I met artist Mariah Johnson at Logan Circle's Transformer Gallery in 2007, when she was based out of LA. She's since moved to DC--this year equipped with a great list of projects. Photos are from her February show--"Coup d'Espace: Fort Distraction"--at the Washington Project for the Arts' (WPA) gallery.
WPA's write-up about the show:
For the project Fort Distraction, artist Mariah Johnson will transform the WPA office space by slowly folding, arranging, stacking and layering bed sheets around the architectural features and furniture in the space. Part performance, part site-specific installation, Fort Distraction invites viewers to witness Johnson’s process and the work behind her beautifully arranged installations. Throughout the project’s four-week run, Johnson will add to the installation on a daily basis. The public is welcome to stop by during the installation process to view the installation’s progress and watch Johnson at work. After weeks of adding, rearranging and layering, Johnson’s installation will engulf the audience, transforming the WPA office space into a kind of artist’s pillow fort.
See more photos of Fort Distraction on Mariah's blog.
I'm pleased to see Mariah's DC-born work evolve since her Transformer installation. She's showing solo at the Arlington Arts Center in April 2011. For me, however, her strongest sign of growth comes from the spearheading of a curatorial project--called Porch Projects--opening this Saturday, February 24 (check it out!).
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"The Uncanny Valley" is Graham Caldwell's third solo exhibition at G Fine Art. Read Bob Nickas' interview with Caldwell. See Caldwell's show before it closes on February 5.
Photos from reception with artist on January 15.
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Great to meet Irish artist Suzannah Vaughan at her exhibition opening--"Tracing Form"--on January 7 at Flashpoint Gallery. Suzannah creates three-dimensional representations of interpreted spaces. Notice, for instance, her sculpture of a DC Metro interior, which uses photos as fidelity markers.
Suzannah is in residence at the gallery until the end of her show (February 12). Her program is organized and hosted by Solas Nua, a resident organization at Flashpoint which brings Irish artist talent to the US (more on them here; I'm a fan on Facebook).
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An artist, an architect & a developer walk into a bar...
March 1 at Long View Gallery - http://culturaldc.org/gala/
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I met Dave Richardson at Aaron Gallery in Dupont Circle. He tells me that Zenith Gallery will be hosting a "Meet the Artist" reception for him at Chevy Chase Pavilion, so come see him as he presents his work a day before the exhibition opens. The reception is on December 9 from 6-9pm, and the show, called The Soul of Seoul, will be on display from December 10 through February 28, 2010. See the press release here.
Congrats, Dave, I look forward to seeing your work!
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Cross-posted at ReadysetDC: A Creative Urban Enterprise
Joan Belmar is a wonderful local artist that you should know about. He is represented by Nevin Kelly Gallery and funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. This week is your last chance to enjoy his mini-retrospective at the Chilean Embassy, featuring works from 1995 to present. Dubbed "Migrations," the exhibition is a good opportunity to inspect the way in which Joan's work has matured: from his earlier mixed-media techniques to his current signature style and the elements that connect them.
I had the privilege to attend the "Migrations" opening reception at the Chilean Embassy earlier this month, a cultural event attended by celebrities and friends alike. Cristian Campos, a famous Chilean actor, was present with his wife actress Maria Jose Prieto (see this YouTube clip, where Cristian looks pretty badass). Also at the opening was Charles Krause, survivor of the Guyana Massacre and an avid art collector and journalist (see this PBS link). Many friends and supporters praised Joan at the reception, including Jim & Minna N Nathanson, Barbara Liotta, Elaine Reuben, Constance Bergfors, Eve Hennessa, Shanti Norris (Executive Director at Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts), Ellyn Weiss, Sondra Arkin, Mikray Pida, Katya Romero, Humberto Fuentes (Manuel Zapata Olivella Center), Victoria Montero and Alejandra Ruiz-dana.Comments [0]
Check out preview photos of tonight's show — kudos to Laurel and Project 4 Gallery.
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You must see this in person! Oliver Vernon's Double Down and Phil Nesmith's Flight Patterns opened today at Irvine Contemporary. You can become a fan of Phil Nesmith on Facebook. View the press release (PDF).
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