(e)merge art fair will take place October 2 – 5, 2014

The fourth edition of the (e)merge art fair will take place October 2 – 5, 2014, in Washington, DC, at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. The Washington Post also returns as the Presenting Sponsor of the fair. We have done the fair multiple times and last year we had a GREAT fair and plan to apply again in 2014.
ONLINE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED

GALLERY PLATFORM APPLICATION (CLICK HERE)
ARTIST PLATFORM APPLICATION (CLICK HERE)
EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS (CLICK HERE)

The (e)merge art fair connects emerging-art professionals from around the globe with collectors, curators and cultural decision makers in Washington, DC. The relaxed environment of (e)merge creates a focused, authentic art experience for a new generation of art consumers in the capital region.

“It doesn't take more than a couple of hours to stroll through compact fairs like Liste in Basel, Independent in New York, Untitled in Miami Beach or (e)merge in Washington, DC, and each has enjoyed increasing cachet in recent years.”

- Kelly Crow, “An Art-Fair Survival Guide” - The Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2014

Metropolitan Washington DC is home to one of the nation’s wealthiest, youngest and most highly educated populations according to recent reports from Forbes, The Economist and The Washington Post. (e)merge delivers inside access to this rapidly expanding cultural market.

In 2013, 80 exhibitors, including Present Company, Brooklyn, NY; NOMAD Gallery, Brussels; and Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, [and Alida Anderson Art Projects, DMV] presented rising talent from all over the world at (e)merge. More than 5,500 art supporters engaged with painting, sculpture, digital media, performance and installation work by 150 artists from 30 countries in the fair’s Gallery and Artist Platforms. (e)merge’s exhibition program inspires a new echelon of art collectors and offers curatorial access to the latest movements in emerging art.

“Because (e)merge is committed to helping gallerists meet the challenges of today’s art market, we have expanded our Gallery Platform with new pricing and format options, offering exhibition spaces on the first three floors of the hotel, including second-floor guest rooms, main-level booths, and spaces in the garage.”
- Jamie Smith, Director, (e)merge art fair

The (e)merge Artist Platform presents a vetted selection of works by independent artists displayed throughout the hotel’s public areas. (e)merge is the only art fair that gives free exhibition space to artists without gallery representation. The 2014 (e)merge Vetting Committee members are: AI WEIWEI, artist, Beijing; MIKA YOSHITAKE, assistant curator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; and JEFFREEN M HAYES, director, Rebuild Foundation, Chicago, St. Louis & Omaha.

The 2014 (e)merge Advisory Committee members are: Petra Leene, director, Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam; Amy Raehse, director, Goya Contemporary, Baltimore; José Ruiz, artist/curator, Present Company, Brooklyn; and Yvonne Force Villareal, co-founder, Art Production Fund, New York.

The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC, will present the second annual The Phillips Collection Emerging Artist Prize at the 2014 edition of (e)merge. Museum Director Dorothy Kosinski and Curators Klaus Ottmann and Vesela Sretenović will select the winner from works on display at the (e)merge art fair. The Phillips Collection Emerging Artist Prize is made possible by the generous support of Hank and Carol Brown Goldberg.

ONLINE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED from GALLERIES and ARTISTS. deadline: May 30, 2014.

Loads of information on the EXHIBITOR SERVICES page.

A few thoughts on (e)merge and the theory of Thermodynamics

The fourth edition of the (e)merge art fair just concluded on Sunday, and I feel pretty sure that I can take a decent shot at guessing that the fifth iteration will come next year.

I remember how surprised the DMV art scribes were in announcing (e)merge's return for a second iteration in 2012. After all, the international art fair model, so successful in most of the planet's capitals had been tried  before here, most recently by ArtDC, and had been an abject failure.

The DMV "art press" was really surprised!

"People in DC just don't buy art," will tell you failed gallerists and failed art dealers (and most DMV artists).

In any endeavor, the reasons for failures usually appear to trump the reasons for success (and thus why many slackers love socialism as long as somebody else is willing to work hard), and thus the scribes' 2012 surprise that (e)merge was returning was but a true representation of shock from the scant DC area art press; they all but expected for (e)merge to fail. 

When it came back in 2013, and again this year, the surprise was somewhat lessened, and the hardworking bloggers added impetus to the drive. The mainstream media's "lessened surprised" will hopefully never be replaced by the DMV mainstream media's usual attitude towards the capital region's visual arts: apathy.

In fact the WaPo is a 2014 sponsor - Yay!

Back on track: It is clear that (e)merge's continuity is mostly the result of Connersmith's dynamic duo partners' hard work and faith on the DMV visual arts future.  Jamie Smith and Leigh Conner are savvy, experienced and connected art world personalities, and they are not afraid of hard work, extraordinary leaps of faith on the promise of the future, as well as the occasional ass kick... to make things happen. 

But I think that the most positive result to that unexpected continuity for DC's only art fair model (and as I think the near future will show) is that (e)merge is now providing a bridge to what can best be described as a kindling new revival to the DMV visual art scene.

Think warmth.

The "outside the DMV" art cabal is sensing something here in the area... I know this because there's no one on this planet that knows more about the DMV visual art scene than I do.

That was not irony, that is fact, and my evidence is that I am constantly getting emailed, queried, called, probed and asked for data, info, opinion and input about a diverse and mind-blowing set of issues all centered on the focus of DMV visual arts... this has happened for years, after all, I am an eloquent, erudite, outgoing, high IQ, likable, sexy, good-looking, hard working person who doesn't think of any of this stuff as "work."

Newspaper editors, everybody else's art critics, radio, art fair organizers, artists, gallerists, blah, blah, blah... they are all always reaching out to me for the most precious thing on the universe: Information.

And there's a theory (actually a law) of thermodynamics that is also adapted to other fields and now often used to predict (of all things) a virus or cyberspace attack (before it happens) based on the second law of thermodynamics as exemplified by the flow of hot water through a pipe... cough, cough.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you probably are really, really good at what you do, but stand zip chance of being invited to join Mensa.

And that law of thermodynamics, which when first discussed over a decade ago in application to cyberspace traffic was laughed at, can now routinely be applied to nearly everything dealing with information.

The DMV visual art scene's water is warming up folks... and (e)merge's continuity is a big part of it... is it the gas heater heating the pipe? or the warming water running though it? Not sure, and there's very little tangible evidence to prove what I am submitting here, but listen to the Lenster when he tells you that there are a lot of excited Rydberg atoms in the DMV visual arts waters, as the temperature of a group of particles (of which (e)merge is a key one) is always a great indication of the level of excitation of a system.

There are (of course) notable exceptions to this rule, such as systems that exhibit negative temperature -- like the DMV mainstream press, which (ever since Gene Robinson killed the visual arts coverage of the Washington Post's Style Section a few years ago when he was sadly made the Style Section editor for a disastrous few years), continues to fail to inform its diminishing readership about the plastic arts.

When it all happens, whatever it is about to happen with the DMV visual arts scene in the near future, they will be surprised and shocked once again...

Go (e)merge! See ya next year! And... Thank You!

(e)merge announces...

News release from the (e)merge art fair:

(e)merge art fair, created to advance emerging art, returns to Washington, DC this fall. (e)merge welcomes back galleries from across the US and Europe including: BROTkunsthalle, Vienna, Austria; Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Aureus Contemporary, Basel, Switzerland and Providence, USA; G Fine Art, Washington, DC, USA; Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, USA; and NOMAD, Brussels, Belgium. Among the galleries newly joining the fair are: Bäckerstrasse 4, Vienna, Austria; Flying Rooster Contemporary Projects, Montreal, Canada; Galería Servando, Havana, Cuba; Trailer Park Proyects, Guyanabo, Puerto Rico; Contemporary Wing, Washington, DC, Mixed Greens, New York, USA; LYNCHTHAM, New York; and Project 4 Gallery, Washington, DC, USA. A complete list of gallery and artist exhibitors will be available soon.

(e)merge is honored to have the support of the members of its inaugural Host Committee: Jane and Calvin Cafritz, Carol Feld and David Levy, Izette and Neal Folger, Janice Kim and Tony Otten, Alexia and Roderick Von Lipsey, Kim and Patrick Nettles, Rose Nosseir and Paul Carter, Frederick Ognibene, Lorie Peters, Robert Shapiro, Sid Stoltz and David Hatfield, and Daren Thomas.

“DC is one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous areas in the country, and Washington’s business, tech and collecting communities have rallied to support (e)merge and its exhibitors. With its entrepreneurial spirit and creative energy, this fair can become a model for promoting emerging art and artists everywhere."
- Robert Shapiro, Chairman of Sonecon, LLC
(e)merge is proud to partner with UBS and excited by the support of our sponsors: ESL Group, LivingSocial, HapstackDemetriou, Kaze Design, Vivid Solutions, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Exhibit-E, Industry Gallery DC, and Whiteford, Taylor, & Preston; and media sponsors: The Art Dossier, The Art Newspaper, BrightestYoungThings, DC Modern Luxury, Gallerist, and the Pinkline Project.

“As our culture evolves, moment by moment, the emergence of new ideas about architecture, design and art are changing and enhancing our daily lives. Giving an experience to this evolution is what our partnership with (e)merge is all about.”
- Peter Hapstak & Olvia Demetriou, Principals, HapstakDemetriou
This year the fair looks forward to another series of educational events in October with our cultural partners – The Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

(e)merge art fair
Thursday, October 4 through Sunday, October 7, 2012
Washington, DC
www.emergeartfair.com

(e)merge visiting

The second iteration of the (e)merge art fair ended today. I went visiting yesterday (that's me with the amazing Mera Rubell and the amazing Dr. Anderson de Campello hanging out at the bar of the Skyline Hotel).

This second (e)merge cements this art fair as unique not only in its stated goal to focus on emerging artists - it does that and it does it well - but also it has become the leading art fair in the world for performance art.

Last year's (e)merge was the springboard for the extraordinary talent of Wilmer Wilson IV - a spectacularly intelligent performance and installation artist (and one of the artists that I mentored last year!) who used (e)merge to spring straight from student status to worldwide exposure via art fairs from DC's Connersmith.

This year the fair's center of attention was the brilliant performance of my good bud Andrew Wodzianski, whose Ishmael performance was described by a New York gallerist as "heroic" and he added that he needed to "look this guy up!."

Wodzianski (see photos from WJLA TV here), was a little shaky when he was finally "rescued" from the waters of the Skyline pool yesterday, but this multi-talented and multimedia artist was the hit of this second version of (e)merge. Let's all hope that good things happen to him as a result of (e)merge.

That's Andrew below with Mera Rubell.

(e)merge art fair news

From the (e)merge art fair folks:

The (e)merge art fair plans to expand into a larger venue in Washington, DC. Because we are currently focused on making the transition to a new event location, the next edition of the fair will take place in 2016. We eagerly anticipate announcing our new venue in the coming months.

 

Building on the success of (e)merge to date, we will enlarge our format to include a variety of booth options for gallerists while reinforcing the experimental spirit of the independent artist platform. We believe this is the best trajectory for effective growth as we plan the fifth edition of the fair.

 

DC leadership recognizes (e)merge’s role in the city’s cultural future: “With iconic arts institutions like the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center, and exciting new initiatives like the (e)merge art fair…cultural tourism is one of the city’s growing sectors. As Mayor, Muriel Bowser will work with the arts and business communities to create the synergies needed to grow our creative economy to rival New York and Chicago.” - The Bowser Administration Transition Plan.

  

We would like to thank our gallery and artist exhibitors, host committee, vetting committees, cultural partners, sponsors, media partners, panelists, and attendees for supporting the first four editions of (e)merge. We look forward to keeping you updated as we fulfill our new vision and re(e)merge in our new venue!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jamie Smith + Leigh Conner

(e)merge day three


That somewhat odd pic of me was taken at (e)merge by Tim Tate.

Today was the last day, and even though people traffic was a little slower, towards the 4PM hour, it increased and then suddenly there were five good sales at once: one of the very cool self contained video installations by the very young John Miles Runner (who I think was the hit of the MFA room), two paintings by Sheila Giolitti and three more drawings by yours truly.... yeah buddy!

The hot wire known as Mera Rubell dropped by the space during the day (she'd also come by the day before to chat), bringing in some of her friends and colleagues, and said some very nice things about both my work and Giolitti's paintings. Several of them stayed behind after she left, chatting and asking for business cards. That dynamo of a woman is something else, and her presence in the DC art scene is electric; I also met her gigantic husband, who is also a very nice guy.

Who was the (e)merging star from (e)merge? I predict that it will be Wilmer Wilson IV. The kid was on fire and I am told that some key collectors were picking up the photographs of his performances. Get him now (I've already have and plan to get some more).

Was (e)merge a success? Only time and 2012 will tell, but as an experienced art gallery participant (as critic, artist and dealer), I can tell you that (e)merge's success can be best measured by the fact that in its first year, it felt like an established art fair. I know, I know... were people buying art? That's the key question and the main one that gallerists use to measure a fair's success, especially in these times of financial austerity.

However, and lacking any empirical financial/sales data, it certainly "felt" like most other successful art fairs: some galleries appeared to do well, some appeared to have broken even (always a "success") and some appeared to have sold nothing. That's what happens at every art fair on the planet.

However Number Two: (e)merge is more (at least for the DMV) that just a fair:

(a) It sparked a satellite fair which in turn gestated a couple more satellites of its own; this is good for our art scene.

(b) It brought a small number of art collectors from New York and other places to DC instead of the other way around and I think they were pleased.

(c) It broke through the art apathy of the Washington Post, even if it was the typical snarkellitist diatribe of Philip Kennicott (did you notice that I've just invented a new word?) Note to the WaPo: Next time send Michael O'Sullivan please.

(d) It brought cool, new (and even snarkier) art bloggers to DC.

(e) It was a key element in getting the immensely talented Victoria F. Gaitán hooked up with Conner Contemporary.

(f) It will prove to be the launching pad for Wilmer Wilson IV's art career and I'm betting that several other unrepresented artists will be picked up by galleries.

(g) It got semi-naked people into the Skyline Hotel's pool - that's tame by Miami standards, but a first for a Washington art event.

(e)merge 2012 coming up...

Academy 2011 and (e)merge

Mark this down on your calendar: Saturday, July 9, 2011 for three "not to miss" art events at Conner Contemporary:

- (e)merge panel discussion - 5pm

- ACADEMY 2011 opening + (e)merge party: 6-8pm.

First: Saturday, July 9th - the panel at 5pm; party 6 to 8pm. Conner Contemporary Art and (e)merge art fair will host a panel discussion: Collecting and Emerging Art. Panelists include: Robert Shapiro, collector, Henry Thaggert, collector, Melissa Ichiuji, artist, Alberto Gaitan, artist, Victoria Reis, Director, Transformer Gallery. The panel will be moderated by Helen Allen, co-director of the (e)merge art fair.

The (e)merge panel discussion begins at 5pm; directly followed by (e)merge art fair party and Academy 2011 opening.

ACADEMY 2011, is Conner's 11th annual invitational survey of outstanding work by MFA/BFA students from the Washington/Baltimore area.

Exhibition founder and curator, Jamie Smith, Ph.D. invited the following artists to participate:

Artists: Sarah Allison, Forest Allread, Emily Biondo, Woojin Chang, Caroline Covington, Michael Dotson, Dan Gioia, Ginny Huo, Adam Junior, Libby Landauer, Linling Lu, Jon Malis, Jonathan Monaghan, Elle Perez, Melissa Prentki, Camilo Sanin, Samuel Scharf, Sierra Suris, Virginia Wagner. That's Linling Lu, One Hundred Melodies of Solitude - Lighthouse II, acrylic on canvas, c. 2011 on the left.

Representing institutions: American University, Corcoran College of Art and Design, George Washington University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and University of Maryland.

Check out the exhibition online here.

(e)merge art fair now accepting applications

(e)merge art fair NOW ACCEPTING GALLERY, ARTIST APPLICATIONS ONLINE

The third edition of the (e)merge art fair will take place October 3 – 6, 2013, in Washington, DC, at the Rubell Family’s Capitol Skyline Hotel.

Last year, 80 exhibitors presented rising talent from the Americas and Europe at (e)merge. More than 5,500 art supporters engaged with painting, sculpture, digital media, performance and installation works by 152 artists from 24 countries in both our gallery and our artist platforms.

The DC region is home to one of the nation’s wealthiest, youngest, most highly educated populations. (e)merge provides inside access to a rapidly expanding cultural market with immense economic power.

EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS (CLICK HERE)

ONLINE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED

GALLERY PLATFORM APPLICATION (CLICK HERE)
The Gallery Platform application deadline is May 31 and notifications will be sent out in June.

• Exhibitors may present 1-3 artists in each room
• Art being presented may include works in all media: installation, painting, photography, new media, performance, sculpture, works on paper, and video
• Artists presented should not have had a solo exhibition in a major museum or Kunsthalle.

ARTIST PLATFORM APPLICATION (CLICK HERE)
The Artist Platform application deadline is May 18 and notification will be sent out in June.

(e)merge is the only art fair that gives free exhibition space to artists without gallery representation. If you are an artist who is currently unrepresented by a gallery and has not yet had a solo exhibition in a major museum or Kunsthalle, (e)merge is your forum for discovery.

Artists whose proposals are accepted by the selection committee will be provided with exhibition space at the Fair free of charge.

To be eligible for artist exhibition space artist applicants must:
• Be currently without gallery representation
• May have had solo gallery shows, but may not have had a solo exhibition in a major museum or Kunsthalle.
• Whereas work in all media will be carefully considered, projects involving experimental works in non-traditional formats are especially encouraged. Such work may include installation, conceptual art, performance, new media, or the inventive use of materials to express challenging concepts.

Additional information on the EXHIBITOR SERVICES page: CLICK HERE

For additional questions/information: info@emergeartfair.com

Wanna be in the (e)merge art fair?

If you are a member of the WPA, then this is a "no-brainer" and a must do; if you're an artist and not yet a member of the WPA, then you've run out of excuses! Join the WPA now and be part of the (e)merge art fair - that alone is worth your membership fee and adds a nice bullet to your artistic CV.

This gets me to thinking about the WPA and art fairs... I do a lot of art fairs and all of them, just like (e)merge, offer special deals, prices and programs for non-profits such as the WPA is... and having the experience of many art fairs, I can tell you right now that the format and program that the WPA will be showcasing at (e)merge is going to be a winner.

This opportunity is a great idea and can grow into a whole new line of opportunities for the WPA's membership.

And not just a winner in the DMV, but this presentation and format will work in New York, Miami and perhaps even LA! So WPA... after (e)merge, why not take your membership to other art fairs around the nation? You've got a winner with this idea...

Call me.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: WPA Members Work on Paper  at the (e)merge art fair

DEADLINE: Friday, August 24, 2012, 5pm
WORK DROP-OFF: September 10 - 14, 2012, 10am-6pm
WORK PICK-UP: October 15 - 19, 2012, 10am-6pm
CONTACT: Blair Murphy, Program Director, 202-234-7103 x 1 or bmurphy@wpadc.org
ONLINE REGISTRATION

VIEW CALL AT WPADC.ORG

Washington Project for the Arts is pleased to announce a call for 8" x 8" works on paper by WPA Member Artists to be on view and for sale in WPA's room at the (e)merge art fair, from October 4 - 7, 2012. All current WPA members are invited to submit one 8" x 8" work on paper. Work submitted MUST be 8" x 8" and must be delivered without a mat, mounting or a frame. If a member artist wishes to submit a work that is smaller than 8" x 8", it must be submitted mounted to an 8" x 8" sheet of paper. WORK THAT IS LARGER THAN 8" X 8" WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
            
Each work will be exhibited on the wall of WPA's room in a grid for at least one full day of the fair. Work will be installed on the wall using removable adhesive mounting squares. When not displayed on the wall, work will be stored in a presentation case and must fit into one of the clear display sleeves.
              
Registration, Drop-off and Pick-up
Current WPA member artists who wish to participate must register online by August 24, 2012 at 5pm by submitting their contact info, cv, work details, and one image of the work they would like to include through this online form. 
                
All work must be dropped off at the WPA office at 2023 Massachusetts Avenue between September 10 and 14, from 10am to 6pm. You will be notified via email by October 11 if your work has sold. Unsold work must be picked up at the WPA office between October 15 and 19, from 10am to 6pm.
          

If you are unable to drop your work off in person, but would still like to participate or have any other questions regarding the submissions process, please contact Blair Murphy, Program Director, at 202-234-7103 x 1 or bmurphy@wpadc.org

  

WPA Member Artists who submit must agree to the following artist agreement:
Washington Project for the Arts will take a 30% commission on Member Works on Paper that are sold. Work will be insured by WPA while it is in WPA's possession. Unsold work must be picked up at the WPA office by October 19, 2012. WPA will not be held responsible for the work after that date. I hereby release WPA, its board of directors, employees, and volunteers and agree to indemnify and hold them harmless against all claims arising out of damage to my artwork arising in connection with my participation in the WPA Member Flat File. I understand that acceptance of my work does not guarantee free admission to the fair.

The place to be this Saturday is...

Mark this down on your calendar: Saturday, July 9, 2011 for three "not to miss" art events at Conner Contemporary:

- (e)merge panel discussion - 5pm

- ACADEMY 2011 opening + (e)merge party: 6-8pm.

First: Saturday, July 9th - the panel at 5pm; party 6 to 8pm. Conner Contemporary Art and (e)merge art fair will host a panel discussion: Collecting and Emerging Art. Panelists include: Robert Shapiro, collector, Henry Thaggert, collector, Melissa Ichiuji, artist, Alberto Gaitan, artist, Victoria Reis, Director, Transformer Gallery. The panel will be moderated by Helen Allen, co-director of the (e)merge art fair.

The (e)merge panel discussion begins at 5pm; directly followed by (e)merge art fair party and Academy 2011 opening.

ACADEMY 2011, is Conner's 11th annual invitational survey of outstanding work by MFA/BFA students from the Washington/Baltimore area.

Exhibition founder and curator, Jamie Smith, Ph.D. invited the following artists to participate:

Artists: Sarah Allison, Forest Allread, Emily Biondo, Woojin Chang, Caroline Covington, Michael Dotson, Dan Gioia, Ginny Huo, Adam Junior, Libby Landauer, Linling Lu, Jon Malis, Jonathan Monaghan, Elle Perez, Melissa Prentki, Camilo Sanin, Samuel Scharf, Sierra Suris, Virginia Wagner. That's Linling Lu, One Hundred Melodies of Solitude - Lighthouse II, acrylic on canvas, c. 2011 on the left.

Representing institutions: American University, Corcoran College of Art and Design, George Washington University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and University of Maryland.

Check out the exhibition online here.

(e)merge's performance and critics

I've been scrubbing what art critics have been writing about the second iteration of DC's (e)merge art fair, which...
(a) they all agree has become the world's leading "performance art fair" and
(b) mostly get overwhelmed by sooooo much performance offerings that they get Artomatic Syndrome and
(c) are unable to have the brain power to process sooooo much performance,
 and then shut down after the first two or three and call it a day some, (such as the CP's fired-then-rehired art scribe), even make some newbie reporting mistakes (but hey - not the first time... right?). You get what you pay for...

But - and this is a nice surprise - the Pink Line Project's Eames Armstrong delivers what is the best piece on (e)merge's spectacular delivery of performance art. It is clear that Armstrong didn't just hang around the Skyline's Hotel's cool bar, drinking on the job after just watching a couple of performances, but returned to (e)merge a few times, watched several artists and then put down some intelligent thoughts for a superlative and insightful review of (e)merge's best offerings in their surprising unique strenght: performance art.

Bravo Zulu Eames! Check him out here.

Artist Opportunities Spring 2013

Visual Arts: One Million Bones

Deadline: Ongoing

One Million Bones is a large-scale social arts practice, which means we use education and hands-on artmaking to raise awareness of genocides and atrocities going on around the world, this very day. We are collecting artwork bones for a collaborative installation of 1,000,000 bones on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. from June 8th-10th, 2013. This installation will serve as a collaborative site of conscience to remember victims and survivors, and as a visible petition to raise awareness of the issue and call upon our government to take much needed and long overdue action. We need more bones! We are looking for individuals, groups, and organizations to host bone making events! For more information, contact Kathleen McEuen at Kathleen@onemillionbones.org

 

Visual Arts: Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood 2013

Deadline: April 5, 2013

Chesterwood, a National Trust Historic Site, calls for entries for Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood 2013, a juried exhibition of outdoor sculpture in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Glenn Harper, editor of Sculpture magazine, is the guest juror of this group exhibition, which will be on view from Saturday, June 22 to Thursday, October 31, 2013. Chesterwood is the country home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931). This year marks the 35th anniversary of Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood. Sculpture proposals may be in any medium but must be suitable for long-term outdoor exposure and of an appropriate outdoor scale. Please read the complete call for entries for instructions on how to apply online.

 

Visual Arts: Mezz Gallery at Artisphere Call for Entry, 2014-15

Deadline: April 28, 2013
Proposals will be accepted from individual artists, arts groups, organizations, and curators who live, work, study or maintain a studio in Arlington County. Jurors are Jackie and Philippe Loustaunau, collectors, and Sarah Tanguy, curator and independent curator and arts writer.

Visual Arts: 2013-2014 Annual Grants Program Application, Pasadena, CA

Deadline: May 15, 2013

We are pleased to announce that the 2013-2014 Annual Grants Program Application and Guidelines are now available online. All applications are due to the Cultural Affairs Division office by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 15. The Annual Grants Program provides opportunities for local arts and culture organizations and individual artists to reach the Pasadena community through interesting, relevant and high quality programs. For more information about the Annual Grants Program Application, Guidelines and free Technical Assistance Workshops, please visit the Cultural Affairs Division online or call (626) 744-7062.

 

Artists Residency: Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA)

Deadline: May 15, 2013

The VCCA is a year-round community that provides a supportive environment for superior national and international visual artists, writers and composers of all economic and cultural backgrounds to pursue their creative work without distraction in a pastoral residential setting.

 

Visual Arts: (e)merge art fair > Now Accepting Artist Applications

Deadline: May 18, 2013The third edition of the (e)merge art fair will take place October 3 – 6, 2013, in Washington, DC, at the Rubell Family’s Capitol Skyline Hotel. Last year, 80 exhibitors presented rising talent from the Americas and Europe at (e)merge. More than 5,500 art supporters engaged with painting, sculpture, digital media, performance and installation works by 152 artists from 24 countries in both our gallery and our artist platforms.  (e)merge is the only art fair that gives free exhibition space to artists without gallery representation. If you are an artist who is currently unrepresented by a gallery and has not yet had a solo exhibition in a major museum or Kunsthalle, (e)merge is your forum for discovery. Artists whose proposals are accepted by the selection committee will be provided with exhibition space at the Fair free of charge.

 

Visual Arts: VSA 2013 Emerging Artists Program – Call for Art 

Deadline: June 9, 2013
A national juried exhibition of emerging artists, ages 16-25, with disabilities. Sponsored by Volkswagen Group of America, In/finite Earth aims to showcase artwork that illuminates innovative viewpoints at the intersection of environmentalism, creativity, and disability. This call for art asks artists to engage in the physical, emotional, and creative ties we share across our planet, and present their artistic perspectives regarding the natural world, sustainability, and our collective future. Fifteen artists will be selected for an exhibition in Fall 2013 and will share $60,000 in cash awards.

Visual Arts: Call for Artists:  A Matter of Time at the National Watch and Clock Museum

Deadline: August 30, 2013

The National Watch and Clock Museum of Columbia, PA invites artists to respond to the concept of timekeeping and how it is represented today. Special consideration will be given to those works that
are functional timekeepers as well. So how do you as an artist respond to the concept of timekeeping? This exhibit will be located in the special exhibit gallery in the museum and take place in fall 2013. There is no entry fee.
Visual Arts: 100 Survivors
Deadline: September 2, 2013

Call for submissions for 100 Survivors, a collaborative, web-based photo and video project for women currently in treatment for breast cancer or diagnosed in the past three years. By featuring up to 100 women and their work, 100 Survivors hopes to inform and inspire by looking beyond "awareness" and "supporting the cause" and focusing on the experiences of actual women with breast cancer. Unique perspectives on breast cancer and identity are welcome and encouraged.

VSA & Accessibility

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

202-416-8898

vsainfo@kennedy-center.org

Wodzianski and (e)merge

In the last two years, many have noted that (e)merge has somewhat carved out a niche for itself in the area of performance art. And there is some very strong merit in this assessment - after all, who can forget Andrew Wodzianski’s exhausting performance while re-enacting the shipwreck scene from Moby Dick and floating in the Skyline Hotel's pool atop a coffin for two days?

Wodzianski is back for 2013 (e)merge, this time doing “Self Portrait as Jack Torrance.” In this endurance-based performance, “the artist replicates the obsession of Stephen King’s protagonist/antagonist in The Shining. Repetitively typing a prescriptive proverb inside the hotel lobby, the artist, acting as Jack Torrance, is condemned to artistic failure.”

To help with the performance there's a Kickstarter campaign going on - Check it out and contribute here and check out Andrew's performance next week at the (e)merge art fair -- October 3-6 at the Skyline Hotel.

(e)merge day two

Whatever ends up happening with (e)merge - and I think that good things will happen - one issue is clear: they have brought in the crowds.

People were constantly streaming in throughout the day, and very heavy at night. It is clear the buzz of (e)merge has worked in bringing in people to the Skyline Hotel, and the question now is: "is anyone selling artwork?"

I can only discuss what's happening on the third floor, since I haven't had the time or opportunity to escape room 313 and visit the other galleries on the second floor, but today was the first day that red dots began to show up in the rarified upper floor of the fair, as most of the spaces there were selling work today.

My dealer sold a massive 7 feet by 7 feet woodcut by Virginia artist John Miles Runner (currently living in Japan - see image above) to a Baltimore collector. She also sold one of my video drawings (yay!) to a well-known DC art collecting couple who have recently re-located as well as a couple of loose drawings.

That's Tim Tate below reversing the process on art paparazzi and uberartcollector Steve Krensky.



And that's someone checking out two of my video drawings. The one on the left is the one that sold.



Tomorrow is the last day - let's hope it doesn't rain when we all have to compete for the elevators to take the art to the street and reload all the vans and trucks... come see some artwork!

The Phillips Collection to award Emerging Artist Prize

On October 5th, Phillips Director Dorothy Kosinski and Curators Klaus Ottmann and Vesela Sretenovic will select the winner of The Phillips Collection Emerging Artist Prize from works on display at the third annual (e)merge art fair. The award is the first of its kind for the museum.

“We are honored and thrilled that The Phillips Collection will award a prize to an artist exhibiting at (e)merge this year. The Phillips Collection Emerging Artist Prize will provide curatorial recognition and financial support for an emerging artist at a critical moment in his or her international career, said Jamie Smith, co-director of the (e)merge art fair  and one of the equally hardworking co-owners of Connersmith.

The winner will be announced during a panel discussion at (e)merge art fair, and the chosen work will become part of the Phillips’s permanent collection.

“This prize gives the Phillips the opportunity to support not only DC’s local creative community, but also to benefit from the international reach of this fast-rising art fair. We’re excited to continue the Phillips’s long history of supporting emerging artists through this partnership," added Klaus Ottmann, Director of the Center for the Study of Modern Art at the Phillips.

This is a very positive new development for the DMV's relationship with our local museums; well done to the Phillips!

After I stroll through (e)merge next week, I will try to predict, within three works, which piece the Phillips will acquire.

(e)merge art fair's Call for Volunteers

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: (e)merge art fair
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS (Click here to view this as a .pdf online.)

WHAT: The third edition of the (e)merge art fair is coming right up and they need your help! Every year, volunteers provide instrumental support to their team by working the box office, assisting with production, and creating an inviting and warm atmosphere for fairgoers. Volunteers receive complimentary admission to one day of the fair for each shift worked. As a volunteer, you will also have the opportunity to engage with artists, curators, collectors, and industry professionals throughout the 4+ days of the fair. All volunteers must attend an Orientation session in advance of the fair (details forthcoming).

WHEN: The following represents the schedule of volunteer shifts for the 2013 (e)merge art fair, which runs from 5:00 PM, Thursday, October 3 through 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 6. Please note that a shift can run from 4-5 hours, depending on your availability:

Tuesday, October 1 (production): 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday, October 2 (production): 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, October 3: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Fair Hours: VIP/Press Preview 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM; Opening and Concert 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Friday, October 4: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 5: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 6: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Fair Hours: 12:00 – 5:00 PM

WHERE: The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 “I” Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 (Green Line: Navy Yard Metro)

WHO: Students, artists, art enthusiasts…all are welcome to apply. Some event volunteer/management experience is preferred (but not required), with a big plus for art fair experience. Reliability, strong customer service orientation, flexibility, positive attitude, and sense of humor required.

HOW: Email a resume, cover letter, and availability to info@emergeartfair.com with “Volunteer Application” in the subject line. Interviews will be held from September 13-14, 2013.

(e)merge day one

I never got to the pool deck last night, but I was told by reliable sources that at one time about 1500 people were jamming the Skyline's famed pool area for (e)merge's opening party.

"Some folks were jumping in the pool and swimming around in their clothes or their underwear," reported the very young reporter from one of the newspapers' covering DC's cool new art fair.

"Was anyone naked?" asked you-know-who.

"Naw..."

OK, so maybe next year.

The pre-opening party night was packed, as I reported yesterday, and (as an astute observer of the DC art scene) I can tell you that there were a lot of new faces, in addition to the usual suspects; this is a good thing... and I've never seen so many gigantic women in one place in my life. Where are all these Amazons coming from all of a sudden?

Meander: Did I mention that I was involved in a car (actually van) crash on the way to the fair? Don't ask.

I have my work in room 313, as I am being represented by MFA, my hardworking Virginia dealer.

I have three video drawings there; this is the one (which is hanging in the bathroom... oh yeah - The Lenster tricked out the head into a cool mini gallery), which has been gathering the most commentary:

Obama Agonistes. Charcoal on 300 weight paper with embedded video player and continuous loop video. Matted and framed under glass to 16 x 32 inches. Circa 2011 by F. Lennox Campello

On Thursday night, I managed to piss off members of both the vast left wing nuthouse and the even vaster right wing conspiracy.

"How dare you show our President looking so vulnerable and desperate?" questions the LWNH card-carrying member. I try to explain a little, but get interrupted: "There have been NO failures!" he almost shouts and stomps off.

Later on I catch it from the right. "I don't like the way that you pretend that this guy even cares about anything but his political agenda," notes the card-carrying member of the VRWC; I start to explain, "He's not worth the paper on this drawing," ha adds (I think) as he walks off.

Interesting how in Washington, politics even come seeping into narrative artwork; but we all knew this, right?

But that was all last night.

Tonight, after I arrived I aimed for Flashpoint and bought one of Kenny George's art slot machines; I had my eye on them last night and didn't want to become one of those "I'll be backs" who comes back and the piece is gone.

Essentially, Kenny George buys discarded slot machines, early table sized video games, pin ball machines, etc. and re-designs them so that they are each an individual work of Kenny George art. At $400 each, the fully functional slot machines (he rebuilds them) are the best deal in the entire art fair. There are two left, go buy them now.



That's me (on the left) and Kenny below, flanking my new art acquisition:



Later on the night, the amazing Mera Rubell dropped by and we spent quite a while chatting about DC and our art scene. Rubell is an amazing magnet - that's the best way that I can describe her. Before she left room 313, Sheila Giolitti's work caught her attention (always a good thing, uh?) and she popped back in and discussed it with the artist.

I had been hearing a lot of buzz about Wilmer Wilson IV's performance from various people ("His performance was amazing," noted Prof. Chawky Frenn), and later on I ran into him in the halls and Wilson was still buzzing, as he had just finished it. He looked both exhausted and primed for more action - if that's even possible.

I predict that Wilson will be offered representation this weekend: this is sort of what (e)merge is all about - at least in part - right?

Tomorrow: Back for the whole day this time.

(e)merge art fair opened yesterday in Washington DC

The (e)merge art fair opened yesterday and runs through Sunday, October 7th at the Capitol Skyline Hotel in Washington, DC. The fair features new talent presented by an international mix of 80 exhibitors showing art from 152 artists from 24 countries.

(e)merge combines an exhibition platform for galleries and nonprofit spaces with that for vetted projects by unrepresented artists. Both platforms present new works by emerging artists in performance, installation, painting, sculpture, and video on multiple levels of the hotel.

EXHIBITOR LIST: HERE

(e)merge will present panel discussions on performance art and arts funding at 2pm on Friday and Saturday afternoons. The fair will also include artist performances, interactive works, large-scale installations, and special projects.

PANELS + PERFORMANCES: HERE

Thursday, October 4: 7pm - 11pm
Preview Opening Party and Concert by Thievery Corp with Eric Hilton
Friday, October 5: 12pm - 7pm
Saturday, October 6: 12pm - 7pm
Sunday, October 7: 12pm - 5pm

The Capitol Skyline Hotel
Washington, DC
http://www.emergeartfair.com

But is it Art? Art Fair

The WCP's Kriston Capps has a very interesting article on a new and fresh concept on a DC satellite art fair to the (e)merge art fair - read it here.

When artists Alex Ventura and Victoria Milko host the But Is It Art? fair from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25, they won’t be putting that question to their artists or audience. They know what they’re doing is art. Their DIY fair is asking a pointed question about another art fair taking place over the same weekend: the inaugural (e)merge art fair.

“We can show as strong a contemporary art show without the development,” Ventura says. “I’m not judging, but it’s sort of a friendly ‘fuck you.’ Contemporary art doesn’t need that setting.”

This is a first heard for me - check out their website here. When Art Basel Miami Beach started in Florida less than a decade ago, it was just them (Art Miami had been around for years, but at a different time). The idea proved so good, that now there are 25 satellite art fairs around the ABMB magnet and even the original art fair (Art Miami) changed their schedule to align with ABMB week in December.

“These people have not contacted us,” Conner says, “but I think it’s fantastic.” She says that (e)merge aims to be inclusive and to broadcast other arts events within the city, including, potentially, But Is It Art? “Casting things as mainstream versus alternative—I’m not sure those are the right terms. If like the Armory, if like Art Basel, if what (e)merge is doing is inspiring others, we’re happy that a satellite is happening.”

(e)merge art fair deadline approaching!

(e)merge art fair NOW ACCEPTING GALLERY, 

ARTIST APPLICATIONS ONLINE

The fourth edition of the (e)merge art fair will take place October 2-5, 2014, in Washington, DC, at the Rubell Family’s Capitol Skyline Hotel.

The DC region is home to one of the nation’s wealthiest, youngest, most highly educated populations. (e)merge provides inside access to a rapidly expanding cultural market with immense economic power.

EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS (CLICK HERE)

ONLINE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED

GALLERY PLATFORM APPLICATION (CLICK HERE)
The Gallery Platform application deadline is May 30 and notifications will be sent out in June.

Additional information on the EXHIBITOR SERVICES page: CLICK HERE

For additional questions/information: info@emergeartfair.com