In a release sent out last night, Bethesda's Fraser Gallery said it will close at the end of March. This gallery is the last of a pair; owner Catroina Fraser opened a Georgetown location in 1995 and closed it in 2005, following the opening of the Bethesda location in 2002. more ›

On Wednesday, winners of the regional visual art competition, The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, were announced. The top four awards were given to René Treviño of Baltimore, who won “Best in Show” and a cash prize of $10,000; D.C.'s Molly Springfield was awarded second place and $2,000; Jessie Lehson of Baltimore was bestowed third place and received $1,000; while the “Young Artist” award of $1,000 was given to Hannah Kim of Falls Church, Va. more ›

>> This week, start your arts viewing with a fascinating documentary on the lives of a powerful curator/collector and his ever controversial photographer lover. Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe examines the lives of these two men through those who knew them best, such as close friend Patti Smith, and how Wagstaff's relationship with Mapplethorpe vaulted them both into careers as art world visionaries, not the least of which... more ›

The Smithsonian announced yesterday that they've officially formed the committee to find the replacement for Olga Viso as the new Director of the Hirshhorn. The group of eight includes local art collectors and Hirshhorn trustees, a couple Smithsonian officers, and the Director of SFMoMA, though we can think of at least one more loud voice that might want in on the decision. We'll be interested to hear who they come up with before Viso leaves... more ›

Five years ago, Carol Trawick began funding the highest paying art competition in the area at the time. The Trawick Prize, held at Creative Partners, was open to artists working in all media, with the high cash prizes often won by new media artists working in video, digital technologies and installation. Encouraged by Fraser Gallery owner Catriona Fraser, Trawick began a similar competition open only to painters three years ago: the Bethesda Painting Award. The... more ›

Let's see. What could possibly be going on in the arts this weekend? Hmm, oh right. DCist Exposed has been getting some love from the Post (did you check out last weekend's Sunday Source?), Washingtonian, and a whole slew of online sources. We just got back from hanging the show and, oh man, it looks great, so we hope you'll give it some love, too, tomorrow night at Warehouse, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Please forgive... more ›

>>Does This Mean Spring Will Be Here Soon? Please?: If you find yourself in Virginia instead of Maryland, begin your weekend with an opening reception for Equinox at the Arlington Arts Center. This "juried all media exhibition" will feature twenty-two regional artists who work in, well, all media. The pieces fit into three categories: manipulated materials, abstraction and the figure. Stop by tomorrow between 6 and 9 p.m. for the reception. more ›

>> Show 'Em How It's Done: Remember how much we hated the Art Walk? We can't fix the mosaicked drain gutters (ugh), but you can do your part and dress up the rest. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities is soliciting entries for the next exhibit entitled Drift. Hat tip to Lenny from Mid Atlantic Art News for this info, and who also tells us that the first exhibit may have suffered simply... more ›

Clear your calendar because the gallery season opens with a bang this weekend. Ditch work early tomorrow, meet your cohorts for a quick drink (what, you don't pre-game for gallery receptions?) and head to the closest art house at six sharp. Beer and wine abound at these showpiece sacella, so bring a date (or find one there!) and up your culture quotient a few notches. If you've never been to a gallery before, well, why... more ›

Friday >>Summer Fridays are meant for free beer, long strolls and casual socializing. Which is exactly why they started the Bethesda Art Walk. We recommend catching the opening reception of the Fraser Gallery's Summer Group Exhibit. Six artists have displayed their new work in photography and painting. The oil on metal paintings by Michael Fitts look like a rougher versions of light, breezy subjects, while Lee Goodwin's gelatin silver prints of black and white landscapes... more ›

Today we bring you news from the revolving door. Artworks are arriving, artists are leaving, and the local scene remains ever-changing, even in the slow, muggy doldrums of summer. >>A Klee In the Hand: Just last week we were pimping Paul Klee in the Arts Agenda, and here he is making the news again this week. The Post reported Tuesday that The Phillips Collection has acquired two Klee pieces from separate private donors. To the... more ›

D.C.'s own ADD filmmakers Mark Ruppert and Liz Langston are back tonight to present the first evening of their 5th annual 48-Hour Film Festival at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Screenings kick off at 7 p.m., and run every night this week through Friday. more ›

So, when a Washington Post art critic tells an artist that their work is the only salvageable thing in an art show of six-hundred pieces, that's a good thing, right? Maybe not when it's spat with the vitriolic follow-up that, "glass is such a gorgeous medium it's hard to screw it up." more ›

Out With the New: Irvine Contemporary gallery is officially moving into the old Fusebox space on 14th St. NW as of May 1, but in the meantime they have their last show at the old Connecticut Ave. space, with new paintings by Susan Jamison and Robert Mellor opening Friday, opening with a reception on April 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. Mellor's Gracile is at right. Other Dupont Circle galleries will also be open since... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Adrian Parsons. more ›

George Mason University art professor Chawky Frenn will give an artist talk this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda. The at times controversial artist (his painting Nothing Personal is at right) should be keen to discuss his use of often graphic still life imagery (like bloody animal carcasses) in a quest to make big statements about the state of the world. DCist contributor Adrian has his own thoughts on... more ›

DCist will be at the Hirshhorn Museum and Scultpure Garden this Thurs. night at 7 p.m. (book signing starts at 6 p.m.) to hear celebrated Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto give an artist lecture about his new exhibition at the Museum, a retrospective of his 30-year career, which opens the same day. Sugimoto is well known for his attempts to convey a sense of time in his still photography, like in his Theatre series (5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, 1997 is shown at right), where the artist photographs an entire motion picture until all that's left is an eerie glow that shows the elapsed time of the film. more ›

Forgive our lax attitude with the Arts Agenda of late, as we've been experiencing a few staff changes around here and are still working out the scheduling kinks. That being said, all of DCist would like to extend a hearty thank you to Cyndi Spain, who has decided to retire from her DCist arts duties to focus on being a busy career woman and a doting bride. Good luck, Cyndi! more ›

DCist is happy to share news this week of area events and exhibits by our fellow bloggers. First off, Lenny Campello of DC Art News, opens a show of his recent drawings on Friday at the Georgetown Fraser Gallery. There's a reception for the show that night from 6-9 p.m. A drawing from the exhibit is shown at right. more ›

Arts Agenda will return at full strength after the Thanksgiving holiday. For now, please feel free to add your own suggestions to a few things you ought not to miss this week. more ›

>> Andrew Wodzianski wins bonus cool points for combining visuals inspired by Mexican luchadores and an interactive blog, the use of cell phones and a podcast (or Wodcast) in his new show Lucha Libre! at the Fraser Gallery. His "Lucha Libre! 2" is pictured here. more ›

>> Tomorrow the Fraser Gallery in Georgetown closes the exhibit of winners from the 9th Annual Georgetown International Fine Arts Competition - this year selected by Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the American University's Katzen Arts Center's Galleries. (You can see the list of winners on their Web site.) Then, on Thursday, a new exhibit of work by tape-obsessed Mark Jenkins opens. DCist can't wait to see the full-sized cast of a 1995 Honda Civic made from clear packing tape that the gallery is promising. Stop by the opening reception on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. to see it and photos of the artist's other installations in D.C., Baltimore, New York and Rio de Janeiro. His amusing "Call Waiting" is shown at right. (We reported on his tape babies back in May.) more ›

>> With $14,000 in cash prizes, the inaugural Bethesda Painting Awards includes one of the top painting prizes in the nation. On Friday the winning artists will be announced by the three jurors during an opening reception (6-9 p.m.) for a show of work by the eight finalists, at Fraser Gallery Bethesda. The three jurors looked at the work of several hundred painters from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia before selecting eight painters as finalists. more ›

Editor's Note: As DCist continues to grow, we're looking to revamp and expand our Arts coverage to better cover the varied local geography of the D.C. area's artistic community. If you are interested in contributing to our Arts section -- visual, fine, performing, et al -- please e-mail Mike or swing by our happy hour this Friday. In the meantime, here is this week's Arts Agenda, compiled by F. Lennox Campello of the Fraser Gallery... more ›

Enjoy this spring-like weather while you can and get out to some of the new exhibits around D.C. We've picked some of the highlights to help you decide which shows to visit. more ›

A show of 10 artists from last fall's Artomatic show has opened at the Anne C. Fisher Gallery in Georgetown. The brainchild of Fisher and F. Lennox Campello of the Fraser Gallery (and prolific author of popular blog D.C. Art News) "10 Most Wanted" showcases a few works from some of the two gallery owners favorite Artomatic artists. more ›

>> Avoid the mall and take advantage of the numerous venues for purchasing handmade arts and crafts here in D.C., including Gateway Georgia Avenue's 2nd Annual Holiday ArtWalk tomorrow night in Silver Spring. Local artists will have paintings, prints, photos, quilts and more available for sale for $15-$300. Even if you're only browsing, you can enjoy free empanadas from Los Arrieros or wine and finger food at The Graphic Workshop, Pyramid Atlantic and Kari Minnick Glass Studio. Festivities last from 7-9 p.m. Other arts-related shopping opportunities of the week include the Arts Market at the Ellipse in Arlington (closing Saturday) and the final weekend of Western Market in Adams Morgan for the season (Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.). more ›

Don't get yourselves down about the gloomy weather, fellow DC-ites. Capital Weather suggests that it'll get sunny by tomorrow afternoon, and there are plenty of goodies to keep you occupied this weekend. more ›

>> This Friday, Artomatic – a conglomerate of visual art, live music, poetry readings, films and more – opens at 800 Third St. NE. The opening reception kicks off at noon this Friday and lasts until 1 a.m. It’s up through Dec. 5. more ›

- With the Election Day a week away and fears of voting machines failing, channel your “Pre-Election Anxiety Disorder” by visiting some election-inspired exhibits at the National Museum of American History. "Vote! The Machinery of Democracy" examines the evolution of voting techniques and includes the ill-fated butterfly ballot from the 2000 Florida presidential election. Stop by their permanent exhibit "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" to pay homage to our fearless leaders of the executive... more ›