art

Board Approves Grants for Artists, Cultural Groups

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 1:00 p.m.) The County Board has voted unanimously to follow the recommendation of the Arlington Commission for the Arts, approving $249,100 in grants for local artists and art organizations.

Of the 33 direct financial support application the Commission received, it recommended the Board approve 25 of them. All 25 recommended grant recipients are Arlington arts organizations or individual artists.

The Commission recommends three types of support for the arts — general operating grants, project grants and spotlight grants. General operating grants help organizations with the cost of overall administration and program offerings. Project grants assist organizations or individual artists with completing a specific project. Spotlight grants go to individual artists for their development and presentation of innovative new arts projects or programs.

The largest allocations of funds will go to Signature Theatre and Synetic Theatre, both slated to receive $45,000. Arlington Arts Center receives the next largest sum, at more than $20,000.

WSC Avant Bard is set to receive $18,077.71, but county staff noted that funds for the theater company are contingent on a management transition that’s currently underway.

“Avant Bard is in a transition period that has caused them to restructure their board and reconfigure their season,” staff wrote. “While staff and the Arts Commission firmly believe that WSC Avant Bard will be successful in this process, and are providing them with assistance through our non-profit resource center, our intention is to withhold their financial grant until progress is ensured and their first performance has been scheduled.”

The funds were appropriated in the County Board’s FY 2013 adopted operating budget for Arlington Economic Development. See the full list of monetary grants, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Obama Speaks of Peace in Arlington Speech— In his Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama spoke of a “milestone” reached in the past year with the end of the Iraq war. “After a decade under a dark cloud of war, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon.” Mr. Obama also spoke of protecting veterans’ benefits. [Los Angeles Times, Associated Press]

Arlington Church Hosts Rolling Thunder Riders — The Arlington Assembly of God church, located just off Route 50 in the Arlington Forest neighborhood, hosted 300-400 Rolling Thunder riders over the weekend. The motorcyclists made camp outside the church or slept in the church itself. [Arlington Mercury]

Artisphere Gets First Artist-in-Residence — Local artist Beth Baldwin has been selected to be Artisphere’s (1101 Wilson Blvd) first artist-in-residence. Baldwin’s residency will stretch between now and November 11. Her 500 square foot studio will be located off of Artishpere’s main entrance lobby. “Baldwin will collaborate with Artisphere to create programming that involves her work and allows for visitors to learn more about her artistry, including ‘Plushie Design’ classes for all ages,” Artisphere said in a press release.

Photos: Artomatic Comes to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

After a big opening weekend, Artomatic is back open today in Crystal City.

Billed as “the Washington area’s biggest free creative arts event,” Artomatic is the collective, unjuried work of more than 1,300 artists, spread across 10 floors of a former Department of Defense office building at 1851 S. Bell Street.

The sheer scale of Artomatic is mind-boggling: 5,000+ pieces of art (much of it for sale by the artists) in 380,000 square feet of office space. There are also more than 300 planned performances by more than 750 performers on 6 separate stages. Some 80,000 visitors are expected over the festival’s five week run, and they will have 3 cafes at which to buy food and drink. Artomatic is made possible by sponsors and an estimated 27,325 volunteer hours, much of which is put in by the artists themselves.

The most recent Artomatic was held in 2009 in the District. The event was last held in Crystal City in 2007.

“We are thrilled to welcome Artomatic back to Crystal City,” Crystal City BID President Angela Fox said in a statement. “We know that the artists and the audiences will have their biggest and best Artomatic experience ever.”

Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes said the event’s return to Crystal City is an important step in the continued rebranding of the neighborhood.

“People are going to discover this is a great place to be,” Hynes said.

Special exhibits and events this year include PostSecret post cards, the Washington Post’s Peeps diorama contest finalists, the Zombie Prom, Box Racing, body paint shows, and a “no-holds-barred Art in Fashion Show.”

Artomatic runs through Saturday, June 23. It’s open to the public from noon to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. The festival is closed on Mondays and Tuesday.

A list of concerts, workshops, tastings, readings and other activities being held at Artomatic is available on the festival’s website.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

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Yorktown Student Wins Local Art Competition

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 5/21/12) A Yorktown High School student has won the honor of having his artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Yorktown student Ryan Carroll was announced the winner of Rep. Jim Moran’s Eighth District Congressional Art Competition during a ceremony at Artisphere in Rosslyn last night. The annual nationwide Congressional Art Competition was started in 1982 to “provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.”

Carroll will soon have his work, entitled “Lady of Rain,” displayed inside the Capitol building for the next year, along with the winners from other states across the country. The second place winner, Washington-Lee High School student Erin Daniell, will receive $100 to go toward art supplies.

This year’s competition in the 8th District featured more than 60 finalists, whose work is now on display at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd) through June 17. Though the district also includes parts of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax County, 37 of the finalists were from Arlington high schools. That includes 3 from the Arlington Career Center, 6 from H-B Woodlawn, 6 from Wakefield, 8 from Washington-Lee, and 14 from Yorktown.

The winners of the competition were judged by arts professionals from the Arlington Arts Center.

Certain photos courtesy the office of Rep. Jim Moran, as noted

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Artomatic Starts Tonight — Artomatic, described as “the D.C. area’s biggest unjuried arts extravaganza,” will kick off in Crystal City tonight. The five-week event is being held in a former Department of Defense office building at 1851 S. Bell Street, and will feature 10 floors of work by local artists. Artomatic was last held in the District in 2009. [Express]

Affordable Housing Push — A coalition of Arlington affordable housing advocates are preparing a public relations push to make the case for more affordable housing in Arlington. Supporters will be attending community events over the next six month to educate residents about the loss of affordable housing in the county. Currently, affordable housing initiatives are about 5 percent of Arlington County’s $1 billion budget. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Company Makes Bomb-Proof Underwear — An Arlington company called Secure Planet is manufacturing tens of thousands of pairs of “shrapnel shorts,” which are designed to protect the pelvic region of military service members in the event of a bomb blast. [WJLA]

Former ACPD Officer Featured in Rockwell Painting Dies

By Katie Pyzyk

A former Arlington County Police officer who gained much recognition for being depicted in a famous Norman Rockwell painting has passed away.

Richard Clemens was born in New York City and spent much of his career as a Massachusetts state trooper. Rockwell, who was Clemens’ neighbor, asked the trooper to pose for the 1958 painting with an 8-year-old boy. It shows an officer counseling a young boy who wants to leave home, and was featured on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. It’s a well known painting in the law enforcement community, and can often be found in police stations across the country.

Before moving to Massachusetts, Clemens was a police officer in Arlington from July 1952 through August 1953. Records show his address as having been in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood.

Clemens retired from the Massachusetts State Police as a detective. He accrued awards throughout his career, including one for outstanding police service.

Most recently, Clemens lived in New York state. That’s where his funeral will be held tomorrow.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Mill Student Gets Scholarship — Arlington Mill High School Continuation Program student Marleny Giron has been awarded a $10,000 “Founders Scholarship” from Comcast. The scholarship is intended to recognize students for their leadership, academic achievement and community service. It was created in honor of Comcast founder Ralph Roberts.

New Art on the ART Bus — A new “Art on the ART Bus” exhibit is up. The exhibit, by local artist Jenny Sidhu Mullins, explores the idea of national identity. [Facebook]

Flickr pool photo by Alex

New Location for Artomatic 2012

By Katie Pyzyk

Artomatic is changing locations. It’s still going to be in Crystal City, as announced in January, but the location will be a few blocks away from the originally named venue.

Instead of taking place at 2511 S. Clark St, the event will be held at 1851 S. Bell St. Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox explained that while the agreement to use the Clark Street location was being finalized, Vornado announced plans to replace the Bell Street venue with a new building. Vornado then put forth an offer to hold Artomatic at the old building before it’s torn down.

“This presented an amazing opportunity to showcase the transformation of Crystal City,” Fox said in a press release.

The new location is closer to the Crystal City metro and has an extra 50,000 square feet of space compared to the original venue.

Artomatic is a free event and starts on May 18.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Artomatic Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City will play host to Artomatic this year.

The popular, periodic arts event will take over the Transwestern Presidential Tower at 2511 S. Clark Street from May 18 to June 24. More than 76,000 visitors attended the last Artomatic, in 2009. The event featured more than 2,500 artists and performers. While the 2009 Artomatic was held in D.C., Crystal City hosted the event in 2007.

Described as an “open-entry creative arts showcase of visual art, music, film, performance, poetry and fashion,” Artomatic promises to transform the Transwestern tower into a “vibrant arts communit[y] that celebrate[s] creativity.”

Said a press release: “Every night of the event, thousands of people visit Artomatic to discover new art, grab a drink, listen to music, go on dates, and mingle with the creative community… No matter what kind of creative events you like, you’ll find something to like at Artomatic.”

The event is free for visitors and the process for submitting art is open on a first-come, first serve basis. Artomatic also features daytime art workshops for kids.

Organizers say they’re excited that the event is returning to Crystal City.

“Crystal City is the perfect partner to take Artomatic to the next level in 2012,” said co-founder George Koch. “With the largest exhibit space we’ve ever had, we’re excited to host the biggest event in Artomatic’s history.”

Art Exhibit to Explore Women and Sports

By ARLnow.com

A new Arlington Arts Center (AAC) exhibit will explore “shifting contemporary perceptions of women’s bodies, gender roles, and identities through the lens of sports spectacle.”

“She Got Game,” as the exhibit is being called, will hold its opening reception tomorrow night (Jan. 13) from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It will feature “painted murals, larger-than-life-sized photos, videos, and installations depict[ing] women in professional tennis, bodybuilding, cheerleading, and even competitive eating.”

Among the male, female and transgendered artists whose works will be displayed are Holly Bass, Tara Mateik, Kristina Bilonick, Dewey Nicks, Sarada Conaway, Cory Oberndorfer, Jenny Drumgoole, Martin Schoeller, Nancy Floyd, Moira Lovell.

“Some of these artists offer iconic images of strong women athletes; others use the trappings of sport as a framework for performances about competition, objectification, and popular culture,” AAC noted in a press release. “The show opens just a few months shy of the 40th anniversary for Title IX, the historic legislation that leveled the playing field for women athletes-increasing their participation in college athletics some 450% over four decades.”

The exhibit will run through March 18. A “performance event” scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11 will feature artist Amber Hawk Swanson performing her work “Online Comments.”

“While completing a grueling three-hour CrossFit workout, [Swanson] will read every anonymous online comment she has ever received for her previous projects-including her controversial ‘Amber Doll Project,’ in which the artist commissioned the creation of a life-sized sex doll that resembled her exactly,” AAC said.

Arlington Arts Center is located at 3550 Wilson Boulevard in Virginia Square.

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Plenty of Holiday Events in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

There’s going to be plenty of Christmas cheer to go around in Arlington this weekend. A sleigh-ful of holiday events are planned around the county. Among them:

  • Winter Wonderland in Clarendon — This event will feature family-friendly holiday activities and entertainment, including strolling carolers, professional ice sculptors and free photos with Santa. Mix 107.3 FM will be broadcasting live and the Marine Corps will be collecting toys and cash for their Toys for Tots campaign.
    • Saturday, 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., Market Common Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd)
  • The Gift of Art Reception — Support local artists and buy a unique, artful gift at this holiday showcase event.
    • Saturday, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Arlington Arts Gallery (5179 Lee Highway)
  • Shirlington SantaCon — This daytime bar crawl encourages participants to come dressed as Mr. or Mrs. Claus as they go from bar to bar in Shirlington Village. The $15 registration fee will benefit the charity Dreams for Kids.
    • Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Shirlington Village (2700 S. Quincy Street)
  • Good Sports Holiday Party — Good Sports of Arlington will be holding its 6th Annual Holiday Party to benefit its Scholarship Fund for Arlington students. This year’s event will feature a raffle with prizes such as Capitals tickets, Presidents Club seats to a Nationals game, and a weekend getaway to Virginia’s brewery and vineyard area outside Charlottesville.
    • Saturday, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Crystal City Sports Pub (529 S. 23rd Street)
  • National Chamber Ensemble Holiday Concert — The National Chamber Ensemble and talented young guest musicians play seasonal favorites as well as a traditional carol sing-along. Tickets are $28 for adults and $15 for students.
    • Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Artisphere Spectrum Theatre (1101 Wilson Blvd)
  • Holiday Concerts and Sing Along — The award-winning, all-female Potomac Harmony Chorus will present its annual Holiday Concert and Sing-Along. Admission is free, but donations will be collected on behalf of Doorways for Women and Families.
    • Sunday, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., NRECA Conference Center (4301 Wilson Blvd)
  • Christmas Movie Festival — Christmas-themed movie classics are shown at the big screen at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. The lineup includes: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Scrooged, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
    • Sunday, 12:00 to 9:00 p.m., Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
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