The below new works by the gifted Dora Patin are the last of her series on playing cards as she embarks on a new painting mission!
 |
| Double Venus 12x16 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin |
 |
| Seeds of Success 8x10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin |
 |
| Luck or Skill? 10 x 10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin |
 |
| Double Mars 11 x 14 oil on panel by Dora Patin |
Who's gonna 21st exhibition of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards?
Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., were juried by Brandon Morse, Jon-Phillip Sheridan, and Naoco Wowsugi. Eight artists were selected to exhibit at Gallery B from Sept. 7 – October 1, 2023. The Best in Show winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize.
The opening reception will be held Friday, Sept. 8 from 6-8pm, and Gallery B is located in the former spaces of the iconic Fraser Gallery at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.
The finalists are: Rush Baker IV, Riverdale Park, MD; Rex Delafkaran, Washington, D.C.; Stephanie Garon, Baltimore, MD; Kei Ito, Baltimore MD; Megan Koeppel, Hyattsville, MD; Giulia Livi, Baltimore, MD; Charles Mason III, Baltimore, MD; and Fanxi Sun, Richmond, VA.
Based on my immensely wise examination of (a) the jurors and then (b) the artists, I will predict that Rex Delafkaran, of Washington, D.C. will win the top prize.
This is a bit of a long-ball, but there's a strange synchronicity and alignment to nearly all the other artists' work - they all "fit" into each other's artistic mold - that Delafkaran's work seems to be the only, somewhat "different" style.
By the way... most of these are the BEST.EVER.ARTIST.NAMES! There's such an uniqueness to most of them -- other than Baker and Mason... cough... cough... who have your standard names...
Settle down far from town get him a pirogue
And he'll catch all the fish in the Bayou
Swap his mom to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the Bayou
The Georgetown University Art Galleries will present two exhibitions of new work by Kara Walker. The de la Cruz Art Gallery will exhibit Kara Walker: Back of Hand, and the Spagnuolo Art Gallery will present Kara Walker: Prince McVeigh and the Turner Blasphemies. Both will be the first exhibition of these works in Washington by this internationally renowned artist.
These exhibitions will be on view from September 21st, 2023 - December 3rd, 2023. They were organized by Dr. Katie Geha for the Athenaeum, the University of Georgia. An Opening Reception will take place on Thursday, September 21st from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Registration for this event is not required, and all exhibitions and programs at the Georgetown University Art Galleries are free and open to the public.
Kathy O'Dell, Ph.D. (Baltimore County), has been named Chair of the Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAC).
A commissioner since 2015, O'Dell brings many years of arts leadership experience to the role and will take the helm at a pivotal point as the Artwork Commissions Program launches a new artwork procurement method, the forthcoming Maryland Public Artist Roster.
Every Maryland artist needs to stay tuned to the Maryland Public Artist Roster's announcement - once final.
Jimmy Buffett died yesterday - thank you for all the great songs!
Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends
If I knew I might toss out my anchor
So I cruise along always searchin' for songs
Not a lawyer a thief or a banker
But a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
Son of a gun, load the last ton
One step ahead of the jailer
I'm just a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
The sea's in my veins, my tradition remains
I'm just glad I don't live in a trailer
Sometimes, often more common than we realize, randomness introduces interesting paths in Einstein's many multiverses.
The path in this universe started by me coming to visit my daughter Elise and her family in Gig Harbor, Washington... and spend some time with her and her husband and my gorgeous grandkids.
For this visit we decided to go exploring the other side of Washington state and ended up with three days in Moses Lake, about four hours east of the green side of Washington and crossing the mountain pass into what then becomes the desert side of the state, where the mighty Columbia River rolls on.
As most of you know by now, I went to art school at the University of Washington, on the other side of the state, and in a city (Seattle) galaxies away from Moses Lake.
And in Moses Lake we explored around, and ended up in the rather elegant Moses Lake Museum and Art Center, where the show on display was "Leanne Hickman and John Hickman: Feathers vs. Charcoal" showing through September 1, 2023.
As I entered the spaces, a very friendly and smiley receptionist welcomed us - already a positive change from the usual.
I entered the ground floor gallery... and saw this:
Paintings on feathers... mmm. Immediately my antennas went up in snobbish art alarm. Art criticism brings a lot of subjectivity to it, and art critics who claim to be objective are rotten liars.
And thus, initially I was prepared to sigh and dislike this exhibition... but then two things happened: first I recalled my experience decades ago with the Quilts of Gee's Bend; and second, I recalled my anger when the Hirshhorn Museum director told me - also decades ago that the "Hirshhorn did not collect glass."
In the first, prejudice against the art substrate (quilt) and in the second, the lesson learned that it is the art that matters, not the substrate (glass... or feathers).
Remember that I even gave this issue a name: The Quilts of Gee's Bend Syndrome.
And when I walked in to see the exhibition, my eyes and mind re-tuned by those memories, I was superbly impressed by the gorgeous paintings by Leanne Hickman... on feathers.
 |
| Feather painting by Leanne Hickman at Moses Lake Museum |
Each one of these intimate works delivers a well-packed punch of color, composition, and well-developed painting skills - they are small worlds depicting limitless, open scenes - most of them with a western theme, but all really nicely composed and delivered.
From a little online research we discover that:
She is a local resident of Moses Lake and “true farm girl” raising horses and peacocks. These beautiful species come together in her inspired acrylic works where she physically paints on peacock feathers. "Inspiration, perseverance and a strong sense of God's directions, are my mainstay and motivation as I pursue my dreams."
The works were a steal: matted and framed and under a hundred dollars! They were all framed like this:
My one constructive criticism to Ms. Hickman would be for her to frame all the works in white conservation mats, so as to have the intelligent use of color not be influenced by a colored mat.
In summary, this was a wonderful, elegant and superbly well-curated show which not only impressed this big city art critic, but also re-taught him a lesson about art, good art.
Early peek at my September article here.
As September arrives in the DMV, it marks the beginning of another “art season”, which these days have somewhat returned to old-fashioned openings where people mingle, discuss art and get their creative juice flowing!
Next month I'll be at the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea, New York City - we'll be featuring the works of Steve Wanna, Christina Helowicz, Seth Fairweather, Dora Patin, Ally Morgan, Jennifer Barlow and Mandy Coelho... and yours truly!
And the month after that we'll be at the Affordable Art Fair Battersea, London in England, with works by Simon Monk, Kathleen Hope, Jodi Walsh and me!
Drop me a note if you'd like some complimentary tickets to either of those art fairs.
The below new work by the gifted Christina Helowicz will be available at the Affordable Art Fair New York, which opens on September 20th at the Met Pavillion on 18th Street in Chelsea; we're in booth C1.
The gallery will also showcase work by Steve Wanna, Jennifer Barlow, Amanda Coelho, Ally Morgan, Susan La Mont, Dora Patin and Lian Siever!
 |
| “That’s business, baby!” Mixed media, 3x3 inches by Christina Helowicz |
Settle down far from town get him a pirogue
And he'll catch all the fish in the Bayou
Swap his mom to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the Bayou
Five new exhibitions and the continuation of Lost Europe: On the Edge of Memories are open for viewing at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center beginning Saturday, Sept. 9. The contemplative and thought-provoking fall line-up includes work by D.C.-area artist Steven Cushner, abstract wood sculptures by Rachel Rotenberg, the black and white photography of pre-war Ukraine in Lost Europe, and more. The opening reception takes place from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9 and is free and open to all. Admission to the museum is free and open to the public.
Through Oct. 15:
Song of Songs: Fruitful Relationships
Using the traditional techniques of the Dutch masters, painter Lillian Klein Abensohn's still-life works tackle societal, familial and interpersonal dynamics – from suggestive, generative allusions of sumptuous produce to pears that inhabit female archetypes. The most essential relationships, be they sexual, personal, familial or racial are alluded to in her myriad of forms —coyly, directly, ironically.
Through Dec. 10:
CUSHNER
Nature’s Tapestry
Bernis von zur Muehlen’s photography engages the realm of the spiritual and the everyday, created by re-visioning reality again and again. This exhibit consists of four different series of images that form a “tapestry of nature.” Muehlen is a widely exhibited photographer who began showing her work in the mid-70s in commercial galleries and museums in the United States and abroad, beginning with her studies of the male nude. Subjects of this exhibit include bald cypress knees; trees undergoing the changes that come with the seasons; shadowy scenes invoking landscapes seen in dreams; and koi fish in playful moments.
Rachel Rotenberg
This exhibition will bring a remarkable body of largely unknown work to the D.C. area for the first time. Using cedar planks and other materials, Rachel Rotenberg has managed to build works on a heroic scale without sacrificing intimacy, and to craft small sculptures that attain a kind of conceptual monumentality. Rotenberg spent much of her life in Baltimore but has lived and worked in Israel since 2015. An artist for more than 40 years, she has managed to develop consistently as an inventor of new forms through scattered periods of intense instruction and the encouragement of small grants. Within a relatively conventional set of materials and methods, Rotenberg has created a deeply original body of work whose language is both eccentric and universal. Curated by Jane Livingston, with a catalog designed by Alex Castro.
Franklin White: An American in Venezuela
D.C. native Franklin White’s exhibition focuses on the experiential account of his life as an American living in Venezuela for the past two decades. Through White’s art, viewers can experience the beautiful and captivating traditions, as well as the food, music and abundance of botanical growth that thrives in Merida, Venezuela. White, a retired professor of more than 30 years, has been working and experimenting with different artistic media throughout his career. The present work employs handmade paper and large-scale oil pastels.
Lost Europe: On the Edge of Memories
The exhibit, which opened in June and will close Dec. 10, invites viewers to contemplate life in pre-war Ukraine. The exhibit showcases 75 black and white photographs, on display for the first time in a museum in the United States. The photographs span nearly three decades of predominantly rural Ukrainian life, from shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, to 2018.
As the Czech photographers Karel CudlÃn, Jan Dobrovský and Martin Wágner experienced societal, political and economic upheaval when their own country transitioned to democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union, they sought to document the similar experiences of everyday life of Ukrainians during this time.
“All three artists are genuinely interested in Ukraine, and their documentary work has a deep human quality,” said curator Milena Kalinovska. “Their motivation was to capture something authentic, particular. These lyrical photographs, although straightforward and accurate, have ageless intensity and acknowledge deep historical context with lingering traces left.”
For like the 100th year in a row, the City of Washington doesn't like my artwork for its permanent collection:
Dear Florencio Campello:
The District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) appreciates your FY 2024 Art Bank Program grant application. Unfortunately, your artwork(s) was not selected to advance to the second round of review.
Please know that CAH makes every effort to gain valuable feedback from the advisory panelists and shares that information with applicants upon request. Many applicants have found these comments and insights from panelists helpful in furthering their endeavors, as well as in developing future applications to CAH. You may request a debriefing within 60 days from the date of this letter by contacting Curator Michelle May-Curry at michelle.may-curry@dc.gov or (202) 215-9486.
CAH appreciates your valuable contribution to the arts and humanities community and encourages you to apply to future grant programs. You may wish to consider participating in our grant workshops to obtain information about specific grant programs and best practices for applying to CAH’s grants. Once grants are open, a list of workshops may be found on CAH’s website at www.dcarts.dc.gov.
Sincerely,
Lauren Dugas Glover
Public Art Manager
WPA’s Wherewithal Grant initiative annually awards $5k grants to 12 DC-area artists.
Artists may apply for Research or Project support.
Artists who received a 2023 Wherewithal Research Grant will share where their inquiries have been taking them over the year-long grant period. This year's Research grantees are: Ama BE, Alina Collins Maldonado, Andy Johnson, Cecilia Kim, Stephanie Mercedes, Athena Naylor, and Anisa Olufemi & Jada Amina.
RSVP to get the Zoom link here.
Applications for the 2024 Wherewithal Grant Cycle will open September 25!
Applications are being accepted for the Public Art Across Maryland (PAAM) Program's New Artworks and Conservation Grants. Both grants share a single application deadline in FY24: Friday, January 26, 2024. Click here for grant guidelines.
Interested applicants may attend “PAAM Grants: How to Apply Webinar,” a free, virtual session held Friday, September 8, from noon to 1 p.m. Click here to register.
Congratulations to Zenith Gallery in DC, which was recently voted as the “Best Gallery in DC” by the readers of the Washington City Paper – it is a well-deserved win for Zenith and its super-hard working owner and director Margery Goldberg!
Next at Zenith is work by the immensely talented Stephen Hansen, as his GREAT MOMENTS IN ART, VI runs from September 8 - October 9, 2023. The opening is Friday, September 8, 4-8 pm & Sunday, September 9, 2-6 pm at Zenith’s 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC, 20012 location.
This show marks Stephen Hansen’s sixth “Great Moments in Art” exhibition at Zenith Gallery, and in In this exhibition Stephen Hansen has “meticulously recreated selections from centuries of painting and added his signature paper mâché painters interacting with the paintings in ways both witty and surprising.”
Hansen says, “I started the Great Moments series in 2014, to take a break from sculpture. I then decided I wanted to paint more. After nine years, it still resonates with me. Through this series I have developed late-in-life art appreciation.”
Hansen is a one-of-a-kind fine artists – something really hard to be these days, as he has sculpted (no pun intended) an unique niche in the rarified world of the fine arts and has had one-man shows in galleries and museums in Detroit, Chicago, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Scottsdale, Palm Beach, and New York.
His unique papier mâché sculptures are included in museum, corporate, private, and government collections including the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection in Santa Fe, The Federal Reserve and Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and United States Embassies in Naples, Italy and Caracas, Venezuela. I expect to see another great entertaining show!
Mark your calendars for the 21st exhibition of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards.
Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., were juried by Brandon Morse, Jon-Phillip Sheridan, and Naoco Wowsugi. Eight artists were selected to exhibit at Gallery B from Sept. 7 – October 1, 2023. The Best in Show winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 8 from 6-8pm, and Gallery B is located in the former spaces of the iconic Fraser Gallery at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The finalists are: Rush Baker IV, Riverdale Park, MD; Rex Delafkaran, Washington, D.C.; Stephanie Garon, Baltimore, MD; Kei Ito, Baltimore MD; Megan Koeppel, Hyattsville, MD; Giulia Livi, Baltimore, MD; Charles Mason III, Baltimore, MD; and Fanxi Sun, Richmond, VA.
Over at Foundry Gallery in the District, and with an opening reception on Saturday, September 9, 4-6 pm, we have “Selected Works” by John Charles Koebert.
According to the gallery’s news release, “the work of John Charles Koebert represents a decades-long commitment to craftsmanship. Evolving each geometric work from a painstaking study, the larger piece represents a leap in scope and artistic precision. However, the inspiration for each piece is part of Koebert’s personal history. Every shape, color, and line call back to a story carried across years of artistic discovery.”
The works show impeccable technical skill, and in spite of their apparent abstraction, Koebert says, “The exhibit is personal statement about my life and my commitment to art. All of the pieces have a story to tell.”
The exhibition runs through October 1, 2023.
Browsing a New Hampshire thrift shop for old frames to restore, a local woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous to the press, bought a white frame with an old painting inside for $4. She had no idea that the painting was actually a rare work by renowned American artist N.C. Wyeth.
Read the article by Elizabeth Blair on NPR here.
Woman Buys Genuine Picasso in Thrift Store for $6, Sells It for Thousands shouts the headline in this Newsweek article by Alice Gibbs...
The thrifter watched as the auctions climbed, and her ceramic discovery started selling for $12,000, $13,000, and even $16,000.
Read the article here.
The below new work by the gifted Jennifer Kahn Barlow will be available at the Affordable Art Fair New York, which opens on September 20th at the Met Pavillion on 18th Street in Chelsea; we're in booth C1.
The gallery will also showcase work by Steve Wanna, Christina Helowicz, Amanda Coelho, Ally Morgan, Susan La Mont, Dora Patin and Lian Siever!
 |
| Macaron Nuit Oil on canvas, 10x8, by Jennifer Kahn Barlow |
Then this...
From: Viviana Puello vivianapuello@arttourinternational.com
To: Lennox F.campello
Viviana Puello
45 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 2000, New York, NY 10111
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to all artists in the District/Maryland/Virginia Area who are 18 years of age or older. If an artist is already scheduled to participate in another solo exhibition during the 2023-2024 exhibition season at any Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation arts center or facility, they will not be eligible for consideration for this opportunity. Additional consideration will be given to artists who have not exhibited with any Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation arts center or facility in the past 2 years.
GALLERY DESCRIPTIONS
We are seeking exhibition proposals for various M-NCPPC facilities including The Publick Playhouse, Watkins Nature Center, The Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex (SPLEX), the Southern Area Aquatic & Recreation Complex (SAARC), and Snow Hill Manor.
GALLERY SPECIFICATIONS
Publick Playhouse- 60 linear feet of wall space.
Watkins Nature Center- 95 linear feet of hallway wall space that provides an intimate and up-close viewing experience. Artworks that are in the size range of 11 x 14 inches to approximately 20 x 24 inches are best suited for this space.
SPLEX- 144 linear feet of wall space. Artworks that are in the size range of 18 x 24 inches and larger would be best suited for this space.
SAARC- availability of space includes 80 linear feet of wall space for larger works up to 4x6 feet
Snow Hill Manor- new space for 2024!
Almost 20 years ago!
Wanna see what that iconic show was about that year? Read it here.
Using the Wayback Machine, I rescued this review that I wrote in 2002 for Culture Flux Magazine. Here it is below for your reading pleasure and for Artomatic historical records.
Art-O-Matic
Taking a spin through the vast expanse of local art.
By F. Lennox Campello
I’m on my fourth or fifth visit to Art-O-Matic, my feet are hurting from all the walking and to add insult to injury, I am now lost on the third floor until I find Sean Hennessey (the artist on floor-walking duty) to rescue me. He directs me to a few more rooms, including the one with his artwork. Hennessey has a small room full of surreal paintings that are actually painted wall sculptures, and he also has painted the room itself – creating an unique work of art that will be left behind when Art-O-Matic closes.
Mix about 100,000 square feet of empty office space, a variety of very hardworking volunteers in partnership with the indefatigable Anne Corbett of the Cultural Development Corporation, and about 1,000 Washington area artists and the result is the best thing that happens to Washington art every few years: Art-O-Matic.
This huge orgy of art, theatre, music, parties, performance, weirdness, solidarity and most importantly a knock-out of a visual punch to those who still think that the Washington area art scene is (pick your choice): conservative, dull, dead, not-like-New-York, blah, blah, blah. The reality is that the Washington area art scene is in high gear and alive and growing
The plan for the exhibition: Find a large (read: enormous), empty commercial space (in this case the old EPA offices at the Waterside Mall, 401 M St, SW), get the landlord to give it up for a month or so, and open it to anyone who is or claims to be an artist, performer, or actor.
Art for the people
The process itself is democratic and doesn’t involve any jurying. At Art-O-Matic anyone and everyone can exhibit their work. As a result, the exhibition delivers a huge diversity of skills, subjects, media, presentations, goals, and ideas. Curiously enough, even the most amateur of artists, with the muddiest of watercolors and kitschiest of subjects is a refreshing change in an art world dominated by reproductions and mass-produced art.
Now in its third iterationn (Art-O-Matic takes place irregularly every two years or so), this year’s Art-O-Matic is by far the best. The organizers seem to have been able to reach nearly every strata of Washington area demographics. It’s a show of who we are, with all of our multihued ethnicities, cultures, races, and the wonderful names that challenge the tongue and entertain the eyes as much as the artwork does. This is Art-O-Matic’s greatest asset: the vast and diverse pool of artists from which it can draw. What other city in America (OK, OK, other than perhaps New York), can offer a nearly endless source of area artists from all the cultures and corners of the world? This is Washington’s own Biennale without the nose-in-the-air attitude of Venice or Havana or Berlin or Rio.
Speaking of Havana, it seems like every Washington photographer has been there in the last year. However, among the hundreds of photographers in the show, I must single out the Cuban photographs of Kay Springwater, especially a piece titled “Amigos, Viales,” which shows two old Cuban friends -- the pure blood of European Spain clearly evident in their pink Spanish faces and noble demeanor -- as tall and elegant as two nobles from an El Greco painting.
Also the work of Matt Dunn, always managing to dig out with his silver gelatin mechanical brush that “odd something” in the most common of subjects. Allen Caredio Jackson, Jr.’s photographs of DC carnival dancers and revelers, covered in mud from head to toe, are lyrical and modern narrative photographs that offer us the marriage of mud rituals from ancient Africa to contemporary hot bodies from DC. Jackson also pushes the media via his unusual presentation, where he uses car parts, including a tire, as his frames.
by Allen Caredio Jackson, Jr.
Install this
The old EPA building is full of small offices and cubbyholes and as such presents great opportunities for installation artists, most of whom lean towards darkened rooms and use light and music to deliver their ideas.
My favorite among many strong installations was the collaboration by Jordan Tierney and Marcia Hart titled “Aqueduct.”
Jordan Tierney and Marcia Hart “Aqueduct.”
Tierney and Hart offer us a pristine white room where clear, empty glass vessels, shaped like small virginal amphorae, are lined up in severe rows forming a block in front of a large glass bottle filled with water. This is a powerful installation, which made me somewhat uneasy by its severity and Teutonic geometry – like a row of acolytes in front of some cult leader, waiting to be filled with religion, or Nazi storm troopers, waiting to be filled with hate. This is perhaps the most effective piece in the entire show.
There are several interactive pieces throughout the exhibit. Best amongst these are Ann Stoddard’s “Application Center, Waiting Room” and “Once Upon A Time,” by Mary Twombley and Phillip Kohn.
“Once Upon A Time” is perhaps the most popular work in Art-O-Matic and it earns my vote as the most entertaining. It is an interactive video piece, where anyone can add three seconds of recorded video and sound to a storyline started by Twombley and Kohn. It is sometimes funny and sometimes erudite, but makes sense in a weird, surrealist form, where a few sentences can take a hundred different variations.
Sex-o-matic
Art-O-Matic is always good for sex, and this one is no exception. You’ll find still penises (pun intended), breasts, and vaginas of all sizes, shapes, and colors, and fetishes to cover most desires. Among these, the best works belong to painter Richard Takeuchi, whose superbly painted canvases salute bondage with an artistic ferocity that only a skilled painter can deliver.
There are also some very good pen and ink drawings, colored with watercolor washes, by Walter Clark that show the skill and freshness of the similar suite of works delivered by a young Picasso. Clark shows sexy works of stripers, exotic dancers, hookers, and other sex merchants, purified by the all-cleansing power of art. Speaking of hookers, Chad Alan has a stage-full of them. They are elegant mixed medias which offer painting, stitching, fabric and paper to deliver an eroticism hidden behind a red curtain on a stage on the third floor of the building, like can-can girls in an erotic French show.
There are many excellent painters sprinkled throughout the show. Cheryl Foster, stands out as usual (one of the best painters in Washington), as does Judy Jashinsky and Ardath Hill. I also enjoyed the series of tiny paintings by Allison B. Milner, some of which fit in the previous category, reeking of sex and sensuality, but nevertheless display remarkable painting skills, with joyful brushwork and little fear for the challenges of oil painting.
I also liked Bradley J. Rudich, who works mixed media on wood panels that show nothing but monochromatic faces delivered with the minimal of brushstrokes on rough, unfinished wood slivers crowned with halos made from old CDs.
Other skilled painters fixate on unusual objects which merit some note. Brenda Meek is a pretty good painter who “couldn’t get excited about the figure or still life” so she borrowed a goat skull and now offers us a room full of paintings of – you guessed it – goat skulls. And then there’s Virginia Schofield, who is also a very good painter, and who is apparently fixated nothing but shoes.
On politics
In the political arena, there’s a generous helping of forgettable Bush-bashing artwork, but the best is a superb room with walls filled with black paintings of burka-clad women, like an Islamic Stonehenge surrounding the viewer, while babies dangle from the ceiling, as human bombs being dropped by anonymous killers.
It is the work of Katherine Janus Kahn and it poses a sobering question to the “people who teach young men only hate and destruction and makes them into human bombs.”
The artist adds that she is“concerned with a culture that isolates and restricts its women to the role of baby-making, in effect making them human missile-delivery systems.”
Her installation drives home her idea with disquieting effectiveness.
When Mothers are Missiles and Children are Bombs
by Katherine Janus Kahn.
Finally, for the second year in a row, Tim Tate’s superb glass pieces steal the show in the three dimensional category.
Glass Heart by Tim Tate
Tate has absolutely refined his art and vision -- first kindled by the death of his mother, which he expressed by an obsessive return to making small, beautiful glass hearts -- to the point where he is easily the best glass artist in our region.
Art-O-Matic offers the best and the worst that artists can create, but it is easily the best art show of the year in Washington, a happening and event that clearly deflates the defeatist attitude of those who insist that there’s no such thing as a great Washington art scene.
Entry Deadline: 8/11/23
The DiMattio Gallery at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ is currently accepting proposals for the 2024 academic year. Proposed Exhibition Date: January 16 – March 8, 2024. We invite artists to submit works in any medias including video, photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, graphic design, and new media. Exhibition proposals may consist of solo, two person, and small group exhibitions.
Call for Entries: LatinXhibit
A Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit
September 15- October 14, 2023
EXHIBITION: The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is accepting artwork submissions for the inaugural exhibition of LatinXhibit. The LatinXhibit highlights the rich and diverse influence LatinX artists have on the history of American Art. This exhibit will showcase artists from across the United States as well as featuring prominent and emerging local artists. Based on submitted pieces of artwork, the Arts Council’s Exhibition Committee will curate and select the artwork that will be featured at the Arts Center galleries, 301 Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville, NC from September 15- October 14, 2023.
ENTRY: Entries are due by 11:59PM on Sunday, August 20th
From Washington Printmakers Gallery:
The Washington Print Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Georgetown Art Studio at the Washington Printmakers Gallery (classes and workshops for children, teenagers, and adults). As part of this program, the Washington Print Foundation will also be offering several scholarships to aspiring artists. Set to commence on August 28, this initiative aims to foster creativity, nurture talent, and empower individuals in the world of visual arts.
The Georgetown Art Studio is a new opportunity for artists of all ages and backgrounds to explore their artistic passions and develop essential skills under the guidance of accomplished instructors. The curriculum will encompass a wide range of art forms. There is of course a focus on printmaking and photography, but the courses also include drawing, painting, and mixed media, allowing participants to unleash their creativity and engage in various artistic expressions.
The Washington Print Foundation firmly believes in the transformative power of art and aims to provide a nurturing and inclusive environment for students to thrive. The Georgetown Art Studio will offer both beginner and intermediate-level classes, ensuring that artists at various skill levels can benefit from the program. The studio's courses will be designed to inspire and challenge students, encouraging them to push their artistic boundaries and discover new ways of self-expression.
As part of our commitment to accessibility and fostering artistic growth, the Washington Print Foundation will be offering a number of scholarships covering tuition fees for the chosen applicants, enabling them to participate in the Georgetown Art Studio without financial constraints.
"Art has the power to transcend boundaries and connect people on a profound level. We are thrilled to introduce the Georgetown Art Studio, providing a platform for aspiring artists to cultivate their skills and channel their creativity," said Ron Meick, President for the Washington Print Foundation. "Through the scholarships, we hope to create opportunities for talented individuals who may face financial barriers, fostering a diverse and inclusive artistic community in the heart of Washington, D.C."
The Fall Program is available on both websites: the Foundation's and the Washington Printmakers Gallery:
https://www.washingtonprintfoundation.org/georgetown-art-academy-fall-program
and
https://washingtonprintmakers.com/member-news/georgetown-art-academy-fall-program
Carte Blanche
July 27-August 25
Vernissage on Saturday August 5. 12-3 All Invited! I'll be there!
Friday, August 4, 2023
5:00PM - 8:00PM
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852
Meet The Collector: Ramsay Art Fairs invite you into the vibrant home of New York based interiors whiz and art collector, Jeanie Engelbach. Find out her early inspirations, favorite artworks, and learn valuable tips on starting your own art collection.
Affordable Art Fair Austin will launch in May 2024, showcasing original contemporary artworks ranging between $100 to $10,000. Welcoming a whole host of local, national and international exhibitors, our spectacular first edition is set to be unmissable!
Affordable Art Fair Austin will take place at Palmer Events Center from May 16 - 19, 2024. Details here.
