Arts Agenda
We hope you cleared your calendar and laundered all your black clothes, 'cause it's a busy weekend out there for art lovers.
>> On your way to the opening day of the Newseum tomorrow, swing by the old convention center grounds (you know, the parking lot that was supposed to break ground for new construction in January 2008, now, supposedly, in January 2009) at 10th Street between New York Avenue and H Street NW to see the unveiling of the third ArtWalk at noon. Yeah, we kinda hated the first one; the second one was a skosh better, but we're hoping the third installment with its theme, Emerge and work by 12 artists will be the best yet. If you can't make it down, we'll have pictures and a review for you tomorrow afternoon.
>> Crafters, eat your hearts out. The Smithsonian Craft Show, "one of the nation's most prestigious juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American craft," officially opened yesterday at the National Building Museum. Check out and purchase all kinds of museum quality crafts in 12 media categories by 120 artists. The show only lasts through the weekend; see the web site for hours. Daily admission, $15. Tonight go to a special reception from 6 to 8 p.m. with drinks, door prizes, the craft exhibitors, and the curator of contemporary craft and decorative art at SAAM. $20 at the door.
>> The National Geographic Museum has a bunch of new features. In honor of upcoming Earth Day, they installed 50 life-size Trash People, by German artist H.A. Schult, in their courtyard last week to represent the amount of waste people produce. Inside, three new exhibits open soon, the first on Monday featuring photographs from around China. Head over on Tuesday for an accompanying lecture by two writers and two photographers from National Geographic about the country, its changes and, of course, the upcoming Olympics at 7:30 p.m., $18. (Don't forget to visit the awesome frog exhibit while you're there.)
>> The Arlington Arts Center opens their big annual Spring Solos show on Friday with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Six regional artists show off their artwork, from Jennifer Mattingly tiny matchbox dioramas (pictured above) to Sondheim Prize winner Laure Drogoul's hopefully-not-overly-creepy séance for soldiers buried in nearby Arlington Cemetery.
>> At the Art League Gallery, see Amy Lin's obsessive dot artwork in Interaction, using a theme of genetics and DNA -- which seems pretty fitting for her kind of work. Also find the Art League's juried Membership Show, Interplay: Humanity and Nature. Visit during the the Torpedo Factory's Second Thursday Art Night tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
>> Once you've got your fill at the Smithsonian Craft Show (or just want a show that's smaller, locally oriented, and free), be sure to stop by Civilian Art Projects, which is building on its new craft shop with its first Trunk Show, featuring jewelry, prints, clothing and more by local designers. The show goes on all day Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See their ongoing exhibits craigslist and 100 ways to kneel and kiss the ground while you're there.
>> This is the Second Saturday Friday for Bethesda's monthly art walk. Check out new paintings by John Winslow at the Fraser Gallery in Air Rites, or escape to rural Greece with photographs by Beatrice Hamblett in LANDING (pictured left) at Gallery Neptune. The art walk receptions go on from 6 to 9 p.m.
>> The gallery at Warehouse opens a giant group show with the apocalyptic theme, The End of Nature. About 30 artists pontificate about what they'll miss most once the world microwaves itself into oblivion. Good times! Opening reception Friday 6 to 9 p.m.
Art Notes:
- Curator's Office opens an intriguing new show with Jason Horowitz's large-scale photographs in Corpus. See it during their regular hours starting Saturday, as the reception isn't until May.
- Art Whino's Alexandria gallery is celebrating the first human in space with Yuri's Night 2008 -- World Space Party. Saturday 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., $20 in advance, $25 at the door, featuring a space themed art show.
- Edward Steichen: Portraits opens at the National Portrait Gallery tomorrow. We'll have more for you on these next week.
- Free dance performances! See the Hurriyeh Dabkeh/DC Dabkeh Troupe at Studio Gallery on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m., then check out Jane Franklin Dance perform at Torpedo Factory next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
- Touchstone Gallery has an opening reception for three new exhibits on Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
- The Capital Hill Arts Workshop opens a new show, Imagine, on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring musical and dance performances in their Black Box Theater at 7 p.m.
Image of a matchbox diorama by Jennifer Mattingly courtesy Arlington Arts Center. Photograph by Beatrice Hamblett courtesy Gallery Neptune.