All Art Friday

All Art Friday

Looking at Eye Level

The Smithsonian American Art Museum produces a delightful blog, Eye Level, that goes a long way to expanding our physical experience and appreciation of art-viewing while also informing us about the roles and perspectives of museums in our culture. Using SAAM's own collection as a "touchstone", Eye Level takes us behind the scenes to better understand our nation's art history and culture. Writers for the blog also discuss other collections, exhibits, and arts events, as well as collaborations among curators, conservators, art handlers, art historians, critics, exhibition and new media designers, and the public. To subscribe, click here.

Mozart at the Atlas

It's not too late to attend tonight's concert "IBIS at the Atlas". IBIS, an Arlington, Virginia-based chamber music group, performs works by Mozart, Turina, and Schumann at 7:30 p.m. at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E., Washington, D.C.). Two Levine School of Music faculty join in the music-making. ($10)

Call for Artists

A call for entries to "I Will, with God's Help: Recognition and Return", Part 1 of the Episcopal Church & Visual Arts (ECVA) Baptismal Covenant Series, was announced this week. Artists who are members of ECVA's Artists Registry may enter. The deadline is January 15, 2010. Complete details on the Series and submission requirements are here. The current online exhibition, "Full of Grace", can be viewed here.

New Shows at MPA

Three new shows opened yesterday and will run through January 9 at the McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, Virginia.

Leading the way along the Ramp Gallery is an eclectic exhibition of works by members of the McLean Art Society. The show is juried by Linda Hafer, executive director of the Art League in Alexandria, Virginia.

In MPA's Emerson Gallery, works of Alex Bay and R.L. Croft are featured in "As Likely As Not: Sculpture", curated by exhibitions director Nancy Sausser. Bay and Croft, who began their artistic lives as painters, consider themselves "object-makers" and in this show they use a wide range of techniques and materials to fabricate their own idiosyncratic sculptures. The artists are giving a talk at the gallery at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10. (Because of space limitations, reservations are requested. Telephone 703-790-1953.)

Melissa Dickenson's "Hybrids of Tutela: New Works" grace the Atrium Gallery. Crafting "structures" of acrylic paint and ink on cut paper, Dickenson creates fantastical imagery — rather mysterious flora and fauna — that meanders and overflows the traditionally boundaries of the picture frame.

All of the shows are free and open to the public. MPA is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue in McLean; telephone 703-790-1953 or go online for directions and gallery hours.

Building Online Presence

I'm part of a social network group on LinkedIn, called Visual Artists and Their Advocates, where there has been an ongoing discussion about effective ways for artists to build online presence. One of the best responses came in through the Moshe Mikanovsky Art Blog, "List of 66+ Websites for Artists to Build Online Presence". Though not vetted and unendorsed, Mikanovsky's list of sites offers an excellent starting point. Just by compiling this resource and annotating it with some helpful information Mikanovsky does a favor for artists who need a push to get onto the Internet. Take a look at the list and feel free to comment on it and to add your own suggestions.

NMAI Art Market

Thirty-five Native artists from North and South America are participating in the annual Art Market at the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall (4th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W.; 202-633-1000). On December 5 and 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the artists will be showing and selling hand-made jewelry, beadwork, pottery, baskets, prints, paintings, and sculpture, as well as clothing. The Art Market in New York City, with more than 40 Native artists, is on the same two days, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Click here for a list of participating artists in both locations.

MAD! Artists and More

The Collector's Showcase, the 3rd Annual Fundraising Event benefiting Workhouse Arts Center (9517 Workhouse Way, Lorton, Virginia 22079; 703-584-2900), gets underway at 6:00 p.m. on December 12, with "Pillow Talk", featuring jazz guitarist Royce Campbell. There will be a gift raffle and silent auction and wine tasting. Then "Fete d'Etoile" ("Festival of Stars") begins at 8:00 p.m., with a celebration of art, food, spirits, and dancing. Tickets to "Pillow Talk" are $25; tickets to "Fete d'Etoile" are $150 single and $175 couple.

Off the Walls

The Corcoran Gallery of Art's popular "Off the Walls" show and sale opens December 10, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., and extends through December 12, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., in the North Atrium (500 Seventeenth St., N.W., Washington, D.C.; 202-639-1901). Benefiting both the participating artists and the Corcoran College of Art + Design, the event features jewelry and wearable art, ceramics, and fine art hand-crafted by Corcoran students, alumni, faculty, and staff. If you are looking for something art-related and unique, plan to stop by. Just browsing is fun, too.

Holiday Gift Market

The National Museum of Women in the Arts opens its Holiday Gift Market in its Great Hall (a beautiful space) on December 9, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. "Celebrate the Season", now in its 8th year, offers jewelry, international crafts, personal accessories, home accents and a variety of other unique gifts, all made by women artists and designers. The Gift Market closes at 5:00 p.m. on December 9. NMWA members receive double member discounts on purchases.

While you're at the Museum (1250 New York Avenue., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005; 202-783-5000), be sure to take time for the exhibitions: "Hard Copy: Book as Sculpture", "Lands of Enchantment: Australian Aboriginal Painting", "Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions & Conundrums in Contemporary Art", and "Elements of Nature" Equines and Still Lifes by Clarice Smith". All of these shows close in January.

Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Kathryn A. Wat gives a half-hour Wednesday Gallery Talk on "Lands of Enchantment" on December 16 at noon.

The best way to reach NMWA is by Metro. Get off at the Metro Center station and walk two blocks north.

Local Studio Vacancies

Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia, has a vacancy in its group studio. The four-artist 600-square-foot area with high ceilings, large windows, and skylight, is renting for $150/month per artist. The application deadline is December 21; the lucky recipient will be notified before December 24. For information about AAC's artist-residency program, the group studio, and a downloadable application, click here.

AAC also is processing for AKA/Korman Properties applications for four studio spaces in the AKA Virginia Square building just blocks from the center. The ground-floor studios, ranging from 240 square feet to 329 square feet and equipped with natural and track lighting and high ceilings, rent for $10 per square foot annually, plus utilities. Applicants who are Arlington-based artists receive priority. For an application form, e-mail ACC at information@arlingtonartscenter.org. Applications must be submitted by December 21 for leases beginning January 15, 2010. Initial leases are for six months.

He Wrote It!

With their levels of "latent inhibition" low, ". . . creative individuals remain in contact with the extra information streaming in from the environment." ~ Jordan Peterson, psychology professor, University of Toronto, co-author of "Creative People More Open to Stimuli From Environment"

For the post that took me to this quote, click here. With thanks to my blogging buddy, photographer Diane Walker, who wrote her own post inspired by the study of biological bases of creativity.