Hello! I'm Vincent Gallegos, a web designer and event photographer living in Washington, D.C. Enjoy my stories about art, technology and creative living.
Yes, there was free chicken at Brandon Hill's closing show at Lamont Bishop Gallery.
Read more about his solo exhibition here (an interview between Simone Jacobson and the artist). Become of fan of Brandon Hill on Facebook.
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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See the Long View Gallery invite here. Also check out Metroweekly's article on Jeff McElhaney, creator of the exhibited ads. He tells the magazine:
The ads are near and dear to my heart. There are a lot of ghosts standing next to me when I'm holding these ads. I've lost so many friends.
Thanks to his ads, however, it's likely McElhaney saved quite a few, as well.
Jeff is Creative Partner at Brand-Aid Creative in Washington, DC. He just found Posterous—we hope he starts using it!
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Like Robert Frost’s two roads diverged, there are two instinctual reactions to the photographs in Terri Weifenbach’s “Woods”: serenity and fear. Weifenbach, whose 28 photos have inaugurated the new Civilian Arts Projects space, wants us to feel a little of both—but along with whichever sentiment she stirs in a viewer, one will certainly feel disoriented. Weifenbach deliberately leaves parts of the photograph out of focus, a trick that leaves the viewer constantly searching deeper into the trees, like a lost camper. The photos were taken in a wooded park in Wheaton, but Weifenbach may as well have taken them off of the Appalachian Trail. They’re soothing and disquieting, reminding us that sometimes we turn to nature to get away from it all, and sometimes, we just get away.
I'd like to see the exhibition before it closes on December 19.
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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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Check out preview photos of tonight's show — kudos to Laurel and Project 4 Gallery.
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“Flight Patterns” are not just for the birds. Though the title of Phil Nesmith’s show at Irvine Contemporary is quite literal for his glass-plate images of birds and insects, flight unites his show with the concurrent exhibition by Oliver Vernon. Both are characterized by movement through air, but with completely divergent approaches. Nesmith, whose medium is photograms (a method in which exposures are made directly on photosensitive black glass plates), captures delicate, subtle movements. Vernon, on the other hand, creates futuristic abstract landscapes that look as tenuous as Jupiter’s—stormy gases and debris, rotating and swirling together in orbit. Nesmith’s birds and insects are restricted in their flight by the glass jars in which he’s ensnared his subjects. Vernon’s paintings and a 3-D installation explode into space, bound by nothing.
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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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DC-based Phil Jones is like me: a web developer with a passion for art and photography. Last week, he gave a talk to artists at Hamiltonian Gallery. He recommends popular web services to artists looking to share their work in a more efficient and social manner. He mentioned Tumblr, Flickr, and Google applications (Feedburner, Docs) and how they are integrated into artists' websites. He also advocated for ShareThis/AddThis.
I was thrilled to see that Phil included my own blog as an example, an application powered by Posterous. As you know, I'm an advocate of the service since I switched over to lifestreaming in the summer. Posterous is releasing more features for lifestreamers than any other service on the web. If you haven't felt its power, see Steve Rubel's posterous blog. The Edelman-hired media professional is an evangelist for the start-up. Listen to him--he is usually ahead of the curve when it comes to web innovation.
Joining Phil tonight is Greg Lavallee, software engineer at The Washington Post.
Phil Jones works for CITI (Community IT Innovators), an employee-owned web development studio on U Street corridor. I am excited to see tech folks mingling with the DC art community, and looking forward to more!
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentgallegos/3969955895/in/set-72157622491293...
...behind the precise limits of where we live, there is only a universe whose bursting forth open is incomparable, and behind the universe there is nothing. - Georges BatailleThree more days to see Bradley Chriss's new work at Flashpoint Gallery. Check out his portfolio site for close-ups of the artwork and for his ideas behind the show. Here is the press release (PDF). Mentions of Visions From the End of the World:
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It turns out plans to open a D.C. iteration of the New York barbecue spot Hill Country could affect more than just the local food scene. The building where the restaurant will soon reside is undergoing renovations, which is leaving two local galleries that are located upstairs -- Civilian Art Projects and Touchstone Gallery -- without a space, at least temporarily. To make matters worse, Jayme McLellan, director of Civilian Art Projects, says that once the renovations are complete, the rent will be raised. McLellan hasn't been given a concrete number yet as far as rent is concerned, but the increase could mean finding a new location altogether. This comes on the heels of other galleries like Zenith and G Fine Art closing their doors.
Luckily, Civilian will be able to occupy its current space long enough for its next two slated exhibitions, "Love Letters" and "Debriscapes."
New York-based Marx Realty, which owns the building, was unavailable for comment, but I'll post updates as I have them.
-- Stephanie
By Stephanie Merry
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A long line as excited guests wait to enter the second Asia After Dark event for 2009. With Pink Link Project's text messaging scavenger hunt, to DJs Yellow Fever, to dance crew Boogie Bots--it was a good one.
The official Asia After Dark poster reads: "Art, Drink, and Be Happy!"
The event is on track with social media goodness. Become a fan of Freer and Sackler's Facebook page. As a thank you, you take a fortune teller fish with you. Next in the halls of the museum, not included in this photo set, are food samples provided by Bangkok Joe's, Mie N Yu and Asia Nine.
The Freer courtyard looks great! The weather for this event couldn't have been any better.
Fun to see John Miyahara, a college mentor and friend of mine. John taught me about service, which is his calling (to our nation and to our local community--see this article about John). One cool thing I learned from John: the idea of "paying it forward."
There were many awesome peacock dresses. Guests were enjoying their theme-inspired attire.
Two guests hold on to Philippa Hughes's scavenger hunt flyers. Philippa helps visitors strike up conversations. Her game reads: "Good luck, have fun, meet someone new, and learn some Freer history!"
The event organizers look stunning, of course.
John Miyahara with some of his friends.
Yellow Fever DJs entertain the crowd.
Art lovers pose with their peacock colors and style.
This sweet person approached us as she notices my small awesome camera. This is my first event shooting with the LX3 and SB-600. For you photo nerds: the flash unit only works in manual mode--worth the little extra bulk for that extra brush of light on subjects. (To the lady in this picture: send me an email and good luck finding a deal in NYC!).
The light in the courtyard is beautiful as the sun goes down. With good cocktails and catered bites flowing around the party, you can see people are having a good time.
Dawn looks beautiful!
I run into Nadia and friends! Another Dickinsonian at the event, Stacy (who works for the museum), is inside one of the galleries.
Boogie Bots, contestants from MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, perform tonight
Jamie, fashion + style editor for Greg's List DC (left) with friend Janice. Good to meet you both!
Being in a museum after hours reminds me of my time at the Whitney--send me a message if you catch this, YI Alumns!
My favorite group at the event. We bond instantly, dance in place a little, then head "Peacock Room."
Before entering, we catch a glimpse of special guest Charles Lang Freer, founder. Intimidated by his presence, we do not approach.
As you can see, the collection is extravagant and opulent. Small details are decorated with care and precision. The room enthralls you and doesn't let go.
We are led on a tour of the "Peacock Room." Good history.
So, yes, the hosts at the Freer and Sackler give us a real art treat with the "Peacock Room." Read more about the room and exhibition.
Allowed to see the gallery rooms after hours, we look around with the crowd. It's fun. You should do it if you haven't already. Bring a date or friends and enjoy a good evening of drinks and art--exactly the kind of combination that makes the idea not feel like a class field trip.
Pink Line Project's Philippa Hughes and artist Joshua Youspyn.
Dawn and I--Joshua takes a quick snap with borrowed peacock flare.
A successful event for Freer and Sackler Galleries and Pink Line Project. See Freer and Sackler on Facebook. Become a fan of the Pink Line Project first!
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His picture here. Photos of the event this weekend. Thank you to Freer and Sackler and Pink Line Project for being great hosts!
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I'm a big fan of Philippa Hughes's Weekly Arty Picks. She never fails to make me think, laugh, or consider a new DC space. Her non-profit--The Pink Line Project--constantly finds creative ways to bridge interdisciplinary themes and personalities in the area, centered around art events and design happenings.
The Pink Line's website redesign is one of the best examples of an interactive calendar I've seen for art-related events, from a design and technology standpoint.
The Design
Content first: the best way to get to an idea. The overall look/feel: clean, playful, professional, flexible. Plenty of white space lets the event content and images take center stage.
Philippa's web team definitely took time to think about what we may want from an arts calendar. You can browse events by date, neighborhood and event type. This is great! I've always wanted a way to filter events by neighborhood, for instance--something conventional blog posts cannot do easily.
You will notice that there is hardly any pink on the site, an intentional design choice that I applaud. The subtle, crisp color palette serves a valuable purpose: to showcase photos and art without the clashing of colors, the overuse of widgets, and other busyness the eye doesn't need.
The Technology
The new site is built using one of the best open-source Content Management Systems on the web: Drupal. The CMS will allow Philippa and her staff to easily add content to the calendar and blog sections. We are also able to browse through events without having to wait for page reloads. The website follows current best practices in web development: it degrades super nicely (as a Drupal site should), and the AJAX scripting motivates user interaction while remaining unobtrusive.
Sharing
The Pink Line gets social with sharing features: send an event to a friend, or share via social networks like Facebook and StumbleUpon. Being able to tweet about an event from the event details pane would be a nice addition for a future release.
Pink Line Recommends
While the site focuses on highlighting DC art events and creative venues, it never loses its identity as a key player in the community. From upcoming Pink Line projects, to recommended Pink Line picks, we will not feel out of the loop.
What You Should Do Next
You can still keep up with Philippa's personal blog, but definitely add The Pink Line's website to your bookmarks for the ultimate fix. Sign up to receive her e-mails. Submit an upcoming art event. Smile at the fact that you no longer have to look very far to see what's hot in the DC art and creative worlds.
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Birds of A Feather by Echo Eggebrecht
In Echo Eggebrecht’s empty New York apartments, the wallpaper is patterned, the National Geographic magazines are spread out on the coffee table just so, and a warm glass of milk awaits you by the nightstand. Arranged diorama-style, the painter’s six works in Hamiltonian’s “Almost Surely, Almost Everywhere” put forth the comforting trappings of a grandparent’s home—they practically exude the scent of mothballs and potpourri. Though her paintings are folksy, she has an eye for humorous detail, like a room bearing the poster “You Don’t Have to be Jewish to Love Levy’s,” featuring an old man about to enjoy a deli sandwich. Yet in each scene, something seems slightly out of place—the strewn papers, the bare mattress—so you never feel quite at home. With works by Ken Fandell, Mike Iacovone, and Billy Friebele.
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