Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

The mama looked down and spit on the ground

Every time my name gets mentioned

The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy

I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention"

New work by Dora Patin

The below new works by the gifted Dora Patin are the last of her series on playing cards as she embarks on a new painting mission!

Double Venus
12x16 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Seeds of Success
8x10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Luck or Skill?
10 x 10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Double Mars
11 x 14 oil on panel by Dora Patin

Who will win the 2023 Trawick Prize?

Who's gonna  21st exhibition of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards?

Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., were juried by Brandon Morse, Jon-Phillip Sheridan, and Naoco Wowsugi. Eight artists were selected to exhibit at Gallery B from Sept. 7 – October 1, 2023. The Best in Show winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize.

The opening reception will be held Friday, Sept. 8 from 6-8pm, and Gallery B is located in the former spaces of the iconic Fraser Gallery at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. 

The finalists are: Rush Baker IV, Riverdale Park, MD; Rex Delafkaran, Washington, D.C.; Stephanie Garon, Baltimore, MD; Kei Ito, Baltimore MD; Megan Koeppel, Hyattsville, MD; Giulia Livi, Baltimore, MD; Charles Mason III, Baltimore, MD; and Fanxi Sun, Richmond, VA.

Based on my immensely wise examination of (a) the jurors and then (b) the artists, I will predict that  Rex Delafkaran, of Washington, D.C. will win the top prize.  

This is a bit of a long-ball, but there's a strange synchronicity and alignment to nearly all the other artists' work - they all "fit" into each other's artistic mold - that Delafkaran's work seems to be the only, somewhat "different" style.

By the way... most of these are the BEST.EVER.ARTIST.NAMES! There's such an uniqueness to most of them -- other than Baker and Mason... cough... cough... who have your standard names...

Who's Yvonne?

Settle down far from town get him a pirogue

And he'll catch all the fish in the Bayou

Swap his mom to buy Yvonne what she need-oh

Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the Bayou

The Kara Walkerization of Georgetown University

The Georgetown University Art Galleries will present two exhibitions of new work by Kara Walker. The de la Cruz Art Gallery will exhibit Kara Walker: Back of Hand, and the Spagnuolo Art Gallery will present Kara Walker: Prince McVeigh and the Turner Blasphemies. Both will be the first exhibition of these works in Washington by this internationally renowned artist. 

These exhibitions will be on view from September 21st, 2023 - December 3rd, 2023. They were organized by Dr. Katie Geha for the Athenaeum, the University of Georgia. An Opening Reception will take place on Thursday, September 21st from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Registration for this event is not required, and all exhibitions and programs at the Georgetown University Art Galleries are free and open to the public. 

Kathy O'Dell - the new Chair of the Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAC)

Kathy O'Dell, Ph.D. (Baltimore County), has been named Chair of the Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAC). 

A commissioner since 2015, O'Dell brings many years of arts leadership experience to the role and will take the helm at a pivotal point as the Artwork Commissions Program launches a new artwork procurement method, the forthcoming Maryland Public Artist Roster.

Every Maryland artist needs to stay tuned to the Maryland Public Artist Roster's announcement - once final.

Good bye Jimmy

Jimmy Buffett died yesterday - thank you for all the great songs!

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends

If I knew I might toss out my anchor

So I cruise along always searchin' for songs

Not a lawyer a thief or a banker

But a son of a son, son of a son

Son of a son of a sailor

Son of a gun, load the last ton

One step ahead of the jailer

I'm just a son of a son, son of a son

Son of a son of a sailor

The sea's in my veins, my tradition remains

I'm just glad I don't live in a trailer