Call for Artists: “How To” Video Festival

by

arlingtonarts-1

Arlington Arts is now accepting submissions for its first “How To” Video Festival featuring screenings of instructional videos that are informative and entertaining. Makers, artists, amateurs and professionals of all types are encouraged to create and submit videos on any subject that teach, inform and entertain.

This call is open to residents of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC aged 10 years or older. The call is open to amateurs and professionals alike.

Limit of one entry per person or group.

Participants under 18 years of age will be required to provide written parental consent.

Videos will be juried by Arlington Cultural Affairs New Media Curator Paul Shortt with special guest juror, Gareth Branwyn. Branwyn will also present a $250 Best Video Prize provided my LMO. A People’s Choice Award of 3 months of membership and two classes at TechShop DC-Arlington.

There is no fee to submit, but all videos must be 5 minutes or shorter.

Deadline: October 7th, 2016.

The “How To” Video Festival will take place on November 12, 2016 at the Spectrum Theatre: 1611 N. Kent St, Arlington, VA, 22209 from 12-3pm. Admission will be free.

Please see full contest rules here and apply now!

2016 Open Studio Tour Artist Highlight: Sara Dittrich

by

A brief interview with 2016 Open Studio Tour Artist: Sara Dittrich

sara_dittrich-dittrich1-1

Can you tell us a little bit about the work that you do in your studio?
I often take a multimedia approach, using sculptural objects, musical performance, video, and interactive electronic technologies to investigate the dynamic acts of listening, communicating and moving. Most recently though I’ve been obsessed with using doll push molds to create hundreds of tiny ears and feet out of clay. I find the repetitive process of using these molds very meditative. Philosopher Henri Lefebvre’s text, “Rhythmanalysis”, has inspired this latest body of work as he writes, “He listens—and first to his body; he learns rhythm from it, in order consequently to appreciate external rhythms. His body serves him as a metronome.” In Lefebvre’s text he further explains how the body is the first point of analysis when it comes to interpreting the myriad of rhythms that surround us (e.g. social, cultural, musical, biological, environmental). I use devices such as repetition, absurdity, and collaboration to filter in the physical rhythms and movements of the body created by the accumulation of footsteps, breaths, and heartbeats. These tools work together to place the viewer in the here and now, and create spaces to “just be”.

sara_dittrich-dittrich4-1

Artwork by Sara Dittrich

What drew you to the medium(s) that you are currently working with?
Typically, in my practice using one medium naturally leads to using another, such as using video to document a performance. In 2015 I participated in 3 residency programs that led me to explore more portable mediums such as photography and mold making. (When living nomadically, it’s hard to think large scale). I gravitate towards using so many mediums because there is a certain creative freedom that comes with working in a naïve nature. You do not become weighed down by what previous artists in that medium have done, or get caught up in having correct technique, or discard ideas because you think it’s not possible/feasible.
sara_dittrich-dittrich3
Artwork by Sara Dittrich

What is something that you think is unique about your studio or practice?
I love to collaborate with people in other fields. I’ve done projects with composers, poets, luthiers, and programmers. Right now I’m on the lookout for an experimental dance troupe to work with.

What is one thing you love about being an artist in Baltimore?
Having the freedom and support to experiment.
sara_dittrich-dittrich2-1
Artwork by Sara Dittrich

What are you most excited about for this year’s Open Studio Tour?
Seeing what other artists are up to, and having the chance to get some feedback on what I’ve been working on.
sara_dittrich-dittrich5-1
Artwork by Sara Dittrich

Sara Dittrich’s studio at Woodberry Studios (2121 Druid Park Ave) will be open to visitors on Saturday 3-6pm & Sunday 10am-6pm. Some parking instructions:

The entrance to the parking lot of the studio building is marked by black barrels. Once you turn into the lot, you will see a concrete ramp on your right. The entrance door to the studios is at the top of the ramp. You can park at the top of the ramp or at the bottom of it.

Click Here To View Her Website

Call for Artists: Flash a Light on Homelessness

by

flashlight-logo_larger-01

Flash a Light on Homelessness is a subsidiary competition of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s Flashlight event. This is a skill-based juried competition.

In a world desensitized by the visual imagery of the plight of homelessness, we challenge you to capture the story, cultivate the emotion, and convey the issue through your lens. We are calling photographers, professionals, and novice, to enter our 2016 Photo Contest.

There will be one winner. The prize is valued at $1,500. There is a $500 cash prize, and the opportunity to be hired as the official paid photographer of the event OR photography equipment.

Please visit our website to learn more about Flashlight, an all-night sleep out event on Saturday, November 5, 2016 on the infield of the Maryland State Fairgrounds that challenges individuals and teams to sleep out and raise awareness and funds to help Baltimore’s homeless.

Entry Fee: $25.00

Entry Deadline: October 1st, 2016.

Please visit their website to apply, terms and conditions and for more informaiton.

2016 Open Studio Tour Artist Highlight: Michelle Dickson

by

A brief interview with 2016 Open Studio Tour artist: Michelle Dickson.

michelle_dickson-profile6-2-15

Michelle Dickson in her studio.

Can you tell us a little bit about the work that you do in your studio?
I work in sculpture and drawing simultaneously, allowing them to inform each other, investigating the same concepts in distinct ways. From the moment they are created, they have both a physical presence and a growing absence, simultaneously existing and deteriorating in form. There’s an ephemeral aspect to it. It’s fragile—like memory. My drawings incorporate both collage and printmaking. My sculpture is formed from a combination of found natural materials like driftwood along with plaster, wax, and oil paint. Using layers, I allow some details to come through while others are obscured and buried. I work intuitively without much pre-planning: I make something and respond to it, adding on and then taking away, building up and concealing. I’m comfortable taking risks and never let the fear of ruining something stop me from experimenting. This is combination of curiosity as well as a desire to confront and accept uncertainty, which is a core idea expressed in all my work.

michelle_dickson-2

Neither Mine Nor Yours, 3 by Michelle Dickson

What drew you to the medium(s) that you are currently working with?

I’ve been really enamored with using found wood in my work. I get a lot of inspiration from nature- the patterns, textures, and colors- the growth and decay. The wood that I ultimately choose to take to the studio strikes me as found sculpture. They have a beauty and presence that I could not create on my own. I never take something living, only what is already at the end of its life cycle. I’m attracted to the idea of taking something that has been alive, that has been through its own cycle of birth, growth, and death, and giving it a new life in a sculpture. I like what the history of the wood brings to the work visually and conceptually. I’m seduced by the grain of the wood- how it undulates when carved, and enthralled by the contrast of smooth sanded grain next to untouched areas of rough bark.
michelle_dickson-4
Untitled Mnemonic 3 by Michelle Dickson

What is something that you think is unique about your studio or practice?

I use a lot of different materials and blend them together in unexpected ways. I like to blur the line between where one material stops and another starts.

What is one thing you love about being an artist in Baltimore?

I love the warmth and openness of the art community in Baltimore. It’s a very welcoming city for an artist.
michelle_dickson-5
Untitled Mnemonic 1 by Michelle Dickson

What are you most excited about for this year’s Open Studio Tour?
I just moved into a new studio and I’m excited to have people in my new space.
michelle_dickson-3
Neither Mine Nor Yours, 2 by Michelle Dickson

Check out Michelle Dickson’s studio in Suite 19 of Parkdale Building 1, located at 3500 Parkdale Avenue! Her studio will be open to visitors on October 8, 10am-6pm & October 9, 10am-3pm.

Click Here To View Michelle Dickson’s Website

Call for Artists: Art for Conway Center (DC)

by

conway-center-in-washington-dc

CALL TO ARTISTS: REQUEST FOR ARTWORK
Be part of the new art collection at the Conway Center
Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m.: Monday, October 10, 2016
Notification of selection of finalists: Early 2017

Curators Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams and Vikki Tobak invite you to submit artwork available for purchasing to be included as part of the Conway Center, a facility currently under construction in Ward 7, that will offer homeless and low-income women, children and men safe affordable housing, job training and health care, all in one place. The entire project is funded by So Others Might Eat (SOME), an interfaith, community-based organization that exists to help the poor and homeless of our nation’s capital.

Submit up to five (5) artworks for purchase to be incorporated into the art collection at the new Conway Center. This is a juried process and all artworks must be reviewed and approved by SOME. Submission does not guarantee inclusion into the collection.

Application and all project details can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/9Ye0wyRngoimy9Y73.

Questions, please email: ConwayCenterArtCollection@gmail.com.

Call for Artists: Artomatic 2016

by

248613_b6db9e4d122d478f9cbee8329848d06e-mv2

Anyone and everyone can be a participating artist at Artomatic@Baltimore.

If you would like to show your artwork at Artomatic@Baltimore, all you need to do is register to secure a space to feature your work.

There is a $100 fee for visual artists at Artomatic@Baltimore. This fee helps us organize the event and make it awesome for everyone involved. At the time of registration artists are required to sign up for three shifts at Artomatic@Baltimore — a total of 15 hours.

Musicans and performing artists please visit this link to register.

Read More →

WEST BALTIMORE COMMUNITY WALK THOUGH THEATER KICK-OFF

by

WHERE: 734 North Monroe Street, Baltimore, Maryland,

WHEN: September 18, 2016, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

EXPECT: Music, Food, and movies for children and adult

Thanks to a grant from Baltimore Office of the Promotion and the Arts’ PNC Transformative Art program, a collaborative project involving Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy and Ground Root, Inc. (formerly A New Day) will kick-off the Community Walk Through Theater (CWTT), an innovative program that will inform, educate, and entertain residents in Midtown. This arts engagement project takes full advantage of Mid-town assets by providing opportunities to create and display art, movies, messages, etc. on a 12 X 19 foot screen using a high powered projector. This projector will display information from the second floor window to a wall 150 feet directly across the street. Other partners involved with this project are A Step Forward, BUILD, Ground Root, and Missions Continues.

In addition to the kick-off event the following events will occur on this lot from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Each event will show short movies for children and adults as well share upcoming community events:

  • Sunday, September 25: Education and Businesses in Midtown
  • Sunday, October 2: Community Service in Midtown
  • Sunday, October 9: Art in Midtown
  • Sunday, October 16: Spirituality in Midtown
  • Dates are subject to change based on weather conditions.

# # #

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Ray Baylor at 410-961-2205 or Dr. Randolph H. Rowel at 443-885-3138 or email at Randolph.rowel@morgan.edu.