"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day."
- George Carlin (1937 - )

Last night I had the honor and pleasure of being the guest juror at Multiple Exposures Gallery (formerly Factory Photoworks), where I juried a group show from the gallery's 14 members.

Multiple Exposures Gallery is one of the best examples around our area of what a dedicated and accomplished group of artists can do together. Running a cooperative artists' gallery is a difficult science at best, as doing anything by a committee of 14 is by human nature difficult. And yet, year after year this gallery manages to deliver superb photography, and as I have said many times in the past, continues to be one of the key photography galleries in our area.

The jurying process, as always, was difficult, and several pieces were rejected not because they were bad, but because the space also drives how one curates a show. In the end, I selected about two dozen photographs, nearly all black and white (my own prejudice) except for a couple of exceptional color photos by Barbara Southworth and Fran Livaditis. I've been watching Southworth's beautiful panoramic landscapes for a while now, where she fools you into being absorbed by the beauty of the landscape in her images, before one realizes that it is the exceptional, almost magical manipulation of light that really is the magnet in her imagery.

I also selected three pieces by Jim Steele; all exceptional nude studies by one of our area's top figurative photographers. I also included work by Danny Conant and Grace Taylor - both from their extensive travels to Tibet (Conant has recently published a book on the subject - see it here. And there are also some exceptional Cuban portraits by Karen Keating's continuing visits to the island prison.

The exhibition will hang until March 2, 2004.

Somebody in museum-land is screwing around.

After Darin Boville read my posting about DC museum shows, he jumps and points out that "just for fun, the Air and Space Museum (one of the top attractions in the world) gets (they claim) nine and a half million visitors per year--that's over 26,000 people per day!"

Actually, Darin is slightly off.... they claim eleven million visitors a year in 2003!

Is that a fib or is the Air and Space Museum kicking the crap out of the other art museums on the Mall (and the world)? And if they are right, where else are those 11 million visitors "visiting" while they're on the Mall?

Rub it in: "The staggering number of visitors to the National Air and Space Museum is expected to increase by another 3 million starting in December, when the museum’s companion facility at Washington Dulles International Airport opens." Read it here.

Great catch Darin!

Here's a very interesting eye opener...

Here is the list of the visitor numbers for museum shows around the world. It is compiled annually by The Art Newspaper.

What is interesting to me about this list, is the fact that the highest attended show in Washington, DC (highest as defined by average daily attendance, as some shows run longer than others, and thus total attendance is different) was the spectacular retrospective at the Hirshhorn of German painter Gerhardt Richter! (read my review of it here). It averaged around 2,000 visitors a day.

Here are the only Washington, DC museum shows to make the 2004 list:

Gerhardt Richter at Hirshhorn - 158,625 visitors (1,958 daily)
Jean-Antoine Houdon at National Gallery - 243,059 (1,914 daily)
Jacob Kainen's Collection/Trompe l'Oeil at National Gallery - 231,905 (1,645 daily)
Edouard Vuillard at National Gallery - 142, 191 (1,546 daily)
Frederick Remington at National Gallery - 124,145 (1,349 daily)

And lest we forget, all of these museums are free, and also the figures are generally moved one way or the other by the tourist tides to our city, which also influences most major cities around the world, except that our museums are free, and thus (I think) more likely to attract a family of tourists.

It also seems to me that the list is somewhat screwed up, as they list Jacob Kainen's An Artist's Artists: Jacob Kainen's Collection from Rembrandt to David Smith which ran at the NGA from 22 September 2002-9 February 2003 together with the Deceptions and Illusions: Five Centuries of Trompe l'Oeil Painting which ran from 13 October 2002-2 March 2003.

At the top of the list was Leonardo's show at the Met in New York, which drew 6,863 visitors a day and a total of 401,004. Not a single show from the Tate Gallery in London made the 2003 list (their Matisse/Picasso show was one of the top ten in the world in 2002) and Matthew Barney's super hyped Guggenheim mess, although it made the list, got beaten by much less publicized events such as a show of Latin American artists at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

A Minneapolis group show beats Barney's hype machine!

Goes to show you that all the hype and money in the world, although it can certainly go a long way to get you there, it still can't guarantee top success - at least as defined by public attendance, and I bet that the Walker Art Center (which had several shows in the list) spent a tiny percentage of what the Guggenheim did in producing and setting up their show.

Scottish artist Douglas Gordon, winner of the 1996 Turner Prize, and prizewinner at the 1997 Venice Biennale comes to Washington when his first American retrospective makes a stop at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden beginning Feb. 12, 2004 and continuing through May 9, 2004.

The Hirshhorn is the final venue for this internationally-touring exhibition organized by LA's Museum of Contemporary Art.

Here's a review of the LA show which gives us a preview of what's coming.

The exhibition will include large-scale projected video installations, text pieces, still photographs and filmed images on video monitors created by the artist from 1993 to 2002. A highlight of the D.C. installation will be the artist's recent work "Play Dead: Real Time" (2002), which makes its U.S. museum debut at the Hirshhorn. A series of public programs will accompany the show, including "24 Hour Access: 24 Hour Psycho," Feb. 28 - Feb. 29. Inspired by Gordon's seminal video piece "24 Hour Psycho," this event will feature 24 consecutive hours of free access to the exhibition and conclude with a "Meet the Artist" interview conducted by Hirshhorn Director of Art and Programs and Chief Curator Kerry Brougher. I will review this show and give my thoughts on the exhibition, and the financial (for the artist and art dealers) relationship between video art (unsellable) and good old fashioned photography - of the video - which is very sellable!

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Transformer Gallery presents "Gleaming the Screen: An Exhibition of Silkscreen Poster Art" starting February 7 through March 6, 2004. Curated by guest curator, Nick Pimentel of Washington, DC’s Planaria Recordings, Gleaming the Screen is a group exhibition featuring work by over twenty of the U.S. and Canadian silkscreen poster artists. Opening reception for the artists: Saturday, February 7, 2004 7-9 pm.

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Conner Contemporary presents the first Washington, D.C. solo exhibition by Dean Kessmann, Coordinator of the George Washington University’s photography program. There will be a reception for the artist Thursday, February 19, 6-8 pm.

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We're lucky in Washington to have one of the true "power galleries" in the world when it comes to fine art glass. Maurine Littleton Gallery is celebrating 20 years of exhibiting Masters in Contemporary Glass with a series of three-artist exhibitions throughout the year. First they will exhibit new works in glass by well-known glass artists William Morris and Judith LaScola as well as new functional work in metal by Albert Paley. The show opens April 6th and continues through April 24th, 2004.

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And the Ralls Collection in Georgetown has the beautiful new work of photographer Michael Kenna on exhibit now until March 6, 2004.

The Bush administration's 2005 budget proposes to give the National Endowment for the Arts its largest budget increase (15%) in 20 years. Read it here. If approved by Congress, the endowment's fiscal 2005 budget would stand at $139.4 million, up from the $121 million it received this year. Last year the NEA approved 2,000 grants.

Newsweek photographer Luc Delahaye has declared publicly that he is no longer a photojournalist and is now an artist. Read the Guardian story here.

My vote for the best photojournalist in the world is our own Washington Post's Carol Guzy.

Deadline to submit applications: March 15, 2004
The National Endowment for the Arts announces funds for the promotion of various art projects, regardless of the size or type of applicant organization. Proposed programs should be of national, regional or field-wide significance; tour in several states; or provide an unusual or especially valuable contribution because of geographic location, including local projects that have significant effects within communities or that are likely to serve as models for a field.

Eligible applicants include State and local government entities, nonprofit organizations, community action agencies, and private institutions of higher education. The deadline to submit applications is March 15, 2004. Awards range from $5,000 to $150,000. For further information go to this website to determine your appropriate staff contact. Also see: www.fedgrants.gov.

Faith Flanagan organizes MUSE, which is a monthly art salon at DCAC. Each session is an opportunity to talk about contemporary art at a monthly get-together. Each salon features a discussion with a member(s) of the local arts community, followed by a chance for audience members to show slides or samples of their work.

The next MUSE is this Sunday, February 1, 7:30pm when the guests are Robert Lehrman, gallery owner George Hemphill, and Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik. They will be joining MUSE this month to discuss collecting art, museum trusteeship and stewardship. For more info email Faith at salon@dcartscenter.org.

Swann Foundation to Award Fellowship for Caricature and Cartoon Research - DC
Deadline: February 13, 2004. Administered by the Library of Congress, the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon promotes the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world. The Swann Foundation Fund awards one fellowship annually with a stipend of $15,000 to assist ongoing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon. For more complete information, visit their website.

Some artist residencies...

Artist Community: Montana Artists Refuge.
Deadline: May 15, 04. The Montana Artists Refuge is an artist-led residency community, which provides a variety of affordable short and long-term living and studio spaces for visiting artists in the uniquely scenic, historic mining town of Basin, MT. The Refuge was established for artists to be able escape from the day-to-day struggle of living in order to have the gift of time, freedom and solitude to create and rejuvenate. The Refuge exists to create a quality environment for artists to work, as well as the opportunity for artistic collaboration in a creative community. The Refuge supports a variety of contemporary arts disciplines such as visual, music, performance and literary arts. Additionally, the Refuge maintains programs that are designed to enhance the residential programs and create a thriving and vital community for the arts both within the residencies and the greater community. As of December 2003, the Refuge has hosted more than 100 artists from 24 states and seven nations including Poland, China and South Africa. The Refuge has also hosted Native American artists from such nations as the Cheyenne, the Blackfeet and Crow. Qualifications: The Montana Artists Refuge is a 501(c)(3) corporation and has been in existence since 1993. The Montana Artists Refuge has created a vital artist community in a rural setting which includes art exhibitions, live performances and workshops and foster community awareness and participation in the arts. How to Apply: visit website and download application here.

Byrdcliffe Arts Colony - New York
One-month residencies for artists. Beautiful, historic setting, secluded yet close to town of Woodstock, NY. Private room and studio space in rustic turn-of-century inn. Access to galleries, performances, hiking. $600 per four-week session. June-Sept. Deadline: April 1. Summer cottages also available May-Oct.; March 1 deadline. Send SASE to The Woodstock Guild, Artist in Residence Program, 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498.

Jentel Artist Residency Program - Wyoming
Jentel Artist Residency Program offers one-month residencies in rural ranch setting that include accommodation, studio, and $400 stipend to visual artists and writers. For application download it here or send request with self-addressed label and $.60 postage to: Jentel Artist Residency Program, 130 Lower Piney Creek Road, Banner, WY 82832. Deadline: January 15, 2004 for May 15-December 13, 2004 residencies. Deadline: September 15, 2004 for January 15-May 13, 2005 residencies.

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Deadlines for its Small Projects Program:

Deadline: March 4, 04. The Small Projects Program (SPP) offers grants up to $1,000 to District of Columbia individual artists and arts organizations. The program seeks to make grant funds more accessible for small-scale arts projects. Projects may include but are not limited to: Art presentations; Assistance in fundraising, marketing, and management; Documentation of artistic activities through photography, brochures, portfolios, and demo tapes; Conferences, workshops, or seminars that will enhance artistic and professional development.

Upcoming deadlines for Small Projects Program applications is Thursday, March 4, 2004, 6:00 pm. Workshops to help artists fill out applications will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2004, 12:00 - 1:00 pm The SPP workshop will be held at the Commission's office at 410 8th St., NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004. Download the FY2003 Small Projects Program Guidelines and Application here. For more information on the Small Projects Program or to receive an application in the mail, please call Lionell Thomas at (202) 724-5613 / (202) 727-3148 TDD.

I'm in San Diego for a bit... will post some more opportunities and some insights about the San Diego art scene when I get back...

Video artist and photographer Darin Boville comes through again with some valid and intelligent thoughts and ideas on the drive to kick-start DC's art scene.

"I read your #9 on your list of things to do to make the DC area a center for the arts. You are absolutely right that there is little coverage of the arts (visual arts) in the DC area. But I don't think we are ready to move on the media ideas yet...here are a few things to think about (you'll need to have these answers ready to talk with the money-people and the news people anyway--let's work it out ahead of time):

1) List and describe the ten most interesting DC-area art news items that didn't get covered by the Washington Post, radio stations, etc. What are we missing by not having this coverage? The list that is produced needs to be good--it needs to make people sit back and think, "Damn, I didn't know *that* was going on!" If we don't have that we won't get covered. We won't *deserve* to get covered.

Don't get sidetracked with the idea that art shows deserved to be reviewed, say, like movies. Movies are in a different world, news-wise. They've got a huge audience, genuine stars, and big money. Count the dollar value of the tickets sold in one night, on one screen at your local movie theater. Multiply by the number of screens within a 20-minute radius. Compare to total yearly gross sales of contemporary art in the DC area. Forget about being reviewed like the movies.

Be jealous of the theater. They get reviewed and we don't. Why? Maybe demographics? People who can afford theater ticket prices are very desirable to advertisers. If you were in charge of the Washington Post and faced those same business pressures what would you choose to do with your limited space? Hold this thought (see below).

2) Sponsors. Money is not cheap. What are we offering? A chance to support the DC art scene. Whoopie. That translates as giving hard earned money to a charity that is by and large peopled by and which on the whole supports people who do not like the same sorts of large corporations which are giving the money. And for this unrewarded generosity the corporation is asked to expose itself to the chance that the programming it supports will endorse or display highly controversial (sexual and political) topics that the corporation is frankly not interested in supporting. It has its own stake-holders, ya know. Have we thought out the moral decision we will need to make when we come with our hand out? Yes, go for the money, but what will we say to all of the arts people who will soon cry "censorship"? Liberals eat their own. Remember that.

Even with reassurances that care will be taken and respect for the sponsor will be demonstrated, we still haven't given them a compelling reason why they should care. Come to think of it, why should they care?

3) So what to do? Build from the ground up. We need data. We need data to convince all those media people that we aren't talking about charity for the arts (yawn) but about doing something to please their existing audience and doing something to attract the people that will make up those desirable demographics.

How big is the audience for the visual arts in the DC area? How does it breakdown by region, by gender, by race, by income level? How many people in the Washington Post's audience, for example, read the existing articles on the DC arts scene? Those demographics. I haven't a clue. Do you?

Start with the Post itself. Do they ask questions in their demographic surveys that are relevant to the arts? We either need to analyze that data, get them to include arts questions in future surveys, or do our own data collection.

4) So there is something we can do right there. Call all the local galleries. Get them signed on to our bran-spanking new "I love the Arts (in DC)" drive. Everybody at every opening gets a postcard with demographic fill-in-the-blanks. We hand them out in Dupont Circle, Bethesda, etc. Pre-paid postcards, of course. Nothing is free. We gather data. At the same time we build support through the data collection effort itself. In fact, the data collection effort is real news and the results of the data collection are news, too. No need to beg for reviews. We've got news. Heck, we might even develop a list of people who want to be on the new DC-wide arts mailing list (the one that we just now decided to put together) and--heaven forbid, a list of possible financial supporters (not to buy art, but to fund our future arts-building activities).

That's enough for now!

--Darin"

One more thing for die-hard Castro apologists to try to defend: Fidel Castro has sentenced 10 Cuban librarians to 20 years in jail for stocking George Orwell's 1984 in Cuban libraries.

One more thing for blind devotees of the United Nations to try to defend: After Castro sent the 10 librarians and 65 other dissidents into his prisons, the notorious U.N. Human Rights Commission (which I think is headed by that human rights leader Lybia) refused to pass a condemnation of Castro and now has also turned down a resolution introduced by Costa Rica calling for the immediate release of the prisoners.

It is brutal repression like this that fuels the art of many Cuban artists within this poor island prison and part of the reason that Cuban art is in such high demand.

No 9.
The Media
I am going to spend very little time bitching about galleries coverage by the Washington Post. The bottom line is simple – on this side of the fence (artists, collectors, readers and gallery owners) it appears that we all think that the Washington Post delivers scant coverage of the Greater Washington area gallery art scene, especially in proportion to the other “arts” covered by the Post. Although there are far more art galleries than theaters (for example), the Post does around 400% more theatre coverage than gallery coverage. Essentially between Jessica Dawson's 45 or so yearly columns each Thursday (except when she’s away or on vacation) and Michael O’Sullivan’s occasional gallery review in his Weekend column, the Post ‘s coverage of the area’s art galleries could be doubled and it would still be less than its current coverage of theatre, performance, music, dance, opera and even fashion.

So, let’s pretend that for some reason someone would convince John Pancake, the Post’s very hardworking Arts Editor, or his boss (Style Editor Gene Robinson) that the paper’s coverage of the city’s gallery scene is not commensurate with the size of Washington’s gallery scene and the newspaper’s reputation as a leading world publication. That would be, by itself, a great leap forward in helping to fire our the embers of our “art scene.”

But don’t hold your breath.

Yet, this area is still one of the most powerful media centers in the world, and I think that ingredient number nine in our ten-step list is definitely the media. In fact I believe that if we can get just some of these ideas started (in regards to the media) that even the Post would be forced to follow and “notice” the galleries, our artists and our area scene.

But let’s forget the Washington Post for a minute. Let’s look at the other media.

A little while back, we had some exposure to the power of a few seconds of television attention to an art show. As I noted in some of my postings, Scott Hutchison’s show of large nudes in our Bethesda galleries attracted the attention of a local newscaster, who then came and did a little segment on the “controversy” created by the nudes.

It was amazing what this little air exposure did, we had a large number of visitors, who otherwise wouldn’t have even heard of the show, come by – most just to see the show – others to express their support. But the point was that just a minute or so of TV exposure brought more people to the show than a huge review in the paper - any paper!

I know that WETA’s “Around Town” usually gives Bill Dunlap 4-5 minutes to discuss a museum show and then hurry through a couple of “Best Bets” before the other panelists get back to theatre and the movies. But that’s it!

So why don’t more local TV stations devote some time to our area artists and galleries?

Why?

I know that economics are a driving issue – and that their main driver is after all – the news. But they also have a cultural mission, which in TV news land translates into reporting on and about the movies.

TV stations already spend a lot of time on movies – as I noted earlier, I have a particular bitch about the “Arch on the Arts” segment, when Arch essentially just reviews movies 99% of the time – call it “Arch on the Movies” or have Mr. Campbell start attending (and discussing) some art shows.

What we need is just for one local TV station to take the lead and provide one minute a week – one miserable minute a week – dedicated to reviewing a local art gallery or an area artist. Call it “Gallery Minute” and sixty seconds of visual sweeps of the gallery, the artwork, 25 seconds of someone talking about the art, some contact info, dates and bingo – we’ll have an exponential increase in attendance to that show, and the beginning of more awareness of our gallery scene.

And that is precisely what TV can bring to the game – visual awareness to let viewers know that there are dozens and dozens of art galleries in the Washington, DC area and thousands of artists!

And I suspect that if one leading TV station were to do this once a week, that soon others would follow, and pretty soon we may even have two or three TV stations showing some interest and more importantly: kindling interest!

And one can apply the same logic to our local radio stations.

WTOP, which has the highest ratings in the DC area (I listen to them as well), has Joe Barber as Entertainment Editor. Joe is also an “Around Town” panelist and more than superbly qualified to do visual arts reviews if allowed. But all that Joe does is clubs and theatre.

Why?

I don’t know, but I suspect that whoever or whatever company pays for Joe’s airtime minutes, wants him to focus on just those two areas. If this is wrong, and if it is WTP’s management that restricts Joe to movies and clubs and performance, then it really doesn’t make sense.

Here’s how we fix this.

WTOP (or any other radio station) will give airtime to any discussion or critic if someone is willing to sponsor it. In other words, if tomorrow Giant Foods, or Lockheed Martin, or AOL or some other local company went to WTOP and said: “We’d like to sponsor a three minute daily segment on area galleries,” it would be in the station’s schedule as soon as the contract ink dried on the ad agreement.

WTOP (or any other commercial station) would not do this out of the goodness of their heart – and they are (after all) a commercial station. But it can happen if someone is willing to sponsor it. I know because I’ve asked them, and they’ve told me so!

What I don’t understand, and doesn’t make sense, is the fact that the radio stations that already have local cultural shows, such as NPR’s “Metro Connection,” rarely – if ever – cover area galleries or area artists. “Metro Connection,” like WETA's “Around Town,” and WTOP’s Joe Barber all report on the same thing: movies, theatre, and performance – the same thing that the Post reports on so well.

WETA's 90.9 FM new "arts" program - titled "The Program" has also been somewhat a disappointment in its avoidance of doing more with our galleries and visual artists. An exception was today, when they looked at Flashpoint. I do realize that they have done segments with Ferd Protzman (former art critic from the Post), and visited a museum or two, and a few pieces on some local artists, but we need more!

Why not more more galleries? In fact, according to its own description, this weekly hour-long program "explores trends, events and issues in the Washington-area arts scene. It includes both the mainstream and the fringe, with an eye to considering the broader implications of an exhibit or arts activity."

Regular contributors are NPR film and theater critics Pat Dowell and Bob Mondello (who is also a panelist on WETA TV 26's Around Town). There are no regular art critics.

Suggestion: A review a show!

So how do we get some of this, or one of these to happen?

We need the friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend network to kick-start this idea into motion.

Someone will read this that knows someone who is a friend or a friend who knows the CEO of Lockheed Martin (or any other well-to-do local company reaping in the benefits of our once again great economy). Someone to bring up this issue eloquently to a person who, with a telephone call, can make things happen, and sponsor a minute a day on WTOP, or a minute a week on a TV station, or discuss person to person with Mr. Graham from the Post, some simple steps to highlight our great cultural gallery scene. In fact, someone set me up and I’ll do the “bringing up.”

Five minutes with any of them - that’s all I need.

Once a media source takes the lead, others will follow. Once we have some TV airtime, some radio airtime, and more people being informed that an art scene exists and thrives in DC, another ember in our kindling will catch on fire.

The Art Museum of the Americas currently has an exhibition of influential Chilean artist Roberto Matta's works titled "An Architect of Surrealism." Joanna Shaw-Eagle reviews the show here.

Tomorrow I will post number nine in my list of 10 steps to fire-up the DC artscene. You can read number ten here.

There are some really excellent shows coming to our area's galleries in the next few months. In addition to my previously mentioned exhibition of three of Cuba's leading female photographers at Fraser Georgetown, another sure-to-be excellent photography exhibit will be Darrow Montgomery's show at Kathleen Ewing Gallery. Montgomery photographs Washington for the City Paper. His show will be from April 23 - May 29, 2004, with an opening reception on Friday, April 23, from 6-8pm.

Don't Forget - Deadline January 30, 5pm - The Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District has announced the 2004 Bethesda Artist Market. Selected artists 18 years or older will be invited to participate in the Bethesda Artist Market on Sunday, May 9, Sunday, June 13 and Sunday, July 11 from 11am-6pm. All fine art and fine craft are accepted including, but not limited to: painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media, clay, wearable fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, paper, ceramics and wood are accepted. All work must be executed by the accepted artist.

Studios that produce works in volume are not eligible. T-Shirts and commercial clothing are not eligible. Ceramic works must be handmade by the artist. All booth space is 10' x 10' and all artists must provide their own tent. No staking allowed and artists must bring their own weights. Members of the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District Advisory Committee will select the artists. The Market will be held in the Bethesda Plaza located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. For a submission form, please e-mail Staphanie or send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to: Bethesda Artist Market, c/o Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., 7700 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Visit www.bethesda.org. Questions, call 301.215.6660 ext. 20. Stephanie Coppula.