Joe Ovelman, Untitled (from Coming Home) 2011, wood – 10 x 14 inches.>> Baa Ram Ewe! To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true. Sheep be true! (I may have watched Babe a few too many times…) Tomorrow night is the opening reception of Leslie Blackmon’s Baa-merica! Icons Revisited at The Art League Gallery. Drawing from her background as a contemporary fiber artist, Blackmon created crocheted sheep sculptures posing as pop culture icons such as Jackson Pollack, Dolly Parton, and Andy Warhol. Opening reception and meet the artist on Thursday, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Artist talk and crochet demonstration Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.
>> If you’ve ever wanted to experience art instead of just looking at it then this is your lucky day. The DC Arts Center is hosting the first ever The Experience Auction!, on Thursday night at the Kennedy-Warren building. Over three dozen of D.C.’s most creative and talented people are offering unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the highest bidder. Watch your property get vandalized by Kelly Towles, dance your heart out with Liz Lerman, or (my personal fave) write your own theme song with A.C. Valdez. These are just a few of the experiences that you can bid on and then, um, experience. Ticket sales end today so make sure you get yours! $35 for DCAC members, $50 for non-members. 7 to 10 p.m.
>> Flashpoint Gallery is hosting an opening reception for the exhibit, Old Fashioned New Media, on Friday evening. The exhibition features the work of Andy Holtin, Chandi Kelley, Christine Buckton Tillman, and Jamie O’Shea. Though vastly different in the work they have created, each artist uses technology to investigate the themes of nature, human interaction and the development of tools used to document our lives and communicate. 6 to 8 p.m.
>> Over the last few years the Gateway Arts District has worked hard to cultivate an amazingly creative community of artists. This Saturday is your chance to tour 15 venues and 70 studios and meet with the 120 different artists that make up this vibrant community. The 7th Annual Gateway Open Studio will run from 12 to 5 p.m. Free shuttle buses will be available along the Route 1/Rhode Island Avenue corridor. After the open studio events, stick around for the openings of Body curated by Ledelle Moe and Big Ideas: Sondra N. Arkin, Ellyn Weiss, Susan Finsen, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gateway Arts Center.
>> Conner Contemporary Art offers the opening of five different exhibitions and installations featuring the work of Jeremy Kost in Between the Lines, Joe Ovelman in Coming Home, Geoffrey Aldridge in All that Glitters, Jeremy Flick in A Unified Theory of Everything, and Patrick McDonough in Awning Studies: Florida Avenue, NE. Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m. Artists will be in attendance.
>> The first Asia After Dark of 2011 at the Freer and Sackler Galleries will be a tribute to Japan. Join others in the galleries to view Japanese art and then create and send messages to friends and family affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Dress in your finest harajuku fashions or kimonos and enjoy some sake cocktails and sushi. Tickets are $22 in advance and $25 at the door (limited number; cash only). 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
>> Hamiltonian Gallery has three new exhibits from Hamiltonian fellows Ryan Hoover, Jessica van Brakle and Lina Vargas De La Hoz running simultaneously starting Saturday. An opening reception will run from 7 to 9 p.m., and an artists’ talk with all three will be held on Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m.
>> The Art Whino Gallery offers up the work of Charlie Owens in his new solo show Don’t Get Caught this Saturday. Featuring a collection of very large-scale installations, the show is a throwback to when Owens was first introduced to skateboarding and the artwork that went with it. 8 p.m. to midnight.
>> Last, but not least this Saturday is the Arlington Art Center’s Annual Critique the Critics. This is your chance to critique the work of local D.C. area trendsetters and opinion-makers as they use the materials from childhood to create their art. Two of our very own, Kelly Rand and Ian Buckwalter, will be competing, which is surely reason enough to head on over. General tickets are $50 and VIP tickets are $125.
Art Notes:
- Art (202) presents Teen Parenting Perspectives, an exhibition of photographic work by Graeme King in the North Hall of Eastern Market. The goal is to raise consciousness around Teen Pregnancy Awareness and Prevention Month. Friday, 7 to 9 p.m.
- Curating for a Cause and Glenda Fu present Curating for a Cure on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Lamont Bishop Gallery. The exhibition and art auction will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. $10 suggested donation. RSVP here.
- Evolve Urban Arts Project hosts an opening reception for Lindsey Applebee’s Shenanigans on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Reyes + Davis Independent Exhibitions and Open Studio dc will exhibit the work of Pepa Leon on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. in Pop-Up Pop-In with Pepa Leon.
- The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival takes place this weekend. The festival features the work of 140 artists. Saturday, 10 to 6 p.m. Sunday, 10 to 5 p.m.
