The Stormtrooper Scandal

Ben cajoled well-known artists, including Jake and Dinos Chapman, David Bailey, Damien Hirst and Anish Kapoor, into decorating stormtrooper helmets. These were auctioned off for charity.

But fed up of seeing people making fortunes when he was living in a council flat, Ben hatched a plan — the mendacity and illegality of which was outdone only by its sheer stupidity.

He sold online photos of the helmets, certifying each as unique with an NFT. That's a 'Non Fungible Token', though it could equally stand for 'Not Flipping There' . . . because when lawyers at Lucasfilm, which owns all the rights to Star Wars, got wind of Ben's racket, they ordered him to delete all the images.

Read a very enlightening article by Christopher Stevens in The Daily Mail here.

Adah Rose has a new location!

New Location:

Art Seen/Tri Graphics

12115 Parklawn Drive

Rockville Md 20852

​301-922-0162

and

Project Space

3766 Howard Ave

Kensington MD 20895

Next opening:

Night Shift

Screenprint by Anne Smith

Nathan Loda and Anne Smith - Two Solo Shows

Vernissage/Opening at the new location!

Nov 16, 2024 5-7 pm

Artist Talk 4:30-5:00

UNDER $2500 Exibition at Maryland Art Place

ABOUT UNDER $2500 

UNDER $500 and FIRST EVER UNDER $2500 affordable art sale where artwork is sold on a first-come-first-served basis right off MAP's gallery walls! Newly rebranded as UNDER $2500, this event promotes the purchase of artwork by artists in the Maryland region. Guests can expect to mingle with other artists, collectors, patrons, and general art enthusiasts at the event. Take your purchases home with you the night of the event. Gift wrapping will be available on-site! 

The opening night sale (physical) will take place Friday, November 22 from 6 pm to 10 pm (ticketed) and then again on Saturday, November 23, 2024 from noon - 4pm (free). Saturday is a ‘last chance’ opportunity to snag any artworks that remain on MAP’s walls. Tickets are $30 for opening night and can be purchased at the door or in advance  HERE.

This year’s theme is Black and White! MAP will have holiday trees on display. Enjoy a cheerful atmosphere with an open bar, light fare, and some holly jolly tunes.

A virtual sale and exhibition will also take place and will be featured online HERE from Saturday, November 23 at 10 am – BLACK FRIDAY, November 29 at MIDNIGHT. Artwork will NOT be available to view online until November 23 at 10 am. Be sure to register in advance in the interim! Registration is free.

EVENT TIMELINE: 

UNDER $2500 Benefit Exhibition and Sale:  Friday, November 22 | 6 to 10 pm  | Tickets $30

Purchase UNDER $2500 Tickets HERE

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 23 | 12 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – Black Friday, November 29, 12 am

To view the virtual exhibition click HERE | Live on Saturday, November 23 @ 10 am | REGISTER HERE

I have three pieces in the show - two in the gallery walls and one at the virtual sale.

Suddenly, She Wasn't Afraid Any More at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

The Lilith Consoling Eve (After the Explusion) at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid) will be at MAP's virtual sale

East City Art’s 2024 DC Risoprint Fair

The inaugural DC Risoprint Fair arrives this fall, cementing its place as a must-attend event in DC’s arts calendar. Presented by East City Art, the region’s go-to source for visual art news, the fair will take place at Eastern Market’s North Hall on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24. The print fair celebrates the vibrant world of Risography, a quirky printing technique that blends the convenience of digital duplication with the wonderfully unexpected results that come from screen printing.

More than two dozen artists, graphic designers, presses and printers from DC, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Richmond, and Philadelphia will display hundreds of original prints, books, and cards—offering an accessible entry point for new collectors, with many works priced affordably. 

Attendees will explore the charm of RISO prints, known for their vibrant colors, subtle misregistrations, and textured, retro aesthetic, qualities that make every piece truly one of a kind.

Exhibitors include the following individuals and organizations:

Blurred Circle [Brooklyn, NY]   

Ivy Zheyu Chen / UPON [New York, NY] 

Clown Kisses Press [Richmond,VA]   

Capital RISO  [Washington, DC]

inner loop press [Philadelphia, PA]   

ipsy bipsy studio [Washington, DC] 

StitchPrism [Philadelphia, PA]   

Stoop Shop Comics & Baltimore Print Studios [Baltimore, MD]

xanderjakeq [Hyattsville, MD]    

East City Art’s 2024 DC Risoprint Fair

• Saturday & Sunday, November 23 & 24, 2024 | Saturday:  10 a.m.–5 p.m. & Sunday: 10 a.m.—4 p.m.
• Eastern Market’s North Hall at 225 7^th Street SE, Washington DC, 20003
• risoprintfair.eastcityart.com

Loriann Signori at Gallery B opens tomorrow

 "Light is a Kind of Generosity" at Gallery B - Loriann Signori Exhibition Opens Tomorrow

"Light is a Kind of Generosity" by Loriann Signori opens tomorrow! Loriann's paintings, situated between abstraction and recognizable form, are explorations of the color of air and beauty. Loriann is recognized as an Eminent Pastelist with the International Pastel Society, and a winner of the President’s Award in 2024.

"Light is a Kind of Generosity" will run from November 8 - December 1, 2024. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6pm, and Sunday 12-2pm. There will be an opening reception Friday, November 8 from 5:30-8:30pm, and an artist talk on Saturday, November 23 from 12-1pm.

Gallery B

The curious case of Eyder Peralta's Spanish translations on NPR

You constant readers know that I am a pedantic Virgo who often pokes fun at the Googletranslatization of America - this 2004 example is perhaps one of the funniest ones.

However, every once in a while one comes at what can best be described as an intellectually dishonest translation - that is, when the translator purposefully "slides" the translations around to drive home a point or position or opinion.

And thus my most recent case submitted for your evaluation.

This morning, as I've done for the past 20-30 years, I listened to NPR from about 7AM - 8AM.

At around 7:28AM, on WAMU I listened to NPR's Mexico City correspondent Eyder Peralta deliver a report on NPR's Morning Edition with the subject of "Mexico's leader says don't fret Trump's win, but Mexicans say they are worried."

You can listen to it here.

At the point in the report where Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum speaks in Spanish for the second time in the clip, Peralta translates it as:

"To our brothers and sisters who live in the United States, to the businesspeople, there is no reason to worry."

Is this translation is purposefully mistranslated?, I note that because Sheinbaum did NOT say "hermanos y hermanas" which is Spanish for "brothers and sisters", but "paisanos y paisanas" which means "countrymen and countrywomen", and there's a HUGE familial and political footprint on the meaning of those words.

Error? Intellectual dishonesty? A stretch of the translation?

No tengo idea... cough... cough...

Eccentric Exhibition at Alliance Gallery juried by Rosemary Feit Covey

My good friend Rosemary Feit Covey has put together what I hear is a great show in Arlington at the Arlington Artists Alliance gallery!

The exhibition explores the artists’ interpretation of the show’s title: Altered States. Themes  include but are not limited to: transformation and change, alternate realities, inner or personal growth, and shifting perspectives. 

From the innards of a giant fuzzy earthworm to the dark history of gynecology to the melting of the Alps, this show is unique and thought-provoking. 

All artists are from the DMV area. Almost all mediums are represented: video art, soft sculpture, hard sculpture, paintings, embroidery, photography, ceramics, and 3D printed objects. 

The show is up until November 24 and gallery hours are Thursday-Sunday, 12-6PM.

Address: Alliance Gallery at The Crossing, 2700 Clarendon Blvd Suite 330 in the breezeway between SoulCycle and Chip City in Arlington VA.

The curious case of the mystery artist and the poop sculpture

On NPR Rachel Treisman told us about how Poop on Pelosi's desk, a neo-Nazi tiki torch: Mysterious statues are popping up in D.C. and we learned that:

An unusual bronze sculpture appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., last week: a replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, topped with her nameplate, a landline phone, Post-it Notes, file folders and a perfectly swirled pile of feces, a la poop emoji.

Then Sebastian Smee at the WaPo, told us that it was "great public art, actually."

Then Joe Heim, also at the WaPo added that a new sculpture had appeared: "A neo-Nazi tiki torch statue for Trump.

And yesterday Makea Luzader from DC News Now, and today Heim added that the artist is now distributing mini replicas of the poopsculpture (see how I just invented a new word?). 

(Images courtesy of Civic Crafted)

Luzader adds:

The statue’s permit ended on Oct. 31, but its legacy lives on — Civic Crafted, the organization that held the permit from the National Park Service, placed new poop memorabilia out for grabs.

You can't make this shit poop up!

Why Trump is going to win tomorrow

Before you read my prediction for tomorrow's election, read this 2005 post, where I warned the Democratic Party of the reasoning that I am about to use for the prediction.

This is part of what I wrote almost 20 years ago:

Talking about Mexico and Mexicans... it baffles me that the egg heads in the Democrat Party cannot foresee what every contemporary Latino/Hispanic knows in his or her heart: One day, not too far in the future, as the Hispanic population in the US continues to grow,  and because we are so diverse in thought, culture and perspectives, that one day, a decade or two from now, when Latino numbers make Latinos the largest ethnic minority in the US... the DNC will be shocked to "discover" that Latinos will not be obedient voters for the Democrat ticket only, and Latino/a politicians will run and win under the Republican party, and large percentages of the Latino vote will go to the right.

About tomorrow's election - I will predict that Trump will win, and his victory will be in large part due to the Hispanic vote.  If this doesn't make sense to you, then read the 2005 post again!

What are we going to see?

Florida has a HUGE Hispanic population - everyone knows Cuban-Americans vote in the high 90s for Republicans, and yet Miami's Dade County has been reliably Democratic for decades; Hillary Clinton won the county with 63% of the vote in 2016, and President Biden won it with 53% in 2020 -  that was a warning signal to the Dems that they failed to heed.  I predict that Trump will not only win Dade (and Florida), but also win it easily - around 51 - 55% of the vote.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Osceola County in Florida, as that county has a huge Puerto Rican population. If Trump wins that county, it's another nail in the coffin, a really nasty one, in view of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe stupid jokes at the Madison Square Garden rally held by the Trump campaign.

Texas also has a substantial Mexican-American population, and we're told that the pollsters are seeing a substantial move of the usually reliable Democrat voters towards the GOP. If they're right in Texas, then think all those Southwestern states and Harris is cooked.

Biden won Latino males by a 23 points (59%-36%) in the 2020 elections.  I predict that El Trumpo will not only reverse that, but get between 50-55% of the Latino male vote.

Latina women are a different story, but still a problem for Harris. Biden won Latina women votes by 39 points in 2020! Tall order for Harris (in my opinion). She will still win with Latina women, but will most likely underperform Biden, and win Latina women's vote by 20-25%, thus giving El Trumpo 14-19% more votes from Latinas; it adds up!

Bottom line: If you are one of those doomsayers who has been brainwashed by the press about the world ending if Trump wins, blame it on Latinos/Latinas/Hispanics.

Lo que no mata, engorda.

Curtis Woody's Art Reception at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex

 Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments on Sunday, November 17, 2024, 2pm - 4pm at a free, public art reception in Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex.

Curtis G. Woody's powerful works enhance the unique, cultural characteristics of African American heritage and history. His intricate collage paintings are research based and draw inspiration from historical connection points that join individuals, families, generations and communities.

This exhibition at The Learning Gallery inside Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex will be open to the public through January 4, 2025.

SPLEX is located at 8001 Sheriff Rd, Landover, MD 20785. It is open to the public through January 4, 2025. Hours of operation are: Monday - Friday, 6am - 9pm, Saturday, 9am - 6pm, Sunday, 12pm - 6pm

If you can't paint well, paint BIG!

What Dali said...

Homage to Salvador Dali, 2024 by F. Lennox Campello
Graphite & conte on broken, reclaimed, unfired Bisque

The curious case of the Dwyane Wade statue

This is just funny - a lot of people saying that the statue looks nothing like Wade (the statue was designed by Timeless Creations’ Omri Amrany and Oscar León, and it sits outside the front doors of the Kaseya Center).:

• Dwyane Wade statue unveiled in Miami as fans contend it looks nothing like him
• ‘Who the hell is this?’: Fans confused by Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade statue
• 'That statue is not it': Dwyane Wade sculpture goes viral following unveiling in Miami

Diane Tuckman, RIP

From Diane Tuckman's family:

It is with a heavy heart we share the peaceful passing of Diane Tuckman March 24,1935 - October 25, 2024 at 89 years old. She is survived by her children Ian Tuckman and Valerie Lynn as well as her grandchildren Danielle and Alexander Lynn, Melanie Robertson and Tatiana Baldyga.   

If you would like to make a donation in her memory her spiritual home was at Mishkan Torah Synagogue https://www.mishkantorah.org/visitdonatejoin/donate-to-mishkan-torah  or 10 Ridge Road Greenbelt MD  20220   

Alternatively any Jewish organization of your choice would also be meaningful.     

Goodbye Diane... your art footprint will live forever -- read about this remarkable artists here. 

What Hemingway said...

True...

Homage to Ernest Hemingway - 2024 by F. Lennox Campello
Graphite & conte on broken, reclaimed, unfired Bisque

Mark Jenkins' DisCerning Eye

The Washington Post's former Galleries art critic, Mark Jenkins, has a new online publication where he continues to review DMV art shows!

This is great news not only to the DMV art scene, but also to the art history of our area, as Jenkins' reviews will help document for the future the area's art scene.

Visit his site, DisCerning Eye here, and visit often!

Jonell Logan Appointed Executive Director & Curator of Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art

Following a national hiring search, Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) today announced the appointment of Jonell Jaime Logan as the Institute's new Executive Director & Curator. Ms. Logan will start on October 28. 

The appointment comes as the Institute (formerly the Greater Reston Arts Center) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

“Tephra ICA’s mission is not only to promote innovative art and thinking, but to advocate for the arts and artists with curiosity and care. I believe in this mission and am honored to be the next Executive Director to support this work," said Ms. Logan. 

Ms. Logan is a curator, arts advocate, and non-profit leader who believes in "building visionary, mission-driven organizations that support contemporary art and culture."

She has an MFA in Drawing and Painting, Printmaking from Brooklyn College. Originally from New York, Ms. Logan has worked in arts organizations that include The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of Art; Studio Museum in Harlem; and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. 

Ms. Logan served as the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, NC and, more recently, she served as the Vice President + Creative Director at the McColl Center in Charlotte. 

During her tenure at McColl, she led the implementation of the newly adopted strategic plan, revamped the curatorial and Artist-in-Residence program, implemented a new studio rental and exhibition program in support of local artists, and was instrumental in helping to secure $100,000 in new funding from the Warhol Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

”Jonell is an established and innovative leader, bringing exceptional curatorial, management, and fundraising experience gained at respected institutions in our sector," said Robert Goudie, Tephra ICA Board Chair. “Add to that her national reach, and even amidst a deep and strong candidate pool she stood out. We took the unusual step of entering into a five-year commitment, reflecting our belief in her and her belief in Tephra ICA. That stability will be especially important as we seek during that time to identify and close on our new home in Reston, an American Alliance of Museums-accredited and larger space that will allow us to expand what we can deliver to the region. We are thrilled to have a leader of such accomplishment and vision bring Tephra ICA into the next decade of our evolution.”

DC Art News send a warm welcome to Ms. Logan and welcomes her to the DMV art scene!

Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

As I've done several times in the past, I attended Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 yesterday, and as usual, it was a spectacular day in an most unique place where traveling back in time (this time to 1537) was not only worth it, but also easily one of the best and most entertaining and fun-filled events that someone in our neck of the woods can attend.

Let me be clear: On the scale of 1-10 on my recommendation for spending a fun-filled day, the Maryland Renaissance Festival gets 1000!

We picked up our tickets at Will Call, where the pretty elf on duty was efficient and to the point.

Me: "Hi... I was also told to show you my ID to get the military discount..."

Elf: "Can I see your ID card?"

I hand it to her and she examines it closely.

Elf: "Nope... military discount is only for active duty, not retired military" she says firmly as she hands the card back.

I grumble to myself as I walk away disappointed and bummed out and enter the festival, where within a few feet my son and I are transported back to 1537 and immediately greeted by these ladies below... which improved my mood immediately.

Quite possibly one of the best people-watching places on Earth, especially for artists and people watchers like me and most readers of this blog, is the huge medieval world created by the hard-working people who set up this festival year after year for the past few decades.

A couple of decades ago, I actually rented a tent at this fair and sold a lot of artwork - all of it was somewhat related to the theme at hand -- at the time I was doing a lot of drawings about standing stones in Scotland, the saga of The Wallace, and ancient Pictish and Celtic legends - so it fit right in.

This year there must have been a sale on pointed ears, as there were elves by the hundreds at the fair - I suspect that there was a Vulcan or two around, trying to pass for an elf in the crowd, as I saw at least two Klingons, obviously time traveling, and Boba Fett was also seen wandering in the crowd.

Elfin princess at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

There are multiple stages throughout the festival, and constant performances by highly talented musicians, entertainers, magicians, sword-swallowers, etc.

From the several that we saw, DC ART NEWS awards the Best Act at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024 to juggler Paolo Garbanzo!

Paolo Garbanzo at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

Garbanzo is not only a superbly talented juggler, but he is also a master comedian, a superbly gifted ad hoc talker (during his act there was a ballerina war, a math war... yeah) but also a finely tuned performer with an almost supernatural link with his audience - he is able to "tune" the act to the audience as the speed of someone who has refined his talents over years of practice and observation.

All through the grounds are crafts people, artists, cooks, sellers, and entertainers which pepper the festival with hundreds of things to see, buy, touch, learn and do.

One of many vendors at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

There is also a huge diversity of spirits, beers, meads and ales to enjoy! And lots of visitors, both human or elfish were enjoying the offerings, as well as a cat or two!

A gorgeous feline at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

One of the many taverns and pubs at the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

Two costumed visitors to the Maryland Renaissance Festival 2024

For lunch, the younger Campello wanted a steak on a stake (get it?) and for $7 he got a really nice, full size, grilled steak on a stick, which he wolfed down as we headed to the jousting arena.

We got there a little early, which was good, as the place really packs up as the time for the joust to begin approaches.  We sat next to an elf witch with a small brood of little elves by the side.

The joust began with the lords and ladies introducing the mistress of ceremonies as Princess Luna of the Kingdom of Andalucía -  she was a gorgeous and highly skilled MC!

Lords and ladies at the joust arena

The almost seven million readers of this blog already know that I am a pedantic Virgo, and in 1537 there was no such thing as a Kingdom of Andalucía.  

In the past, the ancient kingdoms of Jaén, Córdoba and Seville were collectively referred to under the name Andalucía, which comes from the way that the Arabic speaking Moors which invaded Iberia in the 700s and were kicked out of Spain by 1492, referred to that southern region of the Iberian peninsula, which had been settled and ruled by the Germanic tribe known as the Vandals.

Thus the Arabic name for (essentially) southern Spain was al-Andalus, which means "Land of the Vandals." As such, al-Andalus evolved to Andalucía.

Sorry Princess Luna.

Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

The joust was spectacular! All four riders were superb horsemen and performed a variety of "ooooh" "aaaaaah" eliciting riding skills, especially the knight from Ireland and the prince from Portugal - who was easily the most skilled and versatile jouster! 

Prince Miguel from Portugal was amazing!

However, in my pedantic hell I also had issues with the Irish and Portuguese name selections.  If I were in charge, I would have had the Irishman be a Scottish knight - after all King Robert The Bruce of Scotland sent hundreds of Scottish cavalry to Spain to help the Christians defeat the Moors during the Reconquista.

Prince Miguel from Portugal should really be recast as perhaps a member of the Marinid Dynasty, a Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and were a powerful presence in other parts of North Africa.

Joust at the 2024 Maryland Renaissance Festival

In summary, one of the funnest, most enjoyable, entertaining ways to spend a day on this planet!  The festival only runs a few weekends a year (yesterday was the last day for 2024), and the tickets sell out fast!  You can visit them online and you have to reserve your tickets early for 2025, as they will sell out fast!

My kudos to every one associated with the hard work and labor of love that it is to present, work, and stage the festival. I am in awe of your love and commitment!

Details here.

Erik Sandberg at CONNERSMITH

One of the most talented and gifted DMV area painters is Erik Sandberg, a fabulous artist whose career I’ve been following since he was an art student at George Mason University under the great Margarida Kendall.

Sandberg is currently exhibiting at CONNERSMITH and we are told that “this final work in his most recent cycle of paintings exemplifies the artist’s acclaimed Surrealist expression of contemporary humanism. Sandberg sets forth a vivid allegory of our relationships to one another and nature in “Bramble” with multiple human and animal figures who coexist in their own world.

Grounded in cohering elements of earth, trees and grass, the jumble of interwoven figures - five humans, a fox, a rabbit, a monkey and a crocodile - appears to revolve in empty space. In their actions and gestures, Sandberg conceptualizes dynamics among members of a household, community, or society which function as a singular organism. The characters, at odds with their circumstances, move in disparate directions, either struggling to stop, or redirect, the revolving construct, or attempting to destroy the barriers that separate them.”

CONNERSMITH is open by appointment, online, and via social media.

Camila Mancilla - Homesick

Camila Mancilla, an Alexandria-based architect and artist, currently has an exhibition titled Homesick, now on display at the District Architecture Center in Washington, DC.

The show features a combination of collage, found objects, and cutouts to explore the emotional layers of memory and nostalgia within architectural spaces.

From her website we learn that:

Camila Mancilla is an architect who combines mixed media, paper construction, collage, and video installations to explore themes like identity, liminality, and the nuances of architecture through inmateriality. Her three-dimensional collages offer fresh perspectives on both architectural and human structures. Transformation and a deep understanding of human experiences within various spaces are at the heart of her work.

Mancilla's video installations and multimedia experiments build upon her collage work, drawing viewers into dynamic spatial explorations. These creations encourage reflection on the deep connections between architectural spaces and human emotions.

In the academic realm, Mancilla teaches at Virginia Tech and Universidad Austral de Chile.  Her research focuses on the relationship between architecture and monsters (collages). Her distinct artwork has been showcased in numerous exhibitions worldwide. Additionally, she holds a Master's degree in Cultural Heritage from Escuela de Arquitectura UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and is currently pursuing her PhD at Virginia Tech WAAC.