Jack Rasmussen's Top 10

Few people know more about the art and artists of Washingmore (Washington + Baltimore) than my good friend Dr. Jack Rasmussen, who runs the American University Museum at the Katzen. Below is his Top DC area (sort of) shows for 2006:

"I don't get out of my own space enough to be a good judge of what other places were showing in 2006.

Certainly Da Da at the National Gallery of Art was the greatest.

Then, in no particular order, I liked everything I saw at the Hirshhorn, Jonathan Binstock's selections from the Corcoran's Collection, and Sean Scully and The Société Anonyme at The Phillips Collection.

I thought the new Smithsonian American Art Museum was OK, and I know I would have liked Manon Cleary's show with WAM if I had only been able to extricate myself from here.

I did manage to see Hemphill's shows of Steve Kushner and Robin Rose, beautiful as usual, and the great pairing of Jeff Spaulding and Ledelle Moe at G Fine Art.

The show I wish I had seen the most was the one Kevin MacDonald had been planning for the American University Museum. But it seems only the good die young."

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: January 31, 2007

The Third Annual Bethesda Painting Awards - Submissions must be received by January 31, 2007. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is currently accepting applications for the third annual Bethesda Painting Awards, which are mostly funded through the immense generosity of Bethesda businesswoman and arts activist Carol Trawick.

Eight finalists will be selected to display their work in an exhibition during the month of June 2007 at the Fraser Gallery in downtown Bethesda, and the top four winners will receive $14,000 in prize monies. Best in Show will be awarded $10,000; Second Place will be honored with $2,000 and Third Place will receive $1,000. Additionally, a "Young Artist" whose birthday is after January 31, 1977 will be awarded $1,000. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

All original 2-D painting including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimension should not exceed 60 inches in width or 84 inches in height. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibition. Each artist must submit five slides, application and a non-refundable entry fee of $25.

For a complete application, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Bethesda Painting Awards
c/o Bethesda Urban Partnership
7700 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814, or call 301/215-6660.

The 2007 Bethesda Painting Awards will be juried by Dr. Brandon Fortune, Professor W.C. Richardson and Professor Tanja Softic'.

Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune is the Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery. She has spent the last three years researching contemporary portraiture, and was the Gallery’s coordinator for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.

Professor W.C. Richardson is a Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Maryland. His most recent one person shows were at Loyola University, Baltimore, MD, March 2004; Fusebox, Washington, DC, June 2003; Fusebox, Washington, DC, July 2002; Baumgartner Gallery, New York, NY, September 2000.

Professor Tanja Softic’ is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Richmond. Softic was a recipient of the 1996 National Endowment for the Arts/ Southern Arts Federation Visual Artist Fellowship and Soros Foundation—Open Society Institute Exhibition Support Grant in 1997. She recently participated in the 12th International Print Triennial in Cracow, Poland and won a first prize at the The 5th Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints, Ino-cho Paper Museum in Kochi, Japan in 2002.

Rosetta deBerardinis Top 10 DC Area Art Shows

DC area writer and artist Rosetta DeBerardinis is not only a talented artist and writer, but as every gallerist and curator in the DC area knows, she gets around to a lot of shows! Here's her top 10 DC area list (with one NYC show):

1. Anselm Kiefer: Heaven and Earth, Hirshhorn.

2. No Limits, Just Edges: Jackson Pollock on Paper, the Guggenheim.

3. Kelly Towles at Adamson Gallery.

4. Doug Hall at Numark Gallery.

5. Renee Butler at Osuna Gallery.

6. Aging, Gail Rebham at Pyramid Atlantic.

7. Other Than Art, G Fine Art.

8. Blanka Sperkova at Quirk, Richmond.

9. Mixed Media, Curated by Kathryn Cornelius, the WPA/Corcoran.

10. Chawky Frenn at Fraser Gallery.

Map of DC Art Scene

Jesse Cohen is creating a map of the DC area art scene: galleries, museums, artists' studios, etc. See it here.

Congratulations

Three of the faculty members of the Washington Glass School just kicked some serious ass at the Art Interview Magazine 7th Annual International Competition.

Tim Tate won first prize. In addition to a ton of Euros, he will have an opportunity to exhibit his work in Berlin. I know that I am not very objective when it comes to this artist, but if you are a serious collector and do not have a piece of his work in your collection, in my opinion, you're nuts. I do.

Both Erwin Timmers and Michael Janis won Honorable Mentions, and both these artists are part of the movement that is creating a new "school" associated with Washington and which is dragging glass into the realm of just another genre of art, rather than the vessel and craft.

The competition ran from Oct 1st to Dec. 31st 2006 and attracted artists from Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Iran, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

Call for Proposals

Deadline: March 2, 2007

Art on the Gwynns Falls Trail. Individuals and/or teams are invited to submit proposals for outdoor, site-specific environmental art installations for Art on the Gwynns Falls Trail.

The concept this year is "A Place in Time," celebrating three significant anniversaries for the Trail. Accepted projects will be displayed from Saturday, June 2, 2007 through Sunday, September 2, 2007 in Leakin Park, Baltimore, MD. This is a great opportunity for artists to use environmental materials and natural elements, while creating installations that will be seen by visitors to the park and the trail.

Contact Ryan Patterson regarding any questions or for more information: Ryan.patterson@parksandpeole.org, 410-448-5663 ext. 120.

Jurors include:

Heide Grundmann - Chair of Art on the Trail Committee
Bill Eberheart - Chair of Gwynns Falls Trail Council
Michael Strawbridge - Baltimore Department of Parks and Recreation
C. Ryan Patterson - Parks and People Community Arts Coordinator
Jann Rosen-Queralt - Environmental Artist and Professor at Maryland Institute College of Art

DC Calls for Public Art

Ellington Plaza Public Art Project

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Great Streets Initiative, within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, are seeking an artist or artist team with site-specific and/or public art experience to design, create and install permanent outdoor three-dimensional artwork to support and enhance Ellington Plaza, located in front of the historic Howard Theatre at T Street NW between 7th Street and Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The goal of this project is to create a unique art piece and related art elements that communicate the history and current character of the surrounding community. To apply visit the Commission's website or call (202) 724-5613. The deadline is Friday, February 16, 2007 at 5 pm.

Washington Canal Park Public Art Project

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, in collaboration with the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, the Canal Park Development Association, and the design team led by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Ltd., is seeking an artist or artist team with large-scale public art experience to create permanent artworks for Washington Canal Park, located at M and 2nd Streets, Southeast, Washington, DC. The goal of this project is to create a unique park that will serve as a focal point in the emerging Near Southeast neighborhood. To apply visit the Commission's website or call (202) 724-5613. The deadline is Friday, February 16, 2007 at 5 pm.

Art Enhancements to Benning Road Bridge

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, in collaboration with the District Department of Transportation and the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, is seeking artists, an artist, or artist teams to create permanent public artworks for the Benning Road Bridge in Northeast
Washington, DC. It is their intention that the bridge will serve as a community landmark and gateway for residents, commuters and visitors as they travel within this area and make their way to other locations in the District of Columbia during the day and night. To apply visit the Commission's website or call (202) 724-5613. The deadline is Friday, February 16, 2007 at 5 pm.

CityVista Streetscape Grate

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in collaboration with the Office of Planning and local developers seek an artist or artist team to design, create and install a large permanent decorative grate for the ground level exhaust vent at CityVista, a new development located at 5th and K Streets Northwest, Washington DC in the emerging Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The grate is located on the façade of the building and allows
fresh air to enter the parking garage. The goal of this project is to create a unique alternative to a standard exhaust grate that enhances the building's façade. To apply visit the Commission's website or call (202) 724-5613. The deadline is Friday, February 16, 2007 at 5 pm.

5th and K Plaza Public Art Project

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in collaboration with the Office of Planning and local developers seek an artist or artist team to design, create and install permanent public artwork for the CityVista Plaza, a new development at 5th and K Northwest, Washington DC in the emerging Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The goal of this project is to create a unique freestanding element or plaza art that expresses the character of the surrounding neighborhood, while creating a contemporary landmark, which will contribute to the growth of this area. To apply visit the Commission's website or call (202) 724-5613. The deadline is Friday, February 16, 2007 at 5 pm.