Art of the Northeast is a competition/exhibition highlighting the diversity of work that is currently being made in the Northeast by emerging and established artists. For our 64th annual competition, we are proud to announce a Best in Show cash prize of $3,000 along with a solo show at Silvermine. Previous jurors have included David Ross, Chair of the School of Visual Arts’ MFA Program, Tom Eccles, Executive Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and Douglas Dreishpoon, Chief Curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery of Buffalo, New York.

Curator: Andrew Russeth, New York Art Critic who writes for The New York Observer, edits its visual art website “Gallerist”, and publishes contemporary art blog 16 Miles of String; former contributor to Art+Auction, Modern Painters and Performa Biennial’s catalog.

Awards: Best in Show: $3,000 cash prize and solo exhibition at Silvermine Arts Center.
Additional cash awards $4000+, at juror’s discretion.

Terms: Open to All Media. Artists must reside in CT, DE, MA, MD (D.C.), ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

Deadline: April 25, 2014

Entry fee: $45 (up to ten artworks)

Please go here to apply: http://silvermineart.org/art/call-for-entries.php

Last weekend the Baltimore D:Center hosted the 5th annual Open Space Print and Multiples Fair (PMF).  With lectures, exhibitions, talks and of course art in multiples for sale at a variety of prices, this locally organized creative pow-wow has become a hugely anticipated event for regional and local art makers and collectors.  Sometime in the Fall of 2013 I was having a conversation with two of the Open Space members, Nick Peelor and Margo Benson Malter, about Artscape 2014 and they expressed a interest in finding a way to highlight Baltimore’s growing small gallery community and bring some of the excitement of PMF to our annual sweltering summer arts fest.  The concept for Alternative Art Fair grew from there and we are excited that Nick and Margo are on board to organize and curate our inaugural gathering of small gallery and alternative exhibitions spaces at Artscape.  To shed some more light on the thinking that went into planning the fair I did a short interview with the curators, their answers are below accompanied by crowd sourced documentation from #PMFV. -Ryan Patterson

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Over the last five years the Open Space Prints and Multiples Fair has grown into a highly anticipated destination arts event in Baltimore. I know that PMF is a ton of work but always a lot fun for everyone involved. What was your inspiration for this “gallery fair” style event? 

Nick: I think a big part of the inspiration behind this event was trying to figure out a way for galleries to be more involved in Artscape.  Due to the outdoor nature of Artscape, It can be difficult to show gallery work. We went to Art Basel this December, and seeing the work at the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) Fair was super inspiring as well. We wanted to do a fair that would operate with a similar vibe to the Publications and Multiples fair, but showcase all of the amazing galleries in Baltimore and abroad. It’s cool to see so many spaces around the country with alternative models doing such great work. It seems that in the last few years, Baltimore is heading in this really rad direction in terms of all of the art spaces that are popping off; we thought it’d be a good idea to tap into that energy and show it to a wider audience.

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So as curators of the Alternative Art Fair what are you goals for the project?

Margo: The fifth Prints and Multiples Fair happened last weekend, and the curation of that event read really strongly in the quality of the work presented. There wasn’t one table there that didn’t have something interesting to offer. Both vendors and attendees commented on this to me over the course of the weekend and I would like to have that same level of variety and also the same level of quality across the board at the Artscape Fair. With events like this you’re putting trust in the vendors or galleries you select to come through and the process of picking those spaces carefully will help ensure that.

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In what ways do you believe that participating art spaces will benefit from their involvement in the fair?

Margo: I hope they sell stuff! This is a really concrete benefit which will hopefully happen but also we hope that this fair will help create a feeling of a larger community existing both within Baltimore and with out of town folks. Nick: Mostly, I think it’ll be a great chance to show off work to Artscape’s 350,000+ attendees. There’s been some talk lately about the exclusivity of artist run spaces, although I do not necessarily agree with that sentiment, I do think this will be a great opportunity to be as open to the public as possible. I’m hoping that spaces will gain new audience members in the future from seeing them at this event.

PMFV 011   PMFV 005

Why do you think it is important to give alternative art spaces an opportunity to exhibit themselves and their artists in the context of a city-wide arts festival?

Margo: It’s important to contextualize ourselves in the broader community because we know there is that dialog around this specific crowd in Baltimore being inaccessible or exclusive. Even if people feel those characterizations are true the reason a lot of galleries are not street level storefronts is that warehouse space is all the gallery can afford. I’m hoping organizing this fair in conjunction with something as mainstream as Artscape will turn the conversation towards seeing the value in all of the work of these organizations. It is also nice to give people an accessible way to engage with the amazing work these spaces and curators are putting out there. Nick: Mostly, I think there are amazing spaces in Baltimore showing great work and I’d like to help get them more exposure. I want to celebrate spaces that organize amazing shows around the country, that do so because they love art. Some people might have negative associations with the “Art World” and I’d like to present an alternate Art World that is centered in appreciation for experimentation and alternative models for working and organizing.

As founding members of the Open Space collective tell us about your experience being a part of and managing events for a Baltimore based alternative art space? What have been your observations?

Margo: So Open Space is a very “DIY” space. We are funded through the community that patronizes our openings and events mostly through throwing parties. We also get occasional donations from individuals. But by and large we just basically put on art shows and throw parties. This is a really great model because there is very little time spent doing administrative work, soliciting donations, writing grants, or trying to please donors. We have never had to answer to a board or anyone really other than each other. This allows us to focus our energies more on curating work and producing engaging programming, like this fair! NP: We don’t make any money as individuals for the work that we do with Open Space, which is a bummer. There aren’t a lot of people buying work in Baltimore from alternative art spaces. We all work full time jobs and maintain our individual art practices in addition to doing Open Space programming. It’s a labor of love for sure. It’s really fun to show great art and make good things happen in Baltimore, the payment right now is seeing amazing things come together and having a hand in it. Baltimore is rad because everyone running a DIY space is doing so because they love art; it’s not about making money. PMFV 007    PMFV 008

What are other ways to get to know the local DIY arts scene beyond attending the fair?

Nick : I’d recommend checking out these spaces: sophiajacob, Rock512Devil, Springsteen, Current Space, Area 405, Guest Spot at the Reinstitute, Lease Agreement, Gallery Four, Bodega Gallery, Lil’ Gallery, Penthouse, and the Annex 2e. There are probably some spaces I’m forgetting, but these will give you a great introduction to Baltimore’s DIY art scene. Some of these spaces have been around for 20+ years, while others have been around for a few months. There’s a new event that Kimi Hanauer has been organizing for a few months called ALLOVERSTREET, where many of the galleries in Station North have openings on the same night. It’s a good event to help you navigate the confusing corridors of the CopyCat and Annex and see some amazing work.

The Alternative Art Fair will take place on the first floor of the Charles Street Parking Garage at 1710 N. Charles Street during the  33rd Annual Artscape in Baltimore, July 18-20, 2014.  AAF is crated by Nick Peelor and Margo Benson Malter with support and oversight from Marian April Glebes and production support from the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and Guppy Management. Applications to participate in the Alternative Art Fair are being accepted through  Monday, March 17th at this link: ALTERNATIVE ART FAIR APPLICATION

“Drawing for Beginners” at School 33 will now take place on

Saturdays from March 22nd to April 12th, from 10:00am to 12:30pm!

Register now!

Drawing for Beginners Eye

Drawing for Beginners *NEW CLASS*
Registration fee: $120 + supplies (approximately $30)
Four weeks: Saturdays, March 22, 2014 through April 12, 2014
10:00am-12:30pm
Instructor: Ismael Carrillo

This 4-week workshop offers the absolute basics for getting started in drawing. It will cover topics such as basic materials, lighting, proportion, and space. It is intended for people who have little or no experience drawing, and who want to get started in a relaxed, no-pressure setting!

Ismael Carrillo has been working as a visual artist in Barcelona for well over two decades. His artwork appears in various publications worldwide.   He currently is teaching at the illustration department of MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) and at the Fine Arts Department of the Corcoran College of Art + Design, Washington D.C.

Please email qpalmer@promotionandarts.com or call (443) 263-4350 for more information and to register!

GreenAcres-landingpage-banner

“Site-specific works of art in the landscape rank among the most organic and historically significant representations of our cultural identity, and are often the most threatened.”

TCLF is now accepting nominations for Landslide® 2014: Art and the Landscape.

This year’s theme will focus on a broad range of sites from ancient petroglyphs and Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, to Herbert Bayer’s sculpted earthworks, the Modernist installations of Athena Tacha, and site-specific art installations found in remote locales and urban centers – all are distinct expressions of cultural identity and many are endangered by development, neglect, vandalism, industrial operations and other threats. TCLF’s annual compendium will bring attention to these sites in an effort to raise their visibility and promote informed stewardship. Landslide 2014 is made possible by presenting sponsor The Davey Tree Expert Company, educational partner The American Society of Landscape Architects, and media partner, Landscape Architecture magazine.

The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2014. Submissions can be made online or emailed to Amanda Shull at amanda@tclf.org. A word version of the nomination form can be found here.

http://tclf.org/annual-spotlight/landslide-2014

Due: March 15th

OPEN CALL for artists and photographers to participate in the Backlight Photo Festival 2014 in Tampere and the Tampere region, Finland starting in September 2014. The call is open from January 2014 until March 15th 2014.

Participation: The submission is open to all photographers and photo-artists. There is no restriction regarding the age or nationality of the applicant. Also groups and collectives are accepted to participate.
Submitting projects for Backlight Photo Festival 2014 is free of charge. We are looking for photography- and lens-based projects, with professional quality, dealing with Backlight 2014 festivals theme.

HOW TO APPLY

Submitting projects is only possible through on-line application. Submitting the application requires registration. After registration the application and images can be uploaded and edited before final submission,
The application form and images must be completely filled by the deadline.

Images:

max.10 images/application.
max. 1MB/each
accepted formats: PNG, JPG, GIF
Pixel Dimension 800 pixels longest side
Please note: if offering a video work the video can not be sent on-line, please send us a link to your video within your application. If you are offering more than one project, please fill separate application for each project. Each applicant can submit up to 3 (three) projects.
The online submission form is available here in this link: APPLY HERE

SELECTION PROCESS

The decisions of the chosen projects will be made by Backlight ´14 OPEN CALL international jury. We will inform all applicants of the decisions by May 31st the latest.
The amount of projects accepted to the festival is due to the festivals funding. The organizer is a non-profit association functioning on annual grants. We are waiting for the funding decisions during April 2014.
Due to the amount of applications expected the jury is not able to explain and justify the unaccepted applications.

GRANT OF RIGHTS

When submitting entries, participants confirm that the material is their own and copyright has not been violated.
The artist warrants that third party rights are not attended.
The applicant is responsible for authorizations and releases from their models and subjects.
The organizer has no right to use provided material in other purposes than the jury process before the contract has been agreed by the chosen artist and the organizer.

http://www.backlight.fi/2014/01/15/instructions-how-to-apply-open-call-for-submissions/

This is the first in a series of interviews with each of the Sondheim Award Semifinalists. Finalists will be announced in mid-April, and will be on exhibit at the Walters Art Museum June 21 to August 17; those not selcected as finalists with be exhibited at the Decker, Meyerhoff and Pinkard Galleries at MICA  July 17 to August 3, 2014.

Name: Elena Johnston
Age: 29
Website: www.elenajohnston.com
Current Location: Baltimore, MD.
Hometown: Havertown, PA.
School: MICA BFA in Illustration, Towson BA in Art Education.

Chac

Current favorite artists or artwork: Joan Miro, Esther Malaghu and Ndebele art, Alexander Calder, The Maeght Foundation, John Cocteau, Erik Satie, Brian Eno, Sonic Youth, Jordan Bernier, John Bohl, Molly O’Connell, Russell Hite, Beth Hoeckel, Demetrius Rice, Future Islands, Beach House, Floristree, Odwalla 88, Noel Friebert, Miyazaki, Fauvists, Color Field Painters, Baltimore.

What is your day job? How do you manage balancing work with studio time with your life? My focus at the moment is my studio practice as well as pursuing a degree in Art Education. I am student teaching at the moment and my work is mutually as inspired by teaching as teaching is by my practice.

Diagonals

How would you describe your work, and your studio practice? How do you challenge yourself in your work? My process right now is trying to combine unlikely combinations of media and try to play as much as possibly with different media, design, sound, and other elements. I have always been inspired by and focused on the idea of play as an approach to creating or curating, and this can take many forms. It is challenging sometimes to remain so open to the element of chance, but is also a driving force in my creative process. Surprises happen if you let them. It is important to change up your approach every so often so as to not get too comfortable with any one way of doing something. I can write a song and then get really excited by a painting. When I make something, the process happens really quickly. I am challenging myself to see what happens if I spend more time on things and push them really far.

What part of artmaking to you like or enjoy the most? The least? I enjoy making art from the initial thought or inspiration, to the actual process and exploration of materials and ideas, to the post-production work such as uploading a photo to my website, designing, printing, documenting, framing, and exhibiting. It is all fun, exciting, and productive for me. The art process is both very intimate and private to wildly public. This push and pull is exciting.

What research do you do for your art practice? I am consistently inspired by the work of my peers and the past. I enjoy working solo and collaborating with my contemporaries. I try to see as much art being made now as possible, by going to art openings in Baltimore and museums, elsewhere, etc. I look at some art blogs or go to the library to look at art books old and new. I am mostly inspired by music, as most of my work comes from a thought or idea or feeling from hearing a song or melody.

I read this quote recently and really loved it: “I have come to the conclusion that, thanks to geometry, the simplest shapes- the square, the triangle, and the circle- I’ve been able to construct a world of my own.” – Juan Stoppani

Photocopy

What books have you read lately you would recommend? Movies? Television? Music? Right now I love Apartamento magazine and Haruki Murakami.

Do you ever get in creative dry spells, and if so, how do you get out of them? If I ever feel like I am uninspired, I take a break to get perspective, which is necessary for all artists. There is time to play and time to think about ideas and both are equally as important. I find that if I exhaust one medium for myself at any given moment, I try to approach an idea from another direction such as making a song, animation, or having a conversation. Having conversations with other artists is important. Sometimes the work itself is a conversation as well.

What is your dream project? I want to make a music album, I want to continue to curate shows and make more paintings. My dream right now is to collaborate more, make books of my own work and others. To be able to dedicate more time to my art process is a dream.

The Harpo Foundaton Grants for Visual Artists award provides direct support to under-recognized artists of any age.

Application Process and Deadline

The deadline for eligible artists to apply is May 6, 2014 (11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time). Applicants must use this online application to submit the following:

  • Artist resume
  • Artist statement
  • Work samples (up to 20)

Eligibility

  • Self-defined under recognized visual artist
  • United States citizen
  • Not enrolled in a degree program
  • Not a previous Harpo grantee

Criteria

Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under recognized by the field.

Funding and Reporting

Funding decisions are made by the Board of Directors. Awards are made of up to $10,000.  The number of awards is determined each year by the annual granting budget. Grants are made to support the development of artists’ work and a grantee may use their award to support any activity toward that purpose. A report detailing how funds were used is due within 10-months of receiving funds.

In rare cases the foundation will make a multiyear grant of up to 3 years to artists whose projects warrant this sustained support. Artists who receive multiyear support must report annually to the Board before new funds are released.

Notification

Grant decisions are announced no later than November 1, 2014.

Questions

Visit our frequently asked questions page or address other questions to the Director by emailing Julie Deamer at jdeamer@harpofoundation.org