1979 Frida Kahlo at auction

This huge 32x40 inches painting of Frida Kahlo that I did as a class assignment at the University of Washington School of Art in 1979 is being offered by the son of the recently deceased owner for 1/10th of appraised value! 

At https://www.ebay.com/itm/305931344185

Women Artists of the DMV - the show is on!

The show it's on! It will open middle of September 2025 and run for about 8-9 weeks at the American University's Katzen Museum in DC, the Athenaeum in Alexandria, and Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville - one spot in each of the components of the DMV! The openings will be staggered: One museum, one non-profit art space and one woman-owned independent commercial fine arts gallery! One is each of the foot prints of the DMV (an acronym that apparently I invented by accident according to the Washington City Paper).

I'm also working on a potential book deal with the same publisher for whom I did 100 Artists of Washington, DC over a decade ago.

More later! Here's the original proposal first discussed in 2023 here.  Read ALL the way to the bottom of this post for important updates!

Proposal: Women Artists of the DMV

According to the research done by the Washington City Paper in 2017, the term “DMV”, which is used to refer to the District, Maryland and Virginia first appeared in a DC ART NEWS blog post that I wrote in 2003 – And yes! I therefore do claim that I invented it!

The Greater Washington, D.C., capital region (the DMV) is not only home to some of the best art museums in the world, dozens of art galleries, non-profit art spaces, alternative art venues, and art organizations, but it also supports and fertilizes of the best and most creative visual art scenes in the nation.

This scene is kindled and ignited to a large extent by female artists of all ages, races and ethnicities – an artistic female universe significantly more diverse than just about any of other major city on the planet. By the same logic and path, the artwork created by these fertile minds examine every possible corner of the visual arts genres and creative corners.

Celebrating this art scene, which spreads across the three areas that make up the DMV, I propose to curate an exhibition of 100 works by 100 women artists comprised of both leading and established female artists plus talented emerging contemporary female visual artists who represent the tens of thousands of women artists working in this culturally and ethnically diverse region in order to assemble a group show to showcase the immense power of the visual arts being created by these artists.

Let me repeat myself: Equally diverse as the artists, are the artistic styles and media you will see in this curated exhibition, the first of its kind for the capital area.

With 100 works of art potentially available for curatorial selection, this exhibition will offer a primer for both the experienced art eye and the beginning art aficionado, highlighting a selection of talented artists who usually deserve more attention on a local, regional and national scale.

100 works of art take a lot of exhibition space, and thus this curated exhibition could either be:

(a)    Fully staged at the Katzen or;

(b)    Would be concurrently spread across three separate venues in the DMV: At the Katzen in the District, one non-profit in Northern Virginia and one independent gallery in Maryland.

 i.            For Northern Virginia I have obtained an approval for the exhibition from The Athenaeum in Alexandria.

ii.            For Maryland, I have obtained an approval for the exhibition from The Artists & Makers Gallery complex in Rockville.

I have the experience to curate a large, multi-space art survey exhibition. In 2007 I curated “Seven”, a seven-gallery exhibition in the District that surveyed the thousands of artist members of the Washington Project for the Arts (WPA). Over 6500 slides (remember slides?) were reviewed and a couple of hundred artists selected for the multi-gallery show, which received multiple reviews in the press, both local and national.  In 2001 I curated “Contemporary Realism: A Survey of Washington Area Realists” for the Athenaeum in Alexandria – another show that exhibited over 60 artists and received wide reviews in the regional and national press.  Those are just two of hundreds of curated shows since 1996.

My curatorial process for this large proposal will also involve “community input”, as I intend to approach the DMV artistic community to be able to propose up to 15 of the 100 final artists. 

I also have ample experience running this “community input” process, as in 2011 I authored the book 100 Artists of Washington, DC (published by Schiffer Press), which in part included “community input” to ensure that the diversity of the 100 artists – both in style, age, genres, etc. – was truly representational of the Greater DC area.

I understand that a significant lead time is needed by American University to schedule approved Alper shows, and stand ready, willing and able to tackle this opportunity, regardless of the time frame.

Finally, I have started the tentative process of getting artists’ commitments to the exhibition, with the goal of aligning the leading female artists of the region to help “move” this proposal and so far have obtained enthusiastic “yes” from Margaret Boozer, Lisa Montag Brotman, Shanti Chandra Sekar, Irene Clouthier, Rosemary Feit-Covey, Claudia Gibson-Hunter, Carol Brown Goldberg, Janis Goodman, Muriel Hasbun, Melissa Ichiuji, Akemi Maegawa, Joey Manlapaz, Anne Marchand, Jody Mussoff, Teresa Oaxaca, Amber Robles-Gordon, Renee Stout, Helen Zughaib and 60+ other DMV female artists.

Let’s go!

Update 1: If you'd like me to consider your work, please email me your website to lennycampello@hotmail.com - no calls, texts, DMs, Facebooking, etc.

Update 2: Due to the overwhelming number of interested artists, I've added a 4th venue to the show: the gorgeous first floor gallery at The Mansion at Strathmore.

Update 3: I've been asked, sooo:

• There are NO fees
• Agreements will be between the chosen venue and the artist
• Artwork CAN be for sale except for those chosen to hang at the Katzen 
• One work per artist

Update 4: Due to the even more overwhelming number of interested artists, I've added a 5th and 6th venue to the show: the immensely important McLean Project for the Arts in McLean, VA and the equally respected and key part of our area's art tapestry, The Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center in Hyattsville, MD!

Under $2500 is today!

UNDER $2500 Benefit - Exhibition and VIRTUAL Sale to benefit the Maryland Art Place (MAP) in Baltimore is this weekend! https://e.givesmart.com/events/F9z/

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 23 | 2 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – Black Friday, November 29, 12 am

To view the virtual exhibition click: https://e.givesmart.com/events/F9z/
Live on Saturday, November 23 @ 10 am

Eve staring at the apple tree

She couldn't help but stare at it wondering...

Eve, staring at the apple tree
2024, Graphite on reclaimed, broken unfired Bisque by Florencio Lennox Campello

Eve, staring at the apple tree (detail, side view)
2024, Graphite on reclaimed, broken unfired Bisque by Florencio Lennox Campello

Studio Gallery accepting membership applications

Studio Gallery is the longest running artist-owned gallery in Washington, DC. It features contemporary art in a wide variety of media by emerging and established artists. The Gallery was founded in 1956 by artist Jennie Lea Knight, whose work is in The National Gallery of Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Philips Collection, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Studio Gallery is housed in an elegant town house located near Dupont Circle and Washington’s Embassy Row. The Gallery includes over 2300 square feet of exhibition space on two light-filled floors and a rear sculpture garden. Among the Gallery’s close neighbors are The Phillips Collection, Hillyer Art Space, Cosmos Club and over 30 embassies.

Studio Gallery is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that showcases artworks by members and holds special exhibitions by invited guest artists and guest curators. The Gallery conducts community outreach programs and other charitable activities, all open to the public free of charge.

The Membership Levels

Studio Gallery offers three membership tiers to provide artists with representation tailored to their specific needs: Associate, Premier Associate, and Full Membership. You will need to select your preferred membership level before submitting your application.

We are currently only accepting applications for Associate and Full Membership.

For more information about the membership tiers and the application process, please click the links at the bottom of this page.

Associate Membership

Full Membership

Wanna go to an opening and art party tomorrow?

 UNDER $2500 OPENS TOMORROW AT MAP IN BALTIMORE!

UNDER $500 and FIRST EVER UNDER $2500 affordable art sale where artwork is sold on a first-come-first-served basis right off MAP's gallery walls! Newly rebranded as UNDER $2500, this event promotes the purchase of artwork by artists in the Maryland region. Guests can expect to mingle with other artists, collectors, patrons, and general art enthusiasts at the event. Take your purchases home with you the night of the event. Gift wrapping will be available on-site! 

The opening night sale (physical) will take place Friday, November 22 from 6 pm to 10 pm (ticketed) and then again on Saturday, November 23, 2024 from noon - 4pm (free). Saturday is a ‘last chance’ opportunity to snag any artworks that remain on MAP’s walls. Tickets are $30 for opening night and can be purchased at the door or in advance  HERE.

This year’s theme is Black and White! MAP will have holiday trees on display. Enjoy a cheerful atmosphere with an open bar, light fare, and some holly jolly tunes.

A virtual sale and exhibition will also take place and will be featured online HERE from Saturday, November 23 at 10 am – BLACK FRIDAY, November 29 at MIDNIGHT. Artwork will NOT be available to view online until November 23 at 10 am. Be sure to register in advance in the interim! Registration is free.

EVENT TIMELINE: 

UNDER $2500 Benefit Exhibition and Sale:  Friday, November 22 | 6 to 10 pm  | Tickets $30

Purchase UNDER $2500 Tickets HERE

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 23 | 12 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – Black Friday, November 29, 12 am

To view the virtual exhibition click HERE | Live on Saturday, November 23 @ 10 am | REGISTER HERE

I have three pieces in the show - two in the gallery walls and one at the virtual sale.

Address: 

Maryland Art Place 

218 West Saratoga St.

Baltimore, MD 21201

Suddenly, She Wasn't Afraid Any More at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

The Lilith Consoling Eve (After the Explusion) at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid) will be at MAP's virtual sale

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists!

Subj: Inquiry About Art Purchase and Shipping

Carlos Ramirez<affordable.stores55@gmail.com>

Hello

I hope this email finds you well.

I am interested in purchasing some of your art collections and would like them shipped to the Bahamas. Kindly let me know if you accept Visa, MasterCard, or cheque as payment methods. Additionally, I would like to confirm if you can coordinate with my shipping agent for the pickup of the items.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Best regards,

Carlos Ramirez

Founder/CEO

Affordables Stores LTD