Arts Agenda
Detail from "Night Landscape is Often Obscured by Other Things," by Margaret Boozer. Courtesy Project 4 Gallery. |
Looks like everyone is gearing up this weekend to open one last show for 2008, and there is so much good stuff, we're not sure how we're going to get to it all. Be sure to go below the fold to find this weekends' holiday art markets around town.
But first, a little interactivity. You know those old tennis, bowling, or chess trophies collecting dust in your mom's basement? Dig them out and bring them to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Artist Jean Shin is collecing them for a new piece called Everyday Monuments, which will be on display at SAAM starting May 1. You know you always thought your runner-up trophy for basketweaving deserved to be in the Smithsonian. Drop them off in the Luce Center (3rd floor) by Saturday.
Thursday:
>> One of our favorite local artists, Margaret Boozer, opens a new show at Project 4 tonight. Her stellar clay work "crosses genres between representation and abstraction, painting and sculpture." Reception 6 to 8:30 p.m.
>> Head over to the Phillips Collection to see a screening and curator's talk for When Absence Becomes Presence, the first round in the Washington Project for the Arts' Experimental Media Series. Check out our preview here and get there by 6 p.m.
>> Strange Bodies: Figurative Works from the Hirshhorn Collection begins at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden today. This large exhibit of over 40 works (which will rotate out halfway through the run) travels the recent history of the human form in art. See the bold paintings of Francis Bacon, the giant, fleshy sculptures of Ron Mueck, the mythological human-hybrids of Matthew Barney, and more. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday:
>> There is a crazy amount of activity going on at Arlington Arts Center. They're opening the show Unlimited Edition, featuring works that "explore the relationship between consumption, mass reproduction, marketing, and art." And we're dying, of course, to see what Kathryn Cornelius comes up with on Friday night; she'll be performing live via webcam, acting out instructions that the night's gallery visitors send her on Twitter. In the upstairs gallery, AAC resident artists open A Spacial Difference, while downstairs, AAC students show off their own exhibition. In the Tiffany room, Pink Line Project hosts a Tee Party; check out fashion designs by Kristina Bilonick, Billy Colbert, DECOY, DC51, Cory Oberndorfer, and Lisa Marie Thalhammer. At 7 p.m., Bilonick and Colbert join Project Beltway's Rachel Cothran and a few others to discuss the intersection between fashion and art. The night runs 6 to 11 p.m.
>> Over on 7th Street NW, Civilian Art Projects opens Media.Mix: 21st Century Collage curated by their own Iciar Sagarminaga (who helped us jury DCist Exposed when it was held there, so consider us fans of her taste). In these pieces, see the relationship between materials and the narrative sought at their reception, 7 to 9 p.m. One floor down from Civilian, Touchstone Gallery holds Small Works: Small Prices, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales go to Bread for the City. 6 to 8:30 p.m.
>> If you happen to be more Silver Spring bound, check out the work of three woman photographers in Around the World, featuring Stacy Gold, Nadia Hughes, and Hannele Lahti at Kirsten's Café, 9326 Georgia Avenue. 7 to 10 p.m.
"Pro Sized" by James Rieck, courtesy the Hamiltonian Gallery |
Saturday:
>> Head to the U Street/14th Street corridors for Saturday's activities. Start at the Hamiltonian Gallery to see oil paintings by James Rieck, photographic works by Linda Hesh, and Youngmi Organ's drawings made from her own hair (ew?). 7 to 9 p.m.
>> At this point, you're probably wanting some more Kathryn Cornelius after Friday's AAC show, so walk down to the 1515 14th Street to see her video, How We Learn to Love, projected onto the building, sponsored by Curator's Office and the D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities. Video is about three minutes long; loops between 8 and 9 p.m. This, and the AAC webcam performance are part of Cornelius' (re)do it project.
>> Further down 14th Street at Irvine Contemporary, see a big group show for Aspect: Ratio1: Small-Format Paintings, featuring work by Iona Rozeal Brown, Oliver Vernon, Teo González, Courtney Jorden, and more. 6 to 8 p.m.
>> End the artwalk at Randall Scott Gallery, which opens Quasi-Painting with an exhibit curated by Cara Ober. They start their press release out with, "Painting has been dead for over a century, yet artists keep making them." Well, OK. See the ways in which Ober convinces you painting is still alive and necessary at the reception, 7 to 9 p.m.
More Holiday Art Markets:
- The Corcoran College of Art + Design's annual art sale, Off the Walls starts tonight, 5 to 9 p.m., in the Corcoran Gallery. This is a fine chance to score art at a bargain before the students become stars (we hope!). Also open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Craft Mutiny hosts an indie trunk show at Design Within Reach in Georgetown this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with handmade goods, food, and music.
- The Gateway Arts District hosts its holiday sale, including the Washington Glass School Open House and Sale at 3400 Otis St, Mt. Ranier, Md., this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. From 12 to 4 p.m., you can also visit the Mount Rainier Artists’ Lofts at 3311 Rhode Island Ave, the Brentwood Arts Center (BAC) at 3901 Rhode Island Ave and the BAC Annex at 4301 Rhode Island Ave.
- The Downtown D.C. Market continues through December 23 with local arts and crafts, and flanked on each end by hot chocolate and snack booths. Every day, 12 to 8 p.m.
- Our holiday gift recommendation: Ballou, the documentary about the SE high school marching band, which has just been released on DVD.
- Ninnole's Annual Holiday Trunk Show is this Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. at 1741 Lanier Place, Apt #2.
- The Fourth Annual Upshur Street Arts Fair is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Domku. They're celebrating all down the block, Saturday only: Kilroy's gives 5% off for any dry cleaning brought in; Bentley Vintage Furniture & Collectibles offers 10% off purchases. Bentley is also hosting an indoor neighborhood garage sale all weekend at 9th and Upshur with furniture, vintage jewelry, clothing and more.
- Over by the Takoma Park Metro, visit an African-inspired Holiday Gift Show this Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. featuring photography by David Hamilton, jewelry by Christy Aden, and art by Cynthia Sands. 405 Aspen Street NW.
Art Notes:
- Artist Jae Ko, whose intricate paper works are showing at the Katzen Arts Center (and will have another exhibition at Marsha Matekya Gallery in early January), will give a lecture on Saturday, 4 to 5 p.m.
- Art Whino opens a solo show with the oil paintings of Jason Snyder, with music by DJ Mikel Panda. Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight.
- Matt Sesow holds an open studio this Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m. 1851 Columbia Rd, NW #603
- Target Gallery opens 5 x 5 x (5), an exhibit with small works. As each work is bought, the purchaser gets their Polaraid taken holding their new art, which then replaces the art on the wall, creating a totally new exhibit by the end. Reception tonight 6 to 8 p.m.
- Stop by 3336 M Street NW to see the Peace Mural, a series of paintings by Vietnamese artist Huong. This Saturday, get there at 7:30 p.m. for the Common Folk Awards by One Common Unity.
- The Capital Hill Arts Workshop opens its annual small works show Wrap It Up this Saturday with a reception 5 to 7 p.m.