Returning home a bit earlier. The newsfolk in Denver were talking about a possible snow storm late on Friday, so considering that Denver has been attracting snow in the kind of immense quantities that cause travel nightmares, I decided to bite the bullet, and pay for a ticket exchange and leave earlier.

So I called United on Friday, pay $115 samolians to change my departure from 4:51PM on Friday evening to 12:15PM on Friday afternoon.

About 6:30AM on Friday morning my cell rings and it is one of the worst computer voices that I have ever heard, butchering my name, and then telling me that the 12:15PM flight has been cancelled, but they have managed to re-sked my departure on the 6:38PM.

Crap!

And so I call United and tell the nice lady who answers the phone the whole story, hoping to have her find the logic of the fact that I paid United an additional $115 bucks to leave earlier, and now I have been re-booked on a flight that actually leaves later than my original sked.

She understands my telephonic bewilderment when she informs me that it is not United policy to return the exchange money, since it was I which initiated the exchange. True, says I, but United did not deliver on the contract to deposit me home earlier.

She wants to talk to her sup.

A significant amount of air minutes later, she comes back, offering me, provided that I can get to the airport in time to catch a 10:23AM departure to San Francisco (by now is around 8AM and I haven't packed nor checked out of the hotel), to then get me home on a nonstop from Frisco to Philly.

I just want to get out of Dodge Denver before the snow hits the fan and so I agree.

With speeds closely approaching the original Star Trek warp factors I somehow get from Littleton to Denver International in under an hour and happily, just barely make my flight.

Home...

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline March 14, 2007

OPTIONS 2007 - Call For Entries

OPTIONS features talented under-recognized and emerging artists in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia region.

* Artists working in all media will be considered.
* No Entry Fee.
* Artists with gallery representation are ineligible. (ie: having a gallery/agent working on behalf of the artist to promote or sell his/her artwork.)
* Artists who have exhibited in past OPTIONS exhibitions are ineligible.

OPTIONS 2007 Curator:
Paul Brewer is an independent curator and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Previously, he was Director of Exhibitions for the Corcoran College of Art + Design where he organized exhibitions by artists such as Tara Donovan, Critical Art Ensemble, Anthony Goicolea, and Seimon Allen, among others. His writing has appeared in museum publications and art journals in the US, Europe, and Latin America. He is currently a consultant to the Office for Contemporary Art Norway in the areas of communications and international programming.

Download the prospectus here.

Opportunity for Silver Spring, MD Artists

Deadline: 5pm March 16th, 2007

Gateway's Heliport Gallery is seeking works from Silver Spring based artists for an
exhibit in April, 2007.

The show will predominantly be curated through online submissions via artdc.org. Curators for the show are Nevin Kelly Gallery Deputy Director Julia Morelli and Gateway's Silver Spring Project Manager David Fogel.

Artists of all mediums are encouraged to submit three jpgs. (1000 x 1000 pixels max optimized for the web) of exhibit ready work. Submissions should include:

Medium and Size of piece. Artists will also be required to submit their zip code. Artists whose studios or homes are in Silver Spring qualify.

Submission deadline is: 5pm March 16th, 2007.

Find the call here.

Job in the Arts

Executive Director: Cecil County Arts Council, Inc. - Maryland
CCAC is the county's umbrella cultural organization and awards grants to school and nonprofits presenting arts programs. It has a two-person full-time staff, including E.D.; $92K budget from state grant funding/ dues/ corporate support/fundraising. Programs include visual arts exhibitions, concerts, poetry/art workshops, scholarships , after-school outreach programs. E.D. qualifications: Commitment to community outreach; ability to maintain/nurture/inspire membership; knowledge of art-related issues; managerial, grant writing/fundraising experience; outstanding communication/presentation/ public relations skills; experience in working with a board of directors.

Qualified applicants can expect a salary starting at $38,000-$41,000. Benefits: health/dental coverage, retirement, paid vacation/holiday/sick/personal time. Send resume, cover letter , references to:

Personnel Committee
CCAC
135 E. Main St.
Elkton, MD 21921

Or email copy of resume to maggie.creshkoff@gmail.com.

New Arts Blog

ARTifice is a new (new to me anyway) visual arts blog by AU students. Loads and loads of art reviews by AU students! Visit them often here.

Airborne again today and heading to Denver. More later...

Time for the Trawick Prize

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is now accepting submissions for The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The 5th annual juried art competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to four selected artists. Deadline for slide submission is Tuesday, April 10, 2007 and up to fifteen artists will be invited to display their work from September 4 – September 28, 2007 in downtown Bethesda at Creative Partners Gallery, located at 4600 East-West Highway.

This year's competition will be juried by Anne Ellegood, Associate Curator at the Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden; Amy G. Moorefield, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anderson Gallery and Rex Stevens, Chair of the General Fine Arts Department at Maryland Institute College of Art.

The first place winner will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young” artist whose birth date is after April 10, 1977 may also be awarded $1,000.

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video are accepted. The maximum dimension should not exceed 96 inches in any direction. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years. Selected artists must deliver artwork to exhibit site in Bethesda, MD. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards.

The Trawick Prize was established by local Bethesda business owner Carol Trawick. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Additionally, the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawicks sold their successful information technology company.

For a complete submission form, please visit www.bethesda.org or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., c/o The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, 7700 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.