Design & Art

Designers show their creations at H Street Temporium

Posted by Susanna at 9:07 PM, Jul 26, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Designer Virginia Arrisueño of de*nada design (www.denadadesign.com), creates intriguing, fashion-forward knitwear produced in Peru. She has been covered in The Washington Post and Express, the Today Show, Daily Candy and Teen Magazine.

DC's best designers showed their wares in the H Street, Northeast Washington, D.C. Temporium over the weekend, July 23-25 with Grand Opening Festivities. The design shop + wifi lounge will continue through August 15, 2010. Temporium is showcasing the works by Billy Colbert, Dana Greaves, Darringer Friday, Dopeville, Bill Johnson, de*nada, Kristi Love and Jon Wye.

DURING the opening festivities this weekend there were performances by DJ Obeyah on Friday evening, and on Saturday by DC groove keyboardist Will Rast, singer/songwriter and guitarist Alex Vans and DJ MikeBolo, and on Sunday BT Richardson. The Pink Line Project (www.pinklineproject.com) is the sponsor.

H STREET Temporium is located in the former R.L. Christian Library at 1300 H Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

Designer Virginia Arrisueño of de*nada design

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Artist Ernest Dükü from Côte d'Ivoire shows art in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 5:20 PM, Jul 26, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Victor Ekpuk, Mimi Wolford of Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art, and artist Ernest Dükü from Côte d'Ivoire, who is showing his art in Washington, D.C.

ON FRIDAY evening, July 23, the Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art held an opening reception for Paris-based artist Ernest Dükü, a native of Côte d'Ivoire (http://ernest.duku.over-blog.com/).

Art by artist Ernest Dükü from Côte d'Ivoire, who is showing his art at the Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art.

THE MBARI Institute for Contemporary African Art, which was founded in 1995, is a nonprofit organization, which has organized over 36 solo and group shows. It offers emerging and established African artists opportunities to showcase their work in the United States. Featured artists include Hamid Kachmar of Morocco, Sane Wadu of Kenya, Rackie Dianka and Abdoulaye Ndoye of Senegal, Isaac Ojo, Peju Layiwola, Yinka Adeyemi and Wole Lagunju of Nigeria, Sanaa Gateja of Uganda and Bethel Aniaku of Togo. Mbari also exhibits some of Africa's better known international artists such as Malangatana of Mozambique and Twins Seven Seven, Jimoh Buraimoh and Bruce Onobrakpeya of Nigeria.

Mimi Wolford, Victor Ekpuk and Ernest Dükü

DIRECTOR Mimi Wolford provides exhibition space in Washington, D.C., and organizes traveling and single-site exhibitions at museums and universities throughout the country. In January of 2007 she organized her first group exhibit in Cape Town, South Africa.

SINCE the 1960's Mbari has amassed a large collection of Contemporary African Art along with the African Toys for a Children's room. It is a hope that one day there will be a special place for a Museum of Contemporary African Art.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Mbari Institute for contemporary African Art, contact 202-244-6094 or MbariInst@aol.com.

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Washington artist Dana Ellyn shows art at Martin Luther King Library

Posted by Susanna at 12:11 PM, Jun 30, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Washington artist Dana Ellyn at the opening of her solo exhibit "Banned" at the MLK Library in Washington, D.C.

AN EXHIBIT of paintings by Washington artist Dana Ellyn - titled "Banned" - opened on Monday evening, June 28, at Martin Luther King Library in the nation's capital. It is the artist's newest solo show, and on Thursday, July 1, Ms. Ellyn will kick off the seventh year of her "31 Days in July" project - creating one new painting every day in July - each inspired by the daily news.

THE "BANNED" paintings are inspired by notable "banned books," books that have been challenged and declared 'prohibited' from the public by one or more authoritative body. Ms. Ellyn thrives on controversy and loves to read and tell stories, stories that are told in her paintings and are very often opinionated. She doesn't stay away from myths of all kinds, when it comes to religion, politics and to what it means to be a woman.

IN APRIL next year, she will have a solo show at Galeria Artevistas in Barcelona. Another solo exhibit will be at ArtGallery in Norfolk, Va., in November 2011.

MARTIN LUTHER KING Library, 901 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. www.danaellyn.com.

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Opening receptions at Conner Contemporary Art and Industry Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 9:03 AM, May 18, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Gallery owner Leigh Conner, Conner Contemporary Art, Dakota, and art collector Mera Rubell

CONNER Contemporary Art and Industry Gallery - both galleries located at 1358 Florida Avenue in Northeast Washington - opened new exhibitions on Saturday evening, May 15.

AT CONNER CONTEMPORARY ART two concurrent solo exhibitions are featuring new video and photographs by Janet Biggs (New York, NY) and performance and video by Mary Coble (Washington, D.C.). Nobody Rides for Free is Biggs' first solo exhibition with the gallery; Source marks Mary Coble's third exhibition at the gallery. The two exhibitions will run through July 3, 2010. Conner Contemporary ARt is at 1358 Florida Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002. Tel. 202-588-8750, www.connercontemporary.com.

New York-based designer Chris Rucker and photographer Maria Catalán. Rucker's solo exhibition "If I told you one time..." opened at Industry Gallery on Saturday, May 15.

INDUSTRY GALLERY hosts "If I told you one time...," which is the first solo U.S. exhibition for New York-based designer Chris Rucker. The exhibition, which will run through July 3, 2010, features 10 limited edition works and one installation all created during the past nine years. Industry Gallery is at 1358 Florida Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C., 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20002. Tel. 202-399-1730, www.industrygallerydc.com.

Model Jennifer Williams and Septime Webre, Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet, at the Conner Contemporary Art opening.

Danielle St. Laurent, Heath and Janie Stockton

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Artist Beth Cartland opens solo show at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 3:03 PM, May 15, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Beth Cartland and gallery owner Susan Calloway

THE OPENING OF artist Beth Cartland's solo show - "Multiple Choices" -- at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., was held on Friday evening, May 14. The show features a group of abstract paintings that embody the process of painting and illustrates the decision making involved in creating a work of art. Through formal tropes - color, line, composition - the artist builds the surface of a painting by responding to her own actions and surrounding environment.

Lisa and Jeff Franzen

BETH CARTLAND uses a wide range of techniques and materials in her art. She combines classic technique with an innovative view of the world. She is represented by galleries in Washington, D.C. and New York, and has exhibited throughout the United States, in Venezuela and with the International Women's Conference in Beijing, China. She also exhibits with the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies program and has shown work in Croatia and Pakistan.

MS.CARTLAND HAS studied in Germany, Texas, California and Rhode Island, and holds an MFA degree in painting from American University. She currently lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Architect Christian Zapatka

THE EXHIBITION WILL be up until June 11 at Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Tel. 202-965-4601, www.callowayart.com.

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"Exchanges of energies" in artwork at Hamiltonian Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 8:48 AM, May 9, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Gallery owner Paul So, and founder of Hamiltonian Artists (www.hamiltonianartists.com), and gallery director Jacqueline Ionita of Hamiltonian Gallery in Washington, D.C. (www.hamiltoniangallery.com).

HAMILTONIAN GALLERY in Washington, D.C. is presenting a new three-person exhibition of paintings and installations by Hamiltonian Fellows Magnolia Laurie, Lina Vargas De La Hoz and Leah Frankel. By presenting physically binary relationships such as inside/outside and construction/destruction, each artist investigates exchanges of energies, and the ebb and flow of natural and social forces. The opening reception was held on Saturday, May 8.

THE EXHIBITION runs from May 8 through June 9. 1353 U Street, Suite 101, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. Tel. 202-332-1116, www.hamiltonianartists.org and www.hamiltoniangallery.com.

Artists Leah Frankel (www.LeahHFrankel.com) and Lina Vargas De La Hoz

Matt Schneider and Aleid Ford (www.headforart.com)

Steven Krensky of Light Street Gallery in Baltimore (www.lightstreetgallery.com)

Elena Isella, Bipin Badhe and Eric Brewer

Lina Vargas De La Hoz's work "Pull Over 2" is composed of repurposed knit sweaters sewn together and stretched tauntly across the gallery so that the neck and armholes are intact.

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"Arts in Foggy Bottom" opens in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 1:05 PM, May 3, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artists Gunnel Gyllenhoff and Sam Noto

IN CONJUNCTION with the "2010 Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit" in Washington, Watergate Gallery & Frame Design presented an exhibition of sculpture by selected sculptors, photographers and painters and hosted an opening reception on Saturday evening, May 1. The "2010 Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit" in Washington's Foggy Bottom area continues until October 23.

THE EXHIBITORS at the Watergate Gallery are Richard Binder, Alan Binstock, Mike Brining, Jeff Chyatte, Chas Colburn, Pattie Porter Firestone, Nancy Frankel, Seth Goldstein & Paula Stone, Don Herman, Mariah Josephy, Shirley Koller, Craig Kraft, Philippe Mougne, Sam Noto, Craig Schaffer, Mike Shaffer, Pamela Soldwedel, Garrett Strang, Swedish painter Gunnel Gyllenhoff, Richard Barrett and Jaime Rodriguez.

THE EXHIBITION at the gallery goes on until June 5. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Watergate Gallery is located at 2552 Virginia Ave., N.W. Tel. 202-338-4488, www.watergategalleryframedesign.com.

Swedish artist Barbro Eriksdotter Gendell, Cecilia Gyllenhoff and Valerie Shubik

Inka Reilly and Ingrid Beach

Ulla Magnusson, Ingrid Beach and Inka Reilly in front of one of artist Gunnel Gyllenhoff's work.

Artists Gunnel Gyllenhoff and Sam Noto

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Show with art by Mike Weber opens at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 3:11 PM, Apr 24, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Mike Weber shows his artwork at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C. until May 20.

ARTIST Mike Weber's show "Identity" - his first solo exhibition at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C. -- opened on Thursday evening, April 22. It's the D.C. artist's latest series of work, featuring over 30 photo-based mixed media pieces. The exhibition will run through May 20. Long View Gallery is located at 1234 9th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, tel. 202-232-4788, www.longviewgallery.com. 

Alexa Meade, Swedish artist Anna U. Davis (www.frocasians.com), Peter Davis and Richard Gould

In "Identity," Mike Weber explores concepts of commemoration and heritage, including his own lineage, as he symbolically reinvents the life stories of his unknown and forgotten subjects. He reviews his vast compilation of source photographs, some of which dates back to the early 19th century, seeking out unusual facial expressions and trinkets that make him feel profoundly removed from the captured time period. Weber then selectively edits and reframes these vintage snapshots which derive from both his family and estate sales, into newly composed digital prints on canvas.

Richard J. Amons, Jeff Woodward and Mary Amons

The process of converting an analog photograph into a digital copy unearths previously overlooked details, which he augments with layers of paint, unorthodox collage materials, and high-gloss resin.Ultimately, Weber's artistic praxis ascribes a new narrative to his source materials and re-presents them as glossy, modern images.

Ahmad M. Hajj of Arnold & Porter and Karim Chrobog of 18th Street Films

Mike Weber was born in St. Louis, Mo., and studied visual communications and computer animation/multimedia at both Southwest Missouri State University and The Art Institute of Dallas. For more than a decade, Weber designed and art directed broadcast graphics and animation for numerous television networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Showtime, HBO and Comedy Central. In 2001 the artist resigned from his position to start a new career as an artist. His artwork has been featured in New York Times Style Magazine.

Artist Tina Palmer (www.TinaPalmerArt.com) and Tony Cord

DJ Adrian Loving

Jorge Contreras, Ana Silva and Donald Syriani

Christine DeSandis, Will Cave and Evan and Pierre Rahal

Christine Waddler, and in the background the swingin' jazz quartet Laissez Foure (www.laissezfoure.com) is performing.

DJ Adrian Loving in action

Melissa Burgos

Eric Brewer

Theo Wilhite and a friend

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"My designs express my Nordic background," says Swedish metal artist Barbro Eriksdotter Gendell

Posted by Susanna at 9:51 AM, Mar 31, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

  Swedish silver designer Barbro Eriksdotter Gendell

"LOOKING BACK, I recall being fascinated by modern silver design, whether jewelry or other objects, even at a young age. For various reasons, however, working with metals became my third professional endeavor. Now I find it a joyous challenge to form metals in an eloquent way. My Scandinavian roots inform my aesthetics. Visual and emotional memories endure..."

Silver design by Barbro Eriksdotter Gendell

BARBRO ERIKSDOTTER GENDELL grew up in Stockholm. Her father, Erik Winberg, was president of the family-owned company, Germa, which specialized in lingerie/intimate apparel. She studied at Maertaskolan, the prestigious fashion design school in the Swedish capital, including haute couture in their French department, and at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Design in New York City. This prepared her for a position as designer at Germa and subsequently at various companies in the New York garment industry.

WHILE STUDYING NY, she met her future husband, Murray, a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University. The couple married in 1958 and in the following years lived in Stockholm, New York, Geneva (Switzerland), Berkeley (California), and finally Washington, DC, where her husband was professor of sociology and demography at Georgetown University until his retirement.

 "AS OUR TWO children were growing up and needing less of my attention, I felt the need to expand my horizon. Textiles seemed a natural venue. Building on my Swedish weaving experience (way back!), I enrolled in weaving classes at the Silver Shuttle in Georgetown, DC. This eventually led to my fiber artist career. When the now renowned Torpedo Factory Art Center opened in Alexandria, VA, in 1974, I was heading the newly created Potomac Craftsmen Gallery (now Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery)."

BUT METALS somehow beckoned. A few courses in silver construction at Northern Virginia Community College got her hooked for good. "This is indeed an enduring love affair and has been my main artistic and professional focus since the late 1970's. While designing in this inherently hard material, I like to negate its confines by bending it into fluid forms. I also like to play with contrasts, where clean minimalist lines and a smooth surface compete with rich, tactile textures (think textiles, my former life) to create a dynamic tension." Ms. Eriksdotter is a charter member of the Washington Guild of Goldsmiths; she has been a member of Studio Metallum (known for its contemporary designs) at the Torpedo Factory Art Center since 1983; she was a teacher of metals/jewelry design at the Art League School in Alexandria for 16 years.

HER AWARD WINNING work has been shown in numerous juried local, national and international exhibitions. Some recent participation: Two Capitals-Contemporary Art Jewelry - Moscow, Russia (2004); Art in Embassies Program, Seoul, Korea (2006-09); Swedish 3 x 3, Watergate Gallery, Washington, DC (2006); Spring News from Washington, DC, Seoul, Korea (2009).

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Art Opening for Swedish Photographer Maria Friberg at Conner Contemporary Art in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 1:22 PM, Mar 21, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Swedish photographer Maria Friberg and gallery owner Leigh Conner, Conner Contemporary Art

THE ART OPENING for the exhibition "transmission" by Swedish contemporary videographer and photographer Maria Friberg (www.mariafriberg.com) at Conner Contemporary Art (www.connercontemporary.com) was held on Saturday, March 20. This was the worldwide debut of "transmission," which is the artist's latest work, and will be at the Conner gallery through May 8.

Lauren Reliford, Nord Wennerstrom, Charles A. Birnbaum and Doug Reed

IN "TRANSMISSION," Stockholm-based Maria Friberg re-frames the automobile as a sign for ambivalent concepts, such as progress and environmental threat, social hierarchy and economic instability, and male power and uncertainty. By filming the bottom of moving cars against a clear sky, Friberg achieves a dream-like effect, while underscoring the relation between man and nature, which is a major theme in her art.

SHE HAS PREVIOUSLY showcased her art in Sweden and abroad, and has had solo exhibitions at Conner Contemporary Art in Washington in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The gallery is located at 1358 Florida Ave., N.E., in Washington, D.C. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Heather McCaw and Benjamin Loewy

Photographer Maria Friberg, gallery owner Leigh Conner and Joseph Rabinowitz

Janine Durand, Craig Appelbaum of Industry Gallery (www.industrygallerydc.com) and Dutch artist René Yeenhuizen

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