Arts Agenda: Guts & Glory
George Mason University art professor Chawky Frenn will give an artist talk this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda. The at times controversial artist (his painting Nothing Personal is at right) should be keen to discuss his use of often graphic still life imagery (like bloody animal carcasses) in a quest to make big statements about the state of the world. DCist contributor Adrian has his own thoughts on Frenn over at In the City for Art and a Job.
New To U: Project 4 Gallery, a new space opening at 903 U St. NW for the first time this Saturday night, is a collaborative effort between a journalist, two architects, and a D.C.-based French web designer. The unusual combo (and the location) surely intrigues, though the first exhibition doesn't appear on the surface to be breaking any serious ground: Photographer Lori Grinker's Afterwar: Veterans From a World in Conflict, a selection of her best work from the last 15 years. We're planning on attending the opening all the same, and are excited to see what these guys do with their Project. Grand opening at 6 - 8:30 p.m., Saturday Feb. 25.
The Science Guy: Want to make a documentary with a scientific theme? Have we got the program for you. The Koshland Science Museum of the National Academies of Science will host Communicating Science with David Clark: Recreating the Past, Exploring the Future tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Clark, a winner of two Emmy Awards, will describe (and hopefully demonstrate) techniques for computer graphic animation, model making, and the use of scientific research tools ranging from submersibles to high-definition cameras. $5. Hey, somebody's got to win that Alfred P. Sloan prize next year. Why not you?
Get Taken to Task: Alert reader Jeffrey points out an opportunity via the Hirshhorn Museum to participate in an art project. New York based-artist Oliver Herring is recruiting volunteers for a unique art-making experience, titled Task.
Forty to sixty volunteers who live in the greater D.C. area are needed to perform simple tasks as a group over the course of eight hours on Saturday, April 29, 2006. Check out the full description of the event and if you think you'd like to do it, contact the museum immediately. The deadline for notifying selected volunteers is this Friday.
Fresh as Can Be: WPAC opens Wall Snatchers, a showcase of street art and graffiti from Boston, NY, Miami and D.C. this Thurs., Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.; The Phillips Collection opened Degas, Sickert and Toulouse-Lautrec: London and Paris, 1870–1910 and The National Gallery opened Dada over the weekend, and both will be on view through May 14.