REJECTED! Shot down!

I applied to become a mentor/consulting artist in my own county - and just got rejected!

Another example of why artists need to have thick skins! 

How do I feel? I wish whoever they picked 1000% congrats and a load of success!

Parts of me do wonder... cough... cough...

From: Flannery Winchester Flannery.Winchester@creativemoco.com

Fri 2/9/2024 2:06 PM

Dear Florencio,

On behalf of AHCMC, we would like to thank you very much for your submission to our Request for Qualifications for the Consulting Artist position. While our selection committee appreciated the opportunity to learn more about your artistic practice and were impressed with your credentials, your application was regrettably not selected for this position. 

We hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with you on future public art projects in Montgomery County. 

Thank you for your time and efforts during this process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know. 

Warmly,

Flannery

Flannery Winchester

Public Art Program Manager

 

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801 ellsworth drive, silver spring, md 20910-4438

 

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You like cows?

Back in 1994, I was living near a farm in Virginia with lots of these...

This work just showed up today at a local, DC area auction house - bid for it here.

Lou Ann Collins' Art Reception at Watkins Nature Center

 

Sunday, February 11, from 1 - 3 pm, for Lou Ann Collins' Art Reception at Watkins Nature Center

Lou Ann Collins' plein air oil paintings capture the beauty of nature and its quickly changing light and shadows. Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments. Watkins Nature Center is located at 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. Visiting hours are: Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday 10 am - 4 pm. To learn more about the artist, scan the QR code below.

Wanna go to an art opening this Friday?

 Waverly Street Gallery Presents

2024 Invitational Show

 

Featuring work by members and their guests

 

On display through March 2nd, 2024

Come to the opening reception!  Friday, February 9th, 6-8pm.

An exhibition of over 30 artists! Come see the vibrant work of a community of creators. Ceramics, Paintings, Fiber Arts, Sculpture, Glass, Drawings, Jewelry, Prints, Photography and More!

Waverly Street Gallery 4600 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814

(301)-951-9441

waverlygallerybethesda@gmail.com

Hours: Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays 1 – 6 pm, Fridays 3 - 8pm, and by appointment

 Gallery Artists: Barbara Bickley, Rachel Carren, Dennis Crayon, Geoff Desobry, Bruce Paul Gaber, Mariah Gugel, Wanjin Kim, Keith Kozloff, Barbara Mierau-Klein, Matthew Nance,  Jan Long, Grace Peterson, Michele Rubin, Marc Schneiderman, Pat Silbert, Kanika Sircar, Claire Wright

26th Bethesda Row Arts Festival

Get ready for the 26th Bethesda Row Arts Festival, happening on September 7-8, 2024! We are thrilled to announce that artist applications are now open. Situated in the vibrant heart of Bethesda, Maryland, our festival spans five bustling blocks and has been hailed as one of the top 30 Fine Art Shows in the country by the "Art Fair Sourcebook.

Expect to engage with 25,000 discerning attendees from the affluent and educated communities of the Washington, DC Metro Area, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Upper Northwest. The sphere of influence of the festival extends to a three-mile radius, known for its high average household income of $196,910.

We employ a comprehensive marketing plan that encompasses a wide range of platforms, from a robust social media campaign to traditional print and radio ads. With the support of our PR firm, local chamber of commerce, and urban district, we continually strive to involve the community and reach new potential attendees. Notably, our visibility has been amplified by appearances on NBC, FOX, WTOP (news radio), and WAMU (public radio).

Due to the late timing of the Jewish holidays and other events in Bethesda, we are moving the festival to new dates.

SEPTEMBER 7-8, 2024 

APPLY HERE

Jacob Kainen: An Artists’ Artist

New Documentary on Artists’ Artist Jacob Kainen Slated for Spring Production, Fall Release!

Award-Winning Director Mark Covino tagged to helm film spotlighting one of America’s most influential, under looked 20th century Modernists.

The Jacob Kainen Art Trust has enlisted the award-winning director Mark Covino (A Band Called Death, The Crest), and producer Jon Gann (Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color, Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection) to create a short documentary exploring the life and art of Jacob Kainen (1909-2001), one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. 

“Jacob Kainen: An Artists’ Artist” follows the life of Kainen, a prolific but often overlooked artist of 20th Century America. From his immigrant upbringing to his rebellious artistic journey in NYC, his leftist ideologies and eventual impact on the D.C. art scene, Kainen’s story is one of perseverance and passion. 

Despite facing challenges like McCarthyism and career limitations, he found solace in his art, especially with the support of his second wife, Ruth. His legacy as an artist’s artist and influential mentor endures, shaping generations of artists to come. Jacob was not only a beloved painter and printmaker, but also as a curator, mentor, teacher, and a major force in developing the post-war Washington, D.C. art scene. 

His work is featured in major museum collections, including the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

Narrated in Kainen’s own voice, unearthed from a treasure trove of recently discovered tapes, the film promises an intimate portrayal of the artist's tumultuous journey. His story will be further explored by curators Jonathan F. Walz (The Columbus Museum) and Seth Feman (Frist Art Museum), alongside perspectives from prominent art historians, artists, and Kainen’s own son, Dan Kainen, audiences will be immersed in the rich tapestry of Kainen’s life and artistry. 

While the initial funds have been secured, the project seeks additional support to license archival materials, ensuring the preservation of Kainen’s legacy for posterity. Every contribution paves the way for a deeper understanding of Kainen’s impact on the art world and his influence on future generations of artists. 

“Kainen’s role in shaping American modernism, particularly in Washington, D.C., is a narrative long overdue for exploration. This documentary serves as a vital conduit for a new generation of art enthusiasts and historians to rediscover his profound contributions,” remarks Jonathan F. Walz, curator at The Columbus Museum. 

More information on the project is online at www.jacobkainen.com/donate

Guerrilla Framing Techniques

This post from well over a decade ago is still a good lesson -- the prices and estimates have gone up, keep that in mind:

A strategy for saving money on framing costs...

According to some stats I read a few years ago in a framing trade magazine, the average cost of framing in the Greater DC region was $67 an hour. It’s probably more than that now.

Other than time, framing two-dimensional work is often the most expensive step in organizing an exhibition (to the artist), and it’s astounding how little most art schools prepare students (and faculty) for avoiding the trap of spending a lot of money on framing.

There are some steps that artists can take to significantly reduce the cost of framing. Here I will try to list the most common mistakes, how to avoid them, and more importantly, how to get your artwork framed for a lot less than taking it to a framing shop to get it framed.

First and foremost: Prepare! Do not leave your framing to the very last minute. Having said that, I know that most of you will leave the framing to the last minute and then panic – go to your neighborhood framing shop, and drop way too much money to get custom frames made for your artwork. If you can afford it, and the price history of you artwork can sustain it – then skip this posting. But if you want to save a lot of money on framing, then prepare!

Do not, under any circumstances let the gallery or a second party take care of your framing unless you have the full costs ahead of time and in writing. Otherwise you will get stuck at the end of your exhibition with a framing bill rather than a commission check.

First of all: If (and only if) you can, work in standard sizes. Most photographers and painters already do. But unless your compositional demands call for it (like mine do), avoid working in one of a kind sizes. American and European standard sizes are different, but US sizes cover a huge range of sizes, such as 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 12x16, 20x24, etc. If you can work within one of those sizes – i.e. do your watercolor on a sheet in one of those sizes, or print your photo on paper that size, etc. then half the battle is won, as then you should be able to buy ready-made frames that will automatically accommodate your matted work. This is important, as a good frame from any craft store, or from any art catalog, is usually a lot less than having one built from scratch! For example, a 16x20 metal molding frame, back metal brace/clips, wire, glass, pH-balanced acid free mat, hanging wire and acid free foam core backing is anywhere from $20 - $30 in any art catalog or locally (in the Greater DC region) from Apex in Alexandria. Having the exact same frame hand-made in a frame shop is around $100.

If your work, because of composition or whatever, doesn’t fit into a standard size mat or frame, then another tactic is to go and shop for a ready-made frame that is larger than your artwork – at least three inches all around the diameter of the artwork. Then take that frame and your artwork to a frame shop and have them cut the mat for you. Now you are only paying for the labor and materials to cut a mat – not to build everything from scratch.

If you can’t find a frame in a shop that fits your unique sizes, then shop through art supply catalogs and have them make you one. The savings over storefront framers is still significant. I personally buy a lot of frames from this place. Once you sign up, you get their catalogs as well, and then I hit them when they have a sale going on! From any supplier you can order moldings in one inch increments, so if your work is 18x30 inches, then you'd order a set of 18 inch molding, a set of 30 inch molding and it will be delivered with the hardware needed to assemble it - all you'll need is a screwdriver. Then visit your local glass shop for a piece of glass.

Because most solo shows involve a larger number of works, you should start thinking way ahead of time as to the number of frames that you will need. If you can decide that you will need twenty frames for your show, and you know what size they will all be, then go shopping for ready-made frames in any of our local area arts and crafts stores, or other stores that stock frames, such as IKEA or Bed, Bath and Beyond. Once you find a frame that you like, turn it over and see who makes them. Write the manufacturer’s information down, and when you get home, call the manufacturer of the frame and place an order for the number of frames that you will need. You are now buying the frames wholesale and saving yourself the entire store mark-up!

Don’t let the process of establishing an account with the frame manufacturer scare you. They may require an Employee Identification Number (EIN) – you can give them your social security number -- and they will have a minimum purchase (usually $250) – but by the time that you purchase 20-25 frames, that will be easy to meet. All you are doing is ordering the frame directly from the manufacturer rather than buying them through a store – it’s perfectly legal and saves you a considerable amount of money.

If you work on canvas, you may not even need to frame them. Ask the gallery owner – a lot of galleries will be happy to hang canvasses that are “gallery dressed.” That means that the edge of the canvas wraps to the back and that’s where it is stapled – rather than the side. We actually prefer to show canvas paintings that way.

Do not cheapen your artwork by choosing cheap materials. At all costs avoid using acidic mats (use only pH-balanced, acid free mats) and do not use cardboard to back the work – use acid free foam core. Using cheap materials not only damages the work eventually (as the acid migrates to the artwork) but also tells a potential collector that you are not serious as an artist to properly display your work. I am shocked at the number of badly hand-cut mats in acidic mats that I see in galleries all over the country – a lot of time is just plain ignorance of the business side of the fine arts – and the importance of presentation of artwork in a professional environment – such as a reputable fine arts gallery should be.

If you are an artist that moves a lot of work a year, then you should seriously consider learning how to cut your own mats. A sheet of museum quality archival 32x40 inches mat board is around $6-8 and you can get four 16x20 inches mats from it. To have one 16x20 archival mat cut in a frame shop will be around $20. You can buy a decent mat cutter for around $150, and it comes with a video to teach you how to cut mats.

The bottom line is that minimizing framing costs not only reduces the amount of money that an artist has to invest in offering a show, but also reduces the price point of the artwork – a very important issue, especially for young, emerging artists without a sales history track.