Apply for a Small Projects grant from DC Arts Commission

Thanks to Pink Line Project for the link.

Apply for a Small Projects Program grant from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities here. The next due date is Wednesday, April 8. Call the Arts Commission at 202-724-5613 for help in applying for this grant.

The Small Projects Program (SPP) offers quick response grants of up to $2,000 to individual artists and arts organizations. The program seeks to make grant funds more accessible for small-scale arts projects with total budget that do not exceed $4,000. Projects may include but are not limited to:

- Art presentations
- Assistance in fundraising, marketing and management
- Documentation of artistic activities through photography, brochures, portfolios and demo tapes
- Conferences, workshops or seminars that will enhance artistic and professional development

Update on The Fridge DC

First of all, thanks to all for the pleasantly surprising amount of the support, encouragement, and questions about The Fridge DC.

Every time I go out or spin (which is not too often any more) I get no fewer than 10 people offer such precious nuggets of positivity ... and believe me, it is keeping me strong during some trying (and expensive) efforts in creating a place for everyone and everything; my mission for The Fridge DC.

Now that I am beginning to see some light at the end of my tunnel (renovations, business business, and government administrative business) I wanted to offer an update on progress.

I am now about four weeks away from finishing major renovations and announcing my first few events ... now is a great time to get in touch if you are interested in being a part of art, music, and performance events at The Fridge DC in 2009. my email is alex [at] thefridgedc [dot] com.

Here are a few pix of the ashes from which The Fridge DC will rise:

[VIDEO] Cinematic Orchestra - The Man With The Movie Camera

One of my favorite music groups is Cinematic Orchestra. Several years ago they created a soundtrack for a silent film that was made in 1929.

I just discovered this video in which someone pieced the two together, though they did edit the film.

[DC] Live art Competition! DJ GOLD! This Friday! Hoooh yeah!

DECOY! UNJUANTED! OWEL! DJ GOLD!

POR ESO!!!!!!


If you have never been to AXUM, it's really chill upstairs. Every Friday Dan and Mollie from Red Derby take over and are doing different parties.

This is the first DC Art Comp event. It will consist of 8 DC area artists squaring off from 9-12. You get to vote on your favorites, and the 'winner' gets caked up!

$7 gets you free food, and will pay for the cash prize for the artists.

A variety of DJs will be spinning throughout the night.

My new favorite movie

"Aesthetics is for me like ornithology must be for the birds."




My new favorite movie is Who Get's to Call it Art?, a wonderful documentary about Henry Geldzahler.
















My dear friend David London recently gave it to me. He gives really good gifts.

He gave me this book as well:

[DC] Murals to Zora: Unique mural installation opening March 12 at 9pm

Murals to Zora: artists to commemorate
Zora Neale Hurston
with unique mural installations

Opening reception:
Saturday, March 14
9pm - 12am

Eatonville
2121 14th Street NW
Washington DC

Artists include a dozen or more artists, including DECOY and me, TAXI GANG.

[DC] DJ GOLD at Hillyer Art Space first Friday March 6, 2009

Hillyer Art Space
Opening Reception: Friday, March 6, 2009, 6PM-9PM
Exhibition Dates: March 6 – April 24, 2009

Featuring music by DJ Gold
http://www.TheFridgeDC.com

Food and refreshments will be served

$5 Donation

La Vida Intensa by Gregory Ferrand


La Vida Intensa features Gregory Ferrand’s most recent works in acrylic. Ferrand’s background in film is evident in his strongly narrative paintings which usually capture a climactic moment in a character’s life. Through his exaggerated rendering and saturated colors, Ferrand aims to paint life. “No matter how exotic or mundane the setting of the painting or drawing,” says Ferrand, “I strive to tell stories about characters and situations that do, have and will exist…”

Gregory Ferrand is a native Washingtonian and self-taught painter. He received a BGS in film and English from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1997, and studied drawing at Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. La Vida Intensa is Ferrand’s first solo show. Find out more at www.gferrand.com.

-and-

Squaring the Circle; Stretching the Clay by Judit Varga


Squaring the Circle; Stretching the Clay features a selection of Judit Varga’s newest ceramic sculptures. A native of Hungary who now calls Washington, DC, “home,” Varga uses malleable clay to speak freely and engage in interactions in a place that does not understand her mother tongue. Varga’s vocabulary, she says, “has been built from basic shapes like squares, circles and their universal, symbolic implications to communicate.” Using the power of colors and the inflections of rich surfaces, Varga plays with the meaning of the spoken words and their straightforward interpretations, deliberately creating visual misinterpretation to juxtapose the lost value in translation.

Judit Varga was born and raised in Hungary, where she completed her BFA at the College of Teaching in Szombathely and her MFA at the Hungarian Applied Art Academy in Budapest. After receiving her MFA, Varga moved with her husband to Oxford, England, where she studied English and continued her clay-work for three years. In 1993, Varga made the transition to the United States, first to Long Island, NY and then finally to Rockville, MD in 1996. In 2006, Varga became a permanent resident of the U.S. and is now a working and exhibiting artist as well as a ceramics teacher.

Event on Facebook

Gary Panter

Yesterday I was at the American Visionary Art Museum, one of my favorite places in the world, and I was introduced to one of my favorite artists in the world, Gary Panter. He is a very interesting person.

I think you will like his work.

Invasion of the Elvis Zombies is the first piece I ever saw of his way back in 1984, and I still have it:


There is a great book of much of his work.



















Here's Gary talking about the book:

My favorite website right now

memory.loc.gov

[VIDEO] "If" by Demetri Martin

Watch all 6 segments

[DC] DJ GOLD added to Saturday night at: Luck of the Draw: An Art & Music Experience

Artist updates on Valentines weekend event!




Luck of the Draw: An Art & Music Experience
In the Capitol Riverfront Neighborhood

Friday, February 13
6 to 10 pm

DJ GOLD spinning in between live band sets:
Saturday, February 14
6 to 10 pm

Sunday, February 15
2 to 6 pm


The fun begins at the tent on Half Street, between L and K Streets SouthEAST.
@ Navy Yard metro (on the green line).

Take the Half Street exit and follow instructions from the friendly Clean & Safe folks.

Check back here soon for a schedule of music and dance performances!

More music and dance being added, but here's a sampling:
Scrap Heap, Sejayno, Blue Sausage Infant, Shadow Farm, Doug Stailey and Dan Barbiero, Pilesar, Janel & Anthony.

Some of the visual artists you will be seeing in no particular order:
Sherill Anne Gross, Rebecca Katz, Andrew Wodzianski, David Barr, Chris Bishop, Carolina Mayorga, Alexandra Zealand, Albus Cavus, Tariq Rafiq, Andrea Collins, danny phantOM.

"RED: St. Valentine bled for us"
Curated by Sondra Arkin and Ellyn Weiss:
Sondra Arkin, Chuck Baxter, Joan Belmar, Kristina Bilonick, Scott Brooks, Tory Cowles, Betsy Damos, Richard Dana, Don Daniels,Tom Drymon, Susan Finsen, Pat Goslee, Leila Holtsman, Judy Jashinsky, Tracy Lee, Anne Marchand, Lynn Putney, Veronica Szalus, Tim Tate, Erwin Timmers, Anita Walsh, Ellyn Weiss, Brian Williams.


Photography exhibit curated by Ten Miles Square:
Erin Antognoli, Amber Baum, James Calder, Chris Chen, Jason Colston, Max Cook, Brett Davis, Angela Kleis, Brian Knight, Marie Kwak, Amber Wiley, Pat Padua, Barry Schmetter, Alexandra Silverthorne, Matt Smith, Paivi Salonen, Steve Strawn, Sanjay Suchak, John Ulaszek, Brandon Wu, Josh Yospyn.

Lots of great restaurants to enjoy nearby at Barracks Row before or after you get your art on.

A collaboration between The Pink Line Project, Artomatic, and Capitol Riverfront BID.

Venues:
Velocity Condos, Axiom at Capital Yards, Onyx on First


Thanks to Philippa for inviting me to spin!

Near death on the road to Hotel Chelsea

I was driving along at 70 or so on 95 North. Clear, sunny, warm day that was yesterday seemed to be the perfect road trip conditions until out of nowhere a very old man sideswiped my car. Thankfully my passengers Victoria and Alicia saw him obviously not looking and veering over into my lane and warned me seconds before he hit us.

My car swerved and swayed violently — plus we were surrounded on all sides by large vehicles all also traveling at 70+ — but somehow I maintained control of the car, and stopped it from spinning out, then pulled over without getting hit by any other cars.

If this guy had hit us a few inches more towards the front wheel and caused a blowout there is likely no way I could have maintained control of our car whatsoever.

When we got to our destination, the Hotel Chelsea, I was delighted to find a portrait of Sabina that I made and hung in the hallways during my last stay in August 2007 still hangs.





All's well that ends well.

Washington DC Record Fair is coming February 8

“What’s better than shopping for records and PARTYING at the same time?”






Hosts: Som Records, The Vinyl District, DC Soul Recordings, Civilian Art Projects

Sunday, February 8 at 12:00pm 5:00pm
Civilian Art Projects
406 7th Street NW, 3rd Floor Washington DC

Facebook invite