First Artomatic Impressions

I spent about six hours at Artomatic yesterday. I started on the 11th floor, which means that the top 3-4 floors got good attention, but the other floors were rushed. Therefore, as usual, I will return a couple of times more for more extended visits before I write my final impressions and recommendations for this year's version of the planet's greatest all-open arts extravaganza.

Yesterday the huge building was packed with families and kids and peoples of all sorts. When I left around 6PM, large crowds of people were filing out of the nearby Metro stop less than a block away and heading to AOM. The Metro is by far the best way to get to AOM.

 The real reason that most art critics hate Artomatic is that they get visual overload very quickly. After all, how does a writer cover a visual art show of the size of Artomatic once the eyes and mind become numb after the 200th artist, or the 400th or the 600th? Or in this year, the 1300th?

I have visited and written about every single AOM since the original one, including the recent one in Frederick, MD, and thus I feel that I am uniquely qualified to make some judgemental calls on this year's version as an evolving comparison to past years' AOMs, and after my first six hours there I can pass some hi level impressions:

• Every year the overall "quality" of AOM improves and this year is noticeably better looking and more professional-looking than any other year.
• There's a lot less porn in AOM this year. In fact, there's a lot less nudes of all kinds.
• The range of the quality of the work, even in a postmodern world where everything is art, still ranges from the mind-boggling bad to the artistically sublime.
• There are several brand new (at least to me) artists in AOM who can show anywhere right now.
• There is a lot of art about The Beatles and blues musicians.
• There's more video art than I expected.
• There are a lot more well-known DMV area "gallery" artists in this AOM than any previous one (except the first one in 1999).
• There's a lot of artists working with discarded computer boards and parts.
• There are a lot of glass artists and every single one of them is really good.
• There are a lot of dark room style galleries and a lot of "blue light" art.
• There is a lot of artwork about Obama.
• There is a lot of left-wing nuttery artwork.
• There are a lot of really good sculptures.
• There are a lot of artists who make it really hard for someone interested in buying their work to get the basic details (how much is it and how do I buy it?)

I will be returning soon, and hopefully by next week I will have my review in as well as my recommendations for my choices for the best of AOM this year, as well as the Campello awards in the various categories that I invent as I go along. Meanwhile below are links to the last three AOM reviews:

Here's my 2009 review of AOM.

Here's my 2008 review of AOM.

Here's my 2007 review of AOM

HeART of the Community Live Auction

Sunday, June 3, 5-8 p.m.
Clear Space Theatre,
20 Baltimore Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Phone: 302-227-5620

Small Plates and Open Bar - Featuring the 2012 HeART of the Community Live Auction with art by 25 invited artists selected by four curators. Auctioneer: Lorne Crawford.

Dress: Black and White Casual
Tickets: $75. Tickets are limited. Advance Ticket Price $65, available through April 30 only on the CAMP Rehoboth website. After April 30 all tickets will be $75 and may be purchased online or by calling 302-227-5620.
Purchase Tickets

HeART of the Community Art Auction

Curators and Artists:

Murray Archibald
Rodney Cook
Ward Ellinger
Gary Fisher
Laura Hickman
Victor Letonoff
Andres Tremols  

Sondra N. Arkin
Joan Belmar
Scott G. Brooks
Anna U. Davis
Pat Goslee
Barbara Gruber
Renee Stout
Novie Trump

Jay Pastore
Rick Bach
Susan Finsen
Lee Wayne Mills
Brian Petro
Duane Rieder
Ellen Sinel

Andres Tremols
Lenny Campello
Max Hirshfeld
Laurel Lukaszewski
Christopher Speron
Betsy Stewart
Ellyn Weiss

Sneak Peek Art Preview
Wine and Cheese Reception
CAMP Rehoboth Community Center
Sunday, May 27, 4-7 p.m. (free)

Thanks to the efforts of our curators and their invited artists, CAMP Rehoboth is pleased to present an exceptional collection of art selected especially for the 2012 Black and White Beach Ball. All art will be previewed at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center on Memorial Day weekend. Proxy bidding will be available for buyers who are interested in purchasing but unable to attend the June 3 event.

Cuba de Ayer Restaurant

Last week I took three friends with me to Cuba de Ayer Restaurant in Burtonsville, MD. One of them is addicted to Cuban food, but the other two - one a Canadian and the other a Brit - had never had Cuban food in their entire life.

This was my also first visit to Cuba de Ayer, although (since as some of you know, I'm of Cuban ancestry) every time someone who knows me goes there, they tell me what a great place it is, so I was overdue for a visit.

The restaurant is very cozy and when we came in at lunch time it was packed, which is always a good sign.

The pretty waitress took our orders and my alarm bells went up a little when she asked if we wanted our black beans and rice "together" or "separate." I say that my alarm bells went off because "Moros y Cristianos" -- the Cuban name for black beans and rice -- is NEVER served together; never, ever, ever! It is a cultural error and a true and easy test of the Cubanosity of any restaurant.

I ordered my favorite Cuban dish in the world... OK, OK, one of my favorites, "lechon asado", which came with black beans, white rice and tostones (actually a choice of tostones or sweet fried plantains).

I breathed a sigh of relief when my friends' dishes came... what the waitress meant as "together" was actually "congri" which is a separate dish where the black beans (or red) are indeed cooked together... a Cuban version of dirty rice, but much tastier.

Both the Brit and the Canadian ordered "ropa vieja" with "congri" and they both loved it... my English friend actually said: "I can't believe that a simple rice dish can taste so good!"

So Cuba de Ayer gets my highest endorsement!

One last thing: When the food came, I was explaining some of the cultural references that I mentioned above. I must have been loud enough to be heard by other people, because as we filed out of the restaurant, the very attractive daughter of the owners came out, introduced herself and asked me if I was Cuban, as she had overheard me describe the cultural aspects of the food.

So we met, chatted a little, and we all passed to her our enthusiastic thumbs up of the food... I will be back

Cuba de Ayer is located at 15446 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866, (301) 476-9622.

Heading to Artomatic tomorrow...

Just returned to the DMV from a week in Bethany Beach... and Jonesying for AOM, so I will make my first visit to the 10 floors of artists tomorrow...

I plan to return a second time with a couple of gallerists looking for new talent... more on that later.

Art Scam Alert

A DMV area painter recently received the below art scam email - this is a new twist:

From: Murphy Lawrence <murphylawrence77@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 25, 2012 at 5:31 AM
Subject: PERSONAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED

Dear Sir/Ma,

I got your email through the Monster.com employment database. In the past,
 you either posted your resume online or applied for a job that was
similar to the one that I am hiring for.

I am looking for someone who can handle my personal and business
errands during his or her spare time.
I need your service because I am constantly traveling abroad  on
business. I own an Art Gallery that specializes in international art.

Your Responsibilities are below.

1.   Receive my mail and correspondences. Drop them off at the post
office or shipping center.

2.   Pay my bills on my behalf and sit for delivery at home.

4.  When you get my mail or package, you would mail all items  to
where I want them shipped. .All expenses and shipping charges will be
covered by me.

The contents of the packages are mostly art materials and paintings.
In addition, there will be clothing I need for business and personal
letters. No heavy packages are ever delivered!

I would love to meet  with you to discuss this job in more detail,
but I am currently away on business to Taiwan.  If you decide to
accept the position, please read the employment requirements listed
below.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

A. You Must be a honest human.

B.  Your Work hour ls only for 15 and 20hrs a month

C  You must be able to check your email 3 to 4 times daily

WEEKLY PAY IS $705 GOOD ENOUGH FOR A START?

In closing, I have a couple of questions for you.
First, If I were to mail you money to do my shopping plus an upfront
payment for your service, where would you want it mailed to?
Second, how would  you like for your  name appear on the money or check?
Maybe you can provide me with the following details below

NAME:

 STREET:

 CITY:

 STATE:

 ZIP:

 CELL:

 EMAIL:

 OCCUPATION:

 AGE:

 Bank Name(for direct deposit of some payments):

Mark Jenkins on Artomatic

The WaPo's Galleries art critic, Mark Jenkins (I wonder how many times people confuse the two DC-based Mark Jenkinses in the DMV art world?) has a really good piece on Artomatic - read it here

James George on AOM

Arlington Examiner's James George with an AOM focus piece on Greg Minah. Read it here

B&W Beach Ball

A Stunning Collection - HeART Art 2012 Dazzles!

Black and White Beach Ball 2012 - Sunday, June 3, 5-8 pm

The 2012 HeART of the Community Art Auction will be featured at the Black and White Beach Ball on June 3. The stunning collection of art by 25 artists can be previewed online. Proxy bidding is available for those who cannot attend the event.

View HeART Curators and Artists
Preview HeART Art and Artists
Read More about HeART 2012 (by Sondra Arkin)
Purchase Black and White Ball Tickets

The Black and White Beach Ball is hosted by CAMP Rehoboth and our presenting sponsor PNC Wealth Management.

Black and White Beach Ball 2012

Sunday, June 3, 5-8 pm

Clear Space Theatre, 20 Baltimore Avenue
Open Bar and Food by Plate Catering 

  

Auctioneer: Lorne Crawford

Dress: Black and White Casual

Tickets: $75. Tickets are limited and may be purchased online or by calling 302-227-5620.

American Contemporary Art Magazine

The May issue has a DC article plus three gallery reviews.

Read it here.

Jury Duty

Deadline: June 30, 2012

Later this year I will be honored to jury RSVP 2012 for The New Wilmington Arts Association. They support the careers of artists by providing opportunities for uncensored experimentation, professional presentation, and critical dialogue and RSVP is their annual juried exhibition open to all artists and media.

You can download the prospectus here - hurry and do not leave it to the last minute!

Ebner on Artomatic

Juliette Ebner has a piece in the Washington Blade: read it here

Artists' Websites: Joe Shannon

Joe Shannon has been one of the most influential DMV area artists for many decades and his new website allows you to explore what makes Shannon tick.

Diana with Acolytes, 2011, Oil on Canvas, 27x40

Joe was born in 1933 in Puerto Rico, raised in D.C. He studied art at the Corcoran School of Art, but he was largely self taught. Looking at masterworks, lots of practice and self-criticism revealed his direction. He loved Degas for his technique, composition and even psychology; but for subjects, salty and mythic it was Picasso graphics, like “The Sculptor’s Studio” and the drawing therein that had deep impact.

Joe worked for the Smithsonian for 26 years as an exhibition designer and curator. He has organized world class exhibitions, and written articles in major art magazines and newspapers, and juried many shows. He teaches currently at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; he lectures, and has taught at other universities.

His work has been shown in galleries and museums around the world. Joe’s work is in many important collections, private and public – i.e. – The Corcoran, Hirshhorn, and Brooklyn Museums among others.

 Visit his website here

James George on Artomatic

Arlington Examiner.com's James George has a piece on Artomatic artist Joseph Corcoran - read it here

Montie Martin on Artomatic

The Connection Newspapers' Montie Martin on Artomatic's opening; read it here

Opportunity for Artists

Vitale on Artomatic

Tammy Vitale has a quick view of Artomatic, floor by floor... see her photos here.

Manifest Destiny on Artomatic

Manifest Destiny went to AOM and...

I took a bunch of photos, but I have to admit I concentrated on the most absurd pieces (or those that reminded me of something else and which I wanted to share with friends). 

See the post here and the pics here.

Big Artomatic Photo Essay

ARLnow.com has a big photo essay on Artomatic and a couple of hilarious comments... See it here.

Mexico at the Katzen

When you think of Mexico, what images pop up in your mind’s eye? The AU press release says that "You may think of stereotypical icons such as the Mexican flag or a sombrero, or news stories about Mexico such as those focused on tourism, immigration policy, poverty, or violent drug cartel crime. The stereotypes may also inform your thoughts about Mexican art: you may have prescribed ideas of what Mexican art would or would not look like." 

I also think of some of the paradoxes of this gorgeous country, such as their demands for an open US immigration policy towards Mexicans while Mexico has one of the toughest and most brutal anti-immigrant set of laws on the planet (Mexico has its own illegal immigration problem from its southern borders); or the justified Mexican pride on the influence of its indigenous Native American population on Mexico's ample cultural fottprint, while at the same time being a very repressive government towards its own Native American nations. It is with these paradoxes in mind that I am really looking forward to this exhibition at the Katzen.

MEXICO: EXPECTED/UNEXPECTED— an exhibition that will make its East Coast debut at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center on Saturday, June 9— defies commonly held stereotypes about Mexico and its art, exposing unexpected images and perspectives created and communicated by some of Mexico’s most influential contemporary artists. The goal?  To encourage new thoughts about Mexico and its place in the international, contemporary art scene.
 

The exhibition, the largest one of contemporary Mexican art to show in Washington, D.C., comprises works selected from the Isabel and Agustín Coppel Collection, one of Mexico’s most comprehensive contemporary art collections.  Works by leading contemporary Mexican artists such as Francis Alÿs, Jorge Méndez Blake, Gabriel Orozco, and Pedro Reyes, are presented beside works by artists from other Latin American countries, Europe, and the United States, including Gordon Matta-Clark, Ana Mendieta, Ed Ruscha, and John Baldessari.

MEXICO: EXPECTED/UNEXPECTED at the American University Museum is sponsored by the Mexican Embassy and the Mexican Cultural Institute. As part of the collaboration with the Mexican Cultural Institute, Mexican artists will visit D.C. for a few months while creating installations for the exhibition.

Gallery Talk: Mexico: Expected/Unexpected
Saturday, June 9, at 5 p.m.
Featuring Exhibition Curators Carlos Basualdo and Mónica Amor

Artists' Reception
Saturday, June 9, from 6–9 p.m.

John Anderson's AOM Top 10 (sort of...)

The WCP's John Anderson pops in with his top 10 Artomatic picks - read it here.