all of us... cough, cough...

Hi Lenny,

I am pleased to share the following breaking news.

President Obama issued a personal, hand-written apology for his self-described “glib” remark that he made on January 30^th, concerning the pursuit of art history degrees and jobs at a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin. The apology, which was recently made public, was addressed specifically to University of Texas at Austin Professor Ann Collins Johns after she submitted a comment through the White House website. Every day, we see the power of advocacy in making a difference. Thanks to citizen-advocates like Professor Collins Johns and the 5,300 Arts Action Fund advocates who signed our online petition to the President, our collective voices were heard.

Please know that Americans for the Arts Action Fund sent its petition to the White House with our special thanks to the President for issuing his apology. We also underscored our request for him to meet with arts and economic policy experts, representing both the nonprofit and for-profit arts industries, to brief him on the untapped potential of these industries to help improve the economic growth, jobs creation, and trade surplus of the United States.

Thank you for your involvement in the Americans for the Arts Action Fund.

Keep advocating,

Nina Ozlu Tunceli
Executive Director

From the Corcoran

Just got the following today - later I may post some internal emails from two of the players involved (GWU has really good OFM going on, so folks there are somewhat uneasy in "sharing", so I don't have anything from GWU...) on this subject that gives an "insider's view" as to some of the politics involved in this (I think) somewhat positive move...

Dear Corcoran Community, 

Following the long period of investigation pursued by our Board, I have wonderful news to report.  The Corcoran Gallery of Art and Corcoran College of Art and Design, the National Gallery of Art, and the George Washington University (GW) today are announcing a proposed collaboration that would safeguard and increase access to the Corcoran's iconic collection as a resource for the public in Washington, DC; maintain the historic Corcoran building as the renovated showplace for an important new program of exhibitions of modern and contemporary art; and strengthen and elevate the Corcoran College and its programs. The collaboration would raise the stature of arts education in the District and expand the benefits, services, and interdisciplinary opportunities that both the National Gallery of Art and GW provide to students, museum-goers, and the Washington community.

Our three institutions are now entering a working period to set the definitive terms of a collaboration, under which the Corcoran College of Art and Design would become a part of the George Washington University. GW would operate the College, maintain its distinct identity, and assume ownership of, and responsibility for, the Corcoran building.  The National Gallery of Art would organize and present exhibitions of modern and contemporary art within the building under the name Corcoran Contemporary, National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery would also maintain and program a Corcoran Legacy Gallery within the building, displaying a selection of works from the collection that are closely identified with the 17th Street landmark. These and other works of the Corcoran collection would become the responsibility of the National Gallery of Art. Works accessioned by the National Gallery would bear the credit line "Corcoran Collection."  For works not accessioned by the National Gallery, the Corcoran, in consultation with the National Gallery, will develop a distribution policy and program.

As you know, this proposed arrangement among three prominent Washington, DC, institutions comes as the culmination of a five-year effort by the Corcoran's Board of Trustees to preserve the 17th Street building as both a museum space and a home for the College and to ensure the future of the Corcoran collection as a treasure accessible to all. Due to the challenges faced by the Corcoran, our Board has sought to achieve these goals by exploring collaborations with other cultural and educational institutions.

I want you to know that this coalition among our three institutions will open important new possibilities for Washington, DC.  The Corcoran's great cultural, educational, and civic resources, which are at the heart of this city, will not only remain in Washington but will become stronger, more exciting, and more widely accessible, in a way that stays centered on the Corcoran's dedication to art and mission of encouraging American genius and opens the galleries to all for free. We are deeply grateful for the bold imagination of the boards of all three institutions for working to make this outcome possible.

Our partner institutions are as thrilled as we are:

"All of us at the National Gallery of Art are excited at the prospect of working with the Corcoran and George Washington University in a unique collaboration that ensures the Corcoran legacy, keeps the core collection in the nation's capital and offers great opportunities for exhibitions of contemporary art and programming," said Earl A. Powell III, Director, National Gallery of Art.  

"The George Washington University will work with the Corcoran to create a world-class arts education program in close affiliation with the National Gallery of Art.  Such a program, situated in this iconic Washington landmark, will offer unparalleled opportunities for students and scholars, and provide a powerful new focus for the arts in the heart of the nation's capital," said GW President Steven Knapp. 

The terms stipulate that the Corcoran would continue as a non-profit organization, committed to its original mission, "Dedicated to Art and Encouraging American Genius," and continuing its 145-year history of pursuing and supporting new art and new ideas. The Corcoran would support the National Gallery of Art's and GW's stewardship of the Corcoran name and legacy, consult with and provide advice to the National Gallery and GW on programs and interconnected activities, and promote the important role of contemporary art and artists in provoking new thinking and realizing exciting new cultural initiatives.

Thank you so much for seeing this through with us. At this exceptional moment, we need your support and words of encouragement as never before.  The Corcoran's legacy is an incredible gift that will now stay in Washington, DC in perpetuity thanks to you and your unwavering support.

All best,

Peggy Loar
Interim Director and President
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran College of Art and Design

Weird snow

This morning, as I was once again shoveling snow from my driveway, both my neighbor and I commented that his was the oddest, weirdest looking snow either one of us had ever seen.

It looked like fake Hollywood snow.... Like someone had taken a million pounds of white styrofoam and shredded it into little, tiny, fluffy balls.

Bethesda Painting Awards

Submissions must be received by Monday, February 21, 2014. 

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the seventh annual Bethesda Painting Awards. 

Up to nine finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies. Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a “Young Artist” whose birthday is after February 21, 1984 may be awarded $1,000. 

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. 

All original 2-D paintings including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimensions should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. 

Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibit. Each artist must submit 5 slides, application and a non-refundable fee of $25. Digital entries will be accepted on DC in JPG, GIF or PNG format. 

For a complete application, please visit www.bethesda.org, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814 

Or call 301-215-6660 x117. The 2014 Bethesda Painting Awards exhibition will be held June 4-28 at Gallery B.


The 2014 competition will be juried by Carrie Patterson, Paul Ryan and Judy Southerland.


Carrie Patterson is an Associate Professor of Art at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from James Madison University and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from The University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been exhibited across the United States and in Bogota, Colombia. Patterson has received a Seedling Painting Award for her work from The Leeway Foundation for the Arts and a Virginia Governor’s Fellowship to The Virginia Center for Creative Arts in 2003. Over the past 10 years, her work has been selected for exhibition by prominent painters such as Sean Scully, Bill Jensen, John Walker, Graham Nickson and Barbara Grossman.

Paul Ryan is a Professor of Art in the Department of Art and Art History at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA. He is also a painter, an art critic and the director of Hunt Gallery, the college’s art gallery. Paul has a Master of Fine Art in Painting from the Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Art in English from Principia College. Paul has shown his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Virginia and in Ithaca, NY, and at the University of South Carolina. Paul has been a contributing editor for Art Papers Magazine since 1990. Since 1989, he has contributed to Art Papers Magazine, Sculpture Magazine, Artlies Magazine and the New Art Examiner. He is represented by Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, VA, and his paintings are in numerous public, corporate and private collections.

Judy Southerland is an artist and adjunct faculty at the Corcoran College of Art & Design in Washington, D.C. She has recently exhibited at School 33 Art Center in Baltimore, MD; the Anthenaeum, Alexandria, VA; Greater Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA; Miami University, Middletown, OH; The Arts Club of Washington and Katzen Arts Center, Washington, D.C.; McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA; Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE; and College of Notre Dame, Baltimore, MD. Judy received a 2011 Individual Artist Fellowship from the D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities, and curatorial projects include Fresh Perspectives and Hillyer Art Space. Southerland received a Master of Fine Art in Painting from American University and a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Auburn University. Along with teaching painting,

Last day for Art Wynwood

That very cool sculpture by DMV artist Michael Enn Sirvet found a home in Miami yesterday at the Art Wynwood Art Fair... Today is the last day of the fair...