Robin Rose

In each major city around the world there are a limited number of artists in that city's art scene who can be best described as "firsts among equals," in the sense that their presence and influence goes beyond just being a painter or a sculptor, etc. to being a major part of that city's art tapestry.

Such an artist for the Greater Washington, DC region is Robin Rose, and although I haven't seen the show yet (but I will), I am hearing some good things as well as surprise, from his current show at The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center.

Titled Robin Rose: Cypher, the exhibition opens today, and there will be an artist's reception on April 23 from 6-9PM. The show will remain on view through May 17, 2009. The show at AU is concurrent with Robin Rose: Endeavor at Hemphill Fine Arts, which represents the work of Robin Rose.

The reason that his AU show is raising eyebrows from those who have seen it (someone described it to me as "out of the box!") is that what AU has on display (described as "aggressively altered found object assemblages") is so different and so very far from Rose's well-known and beautiful abstraction, that people are doing a double take.

I am also told that a lot of it is just plain funny!

I have never hidden my opinion that artists should always explore all facets and experiences and visual offerings of their artistry, rather than just deliver cookie-cutter art based on one concept.

I love seeing a single Mondrian, but lose interest when I see a dozen of them all in one room.

The way to see Robin Rose in the next few weeks is to visit his show at AU to discover this new side of this influential artist, and then drop by Hemphill Fine Arts to see what's new with his well-known encaustic on aluminum panel paintings.

Wanna go to a Bethesda opening this Friday?

Award winning artist Kristy Simmons opens her solo art show, Inklings to showcase her latest paintings exploring the intersection of the material world with virtual, or nonmaterial, reality. Thin glazes of underpainting are overlaid with thick brushstrokes, applied to both canvas as well as sheets of plexiglass on top of canvas – to give the audience the "inkling" of their combined and interdependent existence.

Orchard Gallery
7917 Norfolk Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20815

Orchard Gallery located at 7917 Norfolk Avenue. The opening reception is April 10, 6 – 8:30pm, and is part of Bethesda's monthly "Arts Walk."

Wanna go to an opening at UM tomorrow?

The University of Maryland's Stamp Gallery has an opening of the first ever solo show by Ding Ren.

Titled Here/There, the show is curated by Megan Rook-Koepsel and Jennifer Quick. Exhibition Dates: April 8 - May 6, 2009.

Opening reception: Wednesday, April 8, 6-8pm (with performance by Ding's band, Bible Kiss Bible.

You gotta listen to this

Amazing musical videoworks! Let it play at leat a minute... you'll be hooked: Click here.

NGA Partnership Encourages Children Artists

By Prelli Williams

Last March 5, it seemed that the National Gallery of Art moved to J.C. Nalle Elementary School in Southeast Washington as attendees marveled at the student Art exhibition of clay sculptures created by fifth grade students while the fourth graders recited Haiku poems as they stood beneath Drip paintings in the main corridor.

Principal Kim Burke said that a team of fifth grade teachers had submitted a proposal to the NGA, then the school was interviewed, and were finally selected out of eleven other schools that went through the process leading to a partnership between J. C. Nalle Elementary School and the National Gallery of Art.

Sara Mark Lesk, Coordinator of Art Around the Corner said that Nalle students visited the National Gallery of Art multiple times to experience works of art, develop their critical thinking skills through active looking, and explore creativity through art making. All lessons complied with the DCPS curriculum.

Student Brianna Hooks delivered the Welcome Address and the Gallery teachers presented certificates to eighty-six fourth and fifth grade participants. “This is awesome,” said Prelli Williams of Ward 7 Arts Collaborative to teachers Ms. Jones and Ms. Preston as Dr. Buaful, Ms. Staffer, Ms. Surles watched the fifth grade perform “A Day at the NGA” inspired by Art Around the Corner, and directed by Ms. Bailey.

A family activity making Clay Creatures ended with a dessert reception. The Mark and Carol Hyman Fund, The Mead Family Foundation, and the Janice H. Levin Fund made Art Around the Corner possible.

First Rocky, now...

A corner of Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Parkway lost all of its Alexander Calders this week.

For more than four years, sculptures by the inventor of the mobile adorned the grassy, tree-dotted Calder Garden bordering 22d Street - a two-acre plot once eyed for a Calder museum.

A few years ago, 11 works - 10 stationary ones called stabiles and a hybrid with a movable top - were scattered there.

As of Sunday, seven remained, including the bright-orange Jerusalem Stabile.

Yesterday morning, the last piece was carted away, and the Calder Garden was no more.

Read the Peter Mucha Inky story here.

Do this: lottoHEART

Deadline to register: April 10th, 2009

CAMP Rehoboth in Delaware is an awesome GBLT advocacy group has grown up from a grassroots effort reacting to a health epidemic to a powerhouse fighting for human equality.

For the eighth year, my good friend Sondra Arkin is the co-chair of their annual art event and they’ve made some big changes this year! And both her and I are inviting you to be part of this project.

We are asking Mid-Atlantic artists we admire to create two original, postcard-sized (5" x 7" exactly) works in any medium. All works are donations and will be sold for $100 — the catch is that your identity will not be known by the buyer until after the purchase. Also, the order in which a buyer gets to select their art is random and will be pulled off as part of a lively night of entertainment. One piece goes into the LottoHEART where the buyers select at the event (July 3rd), and the other will go into our Blind Date group (literally wrapped and random) for buyers who might not want to choose or who may not be able to come to the event.

While the exhibition is anonymous, they will heavily publicize the names of the participating artists and provide a web catalog immediately following the event. There is no theme — just stick to the size restriction. To help with this, they will provide you with two 5 x 7” hardboards free of charge if you would like. Please indicate that you would like them on your registration form or in your registration email.

You may mail or fax in the form or register at this website.

The deadline for registration is April 10th — but since the project is limited to 200 artists, I urge you to sign up today. Your work is due by June 15th.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sondra at (202) 588-1764 or at heart@camprehoboth.com.