Linda Hales takes a look at the Freer Gallery's "Mr. Whistler's Galleries: Avant-Garde in Victorian London," which opened a few days ago. This is a "different" show in the sense that the Freer has attempted to re-create two famous Whistler London shows -- "Arrangement in White and Yellow" (1883) and "Arrangement in Flesh Colour and Grey" (1884) -- to show how Whistler revolutionalized the then standard rules of displaying art and set a new style for exhibiting artwork in gallery shows that is still in use to this day.

Some people think that Whistler's unorthodox use of acrid colors was perhaps due to the fact that he may have been partially color blind.

Artists looking for studio space should contact The Blue Elephant Art Center. They are a cooperative artist studio/gallery in Frederick, MD featuring over 3000 sq. ft. of gallery spaces and 10 studio spaces. Two full studios and one shared studio are available now.

Cost is $200 a month for the full studio and $100 for the shared studio, all utilities included. Studios are roomy and have large windows. Group and solo shows at the Blue Elephant are available for all members. Currently on exhibit is a Blue Elephant group show. Please send contact information (name, address, phone, email), some images of your work and one page statement of work and artist intent to Brian Slagle, Blue Elephant, 4a W. 5th St., Frederick, MD 21701 or call him at 301-663-7809. Email address is blueelephantart@aol.com.

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Deadline: Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Touchstone Gallery on 7th Street is having a call for artists for its 6th Annual juried competition. The show will be curated by my good friend Joe Shannon, easily one of the best painters in our area. Joe, who is a retired curator from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He is also a reviewer for Art in America and writes art related stories for The Washington Times and sometimes also for the Post.

Prospectus can be downloaded from the gallery website, or send a SASE to Touchstone Gallery, 406 7th St., NW, Washington, DC 20004. For further information contact Camille Mosely-Pasley, Director, Touchstone Gallery, 202-347-2787, or info@touchstonegallery.com.

Last night was opening night for the four Canal Square Galleries in Georgetown. It was pretty good, with around three hundred people showing up over the three hour period.

Parish Gallery had a particularly interesting photography show, which featured some very arousing photographs by Alex Downs. It's rare to see an erotic photography show in Washington, and Downs manages to capture several highly sensual photographs of women while also investigating SM imagery.

We have a show of new figurative assemblages by Katie Dell Kaufman, who teaches at the Corcoran.

No matter how hard I try, I just don't get this guy and I now I am puzzled as well as to why the chief art critic of the New York Times Michael "Dia" Kimmelman, suddenly likes him so much.

Kimmelman writes that "Mr. Currin is among other things a latter-day Jeff Koons, trafficking in lowdown humor, heartless kitsch and ironic smut, while offering up dollops of finesse, beauty and brains. The combination is disorienting and, at its best, thrilling."

I'm disoriented by the review! Not in a million years would I have speculated that the same critical mind that loves the minimalist nothingness of most Dia:Beacon artists, would also find John Currin "thrilling."

If you like Currin - do you also like Lisa Yuskavage?

Live and learn.

Just back from gallery hopping around the Third Thursday downtown area galleries.

After the galleries, Kate and I enjoyed our favorite tapas at Jaleo. My favorite Spanish tapa is cazon, which is shark with Alioli. I just love it with that great bread that they serve in Jaleo. I fell in love with Cazon while I lived in Andalucia in the the 1980s. I also really liked "San Jacobo" tapas back then, but I have yet to find it in any of the area's Spanish restaurants.

Today was "Galleries" focus day in the Post and Jessica Dawson, like she does usually on the 3rd Thursday of the month, did a series of mini-reviews of several area galleries, including one vanity gallery. I've seen several of these shows and from the lot of six, my pick is Jeff Spaulding at G Fine Art.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Canal Square Galleries in Georgetown for the 3rd Friday openings from 6-9 PM.

In response to the whole issue of nude paintings causing a "controversy" in our Bethesda gallery, photographer Forrest MacCormack emails me a link to his favorite local nude in a public art collection.

Just like Forrest, I think that Ron Mueck's giant is a superb example of the diversity of the human body and the amazing range of emotions it can extract from us.

Opportunites:

Deadline December 19 - Juried Art Show and Auction to benefit The National Center for Children and Families.

This is a call for artists for a live and silent auction to be held March 13, 2004 at BAPA's Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD. NCCF is a private, nonprofit agency with an 88-year commitment to serving families in the national capital area. NCCF's residential programs serve homeless families, victims of domestic violence, and vulnerable adolescents. Auction proceeds to be split 50/50 between artists and NCCF. For more information or to download submission guidelines, please visit their web site at www.nccf-cares.org. For questions, call 202-270-8822.

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Deadline January 15, 2004 - Liquitex Excellence in Art Award.
Awards totaling over $14,000 in cash and products will be given to artists demonstrating skill and creativity in the use of acrylic paints. Open to residents of US and Canada. Entries must be postmarked on or before January 15, 2004 and be received by January 26, 2004. Tel:
800-445-4278 or visit: www.liquitex.com.