Please, pluuuuuzheee! go and read this cartoon!

Thanks AJ!

American University is looking to hire a Curator for their new Art Gallery.

The American University, College of Arts and Sciences announces an open position for Curator of the art gallery at the new Katzen Arts Center. This position will be responsible for artistic and creative direction of the gallery including: overall planning for gallery collections, collection development, conservation, management, operations, and exhibitions and programming.

Duties include coordinating press and public relations, seeking donations for art collections, assisting in capital fundraising, working with academic units to integrate students and curricula into gallery operations, developing proposals for program enrichment, and planning for the opening of the Katzen Arts Center.

Qualifications required include graduate degree in art history or related field, PhD preferred, and curatorial/exhibition experience. Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

To apply, complete an application in person or send your resume to:

American University
Office of Human Resources
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016-8054

e-mail: careers@american.edu.
Fax: 202-885-1737.

Applicants may also download an application from this web site.

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Virginia Commission for the Arts is looking for a Program Coordinator.

Deadline: September 14, 2004.

Description: Grants Administration. Work with arts organizations, local governments, and artists in preparing applications for funding. Coordinate application review process by helping to recruit advisory panelists, preparing applications and supporting information for review by the panelists, and responding to applicants on funding decisions. Monitor reporting by grantees. Revise application and report forms for use by grantees as needed. Code grantee activity in agency database.

Public Information: Provide information to artists, arts organizations, and the general public on programs and services of the Commission through meetings, the telephone, and public appearances. Write and distribute press releases on Commission activities. Maintain lists of artists and arts organizations. Represent the Commission at conferences and meetings.

Agency Planning: Track and report to the Executive Director on trends in the arts around the state on an on-going basis. Assist in long and short range planning for the agency. Assist in evaluating agency services.

Special Projects: Conduct annual orientation for performers in Tour Directory. Assist Executive Director on special projects.

Qualifications: Knowledge of the arts. Strong written and oral communications skills. Understanding of effective management practices in the arts. Administrative skills. Talent for diplomacy, tact, and good judgement. Two or more years of work experience in the arts. Undergraduate degree or equivalent training in the arts or arts administration; graduate degree preferred. Ability and willingness to travel.

Salary: $30,000 - $40,000. To apply send resume and cover letter to:

Peggy Baggett
Executive Director
Virginia Commission for the Arts
223 Governor Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Or email peggy.baggett@arts.virginia.gov.

Opportunities for Artists

The Gunk Foundation is interested in supporting projects that make it out of the museum, gallery, and alternative spaces and into the spaces of daily life.

"We want work that is shown in the spaces of public transportation, city streets, or work places and is seen by people 'outside' of the art and academic worlds. We are also interested in work that catches one by surprise -- the audience may not plan to be an audience (like planning to go see a performance) but is one inadvertently (the performance happens on the street on their way to work) and non-traditional, thought-provoking public work that is site specific: i.e. the context in which it is seen is essential to its meaning. It is our belief that work that is site specific and that cuts into the space of everyday life will have the most profound effect on politicizing the public realm."

Grants are provided for "works" of art (not, for example, art festivals, group exhibitions or general operating support for public art organizations). Two cycles yearly; postmark deadlines April 30 and October 31. Visit their site for criteria and to read about funded work: www.gunk.org.

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Kokoro Studio Retreat Center - Vermont.

Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Located in the foothills of the Green Mountains, offers artists a retreat space with an open studio environment. Open to visual artists, writers, theater artists, and all other disciplines. To request a brochure contact: Kokoro Studio Retreat Center, RR1, Box 192, Castleton, VT 05735. For more information, call (802) 273-2278; Fax: (802) 273-3402; or email: kokoro@sover.net.

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World Studio Foundation - New York

WSF provides scholarships to minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying the design and/or arts disciplines in American colleges and universities. Among the Foundation's primary aims are to increase diversity in the creative professions, and to foster social responsibility in the artists and designers of tomorrow. To this end, scholarship recipients are selected not only for their ability and their need, but also for their demonstrated commitment to giving back to the larger community. For more info call, (212)366-1317, ext. 18. Fax:(212) 807-0024. Website: www.worldstudio.org.

Tyler Green, over at Modern Art Notes, doesn't think that the Blake Gopnik WCP idea will fly.

Elyse Harrison, owner and director of Neptune Gallery in Bethesda has an exhibition of her mixed media sculptures at Neptune from August 12-21.

Usable Quotes for Artists (and their succubi: art critics)

"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."
Salvador Dali

"The future will soon be a thing of the past."
George Carlin

"God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, the ant. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things."
Pablo Ruiz Picasso

"Not even the most powerful organs of the press, including Time, Newsweek, and The New York Times, can discover a new artist or certify his work and make it stick. They can only bring you the scores."
Tom Wolfe

"I am not a Communist..."
Fidel Castro

I'll be the first one to admit that Blake Gopnik has shattered my almost 100% cemented opinion of him in relation to the area art scene with this excellent idea published in today's Sunday WP.

He calls for the creation of the Washington Collectors' Project. And he writes:

"Here's how it would work: A consortium of the city's best collectors of contemporary art would come together to make their art available for exhibition. They would find a modest, white-cube space and invite independent curators to fill it with selections from their holdings."

My kudos to Blake for a great idea! And I agree that such a project "might even set an example that could get other well-heeled Washingtonians purchasing contemporary art."

Of course, we'd all get into an immediate and fun argument as to what "contemporary" means. To Blake it's obviously at least Arbus, Judd and Hirst - names that a lot of young curators and collectors may already find old and quaintly traditional -- that's what happens when one endorses the "new" rather than what's good. To some, Arbus, Judd and Hirst may already belong in the company of the Matisses and Oldenburgs.

It's a great idea, although Blake shows his inexperience in the business aspect of running an art space if he considers that the "cost would be minimal." A key to it would be a free space (rent is the killer for most art galleries and institutions), but heating and cooling costs, added to the astronomical cost of insuring artwork, plus the cost of printing materials, plus the cost of publicity, not to mention salaries of all involved all adds up to a substantial amount of funds just to get the place kick started - even if a dozen wealthy collectors threw in their financial backing at once.

If as Gopnik suggests, the area's embassies are involved, then perhaps an international arrangement also involving finances could be included!

Let's say that the concept of operations, as suggested by Gopnik, could be to include the embassies to help bring international curators to the WCP - why not then perhaps expand the concept to have one quarter of the exhibition program be dedicated to international exhibits and tie that to financial assistance from the culture ministers at Embassy Row? This will demand careful scrutiny, as it could be borderline "vanity" curating, but I am sure the kinks could be worked out.

A few years ago a small European nation forked over four million dollars to a local area museum to showcase one of their artists. That was almost downright "vanity museum show" but it implies that there exist financial resources that (if ethically approached) could be used to help finance a WCP.

Another way for the WCP to possibly raise funds would be for the project to develop a really good website presence that also offered contemporary artwork in an online auction venue, where collectors and other donors (artists) could put their work for a hands-free auction to a worldwide audience and give the WCP a normal auction house cut (15%) or as an outright donation. Both approaches have merit: A normal auction house cut would ensure a constant flow of works to be auctioned off, while outright donations means a full tax write-off for collectors (not artists). The auction process could involve contemporary original work by both established contemporary artists with a secondary art market record as well as emerging living artists with little exposure (and thus more affordable prices).

With the right legitimacy, an online fine art auction presence will work. While Sotheby's had its online auction presence, we, as Associate Dealers for Sothebys.com, were selling on the average around $20,000 worth of art each month by mostly area artists to collectors all over the world, seeking good, edgy, contemporary work by young, emerging artists. It can be done! Read this.

I am dumbfounded that museums or other legitimate art institutions have not tapped into this void left when Sotheby's folded its online operations (due to astounding lack of knowledge of online business practices on their part - in my opinion) that were allegedly selling one million dollars a day!

Kudos to Blake for a great idea - now it's time for the volunteers and wealthy area collectors to step forward.

I'll be glad to help - count me in!

A while back I made some comments on the subject of galleryphobia. Other similar experiences by other gallerists soon followed.

Today, as I sit in the gallery, and observe that Bethesda Plaza is once again packed with people awaiting to be called to the Original Pancake House, and yet only a few brave souls dare to enter the gallery, while dozens float back and forth attempting to view the entire exhibition through the glass walls, I am reminded of another gallery phenomenom: Bin Magnetism, also sometimes called Print Rack Magnetism.

I've not only observed Bin Magnetism evidenced at our two galleries, but also at every single gallery that I've visited that has a floor bin (or print rack) loaded with shrink wrapped matted two dimensional work.

You know the kind; nearly every gallery has one (they usually look like this)- loaded with art work that can be purchased and (usually) taken away immediately - as opposed to the month-long permanence of the scheduled exhibitions on the walls.

Anyway, what I have observed is that there exists a phase two to galleryphobia.

Once the galleryphobia-afflicted person has received enough counseling and encouragement, and then (after a deep breath), dares to actually enter the art gallery, he or she is often immediately and irresistibly attracted by some invisible and powerful force directly to the art bin, much like a stranded swimmer making his way to a floating log in the middle of the ocean.

This is phase two of galleryphobia, hereafter referred to as Bin Magnetism.

And if the gallery happens to have more than one floor bin, then the person usually contracts a more severe and acute case of Bin Magnetism and then makes his way from art bin to art bin, as if swimming from one safe spot to another. Sometimes they work their way around the gallery that way, breathlessly going through the shrinkwrapped artwork, eyes locked onto those pieces, avoiding any eye contact with anyone else, and unfortunately often not even looking up at the exhibition actually hung on the walls before they make their way out of the gallery.

The Bin Magnetized victim can often be rescued and cured by approaching them, smiling at them and starting a light conversation. Once they get over their startled look at discovering that the gallerist is (sometimes) a human being capable of speech, the disease if usually cured on the spot.

In rare ocassions, the Bin Magnetized victim will be allergic to this proven cure and react by either fainting or running away at an Olympic clip.

Better Home & Gardens tells us how to hang pictures in our homes.

Target Gallery, the national exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, will host Transformed by Fire: Glass Today from September 1 through October 3, 2004. The exhibition includes pieces by 31 artists from across the United States, with 19 from the Washington, DC area. Sally Hansen, owner of The Glass Gallery in Bethesda, MD, selected all of the works on view. A reception and gallery talk will be held on Thursday, September 9, from 6-8 PM.

Congratualtions to area photographer Prescott "Scott" Lassman, whose photograph White Horse has won Third Prize at TPS 13: The National Competition, a national juried photography competition sponsored by the Texas Photographic Society and juried by Sue Brisk, editorial director at Magnum.

It's always fun to see what the art teachers are doing with their personal work. The Corcoran Faculty Biennial Exhibition opens at the Hemicycle Gallery on August 18, 2004 and runs to September 13, 2004. Opening reception on September 2,2004 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Talking about openings, tonight is the Bethesda Art Walk from 6 - 9 PM.

Sarah Godfrey has a very informative and well-written profile of Iona Rozeal Brown in the current issue of the City Paper.

Brown's newest work (based on Japanese erotic prints) will be on exhibition locally at G Fine Art this coming October. She also has shows coming in New York and Los Angeles and is clearly an artist developing a major (and well-deserved) reputation. She's also a "former local artist," who graduated in 1991 from Maryland before heading out West.

Brown's success, in no small part, has been through the niche use of her imagery depicting the Japanese ganguro subculture, where Japanese youths associate with African-American culture though the use of clothing, signs, and makeup or visit tanning salons to keep their skin artificially dark.

It has been her main thoroughfare to artistic success, and over the future years, could also become her Achilles' heel if she allows her unique artistic theme to dominate her arts vision and thus expose her work to becoming Mondrianized.

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And last week in the WCP, someone named Gadi Dechter had an extraordinarily informative profile of Andrew Krieger, whose work is currently on exhibition at the Corcoran.

As Dechter points out, Krieger has been relatively anonymous and quite unknown for the last 25 years, and it is only through curator Eric Denker's intimate and personal knowledge of Krieger's work (the two have known each other ince the mid-1980s, when they were working at the National Gallery of Art bookstore), that this exceptional artist's works have come to a brighter light and more focused scrutiny. Read Jessica Dawson's earlier review in the Post here.

Pilfered from AJ:

A Seattle newspaper's freelance critic writes a negative review and is then threatened with a lawsuit. When she asked the newspaper to guarantee that it would represent her should the lawsuit be made, they declined - and she quit!

Read the story here.

J.T. Kirkland, over at "Thinking About Art," has a very valid point about Glenn Dixon's first ever "Galleries" column review of Alison Clay at Numark Gallery.

J.T. writes:

"Is it too much to ask for an opinion? Sure, he's working with tight space constraints, but couldn't he say "I liked it" or "it works"? In all honesty, didn't he just re-word the press release? Wouldn't it be cheaper for the Washington Post to just print the press release of the show?"

And he's right! After reading his posting, I went back and re-read Dixon's review and Kirkland nailed him with one of (our shared) pet peeves: the "review" that describes a show rather than offering a critical opinion.

Somewhat surprising coming from Dixon, who is (in my experience) one of the most opinionated and one-sided critical writers in our area. Perhaps it is the seminal signs of the "Washingtonpostizing" of his work as opposed to the more aggressive style of writing usually employed by WCP writers.

Kirkland's own and earlier review of the same show can be read here.

Dr. Jonathan Binstock tells me that the artists for the 48th Corcoran Biennial have been selected by him and Associate Curator for Contemporary Art Stacey Schmidt.

The list will be announced soon.

But I already know that the list includes area artist and Corcoran alumni James Huckenpahler.

Huckenpahler is represented locally by Fusebox Gallery and was the Second Prize winner for last year's Trawick Prize. He is a former faculty member of the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and a former member of the Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran Advisory Board.

Huckenpahler, trained as a painter, now works primarily on a laptop. Congratulations to Huckenpahler and well deserved!

Former Washington City Paper Arts Editor (and then their former art critic), Glenn Dixon made his Washington Post Galleries column critic debut today.

Dixon reviews the National Academy of Sciences and Numark Gallery in his first column.

Elsewhere in the Post, in Arts Beat, Jonathan Padget profiles photographer Joan Marcus.

Want to have your artwork (or nearly any image for that matter) on a U.S. Postal stamp?

Photo Stamps allows anyone (within certain constraints) to make up and put nearly any image into an official United States stamp! I can already imagine the explosion of artwork that we will begin to see soon adorning and paying for snail mail letters as this service develops and catches on.

This will be hell for stamp collectors to keep up with!

And thanks to AJ for this related Wired article on the subject.

I can already visualize some exhibition somewhere in the future of artist-designed stamps.

Thanks to painter Pat Goslee, who emailed me this jewel of a link: Overheard at Art Shows.

A few years ago, I was at an opening for Catriona Fraser's photographs, which are B&W Infrared landscapes of Scotland, when I overheard a young man tell his date: "WOW! I didn't know everything in Scotland was black and white!"

John Blee, who is a very talented area painter, and gallerist-in-charge at Spectrum Gallery in Georgetown, as well as the galleries art critic for The Georgetowner has an exhibition of recent paintings opening this coming Friday the 13th at One World, located at 14th and S Street, NW in DC. Opening reception from 7-8:30 PM.