Patrick McDonough, Vinyl Record, 2011, Civilian Art Projects, Custom Cut Vinyl Record in Hand Painted Chipboard Jacket (Tracks contain backmasked audio from Joy of Painting episode ‘Splendor’)

>> Will D.C. soon be joining the ranks of fine art festival go-to locations like Miami and New York? The inaugural (e)merge art fair has been officially scheduled for September 22-25 at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. Behind the event, “a new vetted art fair that internationalizes the current groundswell of creative activity in DC,” is Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith, of Conner Contemporary, and Helen Allen, former creator and Executive Director of PULSE Art Fairs. They’ll be working with, among others, the Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts to create events during the fair. (e)merge is accepting applications from galleries, non-profits and unrepresented artists through May 2.

>> Join the spirit of Robert Mapplethorpe this Saturday at the Corcoran Gallery of Art for Culture Wars: Then and Now, a free, day-long panel presentation and discussion about art censorship in Washington, D.C. When the Corcoran made the decision in 1989 to pull Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment, a planned retrospective containing over 150 works by the photographer, or risk a federal hit in funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington Project for the Arts provided exhibition space for the controversial works only a month later. Twenty one years later in December 2010, Congress echoed the threat to yank funding, this time to the National Portrait Gallery, over Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, which featured the video A Fire in My Belly, which examines AIDS in American society, by artist David Wojnarowicz, who died of the disease in 1992 – the video was subsequently removed from the exhibit. In response, Culture Wars: Then and Now discusses the culture wars in the late 1980s and early 1990s and how freedom of expression and public support for the arts are currently being debated. Panelists include Svetlana Mintcheva, Director of Programs at the National Coalition Against Censorship and the Corcoran’s own Chief Curator and Head of Research Philip Brookman, who, in fact, was WPA Director in 1989. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free, but tickets are required.

>> Stop by the Art Museum of the Americas on Thursday for the opening reception of Corridor, an exhibit conceived by Baltimore and D.C. artists. Curators Irene Hofmann, Director and
Chief Curator at SITE, Santa Fe, former Executive Director of the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, and Laura Roulet, independent DC curator and art historian, worked with the artists — six from Baltimore and six from Washington — challenging the conventional artist‐curator relationship. The resulting exhibition showcases exceptional examples of some recent trends in art from the region and includes sculpture, installation, printmaking, photography, and video works. Opening reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. Free.

>> On Friday, Civilian Art Projects hosts a reception for Opening Act, an exploration of fan behavior by artist Patric McDonough, the inaugural show in “The Entrance”, their new project space at 1019 7th Street NW. The four pieces “deal in issues of fan behavior, relationships between music and art production, decoration, sites of creative invention, class, accessible custom culture, free time, use value, and interactions between artists and their audiences and supporters. Below the surface this exhibition furthers my investigation into who art is for, what art is and does, and what it can and should be about,” as McDonough describes. 7 to 9 p.m. Free.

>> Clear out your closets and drawers and bring your unwanted clothes to Hillyer Art Space on Saturday for their first ever Swap Shop. Receive one ticket for each item you bring that can be exchanged for another item of your choice. Swap Shop is open to both men and women, with separate rooms for each. Vintage clothes vendors will also be on hand with one-of-a-kind items available for purchase. Tickets cost just $10 and all leftover clothes will be donated to Martha’s Table. Doors open at 11 a.m. for item sorting; swapping is from noon until 4 p.m.

>> Everything Old is New Again on Saturday at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McEvoy Auditorium. Curator Nicholas Bell leads a roundtable discussion with the four artists featured in History in the Making: Renwick Craft Invitational 2011 as they discuss contemporary craftsmanship in silver, ceramic, glass and furniture. 10:30 a.m. Free.

>> On Saturday, artists can learn how to make a living independent of a gallery at Washington Sculptors Group‘s Mini Boot Camp hosted by artist Sharon Louden. This workshop, held at Georgetown Library, will help artists understand the basics from writing a resume and artist statement to general marketing strategies and applying for grants. 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Free, but RSVP to programs@washingtonsculptors.org.

>> Adams Morgan Main Street and the National Cherry Blossom Festival are partnering to bring performance art, local retail, original art and crafts together for over fifteen days in the heart of Adams Morgan. The Very Cherry AdMo Pop Up Shop will feature art and cultural exhibits, demonstrations and performances for kids and adults alongside a retail area highlighting different artisans and activities. The Very Cherry Pop Up Shop opens with a ribbon-cutting this Sunday at noon and extends through April 10. Visit their website or Facebook page for event schedules and hours.

>> On Tuesday night, Hamiltonian Artists‘ Professional Speaker Series presents Survival Guide for Artists and Arts Organizations, hosted by Adam Natale, Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Fractured Atlas. Natale will discuss key services, programs and resources that can help artists with the business side of their art — the “unsexy” side of art that artists generally do not like thinking about, but which allows them to focus more easily on the creation of their art while also maintaining the infrastructure of their “arts business.” 7 p.m. Free, but RSVP to jackie@hamiltoniangallery.com.

>> Washington Studio School presents a drawing exhibition of Deborah Kahn with a workshop, slide lecture and reception on Friday. Register for the drawing workshop, and work with the artist using both reproductions and sculpture. The workshop, from 2 to 4 p.m., costs $55. The slide lecture begins at 5 p.m., followed by the reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Free.

>> Also on Friday, photographer Darren Smith’s Kaleidoscope, photo mosaics combining illustration board, glue and hundreds or thousands of small fragments of his own photographs to create handmade images, will be on display at Art Soiree at L2 Lounge. Friday night from 7 to 10 p.m. $10.

>> Torpedo Factory’s Target Gallery and the March of Dimes are throwing a ten-day fundraiser filled with 200 10×10-inch works of art priced at $100. Their March Madness Art Party on Friday night includes music, games, and food and drink in a pub-like atmosphere and the announcement of five Jurors’ Awards. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Friday, 7 to 11 p.m.

Art Notes:

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