She will not be forgotten!

Neife Rigau has been arrested during the historic Cuban uprising against their Marxist dictators and her family has not been able to see her since. She will not be forgotten!

#SOSCuba #11J

Me bitchin' to the WaPo in 1998

 Ferdinand Protzman's "A Cool Idea: New Shows for Summer" {Style, July 16} said D.C. art galleries ignore the month of August. He is wrong. Your own Web site lists nearly 200 galleries in the District, all but 30 or so not in Dupont Circle. A handful of bad August shows in Dupont Circle does not mean in all of Washington, much less the Greater Washington area.

I also am a local art critic, and even though I write for minor, obscure art publications, I receive 40 to 60 invitations a month from galleries and other art spaces in the Greater Washington area. Therefore I know that most galleries and art spaces in the District do not treat August as a month to recycle old art from their back rooms.

Read my letter to the editor, published in 1998

1980 Cuba piece at auction!

This 1980 work from my Cuba series just popped up at an auction house in Miami! Proceeds go to the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora.

Bid for it here.

Isla Prision
A 1980 work of art from Cuba Series by Florencio Lennox Campello

Daily Campello Welcomes New DC Arts Commission Chairperson

Reggie Van Lee was officially sworn as chairperson of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Chairperson Van Lee was appointed to the position by Mayor Muriel Bowser for a three-year term, with subsequent reappointments possible.

“It truly is an honor to be appointed chairperson of the arts commission by Mayor Bowser,” said Chairperson Van Lee. “Every DC resident should have the opportunity to access the full spectrum of arts and cultural offerings available in the District, and I look forward to helping the Commission continue its work to make that a reality.”

The Commission is an independent agency in the District of Columbia government that evaluates and initiates action on matters relating to the arts and humanities and encourages programs and the development of programs that promote progress in the arts and humanities. The Commission consists of 18 members appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the DC Council, who serve without compensation.

In 2020, Van Lee chaired the Commission’s Task Force on Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, which produced a report of 44 recommendations aimed at improving the Commission’s operations and improving access and transparency.

“There is a tremendous amount of knowledge, expertise, and talent amongst the staff and commissioners. Chairperson Van Lee will add to and enhance those abilities with his own, to the ultimate benefit of the District’s arts and cultural sector and our residents,” said Arts Commission Executive Director Heran Sereke-Brhan.

Van Lee is a Partner and Chief Transformation Officer of The Carlyle Group where he helps the firm develop strategies to enhance business processes. He previously served for 32 years as an executive at Booz Allen Hamilton. He has served on the boards of local arts organizations such as The Washington Ballet, Washington Performing Arts, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Cubans are on the street!

The internet is ablaze with the news that for the first time (at least in my memory) there are widespread protests in Cuba - the shouts are for "Libertad" which means "freedom."

The Marxist dictators are sure to react with a bloody reprisal - let's pray for these brave men, women and children on the streets of that poor brutalized island!

"Isla Herida"
1980 F. Lennox Campello
Original Watercolor
In a private collection in Coral Gables, FL

And here's a new flag for the uprising! A take-off on the 26th of July flag - this one has the colors of the Cuban flag (Red, White and Blue).  The red stripe is slightly larger than the blue, in honor of the blood being spilled on the streets of Cuba.  The "11J" in white is for 11 July!

11 July Uprising Flag
by Florencio Lennox Campello

The Morrigan

New for 2021 - a return to one of my obsessions! This is "The Morrigan" - she's the Celtic goddess of War, Lust and Sex. About 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches, charcoal, conte and a tiny bit of green watercolor for her Celtic eyes. Frame made from one of the nine holy woods of a Celtic bonfire.

Punk Lincoln

"Punk Lincoln", circa 1981, Charcoal and conte on paper, 12x16 inches - an art assignment from the University of Washington School of Art (for a portrait assignment).

Punk Lincoln
Florencio Lennox Campello circa 1981
Charcoal and conte on paper, 12x16 inches