Arts Agenda
Frank Gohlke. Grain elevator and lightning flash, Lamesa, Texas, 1975. Gelatin silver print. © 1975 Frank Gohlke. Courtesy the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas |
As we noted last week, most galleries are headed to Miami for the weekend of debauchery art parties known as Art Basel. Though some galleries have shows ongoing, it would be wise to call and make sure they're open this weekend if you plan to visit. In the meantime, we have plenty to keep us busy, especially as many venues turn into markets for the holiday gift-buying season.
>> The Smithsonian American Art Museum opens a mid-career retrospective of photographer Frank Gohlke on Friday. His large format images often feature the man-made landscape interacting with an uncontrollable Mother Nature. This is the last leg for the exhibit's national tour. Visit during regular hours, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
>> The Mid City Artists have a lot going on this weekend. Friday, a group of them open a show at Art17 at Coldwell Banker, 1606 17th Street NW, with a reception 6 to 9 p.m., and a Meet the Artist event on Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. Many of the same artists will also have working hanging at Biagio Fine Chocolate, with a reception Friday, 6:30 to 9 p.m. that will include chocolate and olive oil tastings (not together, we hope), along with wine from First Vine. Lastly, Mid City has their semi-annual Open Studios on Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. Download a map (PDF) here.
>> As if there hasn't been enough around town for photography lovers lately, we still highly recommend going to the Smith Farm Healing Arts Gallery tomorrow to hear Director of Photography for National Geographic Magazine, David Griffen, answer questions about what his job is like selecting images and tell us about his top ten favorite photographs. See the NatGeo exhibit while you're there, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
>> H&F Fine Arts opens two shows with a bit of spacey-ness in them. NASA Master Planner Alan Binstock uses deep space images and built structures to contrast between the tangible and the unknowable. Joan Belmar creates complimentary work; "worlds" created out of multi-media and optical techniques that result in clarity mixed with confusion. Opening Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m.
>> Tomorrow is First Friday in Dupont Circle. Hillyer has two ongoing, must-see photography shows up, one curated by the WPA for Fotoweek DC, the other an international exhibit by Iranian artists. They come with a DJ, snacks and a $5 cover. The R Street Gallery has Steve Lapin's Ceramics: Art & Craft on display. Check out the rest of the participating galleries here; most open 6 to 8 p.m., Hillyer open until 9 p.m.
>> Long View Gallery is having a holiday cocktail party cum opening reception for a group show including Matt Sesow, Dana Ellyn, Billy Colbert and more. Tonight, 6 to 9 p.m.
>> Pyramid Atlantic opens two shows on Saturday. The first is The Sky is the Limit, curated by Felix Angel, the curator Inter-American Development Bank’s Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. The other is a site-specific paper installation by artist Leah Frankle that explores the Grades between innocence and experience. Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m., with an artist talk at 6:30 p.m.
>> Civilian Art Projects is hosting the Artistic AYA Fashion Installation, with work by Dana Ayanna Greaves, on Saturday night, which we're told will include art, music, models, shopping, dancing and drinks. $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
>> Well regarded Washington artist David Waters has a retrospective opening at the Govinda Gallery in Georgetown. The exhibition will feature his large scale work (watercolors, collages, drawings), as well as his bust of President John F. Kennedy, one of the many Presidential busts for which he was commisioned. Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m.
Holiday Fairs/Events
- The Fourth Annual Downtown Holiday Market starts this Friday on F Street between 7th and 9th Streets. Noon to 8 p.m. daily through December 23.
- The Craft Mutiny Holiday Booty Market is this Saturday at Hilda's Giftshop in the National City Christian Church. 12 to 6 p.m.
- Art Enables' Holiday Show & Sale is Saturday, 3 to 5 p.m., with gifts ranging from $2 holiday cards to $200 paintings.
- Gallery Plan B's "White Box = Gift Box" Holiday Gift Show will feature jewelry, scarves, small art, glassware and more through December 28. Reception with the artists is this Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m.
- The Art League's Holiday Ceramic Sale runs Friday through Sunday, see web site for hours.
- Touchstone has its second annual Artists for Charity Holiday Benefit on Friday. Tickets for the night of art and entertainment are $20 at the door, and support the AFC Children's Home, which houses children infected with HIV. 7:30 to 10:30 pm.
- Tranquil Space Yoga has a trunk show for local women artists on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m.
- The International Art & Artists program (which runs Hillyer) introduced us to GoodShop.com, where you can shop many stores online and GoodShop donates 30% of your purchase price to an organization of your choice (like IA&A!).
Art Notes
- Jane Franklin Dance performs Incidence at Flashpoint's Mead Theater Lab the next two weekends, with a pay-what-you-can performance at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
- The Phillips Collection has a snazzy redesigned web site with a much easier to read event calendar; they'll also have Phillips After 5 tonight with museum tours, drinks, food and music for the price of admission.
- Art coopertive Caos on F has a First Friday opening between 5 and 8 p.m.
- Via Tyler Green at Modern Art Notes, Roger Ebert has an excellent article about the death of film (and art in general) critics, while gossip/celeb talk takes its place.
- Flickr user volcanojw, whose fascinating job we profiled in Photo of the Day awhile back, has an awesome set of images she took while watching the daguerreotype-making process, demonstrated by Mike Robinson of Century Darkroom.