At Studio 4903

21st Annual Washington Craft Show

November 7-9 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC.

Washington’s major fall showcase for the best contemporary American craft arrives November 7 to 9, 2008 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Demonstrating imagination and mastery, 190 artists chosen by jury will gather from 34 states and D.C. to exhibit and sell their one-of-a-kind and limited-edition arts at the 21st Annual Washington Craft Show.

The 2008 show theme, “Making It Personal,” highlights independent styles of both artists and visitors. Each piece, designed and created in the artist’s studio, represents a signature concept in glass, jewelry, ceramics, basketry, wood, furniture, fiber, metal arts, paper, mixed media, and wearable art.

Also new this year:
- In a special display by rising talent, craft students selected by jury from the Corcoran College of Art + Design exhibit their work.
- Artists will be identified who demonstrate Green Vision through creative use of recycled or sustainably harvested materials or renewable energy.
- An evening party, “Master Crafts and Music,” benefits the scholarship and outreach programs of Washington’s Levine School of Music on Friday, November 7. For benefit tickets and information: www.levineschool.org or 202.686.8000, ext. 1051.

For more Washington Craft Show information, visit www.craftsamericashows.com or call 800-832-7813.

Washington Craft Show hours are Friday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, November 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, November 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $15, seniors and students $13. Children under 12 are admitted free.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center. located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, is easily accessible by Metro: Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center on Yellow or Green Lines.

Congrats!

Let me be the first arts blog on the planet to congratulate the Phillies on kicking butt and winning the world series.

Art jobs: Atlanta

Gallery Director for a new Atlanta photography gallery. The Director will manage both the artistic and business sides of this unique new photography gallery in Atlanta. They are looking for someone with at least 3-5 years in a similar capacity. The salary is $50-70K + benefits. Contact George Olmstead at george@olksearch.com

Iranian Campaign Medal

Tomorrow, Thursday Oct. 30th is the opening for Art Without Frontiers, put together by Joan Belmar to raise funds for The Family Place.

The opening reception is Oct. 30th from 6:30 - 9:30PM at the beautiful Cultural Institute of Mexico in DC. Details here and RSVP required to lfleitas@thefamilyplace.org. The Mexican Cultural Institute is located at 2829 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. 20009.

Artists include Sondra Arkin, Joseph Barbaccia, Constance Bergfors, Salvados Casco, Nina Falk, Carles Guasch, Willem De Looper, Adrienne Moumin, Linn Meyers, Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Minna N. Nathanson, Kevin Postupack, Katya Romero, Raimundo Rubio and I am proud to also be part of this effort.

For this show I am exhibiting "The Iranian Campaing Medal Ribbon."

As I've discussed here before, around 1997 I started a series of large non representational paintings which were based on the military awards, ribbons and medals that I earned while serving in the U.S. Navy. In 2007 my focus changed slightly, and I began to design and paint imaginary or futuristic medals, ribbons and awards based on imaginary (some would say anticipated) world events involving the United States of American armed forces.

In a sense my futuristic social commentary on the barbarity and regularity of armed conflict yesterday, today and now, tomorrow.

"Iranian Campaign Medal", Oil on Canvas, 24 x 48 inches, c.2007
By F. Lennox Campello (from the Digitalia series)

The Iranian Campaign Medal was established by Executive Order 13975 signed by the President on 13 January 2012. It may be awarded to American military and naval personnel for participating in prescribed operations, campaigns and task forces ranging in dates from 2 February 2011 to present.

The area of operations for these various campaigns includes the total land area and air space of Iran, and the waters and air space of the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean within 12 nautical miles of Iranian coastline.

Personnel must be members of a unit participating in, or be engaged in direct support of, the operation for 30 consecutive days in the area of operations or for 60 non-consecutive days provided this support involves entering the area of operations or meets one of the following criteria:

• Be engaged in actual combat, or duty that is equally as hazardous as combat duty, during the operation with armed opposition, regardless of time in the area of operations;
• While participating in the operation, regardless of time, is wounded or injured and requires medical evacuation from the area of operations;
• While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of operations in direct support of the military operations.

One bronze service star shall be worn on the ribbon for qualifying participation during an established campaign. However, that if an individual's 30 or 60 days began in one campaign and carried over into another, that person would only qualify for the medal with one service star. The medal is not awarded without at least one service star.

The executive order provides that service members who qualify for either the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal for service in Iran between 2 February 2011 and 13 January 2012, remain qualified for those medals. However, upon application, any such member may be awarded the Iranian Campaign Medal in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal, but no Service member may be awarded more than one of these three medals for the same period of service in Iran.

The suspension ribbon for the medal's purple and gold colors were suggested by the historical Imperial colors of Iran’s millennial Persian history and the golden sunsets of the Persian Gulf.

The theory: speculation in art (and young art) is over

What is the silver lining in all this cloudiness? Perhaps a return to the importance of museums, critics and alternative spaces for validation and the introduction of new art.

Read Josh Baer's article in the Art Newspaper here.

For the first time ever an auction house will act as dealer for a living artist

"Phillips de Pury is to represent the photographer Annie Leibovitz in a move which further blurs the boundaries between auction houses and dealers. According to Simon de Pury, Phillips’s energetic chairman, Leibovitz approached the auction house through Charlie Scheips, its worldwide director of photographs, who joined in 2007 and has known the photographer since 1987."

You could see that one coming when Hirst started going solo and dealing directly with auction houses.

"The auction house would not disclose what commission it will take from these sales, although it is unlikely to vary dramatically from the usual contemporary gallery level of around 50%. Phillips says no Leibovitz works from its selling exhibitions will be offered at auction. The two strands of the business are completely separate, says Mr de Pury.

Read the full article here.