Nevermore

One this day in 1849, Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore ---  it was the last time he was seen in public before his death four days later.

The Fake artistry of Ebay fakery

eBay is chockablock with fake art. On one hand, if you do a search for any famous artist you’ll find sellers claiming to have pricy originals (or prints) that seem too good to be true. On the other hand, sometimes sellers are ambiguous about what you’re getting: they don’t quite say the piece is authentic, but they also don’t quite say that it is a fake or done as an homage.

Read the article by Brandon Zech here.

Multiple Exposures Gallery Photography Exhibition

In the last 30 years or so I have been honored with the task of jurying a show for Multiple Exposures Gallery three or four times, starting when it was called Factory Photoworks back in the 1990s.

See the show that I've just juried for MEG here.

These shows have always had one thing in common: they are exceptionally difficult to jury because of the exceptional quality of nearly every entry.  When essentially every entry presented to me or any other juror showcases the enviable talent roster that MEG possesses, it makes the selection process a combination that not only celebrates photographic skill, but also a wide array of other artistic vectors that influence the difference between a good photo and a great photo.

Issues such as composition, employment of light, range of tones, subject matter, and most human of all, the juror's own agenda and subjectivity, all come to play to deliver a final set of works for a show.

Over the same range of years I have juried and curated hundreds of art shows, and thus this next statement comes with the backing of all that experience and exposure to art (pun intended): This MEG exhibition is one of the best photography shows that I have ever juried!

And photographic history has come in full circle for me when it comes to jurying a show. I recall in the 90s when digital photography was still excluded from some exhibitions and only traditional darkroom or pinhole photography was allowed. How provincial must that look now when we're about to see an all digital show where powerful photographs and talented photographers flex their artistic muscles to show that it is the art of photography which delivers results, not just the means to create the photograph.

Many years ago I wrote in an essay for some magazine or newspaper about the DC area region, and in that essay I noted that MEG was one of the key artistic jewels which make up the tapestry of the Greater Washington region's visual arts footprint; this show will once again prove that, and I congratulate every single one of you selected for this show!

Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli will curate 81st Whitney Biennial

Meg Onli and Chrissie Iles
Photo: The Whitney Museum of American Art.

The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced that curators Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli will co-assemble/curate/organize the 81st Whitney Biennial, slated to open in the spring of 2024.

Onli rocking a super cool hairdo!

Another child art prodigy? Yawn. Wake me up when one of them paints the ‘Mona Lisa’

... But one thing I do know: Every few years, a child artist emerges from obscurity, hailed as a pint-sized Pollock or Picasso. Far too young to have attended art school or to have studied anything about the history of art or the development of abstract painting, the child emerges from diapers, allegedly, as a fully formed abstract artist.

Each origin story is similar to the next: The child started painting as a toddler, they need a step stool to reach the top of the canvas, their parents are perplexed by all the attention and worried it will be harmful to their emotional development. Until, that is, it becomes clear that people pay money, lots of it, for this sort of novelty. Then the parents reluctantly allow the child to keep working … and keep selling.

Read the opinion piece by Robin Abcarian here.

Studio space available!

Artists & Makers Studios flagship operation is an art center complex in Rockville, MD. Hosting a wide variety of Resident Artists and Affiliate members, it offers studios for rent, extensive classroom/workshop spaces, and several galleries. Exhibitions are juried and curated by Cathy Hirsh under the direction of executive director Judith HeartSong. They have some studio openings! Read on...

Vision Statement: Artists & Makers Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.

To apply for their wait list, please email your resume/bio, website link and/or jpegs, studio requirements (how much space you are hoping for), whether you are willing to share a studio, monthly budget, and all pertinent details about your medium. Oil painters must use fume-free solvents. SPECIFY MARYLAND, ARIZONA, SAN GABRIEL, or NORTH HOLLYWOOD LOCATION in your email. Send to Judith@ArtistsAndMakersStudios.com

Studio 5 1/3 share of the space on the A hallway with two large windows to the outside will be available October 1 - $274/m for 81.02 sq ft

Studio 9 on the A hallway with a full glass door & tile floor will be available October 1 - $395/m for 104.77 sq ft

Studio 15 in the B1 hallway is freshly painted and available now -  $385/m for 91 sq ft

Studio 37 on the newly refurbished Gallery Hall with white tile floors will be available October 1 - $400/m for 92 sq ft

* Liability insurance is required for artists joining the program.

Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program

Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program.

Deadline: Friday, November 11, 2022

This fall, MSAC is facilitating a public-led revision of the Independent Artist Award (IAA) program, which has recognized achievement by Maryland artists making work independent of institutions or organizations. This revision effort is based on data collected since 2020 from applicants, panelists, and award winners, who have made suggestions on how to improve the IAA program’s service to the public. The next step of this process is to identify a panel of editors who will work with MSAC staff to further refine the suggestions into clear policy recommendations, which will be carefully considered as MSAC further develops the IAA program.

Consider completing an application to serve as an editor in this process. All selected editors will be expected to:

• Become familiar with previously collected data and current MSAC efforts to support artists through the IAA program.
• Work with MSAC staff to consider how to improve the service of the IAA program to Maryland artists in light of other MSAC opportunities, including the Grants for Artists program, set to pilot in winter 2023.
• Participate in at least two virtual meetings discussing the above issues and developing procedure and policy recommendations for further consideration by MSAC staff, council, and Department of Commerce leadership.

What they are looking for:

Maryland artists with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines (e.g., literary, performing, visual, media, and traditional arts, etc.), or who are interested in learning how changes are considered and implemented within MSAC.

IAA winners, applicants, and panelists from the past three years are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply:

Click here to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple. You must be registered as an “Independent Artist” to apply to be an editor. 

Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call."

Select "Program Editor" from the first drop down option. 

Select “Independent Artist Awards” as the Grant Program from the second drop down option.

Click "Save Draft" at the bottom to populate the application.

Complete the application and click “Submit.”

Editors will receive a minimum of $400 upon completion of assigned tasks, with the possibility of additional compensation if more than two virtual meetings are needed.