Arts Agenda
"Myself" by John N. Robinson. Image courtesy Hemphill Fine Arts.
>> Conner Contemporary opens two shows: John Kirchner's Unknowns and Brandon Morse's This Shape We're In. Kirchner updates, so to speak, vintage anonymous portraits by "conversing" with the unknown painters. Morse, who we have a bit of an art/science crush on, plays with structural integrity and destruction in his new video projections. Have him blow your mind on Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m.
>> The artists in the new show at Arlington Arts Center open up their Public/Private lives, and those of the people around them, for an interactive experience. Read one artist's sisters' diary, or see how a couple of artists managed to get certain images into the Google Maps Street View project, and much more. Opening Friday, 6 to 9 p.m.
>> Project 4 opens a show with works by Anthony Pontius, who says he creates "histories." His seemingly narrative paintings and drawings have familiar images that make you think you're getting a story with an important piece missing. The questions left are yours to ponder. Reception is Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
>> At street level in the same building, Hamiltonian Gallery has its fourth exhibition opening, this time featuring Mark Cameron Boyd, Christian Benefiel and Leah Frankel. The press release contains more art buzzwords and multi-clause sentences than I've seen in one place in a very long time, so rest assured the exhibit is hella deep. 7 to 9 p.m.
>> While you can see Lisa Blas' conceptual art at the AAC show mentioned above on Friday, you can also see her figurative and landscape paintings this weekend, at Catholic University's Gallery of Art. Regarding Territories and Bodies opens tonight, 6 to 8 p.m.
>> They won't have their reception for a couple weeks, but you can see Sculpture Now 2009, the annual contest run by the Washington Sculpture Group, at the Washington Square building (1050 Connecticut Ave NW, entrance on L Street) starting Monday. Stop by during a lunch break; the building is open daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Art Notes:
- The Phillips Collection has appointed Vesela Sretenovic to the newly created position of Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.
- See the unique dance performance Breaking Ground, by Jane Franklin Dance, at U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Theater this Saturday, 8 p.m.
- Studio 4903 presents whim-wham, a jewelry exhbition with an opening Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Same Grawe, editor in chief of Dwell magazine, talks about architecture and design at the Corcoran next Monday. 7 p.m., $20.
- The Library of Congress, impressing us lately with its embracing of social networking sites such as Flickr, has started its own Twitter feed.
- The Capital Hill Arts Workshop presents dance workshops this Saturday from 4:30 to 7 p.m., followed by a social dance at 7 p.m. $30.