All Art Friday

All Art Friday

Meet Artist Phoebe Greenberg

Artist Phoebe Greenberg discusses her film Next Floor (2008) at the Hirshhorn Museum on Thursday, February 25, 7:00 p.m. Conceived and produced by Greenberg and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Next Floor — a fascinating statement on society's excessive consumption (my husband and I saw the film some months ago) — won Best Short Film, International Critics' Week, at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The Hirshhorn's one-hour conversation with Greenberg is free. Additional information about the film is here; details on the talk are here.

Baltimore ACC Show

The American Craft Council is holding its annual winter show at the Baltimore (Maryland) Convention Center February 25-28.

This is one of my favorite events; it is also exhausting (take comfortable shoes!), because the number of fine craft artists who gather to display and sell their one-of-a-kind work usually exceeds 700. One highlight is the opportunity to meet and talk with the artists; another is to visit Demo Stage, which offers live demonstrations and hands-on projects (for example, "throwing" a pot, fusing glass to create jewelry, designing a greeting card) with some of the show's artists and local craft organizations, such as Baltimore Clayworks; and yet another is to take part in the Awards of Excellence Walking Tours, conducted by the show's jurors, who discuss what makes awardees' work so noteworthy. The show this year brings back School to Market, a section set aside for craft artists from Savannah College of Art and Design and Rhode Island School of Design; and AltCraft, a reserved marketplace-style space for 20 artists. For additional information, including craft categories, admission costs, and a New Exhibitors list, visit the show's Website.

The ACC opens its show in the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, March 11-14. Details are here. After that, it's on to St. Paul (April 16-18) and San Francisco (August 13-15).

Caton Merchant Exhibition

Last Saturday evening, my husband and I braved the snow and blustery winter winds to drive to Manassas for the opening reception for Myth & Mystery, a three-artist show at Caton Merchant Family Gallery.

We went specifically to see the new work of exceptional oil painter Tracey Clarke, who first caught our eye at an exhibition at the Athenaeum in Alexandria, Virginia, and was the subject of a two-question interview I published in a run-up to the Caton Merchant show. Of the 11 paintings on display, "The Dream" (sold before the show opened), "The Landlord", "The Guide", "Exile of the Black Horse", and "Nee's Passing on the Third Day of the Spring Revolt" were my favorites. (Images are here.)

The encaustics of Karen Eide were beautiful, too, and we lamented that the artist couldn't attend the opening at Caton Merchant, which is housed in an old candy factory. (We wish her a speedy recovery from an earlier accident.)

We delighted in making the acquaintance of Fairfax, Virginia, artist Kathleen Kendall, whose intimate mixed media work drew attention all night.

Some of Kathleen's pieces combine oil painting and paper collage; others, such as her small icon-like portraits, are made from clay and layered with such "found" materials as beads, wrapping or other patterned papers, shells, lace, printers' letters, and maps. They are intricate and precise but not fussy. Full of symbols you needn't understand to appreciate them, the works often appear as though torn from a book about classical or Renaissance art. They're both dramatic and theatrical, mysterious and mythic, telling stories of their own that may or may not be complete. Their wonderful titles give only a clue to their narratives: "Like Taking the Black Off a Crow", "The Sphinz", "Abracadabra", "Fortune Teller", "Sirene", "Knot of Fools", and "Three Graces" (seen above, at left). As Kathleen says, "All of my work is concentrated in a language that is psychological and personal to me."

Kathleen was  the subject of an Elan magazine featured-artist profile in 2009. Read it here. The article highlights Kathleen's use of tissue paper to create a layered effect that does not add bulk and includes images of a number of her rather haunting and ethereal beauties.

If you're in the area, don't miss this show! Work of the quality of the art of all three of the artists deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. And buy the work now, while it's still affordable.

Shipping Art C/of DHS

Do you regularly ship art from here to there? Listen up! Our Department of Homeland Security has a few rules for you. Go here to read the latest on DSH's new rule on air cargo, which has more than a few art world denizens complaining of headaches. You might also find Randy Kennedy's New York Times article on the rule a good read. The DHS mandate becomes effective August 1.

Cat's Out of the Bag

The Washington, D.C., area often takes a bad rap for being "too inside the Beltway"—in politics and in the arts. Well, we don't all live inside the bubble; I'd even say most of us don't. Need proof? Go here. Contemporary artists from New York City, Los Angeles, and the D.C. area joining forces for a temporary art exhibition that just might land our area the kind of press the art scene here deserves. And now that the cat's out of the bag, keep spreading the news.

Visual Artist Podcasting Network

If you're an artist and can't stand the silence in your studio, the Visual Artist Podcast Network may be the resource you're looking for. Launched this month, VAPN offers a choice of podcasts to keep you "informed, inspired, and entertained" while you're creating. Select one of the "channels" offering interviews or articles about painting, drawing, and story-telling; tutorials; a "process diary"; pop culture discussions; and news of what's going on in the arts community.

VAPN also just announced it has joined forces with the Artcast Network, a directory of artists who broadcast their work on live Webcasts via streaming services (Ustream, Livestream, and others), so that you can also watch artists paint or draw in real time. Created by freelance illustrator Dani Jones (she's a professional illustrator of children's picture books, magazines, and educational materials), ArtCast encourages artists to submit their own Webcasts.

He Said It!

All art is good or bad according to how much life it holds and releases. ~ Art critic Jonathan Jones
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