Isla Golpeada

 

Pobre Cuba - Isla Golpeada
Acrylic on hand-made paper with embedded leaf and wood branches
circa 1980 by Florencio Lennox Campello

A modern classic

This official US Navy photo of sailors pulling up the wreckage of the PRC spy balloon reminds me sooooo much of the classical painting "The raft of the Medusa" by Géricault.

 U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson

The Curious Case of the Celia Cruz American Quarter and being labeled Afro-Latina

About 24 hours ago the US Mint announced that Celia Cruz, the Cuban-born "Queen of Salsa" had been chosen to be one of the five women whose face will be in the 2024 edition of their American Women Quarters Program.

The news outlets and Al Gore's internets went crazy dubbing this as "Queen of salsa Celia Cruz will be the first Afro Latina to appear on a U.S. quarter" proclaimed NPR and all others.

And Cuban Twitter and Cuban Facebook went nuts that she's been referred to as an "Afro Latina" and not just as a "Cuban" or "Cuban-American."

It is very clear that the Cuban social media opinions were angry about the fact that in nearly every instance Celia was being identified and labeled as a "Afro-Latina" first and in the article's headlines, and Cuban in the text... and the Internets blew up!

Teresita Fernando wrote: Stop adding adjectives to her birthplace She was CUBAN She is CUBA Period

Hilda Suarez opined: She was not an Afro-Latina, get your information straight and make the quarter with another person and leave Celia's memories with her people, THE CUBANS, and maybe someday, not too far from know, we could have her picture on a Cuban coin. Thank you.

Alina Vals says: Not Afro Latina.  She is Cuban American. We do not accept those "woke" terms.  At the end of the day we all belong to the HUMAN race.

Mayra de Armas notes: Afro Latina? NO, Celia Cruz is Cuban American, her race is black but she is not Afro, She is 100% Cuban, period.

Suzanne Bruno adds: Outstanding!!! But NOT afro Latina....100% Cuban.

Raul Gomez is angry: She's Cuban, stop putting your woke bullshit labels on her!

Jorge Ravelo says: Afro-Latina?  As one who followed her for three decades and met the Queen and Pedro Knight on several occasions she would be insulted. She was as Cuban as the Royal Palms, a Cuban with African and Spanish heritage.

Mara Salis: She is NOT afro Latina she is CUBANA!!!

36th year of the Northern National Art Competition

 

36th

NORTHERN NATIONAL

ART COMPETITION

June 15 - July 28, 2023

Nicolet College Art Gallery

Rhinelander, Wisconsin

Call opens Monday, January 9

Three $1,000 Awards of Excellence

Awards totaling more than $8,500

It's the 36th year of the Northern National Art Competition, which is a collaboration between Nicolet College and the Northern Arts Council. This national competition will open June 15 and is open to all all US resident artists 18 years or older.

Registration deadline for entry is Friday, March 24.

The Northern National Art Competition began in 1987 with a mere 37 entries. Last year, we had 646 entries from artists all across the United States! Our entries are as diverse as the artists themselves and showcase a wide array of contemporary art in a variety of two-dimensional mediums.

We're thrilled to announce that the Juror/Judge for this year will be Florencio Lennox "Lenny" Campello. Lenny is a well-known artist, art critic, author and blogger from the Washington, DC area with a most interesting and unique resume.

Don't miss this chance to exhibit your art in one of the coolest little galleries in the Northwoods!

More than $8,500 in prize money will be awarded.

• Monday, January 9: Registration opens
• Friday, March 24: Registration deadline
• Friday, April 21: Acceptance notification
• Friday, May 12: Hand delivery by appointment
• Monday, May 15: All shipped work due
• Thursday, June 15: Opening Reception
• Thursday, July 28: Show closes
• Friday, July 29: Pick up hand delivered work by appointment
• Monday, August 1: Shipped work will be returned this week

Register by following this link to CaFE (Call for Artist Entry): https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11050

Wanna go to an opening on Saturday?

Then venture to the Washington Country Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, MD for an opening February 11th 10-4pm. 

In addition to the nice, one-day trip to Hagerstown, you'll get to see some really cool artwork, none better than the DMV's own Judith Peck, whose spectacular masterpiece titled Forager won the First Place Award in the Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibition!

 Forager by Judith Peck

Judith Peck of Great Falls, Virginia, received the First Place Juror’s Award in the artists category in the 2023 Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions

The Incantation of Frida Kahlo

 New one for 2023 - will be at the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea next month!

Remember Frida
30x40 inches
2023 charcoal on paper by Florencio Lennox Campello

Wanna go to a museum opening tonight?

Winter exhibitions at American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center will open Feb. 4, 2023. Exhibits include Madayin, the first major exhibition of Aboriginal Australian bark painting to tour the U.S., photojournalism from World War II, and The Trawick Prize for Contemporary Art.

The opening reception, free and open to all, takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight, Feb. 4. Please refer to the museum’s website for the most up-to-date information on museum events and visiting the museum. 

The Trawick Prize: 20th Anniversary Emerald Award celebrates the impact of The Trawick Prize for Contemporary Arts, a visual arts prize that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia in an annual juried competition. 

Now in its 20th year, the prize was established by Bethesda, Md.-based community activist and philanthropist Carol Trawick in 2002. To date, The Trawick Prize has awarded over $300,00 to local contemporary artists and has exhibited the work of more than 200 artists who reached the level of finalists in each year’s competition. 

This exhibition presents the work of artists who were awarded the “Best in Show” in the competition over the last 20 years, and features contemporary paintings, sculptures, film, mixed media, and many others. 

This year, the juried competition will result in selecting “the best of the best” over the past 20 years, awarding the artist with The Trawick Prize Emerald Award. On view through March 19. I'm also going to walk through the show and select my own "Best in Show."

The exhibition features artists working in a variety of media including sculpture, painting, mixed media, film, and more. Works from artists such as Neil Feather, Jiha Moon, Jo Smail, and many others will be displayed in the galleries. Themes span a range of concepts important to each artist from race, oppression, and genealogy to culture, humanity, and emotion to name a few.

In the words of Carol Trawick “there is no need to travel to see great art, there are numerous talented artists right in our backyard!” 

Featured artists:

Lauren Adams 

WonJung Choi 

Richard Cleaver 

Larry Cook 

Oletha Devane 

Neil Feather 

Mia Feuer 

Caroline Hatfield 

Lillian Hoover 

Gary Kachadourian 

Cecilia Kim 

Maggie Michael 

Jonathan Monaghan 

Jiha Moon 

David Page 

James Rieck 

Jo Smail 

Lomax & Wickerham