Tuesday, February 02, 2016

VFMA Fellowship winners announced

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Fellowship Program continues its 76-year tradition supporting Virginia’s art community by giving grants to students and professional artists. With this year’s awards, fellowship grants will reach nearly $5.5 million with more than 1,275 awards to Virginia artists since the program’s inception in 1940. VMFA awarded 27 fellowships to Virginia art students and professional artists in 2016-17 for a total of $162,000.


“None of this would be possible without the generous endowment established by the late John Lee Pratt and all the supporters of this mission-based objective throughout the past 76 years.” Director Alex Nyerges said. “The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Fellowship Program is committed to about nurturing artists throughout the Commonwealth.”
  
Twelve professional fellowships, each worth $8,000, were awarded. The recipients are (in alphabetical order by hometown): Moaz Elemam, film/video, Alexandria; Tyrone Turner, photography, Arlington; Lee Anne Chambers, painting, Courtland; Kristin Skees, mixed media, Hampton; Matthew Parker, drawing, Portsmouth; Cynthia Henebry, photography, Richmond; Valerie Molnar, mixed media (collab. with Matt Spahr), Richmond; Matt Spahr, mixed media (collab. with Valerie Molnar), Richmond; Stephen Vitiello, new/emerging media, Richmond; Jack Wax, crafts, Richmond; Paul Ryan, painting, Staunton; Martha Jones, painting, Williamsburg; Charlie Brouwer, sculpture, Willis.   


The juror for the professional awards was  Valerie Cassel Oliver, senior curator at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston.


Four graduate students won awards worth $6,000 each. They are: Paul Norton, film/video, Arlington; Kathryn Mayes, photography, Mechanicsville; Corey Piper, art history, Richmond; Abbesi Akhamie, film/video, Woodbridge. 


Ten undergraduate students won awards worth $4,000 each. They are: Natalie Abernethy, new/emerging media, Ashburn; Isabel Lee, sculpture, Charlottesville; Donald Boose, new/emerging media, Falls Church; Madeleine Hardy, painting, Falls Church; Emily White, photography, Fork Union; James Heyes, new/emerging media, Newport News; Cassie Williamson, mixed media, Powhatan; John DiJulio, photography, Richmond; Monica Escamilla, photography, Richmond; Kyle Falzone, mixed media, Richmond.
  
In addition, undergraduate student Rachel McGovern, crafts, of McLean was awarded a fellowship worth $2,000 for her final semester.


The juror for the undergraduate and graduate awards was Amy Moorefield, museum deputy director of exhibitions at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Va.


Of this year’s winners, seven artists have received fellowships in the past:
Jack Wax – 2007 Professional fellowship winner
Valerie Molnar – 2007 Graduate fellowship winner
Stephen Vitiello – 2010 Professional fellowship winner
Martha Jones – 2011 Professional fellowship winner
Paul Ryan – 2010 Professional fellowship winner
Corey Piper – two-time art history winner

Paul Norton – 2014 Professional fellowship winner



The fellowship funds come from a privately-endowed fund administered by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Fellowship Program was established in 1940 through a generous contribution made by the late John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg (the husband of Lillian Pratt, donor of the museum’s Fabergé collection). Offered through the VMFA Art and Education Division, fellowships are still largely funded through the Pratt endowment and supplemented by gifts from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation and the J. Warwick McClintic Jr. Scholarship Fund.

Benjamin Abramowitz


Benjamin Abramowitz passed away on November 21, 2011 at age 94 and left a profoundly important legacy of more than 75 years of work.

Lots of information on his life and his more than 7,000 pieces of artwork at www.benjaminabramowitz.com

Monday, February 01, 2016

Trekkies Needed for USS Enterprise Restoration Project

The National Air and Space Museum is looking for Star Trek fans to pass them pre-1976 images or film of the original studio model of USS Enterprise.


Nerds an find more details here, but essentially Trekkies are being encouraged to submit firsthand, original images, or film of the ship under construction, during filming, or on public display at any time before 1976.


For more information about submitting material, contact StarshipEnterprise@si.edu


Live Long and Prosper.

Wanna go draw?

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) hosts a drop-in “Working from the Figure” session on Fridays, February 5, 2016 and February 19, 2016 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at CHAW, 545 7th Street, SE.

Work on drawings or paintings in front of a live model in a session without formal instruction, facilitated by artist Will Fleishell. Please bring your own drawing materials. Easels are available. The session is $15 for drop-in students. For more information, visit www.chaw.org or call (202) 547-6839.

Sunday, January 31, 2016

RIP David Quammen

David Quammen passed away yesterday... Some eloquent words about this fixture of the DMV art scene by DMV art critic and artist Kevin Mellema, and at the bottom a painting of Quammen by DMV uber artist Erik Sandberg.
RIP ... We lost Dave today... Folks outside the DC arts community won't know him, but Dave was... Dave was.... well, Dave was Dave.

To say the least, Dave was a unique character. He didn't leave any gas in the tank when he left. We should all be so inspired. 
He entered our lives when he became a figure model posing around the DC area. Later on, he took over the MOCA gallery in Georgetown. 
After years spent around him, there certainty will be no shortage of Dave stories to tell. His epic battles with the MOCA landlord became city wide PR battles gone wild that spilled over into the City Paper. .... They alone were worth the price of admission. This photo, as an example, was done in the midst of one such skirmish. 
But my favorite Dave tale comes from his modeling days before all that.. He was a tenacious model that simply would not give up on a pose no matter how bad it hurt to go on holding it. ...
One night he was on the model stand with another model who had her back to him. She took a fairly simple standing pose, while Dave took a semi-reclining pose akin to the 'Dying Gaul' from the Parthenon... His entire weight held up by one arm for 20 minutes.
Somewhere towards the middle of that, it started to wear on him. Sometimes you bite off more than you can chew, but Dave wouldn't spit it out no matter what. It was a point of pride with him, and we all respected and appreciated such.
Everybody has their limits, and clearly Dave was in well over his head on this one... .. A few more minutes ticked by, and Dave's arm started to give it up for him... By the end of the twenty minutes the entire modeling stand was shaking rapidly from the considerable muscle spasms in Dave's arm.
The buzzer went off, and his torture ended. He sat up, his torso beet red, flush with blood from the exertion. Wiped out, he sat there trying to regain his breath and composure before the call for a new pose... When the other model turned around and said to him... "That wasn't so bad!"... It was a classic line. Couldn't have been more contrast between the average model, and Dave's efforts. Nobody put it all on the line the way he would.
He went on to run MOCA with the same no holds barred gusto....
Underneath the outrageous antics, and occasional irascible episodes, Dave was a genuinely kind and generous man. He prided himself on making MOCA an equal opportunity place for all comers. The art world hates that sort of thing, but Dave stuck to his guns to the bitter end. In some fundamental way, the people were more important to him than the art. He was a curator of people. Nobody could put together a wild collection of people the way Dave could....
It's common to hear people eulogized as 'unique' and 'irreplaceable'. In Dave's case, it's all true. In fact, it's simply unthinkable that we'll see the likes of him again in our lifetimes...
Dave made the DC art scene more colorful, and less buttoned-down boring. We often take **art** as some deathly serious affair. Dave was having none of that, he was all about having fun with it.
We could all do well to remember such, and carry a bit of that with us going forward.... God speed Dave.
                                                                           - Kevin Mellema

Anger. Oil on Canvas, 2009 by Erik Thor Sandberg

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Hirshhorn and Latin American artists

Since 2014, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library (HMSG) has received grants totalling $15,000 to catalog materials of Latin American artists.

Details here:  https://blog.library.si.edu/2016/01/new-to-the-hirshhorn-library-latin-american-artists/

Interesting that one of the things that they have collected is a recent catalog of Cuban artist Sandra Ramos show in New York. At the same time, the Hirshhorn has not once, but twice been offered original paintings by Ramos as gifts from two separate collectors and both times the museum has declined them. 

Most unusual vintage watercolor at auction

Someone in Florida has this most unusual watercolor that I did at the University of Washington School of Art in 1977 as part of some class assignment. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WATERCOLOR-PAINTING-BY-F-LENNOX-CAMPELLO-ORIGINAL-SIGNED-DATED-/182007430865?


It was an early exploration of my interest in tattoos as art and a predecessor to my current "Written on the Body" series. It has a starting bid of $150, which is a steal for works of that period.

Bid on it here.

Wanna go to an opening tonight?

Renée Stout: Tales of the
Conjure Woman

American University Museum
at the Katzen Arts Center

January 26 - March 13, 2016

Opening Reception: Tonight, Saturday, January 30, 2016, 6:00pm - 9:00pm 

Renée Stout: Tales of the Conjure Woman opens at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center on January 30, 2016 and will remain on view through March 13, 2016. A gallery talk with the artist will take place on Saturday, January 30, 5-6pm and opening reception will take place 6 - 9pm.

The exhibition features recent work by Washington, DC-based Renée Stout, who is best known for her exploration of vestigial retentions of African cultural traditions as manifested in contemporary America.

For many years, the artist has used the alter ego Fatima Mayfield, a fictitious herbalist/fortuneteller, as a vehicle to role-play and confront issues such as romantic relationships, social ills, or financial woes in a way that is open, creative, and humorous. The exhibition focuses on the artist's assumed role through an array of works in various media. As Stout explains, "The common thread running through bodies of my work of the past several years is the continuing need for self-discovery and the need to understand and make sense of human motives and the way we relate and respond to each other."

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this scammer: 
Kenneth Anderson (kandy1111@outlook.com)
Hi there,
I'm an art lover/collector and I'm collecting a few pieces for my new house. I came across your artworks and I find them captivating. I would love to have some of your pieces. Send me pictures and info about your available works including their sizes,materials and prices so I can make an order.
Thanks,
Kenneth.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Paint Annapolis Call for Artists

Paint Annapolis is a five-day juried plein air painting competition May 30-June 5, with exhibition to follow until June 12. $15,000 cash awards. 

Entry is open to artists around the world. 30 artists will be accepted. 

Upload three images online - Deadline 16 Feb 2016.

Entry fee. 

Details: 410-268-4566 OR http://www.paintannapolis.org OR info@mdfedart.org

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory Drawings (1992-1993)

From 1992-1993 I was lucky enough to live in Sonoma, California (I was the last XO of the now-closed Naval Security Group Activity, Skaggs Island), in a cool house across from the Fire Station. My two daughters used to take classes at the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory, and like most of those places that are usually labors of love, they were always trying to raise funds through bake sales, etc.

I came up with the idea of doing some drawings of the students and then have an exhibition of the drawings at my then dealer (Presidio Gallery, also in Sonoma and closed many years ago).  The gallery agreed to the exhibition and that most of the profits from sales would go to the school.
Story in the Sonoma Index-Tribune about the show
Needless to say, all the work sold within a few minutes of the opening, as parents scrambled to get the drawing where their daughter was included. There was even some controversy, as the matriarch of one of Sonoma's oldest wine families had called the gallery prior to the opening and requested to buy all the works where her grand daughter was included. She faxed the gallerist a photo of little Amber (this was 1993... remember faxes?), and several of the pieces sold sight unseen!

The other parents were justifiably pissed, and I was very glad that I had nothing to do with the deal, and my poor dealer had a lot of explaining to do, especially to some of the other Sonoma wine blue bloods.

There were around 80 drawings all together in the exhibition - about 40 framed and 40 shrink wrapped in flat files - all sold! Below is a sampling of the show from some recently digitized slides.

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory (Study for the Above Piece) by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Pen and Ink on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x36 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Studies for Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Graphite Conte on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Napa, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory (Left Version) by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
16x24 inches. Pen and Ink Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
9x12 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
20x16 inches. Charcoal and Conte on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
10x8 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
14x11 inches. Charcoal and on Paper, 1993
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x18 inches. Ink Wash on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in San Francisco, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992-1993 Drawing by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
18x24 inches. Pen and Ink on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
24x36 inches. Pen and Ink, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
12x9 inches. Graphite on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in Sonoma, CA

Elise Campello - Sonoma Ballet Conservatory 1992 Watercolor by F. Lennox Campello
Elise Campello - Sonoma Ballet Conservatory by F. Lennox Campello
12x9 inches. Watercolor on Paper, 1992
In a private collection in San Francisco, CA

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

David Camero at Sitar Arts Center

David Camero
Traditional Yare Masks
and Other Actions Masks

January 31 – March 20, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST
Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 6:30 PM
About the masks series:
 
Referencing the traditional ritual ‘Diablos de Yare’ from Venezuela, David Camero’s “Traditional Yare Masks and Other Actions Masks” exhibit at Sitar Arts Center’s Cafritz gallery attempts to capture the cultural aspects of a long-standing tradition while also making the artwork accessible to a modern audience. The colorful masks will make for a truly unique exhibit that will awe and inspire the Sitar community.
 
For more information about David Camero and his work, please go to www.companiadelbouffon.com.
 
 
SITAR ARTS CENTER
1700 Kalorama Road NW Suite 101
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-797-2145
Fax: 202-483-0789
www.sitarartscenter.org

Postcards from the Edge

The 18th Annual
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
is almost here!

January 29 - 31, 2016
Hosted by Sikkema Jenkins & Co

530 West 22nd Street, NYC

 
Featuring artworks by F. Lennox Campello, John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Ed Ruscha, Katherine Bernhardt, William Wegman, Kara Walker, Arturo Herrera, Marilyn Minter, Geoffrey Hendricks, Penelope Umbrico, Charles LeDray, Julie Mehretu, John Waters, Jane Hammond, Hans Haacke, Polly Apfelbaum, Ross Bleckner, Kiki Smith, Robert Longo, Kay Rosen, Barry McGee, Louise Fishman, Tony Feher, Martha Wilson, Lawrence Weiner, Lorraine O'Grady, William Cordova, Jennie C. Jones, Marcel Dzama, Amy Sillman and 1500 others!!!*

* Click here for full list of participating artists


PREVIEW PARTY: FRIDAY, JANUARY 29th
The only opportunity to see the entire exhibition.
Silent Auction & Raffle Prizes. (No postcard sales.)


* Artist Preview from 6pm-8pm
Participating artists can attend the Preview for free (no RSVP required), starting at 6pm, one hour after VIP Preview. Additional guests $50 each (see below).


* VIP Preview begins at 5pm
$50 admission (payable at the door or online here) allows guests into the gallery one hour before the general doors openBeat the crowd and get an extra close look at all the artwork.


BENEFIT SALE
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 from 10 AM–6 PM   (Buy 4–Get 1 Free)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 from 12 PM–4 PM      (Buy 2–Get 1 Free)

All postcard artwork only $85 each. Artworks displayed anonymously. Artist's name revealed after purchase. First-come, first-served. On Saturday, buy four postcard-sized artworks and choose a fifth one as a "thank you", and on Sunday, buy two postcards and get a third. 

$5 suggested admission.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

NO AND: Eames Armstrong

NO AND
 
Eames Armstrong
MFA Thesis Show
Gallery 102, George Washington University

Exhibition on view January 19 - 30, 2016


NEW schedule of performances:

Wednesday, 1/27, 9pm

Thursday, 1/28 8pm (Just added) 
Friday, 1/29, 8pm (collaboration with Renée Regan) (reception 6pm)*
Saturday, 1/30 8pm** (Just added)

Gallery 102 is located in Smith Hall of Art, 801 22nd Street NW, Washington, D.C.  Open gallery hours are M-F 9-5, and any other time by appointment, contact: eames@gwmail.gwu.edu

The Most Interesting “Appropriation” Cases to Watch in 2016

Once again, appropriation in art and entertainment is a trending topic, so here are my picks for the most interesting “appropriation” cases to watch in 2016. Appropriation is defined as “the action of taking something for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.” Some of these cases are new, others will be heating up, but all of them involve an alleged taking of another’s creative product without permission.
Read the whole article by Talia Kosh here.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Review of ABMB Week in Old Town Crier Newspapers

See it online here: http://oldtowncrier.com/2015/12/29/art-basel-miami-beach/. All photos by J. Jordan Bruns.
I think that DC area galleries and DC area non-profits and artists’ collectives need to go to the big dance or become non relevant.

Because of this, I decided to highlight a city on the other side of this great land to show how that city’s galleries make an impact on ABMB.

The City of Angels.

It was refreshing to see a lot of Los Angeles area art galleries in the various fairs during this last December, and of the many LA area galleries at the big dance, several stood out, not only to me, but also to Texas-based super, uber, monster collector Ardis Bartle, an experienced art fair aficionado, and an ass-kicking lady who hasn’t missed a single ABMB week in the last decade.

Once the VIP pre-opening parties were finished and the elegant crowds, booze and small food ceased to circulate, and tightly-dressed women in lethal-looking six inch heels finished their improbable art fair strolls with plastic wine glasses in their manicured hands, and handsome young men in slim suits and nerdy black glasses used their cell-phones to photograph the artwork, while third generation blue-eyed Cuban-American girls, four or five inches taller and 25 pounds lighter than their political refugee grandmothers, and slim as rifles, finished shooting selfies in front of the artwork, it was time to check out some LA galleries.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Snowzilla: From 2005

After two days of moving snow from A to B (don't forget the roofs or you'll have ice dams), I'm too sore for anything but a repost of one of my favorite posts of all time.

Originally posted in 2005:
Waste of Time

Since we opened our first gallery in 1996, we have rarely worked with "art consultants" or "interior decorators."

Overall, the experience (in the very few times that we've worked with them) has been quite a waste of time (such as the time that we wasted months dealing with Sen. Hillary Clinton's Georgetown-based interior designers to select a work by New York painter David FeBland.

Because the focus of our galleries is contemporary representational work ("realism with a bite"), it seldom agrees with the bland, "cannot afford to insult anyone," art selection process of most major corporate and business buyers (and public art projects).

But yesterday I bit again, and delivered work by several of our artists that had been selected by a very major law firm's art consultant to possibly hang in their new meeting room in a beautiful building in downtown DC. Come in, get a badge, drive to the loading dock and start delivering work to the 9th floor. As soon as I got there I knew that our chances were slim to none, as I saw a lot of this stuff.

DC Subway by Javier Gil
And the very nice and professional art consultant was horrified to see that I had brought this piece by artist Javier Gil.

"Get that out of here before anyone sees it," she advised. "Nothing like that can even be considered and it may poison their minds about the rest."

Her favorite from our four artist selection was the work of our best-selling artist David FeBland. I explained that David's works have been selling very well, especially since the Europeans have discovered his work. Since his prices have been skyrocketing (law of supply and demand), we both doubted that they'd be interested in his work, since he was by far the most expensive artist in what was being presented.

But I schlepped all the work over, including a massive, framed Maxwell MacKenzie photo.
"Near Pomme de Terre Lake, Grant County, Minnesota, 1997"
Silver Gelatin, 1997 Maxwell MacKenzie

After a few trips I return to the gallery van, which had been parked in the loading dock, as directed, to find it blocked by a truck delivering paper supplies. I ask the guy nicely if he can please move a foot so that I can leave. He cusses me out.

I then waste 10 minutes of cussing and yelling and threatening the very large truck driver, near to a fist fight with a guy who looks like George Foreman, before another huge guy comes in and breaks up the argument... all that before I can leave, now in a total black mood.

Return to DC around 3:30PM to pick up the work. Back up into the tiny loading dock, where I manage to put a huge gouge on the left side of the new gallery van (less than 800 miles on it). Then I get a large smear of grease from one of the dumpsters on the back of my new suit, which I had naturally just worn for the first time this morning. Things are going great uh?

Up to the 9th floor, which for some strange reason, in this building is actually a few steps below the 7th floor.

Not too surprisingly, none of our work had been picked. And what was picked can best be summarized as "big, bold, large abstract art," mostly by names I had never heard of.

I can't say that I blame corporate art buyers, especially in selecting work for their public meeting spaces. We're at a juncture in our history where anything that could remotely be offensive to anyone, is not part of the PC art process. When was it the last time that you saw a nude in an American airport?

On one of the trips I run into a very tall woman who had been (I think) the head of the "art pickers" from the law firm; she sees me packing the David FeBland. "That was our favorite among all the artists," she says.

"He's our best-selling painter," I replied, too tired to inquire as to why he wasn't selected (I already know: price). On the massive table I see the work selected; around 20-30 pieces of mostly abstract, large, inexpensive work.

Waste of my time; scratch on my new van; possibly a ruined suit; and near fist fight with a huge burly truck driver... another day in the life of an art dealer.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

A Blizzard is Enforced Surrender

Touchstone Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists

Open Call for Applications
Deadline: March 31, 2016

 WHAT is it?

The Fellowship provides a 2 year membership in Touchstone Gallery in downtown DC. This guarantees a solo exhibition as well as participation in gallery group shows, mentorship and a presence on the gallery website. The monetary value of the fellowship exceeds $4500.00

WHO can apply?
The Fellowship is awarded to 1 or more emerging artists in the Washington area who have not been represented by a commercial gallery in at least 10 years.
HOW to apply?
The application process for the 2016-2018 fellowship program is now open. The application and related information can be found on the TFA website,
www.touchstonefoundationdc.org

Friday, January 22, 2016

Trevor Young at Addison/Ripley Fine Art

TREVOR YOUNG

VOLTAGE


JANUARY 30 - MARCH 5, 2016

opening reception for the artist
Saturday, January 30th 5-7pm
Trevor Young, Two Currents,  2016, oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches
Trevor Young, Two Currents,  2016, oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches