Julia Chance – Page 17 – The Art League

Artful Weekend August 14-15

August 13, 2021

Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.

This weekend: Bryan Sieling: Re|Context and the August Open Exhibit at the League; the 12th Annual Alexandria Sidewalk Sale; John Alexander Steele at Fred Schnider Gallery; and noted, mid-century D.C. artists at Pazo Fine Art.

August 2021 Open Exhibit

Our August Open Exhibit, juried by Eisner Award-winning author and former Library of Congress graphic arts curator Martha Kennedy, is now on view! Open exhibits are a great way to view the range of mediums and styles of our member artists.

This month’s show features some dynamic streetscapes, including Hidden Beauty, a photograph by Soohyun Kim that received an honorable mention; Chinatown, D.C., an oil painting by Sally V. Parker; Evening View of the City, an acrylic painting by Cecily Corcoran that also received honorable mention; and Baltimore Street, Cida Berry’s moody black-and-white photograph framed on vellum with gold leaf.

Portraiture is also prominent this month. They include The Wayfarer, an oil painting by Ann Wallace; Olivia, Edward Stolar’s red chalk drawing; Woman in Madina, a color photograph by Dian McDonald; and Lucy at the Beach, a gouache painting by Ralph Paine. See the entire exhibit in-person in the Gallery, through Sunday, September 5, or view it online.

Bryan Sieling: Re|Context

Artist Bryan Sieling transforms found objects into wondrous works in Re|Context, his solo exhibit of assemblage art on view through September 5 at The Art League Gallery. Cabinet parts, old picture frames, tinker toys, mechanical innards, vintage game pieces, and used furniture are among the disparate materials Sieling used to create the sculptures, shadow boxes, wall reliefs, and what he terms “semi-functional furniture” on display. Says the artist, “I want viewers to be drawn in to study details, discover materials, and ponder possible motives and narratives.” He will be in conversation about his exhibit and artistry on Thursday, August 19 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom; register here. Don’t miss our our article on Sieling here.

12th Annual Alexandria Sidewalk Sale

Join us at the Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale! We’ll be selling our popular ceramic ice cream bowls and small prints for sale. To sweeten the deal, each bowl purchase includes a certificate for a free ice cream from Kilwins (212 King Street), and a free cloth face mask while supplies last. Look for us under the window of the Hi-Tide Lounge at the Torpedo Factory arcade entrance at King and Union Sts.

John Alexander Steele: Chicago/Washington

“Owl”( 1960) by John Alexander Steele. Ashes, Sand, Gouache on Paper. (Fred Schnider Gallery)

Chicago/Washington showcases the work of mid-century artist and premier art restorer, John Alexander Steele during two significant periods of artistic exploration: during his time at the Art Institute of Chicago where he created anthropological works of sculpture-like paintings inspired by the artist, Paul Klee, and the Washington Color School where he produced abstract studies of color and form; on view through August 21 at Fred Schnider Gallery, 888 N. Quincy Street, #102, Arlington, VA.

Colors of Confidence

“Snare” by Simon Gouverneur; Egg tempera and acrylic and graphite on canvas

Color of Confidence presents a group of artists—Willem De Lopper, Thomas Downing, Tom Green, Simon Gouverneur, Jacob Kainen, Howard Mehring, Paul Reed, and Carroll Sockwell—who lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area between the 1950s and the 1990s. Some are well known, others less so despite successful careers, yet they developed their art within the same parameters and constrictions of their time. This show presents offers a panoramic view of the artistic scene in the city around those decades, bringing back a vibrant and exciting time in this city in a new light; on view through August 22 at Pazo Fine Art, 4228 Howard Avenue, Kensington, MD.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ten Questions for Bryan Sieling

August 13, 2021

"Quarantine" by Bryan Sieling; Vintage folding clothes drying rack, wood clothespins, cast metal figure, linoleum tile samples, fabricated base.

Our August solo artist on assemblage, and collecting random objects for art sake.

By Julia Chance

As an artist whose medium is found objects, Bryan Sieling has trained his eye to imagine the possibilities. In his hands, cabinet parts, old picture frames, vintage tinker toys, mechanical innards, retro game pieces, and used furniture are transformed into assemblages where things familiar and odd are repurposed to fascinating effect.

An ornately carved cuckoo clock, partially disassembled and festooned with metal pulleys, becomes a sculpture when angled upside down on a pedestal. A solitary seated toy figure placed on colorful linoleum that is sheltered by a wooden drying rack references the past year of quarantine. An assemblage consisting of a hi-hat cymbal, model airplane propeller, and vintage stocking stretchers appears poised for motion, by either flying or walking. These are among the 18 works in Re | Context, Sieling’s solo exhibit on view at The Art League Gallery through September 5.

“Time’s Up; Partially disassembled vintage cuckoo clock, metal pulleys, brass bar, wood finials, fabricated stand and pulley superstructure.

In order to master the art of assemblage it helps to first master the art of collecting. Sieling rarely passes up an antique mall or thrift store when he is out and about, and if he hears about an interesting yard or estate sale, he’s there. Having a network of friends and family who are familiar with his art style is bonus. “I will get random texts [from them] with photos of interesting things and I’ll respond with a thumbs up or down.”

For him, spontaneity is key for finding good stuff. “I never hunt for a specific item. If something catches my eye and looks like it has potential, I’ll pick it up and file it away in my studio,” which he has done for 30-plus years. Just recently, “I’ve acquired a collection of foundry molds, a 1930s beveled glass oak kitchen cabinet, and a 1940s baby feeding table that I think will make a great shadow box.”

Sieling’s path to becoming an artist is unconventional. With few job prospects after earning a degree in Environmental Education from Ohio State University, he returned to his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio, and discovered a new art museum had opened. “I walked in the door and my life and career were changed forever,” he recalls. “It immediately rekindled my childhood interest in art, and I was most interested in how exhibitions were organized, developed, designed, and installed.”

He volunteered at the museum for two years and was eventually offered a staff position. He then decided to formalize his newfound interest by earning an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University. Since then, he has overseen exhibition design for the recently shuttered Newseum and most recently the National Museum of African American History and Culture from which he retired last fall. Those experiences have been helpful for his design-driven art practice.

The past year of quarantine, “has provided the luxury of time and a clearer head,” the Alexandria-based artist says, both undoubtedly beneficial in preparing Re | Context. Here, he reveals his strategy for collecting objects; explains why artists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp are such inspirations for him; and shares what he hopes viewers get from his assemblages.

Describe your artistry

I make assemblages with objects found in second-hand shops, estate sales, yard sales, and my neighbor’s trash.

What is your creative process like?

For each assemblage, I start with a single item. This is usually an empty box or drawer, an old wooden board or panel, or an interesting piece of old furniture. Then I begin the process of mining my 30-year collection of found objects, looking for pieces that work together physically and visually.

Do you make art every day?

I don’t make art every day. I often need to walk away from a piece in process and let it (and me) percolate about it for a day or two or more. If I have more than one piece in the works at the same time, I’ll set one aside and work on the other for a while.

Describe Re | Context.

Re | Context consists of 18 assemblages, rendered in the forms of free-standing sculpture, shadow boxes, wall reliefs, and what I call “semi-functional furniture.”

What are the questions or ideas that drive your artwork?

My work is not question or idea driven. It is object and design driven. A story or narrative may begin to emerge as I’m working on a piece, and if so, I will embrace and nurture that, but I let the objects speak for themselves and craft the aesthetics as I go.

What artists, contemporary or past, inspire you? Why?

Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. But let me back up to a time long before I discovered them as a young adult: My earliest recollection of artistic inspiration is not of an artist at all, but the cover art on my childhood set of Golden Book Encyclopedias. If you are old enough to remember these, you know that the cover of each volume is a wonderful, trompe-l’oeil-like arrangement of seemingly disparate objects contained within that volume: virtual assemblages in their own right. As a child, I was—and still a—mesmerized by these covers. I would study them for hours. I loved the 3-dimensional effect and the mysterious theatrical shadows cast by each object. I still have my original 16-volume set.

When I discovered Cornell’s work many years later, I was stopped in my tracks. His intriguing shadow boxes immediately rekindled my childhood memory of the encyclopedias. I felt the two were interconnected, like twins of different mothers. I was moved to begin collecting interesting and intriguing objects with the intent of making things with them when I had enough inventory (and time) to work with.

In addition to Cornell, I love the work of Marcel Duchamp. The whole idea of his “readymades,” where an off-the-shelf object is presented as art, makes me think and smile. It forces you to look at an object for its inherent qualities, rather than its mundane, manufactured purpose. I can’t help but think these influences somehow led me to pursue a career in museum work—exhibit design specifically—where I got to craft the public presentation of amazing objects for nearly 40 years.

What was the first piece of art you created that you were especially proud of?

It was probably a crayon drawing I did in elementary school of a rainstorm. I took the unusual step of drawing the rain drops first (long, white crayon lines to indicate a heavy downpour), then carefully coloring in the background around each raindrop with people, cars, and buildings. It won a blue ribbon in the school art show, and I still have it today.

The artist at age 15 with his first assemblage.

When did you know that you were an artist?

I’ve been toying with art for as long as I can remember, but I never really considered myself an “artist” until recently when I started making assemblages full time. I was fairly good at drawing as a kid and got excused from class to create holiday-themed colored-chalk murals on the classroom chalk board (while my classmates continued studies in their seats!). So, everyone thought I was going to be an artist when I grew up. As I am wholly self-taught, I’m a bit shy about calling myself an artist—even today. I feel that term is more suitable for those with fine arts degrees who have paid their dues and earned the title.

What is something you have yet to achieve?

I’ve always wanted to do a grid or row of 16 shadow boxes inspired by my set of Golden Book Encyclopedias.

What do you hope viewers glean from Re | Context?

I hope viewers are drawn in, to study details, discover materials, and ponder possible motives and narratives and to just enjoy the intrigue or whimsy intended with each piece.

Bryan Sieling’s Top Three Creative Must-haves:

“A large inventory of objects to pick through as I work on a piece.”

“Hanging out with my glorious bob-tail cat Gus while he watches me work (and sometimes gets in the way).”

“Listening to Radio Paradise while working in my studio.”

Artist Opportunities #564

August 9, 2021

Every week, we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Opportunities

Instructors Wanted at The Art League — Alexandria, VA

Deadline: Until filled The Art League is looking for skilled instructors in all visual arts disciplines. We’re particularly keen to recruit new hires for our sculpture, stained glass, and watercolor departments. Preferred applicants will have a personable and patient disposition, excellent communication skills, and the ability to teach their medium to groups of beginning, intermediate, and/or advanced level students. Class sizes range, depending on enrollment, from around 5 to 30 students. Experience teaching is helpful but not an absolute requirement. To apply, send a cover letter with statement of intent, resumé, and 6-10 tiffs or jpegs of current work to Ariane D’Souza via email at [email protected].

Studio Space, Howard County Arts Council — Ellicott, MD

Deadline: August 15 The Howard County Arts Council is seeking applications from artists to fill one available resident artist studio space. The available studio is approximately 375 square feet, rents for $291.25 per month, and has shared access with another artist in an adjoining studio. For more information click here.

Open Call, Studio Image Project

Deadline: August 15 We want to see your studio! Friend of The Artist is proud to announce an open call for a brand new book concept dedicated to showing the spaces where it all happens, the artist’s studio. The book will show the spaces where artists of all mediums and geographical locations create their work. We aim to present the diversity and beauty in spaces where an artist works through this book. All submissions will be featured on our website in The Studio Image Project. Learn more here.

Call for Entry, Outdoor Exhibit, Washington Print Foundation — DC

Deadline: September 1 Are you an artist living in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia? The Washington Print Foundation is seeking works by local artists to be part of an outdoor art exhibit in Georgetown. Selected works will be printed on banners that will compose the exhibition. For more information, click here.

Open Call, Artist’s Multiples — D.C.

Deadline: September 18 But, also, an artist-run business that sells artist-made products, is excited to announce a call for artist’s multiples just in time for the holiday season. We’re looking for anything of which you can make a series of limited edition multiples. Sure, these can be 2D prints but we challenge you to get a little weirder. They can be handmade or they can be commercially printed. For more information and to apply, click here.

Call for Proposals, Howard County Arts Council — Ellicott City, MD

Deadline: October 1 Want your work considered for future exhibits in our galleries? Submit our General Exhibit application today! Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. We also welcome proposals from curators and arts organizations. Learn more here.

Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!

Call for Entries, Viridian Artists 31st International Juried Exhibition — New York

Deadline: August 11 Viridian Artists presents its 31st International Juried Exhibition. Artists of all mediums—painting, printmaking, sculpture, glass, fiber, functional, digital, photography, installation, and mixed media—are encouraged to apply. All winners will be part of a group show in our Chelsea gallery space, and also will be listed on Viridian’s website. Learn more here.

International Sculpture Center Innovator Award

Deadline: August 12 Submissions are now open for the 2021 ISC Innovator Award. This award recognizes the creative innovation of individuals, organizations, or collectives who develop new ideas and work to improve and/or expand the field of contemporary sculpture while demonstrating a commitment to their community and effect social change through their work. Award benefits include: $1,000 Cash prize, one year Professional (individual) or Associate (organization) level ISC Membership, recognition on sculpture.org and in Sculpture Magazine and a virtual event to present work/project to the ISC Sculpture Community. Click here to learn more.

Call for Entries, Art Howard County 2021 Biennial Exhibition — Howard County, MD

Deadline: August 22 Art Howard County is a multi-media juried exhibit showcasing the impressive depth of artistic talent right here in our community. Visual artists, 18 years and older, who live, work or study in Howard County are eligible to apply. The exhibit will be on display from October 16 – November 27, 2021 and is currently accepting applications. For more information, click here.

Call for Entry, The 2021 Athenaeum Open ART OPTIMISM Focus on Climate Change/Sustainability — Alexandria

Deadline: August 25: The Athenaeum Gallery invites DC, Virginia, and Maryland artists to explore concepts related to climate change. We are looking for a wide variety of topics and perspectives, but all work accepted into the exhibition will have a common leitmotif: optimism for improving our footprint on the planet. Works will inspire rather than threaten, celebrate rather than scare, and explore new materials and techniques that help present a positive message about climate change and productive ways we can meet the associated challenges. Click here to learn more.

Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA

Deadline: August 25 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.

Call for Artists, Essex Gateway Sculpture Artwork — Essex, MD

Deadline: August 29 Any and all Maryland artists are invited to submit work for the new Essex Gateway Sculpture, a public outdoor display featured at the entrance to the new Essex Gateway Park. This sculpture will be viewed by over 30,000 people who drive through Essex daily, and it will be the centerpiece to the new public space. The chosen work will be displayed in the four panels of the sculpture. All works submitted will be exhibited in a curated show and press event at the Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River. Click here for more information.

Call for Entry, In Pursuit III: d’Arts Annual Juried Virginia College & University Student Art Exhibition

Deadline: August 29 In Pursuit is an open medium exhibition of original and unique 2D and 3D artworks from Virginia College and University Art Students. This exhibition will feature work in a variety of styles. This exhibition is open to ONLY Virginia College or University art students currently enrolled in the art program at their college or university. For more information, click here. There is also an opportunity for one student to have a solo show. This opportunity is open to seniors needing to fulfill their senior show requirements. Contact [email protected] to submit.

Call for Entries, Watercolor Expressions Juried Exhibit — Martinsburg, WV

Deadline: August 30 The Berkeley Arts Council (BAC) announces Watercolor Expressions, a national juried exhibit, to be displayed at the Berkeley Art Works in Martinsburg, WV from October 13 through November 13, 2021. The exhibit is open to all artists throughout the continental United States, over the age of 18, working in any watercolor medium or technique, in 2- or 3-dimensions. Mixed media where watercolor is the primary medium is also welcome. The theme for the exhibit is open. For more information, click here.

Call for Entry, Made in VA — Virginia Beach, VA

Deadline: August 30 The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) continues its tradition of celebrating regional artists through their annual juried exhibition, Made in VA (formerly New Waves). All artistic mediums made between the years of 2018-2021 are accepted for review. Open to artists residing in Virginia. For more information, click here.

Call for Artists, Predictions for the Buoyant Oracle – Reston, VA

Deadline: August 31 The Buoyant Oracle, a collaboration between artist Sue Wrbican and Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, is an interactive art project with a goal of bringing attention to other women artists while allowing for deeper community engagement. This open call is specifically for women and female identifying artists living in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. Selected works will be presented in various ways beginning in September 2021 through September 2022. Each artist will be paid $150 to generate an artwork image and prediction. For more information, click here.

Call for Submissions, Looking Forward Juried Exhibition – New York

Deadline: September 9 This is an open call for artworks that “look forward.” Although selection will not be based on age, we particularly welcome artists over the age of 60 but are happy to accept submissions from any artist over 18 in the USA. Learn more about the exhibit, and how to apply, here.

Call for Entries, 13th Annual Claude Moore Park Photo Expo – Sterling, VA

Deadline: September 10 The Friends of Claude Moore Park (FCMP) invite you to participate in the 13^th Annual FCMP Photography Expo Natural Spaces and Old Places to be held on September 18, 2021. Photographers of all levels and ages are encouraged to enter their favorite photos into the juried competition in seven categories: Roots and Buds, Wild Creatures, A Bug’s Life, Winged Wonders, Natural Landscapes, History and Heritage, and Farm Life. Learn more and enter here.

Call for Submissions, 2021 Fall Salon, Target Gallery – Alexandria, VA

Deadline: September 17 Target Gallery introduces a new art sale this year to support affordable art buying for art lovers and collectors. For this special exhibition, we will have up to 75 original artworks for sale by artists local to greater DC metropolitan region in Target Gallery. Each piece will be priced no more than $1,000. There is no theme to this exhibition, instead Target Gallery will have 3 guest jurors who will curate the selection based on aesthetic quality. The goal for this exhibition is to encourage art buyers to support local art. Seventy-percent of sales proceeds go directly to the artists while the rest will go to support exhibitions and programs at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Artwork will be displayed salon style in the gallery, to give the feeling of an art fair and allow for more work to be displayed in the space. Link to guidelines and to apply here.

Call for Submissions, Reimagining Drawing $100K Challenge – New York

Deadline: October 11 Mental Canvas, Inc. is a software technology company whose unique platform has reimagined drawing for the digital age by enabling creations that can be experienced outside the confines of a page or a single moment in time. Mental Canvas picks up where pen and paper leave off, taking drawing to a place it’s never been. Now, we’re calling on creatives to join us in redefining what it means to draw. With $100K in prizes and 18 winners, we’re looking for the most impressive and imaginative scenes created with Mental Canvas Draw™. The Challenge runs to October 11, 2021. There will be mini challenges for cash prizes throughout the duration of the contest. For more information, click here.

Call for Entry, Portraits Project, The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. — D.C.

Deadline: November 2 The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) is seeking artwork to be used as part of the PORTRAITS project to be premiered in June 2024. PORTRAITS will represent through visual art, music, and dance, the spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. Paintings, drawings, and photographs are welcome. The artworks may be a portrait, or a scene depicting an aspect of the human experience, including identity expression and historical references specific to the LGBTQ+ community. Selected artworks will be used as projections as part of a live performance, brought to life aurally by music, and visually by GMCW’s 17th Street Dance ensemble to be presented in June 2024. Learn more here.

Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.

Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD

Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].

Pyramid Atlantic Workshop Proposals – Hyattsville, MD

Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]

Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council

2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.

Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets

Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.

Alterwork Studios Online Residency

This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.

Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA

The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.

Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD

The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.

Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD

The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.

Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD

The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.

Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA

The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, click here.

The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)

Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.

Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine

Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.

The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects

Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.

Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)

Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.

Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication

Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.

Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)

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].

The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)

Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, click here.

Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)

Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.

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.

Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)

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.

Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)

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].

Artful Weekend August 7-8

August 6, 2021

Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.

This weekend: July shows at the League; an outdoor sculpture exhibit at Sandy Spring Museum; expressions of Earth at American Visionary Museum; and tumultuous 2020 reflected in artist books at Pyramid Atlantic.

July 2021 Open Exhibit

Our July Open Exhibit, juried by painter and printmaker Toni-Lee Sangastiano, is now on view! Open exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features four works of printmaking: John Gosling’s pastoral linocut Shenandoah Mountain, Bath County, Virginia; David Mann’s victual spread etched in Milk and Honey; Bridget Murphy’s dessert landscape etching Pool View, Carefree, AZ; and Veronica Barker-Barzel’s whimsical print Merlion and Cub (the latter are among this months honorable mentions). Also on view are two particularly unique sculptural pieces: David Alfuth’s Cabinet of Curiosity No. 14 overflows with, well, curiosities—in interesting shapes and forms; and Brian Kirk’s welded steel Beetle, with bright red dots and requisite bug-eyed gaze, is an absolute charmer. See it in-person in the Gallery, through Sunday, August 8, or view it online.

Yasmin Bussiere: Eastern Light

“Origins” by Yasmin Bussiere; mixed media

Mixed media artist Yasmin Bussiere works with metallic paints, pens, acrylics and oil pastels to fuse grandiose landscapes with spiritual reflections. Eastern Light, her solo exhibit, celebrates the beauty of the Central Asian landscape and is inspired by her memories living and traveling across the continent. Her work is organic, instinctive and transportive. Listen to Bussiere speak about her show here. Read more about her and Eastern Light here.

ARTINA 2021: Balancing Acts

“Coextensive Coexistance” by Marc Robarge

Can we ever achieve balance or is it an elusive chimera? Ten members of the Washington Sculptors Group respond to the concept of balance in Artina 2021: Balancing Acts, an sculpture exhibit on view throughout the grounds of Sandy Spring Museum until November 6. The museum is located at 17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring, MD.

The Secret Life of Earth: Alive! Awake! (and possibly really Angry!)

“The Colobus Bros.” by Johanna Burke; fiberglass figure adorned with dried natural plants, glass beads, wooden beads. Photo by Dan MacMahon

This is the final month for the American Visionary Art Museum‘s The Secret Life of Earth: Alive! Awake! (and possibly really Angry!). This timely, thematic mega-exhibition beckons all earthlings—from climate change skeptics to the world’s leading eco-scientists and green youth planet-activists—entry into an exhibition that’s one part visual earth love-fest, and two parts environmental crash course on the wonders and interdependent fragility of life on our one, blue, homegirl planet; on view through September 5, 800 Key Highway, Baltimore.

Nine Artists/Nine Months/Nine Perspectives: Birth of 2020 Visions

“For Names Sake” by Adjoa Burrowes with contributions by artists in the collective; artist book, mixed media

Responding to the events of 2020, a collective of mature Black women artists were compelled to create work that transcended and transformed the traumatic events of the past year. Together they began a collaborative artist book project, started in September of 2020 and finished in May of 2021. These powerful, intricate, and beautiful books are on view in Nine Artists/Nine Months/Nine Perspectives, alongside individual works by each artist, at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center through August 29; 4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD.

Stay safe and enjoy the weekend!