Congrats!

To super hard working DMV area artist Judith Peck, who just won the Juror's choice award from the (Louisiana) Masur Museum's juried competition from George T.M. Shackelford.

Peck is an artists' artist - by that I mean that Judy (whose work I love and have taken to art fairs many times) is admired by nearly every artist who is familiar with it.... she has exhibited widely around the US and her work has been featured multiple times in art magazines and newspaper reviews.

Among these, most recently in 2012 alone her work has been featured in The Artists’ Magazine, Combustus 13, Poets and Artists, The Birmingham Arts Journal and the book “Bourgeon, Fifty Artists Write About Their Work”, published by Day 8 Publishers.

This hard working and widely exhibited artist participated in eight exhibitions in 2012 alone, including a solo show at the Hoyt Institute for the Arts in New Castle, PA and an invitational show at the Georgia Museum of Art. 

And she works in one of the most difficult art niches that exist - nearly always doing portraits. That is one hard science... the subtle ability to not only capture someone's likeness, but also deliver someone's psychological and non kinetic make-up -- that's what makes Peck tick and cross over from a super gifted technical artist into that super rare upper artmosphere of the great portraitists of our time.

She sells well too... and as any art dealer can tell you, selling someone else portrait's is one of the hardest things to do on planet Artdealer... but collectors just fall in love with Peck's ability to "deliver" someone; not just an image of that person.

Peck’s work has also been exhibited widely in multiple art fairs, including the Aqua Art Fair in Miami Beach, and the Affordable Art Fair in New York and Red Dot in Miami.

Go Judith!

Senator Durbin... why?

For many years, large national retailers, big business and many hungry state tax collectors have hoped for new Internet sales tax collection policy. They want Congress to pass a federal law that would allow tax agents from one state to enforce their sales tax laws on retailers based in other states, even when a business is based thousands of miles away. Nearly everyone that I know opposes this misguided idea that goes against everything that the Internet stands for, and I (like millions of others worldwide) believe that small businesses selling via the Internet should only be subject to the tax laws of the states in which they operate.

The news from Capitol Hill is clear and just like the economy... it's grim.

Internet sales tax supporters are convinced that 2013 is their year, and they are determined to pass a new Internet sales tax bill when our out of control "tax everything" Congress (that refuses to face real financial austerity) tackles "corporate tax reform" in spite of the fact that "corporate" and the millions of small American businesses that operate on the Internet seldom share the same anything.

In December, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the misguided idiot who smells more and more sources to suck money out of the economy and is the sponsor of Internet sales tax legislation, publicly announced that he had a commitment from the Senate Finance Committee to "take it up early next year and move it to the floor."  Why Durbin wants to lead an effort to bleed more and more taxes is something between himself and his big money donors...

Your opinion matters. If you oppose giving state tax collectors new powers to impose and enforce out-of-state sales tax burdens on small businesses that sell via the Internet, now is the time to make your voice heard.

This is not a Republican or Democrat issue - but an issue that deals with the freedom of the worldwide web and the never-ending appetite for some in Congress to try to tax any and everything that moves.

Take the time to email, call or write to your two Senators and your Congress person... feel free to use, edit and adapt the letter below, but DO SOMETHING!

 

Dear Member of Congress,

As your constituent and one of the millions of Americans concerned with this issue, I'm asking you not to impose any new sales tax laws on small businesses operating on the Internet.

In the 1992 Quill Decision, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to allow state tax enforcement authorities to impose their sales tax laws on small businesses located in other states.  However, an effort backed by giant retailers and a group of state legislators is trying to push Congress to overturn the Quill Decision and establish an unfair tax regime that would force small online businesses to be subject to sales tax laws all across the country, regardless of where the small business is actually located.

Millions of American small business retailers, would be directly impacted by any new Internet sales tax system. It would increase the cost of doing business and shopping on-line, which would hurt sellers and buyers alike. I believe that small businesses selling via the Internet should only be subject to the tax laws of the states in which they operate. Instead of imposing new tax burdens on small businesses, I would encourage Congress to do EXACTLY the opposite and look at new policies that encourage small business growth and development on the Internet, which in turn will spur job growth and increase consumer choice.

As your constituent, I would ask that you please oppose any efforts to impose new tax burdens on small businesses operating on the Internet.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME

Mingering Mike in the museum!

Between 1968 and 1977, Mingering Mike released around 50 albums, each with its own hand-drawn album art, and played sold-out shows around the world. Yet if you haven’t heard of the prolific soul and funk singer, it’s because he was entirely fictional, but the art was real and has just been acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Details in Hyperallergic here.

Next week: SCOPE New York

Next week is Armory week in New York, which means that several art fairs will be going on the Big Apple, all anchored around the Armory fair.

Starting on Wednesday, we will be at the Scope Art Fair, booth J09... from the DMV Contemporary Wing will also be there, so if any of you are heading to visit the art fairs, please make sure to stop by and say hi to me and CW.

We're all hoping that the fiscal Omaggedon doesn't hurt the fair too much... feh!

DATES and TIMES

• VIP and Press First View, Wednesday, March 6: 3pm – 9pm (By Invitation)

Daily

• Thursday, March 7: 11am - 8pm
• Friday, March 8: 11am - 8pm
• Saturday, March 9: 11am - 8pm
• Sunday, March 10: 11am - 7pm

SCOPE NEW YORK PAVILION
Skylight at Moynihan Station
New York City Main Post Office
312 West 33^rd Street
New York, NY 10001

Open the flood gates!

One thing that nearly every artist on the planet (including myself) shares is rejection letters/emails from galleries, juried competitions, curators and your aunt Elvira... in fact, since I have been a juror, gallerist and curator for a ton of art shows, I hate to say that I've written a fuckload of rejection letters myself.

And now Worn Magazine wants them! Read the below note from them:

Dear Readers,  

I'm excited to announce that the Spring/Summer issue of Worn Magazine is well under way and will be released at the end of April. The theme of this upcoming issue is "Dreams." One way to interpret this theme is to consider the personal journey we're all on to accomplish our dreams.

One important part of this journey is enduring rejection and then going on to kick butt anyway. Because I want all aspects of dreaming to be represented in this issue (not just the typical ones) I'd like you brave souls to send us your rejection letters so that we can print them in the upcoming issue or on our website. In addition to your letter, please include a short paragraph that explains how you've gone on to kick butt since that once unfortunate correspondence.

This is your opportunity to stick it to the man! [My note: highly sexist... artists get rejection letters/emails from all sexual varieties... not just the man... that's me trying to be semantically hip as a Virgo... I know what they mean]

Personally, I have two rejection letters I'd be willing to share, one from the FBI and another from the L.A. Times. 

Please address your letters as follows:
Subject- Rejection Is the Best Protection
Send to: info@wornmagazine.com
Please include a scanned copy of your letter OR forward us the initial rejection email.

Deadline to submit letters is Monday, March 11. 

Be brave! 

Nicole Aguirre, Editor-in-Chief

Wanna go to an opening tonight!

AMY LIN

DIFFUSION 

March 2 -April 27, 2013

opening reception for the artist,  

Saturday, March 2, 5-7pm  

 

Addison/Ripley in Georgetown!

Norm Parish

That guy on the left has done more for African American artists and artists of all four races and thousands of ethnicities around the DMV than most people realize.

That guy on the left is one of the hardest working, least recognized, key members of the visual arts cultural tapestry of our capital region.

That guy on the left is one of the longest surviving independent fine arts commercial gallery owners in the region and a champion for the DC area visual arts.

That guy is Norm Parish, owner, director and curator of Parish Gallery, established in Georgetown in 1991, which means that in "gallery years", his gallery has not only survived but flourished in a town where art galleries struggle to stay open.

He was my neighbor for many years while I was half of The Fraser Gallery's original location in G'town from 1996 - 2006 and I consider him a friend and my earliest inspiration for trying to do something positive for the DMV art scene.

Tokesplace has a tribute to him here and I applaud that! Check out the video below...

Tonight's key opening is...

If you're not going to this opening tonight, then you're just off the visual arts radar in the DMV.

Here... HERE!

Beer Art Intervention Project

Anna U. Davis is one of the DMV's hardest working artists. By that I mean that Anna shows a lot of work around the DMV and is a key, active member of the visual arts tapestry that makes the DMV one of the hottest (in spite of the apathy of the press and local museums) visual art scenes on the planet. 

A little like my own hotel art intervention project, Anna has a very cool art beer intervention project going on... she says:

Every time I buy a 6 pack of mixed beers @ S & S liquors @ Takoma Park Metro Station, I will return the cardboard beer carrier to the store with a drawing on it. If you want it, grab it at the store when you buy a mixed 6 pack! Free, oh well you have to pay for the beer! :)

Check them out below... I know that I'm headed there soon to buy some brews - S&S is located at 6925 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20012 and they're gonna start selling a lot of Anna's beer tomorrow and they owe her at least a free six pack once in a while...

 

The Art of Street Portraiture

While traveling in Cuba with National Geographic Expeditions I had the fortunate opportunity to interview a real life ¨fotógrafo minutero¨ that expanded my knowledge on a craft that is used less frequently now a days, but still in Cuba, Argentina and other locations around the world.

The beauty of these fotógrafos minuteros or street portrait photographers, is it’s authentic nature, and it’s ability to develop photos instantly. The liveliness caught with this type of practice, and equipment is something unlike anything else in the photography world used today. It has a raw, yet intimate style all at the same time.

Read  the whole piece (Via) here...

The Lilith and Eve (After The Sin) - detail

The Lilith and Eve (After The Sin)
Charcoal and Conte on Paper. 4x12 inches
Will be at SCOPE New York next month!

DATES & TIMES

• VIP and Press First View, Wednesday, March 6: 3pm – 9pm (By Invitation)

Daily

• Thursday, March 7: 11am - 8pm
• Friday, March 8: 11am - 8pm
• Saturday, March 9: 11am - 8pm
• Sunday, March 10: 11am - 7pm

SCOPE NEW YORK PAVILION
Skylight at Moynihan Station
New York City Main Post Office
312 West 33^rd Street
New York, NY 10001

The Virgin Mary as Superhero

Meet ‘Super Mary’, a pop culture version of her former self, part of a series by French artist, Soasig Chamaillard, who restores and transforms damaged statues, either donated or discovered in garage sales.

Details and lots more versions of this artist's work here. 

By the way, those of us who have been to Artomatic over the years, know that there is an Artomatic artist whose name escapes me now, that several years ago did this idea first (if I recall correctly in more than one Artomatic) where instead of the Virgin's statue, he used statues of The Christ, which he then transformed into a whole array of new versions of Jesus that a few centuries ago would have merited frying at the stake.

If anyone recalls that artist's name, please leave it in the comments!

Spiderman Naked

Spiderman Naked
Charcoal and conte on paper
14 x 8 inches. 2013
Will be part of the "Superheroes" exhibition at SCOPE NY next month. Booth J09.

DATES & TIMES

• VIP and Press First View, Wednesday, March 6: 3pm – 9pm (By Invitation)

Daily

• Thursday, March 7: 11am - 8pm
• Friday, March 8: 11am - 8pm
• Saturday, March 9: 11am - 8pm
• Sunday, March 10: 11am - 7pm

SCOPE NEW YORK PAVILION
Skylight at Moynihan Station
New York City Main Post Office
312 West 33^rd Street
New York, NY 10001

Portlandia mocks postmodernism

Labeling everyday objects as postmodern "art" is dangerous, as the creators of Portlandia demonstrated last week.

Check it out here.

Rousseau reviews

Dr. Claudia Rousseau has a couple of really good reviews in The Gazette (which is owned by the Washington Post) here.

The Wapo, since they own The Gazette, often reprint Gazette articles in the WaPo, but have never re-used an art review, which I find odd, considering that Dr. Rousseau, an award winning writer, is one of the most talented art writers around and already in their employ.

It's a good thing that Mark Jenkins is doing a GREAT job at the WaPo since he took over the freelance arts coverage job from Jessica Dawson, but one would think that once in a while the WaPo would augment the visual arts coverage with a Gazette review here and there.

If you don't get it... you don't get it!

(e)merge back this October

The third edition of (e)merge takes place October 3-6, 2013 at the Rubell Family's Capitol Skyline Hotel, in Washington, DC.

Details here.

Yap, yap, yap

The kid doing what he loves to best and a genetically programmed function on all Homo Cubanesis: exercising his gums at the recent talk at the Edison Gallery on the subject of Artomatic.

Wanna go to an opening tonight?

“Transmission” (meaning light falling through glass) - an exhibition of work by the very talented DMV area artist Nancy Donnelly opens this evening, 7-9 PM. 

There's an artist talk at 8PM.
 

VisArts

Common Ground Gallery.

150 Gibbs St.

Rockville (part of Rockville Center).

There’s a metro stop nearby, and also a big parking garage close by. 

Also a ton of great restaurants and bars in a very pedestrian friendly zone - if you haven't been to the "new" Rockville downtown in a while, prepare to be surprised.

Artists: OUT OF ORDER is coming...

YOU SHOULD DO THIS!

FRIDAY, APRIL 5th, 8PM @ MAP

Maryland Art Place's annual spring benefit, silent auction and party! Out of Order, one of MAP's most celebrated annual events, is right around the corner. Join them to view and bid on works from a wide range of regional artists—from emerging and students artists to established professionals. TICKETS Available for $45 at the door or online through MissionTix.com. SPONSORSHIPS Offered at three levels this year! $250 | $500 | $1,000 Contact Emily Sollenberger for additional information or view the form here. ARTISTS Any artist is welcome to hang one original work in the silent auction exhibition. Installation takes place on a first-come, first-served basis on Tuesday, April 2nd from 7a - midnight. For details, visit mdartplace.org.  I always do this and I always sell my piece! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 5th and stay connected with mdartplace.org for more information & details!

2013 OOO Committee: Morgan Gilligan - Chair, Robbye Apperson, Niki Ballard, Karen Bokram, Liz Wade Cairns, G. Brian Comes, Suzi Cordish, Dawn Gavin, Ted Hart, Chris Janian, Peter Kilpe, Nate Larson, Stacey Murray, Tiffani Norris, Harris Peace, Sam Polakoff, Amy Eva Raehse, Jon Royce, Lucky Thompson, Jessica D'Argenio Waller

Gleason on Charity Auctions

There is a tradition of auctioning original works of art donated by artists to raise money for charitable causes. There are many good causes that hold such events. No matter how good the causes, though, I have come to the conclusion that artists must stop donating to every single one of them.

Don't ever donate your art to a charity auction again. Half a century of charity art auctions have changed the way collectors buy art. These fundraisers have depressed prices of art across the board and kept artists in a subordinate position that has no career upside or benefits.

Read the article in the HuffPost here.