The curious case of the DC art collection

All out war between the DC mayor and the city council over who runs the District's Art Commission... just got word that the mayor sent a police officer over to the the art commission and changed the locks on the Art Bank storage facility, essentially seizing control of all the artwork inside!

On Identity in the Arts: What it means to be LatinX

We are all set for September 21, 2pm at Montpelier Art Center for my lecture: On Identity in the Arts: What it means to be LatinX.

Give it a shout out if you can and share it around. Seating is limited so folks are asked to call the center at 301.377.7800 to register.

It's all free - courtesy of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division of The  Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Address of Montpelier Art Center is
9652 Muirkirk Rd
Laurel, MD 20708

Lecture: Art with a Twist

Sunday, October 13, 2pm.

Lecture: Art with a Twist

Montpelier Art Center

9652 Muirkirk Rd

Laurel, MD 20708

Join me as I take a fun walk through art history that culminates in contemporary art where I will discuss the work of some DC area artists and our regional art scene, and answer questions.

Lecture is free and open to the public.

Zofie King: Secular Relics and Apocryphal Fossils

Please join the very talented Zofie King for her solo exhibition "Secular Relics and Apocryphal Fossils" at Hillyer, opening on Friday, September 6, 6-9pm, with an artist talk during Art All Night, Saturday, September 14 at 8:30pm.

Final Thoughts, c.2019
Found objects, acrylic, resin, LED, velvet, cyanotype on satin
66" x 20" x 15"
Image courtesy of Pete Duvall

She writes:

When making the pieces for this show, I was reflecting on how objects connect us to history, both geological and cultural. Fossils serve as a record of geological time, in which humans are a mere blip, while reliquaries encapsulate myths that go back several centuries. The origin of relics is often dubious, and their provenance hard to track. In fact, a reliquary is venerated for what it is thought to contain, and its real value lies in the story that surrounds the object. Similarly, fossils hold our fascination by telling us about the history of life before humans. Studied extensively, they are put into context using the scientific method, but in holding a fossil, one is also physically connected to a prehistoric time. 

 9 Hillyer Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008
202.338.0325  |  atHillyer.org  |  ArtsandArtists.org

A new art fair model!

For many galleries, art fairs present a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” proposal. The cost to participate has grown increasingly steep, with many charging tens of thousands for a booth, plus expenses for shipping, travel, and insurance. Do more than one fair a year—let alone five or six—and that number balloons quickly. On the other hand, not participating can amount to a significant lost business opportunity.

Future Fair, a new New York startup launched by fair veteran Rachel Mijares Fick and art adviser Rebeca Laliberte, poses an answer to this problem: it will cut a share of its profits with participating galleries.

Read the whole article here. 

Villagallegos in my past footprint

Just discovered that my paternal grandmother was born in Villagallegos (Celtic Village), in the municipality of Valdevimbre, in the province of Leon, in northwest Spain... even today pretty much a one horse village, with about 100 people living there!

Plein Air Painting Competition at Serenity Farm

FARM HERITAGE CONSERVANCY
1st Annual Sunflower Festival at Serenity Farm
6960 Serenity Farm Road
Benedict, Maryland 20612

Labor Day Weekend 2019, August 31 and September 1, 10am – 4pm

En Plein Air Day, August 30 8am-dark

Plein Air Entries created on August 30 will be judged by Dr. Margaret Dowell, Adjunct Professor of Art, College of Southern Maryland.  Artworks will be available for public viewing and purchase at the festival on August 31 and September 1.  Twenty percent of all art sales will go to the Farm Heritage Conservancy, a non profit 501(c)3.

Prizes
1st Prize: $200
2nd Prize: $100
3rd Prize: $50

AUGUST 28: Deadline for artists to contact Franklin A Robinson, Jr to reserve a spot. Space is limited to twenty entrants. E-mail fhcbenedict2015@gmail.com

AUGUST 30: En plein air day, 8am-9am, artists report to the Harvest House at Serenity Farm to fill out Artist Participation Form and to join us for donuts and coffee for meet and greet. Then the full day to wander the farm and paint.

9am-dark, paint on location at Serenity Farm, at the end of the day works will be given to Franklin Robinson for hanging.  Canvases MUST HAVE eyehooks and wire. Artists will submit title and price for work.

AUGUST 31 AND SEPTEMBER 1, 10 am – 4 pm. Art works created on August 30 at the farm will be on public display during the festival.

SEPTEMBER 1, 3-4 pm.  Artists’ reception in the Yellow Barn.  Artists pick up works not sold during festival.