Wanna go to a gallery opening tonight?

Come to the opening of "Five Senses," the exhibition that I curated for Alexandria's Target Gallery.

The exhibition is up now and through April 6, 2008, and the opening reception (free and open to the public) is tonight, Thursday, March 13, 6-8pm and I will give a gallery talk tonight at 7PM and present the awards. You can start by attending the reception, having some munchies and wine, and then, after the reception, head out for the nightlife of Old Town Alexandria.

The artists that I selected come from all over the nation; they are: Participating Artists: David Bausman, Adam Bradley, Mirella Monti Belshe, Travis Childers, Julie Hitchcock, Laura Huff, Sun Kyoung Kim, Jenny Mastin, Scott Mickelson, Pamela Paulsrud, Thomas Schlotterback, Gary Schott, Anjali Srinivasan, J. Lewis Takahashi, Jennifer Williams, and Damian Yanessa.

This promises to be a terrific show and I can't wait to see the actual work later today.

See ya there!

Artists' Websites

"Intemperance" by Carrie Ann Baade
The recipient of a recent National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship granted through the Delaware Division of the Arts. Carrie Ann Baade received her B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Masters in Painting from the University of Delaware. Carrie is currently an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Florida State University.

Visit her website here.

Opportunity for DC, VA and MD artists

Deadline: Friday, April 11, 2008

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is now accepting submissions for The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The 6th annual juried art competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to four selected artists. Deadline for slide submission is Friday, April 11, 2008 and up to fifteen artists will be invited to display their work from September 3 – September 28, 2008 in downtown Bethesda at Heineman Myers Contemporary Art.

The Trawick Prize is without a doubt, the key fine arts competition available to DC, MD and VA artists and has already produced some spectacular results for its winners.

This year's competition will be juried by Molly Donovan, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Art; Irene Hofmann, Executive Director of the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, MD and Leah Stoddard, Director of Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, VA.

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, 1978 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.

Opportunity for Senior Artists

Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2008

Call for senior, non-professional artists to participate in the eleventh annual, non-juried exhibition entitled “A Lifetime of Perspective: Art by Older Adults.” Deadline March 20, 2008. The exhibition will be held at the JCC of Greater Washington’s Goldman Gallery May 18-30, 2008. This show offers Washington area adults 65+ the opportunity to show one piece in an exhibition by 120 artists. It is free to all participants. If an artists wishes to sell his or her work the JCC takes no commission. Come be a part of eleven years of celebrating senior’s creativity and talents. This art exhibit was created by Deena and Jerome Kaplan in memory of parents, Eve and David Berliant and is underwritten by the Kaplan Family, the JCC’s Deena and Jerome Kaplan Fund for Senior Adult Programming. For information or to make an appointment contact: Kandy Hutman 301-348-3864 email: khutman@jccgw.org.

Heartworks

In April 2008, Philadelphia will be the destination for a lot of cool contemporary art when the works of photographer/sculptor Jack Pierson, painter/sculptor Andrea Zittel, photographers Ryan McGinley and Zoe Strauss, mixed-media artist Alex Da Corte, installation design artist Virgil Marti, painter/musician Devendra Banhart, self-contained video artist Tim Tate and loads more other visual and performing artists from the United States and London are featured in “HeartWorks,” a week-long event benefiting the Mazzoni Center, a Philadelphia health agency serving the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, specializing in HIV treatment and care.

Curator Christopher Veit (who is from my new hometown of Media, PA) credits the Mazzoni Center with saving his life and is taking the words of his mentor Pierson – “you only get back what you put out in life” – to heart in creating “HeartWorks.” He has decided to give the place and people who helped him get well a benefit of works and performances donated by his friends. All proceeds will support the Center. Lifestyle Magazine is a major sponsor for “HeartWorks.”

“HeartWorks” kicks off on Friday, April 18 with two-evenings of experimental multi-media and music, featuring innovative video art by Alex Bag, photography by Patterson Beckwith in collaboration with filmmaker Joshua Callaghan, musician Douglas Armour and rapper Tara De Long.

Then an exhibition of approximately 100 works of art will be on view beginning Tuesday, April 22, culminating in fundraiser/silent auction, featuring a performance by the saxophone ensemble, PRISM Quartet, on Saturday, April 26. “HeartWorks” will be held at the ICE BOX Project Space, 1400 N. American Street. Tickets for April 18 and 19 are $20; those for the April 26 fundraiser/silent auction range from $35 - $125. Patron packages, including limited prints by either Alex Da Corte or Jack Pierson, tickets to all “HeartWorks” events, and a patron event with the two artists on February 21, are $500 and $1,000. For information, visit www.inliquid.com/heartworks or call 215-563-0663.

Other artists contributing to “HeartWorks” include painters Elyce Abrams, Dave Bond, Anthony Campuzano, Jeff Elrod, Daniel Gonzalez, Robert Gutierrez, Ian Hokin, Pearl C Hsiung, Jackadandy, Michael Lazarus, Isaac Lin, Jay Schuette, Jeni Spota, Thaddeus Strode, Hiroshi Sunairi and Henry Taylor; sculptors Paul LEE and Jason Meadows; photographers Karl Hahn and Mary Pinto; mixed-media artists Shari Elf, Mark X Farina, Adam Helms, Thom Merrick, Sandeep Mukherjee, Michele O' Marah, Randy Polumbo and John Williams; fashion designers Paul Bernstock, Michael Costiff, Bettina Hubby and Thelma Speirs; jewelry designers Annie Costello Brown and Mikal Winn; video artists and filmmakers Zaina Alwan, who also creates murals, Tom Borgese, Paul Slocum, Jack Sloss and Kim Stringfellow; performance artists David M. Jones, Ann Magnuson, Kelly Marie Martin and Khembra Pfhaler; musician Chad Brown; and Ellie Greenwood, Gia Grosso, Tim Jackson, Daniel McDonald, Ji Shin and Lisa Sitko. Artist biographies are available in an accompanying document.

Mazzoni Center focuses on the healthcare needs of Philadelphia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and specializes in the treatment and care of HIV / AIDS. For more information regarding Mazzoni Center, go to www.mazzonicenter.org.

VSA arts’ Call for Entries

Deadline: March 21, 2008

VSA arts is seeking visual artists with disabilities whose work is inspired by the performing arts for “Derivative Composition,” an international juried art exhibition that will be on display at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., from May 29-July 20, 2008. Two-and three-dimensional art, digital art, installations, video and film, and other media that draw inspiration from music, theater or dance are eligible. Submissions must have been completed in the last five years and after the onset of disability. Applications will be accepted through March 21, 2008. For more information, please visit this website or call (202) 628-2800.

MPA Artfest

Deadline: May 1, 2008

The McLean Project for the Arts in McLean, VA is accepting entries from local and regional artists and fine craftsmen for MPA artfest, a one day juried fine arts and crafts festival. The second annual MPA artfest will be held in McLean Central Park on Sunday, October 5. Last year's one day festival drew 3,500 music and arts lovers.

Entry forms are available at McLean Project for the Arts and online at www.mpaart.org. McLean Project for the Arts is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue in McLean. Hours are Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm; Saturday 1-5 pm. For more information call 703-790-1953 or email artfest@mpaart.org