Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Channeling Jackson Pollock

As I noted earlier, recently I was approached by the chief curator for an outfit that is hired by firms all over the world to acquire artwork for their spaces. In this case this curator was acquiring art to include in the collection of a brand new luxury liner currently being built.

She wanted me to submit a proposal that fit a particular theme for one of the decks of the ship. I struggled with an idea that has been growing little by little in my brilliant mind... cough, cough. 

Here's the proposal that I sent them:

In response to the request for an art proposal for _____________’s collection for the ship’s third deck along the theme “_______________” I hereby submit the following proposal. It should be noted that the concept is adaptable since it will be created specifically for this project.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors.” This work would be a mixed media piece with three embedded video components. The painting part of the work is a large, colorful drip painting done in the style of Jackson Pollock. Embedded in the piece are three video windows, which start as “part” of the painting (in other words, the video starts as a drip painting window as well, and at first sight it is just a continuation of the painting). After five seconds of the video windows being part of a Pollock-style painting, they all fade into three individual videos of (1) rock, (2) paper and (3) scissors. In all three cases the video will be customized to show a falling object (i.e. a rock, or a sheet of paper, or the scissors) falling in slow motion and bouncing on a hard surface. The video loops and starts all over again. The size of the piece is adaptable to the space, but will be framed under glass and requires access to electricity. The largest dimension that it can be is 40x60 inches.

A variation to this approach could be a Piet Mondrian approach, where one, two or three of a Piet Mondrian-style painting’s squares shift colors, thus forever showcasing an ever changing work. This can also be approached in the same “Rock, Paper, Scissors” playful idea discussed above; that is, three of the painting’s windows shift to videos of rock, paper, scissors.

Installation of this work requires access to US electric wall outlet standards, which all ships generally have. The electrical cord and connection will require an electrician to hard-wire the piece behind the wall, or it can also be channeled on the wall itself to the nearest electric outlet. The work comes with a remote control, which allows the piece to be turned off and on as desired.

The artwork and framing can all be done within the budget assigned for this project ($______ USD), and installation would be the responsibility of ________.

I am honored to be considered for this project. Please feel free to contact me at my cell (301/_______) or via email (lenny@lennycampello.com) if there are any questions.
After I submitted this proposal I decided to see if I could create a variant on the idea for the Miami art fairs... I will be at the CONTEXT Art Miami (within Art Miami) fair in Wynwood in booth E-82. In the variant, I've created a large painting in the style of Jackson Pollock, with a window in the middle where a video plays and shows that part of the painting (where the window has been cut) as it is being created... below is the video itself.


Below is the piece drying inside my studio in between layers of paints... note the window in the center...




And here is the work, still with the cut out window in place, but now with all the Pollockian layers of paint...


And below you can see several images of the finished piece with various parts of the video playing where the painting develops... some shot inside studio and one outside in bright sunhine... but behold "Channeling Jackson Pollock"


Channeling Jackson Pollock  Oil and embedded video on Gessoed Paper. 2013. 30x60 inches.
Channeling Jackson Pollock
Oil and embedded video on Gessoed Paper. 2013. 30x60 inches.


Channeling Jackson Pollock  Oil and embedded video on Gessoed Paper. 2013. 30x60 inches.






Grant for Latino/a artists

DEADLINE: 2/6/2014


The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) is a national grant program open to US-based Latino working artists, ensembles and Latino arts organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence in pursuit of social justice through the arts. To date, the NFA has awarded over one million dollars to a diverse range of artists and organizations representing every discipline and region of the country. Applying to the NFA is a benefit of NALAC Membership.

Details here.

Monday, November 25, 2013

New Executive Director at GRACE

The Board of Directors for the Greater Reston Arts Center today announced the appointment of Holly Koons McCullough as the Center's Executive Director. Ms. McCullough, who currently serves as the Center's Curator, will keep that responsibility as well. 

Holly Koons McCullough - Executive Director and Curator for the Greater Reston Arts Center
The Board praised Ms. McCullough as uniquely positioned to not only manage the institution and envision its future as part of the "Destination Reston" proposition with the coming of Metrorail, but someone who can articulate and model that vision in ways that are essential for fundraising. 

"My goal is to lead GRACE to a position of growth and prosperity, allowing the organization to better serve its mission to enrich community life by promoting involvement and excellence in the visual arts," Ms. McCullough said. "I intend to bring in exhibitions that inspire and educate, in addition to promoting Reston as a cultural destination. I also hope to expand the reach of our educational programming that currently serves over 20,000 students in more than 40 schools regionally, and take our highly-anticipated annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival to an even higher level of quality and success." 

Ms. McCullough has a 17-year career devoted exclusively to the visual arts. She served as the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, in the 15 years prior to her appointment as the Center's Curator. She managed the Telfair's prestigious permanent collection and twelve to sixteen changing exhibitions annually, was responsible for an extensive curatorial budget and staff of six, and pursued grants and fundraising in support of exhibitions, collections, and acquisitions. 

Moving to the Center in 2012 she inherited an exhibition program largely structured through 2013, but has infused it with her personal choices. She has scheduled upcoming exhibitions featuring nationally-recognized artists and has proposed collaborative installations beyond the gallery’s walls, cultivating a greater awareness of the Center and its mission. As Curator she has gained an understanding of the Center’s operations and built positive relationships with staff, Board Members, and partner organizations. 

Ms. McCullough holds a B.A. in English and Art History from the University of Georgia and an MA in Art History from the University of Notre Dame. She will assume the Executive Director role January 1. 

"The Center is a special place, and with the coming of Metrorail we are uniquely poised for growth," said Ms. McCullough. "I am delighted to be working with such a talented staff and engaged Board of Directors to launch the next chapter in the organization's development."

Sunday, November 24, 2013

50% off coupon

And with your teacher ID you get an extra 10% off! Now go get some art supplies and create something!

Click here. Coupon good today through Wednesday only.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Karyn Miller is new director of exhibitions at AAC

Arlington Arts Center announced yesterday that Karyn Miller has joined the organization as the new director of exhibitions. In this role Miller will be responsible for conceiving and delivering a year-round exhibition schedule including public programs for three distinct exhibitions programs.

This addition to AAC's staff coincides with the organization's upcoming 40th anniversary exhibition slated to open January 2014. Miller's arrival at AAC will be heralded by this show designed to celebrate mentorship and emphasize AAC's contribution to the careers of local artists.
 
"Arlington Arts Center has prime space for exhibitions. I'm eager to leverage my relationships and knowledge of regional artists, work with them to transform the space, and to create dynamic programs that stimulate and engage audiences," Miller commented.

For more than six years Miller headed the visual arts and communications at CulturalDC where she directed the artist recruitment and selection at Flashpoint Gallery while leading exhibition efforts for public projects like Construct and CONNECT 4. Prior to this she served as gallery director for five years at Connersmith giving her more than 11 years of experience in her field.

With her knowledge of emerging arts, Miller is a perfect fit for AAC's mission which supports regional artists in the early stages of their careers. Her experience curating exhibitions coupled with her long history in DC's contemporary arts scene is a significant addition to the programming at AAC. 

"This is a great gain for AAC, because I know she'll bring energy, ideas and momentum to our exhibitions program," commented AAC Executive Director Stefanie Fedor. 

Along with her work in the arts, Miller has also served on panels and given talks at various institutions including the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Corcoran College of Art + Design, and will be serving as an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University this spring.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Wanna find a place to draw?

Looking for a chance to hone your figure drawing skills? Del Ray Artisans offers a range of open life drawing sessions for just this purpose. These sessions operate on a drop-in basis so there is no need to register in advance. Bring your supplies and join them at the gallery to draw or paint their live models. They don't supply easels - only plenty of chairs - but you are welcome to bring your own if you want to use one. All skill levels are welcome.

Gesture Sessions (two hours)
Come to the gesture sessions to loosen up and participate in a fun, fast-paced drawing experience. These two-hour sessions are composed primarily of multiple series of dynamic 1-5 minute poses. Occasionally they throw in a continuous motion drawing exercise to keep things interesting.

Short Pose Sessions (two hours)
Short pose sessions predominantly feature poses lasting 5-15 minutes. These sessions are a wonderful way to get in lots of drawing practice with a wide variety of poses.

Short/Long Pose Sessions (three hours)
The three-hour short/long pose sessions start with some short 1-5 minute warm-up poses and progressively move into longer poses lasting 10-45 minutes. These sessions provide a great opportunity to hone your drawing and observation skills.

Long Pose Sessions (three hours)
If you want to spend an extended amount of time on a pose, come to their long pose sessions. These sessions are generally be composed of two long poses with perhaps a few warm-ups at the start. Please no acrylics or oils; but pastels, watercolor and ink are welcome.

The fee for each three-hour session is $10 for Del Ray Artisans members and $12 for non-members. Two-hour sessions are $8 for members and $10 for non-members.

 
For session dates and times, visit their online calendar at calendar.TheDelRayArtisans.org. If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Rand at 703-836-1468 or LifeDrawing@TheDelRayArtisans.org.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

41st Annual Faculty Exhibition at Montgomery College’s King Street Gallery


Montgomery College’s Department of Visual Arts and Design presents In Balancethe 41stAnnual Faculty Exhibition in the King Street Gallery. The exhibit opens December 5th with a reception from 6–8 p.m. This exhibitionfeatures the artwork of faculty and staff in the Department of Visual Arts and Design at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus of Montgomery College.
The prolific faculty and staff of Montgomery College’s Visual Arts and Design Department exhibit recent work in this annual exhibition. The show includes well-known local artists J. J. McCracken, Cory Oberndorfer, Jeremy Flick, and Ellington Robinson, as well as other emerging and established artists.
Representing varied interests and backgrounds, the 41st Annual Faculty Exhibition explores a range of media, including painting, printmaking, photography, installation, and performance. Exhibiting artistsinvestigate diverse themes, from personal memories to global environmental issues.
The 41st Annual Faculty Exhibition runs December 5, 2013January 30, 2014 at the King Street Gallery. reception will take placeThursday, December 5 from 6–8 p.m. The event will be held at theMorris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, where the gallery is located. For more information, visit http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/exhibitions/. Free and open to the public.
About The King Street Gallery:

The King Street Gallery’s exhibitions serve as a compliment to the academic programs of the Department of Visual Arts and Design, while also bringing art to the community. As part of the Silver Spring arts community, exhibitions focus on current pieces by working artists. The gallery is on the ground floor of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center on the west side of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. The center is located off of Georgia Avenue at 930 King Street. Parking is available in the West Campus Garage, which is located immediately behind the center.

Contact: Megan Van Wagoner, 240-567-5803megan.vanwagoner@montgomerycollege.edu


Gallery Address: The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center

930 King Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Monday, November 18, 2013

Opportunity for Virginia Artists

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!
VIRGINIA ARTISTS, the opportunity to make new waves in your art career is closing. The New Waves 2014 deadline is midnight December 1, 2013 - just two weeks away! If accepted, your work will be displayed co-currently with the Vik Muniz: Poetics of Perception exhibition, juried by Charles Moffett of Sotheby's AND you could win up to $2,000!
New Waves 2014 will celebrate its 19th year showcasing the Commonwealth's vast array of artistic talent, diversity of materials and approaches in contemporary art. The exhibition will run from January 31-April 27, 2014 co-currently with the Vik Muniz: Poetics of Perception exhibition.

Last year over 185 artists from across Virginia submitted work of which 33 were selected to show. Shaun Whiteside was awarded New Waves 2013 'Best in Show' for his Rise painting along with a cash prize. Past exhibiting New Waves artists have also been selected for solo shows at MOCA's new Satellite Gallery at Towne Pavilion II.
  
Charles Moffett of Sotheby's will be this year's honorary juror. Charles is presently the Head of the Afternoon Sale in the Contemporary Art Department at Sotheby's maintaining key client relationships throughout North America and Europe, securing consignments for auction, as well as private sales.
 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Gallery space available...


Gallery Space Available
 
The Anacostia Arts Center has galleries available for short-term and long-term rentals in Historic Anacostia. Daily, weekly, and monthly terms available, starting at $125/day or $1,200/month. We are open to innovative ideas and arrangements. Email Kate (kdavis@archdc.org) for more information.

Getting ready for Miami...

Working overtime trying to get ready for the Context Art Miami fair next month in Miami. I'd like to finish two more pieces before the shipment leaves. If anybody wants some free tickets - and these are good as they you in to not only Context, but also Art Miami and Aqua.


Friday, November 15, 2013

A new idea and a new series begin

Recently I was approached by the chief curator for an outfit that is hired by firms all over the world to acquire artwork for their spaces. In this case this curator was acquiring art to include in the collection of a brand new luxury liner currently being built.

She wanted me to submit a proposal that fit a particular theme for one of the decks of the ship. I struggled with an idea that has been growing little by little in my brilliant mind... cough, cough. 

Here's the proposal:

In response to the request for an art proposal for _____________’s collection for the ship’s third deck along the theme “_______________” I hereby submit the following proposal. It should be noted that the concept is adaptable since it will be created specifically for this project.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors.” This work would be a mixed media piece with three embedded video components. The painting part of the work is a large, colorful drip painting done in the style of Jackson Pollock. Embedded in the piece are three video windows, which start as “part” of the painting (in other words, the video starts as a drip painting window as well, and at first sight it is just a continuation of the painting). After five seconds of the video windows being part of a Pollock-style painting, they all fade into three individual videos of (1) rock, (2) paper and (3) scissors. In all three cases the video will be customized to show a falling object (i.e. a rock, or a sheet of paper, or the scissors) falling in slow motion and bouncing on a hard surface. The video loops and starts all over again. The size of the piece is adaptable to the space, but will be framed under glass and requires access to electricity. The largest dimension that it can be is 40x60 inches.

A variation to this approach could be a Piet Mondrian approach, where one, two or three of a Piet Mondrian-style painting’s squares shift colors, thus forever showcasing an ever changing work. This can also be approached in the same “Rock, Paper, Scissors” playful idea discussed above; that is, three of the painting’s windows shift to videos of rock, paper, scissors.

Installation of this work requires access to US electric wall outlet standards, which all ships generally have. The electrical cord and connection will require an electrician to hard-wire the piece behind the wall, or it can also be channeled on the wall itself to the nearest electric outlet. The work comes with a remote control, which allows the piece to be turned off and on as desired.

The artwork and framing can all be done within the budget assigned for this project ($______ USD), and installation would be the responsibility of ________.

I am honored to be considered for this project. Please feel free to contact me at my cell (301/_______) or via email (lenny@lennycampello.com) if there are any questions.
After I submitted this proposal I decided to see if I could create a variant on the idea for the Miami art fairs... I will be at the CONTEXT Art Miami (within Art Miami) fair in Wynwood in booth E-82. In the variant, I've created a large painting in the style of Jackson Pollock, with a window in the middle where a video plays and shows that part of the painting (where the window has been cut) as it is being created... below is the video itself (still being edited).

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Nude art censored

Just in case you thought this only happens in post-1800s American public art:
A GROUP of Bundaberg artists are out to show that art cannot be censored in the region by announcing plans to hold a nude-only art exhibition.
The move comes after vision-impaired artist Dennis Mealor's naked photograph of a mature-aged woman, titled Viva Italia, was suddenly withdrawn from the Bundaberg Arts Festival without an explanation last month.
Jacky Poulter, and about seven other volunteers with the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery (BRAG), will hold "Just Nudes" at the Dirty Linen Artspace next March.
The group is calling itself the BRAG Traders, and has created the independent exhibition because of the expulsion of Mr. Mealor's artwork from the 2013 festival.
Details  here...

And (Oh yeah...) Bundaberg Arts Festival: You suck! The winners of the 2013 festival are here, and "Placoderm" by John Olson actually rocks!

PS - Anybody knows what "acquisitive" means? Cough, cough...

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Kessler & Weiblinger at BlackRock

Up Close and Personal: Opening Reception

Main Gallery | Thursday, Nov 21, 2013 | 5:30 PM | $ Free

Up Close and Personal: Opening Reception
Artists: Glen Kessler (painter) and Richard Weiblinger (photographer)
A modern perspective through the eyes of a photographer and a painter
Exhibit: November 13 –December 20, 2013.

These two hardworking artists are great examples of DMV artists who work hard at exhibiting their work and don't waste time complaining about lack of exhibition opportunities... go check them out! 

Details here.

Ahhh...

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thank you to all veterans!

Thank you!

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David Danals
To all US veterans, both those who have served and those who are serving in all corners of the planet while we're home with our families. A well-deserved thank you to all the soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, Marines and Coasties.

Below is Petty Officer Third Class Lenny Campello back in 1975 while stationed aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) in Mayport, Florida.

Lenny Campello, USN
And then Lieutenant Commander Lenny Campello back in 1992 while assigned as the Executive Officer (XO) of NSGA Skaggs Island, California.

LCDR Lenny Campello, USN

Sunday, November 10, 2013

ABMB Art Fair Guide

In less than a month, the Miami metro area will be the site of numerous contemporary art fairs and art events including Art Miami, CONTEXT, Art Basel Miami Beach, Pulse Miami, and many more.  Art-Collecting.com takes an in-depth look at all the festivities in their free 2013 Miami and Miami Beach Art Fair Guide.

We will be at CONTEXT (within Art Miami) in booth E82.

Saturday, November 09, 2013

World's tallest statue

Opposition leader Narendra Modi launched the construction of the world's tallest statue on Thursday, a $338 million project in honour of one of the country's founding fathers, that he is using to undermine the ruling Nehru-Gandhi political family.
Read the story here 

Thursday, November 07, 2013

From my collection: Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins, Pubic Hair, Photograph, circa 2005
Mark Jenkins is now one of the world's best known and most widely traveled street artists. This very cool photo by Jenkins was part of his 2005 solo show at Georgetown's iconic Fraser Gallery. You can see his work here.