Design & Art

'Peruvian Christmas' at the Embassy of Peru in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 12:55 PM, Dec 21, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

AN OPENING reception for the exhibition "Peruvian Christmas" was held on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C. The exhibition shows traditional Christmas items such as paintings and crèches from that country. The Peruvian imagery is part of the inheritance of thousands of years of Peruvian ancient civilizations successfully integrated with the Catholic religion. The tradition has been kept alive through generations among artisans.

THE EXHIBITION, which runs through Jan. 13, 2012, can be seen in the art gallery "Fernando de Szyszlo," Embassy of Peru, 1700 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. It is open weekdays 10 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

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FotoWeekDC Projection SOUTHERN CITIES/CIUDADES DEL SUR shown at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 7:06 PM, Nov 12, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

PHOTOGRAPHERS from Ibero-America were featured at a FotoWeekDC "Larger than Life" Projection - SOUTHERN CITIES/CIUDADES DEL SUR -- at The George Washington University South façade of Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening, November 9. Among the participants were Jesi Kelley, who showed artwork from Peru.

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Exhibition with Michelle Peterson-Albandoz opens at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 1:53 PM, Oct 22, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Michelle Peterson-Albandoz

ON THURSDAY EVENING, October 20th, an exhibition of works by artist Michelle Peterson-Albandoz opened at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C.

MS. PETERSON-ALBANDOZ grew up surrounded by forests in both Connecticut and Puerto Rico, and found a connection to them that has lasted throughout her creative career. Having lived in Chicago for nearly 20 years, she has been surrounded by a constantly changing urban landscape, full of both destruction and construction. Historic but decrepit wood buildings were pulled down like trees in logging sites and their planks and beams were systematically dumped into landfills, rotting in piles. Her artwork has benefited from a visceral response to this waste. She began collecting heaps of the discarded wood and turning them into the basis of her artistic process today.

Untitled Hexagon Construction 1, 2

"WITH A MINIMALIST set of aesthetics, the viewer can meditate on the wood without being distracted by an imposed narrative. This allows the viewer to create their own personal relationship with the materials and at least for a moment, feel a deeper connection with nature. In this way, I hope to help shift the tides of our collective cultural awareness towards a more environmentally sensitive society," says Michelle Peterson-Albandoz.

Long View Gallery is located at 1234 Ninth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Tel. 202-232-4788. For more information: www.longviewgallery.com.

Artwork by Michelle Peterson-Albandoz

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The Best Designer You Don't Know...Yet

Posted by Susanna at 8:28 AM, Oct 18, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

KIRSTEN ANTHONY KAPLAN is one of Washington's rising talents in interior design. What makes her work noteworthy is what she brings to the table: an extensive background in construction, Board-room professionalism, and experience managing work teams. A natural talent for design (she cut her teeth in San Francisco designing for Silicon Valley moguls) and modern influence infuse her projects with elegance and energy. And on top of all that, she has an MBA from Yale.
Here's a sampling of some of her recent projects:

Photography: Helen John Photography

THIS DINING ROOM was inspired by a painting of women harvesting wheat which was a creation of the client's mother. The golden palette migrated from the painting to the wall color, the chair fabric and the floor covering, and the steel gray blues of the harvesters' clothing found a home on the contrast chair backs. The light fixture is from Circa Lighting, a favorite resource.

Photography: Helen John Photography

THESE CHEVY CHASE bathrooms took on a whole new look without changing their tiny footprints. Floor tile consistent with the period of the house, white cabinetry, and Carrera marble combine to create inviting and clean bathrooms: one for the kids and one for guests.

Photography: Helen John Photography

A MASTER BEDROOM fit for relaxing gets a splash of color. Soothing white and sand tones echo throughout, evoking the beach this client is fond of. A gorgeous, rustic oyster shell mirror is highlighted by its juxtaposition with a high-gloss white lacquer desk and smooth leather chair.

Photography: Helen John Photography

UPDATES AND bold color create an energetic family room with lots of seating for entertaining. With two young children and loads of friends, this client needed kid-friendly fabrics and refinement without formality. A glow-in-the-dark chart of the night sky is framed and reflected in the weathered wood mirrors.

For more information, visit www.hausinteriordesign.com.

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Exhibition 'Pictorial Choreography' with artist Clyde Fowler opens at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 10:43 AM, Oct 7, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Clyde Fowler shows his art at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C.

THE OPENING reception for the exhibition "Pictorial Choreography" by North Carolina based artist Clyde Fowler was held at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C. on Thursday evening, Oct. 6.

FOWLER describes his paintings as pictorial choreography, and approaches his work in a manner similar to a choreographer, filling them with orchestrated sensations and intuitive notations while giving consideration to movement, rhythm, space and form. Although Fowler's imagery can reference personal experience and a range of artistic influence, especially the staged tableaux of theatrical director and designer Robert Wilson, he begins with no preconceived message or set direction. Instead he allows the paintings to develop according to the added strokes, shapes and colors while constantly revising aesthetic decisions during that process. Mr. Fowler also teaches at North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

Eric Schattl, Jason Gottlieb, Scott Wells, Mary Margaret Porterfield and artist Clyde Fowler

THE SHOW RUNS through Nov. 6. Long View Gallery is located at 1234 Ninth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, tel. 202-232-4788. For more information: www.longviewgallerydc.com.  

Jessica N. Bell

Artist Tina Palmer and Tony Cord

Siobhan Gavagan of Long View Gallery and Michael Dozler

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'ArtCode' - artworks by Mexican artist Edurne Esponda opens at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown

Posted by Susanna at 11:46 AM, Oct 1, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Mexican artist Edurne Esponda and gallery owner Susan Calloway of Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown in front of one of the artist's work.

"ARTCODE" - a show with artworks by Mexican artist Edurne Esponda - opened on Friday evening, Sept. 30 at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Washington, D.C.

BORN IN Oaxaca, Mexico, Edurne Esponda has traveled the world, both as an artist and a fashion designer. Her mother, an art dealer, who represents established Latin American artists such as Rodolfo Morales, Francisco Toledo, Rufino Tomayo and Sergio Hernandez, introduced her daughter to the world of art.

Artwork by Edurne Esponda

AFTER FINISHING Instituto Arte y Técnica del Vestir in Barcelona, Spain in 1992, she worked in the world of fashion until 2003, when she started to paint full time.

ESPONDA'S love for non-traditional media and experimentation with canvas size and media has led her to develop post-modern works of art, which blur the lines between visual arts and disciplines such as clothing design and gastronomy. She uses a vivid color palette, which evokes the atmosphere of her childhood home in Oaxaca.

EDURNE Esponda has had several exhibitions in Mexico as well as in Spain. She lives and works in Mexico City.

ARTCODE is on display at Susan Calloway Fine Arts from September 30 through October 29, 2011. The gallery is located at 1643 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Tel. 202-965-4601, www.callowayart.com.

Artist Edurne Esponda

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"30 Americans" exhibition of leading African American art opens at the Corcoran

Posted by Susanna at 10:23 AM, Sep 28, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Acclaimed sculptor Lilian Burwell and artist Stan Squirewell

HUNDREDS OF art aficionados gathered at the Corcoran Gallery of Art last evening for the festive reception for the opening of "30 Americans," an exhibition of many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. This provocative exhibition focuses on issues of racial, sexual, and historical identity in contemporary culture while exploring the powerful influence of artistic legacy and community across generations.

Kirsten Kaplan of Haus Interior Design

A variety of performances was part of the opening reception

SELECTED FROM the Rubell Family Collection, the exhibition brings together seminal figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hammons with younger and emerging artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Shinique Smith. "30 Americans" explores how each artist reckons with the notion of black identity in America, navigating such concerns as the struggle for civil rights, popular culture, and media imagery. At the same time, it highlights artistic legacy and influence, tracing subject matter and formal strategies across generations.

Artwork by Iona Rozeal Brown titled, "Sacrifice #2: it has to last (after Yoshicoshi's 'Drowsy the appearance of a harlot of the Meiji era')," 2007

"30 AMERICANS" will be on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art at 500 17th St., N.W., in Washington, D.C., through February 12. For more information, visit www2.corcoran.org/30americans/      

Performance at the opening reception

Artwork by Jeff Sonhouse "Exhibit A: Cardinal Francis Arinze," 2005.

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"Sculpture on the Grounds" exhibition opens at Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 11:03 AM, Sep 16, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artists Martha Jackson-Jarvis and Dalya Luttwak

GUESTS admired sculptures by Washington artists Martha Jackson-Jarvis and Dalya Luttwak at an opening reception for the exhibition "Sculpture on the Ground," Thursday evening, September, 15 at The Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C. Both of the artists talked about their art during the reception program.

THE SCULPTURES were recently installed by the artists in the Kreeger Sculpture Garden during this second invitational exhibition co-curated by Judy A. Greenberg and Vivienne Lassman.

EACH ARTIST responded to the natural setting with various interpretations, Dalya Luttwak with a site-specific installation - "When Nature Takes Over" - a sculpture of painted steel, roots and vines. And Martha Jackson-Jarvis with a piece that was originally conceived some years earlier - "Markings," made of steel and concrete.

Dalya Luttwak in front of her sculpture - "When Nature Takes Over," 2011 - of painted steel, roots and vines, at The Kreeger Museum's tennis court.

Martha Jackson-Jarvis beside her sculpture, "Markings," 2000, consisting of concrete and steel.

"SCULPTURE ON THE GROUNDS" is a collaboration between The Kreeger Museum and Washington Sculptors Group Collaborate.

Eric Denker of the National Gallery of Art, Valeria Caflisch of the Kreeger Museum and Erich Keel of the Kreeger Museum

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Opening for the Works of Artist Blanca Santander at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 1:18 PM, Aug 24, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Blanca Santander and Cultural Attaché Blanca Ochoa at the Embassy of Peru

AN EXHIBITION of the art of Peruvian artist Blanca Santander opened at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening, July 20.

MS. SANTANDER, who has lived in Seattle since 1996, has earned national acclaim for her work, including recognition from Barnes & Noble, which for the third year in a row has licensed one of her paintings for use on shopping totes to promote during National Hispanic Heritage Month. In 2008, National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) honored Ms. Santander for her painting "Timepeace" at their national conference held in Albuquerque, N.M.

Artists Blanca Santander and Nebiur Arellano

HER INFLUENCE IS the Peruvian culture. She says: "I am from the land of the Incas and Pachamama. My heritage, my values, and my colors run concurrently with all my themes. The fusion of ancient past and present can best be expressed by my painting `Mother Earth and the New World.´ My new world, Seattle, is a magnificent city enveloped in natural beauty, and there I connect with Mother Nature."

"WHEN I came to the United States, I filled my time learning English and becoming adjusted to a new culture," says Ms. Santander. "I started out with part-time work for a couple of years to make money for art materials. After a while I started exhibiting in the Seattle area, and doing workshops and volunteer work. Now I am a full-time artist,"

Minister Counselor Luis Chang Boldrini at the Embassy of Peru and artist Blanca Santander

BLANCA Santander´s exhibition ran through August 10. The Peruvian Embassy is located at 1700 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., and its art gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Artwork by Blanca Santander

PERU IS celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the rediscovery of Machu Picchu to the World, and the Embassy in Washington supports and coordinates cultural activities of Peruvian artists, who come to Washington, D.C., for exhibitions and presentations in all artistic fields.

Artwork by Blanca Santander

Opening for the Works of Artist Blanca Santander at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C.

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Art Collector Dianne Whitfield-Locke held her annual 4th of July Party

Posted by Susanna at 9:01 AM, Jul 14, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Dr. Victor Scott, Dr. Dianne Whitfield-Locke, Dr. Helen Kinard Scott and Bruce McNeil

DOCTORS Carnell Locke and Dianne Whitfield-Locke, owners of one of the most dramatic and comprehensive collections of African American art, welcomed guests from the art world to their home in the Woodmore community of Mitchellville, Maryland over the 4th of July holiday. The gathering was their Seventh Annual 4th of July Party, which also serves as a celebration of the dazzling art collection they have amassed in their home.

Dr. Dianne Whitfield-Locke and her husband Dr. Carnell Locke in front of a Richmond Barthé statue and a Charles White painting.

"THE LOCKE COLLECTION" includes such masters as Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Richard Hunt, Sam Gilliam, James Wells, Lois Mailou Jones, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White and many more. The collection also has a Warhol, a Chagall, a Dali, and a Delacroix.

Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Interim Director, Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Va.; and Eric Key, Director, Arts Program, University of Maryland, University College, Adelphi, Md.

"IT IS IMPORTANT for us to live with our art," says Dianne Whitfield-Locke. "Why store it in boxes or storage facilities? My desire is for our guests, who are family, friends and local artists, to have a fun-filled artistic holiday."

Dr. Dianne Whitfield-Locke and Dr. Carnell Locke in front of a Delacroix artwork.

Dr. WHITFIELD-LOCKE and her husband have adorned their lovely expansive home with hundreds of pieces of art from near and far. Since both of them are alumni of the Howard University School of Dentistry, they have a significant number of Howard artists represented in their collection.

Photographer Bruce McNeil in front of his work.

Artist E.J. Montgomery and Dianne Whitfield-Locke. On the wall in the background is an artwork by E.J. Montgomery.

A HIGHLIGHT OF the holiday party was the tour of the art throughout the house in which Dr. Whitfield-Locke described each piece and the artist who created it.

Carol Beane and artist Michael Platt and his work on the wall.

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