Mark Jenkins' DisCerning Eye

The Washington Post's former Galleries art critic, Mark Jenkins, has a new online publication where he continues to review DMV art shows!

This is great news not only to the DMV art scene, but also to the art history of our area, as Jenkins' reviews will help document for the future the area's art scene.

Visit his site, DisCerning Eye here, and visit often!

Jonell Logan Appointed Executive Director & Curator of Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art

Following a national hiring search, Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) today announced the appointment of Jonell Jaime Logan as the Institute's new Executive Director & Curator. Ms. Logan will start on October 28. 

The appointment comes as the Institute (formerly the Greater Reston Arts Center) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

“Tephra ICA’s mission is not only to promote innovative art and thinking, but to advocate for the arts and artists with curiosity and care. I believe in this mission and am honored to be the next Executive Director to support this work," said Ms. Logan. 

Ms. Logan is a curator, arts advocate, and non-profit leader who believes in "building visionary, mission-driven organizations that support contemporary art and culture."

She has an MFA in Drawing and Painting, Printmaking from Brooklyn College. Originally from New York, Ms. Logan has worked in arts organizations that include The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of Art; Studio Museum in Harlem; and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. 

Ms. Logan served as the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, NC and, more recently, she served as the Vice President + Creative Director at the McColl Center in Charlotte. 

During her tenure at McColl, she led the implementation of the newly adopted strategic plan, revamped the curatorial and Artist-in-Residence program, implemented a new studio rental and exhibition program in support of local artists, and was instrumental in helping to secure $100,000 in new funding from the Warhol Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

”Jonell is an established and innovative leader, bringing exceptional curatorial, management, and fundraising experience gained at respected institutions in our sector," said Robert Goudie, Tephra ICA Board Chair. “Add to that her national reach, and even amidst a deep and strong candidate pool she stood out. We took the unusual step of entering into a five-year commitment, reflecting our belief in her and her belief in Tephra ICA. That stability will be especially important as we seek during that time to identify and close on our new home in Reston, an American Alliance of Museums-accredited and larger space that will allow us to expand what we can deliver to the region. We are thrilled to have a leader of such accomplishment and vision bring Tephra ICA into the next decade of our evolution.”

DC Art News send a warm welcome to Ms. Logan and welcomes her to the DMV art scene!

Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

As I've done several times in the past, I attended Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 yesterday, and as usual, it was a spectacular day in an most unique place where traveling back in time (this time to 1537) was not only worth it, but also easily one of the best and most entertaining and fun-filled events that someone in our neck of the woods can attend.

Let me be clear: On the scale of 1-10 on my recommendation for spending a fun-filled day, the Maryland Renaissance Festival gets 1000!

We picked up our tickets at Will Call, where the pretty elf on duty was efficient and to the point.

Me: "Hi... I was also told to show you my ID to get the military discount..."

Elf: "Can I see your ID card?"

I hand it to her and she examines it closely.

Elf: "Nope... military discount is only for active duty, not retired military" she says firmly as she hands the card back.

I grumble to myself as I walk away disappointed and bummed out and enter the festival, where within a few feet my son and I are transported back to 1537 and immediately greeted by these ladies below... which improved my mood immediately.

Quite possibly one of the best people-watching places on Earth, especially for artists and people watchers like me and most readers of this blog, is the huge medieval world created by the hard-working people who set up this festival year after year for the past few decades.

A couple of decades ago, I actually rented a tent at this fair and sold a lot of artwork - all of it was somewhat related to the theme at hand -- at the time I was doing a lot of drawings about standing stones in Scotland, the saga of The Wallace, and ancient Pictish and Celtic legends - so it fit right in.

This year there must have been a sale on pointed ears, as there were elves by the hundreds at the fair - I suspect that there was a Vulcan or two around, trying to pass for an elf in the crowd, as I saw at least two Klingons, obviously time traveling, and Boba Fett was also seen wandering in the crowd.

Elfin princess at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

There are multiple stages throughout the festival, and constant performances by highly talented musicians, entertainers, magicians, sword-swallowers, etc.

From the several that we saw, DC ART NEWS awards the Best Act at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 to juggler Paolo Garbanzo!

Paolo Garbanzo at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

Garbanzo is not only a superbly talented juggler, but he is also a master comedian, a superbly gifted ad hoc talker (during his act there was a ballerina war, a math war... yeah) but also a finely tuned performer with an almost supernatural link with his audience - he is able to "tune" the act to the audience as the speed of someone who has refined his talents over years of practice and observation.

All through the grounds are crafts people, artists, cooks, sellers, and entertainers which pepper the festival with hundreds of things to see, buy, touch, learn and do.

One of many vendors at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

There is also a huge diversity of spirits, beers, meads and ales to enjoy! And lots of visitors, both human or elfish were enjoying the offerings, as well as a cat or two!

A gorgeous feline at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

One of the many taverns and pubs at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

Two costumed visitors to the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

For lunch, the younger Campello wanted a steak on a stake (get it?) and for $7 he got a really nice, full size, grilled steak on a stick, which he wolfed down as we headed to the jousting arena.

We got there a little early, which was good, as the place really packs up as the time for the joust to begin approaches.  We sat next to an elf witch with a small brood of little elves by the side.

The joust began with the lords and ladies introducing the mistress of ceremonies as Princess Luna of the Kingdom of Andalucía -  she was a gorgeous and highly skilled MC!

Lords and ladies at the joust arena

The almost seven million readers of this blog already know that I am a pedantic Virgo, and in 1537 there was no such thing as a Kingdom of Andalucía.  

In the past, the ancient kingdoms of Jaén, Córdoba and Seville were collectively referred to under the name Andalucía, which comes from the way that the Arabic speaking Moors which invaded Iberia in the 700s and were kicked out of Spain by 1492, referred to that southern region of the Iberian peninsula, which had been settled and ruled by the Germanic tribe known as the Vandals.

Thus the Arabic name for (essentially) southern Spain was al-Andalus, which means "Land of the Vandals." As such, al-Andalus evolved to Andalucía.

Sorry Princess Luna.

Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

The joust was spectacular! All four riders were superb horsemen and performed a variety of "ooooh" "aaaaaah" eliciting riding skills, especially the knight from Ireland and the prince from Portugal - who was easily the most skilled and versatile jouster! 

Prince Miguel from Portugal was amazing!

However, in my pedantic hell I also had issues with the Irish and Portuguese name selections.  If I were in charge, I would have had the Irishman be a Scottish knight - after all King Robert The Bruce of Scotland sent hundreds of Scottish cavalry to Spain to help the Christians defeat the Moors during the Reconquista.

Prince Miguel from Portugal should really be recast as perhaps a member of the Marinid Dynasty, a Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and were a powerful presence in other parts of North Africa.

Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

In summary, one of the funnest, most enjoyable, entertaining ways to spend a day on this planet!  The festival only runs a few weekends a year (yesterday was the last day for 2024), and the tickets sell out fast!  You can visit them online and you have to reserve your tickets early for 2025, as they will sell out fast!

My kudos to every one associated with the hard work and labor of love that it is to present, work, and stage the festival. I am in awe of your love and commitment!

Details here.

Erik Sandberg at CONNERSMITH

One of the most talented and gifted DMV area painters is Erik Sandberg, a fabulous artist whose career I’ve been following since he was an art student at George Mason University under the great Margarida Kendall.

Sandberg is currently exhibiting at CONNERSMITH and we are told that “this final work in his most recent cycle of paintings exemplifies the artist’s acclaimed Surrealist expression of contemporary humanism. Sandberg sets forth a vivid allegory of our relationships to one another and nature in “Bramble” with multiple human and animal figures who coexist in their own world.

Grounded in cohering elements of earth, trees and grass, the jumble of interwoven figures - five humans, a fox, a rabbit, a monkey and a crocodile - appears to revolve in empty space. In their actions and gestures, Sandberg conceptualizes dynamics among members of a household, community, or society which function as a singular organism. The characters, at odds with their circumstances, move in disparate directions, either struggling to stop, or redirect, the revolving construct, or attempting to destroy the barriers that separate them.”

CONNERSMITH is open by appointment, online, and via social media.

Camila Mancilla - Homesick

Camila Mancilla, an Alexandria-based architect and artist, currently has an exhibition titled Homesick, now on display at the District Architecture Center in Washington, DC.

The show features a combination of collage, found objects, and cutouts to explore the emotional layers of memory and nostalgia within architectural spaces.

From her website we learn that:

Camila Mancilla is an architect who combines mixed media, paper construction, collage, and video installations to explore themes like identity, liminality, and the nuances of architecture through inmateriality. Her three-dimensional collages offer fresh perspectives on both architectural and human structures. Transformation and a deep understanding of human experiences within various spaces are at the heart of her work.

Mancilla's video installations and multimedia experiments build upon her collage work, drawing viewers into dynamic spatial explorations. These creations encourage reflection on the deep connections between architectural spaces and human emotions.

In the academic realm, Mancilla teaches at Virginia Tech and Universidad Austral de Chile.  Her research focuses on the relationship between architecture and monsters (collages). Her distinct artwork has been showcased in numerous exhibitions worldwide. Additionally, she holds a Master's degree in Cultural Heritage from Escuela de Arquitectura UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and is currently pursuing her PhD at Virginia Tech WAAC.

Del Ray Artisans “$100 & Under” exhibit

Del Ray Artisans “$100 & Under” exhibit (November 1 – December 1, 2024) showcases members’ artwork all priced at $100 or less. 

The art is sold on an art-to-go basis. 

The gallery walls are packed with great art at prices all art-lovers can afford - exhibit curated by Dale Spivey and Kurt Peterson.

Opening Reception: Friday, November 1, 7-9pm. Open Thursdays 12-6pm, Fridays 12-9pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day. 

View exhibit at Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. Details: DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits

Feedback from the 2024 Art Bank Jurors

For decades and decades I've been submitting my artwork to the Washington, DC ART BANK call for art to add to the city's collection -- for many of those years I've also served as one of the jurors in the panel which recommends acquisitions to the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

I've always been rejected - which as I preach, all artists must learn as part of their growth process.  Art is subjective, and thus what juror A may like, Juror B dislikes and so on.

As all three of my entries (subjects were Celia Cruz, Frida Kahlo and Bob Marley) I took them to the last Affordable Art Fair in New York City, where I sold them all!

I always ask for feedback and here's the feedback to my recent submissions, which consisted of the aforementioned three Bisque drawings.

FY25 Art Bank Program

Debrief Document

Panel Date: 7-23-2024

Applicant: Florencio Lennox Campello

CAH Staff:

· Karyn Miller, Public Art Department Manager | Panel Convener

· Michelle May-Curry, Curator | Art Bank Grant Manager

· Ron Humbertson, Art Collections Registrar | Panel Support

· Deirdre Darden, Public Art Coordinator | Panel Support

· vEnessa Acham, Program Specialist | Panel Support

· Luisa Hammond, Assistant Registrar | Panel Support

· Maya Lee, Public Art Intern | Panel Support

Review Panelists:

· Nancy Geyer, ARTerrain

· Lenora Yerkes, Artist

· Sarah Hull, Artist, DC Arts Center Visual Arts Committee member

· Ashley Molese, Maryland Institute Collage of Art, curator

· Minami Hoffman, Artist and Coordinator, Life Pieces to Masterpieces

Program Overview:

In support of local visual artists, District art galleries, and District art nonprofit organizations, CAH acquires fine art from metropolitan artists to grow the Art Bank Collection. Artwork in the collection is owned by CAH and loaned to District Government agencies for display in public areas and offices of government buildings. The Art Bank Collection, which started in 1986, has over 3,000 artworks.

The review panel was comprised of arts, humanities, and business professionals independent of CAH. Prior to meeting for the review session, panelists had time to review all applications and provide numerical scores. Evaluation criteria include aesthetic and conceptual strength (50%); artistic contribution (20%); and value as a cultural asset to DC’s artistic community (30%). Scoring ranges from 1 to 10, with under 3 being poor, 3 and 4 average, 5 and 6 good, 7 and 8 excellent, and 9 and 10 superior. Works scoring at 7 or above were considered for finalist selection.

Panel Score: 6.5

Panelist Comments:

· Panelist comment: “Unique combination of techniques and material.”

· Panelist comment: “Intrigued with process of reclamation.”

· Panelist stated the drawings overall appear technically well-executed.

· Panelist comment on subject matter: “Drawings feel like they are copied from photographs or like they are a repurposing of another artist’s works, but not intentionally original enough.”

· Panelist expressed the concept and subject matter of the work is somewhat derivative, and the panelist is concerned about how much the repurposing of other artists' photography has been transformed in a way the reflects a unique vision from this artist.

· Panelist was really intrigued by this process of reclamation and portraiture.

· Panelist felt in their modest size, presenting the artwork in a series of multiples in a vitrine would be the best way for the city to experience them.

o Panelist comment: “It is hard to imagine as single individual acquisition, seem like they would work very well as a group much stronger than as single pieces.”

o Panelist comment: “it is hard to see as individual works and possibly stronger as a collective dialogue.”

· Panelists note a lack of clarity around the choice of substrate used across the artist’s works, even though the artist does note it specifically in the statement

· Panelist comment: “Applicant describes why he draws, but not his choice of substrate, the unusual choice of which begs explanation. He also describes where he takes his inspiration, but the subject of these works seems cliched. Perhaps the artist is making a commentary I can't perceive, but without further explanation, I am left cold.”

· Panelist comment: I like this artist's choice of material. Shards of pottery can evoke archeological finds, something found in the rubble of an earthquake, and so on--their brokenness having a melancholy aspect and suggesting the passage of time (everything breaks down eventually). Except these shards are pristinely white, which complicates things. And yet, for me, something is missing from these works that could make them more powerful, with the possible exception of "The Eyes of Frida Kahlo," which is haunting. I can imagine walking along and coming across this fragment in the grass or in a gutter (not a comment on the quality of the art!)--and keeping it forever.

· Panelist comment: “Conceptually interesting, very fine detailed drawings on porcelain, fragment aspect very interesting, but seems like something is missing.”