Las Vegasing

For the weekend anyway... below is the view from my room of one of the oddest cities on the planet and one of the Universe's most unique spots, visited, as I have noticed, by many aliens and mutants.

Trawick Prize Finalists Announced

Well, nobody told me or sent me a press release... but they are announced and online here.

Congrats to all the finalists! The eight finalists for the 2009 Trawick Prize Awards will be on exhibit at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda from September 2 - October 3, 2009.

My bet is on Molly Springfield with Laure Drogoul also a strong contender.

Wiki Wars

Drawing up battle lines – art gallery takes on Wikipedia

The appearance of some of the world's most famous portraits on a website could create a legal landmark

Read about it here.

Opportunity for artists

Deadline: Friday, August 21, 2009 at 5:30pm.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in collaboration with District of Columbia Public Libraries (DCPL) is seeking East-of-the-River artists, including writers, to submit proposals for four prominent areas inside the new Benning and Anacostia Libraries which are expected to open in the spring of 2010. The proposed artwork sites provide artists and writers the opportunity to display their work in a large-scale format in a public building. Artist Honorarium: $2,500. For more information about the project contact Rachel Dickerson at rachel.dickerson@dc.gov or (202) 724-5613. To obtain an application go to www.dcart.dc.gov (Public Art - Current Calls to Artists)

For more information about the libraries go to www.dcpl.dc.gov (DCPL Construction Projects).

ACA online

The new American Contemporary Art magazine is now online.

This art magazine is different (at least to me) in that it really covers the country (not just NYC galleries) and there are quite a few DC area gallery reviews and a "focus DC" article by yours truly.

Read it all here.

Cy Katzen

We are sorry to learn of the passing of Cy Katzen. He was a great man and a true ubersupporter of the arts, a good friend, and a great friend of DC area artists. He will be greatly missed but his name lives in the gorgeous American University museum that bears his name.

Desert days

I never expected the constant heat of the desert to be so malleable. One minute it is killing you slowly, and the next minute, and only after you've been hours inside an air conditioned space and slightly chilled out, as you step outside it envelops you in a baking oven of earth heat.

It feels really good, almost sensual as your body gives up the chill and warms up all at once. Soon your cheeks begin to tingle... a tingle like you get when you drink Bacardi 151 by accident thinking that it is regular rum and suddenly your cheeks go numb.