Same on you - Sydney U!

Photograph: Jennifer Yiu/Honi Soit

"Eighteen vulvas. All belong to women of Sydney University, and feature on the cover of Honi Soit, the university's student newspaper. We were told to cover them with ugly black bars before publishing. Why, even after complying with this, were the issues taken off the stands?"

Read the whole article here.

The Art of Political Change at MOCA

“The Art of Political Change” is an invitational show curated by DMV area artist Roy Utley – the show is all about art and politics and has been getting quite a bit of pre-opening attention from the press in this most political of towns.

The show opens on my birthday (Sept. 6) and the Opening Reception is Sept 14th from 6:00 to 10:00. The exhibition runs through September 28 at the legendary MOCA DC gallery in Georgetown, and there’s an open mike political poetry night on Sept 20 from 6:00 to 10:00, followed by a Film screening night on Sept 21 from 6:00 to 10:00 (hosted by Lucy Gebre-Egziabher) and a Closing Party on Sept 27 from 6:00 to 10:00.

The show features distinctive works of social commentary by a diverse group of Washington area artists, including yours truly. They come from all across the artistic landscape – painters, sculptors, poets, filmmakers and more. The dozens of works on display by the artists will connect with the viewer on a personal visual level, as only visual art can, while the live video feeds will enable everyone with internet access to view the events as they happen.

My own exposure to political art is that (in the past) it has been usually (or maybe mostly) the left doing negative artwork about the right. 

And that's cool! 

Political art is seldom "positive" (other than in Nazi Germany, the former USSR, North Korea and Cuba - that's a smiling lot ain't it?).

The Presidency of George W. Bush left behind a huge trail of political art of all genres, all harshly critical (and a lot quite threatening) of the former President. 

Some of it was very smart and intelligent and some of it downright offensive and mean, and c'mon - once you step into the White House, you sort of expect to be the target focus of harsh political criticism.

Some artists, such as Richard Serra’s crayon drawing of an Abu Ghraib prisoner with the caption "STOP BUSH”, employed that time sensitive and horrifying war issue to achieve instant fame, and now the minimalist sculptor is perhaps best known for that rather simplistic and powerful piece, which essentially got him a ticket to a Venice Biennale.

From my experience/exposure, other than a few right wing nuts here and there, anti Presidential political art has been all but AWOL during the Obama presidency, perhaps because the mainstream media has been rather successful in re-calibrating their approach to the President and also in exacting harsh revenge on anyone who dares to deviate from a overly positive depiction of our current President.

Even Shepard Fairey’s embarrassing path to the famous “HOPE” poster art from the historic 2008 campaign (he ripped off the image from DMV area photographer Manny Garcia) was not enough to stop the National Portrait Gallery from acquiring the artwork, in violation of its own rules about acquiring portraits of living persons only if done from the live subject. They also ignored the fact that the image had been ripped off from another artist.

I sent them an email asking for clarification on this issue, and since I never heard back, then I wrote them a letter... still waiting for a response.

In view of the current multiple woes of the administration, ranging from the NSA revelations to the IRS scandal and others, the vast left wing nuttery has begun to turn on the President, and I will be curious to see if Utley’s political show addresses the anti-Presidential venom so common to past political American art, but now with an Obama focus. 

It is clear from Dana Ellyn's always sharp eye and caustic talented brush, that the answer is apparently yes!

“He’s Making a (Kill) List” by Dana Ellyn 

I love this country! See ya there! 

The artists are:

Alicia "Decoy" Cosnahan
Roger Cutler
Gregg Deal
Cheryl Edwards
Dana Ellyn
Ric Garcia
Lucy Gebre-Egziabher
Grayson Heck
Jeannette Herrera
Regina Holliday
Kevin "Jazi" Irvin
Danny Jean-Jacques
Hanna Kebbede
Fareeha Khawaja
Peter Krško
Carolina Mayorga
David R. Quammen
Lisa Dee Schumaier
Matt Sesow
Eric “E-Baby” Smith
Henrik Sundqvist
Roy Utley
Asad "Ultra" Walker

Role of Galleries

Traditionally, we think of the gallery as having the following functions: providing an exhibition space that allows the public to view art; offering the artist and the curator exposure and access to their consumers; and acting as an intermediary between artists and the market, providing artists with the potential to earn an income as a professional. The first two functions, which connect cultural producers with their audiences, can be executed much more efficiently on the Internet. Artists have the ability to create vast social networks online, promote themselves and their artworks, and use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr to share images themselves. Further, while galleries restrict how, when, and where their represented artists show their work to keep demand high, the attention economy rewards artists who produce and share frequently, encouraging artists to be productive and prolific. The Internet allows the artist more autonomy, more agency over the dispersion and reception of their work. Artists can be more effectual than the gallery in cultivating attention and connecting with their audiences. Yet the gallery continues to have the upper hand in connoting value within the art market, and the white cube continues to be the quintessential marker of art-world status.

Read the whole article in The New Inquiry here.

New Life on the Fair Circuit

Dealers worldwide earned about 36 percent of their sales on average through local or international art fairs in 2012, an increase of 6 percentage points from 2010, according to the European Fine Art Foundation’s Art Market Report by Arts Economics, which surveyed 6,000 dealers. 

For some, the share is even higher: according to Mr. VeneKlasen, 75 percent of his sales 10 years ago were made in his galleries, but now nearly two-thirds of revenues are earned on the road. 

Read the whole article in the NYT here. DC's own art fair -- (e)merge -- opens next month.

50% off!

Click here for a 50% off coupon off anything tomorrow at AC Moore!

Go buy a nice frame or a really BIG canvas!

Opportunity for Artists

DEADLINE: September 16, 2013

The Corcoran is pleased to announce a call for artworks benefiting the Human Rights Campaign at the 17th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, October 5, 2013. 

This dinner brings together more than 3,000 HRC members, friends, family, and allies for an evening of celebration and inspiration and attracts the nation's top figures in entertainment and politics.
Work submitted must be wrapped and installation-ready and delivered to HRC. Each work will be labeled with the artist's name, work title, media, and price, and will be exhibited in a designated Corcoran Gallery auction area, as well as featured on the HRC auction website and in the digital auction program. 
DEADLINE: September 16, 2013
WORK DROP-OFF: August 9-September 16, 9AM-6PM
UNSOLD WORK PICK-UP: October 14-18, 2013 9AM-6PM
    
Click here to register online.

Email connect@corcoran.org for additional information.

Dali quotes redux...

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing

Salvador Dali

Dali quotes...

Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.

Salvador Dali

Interview with Jessica Naresh

This week, the WPA spoke with Jessica Naresh, Art Consultant with The Art Registry and WPA Board Member, about art advisors, their relationships with artists, and their potential to advance an artists career. 

Washington Project for the Arts: Thanks for speaking with us today. So, what role do art advisors play in the art world, exactly? What do you do?

Jessica Naresh: It depends on the client’s needs – art advisors can play a large or small role in the acquisition of artwork. Often a collector doesn’t have the time to devote to studying the market of an artist, or to research the myriad options available when beginning to collect art. An advisor can help guide their search and seek out things that they may not have known about. Depending on the client’s knowledge base, the advisor can help educate the client so that they can make an informed decision. Through The Art Registry, I work with clients to find suitable pieces for their home or corporate collections. Often my clients don’t have time to go to galleries or artist studios on the weekends, so I do that for them and then bring a selection of work back to their space so they can see it in its intended location.

WPA: Does an art advisor act like an agent for artists?

Naresh: I wouldn’t say that advisors are like agents because ultimately the advisor’s goal is to find what is right for their client. I think galleries function more as agents for artists. That said, advisors can be another avenue through which artists can gain exposure for their work.

WPA: Why would an artist seek a relationship with an advisor? How can artists benefit from contacting advisors?

Naresh: Because advisors can have access to buyers who don’t visit traditional art venues and would not otherwise encounter your work. Basically, it is another avenue for your work to be seen, and ideally purchased, by more people. If an artist doesn’t have gallery representation an advisor can be especially helpful in getting your work in front of interested buyers. And if you do have gallery representation, it will still provide you the same benefits.

WPA: What are some ways that artists can broaden their potential for sales, or broaden their audience and collector base?

Naresh: Maintain a website that you keep up to date with new work. Join organizations like WPA that have active member exhibitions and programs as well as an online area for you to have images of your work. I’m always looking for new-to-me artists. Even if I don’t have a project that is right for their work at the moment, I hang onto the info in case a future need arises.

WPA: Is the market challenging? How has the economy impacted your industry?

Naresh: Over the past 5-7 years there have definitely been market fluctuations. DC is somewhat insulated from the extremes of this fluctuation, but it feels to me like things are currently on an upswing. There used to be big budgets with corporate clients, and that totally fell off in 2007 – 2008. But there has been a shift in the last 2 years and we have seen a return of some corporate clients, not to what it was, but it is encouraging nonetheless.

WPA: What do art advisors not do? What are some limitations or misconceptions about the profession?

Naresh: Not all art advisors promote your work to the greater public. The Art Registry is a bit unique in this area because we do host events a couple of times a year, which often include a pop-up exhibition. We have found that our clients enjoy coming out to these events, and it also give us the opportunity to work with artists who are new to us. But an advisor’s main goal is to serve their clients. Part of this includes maintaining good relationships with artists and staying current on the art market, so that they are able to locate the right piece for the right buyer.

To become a WPA member click here. For more information on WPA and resources for artist members, contact WPA Membership Manager Christopher Cunetto at ccunetto@wpadc.org or by calling 202.234.7103 x 2.

Art Romp This Friday!

Opening Reception Friday, August 23 from 5 -9 PM

Where:  Anacostia Arts Center
1231 Good Hope Rd. SE
Washington, DC
anacostiaartscenter.com

Anacostia Arts Center is excited to welcome "Art Romp Anacostia," curated by the legendary DMV area curator Molly Ruppert! 

The show features over 50 artists from all sides of the river. The event is FREE and open to the public! Opening Night is Friday, August 23 from 5-9pm. The show begins the following day, August 24th, and runs until September 15th. During this time the center will be open Tuesday-Friday from 11am-5pm and on Saturdays from 12pm-6pm.

Notorious for its lively, eclectic and tremendous shows featuring all forms of artistic expression, back for the first time since 2007, renowned curator Molly Ruppert and Anacostia Arts Center are bringing Art Romp east! 

You can be that the Anacostia Arts Center will buzz with the work of more than 50 local artists from every side of the river. And no medium will be spared. Art Romp Anacostia will exhibit the work of numerous photographers, painters, sculptors, performers, among countless more. The opening will include live music, performances, and a cash bar.

Our America

"Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" - Opens at Smithsonian American Art Museum Oct. 25

"Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's pioneering collection of Latino art. It explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.

The exhibition presents works in all media by 72 leading modern and contemporary artists. Of the 92 artworks featured in the exhibition, 63 have been acquired by the museum since 2011, representing its deep and continuing commitment to collecting Latino art. "Our America" will be on view from Oct. 25 through March 2, 2014. Following its presentation in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to six cities across the United States. The exhibition is organized by E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

"The exhibition 'Our America' is the culmination of a major collecting initiative, still underway at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, to build a significant collection of Latino art in the nation's capital," said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. "It is particularly exciting to debut so many artworks newly acquired for the museum's permanent collection."

The exhibition includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture and scenes of everyday life. Latino artists across the United States were galvanized by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. They created new images of their communities and examined bicultural experiences. Many critically probed American history and popular culture, revealing the possibilities and tensions of expansionism, migration and settlement. Other Latino artists in the exhibition devoted themselves to experimentation, pushing the limits of their chosen medium. "Our America" presents a picture of an evolving national culture that challenges expectations of what is meant by "American" and "Latino."

DNA results are in...

My Genome Project DNA final results are in... 



As noted previously, I'm 2% Neanderthal and 1% Denisovan ... The rest: 50% Mediterranean, 32% Northern European, 12% Southwest Asian and 3% Native American... The last one was a surprise!


For comparison Greeks are 54% Mediterranean, 28% Northern European and 17% Southwest Asian and Germans are 36% Mediterranean, 46% Northern European and 17% Southwest Asian, while Spaniards are 48% Mediterranean, 37% Northern European and 13% Southwest Asian.

At the Montgomery County Fair

Nothing, absolutely nothing like a good ole County Fair...

Studio Space in Bethesda!

The Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District are opening Studio B located at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.  

Studio B will feature three artist studio work spaces available to artists who reside in Maryland, Washington, D.C. or Virginia.  Studios will be available for occupancy beginning in late fall 2013.

Deadline to apply is Sept. 27, 2013.  Click here to apply.

Studios Feature:

•         24-hour access
•         Wireless internet
•         Additional common wall space and storefront for artistic display
•         Marketing by Bethesda Urban Partnership including web page dedicated to Studio B artists, postcard, social media outreach and more to promote Studio B artists and sales of their artwork.

For more information on rent and eligibility requirements, click here.

Questions?  Please send an email to artist@bethesda.org.

Wanna be in the (e)merge art fair?

Deadline: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 5pm

Washington Project for the Arts is pleased to announce a call for 8” x 8” works on paper by WPA Member Artists to be on view and for sale in WPA’s room during the (e)merge art fair. 

All current WPA members are invited to submit one 8” x 8” work on paper. Work submitted MUST be 8” x  8” and must be delivered without a mat or frame. If a member artist wishes to submit a work that is smaller than 8” x 8”, it must be submitted mounted to an 8” x 8” sheet of paper. WORK THAT IS LARGER THAN 8” X 8” WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

Check out the usual great opportunity by the WPA here.

Fraser Gallery returns...

For at least one show that is...

The Bethesda Urban Partnership’s October exhibition will feature the return of the Fraser Gallery, which operated in Bethesda for nine years.

The exhibition, “Cityscapes,” will include work from David FeBland, Beata Drozd, Ben Ferry and Gavin Glakas on display from Oct. 2 to Nov. 3 at Gallery B (7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E).

The Bethesda Urban Partnership opened the space after photographer and curator Catriona Fraser closed her gallery there in 2011.

Details here.

Wanna be in SCOPE Miami 2013?

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin and Russell & Danny Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic are working together again to host the 2013 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series.

This is an incredible opportunity for emerging artists from across the country to showcase their imaginative works of art.

They want to make sure that every artist has a chance to participate, but only a select few will be chosen to show their work at SCOPE Miami Beach 2013.

And best of all: There's no entry fee! Follow the link below to submit your artwork, but make sure that you read the official rules carefully...

Submit your artwork

Opportunity for Photographers

DEADLINE: Application must be received by August 30, by 5pm. Mail in, drop off at Honfleur Gallery or use Dropbox.com.

Honfleur Gallery and Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP -- Call to Photographers

Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP is partnering with Honfleur Gallery to curate a unique art exhibition in their downtown DC office space. The link to full application is here.

ELIGIBILITY: Photographers who currently live in DC, VA, MD. All levels of photographers are eligible to apply. Photographers who have limited exhibition experience are especially encouraged to apply.

CALL & EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Notification: by September 6, 2013

Drop off: October 3, 4, 5 at Honfleur Gallery during business hours

Pick up: October 31, November 1,2 at Honfleur Gallery during business hours

EXHIBITION: The exhibition will be on display at the offices of Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, LLP, 1200 19th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC from October 16  to 25, with a private reception on Wednesday, October 16. Clients and affiliates of Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice will be invited to the reception. Selected artists will be invited to bring a few guests to the reception.

SALES: Artists will receive a 100 percent commission on any sales that take place during the duration of the exhibition.

Next month at Waverly Street

Text/Message - Ceramic Vessels and Wall Pieces by Kanika Sircar and New Work by Waverly Street Gallery Artists

September 10- October 5, 2013

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 12 - 6PM

Reception: Friday, September 13, 6-9PM

Meet the Artist: Saturdays at 3PM   

Kanika Sircar's work focuses on the aesthetic and visual impact of writing. Her imagery is based upon words, texts, calligraphy or graffiti layered onto forms that allude to the contexts of such images: envelopes, manuscript pages or murals.

Spare and elegant, the vessels and wall pieces in this exhibit have complex surfaces, stained with slips and marked with carving tools, pencils and iron oxide prints, expressing messages of thought and intention that may be comprehended, misinterpreted or partially perceived. The inscriptions and letters are often fragmentary and indecipherable, palimpsests of color, shape and meaning attacked by time.

Kanika Sircar lives and works in the Washington, DC area. Currently a partner at the Waverly Street Gallery, she has exhibited nationally and internationally.  

Artist's website: kanikasircar.wordpress.com

For further information, contact: kanikas@starpower.net or (202)-686-1401

waverlystreetgallery.com

Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE

40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE
September 12 – November 2, 2013
Opening Reception September 12, 6-9pm, free and open to the public 

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is pleased to present 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE, from September 12 through November 2, 2013. A retrospective exhibition marking GRACE’s 40th anniversary, 40 for 40 celebrates the organization’s continuous engagement with contemporary art in the metro D.C. area since its founding in 1974. The show will feature a selection of forty artists who have exhibited at GRACE, or have been closely involved with the organization, over the course of the past four decades. 

Launching the 2013-14 exhibition season and the Greater Reston Arts Center’s 40th year of operations, 40 for 40 will feature works in a broad range of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, glass, and ceramics, the exhibition will celebrate the variety and quality of work that has been exhibited at GRACE since its inception. 

Speaking about the exhibition, Curator of Exhibitions Holly Koons McCullough said, “This show highlights the impact the Greater Reston Arts Center has had within the regional artistic community. Some of the artists on view in 40 for 40 literally founded the institution. Others had exhibitions here that would become important milestones in their careers. Still others exhibited works that have come to define GRACE’s unreserved embrace of contemporary art in this region, in all its diversity and vigor.” 

40 for 40 will present works by some of the pioneers of the institution, including Brenda Belfield, Judith Forst, Joan Kelly, and Connie Slack. These artists held positions on GRACE’s staff and board, and helped to develop the organization’s overarching mission of engaging and educating the community in contemporary visual art. 

Other works on view reflect GRACE’s more recent exhibition history, such as a luminous Mylar sculpture by Rebecca Kamen, a site-specific ceramic installation by Elizabeth Kendall, and cerebral wood-based sculptures by Foon Sham and Evan Reed. Together with works by the other noted contemporary artists featured in 40 for 40, these pieces reflect the broad-minded, progressive nature of GRACE’s exhibitions, particularly since the institution relocated to its current site in Reston Town Center in 2006.

“We are thrilled to be able to highlight the rich and vibrant history of the Greater Reston Arts Center,” notes Executive Director Damian Sinclair. “For over forty years the work of this organization has been central to the cultural growth in our region and we look forward to being a leader of the artistic community in the next forty years.” 

Most of the works in the exhibition are available for sale, and many of the artists are donating 50% of sale proceeds back to GRACE in recognition of the organization’s anniversary and in support of its future. 

Artists Represented in 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE 

John Adams, Ann Barbieri, Joanne Bauer, Brenda Belfield, Ed Bisese, F. Lennox Campello, Michael Cantwell, Dickson Carroll, Travis Childers, Ellen Cornett, Laura Edwards, Elissa Farrow-Savos, Judith Forst, Heidi Fowler, Suzi Fox, Rik Freeman, Rebecca Kamen, Joan Kelly, Elizabeth Kendall, J.T. Kirkland, Craig Kraft, Robert Lobe, Dalya Luttwak, Carolina Mayorga, David Meyer, Marco Rando, Matt Ravenstahl, Evan Reed, Pam Rogers, Dana Ann Scheurer, Eveleen Severn-Sass, Foon Sham, Connie Slack, Robert Straight, Tim Tate, Novie Trump, Shinji Turner-Yamamoto, Mary LaRue Wells, Millicent Young, and Andrew Zimmerman.

Public Programs:
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 12, 6-9pm. Free and open to the public.
40th Anniversary Family Day
40 for 40 public celebration and family day
Sunday, September 5, 2-5pm. Free and open to public.