Friday crowds continued to be very good - and a lot of smaller work is moving well, but still waiting for some of the big sales!
The booth was packed most of the day!
Since 2003... the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet! And with over SEVEN million visitors, F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area.
Friday crowds continued to be very good - and a lot of smaller work is moving well, but still waiting for some of the big sales!
The booth was packed most of the day!
Throughout the day the crowds have been fantastic - the aisles are packed!
In the early afternoon, we delivered the above Dora Patin private commission! It was delivered to a happy collector... and the crowds remained large throughout the day and evening! A lot of those Bisque drawings continued to fly off the wall!
Left the DMV at 4AM and made great time though I-95 all the way to the tunnel, which took over an hour to cross!
Cory Oberndorfer setting up in booth D15 at the Affordable Art Fair NYC 2024 Spring |
And then the work of Suzanne Yurdin went up!
Abstract paintings by Suzanne Yurdin at the Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2024 |
And then the amazing prodigy that is Dora Patin went up!
Trompe l'oeil paintings by Dora Patin at the Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2024 |
The "Oberndorfer Wall" in booth D15!
The fair opened at 5PM for VIPs and the press, and the opening night crowds were huge as usual. We sold about 20 of my small Bisque drawings, Oberdorfer had a last minute sale and we also sold the below painting by Dora Patin.
More tomorrow!
Once again, the van is packed and ready to depart in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday as once again we head to an art fair in New York City.
This time it is the Affordable Art Fair New York - Spring, which is taking place May 20-24 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.
The gallery is hosting Cory Oberndorfer, Dora Patin, Suzanne Yurdin and yours truly in booth D15.
The Incantation of Frida Kahlo - Version One |
The Incantation of Frida Kahlo - Version Two |
The Incantation of Frida Kahlo - Version Three |
The Incantation of Frida Kahlo - Version Four |
I fondly recall when the Canal Square complex in Georgetown at 1054 31st Street, NW off M street and 31st was home to SEVEN independently owned commercial fine art galleries!
Ready for some GREAT news?
There's new blood trying to re-start the DC gallery art scene there! From GeorgetownDC.com:
Cabada Contemporary (1054 31st St NW, #9) on March 21 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the opening reception for BLOOM – an exhibition co-hosted by the neighboring gallery ArtRobin (1054 31st St NW, #6). Enjoy drinks, light refreshments and conversation with other art enthusiasts. The exhibition features works by acclaimed abstract expressionist artist Javier Cabada and his daughter, figurative artist and gallery owner Sabrina Cabada. The two have not exhibited together in over two decades. Cabada Contemporary will exhibit works by Javier and Sabrina, along with a curated selection of established and emerging local artists. Cabada Contemporary and ArtRobin have united to the form the Galleries at Canal Square and will co-host monthly exhibitions.
BLOOM Opening at Cabada Contemporary |
GALLERY RECEPTION: It is our pleasure to invite you to our first opening reception. Join us for an art-filled evening as we celebrate the unveiling of Cabada Contemporary and the reawakening of the coming season. BLOOM: A Revival Celebration of Art showcases the vibrant colors of spring. Featuring works by Javier Cabada, Sabrina Cabada and Edward Alan Gross.
Opening Reception:
CABADA CONTEMPORARY 1054 31st Street, NW # 9 Washington, DC 20007
Thursday, March 21st, 2024 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Yesterday I reported for duty at ARTOMATIC, which had been given permission by the City Kommissars to re-open at 6PM. Lots of hard-working people behind the scenes deserve a great THANK YOU!
Cute lady named Kira was on duty greeting all the voluntolds for the 3:30 - 8:30PM Friday shift: Maria, Laila, Martinez, Laurel, Danielle and many others. I lucked out and got floor walker/docent duties on the 8th floor with the nice lady Laila, whom I soon bored with my tales of how nice my cousin's wife Fariba is...
The 8th floor at Artomatic is magical becuse it is wide open, so people can flow from artist to artist without room-gallery feeling of some of the other floors.
8th floor view at Artomatic 2024 |
Sondra Arkins' Bamboo Showers at Artomatic 2024 - Listen to them below |
There are a lot of graffiti artists at Artomatic (as usual), and Luis Rosenfeld stood out to me as one of the better ones whom I've seen over the years! The carefully installed and orchestrated space on the 8th floor testifies to that!
Luis Rosenfeld at Artomatic 2024 |
Luis Rosenfeld at Artomatic 2024 |
Pink Compass, True North - by Sarah Jane Rodman at ARTOMATIC 2024 |
Anthony D'Amico at Artomatic 2024 |
Marcos Smyth - Best Ever Driftwood Sculpture Award at ARTOMATIC 2024 |
Mural by Jeff Huntington at ARTOMATIC 2024 |
Dorothy Hickson sculpture at ARTOMATIC 2024 |
"El Guardian" (The Guardian) by Daniel Hernandez at Artomatic 2024 |
"Hasta la victoria siempre" at AOM 2024 in Mexican Pavilion |
Drawing by Daniel Madruga |
Drawing by Daniel Madruga |
From the art school files: "Homage to Carmen Herrera", c. 1979 and done at Printmaking class at the University of Washington of Art in Seattle. It's a viscosity monoprint... I am pretty sure that at the time I was the only person at the school who knew who Carmen Herrera was, maybe in the entire state of Washington!
HOMAGE TO CARMEN HERRERA 1979 viscosity print by Florencio Lennox Campello |
Michael Janis knows why!
Artomatic, the renowned art show that just opened in the Nation's Capital boasting a kaleidoscope of creativity, abruptly shuttered its doors, leaving attendees puzzled and artists outraged. But what if there was more to this closure than met the eye?
Rumor has it that hidden within the vibrant tapestry of Artomatic lies a secret society known as the Chromatic Illuminati. This clandestine group believes that colors hold immense power over human perception and emotion, capable of influencing society on a grand scale. As artists gathered to showcase their works, the Chromatic Illuminati saw an opportunity to manipulate these forces for their own enigmatic agenda.
According to whispers in the DMV underground art scene, certain pieces featured at Artomatic unknowingly tapped into ancient color codes, revealing truths about the world that the Chromatic Illuminati deemed too dangerous to be exposed. Sensing a threat to their clandestine operations, the society swiftly moved to shut down the event, citing vague "security concerns" to mask their true intentions.
But what were these forbidden truths hidden within the hues of Artomatic? Some speculate that certain artworks contained subliminal messages, unlocking hidden knowledge about government cover-ups or cosmic mysteries. Others believe that certain color combinations emitted frequencies capable of altering consciousness or even bending reality itself.
As conspiracy theorists delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover a web of intrigue connecting influential figures in politics, art, and academia. Could it be that the closure of Artomatic was just the beginning of a larger scheme orchestrated by the Chromatic Illuminati to control the very fabric of reality through the manipulation of color?
Bwah ah ah!!!
The deadline is this Friday for the 37th Annual Northern National Art Competition in Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin! It has my highest possible recommendation for a juried Art Competition! Details here.
More than $8,500 in prize money will be awarded, including three $1,000 Awards of Excellence!
Patricia de Poel Wilberg not only has one of my fave artists' names on the the planet, but the lady is another of the great glass masters of the DMV, which seems to be one the planetarian epicenters for unique takes on creating art with glass.
She's in room 5006 at Artomatic on the 5th floor, and her unique visual take on the subject matter, which she then presents using glass as a substrate is unique and refreshing, and like me, clearly the lady loves to tell nuanced stories.
La Licorne by Patricia de Poel Wilberg at room 5006 in Artomatic 2024 |
Sold at ARTOMATIC on opening night! Guy sees it, texts it to his cousin in Miami, Florida, cousin calls me, we close the deal and now will head to Miami as soon as AOM closes! Done in 1977 and sold almost 50 years later!
ISLA BALSERA from the Cuba Series - 1977 by Florencio Lennox Campello |
Attended AOM's opening night last night - I arrived a bit early in order to walk the 5th floor and begin the process of awarding my usual Artomatic awards and eventually pick my top 10 AOM artists.
Melissa Burley in room 5103 at Artomatic 2024 |
Evelyn Johns in Room 5045 at Artomatic 2024 |
Lila from the SCAR series by Rahul Shah at Artomatic |
Lucky Art Studio in room 5090 at Artomatic 2024 |
Anna Katalkina in room 5087 at Artomatic 2024 |
Joseph Shepperd Rogers in Room 5091 at Artomatic 2024 |
Phyllis Mayes in room 5063 |
J.L. Hussey - Musicians series in room 5014 |
Little Walter by J.L. Hussey from the Musicians series in room 5014 |
Young & Frida V by Ric Garcia in room 5033 |
Beaker artwork by Jenn Bock in room 5073 at ARTOMATIC 2024 |
Andrew Wodzianski in room 5061. |
J. Jordan Bruns mixed media work at Artomatic 2024 |
Best Frida Kahlo (2D) in a floor with lots of Frida Kahlos will be a really tough category when I explore all floors and give the final award in a few days
On just the 5th floor there are a LOT of art pieces about the Fridanator, including a really good one from a Lebanese artist.
But what really stood out to me was this work by fellow Cuban-American artist Ric Garcia.
And at $75 Samolians, this is clearly one of the best - if not the best! - deal at Artomatic! Buy them now!