What rock have I been under? How did I not know about Ania Hobson? Today I listened to a fun interview on Radio Juxtapoz with British painter Ania Hobson (b. 1990). Her career has taken off internationally since winning the National Portrait Gallery’s Young Artist Award at the BP Portrait Awards in 2018. The painting below, A Portrait of Two Female Painters, won her the … Continue reading Ania Hobson
On his birthday, today I thought a lot about the fabulous Ken Price (February 16, 1935- February 24, 2012). Ken Price was an American artist best known for his small-scale ceramic sculptures which resembled biomorphic blobs, sliced geodes, and surreal teacups. Derived from Mexican-folk pottery, geology, erotic objects, and surf culture, Price’s influences were imaginative and eclectic. “You can see the whole piece and all … Continue reading Ken Price
I met California artist Chris Donnelly more than 30 years ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was in cosmetology school at the time. Everyone called him Batman, and everyone knew him. He had the coolest art collection of anyone I had ever met. He exuded cool. All these years later, he still cuts hair, and he still epitomizes cool. I continue to marvel at Chris’ … Continue reading Chris Donnelly
I’ve been walking miles a day, listening to books on Audible, feeling fortunate to be sheltering in place in some much needed warm,sunny and dry weather. I just finished Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter. I loved it, and her. I didn’t know a single thing about Dr. Nell Irvin Painter before this book. I was just intrigued by … Continue reading Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter
Featuring Swedish artist Emma Larsson, ESCAPING opens tonight at Los Angeles gallery Simard Bilodeau Contemporary. Read about Larsson here. Continue reading Emma Larsson
Last month my friend Sharyn shared some of her gallery visits with us. This month we get to see a pop-up exhibition, Six Recent Paintings: Joseph Holtzman, that my daughter Theodora went to see last week in Manhattan. I can always count on her to show me something cool. Continue reading Vicarious gallery visits, New York, NY, visit #2
Whenever I have a chance to do so in person, I stop and look at art by Wayne Thiebaud. His work is immediately recognizable, whether it be cakes, bakery cases, lollipops, gumball machines, figures or landscapes. Today Thiebaud turns 100! Continue reading Wayne Thiebaud turns 100!
As promised in my post last week, here are images from the Toyin Ojih Odutola show I saw at the Whitney in 2018. Below I’ve included some of the photos I took at the show, but look here for the official installation views. To Wander Determined was Toyin Ojih Odutola’s first solo museum exhibition in New York. “Toyin Ojih Odutola presents an interconnected series of … Continue reading Revisiting Toyin Ojih Odutola at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY
Admittedly, I have been remiss in sharing what I have been learning and seeing through all of the online classes and studio visits I’ve been taking since March. Along with my own studio practice, I’ve been a full time student. I hope you will enjoy a glimpse into some of what I’ve been seeing the past eight months, with much more learning to come. Continue reading Chitra Ganesh at Durham Press, Bucks County, PA (Quarantine Learning Report)
My NYC friend Sharyn took a break from sheltering in place and went to look at galleries for a few hours in Chelsea on Friday. I was absolutely green with envy and made her give me a full report. In recent years I have spent extended time in New York in October, and Sharyn and I love seeing art together. I miss our outings like … Continue reading Vicarious gallery visits, New York, NY
It is no secret that looking at art is my favorite activity, and the last time I walked into a gallery or museum was in February. Yesterday with my N95 mask snuggly in place I went into a gallery, and what a thrill it was. Humaira Abid is a contemporary artist who was born in Pakistan. Abid “picks up ordinary images from ordinary life and … Continue reading Humaira Abid and Anthony White in Seattle
I’ve been thinking about Katherine Bradford and her swimmer paintings a lot the past few days. Below are some images from a booth at NADA (during Art Basel, 2016). I may not remember what I did yesterday, but I always remember exactly where I fell for an artist and their work. At the end of June, I listened to a great podcast with Katherine Bradford. … Continue reading Katherine Bradford
I want to say hello and acknowledge that I have not been blogging for a while. Like all of you readers, I have of course been affected by sheltering in place during the pandemic. While you might think confinement at home would be a perfect opportunity to blog regularly, I’ve been selfishly using the time to focus on my own work as a maker, and … Continue reading I’m Back!
I was supposed to be in New York City a lot this April, and had a long list of art shows I planned to see on the first trip. Before every visit, I make a list. I organize it by neighborhood, plot out the days so that friends might join me, coordinate evening plans and fit everything in. Then I add on once I’m there. … Continue reading My week that didn’t happen, New York, NY
My youngest son is doing distance learning from home along with every other college student. It is truly great having him home but I still lament the loss of what we’d have been doing in Ithaca this past weekend, as we were scheduled to be visiting him for his first big rowing event of the season. When visiting Cornell University, I always go to the … Continue reading Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC was founded by Congress in 1962. Its mission is to tell the story of the people who shaped America, through portraiture. The gallery houses the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House. I had been several times before, but wanted to see the Obama portraits. Along with the presidential portrait galleries, the museum always features … Continue reading National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC
My last day in Toronto was a short one as I had a late afternoon flight to catch. I still had places I wanted to see on my list, and unfortunately had to postpone a few artist studio visits until my next trip. The day was grey and blustery, and a snowstorm was expected to hit the city pretty hard. Continue reading Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Harbourfront Centre and the Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario (day three)
I started day two in Toronto by arriving at the Art Gallery of Ontario as soon as it opened. I was excited to see the Diane Arbus show, as I have always loved her photographs, and she was the topic of one of the art history lectures at a Seattle lecture series I’ve been attending this year. I had a renewed interest in her, and her work and even learned that her name is pronounced “Dionne.” I never knew that. Continue reading Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and a few great neighborhoods, Toronto, Ontario (day two)
In 2006 the Glenstone Foundation opened a not-for-profit modern and contemporary art museum in Potomac, Maryland. I spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Glenstone and was delighted that the weather was mild and sunny. The Pavilions, completed in late 2018, added 50,000 square feet for additional exhibition space. The 300 acres it is situated on is comprised of woodland trails to the outdoor sculptures, pavilions … Continue reading Glenstone in Potomac, MD
I met Justin Duffus in 2015, and I’ve loved his paintings and drawings ever since. Justin works in a nicely lit studio, in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, when he is not teaching painting. His studio is surrounded by shipping containers, and you have to walk on the roof of one to get into his workspace. It’s cool. Originally from Pasadena, Justin studied at the … Continue reading Studio Visit: Justin Duffus in Seattle, WA
One of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is how easy it is to get to Palm Springs. I have really fallen for the desert, and I find a solid dose of Vitamin D helpful during the rainy and dark months in Seattle. If you plan ahead and can get reasonable fares directly into Palm Springs, it is the perfect weekend get … Continue reading Palm Springs, CA
My friend Janine is heading to Boston for a quick trip next month and over our favorite cocktails last week she asked me what art she should see when she is there. While Boston is full of good art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants (or simply the ‘Glass Flowers’) at the Harvard Museum of Natural … Continue reading Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA and the “Glass Flowers” in Cambridge, MA
Still operating with the same boiler since its opening in 1933, the Seattle Asian Art Museum has reopened after a two-year and $56 million, top-to-bottom renovation. I had a chance to go to the opening night event, and was pleased to see how well they had preserved the beautiful Art Deco building—home to the Seattle Art Museum’s Asian Art collection and set in the midst … Continue reading Seattle Asian Art Museum in Seattle, WA
It’s unusual to get to see the exact same art show in two different cities, only months apart. I first saw “30 Americans” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, this past summer. Then, right after Art Basel, in December, I went to Philadelphia and saw “30 Americans” again at The Barnes Foundation. It was fun and interesting to see the same work displayed at different venues. The traveling exhibition was conceived of and put on by the Rubell family, The exhibit was first on display at the Rubell Museum in Miami, FL and has been traveling for almost ten years, with only three more locations to go. Continue reading 30 Americans at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO and The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA
When my family and I first moved to Seattle in 2006, we began to frequent (and still do) a wonderful restaurant in our neighborhood that had the most stunning paintings. Each time we went, we would talk about how much we liked them. I finally asked who the artist was, and learned it was Fay Jones. I admittedly was a bit in culture shock moving to the West Coast after living on the East Coast my entire adult life, and somehow these paintings always made me feel at home. Continue reading Fay Jones in Seattle, WA
I had not been to the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art since it reopened in May of 2016. I was impressed by its beautifully lit gallery spaces, overall size (170,000 square feet of exhibition space) and design. They have over 33,000 works of art in their permanent collection. I was hopeful that they would have one of the two paintings that they own by Bay Area artist Roland Petersen on view, but no such luck. I was enamored nevertheless. Continue reading The SF Museum of Modern Art and SFO Airport in San Francisco, CA
I have been a bit obsessed with the work of Annabeth Rosen for quite some time, yet had never before seen it in person. Best known for her sculptural work, Fired, Broken, Gathered, Heaped, at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, chronicles over 20 years of Rosen’s work in ceramics. Raised in Brooklyn, Rosen has taught ceramic art at the college level for 30 … Continue reading Annabeth Rosen in San Francisco, CA
I used to stay at the hotel in Miami Beach in which NADA was held. It was easy to walk through multiple times, but the lighting was bad. NADA has always been a favorite show of mine as the art was cool, but the venue never felt right. That hotel was damaged in a hurricane and remains abandoned, and NADA is now housed at Ice Palace Studios. While a bit harder to get to, the venue is fitting for one of the must-see shows during Art Basel. Last year they had 134 exhibitors and approximately 15,000 visitors. They first launched the fair in 2003. I think this was the best year yet.
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As the Art Basel fairs have grown, I’ve gotten smarter, and have been staying longer. Even with that, it’s hard to fit everything in. This was my first time attending the Design Miami show, and it was the most beautiful of all of the art fairs. The galleries were obviously carefully selected and the booths were well-curated. Design Miami is not to be missed.
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This is part three of my three-part post on Art Basel If you want to start at the beginning, here is part one and here is part two. Continue reading Part Three: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Art Basel was huge, and I’m only showing a tiny portion of what I saw. So huge that I’ve split my visit into three parts. This post is part two. If you want to start at the beginning, here is part one. Continue reading Part Two: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Art Basel Miami Beach takes place in the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. I read that there was a new sliding scale pricing system implemented this year that supported the participation of smaller and mid size galleries. Along with the improved lighting… Continue reading Part One: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
The Miami Beach Convention Center has been newly renovated, and completed, since last year’s Art Basel. Meridians, curated by Magali Arriola, presented 34 large-scale projects that cannot normally be shown at an art fair. Directly upstairs (via an escalator) from the exhibition hall of Art Basel were large-scale sculptures and paintings, live performances, installations and video projections in about 60,000 square feet of space. Continue reading Meridians at Art Basel in Miami Beach, FL
Art Miami and Context Art Miami are in two adjacent tents located in Miami, FL. They are easy to get to from South Beach, but you have to take into account traffic. It took me an hour to get there, and 12 minutes to get back to my hotel. I went preview night and purposely went to Art Miami first, and to Context with an hour to spare. Art Miami was super… Continue reading Art Miami and Context Art Miami in Miami, FL
Pulse is in a temporary tent, very close to the UNTITLED tent. I got there for the opening VIP brunch, which was actually quite fun. It’s hard to beat the weather in Miami (indoor/outdoor brunch at 11 a.m. in December) and the CBD cocktails and CBD popsicles were quite the hit with the crowd. This is the 15th year for Pulse, with 65 exhibitors. Last year they had 10,000 visitors. Continue reading Pulse Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Scope Miami Beach is another fair that makes its home in a tent, right on the beach. Scope has 134 exhibitors, and is in its 19th year. Last year they saw 60,000 visitors. The artwork I was drawn to at Scope happened to all include some sort of cool process or the repurposing of materials. I really enjoyed learning about the artists and their processes, whether from the gallery owners, employees, or the artists themselves. Continue reading Scope Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Aqua Art Miami, takes place in a classic South Beach Miami two story motel. The furniture is all removed and each gallery takes over a room. I look forward to going every year but was disappointed this year as some of my favorite galleries from years past were not there, and the work in general wasn’t very appealing to me. Aqua features 47 exhibitions… Continue reading Aqua Art Miami in Miami Beach, FL
UNTITLED, ART is one of many art fairs that are part of Art Basel Miami. The show is set up in a temporary tent, which is more like a building, right on the beach in Miami Beach. UNTITLED features 126 exhibitions and, in 2018, had 48,000 visitors. Continue reading UNTITLED, ART in Miami Beach, FL
I was thrilled to find the Ruby Neri show opening at Salon 94 when I was in NYC in October. I liked it so much I went several times. It’s closing December 21st, so if you can get there, go! The show is full of large scale ceramic vessels adorned with nude female shapes. Upstairs there are some beautiful pastels on paper. Continue reading Ruby Neri in New York, NY
Soon, I’ll be showing more work by Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920), Roland Petersen (b. 1926) and Robert Arneson (1930-92) from other museums that I’ve recently visited in California. I did want you to see these pieces from the show Landscape Without Boundaries: Selections from the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art which runs through December 15, 2019. This is the museum where I’d gone to see the Kathy Butterly show. Continue reading Manetti Shrem permanent collection in Davis, CA
I wanted to share some images from the exhibit in Gallery 1, Building a Different Model: Selections from the di Rosa Collection. They had a shuttle to the Viola Frey show in Gallery 2, although you can also walk through the vineyard on the property to get there. Continue reading di Rosa permanent collection in Sonoma, CA
Right in the center of town, next to a UC Davis fraternity house, is the John Natsoulas Gallery. I stopped in to visit on the way to the Kathy Butterly show. The gallery is huge, and packed with art. Paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculpture and even a book publishing company in the basement. Continue reading John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, CA
I started following Kathy Butterly in 2016 when I saw her work at the Seattle Art Fair, and have been an avid fan since. I only wish I had purchased a piece back then. It’s been fun to watch her star power rise over the years. Butterly casts her pieces, often from store bought vases, and then manipulates them until she is happy with the form. Since the late 1980s she has made small scale ceramic objects ranging in height from three to nine inches. Continue reading Kathy Butterly in Davis, CA
I’m starting my blog with one of my favorite artists. Viola Frey’s career retrospective is at the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Sonoma, CA. The exhibition features over 100 pieces and runs though December 29th. The prolific Viola Frey, died in 2002 at the age of 70 in Oakland, CA. She was once a professor at California College of the Arts. Frey worked in sculpture, painting and drawing. Her larger than life colorful clay sculptures… Continue reading Viola Frey in Sonoma, CA
