Airborne
Heading to the Left Coast... more later.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cover
Just received the draft cover for my 100 Washington Artists book. The publisher declined my suggestion of one art image on the cover and instead is opting for a collage of thumbnails of artists' portraits of their choosing.
Just to save me some headaches in future policing of the book, I asked them to replace two portraits that they had chosen with portraits of other artists, also of their choosing. Every cause has an effect.
Wanna go to a Chevy Chase opening this week?
Celebrating the coming of fall, Zenith Gallery will present "Autumn Equinox" at Chevy Chase Pavilion, featuring artists that are both new to Zenith, and those popular among the gallery’s clients and patrons. The show of sculpture, painting and three-dimensional media works will open with a Meet the Artists Reception on Wednesday, September 15, 6 – 8 PM, and remain on display through November 28.
The show includes work by Rosetta DeBerardinis, Joan Konkel, Barbara Liotta, Carol Newmyer, Anita Philyaw, Ellen Sinel, Paula Stern, Joyce Wellman and Paul Martin Wolff.
At Gateway this week
The Gateway Gallery and Gift Shop, is hosting its first event, the Fruit of the Vine exhibit from September 8 through October 3. The exhibit features work inspired by wine, grapes and vineyards, in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, wood turning, pewter, fiberarts and jewelry.
The public is invited to a “Meet the Artists” reception at the gallery Friday September 17 from 6 pm to 9 pm, to chat with the artists about their work and enjoy refreshments. The Gateway Gallery is a new artists’ cooperative showcasing the work of thirty local artists. The gallery is located in Round Hill, Virginia in a bright and inviting space in the renovated Hill High Orchard Building, just west of Round Hill on Route 7 and next door to the Round Hill Arts Center, the Bogati Bodega Winery and the Hill High Country Store and Pie Shop. The Gateway Gallery is open Wednesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays from 11am to 6 pm. More information is available at www.thegatewaygallery.com.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wanna go to an opening this week?
The Brentwood Arts Exchange at the Gateway Arts Center has Intersecciones Culturales: Voces de America Latina y el Caribe / Cultural Crossroads: Voices from Latin America and the Caribbean, an exhibition featuring artwork by Felix Angel, Joan Belmar, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Rafael Corzo. Curated by Carmen Toruella-Quander, and assisted by Ricardo Penuela-Pava.
Dates: September 15 - October 15, 2010.
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 18. 5:00 - 8:00pm
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Shame on TSU
Two murals painted by a Texas Southern University student 40 years ago were ordered destroyed by school President John Rudley, who disagreed with the university museum director's opinion that the artworks' historical significance made them worth saving.Read the story from the Chron.com here. "... the school had lost two significant pieces of artwork, said Alvia J. Wardlaw, art history professor and university museum director."
Workers used white paint last week to cover the murals painted by Harvey Johnson, who retired from TSU in 2007 after 34 years as a professor.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?
Conner Contemporary Art has three concurrent solo exhibitions featuring a sculptural installation and opening night performance by John Kirchner, a new cycle of oil paintings by John Stark and recent video by Susan MacWilliam. The opening reception + performance is Saturday, September 11th from 6-8pm.
Tomorrow: Do The Art Bus
In celebration of the opening of the 2010 fall art season, three of the DMV's gallery art destinations will be connected by the ART BUS for a ton of gallery openings on Saturday, September 11, 2010.
Free Shuttle service will be provided between Logan Circle, U Street, & the H Street/Atlas District, sponsored by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
• 1515 14th Street NW bus stop servicing:
Adamson Gallery, 6:30 - 8:30, 1515 14th Street NW
Curators Office, 6 - 8, 1515 14th Street NW
HEMPHILL, 6:30 – 8:30, 1515 14th Street NW
Gallery Plan b, 6 - 8, 1530 14th Street, NW
Irvine Contemporary 6 - 8, 1412 14th Street NW
• 1353 U Street NW bus stop servicing:
Morton Fine Arts, 6:30 – 8:30, 1781 Florida Ave, NW (between 18th and U St.)
Project 4 Gallery, 6:30 – 8:30, 1353 U Street NW
• 1358 Florida Avenue NE, bus stop servicing:
City Gallery, 6-9, 804 H St NE, 2nd Fl
Conner Contemporary, 6-8, 1358 Florida Avenue NE
Industry Gallery, 6-8, 1358 Florida Avenue NE, 2nd Fl
G Fine Art, 6:30-8:30, 1350 Florida Avenue NE
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Jobs in the Arts
Associate Producer—Literary Management
Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to making space for art, is accepting applications for the position of Source Festival Associate Producer—Literary Management. This part-time contract position collaborates with the Source Festival team to present a three- week Festival of new work. This position reports to the Director of Performing Arts.
Responsibilities
* Recruit and coordinate readers for Source Festival 10-Minute Plays & Full-Length Plays;
* Coordinate 10-minute play selection process including responding to all inquiries, collecting & tracking submissions;
* Manage relationships with playwrights, facilitate communication between playwrights & directors;
* Manage playwright hospitality for Full-Length Play Workshop Weekend and visiting playwrights during the Festival;
· Collaborate with Festival Producer & Production Manager to produce10-Minute Plays
* Support Creative Communities Fund selection committee by reading applications and weighing in prior to committee meeting;
* Recruit Front of House staff;
* Coordinate Front of House during Source Festival (June 11-July 3, 2011);
* Assist in execution of major Pre-Festival Events, Full-Length Play workshop weekend, First-Reads, Artistic Blind Date Check-ins, 10-Min Play Designer Runs, etc.; and
* Support general festival administration as needed.
Requirements
* Bachelor’s degree;
* Minimum of one year producing experience in commercial or non-profit performing arts organizations;
* Experience with contracts, casting, dramaturgy & working with artists;
* Superb writing, customer service and organizational skills, plus excellent computer skills;
* Flexible work schedule including some weekday, evenings and weekends; and
* Comfort in a cooperative environment that supports a broad range of artistic, cultural and social points of view.
Compensation: Fixed Fee Contract
Closing Date: September 28, 2010
How to apply:
To apply, submit a resume with cover letter to:
Cultural Development Corporation
Attn: Associate Producer Search
916 G Street NW | Washington, DC 20001
hr@culturaldc.org
F 202.315.1303
Associate Producer—Casting
Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to making space for art, is accepting applications for the position of Source Festival Associate Producer—Casting. This part-time contract position collaborates with the Source Festival production team to present a three-week Festival of new work. This position reports to the Director of Performing Arts.
Responsibilities
* Manage casting for 18 10-Minute plays & three full-length plays including Full-Length Play Workshop Weekend;
· Attend LOWT Auditions & Non-Equity Auditions;
· Support Creative Communities Fund selection committee by reading applications and weighing in prior to committee meeting;
· Collaborate with Festival Producer & Production Manager to produce Artistic Blind Dates
* Assist in execution of Major Pre-Festival Events, Full-Length Play Workshop Weekend, First-Reads, ABD Check-ins, 10-Min Play Designer Runs, etc;
* Assist with recruiting Front of House staff; and
· Support general festival administration as needed.
Requirements
* Bachelor’s degree;
* Minimum of one year producing experience in commercial or non-profit performing arts organizations;
* Experience with contracts, casting, dramaturgy & working with artists;
* Superb writing, customer service and organizational skills, plus excellent computer skills;
* Flexible work schedule, including some weekdays, evening and weekend hours; and
* Comfort in a cooperative environment that supports a broad range of artistic, cultural and social points of view.
Compensation: Fixed Fee Contract
Closing Date: September 28, 2010
How to apply:
To apply, submit a resume with cover letter to:
Cultural Development Corporation
Attn: Associate Producer Search
916 G Street NW | Washington, DC 20001
hr@culturaldc.org
F 202.315.1303
Jury Duty
Yesterday I had the privilege and honor to jury the monthly show at the Art League in Alexandria. There were more than 700 entries!
This is always a tough job, as the Art League has so many talented members. It is always also a discovery for me, and what I did discover in this task was the amazing work of the Best of Show winner, Wendy Donahoe.
To say that the work is breath-taking in not only its technical facility, but also its ability to grasp a psychological moment from the subject, would be an understatement. More on all of this later when I have images and websites from the award winners.
The opening is tonight from 6:30 to 8:30pm with awards around 7:30pm. You can see the award winners and others here.
Wanna go to another Bethesda opening tomorrow?
One of the DMV's best-known photographers, Max MacKenzie, opens tomorrow in Bethesda's Fraser Gallery. The opening is from 6-9PM.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline: November 12, 2010
Gallery West in Old Town Alexandria has a call for artists for their 14th Annual National Juried Show (Exhibit Dates: February 9–March 6, 2011).
The all media show will be juried by yours truly and awards to total $1,000. Click here to download the prospectus.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
The 2010 Trawick Prize Exhibition
I dropped by this weekend to see the current Trawick Prize show, now on exhibition at the former Heineman Myers gallery space in Bethesda. Since I was familiar with the artwork of several of the finalists, I was particularly interested in seeing the work of the new names in the finalists' list (new to me anyway).
Russian-born artist Milana Braslavsky won the "Young Artists Award" and her very interesting photographs follow Sigmund Freud's notion of the uncanny (unheimlich), or "the feeling one suffers when the familiar suddenly becomes foreign or the attractive becomes repulsive." Freud further adds by discussing "the idea of being robbed of one's eyes." This is a concept that repeats itself obsessively through Braslavsky's strangely elegant photos, specifically in the images where the subject covers her eyes with her own hair and other materials almost as if binding her face. This is a young artist to keep an eye on, and for beginner collectors, her work is a great starting place, and at $400 - $450 for a large framed photograph, are also quite a steal.
But perhaps the most interesting new discovery for me was Anne Chan's work which explores the slick metallic world that seems to surround us everywhere in this ever growing age of technology.
They are almost the photographic equivalent of David Smith's shiny metal sculptures from the 60's, but translated into a contemporary dialogue where technology manages to make its presence known in her almost abstract works.
Magnolia Laurie's four small oils on panel reminded me a little of Jessica Van Brakle's paintings, or perhaps what would happen if some of Brandon Morse's videos were collapsed into two-D paintings.
The $10,000 prizewinner was Sara Pomerance, whose Seinfeldian videos become the first of its genre to win the DMV's most prestigious art prize. It is a well-deserved award. I first saw Pomerance's video work when I was a juror for the Art DC fair (remember that?) a few years ago. Back then they stuck in my head, especially "Too Close."
Dan Steinhilber has now won the second prize at the Trawick's twice, and so I've got my money on Dan for next year. The minimalist beauty of his untitled piece of two plastic sheeting sheets stuck to the wall being held by static electricity is a prize to the eyes of followers of what a talented mind can do with nearly anything and everything.
The show is at the former Heineman Myers Gallery space at 4728 Hampden Lane in Bethesda. A public reception will be held on Friday, September 10, 2010 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. The Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6pm.
The Trawick Prize was established by local Bethesda business owner Carol Trawick. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Additionally, the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawicks sold their successful information technology company. The prize was awarded well over $200,000 to DMV artists since it was established at the beginning of the decade.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Machete
The movie Machete, currently playing all over the place and directed by Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez is by far one of the most awful films that I have seen in years. Its only redeeming quality is that it allows the use of the word "Mexploitation," which is a very cool new word which showcases the ever amazing muscularity of the Englisg language.
Even though it is full of very talented and/or big name actors (De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Segal, Lindsay Lohan, etc.), it is not much more than a Mexicanized storyline (written by the director's cousin) along the lines of the gory, pre-Machete films (Planet Terror and Death Proof) by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
No vale la pena. Please don't make a hit out of this movie or we will be seeing an unending series of sequels.
Read Tricia Olszewski's review in the CP here and Michael O'Sullivan's review in the WaPo here.
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