Thursday, May 14, 2015
Fulano de Tal
Things Cubans (and by default Americans of Cuban ancestry) say which
make people who understand Spanish look puzzled: "Fulano de Tal" which
was and still is, and will always be a puzzle to me, since it means
something like "John Doe"... cough, cough... except that Cubans have
another guy named "Mengano"... so it is "Fulano y Mengano" --- what???
It's like two made up names that cover Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane all at
once...
And I am told that there's also even two more characters: "Sutano" and "Perengano."
And I am told that there's also even two more characters: "Sutano" and "Perengano."
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Ephemeral at Olly Olly
Ephemeral
Olly Olly
June 6, 2015-July 18, 2015
Opening Reception
Saturday, June 6, 2015, 7pm-10pm
Olly Olly
June 6, 2015-July 18, 2015
Opening Reception
Saturday, June 6, 2015, 7pm-10pm
Olly Olly is pleased to present a new art exhibition, Ephemeral, inspired by the elusive here and now, and the role of delicate forms of reality at play in the understanding of emotion, life, and meaning making. On Saturday, June 6, 2015, from 7pm to 10pm, spend an evening with the artists:
Bita Ghavami
Jay Hendrick
Samantha Sethi
Lisa Marie Thalhammer
The artists of Ephemeral create situations of opportunity for the viewer to experience the fragile and temporary nature of art and life. Destruction becomes a powerful mode of creation through processes that utilize objects of the everyday. Wood, metal, ice, concrete, paper, paint, band-aids, memory, and the performance of bodies embrace and transform fleeting moments of existence in order to call into question systems, functions, and transitory relationships of space, place, and time.
Special musical performance will be provided by local goth/jazz/punk/new wave/experimental rock twosome Space Waste.Olly Olly, located at 10417 Main Street, 2nd Floor, in Fairfax, VA, is open Mondays 10am-4pm, Tuesdays 6pm-9pm, Wednesdays 10am-4pm, Thursdays 6pm-9pm, Saturdays 11am-4pm, and by appointment. Ephemeral will be on view at Olly Olly from June 6, 2015 through July 18, 2015.
We will be collecting healthy non-perishable food items for the Food Bridge Program at Our Daily Bread, which provides short-term emergency food assistance to Fairfax County area residents who are in crisis. We encourage you to bring a healthy non-perishable food item to donate. The Food Bridge Program is most in need of cooking oil, brown rice, dried beans, canned fruit in its own juices, and pasta sauce.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
DC FY16 Grants Deadlines
This is a friendly reminder to all DC artist who bitch about
art opportunities in DC that
FY16 Grants Deadlines begin Wednesday, May 13
Starting
with the deadline for City Arts Projects, the bulk of DC's FY16 Grant
applications are due between Wednesday May 13 and Friday May 22. The one
grant due after that is for the Public Art Building Communities
program, which is due August 21.
See below for all the deadlines, and click on the link below for its respective guidelines.
FY16 Grants Deadlines
| Artist Fellowship Program | Friday, May 15 |
| Arts Education Program | Thursday, May 21 |
| City Arts Projects - Individuals | Wednesday, May 13 |
| City Arts Projects - Organizations | Wednesday, May 13 |
| Cultural Facilities Projects | Monday, May 18 |
| East of the River | Monday, May 18 |
| Grants-in-Aid | Friday, May 15 |
|
Public Art Building Communities
| Friday, August 21 |
|
Sister Cities International Arts Grant
| Wednesday, May 20 |
|
UPSTART
| Friday, May 22 |
FY16 Advisory Review Panelists
As
you may also know, the DC Arts Commission (for which I have served for many years) is currently seeking advisory review panelists
for the FY16 grant season. Panelists are integral to the DCCAH's grants
process because they review applications, provide comments, and score
applications in order to recommend recipients of DCCAH grant awards.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Commission with any questions, by calling their main line at (202) 724-5613 or emailing them at cah@dc.gov,
Mark Halperin: Asshole of the Week
Other than my frequent ramblings on the brutal Cuban dictatorship, and an occasional political cartoon, this blog seldom discusses politics, so please forgive this nauseating excursion into that world.
Last night I watched the Mark Halperin interview of Senator Ted Cruz, an interview that, as a Cuban-American, not only made me immensely uncomfortable, but also revealed the disturbing insides of this "journalist."
Senator Ted Cruz is Cuban-American, and because the Texas Senator is one of those rare politicians that actually says in a very loud voice what he believes, and then sticks to his beliefs, you either like him a lot, or despise him even more, depending if you agree with Cruz (as the majority of Texans who voted him into the Senate apparently do) or disagree with him (as practically every Democratic Senator and even some Republicans does), and that is just one of the beautiful things about living in this great nation: Politicians (and the rest of us) can (and often should) have widely differing views on things, and disagree, and argue, etc.
Watching Halperin's revolting interview of Cruz, I actually wanted to throw up.
Up to last night, I had never heard of the online interview show that Halperin co-hosts on BloombergPolitics.com. It is called "With All Due Respect", but the last thing that Halperin showed Cruz was respect; in fact what Halperin revealed about himself was not only a disturbing and sickening inside look at his mind, but also evidence of his lack of journalistic ethics.
Imagine Halperin interviewing Senator Obama in 2008:
What Halperin was doing when he asked Senator Cruz to speak in Spanish (when everyone knows that Cruz is not fluent in Spanish), or to reveal his favorite Cuban dish, or to list what sort of Cuban music the Senator likes, was to challenge Cruz's Cubanosity and to diminish his Hispanic/Latino "credentials."
Halperin wanted to diminish and embarrass Senator Cruz because Ted Cruz does not fit the stereotype of what the main stream press and the Democratic Party (but I repeat myself) wants us Hispanics/Latinos to be: homogeneously brown, solid Democrats, poor, and victimized. Cruz, on the other hand, is white, right wing, and very vocal and proud about his extreme right-wingness.
Why did this interview bother me so much? I thought about this overnight, and I've come to the conclusion that, for the first time, starting when I was a child in Brooklyn, grew into a man while serving in the US Navy, and the many years since, I've now personally felt, for the first time in all those years, the slimy touch of racism.
It sickens me that Halperin can give a half-assed apology and go on pretending that he's an unbiased, objective journalist, when it is clear to the most casual observer that all along he had a goal and a focus in his sickening interview of Senator Cruz.
It sickens me that it took a Mark Halperin to make me feel insulted, nauseated, violated and angry. And it sickens me that he's tarnished my American dream.
Last night I watched the Mark Halperin interview of Senator Ted Cruz, an interview that, as a Cuban-American, not only made me immensely uncomfortable, but also revealed the disturbing insides of this "journalist."
Senator Ted Cruz is Cuban-American, and because the Texas Senator is one of those rare politicians that actually says in a very loud voice what he believes, and then sticks to his beliefs, you either like him a lot, or despise him even more, depending if you agree with Cruz (as the majority of Texans who voted him into the Senate apparently do) or disagree with him (as practically every Democratic Senator and even some Republicans does), and that is just one of the beautiful things about living in this great nation: Politicians (and the rest of us) can (and often should) have widely differing views on things, and disagree, and argue, etc.
Watching Halperin's revolting interview of Cruz, I actually wanted to throw up.
Up to last night, I had never heard of the online interview show that Halperin co-hosts on BloombergPolitics.com. It is called "With All Due Respect", but the last thing that Halperin showed Cruz was respect; in fact what Halperin revealed about himself was not only a disturbing and sickening inside look at his mind, but also evidence of his lack of journalistic ethics.
Imagine Halperin interviewing Senator Obama in 2008:
"Senator Obama, as a historical matter, when you applied to Harvard, did you list yourself as a Kenyan-American"?Or imagine Halperin interviewing Senator Elizabeth Warren today:
"Who's your favorite African-American performer?"
"What's your favorite kind of black music?"
"What's your favorite soul food?"
"Senator Warren, what's your favorite Native-American dance?Had those interviews happened, Bloomberg would have fired Halperin (who has since then somewhat apologized... cough, cough).
"Can you say something in Wampanoag?
What Halperin was doing when he asked Senator Cruz to speak in Spanish (when everyone knows that Cruz is not fluent in Spanish), or to reveal his favorite Cuban dish, or to list what sort of Cuban music the Senator likes, was to challenge Cruz's Cubanosity and to diminish his Hispanic/Latino "credentials."
Halperin wanted to diminish and embarrass Senator Cruz because Ted Cruz does not fit the stereotype of what the main stream press and the Democratic Party (but I repeat myself) wants us Hispanics/Latinos to be: homogeneously brown, solid Democrats, poor, and victimized. Cruz, on the other hand, is white, right wing, and very vocal and proud about his extreme right-wingness.
Why did this interview bother me so much? I thought about this overnight, and I've come to the conclusion that, for the first time, starting when I was a child in Brooklyn, grew into a man while serving in the US Navy, and the many years since, I've now personally felt, for the first time in all those years, the slimy touch of racism.
It sickens me that Halperin can give a half-assed apology and go on pretending that he's an unbiased, objective journalist, when it is clear to the most casual observer that all along he had a goal and a focus in his sickening interview of Senator Cruz.
It sickens me that it took a Mark Halperin to make me feel insulted, nauseated, violated and angry. And it sickens me that he's tarnished my American dream.
Corcoran’s 17th Street building's renovation
LEO A DALY, an internationally renowned architecture, engineering and planning firm with expertise in arts and education spaces, will lead the phased renovation of the Corcoran’s 17th Street building, the George Washington University announced Monday.
The firm, which already has assisted with preliminary space planning at the Corcoran, will be responsible for detailed planning as well as historically sensitive architectural design work for the renovations at the 17th Street building. Initial work will include design of roof and façade repairs; upgrades to critical infrastructure; and design of program spaces, such as computer labs, which will be used in the fall. Long-term efforts will include design to support academic programs and student needs.
The National Gallery of Art, GW, The Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design signed the historic collaboration agreements last year that, in part, created the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at GW and transferred ownership of the 17th Street building to the university.
“LEO A DALY brings a high level of knowledge and experience to this project and has successfully led our initial space planning efforts,” said Alicia Knight, GW’s senior associate vice president for operations. “We look forward to working with the firm as we renovate the Corcoran to ensure that it supports our students and continues to serve as a showplace for the arts.”
The firm, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is an international leader in the practice of architecture and engineering. Its design expertise in the arts, museums and learning environments includes the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong and the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. LEO A DALY is also leading the renovation of the historic Burlington Passenger Station, built in Omaha in 1898, transforming it into a state-of-the-art television studio facility for the Hearst Corporation’s ABC affiliate KETV News Watch Channel 7.
“It is a rare privilege to lead the renovation of such an iconic Beaux Arts building,” said Leo A. Daly III, chairman and CEO of LEO A DALY. “The Corcoran Building is a significant Washington landmark, just steps from the White House. Breathing new life into such a structure, while transforming its classic gallery space into a world-class arts education environment, is an architect’s dream.”
Mr. Daly, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, serves on the Trustees’ Council of the National Gallery of Art and is a former trustee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. A respected collector of 20th century art, Mr. Daly previously served as chairman of the American Architectural Foundation, vice chairman of the Kennedy Center International Committee, vice chairman of the National Building Museum, and on the Advisory Board of the Blair House Fine Arts Committee.
The university recently announced that it has entered into a contract for S&R Foundation to purchase the Fillmore building. The nonprofit organization intends to use it as an arts incubator supporting talented artists. The university will use funds from the sale of the Fillmore for the renovation of the 17th Street building and for programs within the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.
The firm, which already has assisted with preliminary space planning at the Corcoran, will be responsible for detailed planning as well as historically sensitive architectural design work for the renovations at the 17th Street building. Initial work will include design of roof and façade repairs; upgrades to critical infrastructure; and design of program spaces, such as computer labs, which will be used in the fall. Long-term efforts will include design to support academic programs and student needs.
The National Gallery of Art, GW, The Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design signed the historic collaboration agreements last year that, in part, created the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at GW and transferred ownership of the 17th Street building to the university.
“LEO A DALY brings a high level of knowledge and experience to this project and has successfully led our initial space planning efforts,” said Alicia Knight, GW’s senior associate vice president for operations. “We look forward to working with the firm as we renovate the Corcoran to ensure that it supports our students and continues to serve as a showplace for the arts.”
The firm, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is an international leader in the practice of architecture and engineering. Its design expertise in the arts, museums and learning environments includes the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong and the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. LEO A DALY is also leading the renovation of the historic Burlington Passenger Station, built in Omaha in 1898, transforming it into a state-of-the-art television studio facility for the Hearst Corporation’s ABC affiliate KETV News Watch Channel 7.
“It is a rare privilege to lead the renovation of such an iconic Beaux Arts building,” said Leo A. Daly III, chairman and CEO of LEO A DALY. “The Corcoran Building is a significant Washington landmark, just steps from the White House. Breathing new life into such a structure, while transforming its classic gallery space into a world-class arts education environment, is an architect’s dream.”
Mr. Daly, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, serves on the Trustees’ Council of the National Gallery of Art and is a former trustee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. A respected collector of 20th century art, Mr. Daly previously served as chairman of the American Architectural Foundation, vice chairman of the Kennedy Center International Committee, vice chairman of the National Building Museum, and on the Advisory Board of the Blair House Fine Arts Committee.
The university recently announced that it has entered into a contract for S&R Foundation to purchase the Fillmore building. The nonprofit organization intends to use it as an arts incubator supporting talented artists. The university will use funds from the sale of the Fillmore for the renovation of the 17th Street building and for programs within the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.
Monday, May 11, 2015
American Sniper Saga: UMD responds
As you know, I was furious at how UMD caved in when faced with a set of students who do not understand fully the concept of freedom of speech - in this case about the showing of the film American Sniper.
UMD has responded with the following:
UMD has responded with the following:
Dear Lenny:Thank you for your message to President Loh and for reaching out to voice your concerns regarding the decision to postpone the viewing of American Sniper. We understand this decision has caused a strong reaction, and we appreciate your feedback.
It was announced on Tuesday afternoon that a showing of American Sniper, sponsored by the UMD College Democrats and the UMD College Republicans, will happen on the University of Maryland campus on May 4th at the Hoff Theatre. There will be no charge to students, and anyone who wishes to stay afterward will be invited to participate in a thoughtful dialogue.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Sincerely,Ann TonggarweeAssistant to the PresidentUniversity of Maryland
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