Month: April 2018

Artists, Here Are 4 Videos You Can Make Today With Your Phone

Artist videos

The Art League Blog is taking a trip down memory lane and reposting some of our most popular resources on sharing your art online! Please enjoy this post from the vault, originally published January 27, 2017.

Artists and videos: it’s a match made in heaven. People love watching visual art in progress, whether you’re documenting, demonstrating, or just talking about it. As of November 2015, there were an average of 8 billion views daily of videos on Facebook.

Making your first artist video can seem daunting, but the truth is that you probably already have your video camera in your pocket, and free editing software on your computer.

Why bother? People spend a lot of time watching videos online (8 billion views daily, remember?), so it’s an excellent way for fans and collectors to discover new artists. More importantly, including a video on your website can increase sales and make you more memorable to visitors. It’s a great investment for a small business — like yours!

You’ll find ideas for videos at the beginning of this post, and tips for first-timers at the end.

1. Demonstrate a technique

By far the most popular subject matter on our own YouTube channel, demo videos can take a number of forms.

They can be narrated or set to music. They can be in real time, sped up, created from time-lapse photography, or edited down to just the highlights. Show off your skills!

(1b. Livestream)

A livestream — a live, unedited broadcast watched online — is great for demos, because you can answer questions from the audience. You can use YouTube, Periscope, or take advantage of your Facebook following by livestreaming there. (These are all easy to do right from your phone or webcam.)

Martha Wilson as Barbara Bush
Martha Wilson performed as Barbara Bush in 2008 and documented the performance. (Watch the video here.)

2. Document an event

Got a performance or an installation to share? Make a video! A time lapse is a great way to show a long process — like an hours-long studio session, or an installation process.

The iPhone, iPad, and GoPro all have built-in time lapse functions. Or, use your regular video camera, then use any editing software to speed up the footage (and take out the slower parts). If you go this route, you’ll need new audio: think music, or narration.

3. Interview yourself

Whether you are responding to questions from a real interviewer, or answering imaginary questions, a video is the perfect outlet for talking about your art. Include images of your artwork to create visual interest.

Frames from a Scott Hutchison animation (see i don’t know, below)

4. Other

We hardly need to say this to artists, but: get creative! How can you use video to add to your art?

  • Peter Draws combines sped-up footage of Peter drawing with rambling, unrelated narration.
  • i don’t know is an animation using oil paintings by Scott Hutchison

Tips & Resources

  • Be compelling: Does your video inspire, inform, entertain? If not, back to the drawing board!
  • Gear: Not as important as you’d think. Our most-watched video was shot at The Art League using an inexpensive Flipcam, and your phone probably shoots higher quality footage than that. The most important thing is the content of the video.
    • Tripod: If you’re both the artist and the videographer, you’ll need something to hold the camera for you. There are plenty of options out there for tripods to hold your phone or camera.
  • Editing: Editing makes the video. In your case, it’s probably as simple as cutting down clips and stitching them together, and the free software that’s already on your computer can do that. (Try iMovie on your Mac or iPad, and Windows Movie Maker on Windows.)
  • Music: Sound and music can do wonders! For public domain and Creative Commons music, we like to look on youtube.com/audiolibrary and freemusicarchive.org
  • Duration: On our videos, the average watch time is three minutes. After that point, it gets harder to hold the viewer’s attention. Try to make your video as short and concise and possible, and grab the viewer’s attention at the very start. (This isn’t necessarily true for livestreams.)
  • Where to upload: Your video will probably live on YouTube or Vimeo, and from there you can share it on your website, in emails, etc. If you are on Facebook, upload the video directly onto that platform for optimal engagement.
Artful Resources

Artist Opportunities #419

by Art League instructor Nick Barnes.

 

On Tuesdays, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Call for entries: International Print Center New York

Deadline: April 29. Submit your prints and print-based work to International Print Center New York’s New Prints exhibition series. New Prints 2018/Summer will be on view from June 21 to September 21, 2018. To apply: ipcny.submittable.com

“Light of the Caribbean”

Deadline: April 30. Any artist who has been inspired by the Caribbean is eligible to submit artwork to this juried exhibition celebrating National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. “Light of the Caribbean” will be featured at Mattawoman Creek Art Center in Marbury, MD, June 8-July 8, 2018. 

Residencies: The Studios of Key West

Deadline: May 15. The Studios of Key West, the premiere arts organization at the Southernmost Point of the United States, is now accepting residency applications from artists and writers from around the world. One month residencies are awarded to visual artists, writers, composers, performers, and interdisciplinary artists. Facilities include three residency cottages and a 14,000 square foot building in Old Town, Key West, housing a 200 seat theater, classrooms and 3 exhibition spaces.

 

Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!

Glow in the dark

Deadline: April 29. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites national and international artists to apply for Illuminate, a special glow-in-the-dark exhibition that is focused on the relationship between art and light. The lights will be turned off in the gallery, turning the viewer’s attention to the illuminated artwork whether it be through the lighting of video, light installation/sculpture, or use of black light mediums.

King Street Art Festival

Deadline: May 1. The King Street Art Festival (September 15–16, 2018) in Alexandria, VA is limited to approximately 250 exhibitors chosen by a jury of highly qualified, talented, experienced, 2D and 3D fine artists and craftspeople.

NYC festival/exhibit

Deadline: May 1. Art in Odd Places: BODY, curated by Katya Grokhovsky, invites proposals for its fourteenth annual public art and performance festival in Manhattan, NY and accompanying coinciding group exhibition at Westbeth Gallery, for visual and performance art projects by women, female identifying and non-binary artists.

Virginia watercolorists

Deadline: May 5. The Central Virginia Watercolor Guild Annual Exhibition juror for 2018 will be M. Stephen Doherty. This month-long juried show is open to Virginia resident artists, 18 years and older.

MD craft show

Deadline: May 7. The Academy Art Museum Craft Show (Easton, MD) draws patrons from all over the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Alexandria Art Purchase Awards

Deadline: May 7. The Alexandria Art Purchase Awards call will be held biannually over four years, totaling eight calls with each call purchasing up to $4000 in artwork. For this second call, the concept of “Natural and Urban Systems” must be conveyed in the artwork submitted.

DMV artists

Deadline: May 7. Open Regional Juried Art Exhibition at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital: Open only to artists residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Original hanging work, in any medium, created since June 1, 2015, will be considered.

Exhibit at Goodwin House Alexandria

Deadline: May 15. Goodwin House Alexandria is currently seeking DMV area artists interested in showing their work during the 2019 calendar year. Shows run for approximately six weeks. Display space for 3-D work is limited unless it is able to be hung. All mediums are encouraged.

Mural Request for Proposals

Deadline: May 31. Akre Capital Management, located in the historic building formerly known as Mosby’s Tavern in Middleburg, has released a RFP to have an exterior mural painted on the side of their office building. They are seeking proposals from those who have the ability to design, manage and implement the project to completion.

Apparel and jewelry

Deadline: June 1. STYLE ‘18 will take place over two days at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Jurors will hand select 36 national and international designers to participate in the 2018 event.

Juxtaposed

Deadline: June 10. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites artists working in all visual media to submit to Juxtaposed, a group exhibition focusing on the contradictory or conflicting. Whether it be through the use of mixed media or the themes represented, the work itself should be at odds with two or more juxtaposing concepts.

Tabletop wares @ The Art League

Deadline: June 15. Tabletop: Exploring Food and Function will showcase the artistry of various functional wares associated with the table. Mediums that will be accepted include ceramic, metal, fiber, wood, and glass. All works must be functional. Open to all artists; Art League members receive discounted entry.

Athenaeum Invitational

Deadline: July 13. Artists who live or work in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia may enter the 2018 Athenaeum Invitational (Alexandria, VA). The theme is “Cabinet of Curiosities.”

New prize for women painters

Deadline: September 28. The recently announced Bennett Prize will spotlight women artists who paint in the figurative realist style, and who have not yet reached full professional recognition – both new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Hotel Indigo

Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3″. If interested contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected]

NYC volunteer opportunity

Introduce NYC school children to the world of art by giving tours at The MET Museum. Volunteer in this year-round program. Visit us at awnyc.org, contact us at http://awnyc.org/contact-us/ or find us on Facebook at artworksnyc.

Artists 50 and over

The Beacon is holding a regional competition for people over 50 who have picked up a new artistic endeavor: painting/drawing, 3D art, photography, or poetry. The competition opens in April 2018. For details, download the PDF flyer.

Superfine art fair

Deadline: rolling admission through September 2018. Applications are now open for Superfine!’s first fair in DC, coming this Halloween to Union Market. Galleries, artist collectives, and solo artists can apply for space.

Residency: Maryland

Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.

Foundry Gallery

Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.

Printmakers

Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].

Multiple Exposures Gallery

Multiple Exposures Gallery, (MEG), a cooperative fine art photography gallery located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA is issuing an open call to all local photographers interested in gallery membership. For more information, please contact Membership Chair, Colleen Henderson: [email protected]

Artist Opportunities

Plein Air Painting: What It Is & How to Join the Fun

The Art League Blog is taking a trip down memory lane and reposting some of our most popular resources! Please enjoy this post from the vault, originally published April 4, 2015 and updated with fresh links.

When the weather’s beautiful and the skies are blue, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing — reading, cooking, writing a blog post — you want to do it outside.

For painters, that’s called painting en plein air. It’s a French phrase that means, simply, “in the open air.” Why don’t we call it painting al fresco? Because the French got there first! (Specifically, the Impressionists were famous plein air aficionados, taking advantage of the first portable paint tubes.)

Painting outside isn’t just about enjoying the sun and the breeze, although that’s certainly a big part of the fun. It’s also a great way to paint from direct observation, whether that means a landscape, a cityscape, or even something like a portrait.

Median Trees #1 and #2 by Mike Francis.

Median Trees #1 and #2 by Mike Francis.

So what do I need to get started?

“When I sit down to make a sketch from nature, the first thing I try to do is to forget that I have ever seen a picture.”
— celebrated plein air artist John Constable

Packing for a plein air painting session is like packing for a hike: travel light, be prepared, and you’ll be a happy painter!

  1. Paints: Some oil painters use alkyd paints for their faster drying time. Color-wise, each of our instructors has their own recommended palette, but the lists for Mike Francis, Fred Markham, and Sara Linda Poly have these colors in common: Titanium White, Ivory Black, Alizarin Crimson, Quinacridone Red (a.k.a. Permanent Rose), Ultramarine Blue, and Cadmium Yellow Medium.
  2. Palette: Something that won’t blow away! Glass, plexiglas, and wood are all recommended.
  3. Easel: This will likely be your biggest new purchase. A French easel is larger, but heavier. A pochade box is more portable for longer trips and smaller paintings. Pochade boxes mount on top of tripod legs, which you might have to purchase separately. Sara Linda Poly recommends the Easyl, Open Box M, Sienna, and Sun Eden brands. Some models will have a hook to hang your solvent, and some have shelves for your other supplies. If they don’t, you may need to keep them on the ground.
  4. Other: You’ll definitely miss sunscreen and/or a hat if you forget it. Depending on your location, a warm jacket, windbreaker, and bug spray might be necessary. Bring a water bottle and snacks to prolong your painting time! Finally, bring a trash bag for used rags so you can leave the landscape as pristine as you painted it.

What classes are available? (updated for 2018)

The Art League offers a few classes and workshops for plein air painting every year. Other classes sometimes take field trips outside, but these are geared toward plein air:

  1. Plein Air Landscape Painting (Intermediate) with Sara Linda Poly (starts April 24)
  2. Landscape Painting with Fred Markham (starts April 28)
  3. Eastern Shore Workshop with Mike Francis (June 23–27)
  4. A Week in the Indiana Countryside with Diane Tesler (August 6–10)

Browse the school catalog

Alone at Last, 12" x 12", by Sara Linda Poly

Alone at Last, 12″ x 12″, by Sara Linda Poly

Art Classes, Artful Resources

Support The Art League During Spring2ACTion!

Support The Art League during Alexandria’s Spring2ACTion event!


From now until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, April 25, you can support The Art League through Spring2ACTion and your gift will be matched!

What is Spring2ACTion?

Spring2ACTion is an online giving day, hosted by ACT for Alexandria, that was created to support all the nonprofits doing great work in Alexandria, VA. Since 2011, 45,000 generous donors have given more than $6 million dollars to 160 nonprofits through Spring2ACTion, making it one of the most successful city-wide giving days in the country!

Why should I give?

As you know, the pressure on the arts community, both nationally and locally, has been intense.

But, you made your voices heard and Congress listened. You helped save the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) from decreased funding and elimination.

Now is the time to bring this momentum and your amazing support close to home: It’s never been a more important, challenging, yet exciting time for The Art League. You can help ensure that we are here tomorrow!

Give during Spring2ACTion and help us reach our goal of raising $25,000 through ​the Mason Hirst Foundation’s generous $10,000 matching gift challenge. Not only will your donation be matched during this campaign, but every donation helps The Art League get closer to winning thousands of dollars in additional grants and prizes!

You gift will help:

  • Build the resources to meet the challenges and opportunities in today’s arts climate.
  • Give injured military personnel the means to heal through the process of making art.
  • Inspire at-risk youth to express themselves creatively, and offer a safe place to do so.
  • Keep the doors open to people of all ages & backgrounds who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the visual arts.
  • Fill 11,000 class seats in educational programs that foster artistry, collaboration, empathy,​ and exploration.

Stand up and say, the arts are here to stay!

News

Ikebana Meets Art on the Rocks

Spring will finally be in full bloom during the first week of May, as our Biennial Ikebana Show with the Washington, DC Sogetsu School returns. And, this year, our Ikebana Show collides with our cocktail competition, Art on the Rocks!

The Biennial Ikebana Show

May 1-6, 2018
Reception: Thursday, May 3, 6:30–8:00 pm
Flower arranging demos: Saturday, May 5 and Sunday May 6 at 1:00 pm in the gallery.

From the 2016 exhibit. Ikebana artist: Carol House; Painting: David Carter; Vessel: Carla Amerau

Every two years, art and nature converge for The Art League’s Biennial Ikebana Show. 

Members of the Washington, DC Sogetsu School select works of art by Art League instructors to inspire and complement their Ikebana arrangements. This year, 15 carefully crafted compositions of art and nature will create a peaceful and reflective environment in the gallery. A Sogetsu member will always be present, tending to the arrangements and answering questions about their art form.

Recognized as a sculptural form of art, Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging, has over 300 schools of thought. Sogetsu promotes an Ikebana of no limits, in which plant materials of any kind may be used and displayed anywhere and in any circumstance.

The Ikebana Show is sponsored by the Japan Foundation, Charles Schwab, Genesco Sports, and the Hunting Creek Garden Club.

 

Art on the Rocks

Event Date: Friday, May 4, 7:30–10:00 pm
Tickets: $45 each. $55 after April 21 (must be 21+ to attend)

Art on the Rocks, 2016

Mixologists from Chadwicks, Brabo, Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Vola’s Dockside Grill, Virtue Feed & Grain, and The Wharf have been challenged to each select an installation from our Biennial Ikebana Show as inspiration to create the most artistic cocktail and appetizer pairing. They will compete for the title of ‘Art on the Rocks’ champion at the event on Friday, May 4.

Art on the Rocks ticket holders may sample all of the delicious pairings and vote for their favorite during the event. A panel of experts will crown the winners of the most creative cocktail, appetizer, and artwork pairing. Save $10 on tickets through Saturday, April 21 – purchase here!

Join us for some creative fun – delicious cocktail and food pairings, music, and imaginative art and Ikebana installations, all while supporting The Art League and our local business community!

 

Events, Exhibits

Tortillons, Explained

Tortillons, up close.
Tortillons, up close.

The Art League Blog is taking a trip down memory lane and reposting some of our most popular art resources! Please enjoy this post from the vault, originally published October 14, 2015. Do you have a question about art supplies? Let us know in the comments or by contacting us here.

There are lots of cool things in art supply stores, including a fair number that might make you wonder, “what’s that for?”

At The Art League Store, staff members are working artists, so they can answer that question for you. They helped us tackle the subject of tortillons.

Tortillon

How’s it pronounced?

Tour-tee-ohn, roughly. (Note: if you ask for a “tortle-on,” the store clerk will still know what you’re looking for. We speak from experience.)

It’s French, meaning “something twisted.” Sometimes spelled tortillion, with an extra “i”.

What is it?

A short stick made from tightly rolled paper. You can see what they look like close-up at the top of the post.

What’s it for?

It can be used for blending graphite, charcoal, and pastel. Use it by rubbing and see the effect it has on your drawing. To clean it, you can use sandpaper (also sold in the store) or just grab a new one. They’re very inexpensive.

How’s it different from a blending stump?

They’re used for the same thing, but they have some differences. Tortillons are much smaller and have harder, scratchier paper. They’re made from a sheet of paper in a tightly rolled stick.

In contrast, blending stumps are molded from paper pulp and have a more “velvety” texture, as described to us by store clerk Chris Cardellino. Because they’re larger and stubbier, they’re better suited to large areas of blending, while tortillons can get into the detailed areas of your drawing.

How much are they?

At The Art League Store, they’re $1.20–1.30 for a pack of six (in either Small or Medium). Blending stumps come in a variety of sizes and range from $0.84–2.45.

You can also experiment with making your own: just cut out a trapezoid of scrap paper and roll it as tightly as you can.

tortillon

Artful Resources

Artist Opportunities #418

Strata, a mixed-media painting by Art League instructor Delna Dastur.

On Tuesdays, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

King Street Art Festival

Deadline: May 1. The King Street Art Festival (September 15–16, 2018) in Alexandria, VA is limited to approximately 250 exhibitors chosen by a jury of highly qualified, talented, experienced, 2D and 3D fine artists and craftspeople.

Alexandria Art Purchase Awards

Deadline: May 7. The Alexandria Art Purchase Awards call will be held biannually over four years, totaling eight calls with each call purchasing up to $4000 in artwork. For this second call, the concept of “Natural and Urban Systems” must be conveyed in the artwork submitted.

Multiple Exposures Gallery

Multiple Exposures Gallery, (MEG), a cooperative fine art photography gallery located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA is issuing an open call to all local photographers interested in gallery membership. For more information, please contact Membership Chair, Colleen Henderson: [email protected]

Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!

Works on paper

Deadline: April 20. The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Public Art Trust are issuing a call for art to reactivate the Contemporary Works on Paper Collection with new acquisitions from artists living in Montgomery County and the Greater Washington area. This call is specifically for the purchase of original and unframed two-dimensional works of art that are contemporary and modern in style. There is no entry fee for this call for art.

Woman Made Gallery, Chicago

Deadline: April 22. Wordplay serves to highlight the voice of all female identified artists who use text and image or text as image as a means of creative expression. Works in all media.

Glow in the dark

Deadline: April 29. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites national and international artists to apply for Illuminate, a special glow-in-the-dark exhibition that is focused on the relationship between art and light. The lights will be turned off in the gallery, turning the viewer’s attention to the illuminated artwork whether it be through the lighting of video, light installation/sculpture, or use of black light mediums.

NYC festival/exhibit

Deadline: May 1. Art in Odd Places: BODY, curated by Katya Grokhovsky, invites proposals for its fourteenth annual public art and performance festival in Manhattan, NY and accompanying coinciding group exhibition at Westbeth Gallery, for visual and performance art projects by women, female identifying and non-binary artists.

Virginia watercolorists

Deadline: May 5. The Central Virginia Watercolor Guild Annual Exhibition juror for 2018 will be M. Stephen Doherty. This month-long juried show is open to Virginia resident artists, 18 years and older.

MD craft show

Deadline: May 7. The Academy Art Museum Craft Show (Easton, MD) draws patrons from all over the Mid-Atlantic Region.

DMV artists

Deadline: May 7. Open Regional Juried Art Exhibition at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital: Open only to artists residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Original hanging work, in any medium, created since June 1, 2015, will be considered.

Exhibit at Goodwin House Alexandria

Deadline: May 15. Goodwin House Alexandria is currently seeking DMV area artists interested in showing their work during the 2019 calendar year. Shows run for approximately six weeks. Display space for 3-D work is limited unless it is able to be hung. All mediums are encouraged.

Mural Request for Proposals

Deadline: May 31. Akre Capital Management, located in the historic building formerly known as Mosby’s Tavern in Middleburg, has released a RFP to have an exterior mural painted on the side of their office building. They are seeking proposals from those who have the ability to design, manage and implement the project to completion.

Apparel and jewelry

Deadline: June 1. STYLE ‘18 will take place over two days at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Jurors will hand select 36 national and international designers to participate in the 2018 event.

Juxtaposed

Deadline: June 10. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites artists working in all visual media to submit to Juxtaposed, a group exhibition focusing on the contradictory or conflicting. Whether it be through the use of mixed media or the themes represented, the work itself should be at odds with two or more juxtaposing concepts.

Tabletop wares @ The Art League

Deadline: June 15. Tabletop: Exploring Food and Function will showcase the artistry of various functional wares associated with the table. Mediums that will be accepted include ceramic, metal, fiber, wood, and glass. All works must be functional. Open to all artists; Art League members receive discounted entry.

Athenaeum Invitational

Deadline: July 13. Artists who live or work in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia may enter the 2018 Athenaeum Invitational (Alexandria, VA). The theme is “Cabinet of Curiosities.”

New prize for women painters

Deadline: September 28. The recently announced Bennett Prize will spotlight women artists who paint in the figurative realist style, and who have not yet reached full professional recognition – both new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Hotel Indigo

Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3″. If interested contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected]

NYC volunteer opportunity

Introduce NYC school children to the world of art by giving tours at The MET Museum. Volunteer in this year-round program. Visit us at awnyc.org, contact us at http://awnyc.org/contact-us/ or find us on Facebook at artworksnyc.

Artists 50 and over

The Beacon is holding a regional competition for people over 50 who have picked up a new artistic endeavor: painting/drawing, 3D art, photography, or poetry. The competition opens in April 2018. For details, download the PDF flyer.

Superfine art fair

Deadline: rolling admission through September 2018. Applications are now open for Superfine!’s first fair in DC, coming this Halloween to Union Market. Galleries, artist collectives, and solo artists can apply for space.

Residency: Maryland

Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.

Foundry Gallery

Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.

Printmakers

Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].

Artist Opportunities

Looking Up: A Space Of Her Own Pop-Up

Who do you look up to? What do you look forward to?

Looking UP
April 2–May 1, 2018
104 South Union Street, Alexandria, VA
Hours: [email protected]

The latest pop-up exhibit at The Art League is also a photography exhibit from the girls of Space of Her Own. Photographs by the ten-year-olds are juxtaposed with important works by famous female photographers.

“Looking UP” shows the way these artists, amateur and professional both, engage with their surroundings and relationships. Like past SOHO photography exhibits, these artworks open the door to empowerment through portraiture.

What is SOHO?

The Art League’s collaboration with SOHO, Inc.—now in its 13th year— continues to strengthen the City of Alexandria’s ability to reach and intervene for youth who would otherwise be at-risk for delinquent behavior.

The Space of Her Own project is an afterschool art-based mentoring program designed to use art as a catalyst for change in at-risk youth in the local community and the region. This program year, The Art League’s commitment to this life-transforming program takes the form of targeted visual arts education curriculum across multiple Alexandria-based SOHO chapters.

“Looking UP” is presented by The Art League, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Space of Her Own, and the International Institute of Photography. For information and hours: [email protected] or 703-519-1741.

Events, Exhibits

Karen Schmitz, Resisting “The New Normal”

The New Normal, monotype, by Karen Schmitz. Winner of the Marshall Award for Best in Show.

Karen Schmitz’s first best-in-show award at The Art League — after nearly 30 years — is also her biggest monotype: The New Normal. We took this opportunity to ask this long-time member about her creative process, what she’s working on now, and what the monotype means to her.

The New Normal (detail) by Karen Schmitz. The artwork is composed of three plates printed simultaneously.

‘Why don’t you just paint?’

That wasn’t one of our questions, but it’s one Schmitz said she’s asked often. That’s because of how monotypes are made: the artist paints with ink on a plate, then transfers the ink to paper by running it through a printing press.

There’s a simple answer to that question: there are techniques possible with the monotype process. For instance, in The New Normal and other monotypes, she uses oily ink to repel water-based ink, applied with a brayer.

1% Oxygen, acrylic on canvas, by Karen Schmitz

In and out of the studio

That said, Schmitz doesn’t consider herself a printmaker. She’s more of an experimental artist, she says, working with found objects and collage as well.

Currently, she’s taking advantage of the outdoors to work on some large, abstract canvases. Some incorporate monotype techniques, printed on before the canvas is stretched.

“I can really make a mess out in the backyard,” she said.

Monotypes do offer one advantage: instant gratification. “I conjure up what’s going on in my world,” Schmitz says, calling works created in this way “images of the moment.”

Guessing Blank, collage, by Karen Schmitz

The cliche

For the artist, the phrase “the new normal” is a cliche that conflicts with her optimism. So titling her award-winning monotype The New Normal was an ironic argument against complacency.

“It’s about resistance, a little bit of anarchy,” Schmitz said.

The feeling of resistance comes through in the dark color scheme, which she noted isn’t absolute.

“It’s dark, but there is some light in it.”

You can view this monotype and the April Open Exhibit through Sunday, April 29.

Static, monotype, by Karen Schmitz

 

Artist Interviews

Artist Opportunities #417

This painting is by Art League instructor John Murray.

On Tuesdays, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

DMV artists

Deadline: May 7.  Open Regional Juried Art Exhibition at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital: Open only to artists residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Original hanging work, in any medium, created since June 1, 2015, will be considered.

Juxtaposed

Deadline: June 10. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites artists working in all visual media to submit to Juxtaposed, a group exhibition focusing on the contradictory or conflicting. Whether it be through the use of mixed media or the themes represented, the work itself should be at odds with two or more juxtaposing concepts.

Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!

VA fair

Deadline: April 13. Calling exceptional artisans for the 74th Waterford Fair. Located in the Historic Landmark of Waterford, Virginia, our event draws 18,000+ visitors over 3 days, October 5–7, 2018.

MD fellowship

Extended deadline: April 13. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville, MD.

Exhibit proposals: Maryland

Deadline: April 14. Brentwood Arts Exchange is seeking proposals from artists and curators to present exhibitions for available dates November 2018–November 2020. Solo and group exhibitions are welcome.

Works on paper

Deadline: April 20. The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Public Art Trust are issuing a call for art to reactivate the Contemporary Works on Paper Collection with new acquisitions from artists living in Montgomery County and the Greater Washington area. This call is specifically for the purchase of original and unframed two-dimensional works of art that are contemporary and modern in style. There is no entry fee for this call for art.

Woman Made Gallery, Chicago

Deadline: April 22. Wordplay serves to highlight the voice of all female identified artists who use text and image or text as image as a means of creative expression. Works in all media.

Glow in the dark

Deadline: April 29. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites national and international artists to apply for Illuminate, a special glow-in-the-dark exhibition that is focused on the relationship between art and light. The lights will be turned off in the gallery, turning the viewer’s attention to the illuminated artwork whether it be through the lighting of video, light installation/sculpture, or use of black light mediums.

NYC festival/exhibit

Deadline: May 1. Art in Odd Places: BODY, curated by Katya Grokhovsky, invites proposals for its fourteenth annual public art and performance festival in Manhattan, NY and accompanying coinciding group exhibition at Westbeth Gallery, for visual and performance art projects by women, female identifying and non-binary artists.

Virginia watercolorists

Deadline: May 5. The Central Virginia Watercolor Guild Annual Exhibition juror for 2018 will be M. Stephen Doherty. This month-long juried show is open to Virginia resident artists, 18 years and older.

MD craft show

Deadline: May 7. The Academy Art Museum Craft Show (Easton, MD) draws patrons from all over the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Exhibit at Goodwin House Alexandria

Deadline: May 15. Goodwin House Alexandria is currently seeking DMV area artists interested in showing their work during the 2019 calendar year. Shows run for approximately six weeks. Display space for 3-D work is limited unless it is able to be hung. All mediums are encouraged.

Mural Request for Proposals

Deadline: May 31. Akre Capital Management, located in the historic building formerly known as Mosby’s Tavern in Middleburg, has released a RFP to have an exterior mural painted on the side of their office building. They are seeking proposals from those who have the ability to design, manage and implement the project to completion.

Apparel and jewelry

Deadline: June 1. STYLE ‘18 will take place over two days at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Jurors will hand select 36 national and international designers to participate in the 2018 event.

Tabletop wares @ The Art League

Deadline: June 15. Tabletop: Exploring Food and Function will showcase the artistry of various functional wares associated with the table. Mediums that will be accepted include ceramic, metal, fiber, wood, and glass. All works must be functional. Open to all artists; Art League members receive discounted entry.

Athenaeum Invitational

Deadline: July 13. Artists who live or work in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia may enter the 2018 Athenaeum Invitational (Alexandria, VA). The theme is “Cabinet of Curiosities.”

New prize for women painters

Deadline: September 28. The recently announced Bennett Prize will spotlight women artists who paint in the figurative realist style, and who have not yet reached full professional recognition – both new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Hotel Indigo

Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3″. If interested contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected]

NYC volunteer opportunity

Introduce NYC school children to the world of art by giving tours at The MET Museum. Volunteer in this year-round program. Visit us at awnyc.org, contact us at http://awnyc.org/contact-us/ or find us on Facebook at artworksnyc.

Artists 50 and over

The Beacon is holding a regional competition for people over 50 who have picked up a new artistic endeavor: painting/drawing, 3D art, photography, or poetry. The competition opens in April 2018. For details, download the PDF flyer.

Superfine art fair

Deadline: rolling admission through September 2018. Applications are now open for Superfine!’s first fair in DC, coming this Halloween to Union Market. Galleries, artist collectives, and solo artists can apply for space.

Residency: Maryland

Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.

Foundry Gallery

Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.

Printmakers

Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email   [email protected].

Artist Opportunities

On View: The Feeling of Manhattan

New York Turmoil, oil, by Robert Gilbert

You can almost hear the taxis honking, can’t you?

In our latest solo exhibit, artist Robert Gilbert brings bustling Manhattan into our gallery in Old Town Alexandria. Seventeen paintings make up “A Study of Manhattan: Power, Dominance, and Excitement.”

Phantom and West Side, oil, by Robert Gilbert

But Gilbert isn’t only a painter. He’s also …

… a guide

Frommer’s is nice, but as an artist, Gilbert is able to direct your attention to all the best spots. You’ve noticed the crisscrossing lines fragmenting these scenes. Gilbert calls them “lines of refraction” and uses them to focus your gaze when so much activity is calling out to you.

With these guide lines, a single painting can be both busy and focused.

Tram to Roosevelt Island by Robert Gilbert

… an architect

In this case, literally: Gilbert has a master’s degree in architecture. As he recreates the towering structures of New York, he’s also building a structure of his own within the painting. Gilbert says he approaches the pieces of a scene as though they are “part of a puzzle.” Perspective, narrative, and color all contribute to the structure that solves that puzzle.

by Robert Gilbert

… a storyteller

What’s a city without a million stories? What’s a cityscape without that feeling of being dropped onto the street?

By placing the viewer at ground level looking up, Gilbert’s paintings put you in the thick of it. But instead of focusing on individual people, it melds crowds and buildings into a single scene, capturing a thread of a story without spelling one out.

“I don’t want to paint just a skyscraper,” Gilbert says. “I want to paint a story.”

“A Study of Manhattan: Power, Dominance, & Excitement” is on view through Sunday, May 6. The opening reception is Thursday, April 12, 6:30–8:00 pm.

About the artist

Robert Gilbert earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle. His artwork has received numerous accolades, awards, and press attention, including articles in Elan Magazine and Art Business News. Gilbert’s work has been featured in fourteen solo exhibitions in addition to numerous juried group shows. Gilbert currently resides near Great Falls, VA, where he paints, teaches, and continues working on his series depicting New York City.

Exhibits

Paint Somewhere New: Come With Us to the Eastern Shore

Looking to go somewhere new? Paint something new? This summer, we have just the opportunity for you: artist Mike Francis is leading a workshop to Virginia’s Eastern Shore and the town of Wachapreague.

Wachapreague by Mike Francis

Wachapreague?

Yep. It’s a tiny town about 45 minutes from Chincoteague, with lots of good spots to paint. For an idea of where the workshop has gone in past years, check out these Facebook albums:

Marshes, marinas, vineyards, beautiful homes — whatever you fall in love with, you can capture on canvas.

This workshop includes demos, critiques, and discussion of techniques and materials. You can work in whatever you wish — oil, acrylic, drawing media — but you should have some experience with your chosen medium!

There are also non-painting related activities if you’re so inclined: a boat ride, the firefighter’s fair, and a wine tasting.

From the June 2017 workshop

Two options

The workshop will be held at the end of June 2018. There are two options: a two-day workshop on Saturday and Sunday only, or a full five-day workshop.

Instructor Mike Francis with a 2017 participant

About the instructor

Mike Francis teaches workshops and classes for The Art League.

He studied at the Corcoran School of Art, and went on to receive his BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and his MFA at George Washington University. He’s also studied at American University.

painting by Mike Francis

He has held positions at George Washington University, Trinity College, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Charles County Community College, and Prince George’s Community College. He has also studied and taught both individually and under the auspices of various institutions in Paris, Brittany, France, Madrid and Southern Spain, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia and Iceland.

Register for the full workshop here or the two-day version here.

Travel Workshops

Artist Opportunities #416

This week’s banner image is by Art League instructor David Carter.

On Tuesdays, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

MD fellowship

Extended deadline: April 13. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville, MD.

Works on paper

Deadline: April 20. The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Public Art Trust are issuing a call for art to reactivate the Contemporary Works on Paper Collection with new acquisitions from artists living in Montgomery County and the Greater Washington area. This call is specifically for the purchase of original and unframed two-dimensional works of art that are contemporary and modern in style. There is no entry fee for this call for art.

Apparel and jewelry

Deadline: June 1. STYLE ‘18 will take place over two days at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Jurors will hand select 36 national and international designers to participate in the 2018 event.

Tabletop wares @ The Art League

Deadline: June 15. Tabletop: Exploring Food and Function will showcase the artistry of various functional wares associated with the table. Mediums that will be accepted include ceramic, metal, fiber, wood, and glass. All works must be functional. Open to all artists; Art League members receive discounted entry.

Printmakers

Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email   [email protected].

Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!

Out of Order

Installation: April 5 (first come, first served). By covering the walls from floor to ceiling, Out of Order at Maryland Art Place provides an opportunity for artists to hang their work in a salon-style exhibition. Proceeds from art sales are split equally between MAP and the artist.

Wanderlust

Deadline: April 5. artlessBastard in De Pere, Wisconsin is calling for 2D & 3D works of art, in all mediums – except performance art or film – for their May 2018 Wanderlust Show. Themes of work may include anything related to the journey of leaving home.

Bethany festival

Deadline: April 6. Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival: Entry is open to artists 18 years or older who participate in fine arts.

Virginia festival

Deadline: April 6. The Gloucester (Virginia) Arts Festival is pleased to announce it is accepting submissions for its 2018 Juried Show.  This show is a unique opportunity for artists across the mid-Atlantic to curate their own exhibit and earn a share of more than $5,000 in prize money.

Annapolis festival

Deadline: April 7. Art @ the Park (Annapolis, MD) features original art work from exhibitors throughout the region and includes musical performances, other activities, eclectic food, wine and beer.

Teach for the Library of Congress

Deadline: April 9. The Library of Congress is seeking applications from current performing arts or visual arts teachers for a teacher-in-residence position within its Educational Outreach division during the 2018-2019 school year.

VA fair

Deadline: April 13. Calling exceptional artisans for the 74th Waterford Fair. Located in the Historic Landmark of Waterford, Virginia, our event draws 18,000+ visitors over 3 days, October 5–7, 2018.

Exhibit proposals: Maryland

Deadline: April 14. Brentwood Arts Exchange is seeking proposals from artists and curators to present exhibitions for available dates November 2018–November 2020. Solo and group exhibitions are welcome.

Woman Made Gallery, Chicago

Deadline: April 22. Wordplay serves to highlight the voice of all female identified artists who use text and image or text as image as a means of creative expression. Works in all media.

Glow in the dark

Deadline: April 29. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) invites national and international artists to apply for Illuminate, a special glow-in-the-dark exhibition that is focused on the relationship between art and light. The lights will be turned off in the gallery, turning the viewer’s attention to the illuminated artwork whether it be through the lighting of video, light installation/sculpture, or use of black light mediums.

NYC festival/exhibit

Deadline: May 1. Art in Odd Places: BODY, curated by Katya Grokhovsky, invites proposals for its fourteenth annual public art and performance festival in Manhattan, NY and accompanying coinciding group exhibition at Westbeth Gallery, for visual and performance art projects by women, female identifying and non-binary artists.

 

Virginia watercolorists

Deadline: May 5. The Central Virginia Watercolor Guild Annual Exhibition juror for 2018 will be M. Stephen Doherty. This month-long juried show is open to Virginia resident artists, 18 years and older.

MD craft show

Deadline: May 7. The Academy Art Museum Craft Show (Easton, MD) draws patrons from all over the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Exhibit at Goodwin House Alexandria

Deadline: May 15. Goodwin House Alexandria is currently seeking DMV area artists interested in showing their work during the 2019 calendar year. Shows run for approximately six weeks. Display space for 3-D work is limited unless it is able to be hung. All mediums are encouraged.

Mural Request for Proposals

Deadline: May 31. Akre Capital Management, located in the historic building formerly known as Mosby’s Tavern in Middleburg, has released a RFP to have an exterior mural painted on the side of their office building. They are seeking proposals from those who have the ability to design, manage and implement the project to completion.

Athenaeum Invitational

Deadline: July 13. Artists who live or work in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia may enter the 2018 Athenaeum Invitational (Alexandria, VA). The theme is “Cabinet of Curiosities.”

New prize for women painters

Deadline: September 28. The recently announced Bennett Prize will spotlight women artists who paint in the figurative realist style, and who have not yet reached full professional recognition – both new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Hotel Indigo

Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3″. If interested contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected]

NYC volunteer opportunity

Introduce NYC school children to the world of art by giving tours at The MET Museum. Volunteer in this year-round program. Visit us at awnyc.org, contact us at http://awnyc.org/contact-us/ or find us on Facebook at artworksnyc.

Artists 50 and over

The Beacon is holding a regional competition for people over 50 who have picked up a new artistic endeavor: painting/drawing, 3D art, photography, or poetry. The competition opens in April 2018. For details, download the PDF flyer.

Superfine art fair

Deadline: rolling admission through September 2018. Applications are now open for Superfine!’s first fair in DC, coming this Halloween to Union Market. Galleries, artist collectives, and solo artists can apply for space.

Residency: Maryland

Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.

Foundry Gallery

Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.

Artist Opportunities