Since 2003... the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet! And with over SEVEN million visitors, F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area.
I did the below pen and ink drawing in 1980 when I was in art school - I either gave it away or sold it to the mom of an old girlfriend at the time.
Yesterday I got an email from a nice lady who just acquired it!
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| Elvis Presley Chasing Frida Kahlo 1980 pen and ink drawing by F. Lennox Campello |
Now in its 31st year, the Tephra ICA Festival (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival) will take place on May 20–22, 2022 and will highlight more than 200 artists and artisans from across the nation. Drawing upon a robust exhibitor and collector base coupled with Tephra ICA’s contemporary art foundation, the Festival has become one of the region’s most anticipated events, attracting approximately 30,000 people to the unique, outdoor environment of Reston Town Center.
I juried this festival a few years ago, and have participated in it many times over the years, maybe 25 or 26 times out of the 31 years, and I have won a ton of awards over the years - I applied again this year and got rejected, which is OK, since there are new jurors each year, and rejection is part of an artist's life.
It is a great show!
This year's jurors will select the award winners when the festival opens - but as usual, I'd like to run through them online and award my own awards.
You can see the artists here and make up your own awardees... my first observation is that (as usual), this show is heavily tilting towards the craft side - it's somewhat of a trademark for Reston, and since the beginning it has added more and more jewelry, furniture, etc. at the expense of the fine arts. There are about 30 jewelers in the group! And they're all really good!
But, did I sound elitist or what? Sorry...
And the awards go to...
Best Painting Award: Jill Banks - Booth 943 - A true example of the 10,000 hour rule; Banks is a master and her work shows it. Tough category with 37 painters here - all really good with notable ones such as the superbly talented Ann Barbieri, Jon Smith, Cassie Taggart and others.
Best Photography Award - Landscape photography dominates, which is to be expected, and (as I've noted for decades now) I tire of seeing photos of crumbling buildings in Havana and old 1950s cars - please! Enough! If you wanna take photographs of Cuba, go somewhere else other than Havana! Maybe photograph some of the heroes who often take to the streets to protest the brutality of Communism!
James McArthur Cole is trying hard to head in the right direction, and he has some stunning Cuban photos, such as the one below - but I deduct two points for each photo of an old car.
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| Cuba 60 by James McArthur Cole |
But John Deng - Booth 317 - stands out! His beautiful photos are equally adept at capturing immensely different landscapes as well as the diversity of the human species.
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| Honey Gatherers by John Deng |
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| Photo by John Deng at Tephra 2022 ICA Festival |
Best Craft Award: Mick Whitcomb - Booth 816 - Specializes in one-of-a-kind furniture and lighting made from architectural and industrial salvage - the kind of stuff that some call "steampunk." The work is clever and unique and far outshines (no pun intended) the category competitors.
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| Fan Light Fixture by Mick Whitcomb |
Best Glass Award - The DMV is home to three of the best known glass artists on the planet, and thus a magnet place for artists of this genre. The work of David Sandidge stands out... some of the whimsical pieces remind me of Carmen Lozar's early work. Sandidge is clearly a master of this most demanding of all arts.
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| Glass art by David Sandidge |
Beware of this asswipe mutant trying to rip off artists!
Simeon David - davidcarlow67@gmail.com
Sat 4/23/2022 1:49 PM
Hello there . I'm David Carlow from Denver, CO. A business friend of mine showed me your beautiful handwork. I must say I'm really impressed and I'm interested in purchasing some of your artwork after surfing through the internet. I find yours more attractive. Could you please provide more information? As a matter of fact I would like to know if you accept checks as a means of payment.
Best regards
David C
Good neuroscience may contribute to policy advances, but what happens when inaccurate myths about neuroscience take hold?
With Professor Carle and Dr. Davidson, AU School of Education Professor Dr. Alida Anderson discusses her research on “neuro-myths” in education policy.
Anderson explains what some of these neuro-myths are, how they may lead educators and policymakers astray, and how training can help decrease the prevalence and harms neuro-myths may cause
Beware of this scum trying to rip off artists:
From: Desirae Gardner - gardnerdesirae27@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2022 7:16 PM
Hello There,
My name is Desirae Gardner from Panama city, Florida . I actually observed that my husband has been viewing your website on my laptop and I guess he likes your piece of work. I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too, You are doing a great job. I would like to purchase ''Judith with the Head of Holofernes" as a surprise to my husband on our anniversary. Also, let me know if you accept CHECK as mode of Payment.
Thanks and best regards
Desirae Gardner
Located in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, along Norfolk, Auburn & Del Ray Avenues, the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival featuring 100+ artists from throughout the country is returning this spring!
Admission to the festival is FREE and free parking is available in the public parking garage on Auburn Avenue. This event is held rain or shine.
May 14: 10am-6pm
May 15: 10am-5pmd
By now you know the story of my obsessions with interesting voices heard over the airwaves, and for many years I have written about the strange seductive power of a distinct radio voice, where one has no idea of the physical attributes of the speaker.
I've also mentioned another interesting voice in the air is that of WMAL's Maria Leaf and discussed the strangely-patterned diction of Michael Barbaro, who is an American journalist and the host of The New York Times news podcast, The Daily.
I have also lamented and discussed the uniquely young American female phenomenon of "vocal fry." Young women, that is, until Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's spectacularly annoying voice made its debut during the attempted lynching of now Justice Kavanaugh.
WAMU's Lauren Ober and Lauren Landau's radio voices have also been commented upon, and most recently I discussed the voices and laughter of these two Commies sprouting Russian propaganda over Radio Sputnik.
For the last year or so, I have been entertained by the creamy and elegant voice of Melissa Harris-Perry in NPR's The Takeaway show.
Harris-Perry's voice flows and flows as if it was an actual part of the radio frequency itself - not just being carried by it. It caresses the airwaves as it modulates them, rather than permit the physics of RF to modulate it. Do not make the mistake to assume that it is just that... it is also a firm, strong voice, worthy of a Middle School principal.
Harris-Perry also has the almost magical gift of being able to transform any subject that she focuses upon on upon race - A.N.Y. S.U.B.J.E.C.T!!!!
This is an impressive gift which makes her program addictive not only to learn about justifiable racial issues which deserve attention and air time, but also to learn from a master magician as she focuses any subject on the planet towards the inequities of race. I bet that if someone asked MHP to discuss solar flares we'd all end up learning something related to racial inequities caused by our dying star.
If I had one topic for Ms. Harris-Perry to explore, would be for her "out" the blatant racism of Ernesto Guevara de La Serna Lynch, better known to the world as "Che", and whose iconic image adorns trillions of T-Shirts worn by clueless people (including people of color), ignorant that they are wearing the visage of a poisonous racist.
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| This is Che 2012 F. Lennox Campello |
