Arts Agenda: You Can Do It, Too
>> Get Avant-Garde Tonight: This evening the Phillips Collection hosts a special Artful Evening, with programming oriented around the museum's latest exhibit, The Société Anonyme: Modernism for America. Swiss pianist Gilles Vonsattel will give a recital of modernist music from the period, there will be presentations on Dada artist Marcel Duchamp, co-founder of the Société Anonyme (6 and 7 p.m.), and at 6:30 p.m. there will be a special screening of four experimental short films by artists in the 1920s: Man Ray's Emak-Bakia (1926), Fernand Léger's Ballet mécanique (1924), Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler's Manhatta (1921), and Réné Clair and Francis Picabia's Entr'Acte (1924). See their Web site for ticket prices. (Charles Downey)
>> A Little Bit Country: The Fraser Gallery opens a new show this weekend for D.C. based photographer Maxwell MacKenzie. Sky Light follows the same vein of Christenberry's simple photographs that focus not on the building in the image, but on the unseen people who crafted it and live their lives there. MacKenzie's panorama's (pictured) are a tour of farmhouses across the Midwest (and a few from Europe thrown in for good measure). Although this writer has a special place in her heart the Ventura Pier, I'll wait to see the show in person to decide if these photos are the random inclusion they seem to be next to the stark black and white countrysides. Opening reception Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.
>> Go Behind the Curtain: Ever wonder what goes into making a piece of art? Do artists sit around mumbling to themselves until inspiration hits, just before they cut off their ears? Or maybe, you know, they're just like you and me. Take a safari amongst these secretive creatures from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during Mid City Artists' Open Studios, when over thirty artists around the Dupont and Logan area will open their workspaces for your thorough observations. Use their map to plan your visit, and be prepared to have all the important questions answered: Is Mike Weber's studio filled with awesome HBO paraphernalia? Will Anne Marchand live blog the event?
>> Plus It Makes Holiday Shopping Easy: Help your community by checking out some fine art this Friday. Zenith Gallery is hosting Food, Glorious Food - Just Desserts, a collaboration of artists, some of our finest local chefs, and the Capital Area Food Bank. Get yourself a ticket to the reception from 6 to 10 p.m. and enjoy desserts by José Andrés, Nora Pouillon, and many others. After you've enjoyed the art on the walls, take it home in calendar form for $20; the proceeds go to CAFB, which supports soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and after-school programs, among a number of community based support programs. You can also buy the calendar at Pulp.
>> DIY Photography: Stop by the Del Ray Artisans' Alexandria gallery on Friday between 7 and 10 p.m. to take in the Del Ray Dozen Invitational Photography Show. In their search for new talent, they found a baker's dozen who's work will not only hang in the show, but be auctioned off during the reception. If you've been wondering how you can market your own work, catch their workshop on Saturday where Keith Barraclough will talk about "Business Issues for Photographers" from 1 to 3 p.m. The workshop is free, but you need to sign up in advance.
>> Virginia Is All the Rage These Days:The Washington Project for the Arts\Corcoran continue their Exchange series with Richmond @ D.C. (Twisted Roots). Take in the reception Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the DCAC and find out what Richmond thinks modern art is.
>> Last Chance: G Fine Art, going against the tide, holds a closing reception for Maggie Michael's show Open End. We highly recommend checking this show out in person, as photos online do no justice to the heavily layered paintings. One work has a thick chunk of paint lifted up, letting the viewer examine just how the work was constructed, but the paint is so heavy the piece is actually held up with masking tape. Stop by on Saturday between 6 and 8 p.m.
>> First Chance!: Step down the hall from G Fine on Saturday for the Adamson Gallery's opening reception for popular local artist Kelly Towles. I Call Shotgun features his graphic street art and we can almost guarantee that walking into the gallery will feel like walking into a shady urban alley, with the walls covered in graffiti of graffiti. Check it out for yourself between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.