Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Here come the Pandas!

CALL TO ARTISTS: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THE PANDA PROJECT

Deadline for Submission EXTENDED: September 2, 2014

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) is pleased to join with the DC Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) to invite local artists or artistic teams to provide two- dimensional design proposals for a pre-fabricated panda sculpture.

Individual Artists and Artistic Teams are requested to respond to this Call to Artists with professional and emerging qualifications. Artists or teams are asked to submit up to three (3) designs in the form of two-dimensional drawings, renderings or paintings. Digital media designs illustrating the design on the panda and mixed media proposals will also be accepted.
Artists must be able to replicate the design in a three-dimensional format -hence the panda sculpture as pictured (below).

Background:
The Panda Project is part of a special artistic exchange for the District of Columbia's Sister Cities Program within the DC Office of the Secretary. In late September 2014, a Chinese Delegation from Beijing will visit the District for a series of events and programs. The panda statue will be used to highlight the city as a symbol of cultural and economic exchange between the District of Columbia and the Chinese Embassy.

Eligibility:
This opportunity is open to artists based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (including surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia) with special preference given to artists living in Washington, DC.

Budget:
The selected artist will receive a $4,000.00 honorarium, which will include design fee and all costs associated with design execution, materials and travel. The applicant should also have an appropriate studio space that can accommodate the sculpture during the painting process. Transportation of the panda sculpture to and from the studio space and associated costs will be covered by DCCAH.

Timeline:

July 11, 2014
Release of Invitational Request for Proposals
September 2, 2014, 5:00 PM EST
EXTENDED Deadline for receipt of application materials
Week of September 2, 2014
Review proposals and select finalist
September 2014
Project execution and completion
TBD September/October
Sculpture dedication

Selection Criteria: DCCAH will convene a Selection Committee representing diverse interests and expertise to review proposals and qualifications of the applicants that respond to this call. The committee will use the following criteria in selecting a finalist for the project, which candidates should address in their letter of interest:
  • Artistic excellence and innovation as evidenced by past work.
  • Creativity in enriching the public realm, streetscape or other public environments and the ability to animate public space.
  • Manner in which the artist interprets cultural, social and aesthetic intersections between the District of Columbia and the Republic of China.
  • Ability to connect with and engage the local community as well as the visiting public.
  • Ability to work within a condensed and aggressive timeline (2-3 weeks for project completion).
About the Panda Statue:The pre-fabricated panda sculpture is fabricated from polyurethane and foam insulation with a steel armature inside the body of the statue for stability.

The statue is primed with stratum white powder and weighs 150 lbs. It will be mounted on a 500 lb. cement base. Specific recommendations for painting and/or adhering materials on the panda will be provided in detail to the selected artist or artist team.

Dimensions:

Statue - 54" (H) x 42" (W) Base - 46" (W)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Figure Now

"Figure Now"
An Exhibition of Contemporary Figurative Sculpture, Paintings and Drawings
Marlboro Gallery
Prince George's Community College
www.pgcc.edu
301 Largo Road, Largo Maryland 20774
301-322-6000

August 25 - October 2
Reception: September 18, 6 pm - 8pm
At some point, the serious study of the human figure becomes an important part of every art student's college studio art experience. How do contemporary professional visual artists interpret the figure?
"Figure Now" features a diverse range of sculptures, paintings, and drawings by figurative artists at different career points. The exhibition seeks to provide the visitor with opportunities to consider contrasting and common threads among their artwork. Some of the artists featured are Genna Watson, Adam Bradley, Jody Mussoff, Susan Yanero, and Erik Thor Sandberg.
“Figure Now” opens to the public at the Marlboro Gallery on the campus of Prince George's Community College August 25th and runs through October 2nd.  A reception for the artists will be held on Thursday, September 18th, 6pm - 8pm.

Monday, August 18, 2014

A Field Guide to the Psychology and Practicalities of Becoming a Successful Artist


“Art is a form of consciousness,” Susan Sontag wrote in her diary. But for many working artists, who straddle the balance between creativity and commerce, art swells into a form of uncomfortable self-consciousness — something compounded by a culture that continually pits the two as a tradeoff. Cartoonist Hugh MacLeod captured this perfectly in proclaiming that “art suffers the moment other people start paying for it.” Such sentiments, argues artist Lisa Congdon in Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist (public library), are among the most toxic myths we subscribe to as a culture and reflect a mentality immeasurably limiting for creative people.
 Details here.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Montreal Gazette on Lida Moser

Read an excellent piece in the Montreal Gazette on Lida Moser's passing here.

Photographer Lida Moser with ethnographer Luc Lacourcière and Quebec politician Paul Gouin, in front of Hotel Le Pic de l’ Aurore, Percé.

Photograph by: Lida Moser, 1950


Friday, August 15, 2014

The WCP on Lida Moser

has authored a very cool article in the WCP about Lida Moser.

Perhaps her most famous photograph, "Judy and the Boys," a fashion shoot that took a turn for the hilarious when the model flipped a bunch of rowdy interlopers the bird, is one of the Library of Congress' most-requested photos for reproduction. Campello says Moser had a razor-sharp memory when it came to her past work. "You could point to one of her old photographs and she’d know the name of every one of the kids," he tells Arts Desk.
 Read the article here.

Artists' Opportunities



Maryland Art Place (MAP) is happy to announce three separate opportunities for artists working in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region. Each project presents an opportunity to receive either a cash reward or stipend. MAP is excited to make these opportunities available through valued partnerships with CyberPoint International, Harbor East Management Group, Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) and Art Lives Here.

In partnership with CyberPoint International, MAP is releasing an opportunity specifically geared towards female artists of the greater Baltimore metropolitan area.  Collectively, MAP and CyberPoint wish to commission a new work of art, as well as license the image of that new work of art, offering $750 in compensation for the original work and license. The image of that artwork will be reproduced in a limited edition and presented to the guests of CyberPoint’s Women in Cyber Security reception on October 29th, 2014.  The reception is meant to facilitate connections between women working in cyber security with the work embodying the theme of “creating connections” (social networks, computer networks, support networks.)  

Window Wonderland, a Holiday Arts Exhibit at Harbor East, is in its third year and is seeking unique, holiday presentations/installations for the participating retail locations within the Harbor East corridor.  Selected artists will receive a $500 honorarium from Harbor East.  During the unveiling, a jury consisting of Cara Ober, artist and Founder/Owner of BMoreArt, Priya Bhayana, Director Bromo Arts District, and Jessica Bizik, Editor in Chief of Baltimore Style Magazine will announce the “Best in Show” window installation, and this artist or artist collective will receive a $1,000 cash prize from Harbor East!

MAP, in partnership with Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) and Art Lives Here, are seeking proposals for a fall, 2014 IMPACT project at the former Northeastern Supply building lot in Brentwood, Maryland.  Proposed projects should engage community participation either before or during the life-span of the work.  Artists should seek to create a re-envisioned public space incorporating the use of contemporary fine art and design practices. The selected artist/artist team will receive a stipend up to $6,000 for the completion of this work.

For details, deadlines and applications artists should visit MAP’s website at www.mdartplace.org.

Mail Art Show

Deadline: August 15, 2014 
 
INTERNATIONAL MAIL ART POSTCARD SHOW
 
Enter up to three postcards. Send to:
 
Art by the Sea Gallery
175 2nd St
Bandon OR 97411
 
Open theme. No online entries, mail only. 
 
Cards become property of the gallery. Online documentation provided during show,
September and October 2014 on website. No entry fee. 
 
Details here or artbytheseagalleryandstudio@gmail.com