Mixed Bag: RVA Arts and Culture District "Progress" (?)

First Fridays' Christina Newton responds to the city's proposal for an arts and culture district (unedited version) here.

And... the city takes a step in the arts district direction here- there is much debate about whether this step is big enough, headed in the right direction, etc. (Check out the article's comments.)

It is unfortunate that the city would seemingly ignore important components of the Cultural Task Force's plans: primarily the implementation of specific financial incentives for arts businesses within the proposed cultural district.

The renovation of the Morton building sounds good, but I have to wonder who it's going to attract. Will there be financial incentives and assistance for artists to live there like those offered by DC's Cultural Development Corporation? I'd like to read something where a bunch of opinions of artists who already live downtown are spotlighted. What DO artists think of all of this?

A year ago when CultureWorks brought Theresa Cameron to town to talk to interested parties about planning for arts and culture districts, I was wondering the same thing. What do Richmond's artists want?

Talk20 #4: Tuesday, March 22

From C3's press release/email:

With the success of the first three talk20 events during the past two years, C3: The Creative Change Center and 1708 Gallery are hosting the fourth talk20 event on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature a hybrid of educators and professionals working in some branch of the creative field - such as art, architecture or design. talk20 is based on a series of short presentations of 20 slides each. Each presenter has 20 seconds per slide to express his or her very own artistic voice. The event has the broader goal of encouraging an exchange between those in the creative industry and a wider audience.

Participants for the upcoming event include:

Ellie Basch, chef and caterer of Savor/The Lunch Porter cafe. http://www.ChefEllie.com and http://www.TheLunchPorter.com.

Bentley Boyd, creator of history comic books http://www.chestercomix.com

Arthur E Chadwick, president of Chadwick & Son Orchids Inc and co-author of 'The Classic Cattleyas' book http://www.chadwickorchids.com

Suzanna Fields, visual artist, http://www.suzannafields.com

Margaret Hancock, art and design educator, http://www.margarethancockstudio.com

Amanda Robinson, founder and and current Executive Director of Gallery5 (NFP) http://www.gallery5arts.org

Ed Trask, Visual Artist http://www.edwardtrask.com

talk20 is not simply a lecture, but it focuses more along the lines of a gathering, an open forum for the dissemination of ideas in art, architecture and design. talk20 events are held across the nation and globe in such places as Chicago, Santa Cruz, Toronto and Guatemala.

Doors will open at 5:30pm. The event is free to the public. Complimentary light food and cash bar will be available.

The event is free, but you should register here.

Call for Applicants: (e)merge Art Fair in DC

From (e)merge's website:

The (e)merge art fair celebrates galleries, artists, artists' work and the creative process. The Fair garners support from all corners of the artworld and aims to create an energetic environment of collaboration and discovery.
(e)merge will take place September 22 - 25, 2011, in Washington, DC, within blocks of the U.S. Capitol Building, at the Rubell Family’s Capitol Skyline Hotel, adjacent to the site of the their future museum. The Fair will feature dozens of international galleries and nonprofits in the Hotel rooms on designated exhibition floors. Throughout the Hotel's public areas and grounds, (e)merge will provide exhibition space, free of charge, for vetted works in various media by artists who are currently not represented.

Deadline: Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Call for Entries: Rawls Museum Juried Exhibition

(From RMA's recent press release)
Call To Artists

2011 Rawls Museum Arts Juried Exhibition
Open to DC, VA, MD, and NC

We are pleased to announce the Juror for the 2011 Rawls Museum Arts Juried Exhibition. Brooklyn Artist Lisa Sigal will select the show and awards for the exhibition that opens on June 3rd, 2011 at 6:30 pm. Lisa has shown recently at P.S. 1, The New Museum and The Whitney Biennial. Please download the application on the Rawls Museum Arts website www.rawlsarts.com. The application deadline is April 10, 2011.

Contact:
Leigh Anne Chambers
Rawls Museum Arts

Lisa Sigal, "Screen Painting (pivoting in space)"

Updates: VCA and RVA Arts District

Virginians for the Arts

Are you friends with Virginians for the Arts on Facebook? They often post updates on the state of the arts (funding-wise and more) in VA.

Despite recent funding concerns, Virginia Commission for the Arts advocates are currently breathing a sigh of relief. The Hampton Roads Business Journal reports on this here.

In less encouraging news, Style ran this note a couple of weeks ago: "City: Arts District Will See 'Vigorous' Code Enforcement." This is a "thing that makes us go hmmmmm" on a couple of levels, but maybe we should just be happy that the city's plans to impose regulations on a future arts district mean that the establishment of said arts district is imminent. (?)

Yeah, winning, duh.

Also, have you gotten your RVA Arts tattoo, yet?

Calls for Entries

Two excellent calls for entries...



1708's "Feed," deadline- March 31st





Artspace's "Radius 250," deadline- April 15th

Spread the word.