ART BLOG
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ARTICLES FOR THE MONTH OF MARS 2009
Contributing Bloggers: John Harbinger Jr.and David Harbrenig
Competition: California Landscape Artists –“Irreplaceable Places”
- DEADLINE April 3 2009
You still have time to meet the deadline for the Santa Cruz Art League’s Juried show that is open to all California resident Artists. The event entitled “Irreplaceable Places: Contemporary Landscape Painters of California” will hold an exhibition of accepted entries that will be held in Santa Cruz from May 30 – June 28. The “Best of Show” Award is $1000. The committee is accepting oils, watercolors, pastels and mixed media art entries and reserves the right to refuse any artist or work not meeting the criteria of the participating agreement (http://www.scal.org). Contact SCAL at 526 Broadway Santa Cruz, CA 95060 for more info, or phone to Cindy at 831 426 5787 (cindy@scal.org). There is a fee of $40 for non-members or $30 members to send in 3 slides or jpegs.
We wish you luck!
Los Angeles Center for Digital Art- “Top 40 Int’l Juried Competition
-DEADLINE April 27 2009
This is a call to all digital artists and photographers to send in their work for a juried competition organized by the Ls Angeles Center for Digital Art. The best forty will be selected to receive one print up to 24 X 36 on museum quality paper that will be shown at the LACDA in a group exhibition from May 14 – June 6. The winning works will also be shown on three large plasma screens at the Digital Studio Gallery in the California Museum of Photography from July 2 – August 22. The competition is open to any style of artwork and photography where digital processes are integral to the creation of the finished image. If you’re interested submit 3 jpeg files of original work for $30. Register at http://www.lacda.com/juried/juriedshow.html or contact lacda@lacda.com
We wish you luck!
Blowing our own trumpet
As we near the end of our 3rd month, we’d like to thank all the Artists, in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, who have joined Artlanow. We do our best to maintain very high standards of quality; not only the quality of the artwork but also of the design and presentation of our website. At Artlanow we act as curators for our exhibitors, investing time and thought into representing your work in the best possible light. Although many of you have your own personal websites and feature on other art websites, we believe that, quite quickly, our own collective website will become the easiest and most convenient way for art lovers, art collectors, designers and gallery owners in the L.A. area to search for purchases and acquisitions. We hope that you, the Artists, enjoy our directory of Los Angeles Art Galleries – use it to research and contact nearby gallery directors to find out about exhibition possibilities.
We would like to thank all of you (and it is just about all of you) who have emailed us with compliments about the way we have put together and edited your web pages. We appreciate your comments and we thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm for our new project. If we were to publish them on our site, the trumpet would sound too lyrical…and, besides, we are too modest.
We have quite a few ideas that we intend to develop in the future to help promote your art. When we have reached “the critical mass of participants needed” we will put more resources into implementing them. We look forward with anticipation; Artlanow will be THE site attracting everybody searching for the best art on the net.
All Aboard!! Next stop Bergamot Station…. (Let us hope not)
About 15 years ago, the City of Santa Monica decided to turn an old run-down, disused Southern Pacific railway yard, (that had been also been occupied and then abandoned by a water heater factory) into a location where local arts could flourish. And so they have… since that brave and wise decision was taken. Bergamot Station on Michigan Ave. has become one of the most visited destinations for art lovers and collectors in the Los Angeles area as some of the best galleries in the region have taken up residence there. Unfortunately, a proposal to redevelop a railway maintenance station on the premises for the new extension to the Expo Line will jeopardize the future of this much loved arts location. The idea has not been put forward by railway officials, neither by the city councilors but rather by local residents who oppose the current plan to build the new railway facility on a nearby industrial property owned by Verizon. The residents who are pushing for the proposal believe that relocating the maintenance yard to Bergamot Station will have less of a disruptive impact to the neighborhood than if built at the Verizon site.
City officials say that the site, since it was bought by Santa Monica in 1989 has become a valuable cultural center and that it makes no sense to reconvert it. In the meantime overviews are being done to determine what the social impacts will be concerning the two alternatives – while some city officials have already suggested that a third alternative be sought there is a lack of available open land. The wheels of public transportation turn slowly; decisions rely on endless time consuming committees and studies. Let us hope that Bergamot Station will remain the cultural venue that it is today and that any trains, stopping nearby, will only bring in more and more people to enjoy the wonderful art that this collection of Galleries has to offer.
How much traffic is your own personal website generating?
Quite a few of our members at Artlanow have their own personal websites. Once your website is established, there is a very easy and convenient way to know how many people are actually visiting the site. Google Analytics is a free internet statistical program (provided by Google-of course) that allows anyone, including online artists and art bloggers, to track the number of people visiting their website each day. It also gives insights into who those visitors are, and from where they are accessing your website.
Based on our own experience - if you’re an artist with a website or art blog, you might want to hook up to Google Analytics because without it, you have no idea if your website is effective.
It takes almost no effort and very little programming knowledge to install Google Analytics on your site. First, sign up at Google.com/Analytics. There are a few details to give about your website and some other information- but it pretty basic stuff.
Then, when you have logged on, you copy/paste a short snippet of tracking code (which they’ll give you) into the HTML code of your own website or blog. To track all of the visits to all of your pages, this snippet needs to be placed into the code of every page of your site. It is not to difficult and by doing so, you get to see which specific pages of your site are especially attracting visitors. A lot of you art bloggers are perhaps interested to know how many readers are following the daily write up of the intricate thought processes behind your art work.
(If you’re using Blogger, Wordpress.org, TypePad or MovableType (all of which are popular blogging platforms) you can easily copy/paste the code yourself. So if you’re curious to know what kind of traffic you’re generating on your own website, go to Google Analytics and take the time to fill in the blanks.
Grants for Undergraduate Internships to Los Angeles Museums and Visual Arts Organizations and Arts Internship Programs - Summer 2009. Prepare Now!
The Arts Internship Program the Arts Internship Program, established by The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors provides internships for nonprofit performing, literary, and municipal arts organizations and is a companion program to the Getty Multicultural Internship Program (which provides internships to museums and visual arts organizations). The purpose of the County's program is to provide undergraduate students with meaningful on-the-job training and experience in non-profit arts organizations. During the ten-week course, the summer interns, participate in special or seasonal projects. Participating organizations play an important role in molding and shaping potential new workers in the arts sector who may go on to arts leadership positions on staffs or boards.
This summer 2009, there are 125 internship positions available at 95 different organizations. Students who are interested in internships should apply directly to the host organization. Early application is suggested and encouraged. Applications may not be accepted after May 15, 2009.
The 2009 Arts Internship Program
For a 10 week paid summer internship (40 hours/week) for full-time undergraduates, students get $350 per week to work with a nonprofit arts organization within L.A. County
(Nonprofits include various performing, presenting, and literary arts organizations, as well as municipal arts agencies. Interns also participate in several educational events.)
Undergraduates and graduating seniors may also apply. Students must have completed at least one semester of college by June 2009, and be currently enrolled (full-time) in a community college or a four year university.
Graduating seniors are eligible only if they are to complete their undergraduate degree by September 1st, 2009. Students must either reside in L.A. County or attend a school in L.A. County
The 2nd Annual L.A Heritage Day-March 22
More than 65 local groups and organizations have joined together to make the 2nd Annual L.A. Heritage Day even more successful than last year’s inaugural event. In this open air festival local heritage groups reconnect the general public to the diverse range of cultural institutions in the Greater Los Angeles area. Admission is free if you download a flyer at the la heritage website or else you can pay $5 on arrival. There is something for everyone including visits to historical homes, kids activities and discussions about art, museums and historical societies, dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich cultural spectrum found in L.A.
The Heritage Square Museum is located along Arroyo Seco in North east L.A.
Malibu Artists hold a yard sale event. Come to enjoy the art and the bargains!
The Malibu Art Association is organizing an extraordinary event on Saturday, March 21- the first ever MAA Yard Sale, featuring art supplies, books, artifacts and other treasures, all donated by local artists, art supporters and generous friends. The event takes place at 25307 Malibu Rd. (access thru Webb Way from the Pacific Coast Highway)
MAA members and their supporters have donated a great array of items to interest art lovers; all to be bought at bargain prices. The proceeds from the event with help local youths with artistic interests and talents, according to a MAA spokesperson who states "Monies from the sale will help fund college scholarships. In addition, the local community will benefit culturally, since funds from the yard sale will also help the Art Association to secure temporary gallery space for our fundraising Members' Juried Art Exhibitions."
Artists of the Malibu Art Association will be on hand at the MAA Yard Sale selling donated treasures and also creating art on-site. So, come along and join in the fun. You’ll get to meet some of the artists and neighborly folk who live in Malibu, and learn about the history of the Association, and its members, and find out how to join.
The Malibu Art Association, founded in 1963, has served as a vital non-profit community focal point and educational organization for over 150 artists and patrons, many of whom reside in Malibu. The Association promotes art appreciation and education in the community through several juried exhibitions and local art events, which help to fund art education scholarships. This year, Malibu Art Association is celebrating 46 years of assisting local artists to fulfill their individual and collective potential.
The Art Theft Unit of the LAPD
One day, perhaps, the true genius your art will be finally been recognized and you, by consequence, become a well known artist whose artworks are collected by the rich art collectors of the world. May it happen soon…. Then, one night your Art also excites the appreciation of sophisticated art thieves and poof, under the cover of darkness your art disappears into the unknown.
It happens, and it happens quite a lot in Los Angeles. We are not only the second largest city in the USA, but we’re also No. 2 on the shopping list for art thieves. Luckily, the Los Angeles Police Department has a special unit called the ‘Art Theft Detail’ that has trained detectives in the department to track down your stolen masterpiece. Since the 1980’s when L.A. was hit by a wave of art thefts, the LAPD is the only police department nationwide to have such a unit dedicated to retrieving stolen art and artifacts. The team has recovered, over the years, $50 million worth of art, so it’s safe to assume that the detectives there have earned their salaries.
The special unit deals with about 75 cases a year, ranging from the theft of treasured family heirlooms to Picasso’s that are stolen by organized and highly knowledgeable pink panther type thieves. A lot of the art thieves are opportunists who don’t realize the difficulties involved in trying to resell stolen art, that is documented and well known, and in some cases simply ‘dispose’ of the work. This happened a few years back to a 4 metal sculptures by a Los Angeles sculptor whose work was commissioned for a Star Trek movie. The sculptures valued at $30,000 were stolen from the movie lot and eventually wound up in a scrap metal yard where the LAPD discovered them in time. One of the recent art crimes on the LAPD art theft detail’s agenda is the theft of 12 artworks stolen from a house in Encino late in 2008. The collection ‘gone missing’ includes work by Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Diego Rivera and Kees van Dongen. (If, by the way, you have any information concerning their whereabouts- please call the LAPD.)
So, it’s good to know that when art dealers and collectors will be scrambling to buy your work, the Los Angeles Police Department will be standing vigilantly by, to protect and preserve.
Los Angeles Artist Lucas Reiner shows works from his “Los Angeles Trees Series” in L.A. & N.Y during March.
Local Artist Lucas Reiner, born 1960 and raised in Los Angeles, and still lives and works here has been exhibiting his work internationally for the past twenty years. One of his well known series, entitled “Los Angeles Trees” depicts, in a variety of media, the numerous species of trees that embellish our sidewalks, public parks and neighborhood gardens. The tree series focuses on single, seemingly lonely, un-noticed & un-appreciated trees, and the title of each work often specifies the location where the actual tree can be viewed. This weekend, March 14, he’ll be at the MOCA (Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood) to sign catalogs of ‘Los Angeles Trees 2001-2008: Paintings, Drawings & Film-stills’, and to discuss his work. Selected works from Lucas’ trees are also currently on exhibition (until March 14) at the prestigious Dinter Fine Art Gallery, Chelsea. New York.
The Erotic Air Fair in West Hollywood-March 27-29
The 14th Annual West Hollywood — Los Angeles Erotic Art Fair is being held this coming weekend and is being organized and presented by the Tom of Finland Foundation. The location of the Art Fair is the West Hollywood Auditorium on San Vicente.
Under the banner of “A Quarter Century Of Dedication To Protecting, Preserving And Promoting Erotic Art, artists from around the world and primarily from L.A. will be showing sculpture, photography, paintings, sketches, digital renderings and more. Almost all the artwork on display will be for sale.
Artlamembers who are interested in participating should note that Artists Reservation Pages are now available at www.tomoffinlandfoundation.org
Among the activities organized at the event are Life Drawing and Photography each afternoon with different models both days! Artists should bring their own art materials. There will be a reception for the participating Artists on Friday in the Salon Room
The Hammer Museum Highlights 9 Los Angeles Artists
The Fifth Bi-Annual Iinvitational Exhibition series at the Hammer Museum over in West LA features more than 125 works by Nine Artists created in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Nine Artists, spanning four generations are presented in a show called “Nine Lives: Visionary Artists from L.A.” Collectively, their work embodies the complexities and paradoxes of city life in L.A. and tells stories of popular culture, folk and urban mythologies. Each Artist was chosen for certain idiosyncratic perspectives, making their work hard to categorize or define. The 125 works, which are divided into nine distinct individual sections, communicate their fears, anxieties, fantasies, dreams and moral concerns through a wide variety of media- including Painting, Drawing, Video Presentations, Photography and Sculptural installations.
The Exhibition which runs from March 8 thru May 31 is fascinating. Each Artist has delved into his/her own private world to create rich, highly detailed imagery of all kinds expressing the dilemma of identity and privacy in the metropolis.
The Hammer Invitational Series, inaugurated in 2001, has done a fantastic job of supporting local Los Angeles Contemporary Artists by offering critical, museum backed promotions and encouragement to the most recent local trends in the L.A. Art Scene. Go see it!
Winner of the LACMA Photo Contest March 2009
When the LACMA undertook the renovations for the new annex, donated by the Broad family, part of the overall development design included an installation of the cluster of very beautiful sidewalk lighting that was designed by Chris Burden (see also previous March blog about his latest project at the Gargosian Gallery in Beverly Hills.) The lighting was installed in February 2008 and has since become an inspiring addition to the landscape. To celebrate the first anniversary of Burden’s Urban Light, the LACMA organized a competition, inviting photographers to send in shots of the installation. Throughout the days and night of the past year, photographers and videographers have turned their lenses towards Urban Lights, from every view point possible, in an attempt to capture its structure in the context of the surrounding Los Angeles cityscape.
More than 1000 submissions were accepted to the final jury selection, with images portraying the strong formal symmetrical lines of the lamp posts, the towering heights to which they spire and the juxtaposition of artificial lights against the ambient light of the sun and moon. Many of the images show the shadows cast by the installation along the sidewalk, and the intertwining shadows of passersby and the nearby palm trees. The winner of the competition, announced this week, is a local amateur photographer who took his winning shot without any intention at the time to participate in the competition. Artlanow members who love photographers can see all the entry submissions at LACMA’s online website
Buying Art Online. Here are some tips for the Buyers.
Buying Art based, on an image on your computer screen can bring some surprising results –both good and bad. Choosing a painting at the click of a button is obviously more convenient that trekking from gallery to gallery looking for the right piece for your collection, but at the same time, online poses its own unique challenges to art buyers. Here are some pointers to help the online buyers, who not only browse through the artists at Artlanow but who also visit the vast number of online galleries that are on the internet.
First of all remember that many online galleries, especially the very large, ‘worldwide’ ones, have no selection process whatsoever. Anyone, anywhere, who considers himself/ herself an artist can upload work to the website- whether for free or for payment. On one hand it opens the doors to some talented unknown artists who would, otherwise have no access to the buying public, but on the other hand, the result is that much of the artwork exhibited lacks any real artistic quality. A prospective buyer has to search through quite a lot of “junk” in order to find good work. Going through the volume of work on some of these sites can be an exhausting process if you’re looking for a hidden gem.
The solution is to search through websites that have some kind of selection process. Real, physical, galleries often have their own websites online. On these websites a buyers knows, for example, that the works exhibited were selected, first hand, by a curator or gallery owner and have therefore passed a certain selection or jury test. Apart from the online galleries affiliated directly to physical galleries there are many online galleries, like Artlanow, who have adopted some kind of selection process to maintain certain standards.
Part of our selection process involves us viewing and judging the artistic content through images of the artists work before publishing on our site. We also verify whether the Artists have any memberships in local bone fide Art Associations. At Artlanow there is no direct registration process followed by instant uploading that allows anyone, anywhere to post whatever they want.
We also ensure that there is an actual person on the other end of the computer. No matter how appealing the art looks in virtual space we want to know something about the real artist.
At Artlanow, by limiting our participating Artists to a certain area, we also facilitate direct contact between buyers and sellers. If a local buyer has seen some art work on our site that he/she finds interesting, it is possible for that person to arrange quite easily a direct viewing of the work before purchasing.
When a buyer has seen online an art work that he/she would like to buy, we recommend that you contact the Artist directly and ask specific questions about the piece. Verify that it is an original work, and not a giclee or print. If it is a giclee or print- what is the number of editions? Is the work signed and authenticated? Is the work framed or not? What is the cost of shipping and handling? In short, verify whatever information is given about the piece on the website to ensure that you have correctly understood what you’re buying and what is the total purchase price. Artists, generally, are enthusiast, when prospective buyers contact them to discuss a possible purchase, and will answer questions willingly. An un-cooperative seller is probably somebody of whom you, the buyer, should to be wary. As a final step, we encourage you, the local Los Angeles area buyers, to visit the Artist’s studio. You will be able to view the actual work that interests you, and at the same time, see other work by the Artist, whose talents you appreciate.
While online gallery hopping can be fun, and become addictive, nothing can replace viewing a work in person. Getting to know galleries (online and real), artists and your fellow art lovers at openings and exhibitions is an extra reward for art collectors.
Pasadena Art Walk Friday March13 6pm-10pm
This coming Friday, Pasadena’s Art and Cultural Institutions are opening their doors to the public for free with a rich diversity of fine art, antiques, artifacts and music for your enjoyment and consideration. Among the attractions, The Armory Center For The Arts at 145 N. Raymond Ave. is organizing a special silent Art auction called “Off The Wall” offering more than 85 artworks by some of the best contemporary artists in Southern California. The artworks are on display in the Mezzanine and Caldwell Galleries and will be available for viewing during this week between the hours of noon to 5pm.. Interested buyers may also tender pre-bids before the auction night. The purpose of the auction is to get funding for the institute’s art educational programs. If you’d like to attend, and enjoy the food and party atmosphere tickets are available at the door at $135 or you can prepay by contacting the Armory Center at Pasadena.
Two very different aspects of the economic downturn and its effect on Art
The economic downturn is being felt by everybody from the most reputable and established local galleries to the starving artists who look to public funding to sustain their ability to carry on their art. The well known Gagosian Gallery, located in Beverly Hills has had to indefinitely postpone next Saturdays (March 14) opening of a new work by Chris Burden, entitled “One Ton, One Kilo.” The Gallery has not been able to procure the necessary 220 pounds of gold bars required to assemble the artwork. The current value of the gold bars is $3.3 million. The gold that was secured for the exhibition has been embroiled in a civil law suit that brought by federal authorities against Standford Coins and Bullion from whom Gagosian had contracted the bars. A spokesperson for Gasgosian had said that they hope the legal issues will be resolved within a couple of weeks so that the show can go on as planned. We can’t wait to see…….
On the other side of the coin, research released this past week by the National Endowment for the Arts shows that working Artists are among the highest rate of unemployed workers, and that the rate that is rising faster than in other sectors. The research study “Artists in a year of recession: Impact on Jobs in 2008” documents employment and sales patterns for artists during the years 2007 and 2008. The NEA said that artists are unemployed at twice the rate of other professionals with similar educational qualifications. The unemployment rate for artists rose to 6% in the last quarter of 2008 compared to 3% for all other professionals. 129,000 artists were included in the federal statistics for the unemployed published for that period, which is an increase of 50,000 from the preceding year.
Month of Photography Los Angeles-April 2009 Inaugural Events
All our Artlanow Photographer members should take note of the inaugural Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA) that will be showcasing Photographic works from the local Fine Art Photographers community. Los Angeles has the 2nd largest photography community in the USA (after ugh…yes, you’re right New York) and they will be the distinctive backdrop to this upcoming celebration of the photographic image.
MOPLA was established to promote and advance Photography as an art form through various events and programs designed to inspire and encourage Photography professionals and enthusiasts. The events will exhibit both established Photographers and emerging new ones who are breaking on to the local scene. MOPLA will also direct its energies to contacting and encouraging collectors to participate.
As they say on their own promotional material - “ MOPLA has a two-fold mission. One, to advance dynamic programming designed to engage and stimulate the Photography Community and two, to present a comprehensive resource of exhibitions and events throughout the month of April 2009.”
To get more information about MOPLA and the schedule of all the exhibitions, talks, lectures and events that will take place during April – go to www.monthofphotography.com
If this initiative is successful, then we can probably expect other similar projects that will help the photographic community of Los Angeles.
Art Booths/Box for enterprising young artists?
More and more young Artists are taking their art to the streets. This latest apparition, however, is a new concept all together.
All over the city, the telephone companies have been abandoning sidewalk telephone booths due to the lack of demand. Everybody has their own cell phone it seems. Lots of the booths have been disconnected by the telephone companies or they have been vandalized and left unrepaired.
One enterprising young Los Angeles Artist, who goes by the name “Bumblebee” has decided to make an Artistic Statement about telephones and our compulsive use of them by installing colorful paper mache beehives inside them.
These statements have been popping up all over town and are intriguing passersby as to the purpose and meaning behind them.
On his Flickr blog “Bumblebee” says that there are various reasons to his new found art venues. First he doesn’t like the way that the telephone companies have taken away the phones –but left the booth ‘beehind’ as abandoned eyesores. Secondly he wants to use these structures in another communicative manner- communicating his message about making Artistic use of abandoned spaces. The paper mache beehives, themselves, are an expression of his own personal outrage that the presence of so many cell-phone antennae and cell phone users, have seriously diminished the bee population in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles. His gesture of converting the booths with his beehives is to bring to the public’s attention that cell phone signals have disrupted the normal patterns of navigation and migration of the bee population.
Beware of Scam Buyers
Isn’t it great when some unknown person emails you that they have seen your art work on the net somewhere, they love it and must absolutely buy it? That kind of appreciation is after all, what we’re all seeking as artists.
“How much?” he writes . “One thousand? No problem- I’m sending off a check. …”
So you wait a few days and there, in the post is a check for…..two thousand. And, by surprise you receive an email just about the same time as the check arrives from your art admirer. This email says “Oops, sorry, I sent you a check for two thousand by mistake. Never mind, send me off today a check for a thousand dollars and, by the way, I’ll be sending somebody to pick up the painting in the next few days.”
No matter how many scams people come up with, there are always new victims who fall into the trap. A similar scam to what I relate here happened to one of our Artlanow members, who, fortunately was not duped by the person preying on his natural wish to sell his art.
Artlanow member Jose de Juan wrote recently in his website blog about an experience just like this that tempted him. A person overseas, who expressed interest in his work, sent an outrageous amount by mistake and expected the excess to be sent back to her.
He gives some interesting pointers about what to do in these situations.
First, the cardinal rule of “if it’s too good to be true then it’s not” seems to apply here.
Don’t let the excitement of a “sale” overcome your cautiousness.
These types of scams have been going on for years in all sectors of commerce and yet they still, sometimes, succeed because human nature craves recognition and “making a sale” is a real ego booster for any hard working and dedicated artist.
You know how honest you are but, if you dealing with somebody totally unknown half way round the world, you have no idea how much you can trust them.
Unfortunately, most of these scams originate in parts of the world where English is not the first language, so be on the look-out for badly written email texts etc. This can be an indication to proceed warily if you wish to conclude a successful sale.
Remember, the advantage of featuring your Art work at Artlanow. You have more potential to attract local buyers that you can contact by other means than email and even meet personally to obtain verification of who and what they are.
We wish you “successful” sales only.