Sewn Aesthetics
Sewn Aesthetics
Spring Solos 2009, at the Arlington Arts Center (3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). The exhibits run through June 6. The gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more details, call 703-248-6800 or visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org.
Steve Frost is one of the artists currently showing work at the Arlington Arts Center (AAC). Frost offers us a collection of superhero costumes, complete with badges. Most interesting, and directly related to the work on view at McLean Project for the Arts, is Frost’s use of the sewing machine as a drawing instrument.
The AAC will be accepting applications through August 1 for the Spring Solos 2010 show. The application is available at www.arlingtonartscenter.org/exhibitions/apply.
Franz Jantzen / Roslyn Logsdon / Aliza Lelah, at the McLean Project for the Arts (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). The exhibit runs through June 6. The gallery is open Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday 1 – 5 p.m. For more details, call 703-790-1953 or visit www.mpaart.org.
Franz Jantzen has his large scale digital photo assemblages on display in the main gallery.
Roslyn Logsdon shows her fiber art in the atrium gallery. Returning to the seemingly omnipresent recycled materials theme, Logsdon reclaims wool and uses it to make rug-like depictions of architectural details.
Aliza Lelah reuses recognizable bits of fabric in a sort of quilter’s version of portraiture. Like Frost at the Arlington Arts Center, the work is most captivating when she uses her sewing machine as a drawing tool. Her cutout figures devoid of frame work or a rectilinear picture field have a refreshing immediacy about them that has the viewer relating to the images in a more natural way, as if the person were there, as opposed to a captured and contained presentation. Her free-floating figures work well with her loose, free style.
Artomatic, located right next door to the Nationals Baseball Stadium (55 M St. SE, Washington, D.C.). Artomatic opens this Friday, May 29, and runs through Sunday, July 5. The event is open Wednesday – Sunday, noon – 10 p.m., and till 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The west entrance of the green line Navy Yard Metro stop is literally under the building – when you see daylight, you’re there. For more details, visit www.artomatic.org.
The 10th anniversary of the good, the bad and the ugliest art show of the year, depending on whom you talk to, has arrived. It’s huge – not big, not grand, huge. It’s the reign of quantity over quality.
If you love searching for domestic treasures, this is your show and then some. If you can’t get out of bed for anything less than the National Gallery of Art, you’ll think Dante has added a new level to his map of hell. Either way, if you care about art and live inside the Beltway, odds are you’ll find yourself Eeewwww-ing, and Ahhhhhh-ing your way through the nine floors of art here. Love it or hate it, it is what it is.
The cognoscenti tend to haunt opening night, which tends to have higher attendance than average. If you’d like to avoid crowds, you’ll want to keep an eye on the Nats schedule.
One of the biggest problems with Artomatic viewers is sensory overload. After two or three floors your eyes start to glaze over. It’s like Thanksgiving dinner: you don’t have to eat the whole bird at one time, you can make a few trips to see it.
ModelersPalooza! 2009, at Fairfax High School (3501 Rebel Run, Fairfax). The event is this Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $10 for the family and kids under 18 get in free. Active duty military in uniform also get in free. The contestant fee is $10 for an unlimited number of entries. For more details, call 703-680-9354 or visit www.modelersPalooza.com.
This one has a list of activities as long as your arm, and something of interest for just about everyone. (They’re quoting 30,000 square feet and 600 participants.)
The attractions include: fancy doll house displays, radio-controlled model tank battles, war re-enactors, genuine military vehicles past and present, vintage cars and possibly fire trucks – vintage and current, museum-quality model sailing ships, model train displays, wargamers, model vendors and veterans from WWII to Iraq to talk to.
There will be a raffle, modeling technique showings and a “make and take” event for kids to build a model there and take it home. Last but not least, there will be model contests with many categories to enter.
Artist Opportunities
Mortal Plush: I am Not Your Toy, at the Art Whino Gallery (173 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md.). The deadline for all entries is June 19. For more details, call 301-567-8210 or visit www.artwhino.com.
Entries must be original, handmade “plush” works of art produced within the past two years. There can be up to four entries for the $20 entrants fee, with no size restriction. Works may be created by any method like sewing, felting or crocheting. Questions, entries and fees go to mortalplush@artwhino.com.
Calling all evil bunnies and maniacal sock puppets: Art Whino is looking for emotional plush art works. No, “cute” is not an emotion. Remember this is the urban contemporary art gallery in D.C. at the moment. The selected pieces will be featured in a book, and contributing artists will receive a complimentary copy. Remember: furry yes, cute no.
