Major moves

There seem to be all kinds of moves going on around the DMV these days; The Washington Project for the Arts, one of the DMV's leading artist service organizations and contemporary art presenter has announced that the “organization will move to street-level office and gallery space in The JBG Companies' Atlantic Plumbing mixed-use residential and retail development in the U Street Corridor cultural district. As WPA marks its 40-year anniversary milestone in 2015, the new space matches the forward-looking vision for the future of the organization with unprecedented opportunities to expand programming and increase impact within the Greater Washington area.”

WPA will move into 1,500 square feet in the main Atlantic Plumbing building at 8th and V Streets NW - adjacent to the 9:30 Club, DC's renowned music venue - by early fall of 2015, which coincides with the launch of the organization's 40th anniversary celebration.

"We are thrilled to offer our artists and the community a dedicated exhibition space. Combining WPA's administrative offices with new galleries in such a visible, flexible, contemporary space will greatly enhance our programming capabilities," said WPA Executive Director Lisa Gold. "We are imagining exciting new possibilities for our artists, partners, and supporters to experience art and engage in dialogue. And, as we approach this important anniversary milestone, this new space is a transformative step towards an illustrious future for WPA." 

 "WPA is a perfect fit with our vision for Atlantic Plumbing," said Robin Mosle, a JBG Executive Vice President. "We are pleased to partner with this inspiring and longstanding arts organization to bring new access to a wide range of art - not  only to Atlantic Plumbing, but to the immediate community recognized for its rich arts heritage."

The WPA space fronts 8th Street NW and will include a gallery to house exhibitions and events, staff offices, and retail space for original artists' works. The space will operate Monday through Saturday from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. with occasional evening events.  

 "The U Street corridor is an ideal home for WPA, given its artistic spirit, history, and diversity," said Kim Ward, chair of the WPA Board of Directors. "Since its founding, WPA has programmed and presented exhibitions in a variety of spaces - remaining versatile and responsive to the art of the times, while acting as a leader in creating partnerships with other arts organizations and institutions. We will continue to do that from a location that will provide a strong community hub for the arts with expanded room for programming and exhibitions."

Also moving are art entrepreneurs Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith, who have  announced they are seeking the next DC home for their powerhouse CONNERSMITH gallery and the (e)merge art fair office. Recently, Smith and Conner accepted an offer from the Capital Fringe Festival to purchase their art space in NE Washington, DC.

Smith and Conner moved their business from Dupont Circle NW to the Trinidad neighborhood in NE DC in 2007 when they purchased an auto body shop at 1358 and 1360 Florida Avenue, NE. The art entrepreneurs converted the two-story building and courtyard into an arts space at a time when the area was known for multiple homicides and police checkpoints.

In the renovated space, CONNERSMITH presented, free to the public, 56 solo exhibitions and 10 group shows of art by established, mid-career, and emerging artists, including Leo Villareal, Zoë Charlton, and my former mentoree, the immensely talented Wilmer Wilson IV. A gallery hub formed with the arrival of neighboring galleries, demonstrating the transformative power of art within a resilient community. While based in Trinidad, CONNERSMITH supported its artists’ exhibitions in museums and biennials nationally and abroad and made over 32 presentations at international art fairs. In 2011, Smith and Conner launched (e)merge, DC’s own international contemporary art fair.

“This transition is a natural evolution for us,” said Conner, “We programmed the Dupont Circle space for eight years and our Northeast space for seven years. Now, we are excited to expand our international presence and digital reach while establishing a new exhibition base in DC.”

“Strengthening our international relationships will advance the missions of CONNERSMITH and (e)merge,” explained Smith. “The gallery and the fair are competitive in the global art market and both strive steadily to contribute to DC’s growth into a world destination for contemporary art.”

Smith and Conner are very enthusiastic about Capital Fringe’s acquisition of the property and look forward to the space’s continued arts usage with the realization of Fringe’s vision for their festival’s new permanent home.

CONNERSMITH will celebrate its last exhibition in the Florida Avenue, NE space with the opening of the annual student show, Academy 2014, and pre-fair party for (e)merge, on July 12, 6-9 pm. WaPo story with some misquotes inaccuracies here.

(e)merge now accepting applications

(e)merge, the new, DC-based art fair focused on emerging artists and galleries with emerging art, just announced that it is now accepting applications from galleries, nonprofits and artists without gallery representation.

The Fair will take place September 22-25, 2011, at the Rubell family's Capitol Skyline Hotel in Washington, DC.

Applications are available on (e)merge's Web site and the deadline to apply is Monday, May 2nd and acceptances will be sent out by early June.

It is clear to me that this is a prime opportunity for unrepresented DMV area artists (well... any unrepresented artist!). In fact, my advice to every single one of you who is not represented by a gallery and who thinks that their work merits to be examined and vetted, is simple: do not miss this golden opportunity.

Why?

As an experienced art fair participant, art fair visitor, art fair rejectee, and art fair observer, I know that this fair model is a new model. This is something new... the goal here, as implied by the cool fair title with the even cooler parenthesis around the (e) - I must find out whose brilliant idea that was - is to put the loupe on galleries who show emerging artists and on unrepresented artists.

What is the ultimate goal? I would guess that at least a partial goal would be to expose (maybe (e)xpose?) the huge numbers of highly talented and original artists out there whom are unrepresented and who may do well with the right gallery.

I am such a fan of this novel idea. Remember when I curated "Seven" for the WPA in 2005? That was one of my goals as well, and one that in my not so humble opinion I succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.

I selected 66 artists for "Seven" - the vast majority of whom had never (or rarely) exhibited in the DMV - I then took my then fellow gallerists in personal tours of the huge exhibitions in the seven galleries of the Warehouse complex... by my last count, about a dozen then unrepresented artists found gallery representation because of that show, including a couple which arguably have become the art star of their respective galleries.

Of course, I scored the biggest hit of them all... I found my wife and the love of my life because of that show...

See what can happen when you mix good people, good thinkers, and good ideas with art?

Volunteers for (e)merge art fair

(e)merge art fair is looking for energetic, efficient volunteers to assist with various aspects of the  fair. No experience is necessary, but knowledge of the art field or experience with art events is preferred. This is a valuable experience for anyone involved with or  interested in contemporary art. 

(e)merge will take place at the Capitol Skyline Hotel October 4-7, 2012. 

Volunteers will be invited to an orientation at the hotel prior to the event. Whether you want to assist for a day, or for the duration of the art fair, dedicated volunteers are essential to the success of the fair and deeply appreciated. 

If interested or have any questions please contact Irene Clouthier at irene@emergeartfair.com

(e)merge art fair announces galleries and artists

The (e)merge art fair returns for a third year with the 2013 edition featuring an international roster of 80 exhibitors presenting works by 150 artists from 30 countries. 

Exhibitors will show new works in painting, sculpture, video, performance, installation, and other media.

For four days, the public is welcome to view a carefully curated selection of emerging art at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, exhibited on three levels inside the hotel and throughout the hotel's grounds and public spaces.

GALLERY PLATFORM > galleries and non-profit art spaces:

AUSTRIA: Bäckerstrasse 4 , Vienna | BELGIUM: NOMAD, Brussels | FRANCE: galerie bruno massa, Paris | GERMANY: Blink Media Art, Frankfurt / ROCKELMANN&, Berlin | ITALY: metroquadro, Rivoli | THE NETHERLANDS: Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam | SWITZERLAND: Aureus Contemporary, Basel | U.K.: Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London / Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne | U.S.A.: Alida Anderson Art Projects, Washington, DMV / Animals + Fire, Washington, DC / C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD / Charles Krauss/Reporting Fine Art, Washington, DC / CONNERSMITH., Washington, DC / DCCAH, Washington, DC / Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC / Gallery A, Richmond, VA / Gallery C, Raleigh, NC / Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD / Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington, DC / Julian Navarro Projects, Long Island City, NY / Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, DC / Present Company, Brooklyn, NY / Print/Collect, Baltimore, MD / Segal Projects, Los Angeles, CA / slow, Chicago, IL / sophiajacob, Baltimore, MD / Transformer, Washington, DC / Victori Contemporary, New York, NY / Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

ARTIST PLATFORM > independent artists:

Joey Alzamora, Washington, DC | Benjamin Andrew, Baltimore, MD | Selin Balci, Istanbul, Turkey / Annapolis, MD | Holly Bass, Washington, DC | Tiffaney Bishop, Ferny Creek, Australia | Catherine Borg, Baltimore, MD | Alex Braden, Arlington, VA | Mandy Cano Villalobos, Grand Rapids, MI | Karla Caprali, Belem, Brazil / Miami, FL | Maya Ciarrocchi, New York, NY | Julie Combal, Brooklyn, NY | Nancy Daly, Baltimore, MD | Brian Davis, Woodbridge, VA | Imani Dennison, Washington, DC | Patrick Donovan, San Francisco, CA | Double A Projects, Brooklyn, NY | Dave Eassa, Baltimore, MD | free[space]collective, Washington, DC | Max Gomes, São Paulo, Brazil | Tristan Hamel, Helsinki, Finland | Jesse Harrod, Toronto, Canada / Harrisonburg, VA | Linda Hesh, Alexandria, VA | Markus Hofer, Vienna, Austria | Jihyun Hong, Seoul, Korea / Baltimore, MD | Monica Jahan Bose, Bangladesh / Washington, DC | Benjamin Jones, Northampton, PA | Magnolia Laurie, Baltimore, MD | Kirsty Little, Chevy Chase, MD | Raewyn Martyn, Oamaru, New Zealand / Richmond, VA | Lavar Munroe, Nassau, The Bahamas / Montgomery Village, MD | Nara Park, Seoul, South Korea / Baltimore, MD | Dan Perkins, Washington, DC | Thomas Petzwinkler, Washington, DC | Camden Place, Washington, DC | Flore de Preneuf, Louveciennes, France / Washington, DC | Nick Primo, Baltimore, MD | Sean Naropa Robinson, Washington, DC | Christto Sanz + Andrew Weir, Doha, Qatar | Danielle Scruggs, Washington, DC | Judith Seligson, Alexandria, VA | Paul Shortt, Washington, DC | Alette Simmons-Jimenez, Miami, FL | Sophia Sobers, Budd Lake, NJ | Eduardo Terranova, Cali, Colombia / New York, NY | Borjana Ventzislavova, Sofia, Bulgaria / Vienna, Austria | Adam Void + Chelsea Ragan, Asheville, NC | Daniel Wilson, Nova Scotia, Canada / Brooklyn, NY | Andrew Wodzianski, Washington, DC

FAIR HOURS AND ADMISSION
Thursday, October 3
5pm – 7pm / (e)merge VIP & Press Preview. By invitation only.
7pm – 9pm / OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW
9pm - 11pm / Concert by the Pool with MIAMOUNA YOUSSEF (live set) and John Thornley of U.S. Royalty (DJ set)
Admission is $35 advance purchase, $50 at the door.

To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE.

Friday, October 4: 12pm – 7pm
Students with valid ID free: 12pm – 3pm
Saturday, October 5: 12pm – 7pm
Sunday, October 6: 12pm – 5pm

Daily admission is $15; $10 for Seniors and Students with valid ID.

www.emergeartfair.com

Location:
Capitol Skyline Hotel
10 “I” Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024

(e)merge needs volunteers

(e)merge art fair is looking for energetic, efficient volunteers to assist with various aspects of the  fair. No experience is necessary, but knowledge of the art field or experience with art events is preferred. This is a valuable experience for anyone involved with or  interested in contemporary art. 

(e)merge will take place at the Capitol Skyline Hotel October 4-7, 2012. 

Volunteers will be invited to an orientation at the hotel prior to the event. Whether you want to assist for a day, or for the duration of the art fair, dedicated volunteers are essential to the success of the fair and deeply appreciated. 

If interested or have any questions please contact Irene Clouthier at irene@emergeartfair.com

VIP night at (e)merge

Pretty impressive opening at (e)merge last night... good crowds, including significant presence by many of the DMV's museum curators, directors and independent curators, and (of course) the ebullient Mera Rubell.

We had some good opening night sales - five of my pieces and one of Elissa Farrow-Savos' major sculptures (see image to the right), which went to the collection of a well-known DMV art collector.

And a shout out to DMV uberartist Victor Ekpuk, who bought my piece in the WPA's room at (e)merge; it is always an honor when a fellow artist buys your work!

(e)merge art fair announces exhibition roster

The (e)merge art fair returns for a fourth year with the 2014 edition featuring an international roster of 85 exhibitors presenting works by 150 artists from 30 countries. Exhibitors will show new works in painting, sculpture, video, performance, installation, and other media. For four days, the public is welcome to view a carefully curated selection of emerging art at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, exhibited on three levels inside the hotel and throughout the hotel's grounds and public spaces.

GALLERY PLATFORM > galleries and art spaces:

ARGENTINA: Acuarell Contemporary Art, Buenos Aires / C-Arte, Buenos Aires / Centro de Edición, Buenos Aires / Deseado Arroyo, Buenos Aires | BELGIUM: NOMAD, Brussels / GKV/Magenta Projects, Ostend | BOLIVIA: Salar Galería de Arte, La Paz | FRANCE: galerie bruno massa, Paris | GERMANY: polarraum, Hamburg | JAMAICA: ARC & NLS, Kingston | THE NETHERLANDS: Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam | SAUDI ARABIA: Naila Art Gallery, Riyadh | U.S.A.: Adamson Gallery, Washington, DC / Alida Anderson Art Projects, Potomac, MD / All We Art, Washington, DC / Atanda Gallery, Washington, DC / Aureus Contemporary, Providence, RI / Blind Whino, Washington, DC / Bodega de la Haba Presents, New York, NY / Causey Contemporary, New York, NY / CONNERSMITH., Washington, DC / DCCAH, Washington, DC / Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC / Hamiltonian, Washington, DC / I.B.Clark Gallery, New Hope, PA / KiloWatt Gallery, Newark, NJ / Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, FL / Pleasant Plains Workshop, Washington, DC / Present Company, Brooklyn, NY / Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia, PA / Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC / Transformer, Washington, DC / Victori Contemporary, New York, NY / Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC

ARTIST PLATFORM > independent artists:

Adam Hager, Washington, DC | Amy Finkelstein, Takoma Park, MD | Ana Schmidt, Getxo, Spain | Andrey Ustinov, Cologne, Germany | Anne Bouie, Washington, DC | Annie Albagli, Richmond, VA | Apollonia Vanova, Toronto, Canada | Becky Borlan, Takoma Park, MD | Ben Schonberger, Alexandria, VA | Ben Tolman, Washington, DC | Christopher Capriotti, Philadelphia, PA | Cici Wu, Beijing, China / Baltimore, MD | Dan Hildt, Alexandria, VA | Edel Gregan, Waterford, Ireland / McLean, VA | Eduardo Terranova, Cali, Colombia / New York, NY | Elizabeth Brown, Manassas, VA | Evan Hume, Washington, DC | Fawna Xiao, Washington, DC | Fiorella Gonzales Vigil, Lima, Peru / New York, NY | Galen Odell-Smedley, Mt. Rainier, MD | Heloisa Escudero, São Paulo, Brazil / Arlington, VA | Holly Bass, Washington, DC | Jake Singer, Johannesburg, South Africa | James Bernard Cole, Washington, DC | Jarri Hasnain, Leesburg, VA | Jeffrey Hensley, Ellicott City, MD | Joana Fischer, Ahlen, Germany / Miami, FL | John Franzen, Aachen, Germany / Maastricht, Netherlands | Joshua Bennett, Richmond, VA | Justin Wood, Miami, FL | Karine Falleni, Tucson, AZ | Madeleine Cutrona, Baltimore, MD | Magali Hébert-Huot, Jim Leach + Zack Ingram, Quebec City, Canada / Baltimore, MD | Mercedes Teixido, Claremont, CA | Nara Park, Seoul, South Korea / Washington, DC | Nicole Salimbene, Takoma Park, MD | Rachel Schmidt + André Singleton, Arlington, VA / Brooklyn, NY | Rebecca Ruige Xu, Beijing, China / Syracuse, NY | Sebastian Martorana, Baltimore, MD | Sha Sha Feng + Tami Gold, Brooklyn, NY | Sheldon Scott, Washington, DC | Stephen Hendee, Baltimore, MD | Sui Park, Seoul, South Korea / Brooklyn, NY | Tatiana Gulenkina, Washington, DC | Terence Hannum, Parkville, MD | Travis Beauchene, Fargo, ND | Trisha Kanellopoulos, Munich, Germany

FAIR HOURS + ADMISSION:

> Thursday, October 2
5pm – 7pm / (e)merge VIP & Press Preview. By invitation only.
7pm – 9pm / OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW
9pm - 11pm / Concert by the Pool with Furniteur, Pleasure Curses, and Chris Burns (dj set)
> Friday, October 3: 12pm – 7pm
Students with valid ID free: 12pm – 3pm
> Saturday, October 4: 12pm – 7pm
> Sunday, October 5: 12pm – 5pm

Simon Monk at (e)merge

"Mind the Store"
Oil and Alkyds on Wood by Simon Monk

British painter Simon Monk will be featured at the (e)merge art fair next week in the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

We will be in rooms 205 and 206.

In addition to Monk's amazing work, we will also feature the work of DMV artists Audrey Wilson, Judith Peck, Tim Vermeulen and Elissa Farrow-Savos (who sold over a dozen sculptures at (e)merge last year!).

We will also show the work of former DMV painter (and now a California girl) Jeannette Lilith Herrera.

Day One at the Fairs...

Last night was the opening nights for both the Affordable Art Fair in New York and the (e)merge art fair here in DC.

The NYC crew reported several sales - yay! And the DC crew saw sales of two Elissa Farrow-Savos sculptures and two Judith Peck paintings.

Come see us - in NYC at booth A-14 and here in DC in rooms 215-216.

Judith Peck, Lenny Campello and Mera Rubell at (e)merge 2013

Artinfo on (e)merge

So, will (e)merge return? The nation's capital, according to the fair organizers, has youth, vitality, a "tremendous interest in culture," and, perhaps most importantly of all, wealth (the suburbs of Washington include many of the wealthiest communities in the nation). All that is left is convincing the D.C. upper crust that they should be spending their money on art.

That, it seems, might prove to be harder to do than to say. As Mayer Fine Art's Lenny Campello said during a Friday lull, "A curator here would rather take a cab to Dulles to see an emerging artist in Berlin than take a cab to Georgetown to see an emerging artist at a local gallery." Still, (e)merge was a step in the right direction.

Read the whole article here.

Judith Peck at (e)merge

Dialogue
Oil and Plaster on board
18 x14 inches
2013 Judith Peck
Will be in Room 215 at the (e)merge art fair next week

Transitory Window
Oil and Plaster on board
14 x11 inches
2013 Judith Peck
Will be in Room 215 at the (e)merge art fair next week

(e)merge is back!

The (e)merge art fair is back for its second iteration.

The dates are October 4-7, 2012.

Last years's inaugural edition of (e)merge featured 80 vetted exhibitors with works by artists from 21 countries. Over 5500 attendees visited the gallery and artist exhibitions, performances, panel discussions, curatorial museum walk-throughs, and private collection tours.

Online applications are now being accepted and the application deadline is April 27, 2012 and notifications willsent via email by June 2012.

GALLERIES + NON-PROFIT SPACES (to apply Click here)

- 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
- The artists presented should not have had any solo museum or Kunsthalle exhibitions

ARTISTS (to apply click here)

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 solo museum or Kunsthalle exhibitions
- 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.

(e)merge is here again!

OCTOBER 4 - 7, 2012    Follow us! The (e)merge art fair advances multiple platforms where artists, gallerists, curators and collectors can discover and experience emerging art.

(e)merge opening preview party + concert by the pool

Artists needs assistant for (e)merge

Participants for Performance

Borjana Ventzislavova is looking for participants to take part in a unique performance during the e(merge) Art Fair in Washington DC between 3-6 October 2013.


 

Conceived by the artist Borjana Ventzislavova, "15 minutes constitutional bed stories" is a performance in the public area of The Capitol Skyline Hotel. At the performance, visitors are invited to take a 15 minutes rest and/or to read passages from The Declaration of Independence and/or The Constitution of the United States of America in a proper bedroom set. The participants will be asked to express the way they respect the freedom documents through their actions, gestures or/and voice. 

 

Everyone is welcome to make a personal comment on the U.S. primary documents and / or just to relax in a bed for 15 min.


 

During the performance the artist will take Polaroid pictures. Every participant will be given an artwork signed by the artist.

Times and dates of the performance:
Thursday, October 3, from 5 pm to 8pm
Friday, October 4, 3 pm to 6pm
Saturday, October 5, 3pm to 6pm

To participate in the performance Please subscribe for participation by sending an e-mail to: call.la.casting@gmail.com

 

There is no age restriction for the event but they do ask that persons under 16 are accompanied by an adult.

Jarvis Grant on (e)merge

In case you missed it, Jarvis Grant has a really interesting article/review on the impact of Photoshop on some of the work on exhibit at the recently concluded (e)merge art fair.

Check it out here.

(e)merge opens tomorrow

(e)merge art fair opens tomorrow!

Opening Preview
Thursday, October 3:
7pm - 9pm: Preview Party
9pm - 11pm: Concert by the Pool with MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF (live set) and John Thornley of U.S. Royalty (DJ set)

Details here.

Come see us in Rooms 215-216.

36 Hour Live Performance at (e)merge starts at 5AM

The (e)merge wake effect

Kayleigh Bryant in The Examiner discusses the (e)merge art fair and has some very positive things to say about my artwork.

Read the article here.

Three of a kind at (e)merge

Tim Vermeulen, Lenny Campello and Judith Peck
(e)merge art fair, Washington, DC
Rooms 205-206, Capitol Skyline Hotel
Photo by Akemi Maegawa

Sold at (e)merge... sold at AAFNYC... Miami next

The (e)merge art fair was a resounding success last week... we sold multiple works by Elissa Farrow-Savos, multiple works by Judith Peck, a work by Ric Garcia and multiple works by yours truly; see this nice review.

In NYC, the Affordable Art Fair was just as good, and all three artists (Anne Marchand, Jodi Waslh and Tim Vermeulen) had multiple sales each.

In addition to about 20 of my drawings, I sold two major video pieces, including the below work:

Young Photographer Worshiping at the Altar of Contemporary Photography
Watercolor, charcoal and gesso with embedded electronics
8x20 inches, matted and framed to 20x28 inches
In a Private Collection in Potomac, MD

What's next for us? CONTEXT Art Fair in Miami!