Things we see at airports
We approach the security point at Ft. Lauderdale Airport, and as experienced travelers, my wife, Little Junes and I begin the usual routine: shoes off, change out of pocket, laptop out of the bag, etc.
I notice the old guy in front of me when he starts doing the same thing, he takes off his shoes, empties his pockets, takes off his belt, and then begins to take off his pants.
"Sir!" shouts an alarmed TSA agent, "there's no need to take off your pants!"
Dude looks at her, shrugs and pulls his trousers up, buttons them and walks through the scanner.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Tropical Restaurant
I've always thought that I had a pretty good handle on all the good Cuban restaurants around Miami (well at least as good as someone who goes there a lot), but on this visit my mother took us all out to lunch at this place in the middle of Hialeah, just a couple of quick miles from the airport and almost right off LeJeune Road, which is the main road right off the airport.
The place is called Tropical Restaurant and it is located at 652 E 9th St
Hialeah, FL 33010 - (305) 887-5556.
Let me tell you, this place is worth driving to it if you are in Miami and want to experience a really good restaurant with really cheap prices and excellent Cuban food.
It has a huge sign on 9th Street, and then once you drive into the strip mall where it is located, it is a little hard to locate at first - all you really see is an outside kiosk-like entrance common to Cuban restaurants -- where people can walk up and have a Cuban coffee or a sandwich. To the right of that is a door, and that is the actual entrance to a very large restaurant.
When we entered, it was very cool and very dark, and there's a stage to the left where a really good singer was entertaining the eating customers singing smooth, Spanish love songs in a Julio Iglesias-type crooning voice.
There's a small army of waiters in uniform and as soon as we were seated, and one brought us some toasted Cuban bread with butter. I'd say the average age of the waiters was around 60 and they all looked like they've been doing the job for decades.
My wife ordered some "mariquitas" (waver thin fried plantain chips) to start and we got a huge hot plate of them for $2.50 - they were right off the pan!
The food was excellent - since it was lunch I had a large "Caldo Gallego" (Galician Stew) and it was very tasty and another amazing deal for $3.50. Anderson had Cuban Chicken Soup and scarfed up an adult-size plate as well as a full avocado salad on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. He then finished off a mamey "batido" (A Cuban milkshake amde with mamey fruit).
The menu was quite extensive and they have daily specials (I noted they serve goat once a week) and the prices are all excellent and quite a mind check to other (higher) prices in Miami's more chic Cuban restaurants.
Generous portions, perfect service and a very friendly atmosphere - This is as local and as Cuban as it gets.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Visual Voices at Zenith Gallery at Chevy Chase Pavillion
Visual Voices is a show of Zenith artists – Past, Present & Future - profiled in the new book “100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic” by Ashley Rooney.
Margery E. Goldberg has been a major player in the Washington arts community for three decades as an entrepreneur, owner of Zenith Gallery, curator, wood sculptor and activist, and in this show she shines a spotlight on artists with whom she has worked and collaborated over the years. All have recently been recognized for their talents, in a new book by Ashley Rooney, “100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic". The show at Zenith Gallery will open with a Book-signing Party with the author and artists, on Wednesday, September 21, 6:00 – 8:30pm, and remain on display through October 29, 2011.Book Party: Meet the Author & Artists
In “100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic,” Ashley Rooney highlights more than 480 paintings, sculptures, photos, drawings and statements by 100 contemporary artists working in oil, glass, multi-media metal and other materials. Rooney has written many books on architecture, design and art in recent years, including “100 New England Artists in 2010.” She turned to writing after years in management consulting and working with adolescents. “100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic, $45, will be available at Zenith Gallery throughout the exhibition.
Now in its 33rd year, Zenith Gallery provides high-quality acquisition, consulting and commissioning services to residential/corporate clients via its website, a salon gallery just off 16th Street, by appointment and house calls. In addition to curating shows throughout Chevy Chase Pavilion, where Zenith also operates a gallery on level 2, Zenith curates rotating exhibitions at the Eleven Eleven Sculpture Space at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Wednesday, September 21, 6:00-8:30 PM
Exhibition: September 21 – October 29, 2011
Artists: Alan Binstock, Joan Danziger, Julie Girardini, Margery E. Goldberg, Robert C. Jackson, Michael Janis, Joan Konkel, Anne Marchand, Donna McCullough, Davis Morton, Carol Newmyer, Marc Rubin, Barton Rubenstein, Sica, Ellen Sinel, Betsy Stewart, Cassie Taggert, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Paul Martin Wolff, Joyce Zipperer and yours truly.
Where: Chevy Chase Pavilion, 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC 20015
Zenith’s gallery, on level 2 next to Embassy Suites Hotel, is open Wednesday-Saturday, noon-6:00 PM and by appointment.
Info: 202-783-2963 art@zenithgallery.com www.zenithgallery.com.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Opportunity for DMV artists
Deadline: Friday, September 30th, 2011
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is seeking to purchase two and three-dimensional works of art including, but not limited to, prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, ceramics, and moveable sculptures to be included in the Art Bank Collection. They are especially encouraging video artists and other technological innovators to apply.
The call is open to artists who reside or maintain studio space in the Washington DC metro area, however, preference will be given to DC residents.
The deadline for submission is Friday, September 30th. Please follow dcarts.slideroom.com to find the Art Bank 2011 Call to artists.
For additional information, contact Zoma Wallace at zoma.wallace@dc.gov or 202.724.5613.
DCCAH Announces 2012 Grants Programs
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has announced its streamlined 2012 Grants Program. The DCCAH offers several funding programs for individuals and nonprofit organizations located in DC.
For more information on requirements, how to apply, and resources for writing grants, visit the Commission's website.
Monday, August 15, 2011
New Drawings
Last Copy of the Constitution II. 4x12 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 5.5 x 15 inches.
Woman Adrift. 8x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 10 x 10 inches.
True Believer. 8x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 10 x 10 inches.
Ave Gaul. 8x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 10 x 10 inches.
Haggia Marilyna. 8x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 10 x 10 inches.
Goth Girl. 4x12 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 5.5 x 15 inches.
Dead Girl. 4x12 inches. Charcoal and Conte on 300 weight paper. Framed to 5.5 x 15 inches.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sotheby's
According to the description on this lot, which is a drawing of mine sold at the 2000 solo show that I had at the old eklektikos gallery on 7th Street, NW in DC, the drawing was re-acquired at Sotheby's auction for $1,100.00 samolians!
Nice!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Art Gallery of Potomac
I finally dropped by the check out The Art Gallery of Potomac (10107 River Road, Potomac, Maryland 20854), which as far as I know is the only art gallery in uberwealthy Potomac, Maryland (more on that later).
The gallery occupies a huge space next to Walgreens, on a former store space of horse riding supplies. After they tore down the stalls and assorted other horsey stuff, what remained behind, an industrial shell of a large space, is perfect for an art gallery: white walls, industrial-looking and raw.
After the horse store closed and the space remained empty and vacant for a while, I was told that a couple of years the artists from Potomac Artists in Touch (PAinT), got together and approached the landlord, and offered to run a gallery in the space until a paying tenant could be found (the "for lease" sign hangs prominently on the front window).
So far they've managed to last a couple of years and instead of an ugly, closed up space, Potomac's only local source of original art is now a mainstay in the Village and the only art gallery in one of the nation's wealthiest barrios.
Most of the work on exhibit appeared to be from PAinT members (Judith Bourzutschy, Colette Calilhanna, Karin Colton, Terri Cunningham, Cherry Dearie, Felisa Federman, Claire Howard, Anne Martinez, Yolanda Prinsloo, Bess Rodiquez Richard and Martha Lechner Spak), although I know that other artists also show there (the current featured show is by Anne Martinez, and it is titled "Portraits of Love" and is an exhibition of pet portraits as well as works by Stephen Dell'Aria, Merry Lymn, David Therriault and others), and I recall that the very talented Jessica Van Brakle also once showed there a while back.
Like any big group show, there was some saccharine work on exhibition, and artwork that ranged from raw amateur -both in display and artwork itself - to accomplished pieces breathing with talent and skill.
Of all the artists in the gallery, the only one that I was familiar with was the work of Argentinean artist Felicia Federman, who is a very dynamic artist and who is always exhibiting somewhere around the DMV throughout the year. Her mixed media works are her strongest skill set and those mixed media pieces are some of the best on exhibition now.
I also liked some of the work by South African-born artist Yolanda Prinsloo, who (if her portrait in her business card is accurate) is a dead ringer for Frida Kahlo!
Overall, my kudos to this hard working group of artists who took an empty shell of a space in Potomac Village and turned it into Potomac's only art gallery, which tells you something about art collectors in the DMV. I only hope that Potomac residents continue to support this artist-driven effort and hope that the landlord never leases this space.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Strasburg on the mound today
Stephen Strasburg will be taking the mound tonight for the Potomac Nationals in the opener of a three-game series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans as the fireballer continues his comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery and thus allowing me to continue to create cartoons about him...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Rousseau on new shows
Dr. Claudia Rousseau, writing in The Gazette, reviews the show of the young artists mentored by Susana Raab, Tim Tate and yours truly.
Two interesting and high-quality exhibits, full of experiment and new ideas, are on view: “Fine Artists in Residence” at the Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda and “ARTbeat” at the Artery Plaza Gallery in Bethesda.Read the whole review here.
The Strathmore show is the culmination of FineAIR, a six-month residency program that paired local emerging artists with established professional artist mentors in related disciplines and media. The show demonstrates how successful this program has been in creating a nurturing environment for both mentors and AIRs. Included in the exhibit is new work by the four AIRs as well as work by their mentors. For its variety, its conceptual breadth and technical excellence, this is among the best exhibits I have seen in this venue. Kudos to Fine Art Program and Education Manager Holly Haliniewski who is largely responsible for managing the program and organizing the exhibit.
Airport ditches art in favor of ads
(Via) This story is just another sad reminder of where art stands in many public organizations' list of priorities.
If you’ve been to the Indianapolis International Airport, you’ve probably admired the artwork in the main terminal. But if you want to see an Indiana artist's centerpiece project, you’d better look quickly because it's about to be taken down.Read the whole article and story here.
The artwork called “Chrysalis” sits at the center of one of the busiest passenger intersections in the terminal, and it was commissioned for the space where it hangs. Whether going to get your bags or just passing through, odds are you are going to see the piece.
Airport ditches art in favor of ads; artist disappointed : wishtv.com
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Registration for the Frederick Artomatic is now underway
Visit www.artomaticfrederick.org
Registration continues through September 9 - Sign up to reserve a space now!
Frederick Artomatic will run from September 28 - November 6.
Tomorrow: Synergy
Synergy is an exhibition of artwork by the Torpedo Factory's 2011 Visiting Artists - who were selected this year by yours truly!
Exhibition Dates: August 11 – 28
Reception: August 11, 6-9pm during Second Thursday Art Night
Location: Site 2 and Site 3 Galleries, Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA
Additional information: To learn more about the Visiting Artist Program click here.
The Torpedo Factory Art Center presents this summer’s 2011 artists in the Visiting Artist Program in an exhibition entitled Synergy. The Visiting Artist Program, the Torpedo Factory Artist Association’s residency program, invites artists both emerging and experienced from around the nation to become a part of its art-making community for a summer. This year’s juror, F. Lennox Campello, international award-winning artist, author of leading art blog Daily Campello Art News, curator, art critic, and writer in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, PA, chose 11 artists for the 2011 summer program. This residency awarded these artists with the opportunity to create in a Torpedo Factory studio from June until August for one, two, or all three months.See ya there
This year’s selected artists are: Mark Thomas Anderson (Arlington, VA); M. Chava Evans (Baltimore, MD); Allison Long Hardy (Woodbridge, VA); Katie Latona (Champaign, IL); Heather McCaw (Washington, DC); Emily Moorhead (Cincinnati, OH); Linda Morrell (Castleton, NY); Liza Myers (Brandon, VT); Drew Parris (Stevensville, MD); Fierce Sonia (Alexandria, VA); Kazaan Viveiros (Alexandria, VA).
Synergy stems from the cohesive objective expressed by the visiting artists to fill their time at the Torpedo Factory Art Center (TFAC) with new audience exposure, fresh inspiration from within the TFAC and abroad, and productive studio time that, in totality, amounts to an influential and wholesome experience. Conversely, their synergy translates into quite diverse works that ranges from detritus-based installations to graphite renderings. The exhibition Synergy is centered on this aspect and displays artwork created by each artist during residency and presents interviews conducted at the start of summer on each as well. The exhibited imagery portrays each artist’s perspective and the questionnaire conveys each artist’s anticipations and aspirations for the program in a literary art form. The visiting artists’ unique creativity and individuality permeates through while collectively they comprise this summer’s 2011 Visiting Artist Program.
Join us August 11th from 6-9pm for the opening reception to Synergy held in conjunction with the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s (TFAC) Second Thursday Art Night. Come visit Site 2 and 3 Galleries on the second and third floors of the art center and view synergized art, read insightful interviews, and talk to the visiting artists!
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Trawick Opens Sept. 1
The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards will feature the work of 11 artists from Sept. 1 - 30 at the Artery Plaza Gallery located at 7200 Wisconsin Avenue.
Gallery hours are Wed. - Sat., 12-6pm.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 9 from 6-9pm. The Trawick Prize is celebrating its 9th year of honoring regional artists with $14,000 in prize monies. See the complete list of exhibiting artists here.
Five of the 11 finalists are from Baltimore, and two from the District.
Monday, August 08, 2011
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline: September 9, 2011.
Capitol Arts Network is accepting entries through September 9 for this all-media show opening October 14th.
Ladies, take off your aprons and join us in front of the sketchpad, canvas, or behind the lens! Cornucopia will present female artists' renderings of food, in celebration of October marking national apple, popcorn, caramel, pineapple, and vegetarian month, among others. Show us your best 2-d works of art for a show that will also benefit the The Manna Food Bank, serving Montgomery County, MD. Jurors Catriona Fraser, Judith HeartSong, and Missy Loewe are CAN board members. Catriona Fraser is the owner and Director of the Fraser Gallery, an independent fine art gallery established in 1996, specializing in contemporary fine art and photography. Judith HeartSong works as an artist, muralist, and arts educator in Metropolitan Washington, DC with work in numerous public and private collections. Missy Loewe is the Executive Director of the Washington School of Photography.See www.capitolartsnetwork.com for further information.
Goodbye - Hello to Jeffry Cudlin
As of this week, Jeffry Cudlin, the curator of the Arlington Arts Center, is no longer a full-time employee of the Arlington Arts Center (more on the word parsing ("full time") later...
Starting this Fall, Cudlin will be teaching at MICA as a full-time Professor of Curatorial Studies and Practice. His duties include "running the undergraduate curatorial studies concentration and co-teaching the first year practicum of George Ciscle's brand new MFA in Curatorial Practice."
He already boasts that "Our students are going to build some great shows."
This is not the end of Cudlin's association with AAC, where in my opinion he has made a formidable impact for the better and truly steered the AAC in whole new direction, again for the better.
Cudlin says that he will continue working with them as a consultant, and he's currently curating a show set to open at AAC in January of 2012 titled SHE GOT GAME--a show about images of women in sports.
I know two things already: (a) AAC will miss Cudlin's curatorial eye and sensibilities, and (b) MICA will gain not only a talented artist who as a professor I suspect will continue to be somewhat of a theoretical Poindexter who is also a proven intelligent and versatile curator, but also a warm human being who is going to give it all and more to his students.
And I believe him: I bet that we'll soon be seeing some great student-built shows coming out of MICA.
Fair winds and following seas, Jeffry!
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Jenkins on Zenith
Washington is not home to a lot of capital-A artists, whose personalities (and self-marketing mechanisms) are as big as their work. Such swaggering figures are especially unlikely in a show representing the upscale, near-suburban precincts of Chevy Chase. But Zenith Gallery’s “The Character of Chevy Chase” doesn’t feature the dabblers, even if some of the participants pursue (or pursued) their art part-time.Read Mark Jenkins' review of the current show at Zenith Gallery -- in the WaPo here.
Saturday, August 06, 2011
DC Arts Center Decathlon
The District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) announces the DC Arts Center Decathlon. After centuries of specialization in art that has relied on labels like painter, sculptor, photographer, etc., the District of Columbia Arts Center has asked individual artists who work or reside within a 100 mile radius of Washington, DC to submit proposals that explore the significance of what being “unspecialized” means to being a working artist today.
Submissions have been narrowed down by DC Arts Center’s Visual Arts Committee to a slate of semi-finalists: Shanthi Chandrasekar, Lee Gainer, Lisa Rosenstein, and Mary Woodall. These four artists will exhibit their works in the following ten artistic events: Textiles/Fiber Art, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography, Collage, Sound, Video, Conceptual Art, and Sculpture.
During the six-month run-up to the exhibition opening on January 13, 2012, commentators will “cover” the progress of the decathletes as they create the work for the show. The selected commentators, Buck Downs, Ryan and Hays Holladay (Bluebrain), Patrick McDonough, and Karen Joan Topping, have each been assigned an artist and will visit that artist once a month. After each visit the commentator will post interviews, commentaries, photographs, and/or video on DCAC’s blog (www.dcacdecathlon.wordpress.com). Artists are also encouraged to document their progress on the blog.
By hosting this good-natured competition, DCAC hopes to spark debate around the issue of what it means to be the best all-around artist, challenge individuals to try their hand at new disciplines, and give exposure to artists who already embrace working in various media. The competition will take place from July 2011 until the exhibition at DCAC from January 13 to February 5, 2012. The exhibition will culminate in a medal ceremony, but only one artist will walk away with gold.
The Facts:
DC Arts Center Decathlon
July 2011 – February 5, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, January 13, 2012, 7–9pm
Closing and Medal Ceremony: Sunday, February 5, 2012
Contact: info@dcartscenter.org,call 202-462-7833, online at www.dcartscenter.org
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