MOCA DC Responds to WCP Article

The following email from MOCA DC's Director David R. Quammen (posted here with his permission) complains about this article by Kriston Capps (does that sound familiar?) and asks for readers to comment on the issue:

I apologize for sending this so soon after the Sunday night email, but the City Paper has a bad reputation for doing schlock journalism; This is the 2nd time I've been victim of it - last time was in 1996 -- the article that hatchet-man Kriston Capps put a link to in his piece.

So my reason to send this now is to ask you to Send a Message to Michael (Schaffer - editor of City Paper) if you agree that I and MOCA DC were wrongly raked over the coals - I have threatened to sue, and Michael is looking into it. But a few messages here and there might make him clean up the collective City Paper act. Say what you want, but please do it now. go to this article, then let Michael know how you feel.

Michael Schaffer Email: mschaffer@washingtoncitypaper.com

Also, my email has been hacked and several messages were lost - so if you sent one and I didn't respond to it - please send it again and I definitely will reply - I always do, just out of common courtesy.

Thanks for whatever support you care to give on this.

David R. Quammen

Update: The WCP responds to the MOCA issue: Read David's letter and the CP response here (scroll to the bottom).

ArtSee debut

ArtSee, DC's new fine art community, has just opened its online doors. ArtSee, the brainchild of founder and CEO Elizabeth Grazioli, will be offered in major cities that will provide arts enthusiasts with the “who, what, where, when, and how” of the art scene.

ArtSee is a full service community providing the opportunity for artists and art enthusiasts to discover news, events and information, exchange art and their ideas about art and hire ArtSee to promote art in their local communities. ArtSee’s motivated professional team will also provide creative promotional and event coordinating services for artists to help their presence grow within their communities. Through social media updates and a subscription to a monthly ArtSee e-newsletter, anyone can stay up-to-date with the art scene in the city where they live.

This past weekend, ArtSee held its launch reception and inaugural art exhibition at Hillyer Art Space to celebrate its arrival in DC and the work of artists Kristin Lubsen, Blair Sutton, and Wil Scott. The event was a huge success with a turnout of over 120 supporters of the new community. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while engaging with the artists about their work.

Of the night’s success, Grazioli says “This was a great opportunity for the artists to meet art lovers in the DC community and in doing so they made valuable contacts and had a venue to sell their work. ArtSee aims to be accessible and affordable for all artists and provide high quality promotional services and I think that this event accomplished all three of these missions.”

To find out more about ArtSee please visit www.artseedc.com and to explore the work of the three featured artists please view their website www.kristinlubsen.com, www.wil-scott.com, and www.blairsuttonart.com

Book Release Party Pics

Artists Alexa Meade, Victoria F. Gaitán, Alberto Gaitán and gallerist Andrea Pollan

Artsee's Elizabeth Grazioli, and artists Judy Byron anj J.J. McCracken with ubercollector Steven Krensky in the distant background

Artists Jeff Spaulding and Ben Tolman

Artists Lisa Montag Brotman and Margarida Kendall-Hull

Artist Amy Lin (foreground) and photographer Lida Moser, ubercollector Fred Ognibene and photographer Colin Winterbottom in the background

The amazing photographer Lida Moser

Artists Rosetta deBerardinis and Carolina Mayorga

Artists Victor Ekpuk and Helen Frederick signing books

Video sculptor Tim Tate and artist Michael Janis (background), artist Helen Frederick signing the book for ubercollectors Gisela and Benjamin Huberman


At the end of the party... a gorgeous piece of art - part of Conner's current Academy 2011 show.
A million thanks to Leigh and Jamie: This is what community is all about and this is what DC is all about!

Release Day

The 100 Washington, DC Artists book is officially out today!

Tune in later for pics from the book release opening party at Conner Contemporary.

Irvine's last at 14th Street

Their last press release from this location:

This summer marks the 10th anniversary of Irvine Contemporary and over 5 years at our 14th Street gallery location. We will be moving out of our gallery space at the end of August, and we are concluding our time on 14th Street by celebrating our artists and recognizing the community that has been the life of the gallery at this location (website info; info in pdf).

Artist Tribute 2, opening on July 23, is our concluding exhibition on 14th Street, and will include special events a grand finale celebration on August 27.

Artist Tribute Events

Saturday, July 23: Catalog launch and signing with Melissa Ichiuji.
6pm, gallery, during opening reception. Celebrate the publication of a retrospective catalog of Melissa Ichiuji's work (catalog essays by Martin Irvine and Sidney Lawrence).

Saturday, July 30: Gaia: live mural painting, completion of alley street art project.
1pm, behind gallery.

Saturday, August 6: Akemi Maegawa: performance. 1pm, gallery.

Saturday, August 20: Alexa Meade: live painting performance. 1pm, gallery.

Saturday, August 27: Exhibition Closing and Grand Finale Block Party.
6pm until ? Art and music performances to be announced.

Come to this tonight

As I've noted before, Susana Raab, Tim Tate and I have been mentoring some exceptional young artists as part of the Fine Artists in Residence program at Strathmore.

I've had a preview of the final exhibition and I can tell you that these four young artists have left me speechless with what they have created for this final show. Come and visit and prepare to be impressed!

The opening is tonight, Friday July 22, 2011 from 7-9PM. I have a brand new video drawing in the exhibition.

See ya there!

Book Release Party: Tomorrow

The 100 Washington, DC Artists book should be available at most DMV area bookstores very soon and the book release party will be July 23rd at Conner Contemporary in DC.

The book release party is by invitation only, so please RSVP to me at lenny@lennycampello.com if you'd like to be added to the invite list or RSVP on Facebook here. Most of the artists will be there, so this is your chance to get your copy signed by them. You can bring your own copy or a very limited number of books will be available for sale at the party. If you'd like to reserve a book, please email me, as I am only bringing a limited number and a lot of them have been reserved already.

The book is also available online at the usual sites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.) or directly from the publisher.

If you want to support your local bookstore, you can have them order it for you here.

Location
Conner Contemporary Art
1358 Florida Ave, NE
Washington, DC

Date: Saturday, July 23, from 3-5 PM