Kirk Waldroff at NVCC

Saint Funiculus | 2009
left: woodcut on unryu | 3.5" x 24" | edition of three
middle: glass, oak, flourescent lighting | 9" x 30" x 6"
right: concrete, grout, gold leaf | 3.5" x 24"
Kirk Waldroff, a DC-based printmaker and sculptor who uses traditional woodcut techniques to create non-traditional prints in glass, concrete and on paper has been for quite sometime one of my favorite up-and-coming artists around here.

Why? It helps that we seem to share an interest in some of the same subject matter that interests me as his work often depicts invented saints and never-told fables.

He invents the saints in the same way that I invent medals and ribbons for non-existing conflicts and he invents new or non-existing fables while I often draw inspiration from the real ones.


Candy for Sachiko | 2009
left: woodcut print on Rives BFK | edition of one | 7" x 32"
right: glass and oak | 11" x 36" x 6.5" (closed) | 22" x 36" x 6.5" (open)
He has a show opening this coming January at Northern Virginia Community College's Waddell Gallery in Sterling, VA and the reception is Friday, January 22, 6:30pm - 8:30pm and there's also a gallery talk on Wednesday, January 20, at noon.

Saints and Fables
Prints and Print-based Sculpture
January 11 - February 12, 2010
Waddell Art Gallery
Northern Virginia Community College
1000 Harry Flood Byrd Highway
Sterling, VA 20164

Gallery Talk: Wednesday, January 20, noon
Reception: Friday, January 22, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Tapedude Update

Mark Jenkins on Flavorpill.

Empty wine glasses

Philippa on Gopnik:

Blake Gopnik began a series in this morning's Washington Post on his experiment with "extreme connoisseurship," which entails looking at "a tiny corner of one work. If the art is really good, there will be at least a morning's worth of looking in a few square inches of it." In his first foray, he visits The Phillips Collection to look at the wine glasses on the table at the center of that collection's most famous work, "Luncheon of the Boating Party," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Gopnik admits that, "It isn't how most of us look at pictures. It's not even how most critics or scholars get to look at art, most of the time. But give it a chance, and it's the best kind of looking there is."

Read the whole thing here.

I'll have to re-read the Gopnik piece, which at first reading just sounded like art jargon semantic kabuki to me. But a closed mind is just as bad, so I'll give it a try again. The WaPo readers' comments (as usual) are also precious!

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: January 14, 2010

Searching for God at The Ohio State University at Marion. This exhibition focuses on the visual appearance of, the manifestations of, or the individual explorations of God. Works should address what is the visage of God? How do we search for God? What do we find? And what do these findings reveal? This exhibition is open to traditional and non-traditional systems of belief and also seek those beliefs that challenge the notion of God and religion.

All media considered. Submit work on a CD or DVD and include
1. 10-12 image slideshow in PowerPoint only, each slide labeled with number, artist, title, medium, date, and dimensions.
2. JPG files of each image, 1mb+.
3. For video, submit up to 3 videos as Quicktime files. 10 min max per video.
4. A statement explaining how your artwork relates to the concept of the show, 500 words max, and one-page CV.
5. image/video list.

Searching for God
Kuhn Fine Art Gallery
Attn: Sarah Weinstock
1465 Mount Vernon Ave.
Marion, OH 43302

614-292-5072. Email: weinstock.15@osu.edu

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: March 5, 2010

The Visual Arts Committee at the University of Minnesota organizes nine solo, group, or theme-based exhibitions per year at the St. Paul Student Center's 520 sq. foot Larson Art Gallery. It also organizes four solo exhibitions at Coffman Memorial Union's Coffman Art Gallery.

To be considered: Please make sure to include all of the following: Note which Gallery you are applying for (Coffman or Larson). 3-5 slides of your artwork or digital images in jpeg format. Artists' statement and contact information. Self-addressed stamped envelope for return of images. Send proposals to:

Visual Arts Committee
University of Minnesota
Coffman Memorial Union RM 126
300 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Miami International Art Fair

Just purchased the tickets and I'm heading back to Miami for the Miami International Art Fair, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach.

I'll be showing (along with DC's own Tim Tate, Michael Janis and others) with Philadelphia's Projects Gallery. We'll be at booth 520 and also at NG-13.

If you are in Miami anytime from 7-10 January, let me know and I'll see if I can get you a couple of free tickets to the fair.

Opportunity for Artists

Deadline: January 11, 2010.

The Public Trust of Jacksonville, Florida seeks artists. All participants will electronically submit a detailed pencil drawing of one of the three Le Moyne/de Bry original works, together with 4 other examples of your past paintings so the judges can select the ten best artists to be commissioned.

Artists must also submit an entrance form which may be downloaded from their menu under "Art Contest Entrance Form." No entry fee.

If you are selected as one of the ten commissioned artists, you will complete a painting (sized 24" by 30") by June 11, 2010. At that time you will be paid your $2,500 commission and shortly afterward be featured with your fellow top ten artists in showings of all the new art work at two premier art galleries in Jacksonville.

For complete guidelines, please visit this website. Questions? Contact Andrew Miller at adm@publictrustlaw.org or call (904) 247-1972 ext. 418.