Where Baltimore Artists, Residents and Businesses Intersect - Art of Home Growing up in inner city North Minneapolis, Andrew Zientek understood that art was absent from the daily lives of his underprivileged friends and neighbors. Zientek pursued fine art to the graduate level, but abandoned UMASS Dartmouth program when he became dissatisfied with other artists’ disconnect to the outside world and their seeming lack of social responsibility. Inspired by the words of a professor and drawing from his own life experiences, the artist moved to Baltimore and founded Art of Home.

Art of Home is a unique non-profit that ‘seeks to introduce, through the use of art, other ways of seeing the world to low income families while providing shelter and physical comfort.’ Art of Home purchases shells of homes in low-income areas and rehabs them with the help of Baltimore-based artists. Art materials are provided by Zientek and thru an on-line and in-person portfolio selection process, chosen artists are given creative freedom to design one-of-a-kind projects that suit the individual spaces. The finished houses are then offered to low-income families in the area.

Currently, Zientek is soliciting Baltimore-based businesses for corporate sponsorship. As always, Zientek states, “finding talented artists in Baltimore who understand the importance of participating in a project like this is the easy part – it’s encouraging companies to step forward in support of the idea that’s more difficult. Art of Home has the potential to unite groups which are currently isolated from each other, but it requires cooperation from all.

For more information on Art of Home: www.artofhome.org.

Labels: Art, Baltimore

  7:45 PM •  1 Comments •

Art and Social Change - The Baltimore Bioneers Conference Does art have the power to effect social change? On Sunday, October 21st at the Baltimore Bioneers conference, moderator Nancy Haragan of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, will discuss this very question with panelists Peter Brunn of Art on Purpose, Gin Ferrara of Wide Angle Youth Media, Cheryl Goodman of Dance Baltimore and the Community Dance Project and Joan Weber of Baltimore Partners for Enhanced Learning.

An underlying theme of all these organizations is that art, in various forms, should be accessible to the masses. With visual arts classes cut from many public school curriculums and arts-related field trips rare, these community-based arts organization serve a growing need in the community. The children and adults that these programs reach are offered opportunities to learn painting, drawing, dance and performance skills that would normally be offered only to those able and willing to pay for instruction or students already attending institutions with art built into the curricula.

Participants in these programs develop new skills, build confidence, learn to work collaboratively and maybe most unique to art, learn a new way to express themselves through creativity. In a city that leads the nation in murders, it would be nice if more people could express their anger, rage and frustration in ways that avoided conflict.

A vital aspect of the plan to transform society through art needs to be addressed. The society facilitating this change also needs to support its converts. Baltimore City must do something to retain today’s children responding positively to this art intervention and help them thrive in their hometown as the artists of tomorrow. By establishing more working opportunities for artists in Baltimore, the city will retain and grow its arts population who can then promote further social change by inspiring a new generation of budding dancers and photographers. Baltimore’s arts institutions can attract and keep top talent and draw national crowds. The city will not simply be a relatively inexpensive training ground for emerging artists. Instead of artists biding their time to make the move to NY or LA, Baltimore will become an arts destination in and of itself.

During Sunday’s discussion, I seriously doubt anyone will dispute the fact that art can effect deep social change, but I would like to hear ideas on how we can keep this social change moving forward in a city that needs to step up its commitment to the arts.

For more information on Art and Social Change, Sunday, October 21st please log onto the Baltimore Bioneers website: www.cultivatingchange.org

Labels: Art, Baltimore City, social change

  11:49 AM •  0 Comments •

Baltimore's Art Scene is On The Verge... ...The Only Thing Missing? Patrons.

With Baltimore City's art scene reaching a fevered
pitch, now's the time for curious art buyers to really
investigate the local talent. The overwhelming
majority of the artists involved in breathing new life
into the Baltimore art world are not yet represented
by galleries, are underpriced and most importantly,
are under-recognized. These are the 'diamonds in the
rough,'and I'm telling you where to look for them:

Frustrated by the lack of "real" galleries in which to
show their work, Baltimore-based artists have spent
the past couple of years establishing their own
venues. Most recently, Metro Gallery located on the
corner of Charles St.'s 1700 block opened with a show
of local artist, Seth Goodman's pieces.

Gutter Magazine (http://www.guttermagazine.com/)is a
prime example of what a group of talented
photographers and writers can create to showcase their
talents and help each other gain more visibility while
also adding to their professional portfolios.

Reporting on the grassroots (and more mainstream) arts
events happening in the area is Bmoreart
(http://bmoreart.blogspot.com/)- a blog created and
maintained by several of the repeat players in these
underground ventures.

With all of these arts venues converging, the
Baltimore City art scene should be thriving. A key
component is missing however, - the patron. Gutter
Magazine is being read by those already in the local
art fold or on the very periphery of it. Metro
Gallery's opening was packed...with artists and
artists friends. And the same people running the
galleries, taking the photos and organizing the
information are the the topics and readers of
Bmoreart's blogs.

Be the first patrons to begin inquiring about these
artists' work and you'll have a distinct advantage
over those who decide to jump on the bangwagon a year
from now. The highly saught-after artwork of
tomorrow, will be created by the talent developing the
Baltimore art scene today.

Labels: Art, Gutter Magazine, Maryland, Patrons

  3:10 PM •  0 Comments •

An Interview with Cheri Landry, Director of Gallery Imperato

What would you consider to be the gallery’s overall aesthetic?

Gallery Imperato is a contemporary gallery showing cutting edge work in a variety of mediums and styles. The artwork falls within a wide range of price points and the artists are both emerging and mid-career. For example, in August we are exhibiting the work of an artist who has had numerous shows around the world and whose work is included in museum collections.

What are some of the challenges of running a gallery in Baltimore City?

Well, Baltimore doesn’t have the best art market. I’ll show an artist who sells well in New York, but this doesn’t translate into sales here. Developing the right clientele is the challenge – Baltimoreans don’t really spend money on art.
Gallery Imperato has come under fire in the past for being a gallery within an office space. (William Imperato’s Wireless Communications has its home base here).

What are your feelings on the combination business/retail gallery model?

I don’t mind it because the space is unique. Without the office being there, the layout of the gallery would be much different. One great benefit of sharing the space is the sharing of resources – the accountant, the utilities, etc. There is a distinct separation between the gallery and business when there needs to be. At night, on weekends and during openings, the space is strictly gallery-oriented.
Your exhibition roster is booked thru the beginning of ’08.


How do you select which artists to show?

I base my selections on the quality of the artwork. Resumes don’t matter to me. It’s a bonus if an artist has a long client list, but it’s not a pre-requisite by any means.

How do you advise beginning art collectors?

A lot of the clients that come into Gallery Imperato are looking to purchase their first piece of art. In addition to perusing the current exhibition, I encourage them to browse our inventory book while I give them some background information on the artists and their artistic practices. I always encourage clients to purchase what they love – but often when a client realizes that art can also be an investment, it almost justifies the purchase for them.

What art/collecting trends are you spotting right now?

I don’t really see any trends. The art world seems very diverse right now.

What’s one thing you would like people to know about Gallery Imperato?

That we exist! We are in the Foundry on Fort Ave. –a ground floor space in a wonderful building, but not a location with a lot of foot traffic.

Gallery Imperato’s current exhibition, “Flora & Fauna,” runs thru June 16th.
Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11-7, and Sunday and Monday by appointment.
www.galleryimperato.com

Labels: Art, Baltimore City, contemporary, Fort Avenue

  4:11 PM •  0 Comments •

The First ArtDC….a Long Way from Miami From April 27th – 30th, the country’s newest art fair was held at the Washington Convention Center. ArtDC was comprised of 80 international galleries dealing in artwork of all mediums including new media and performance art. The ArtDC website seemed confident that this expertly gleaned group of galleries would catapult DC to a new level of art appreciation, “becom[ing] the art world’s newest intellectual playground…,” I suppose if only for a long weekend.

There were several warning signs that this was to be no Art Basel.

While the choice of the Convention Center was prime in terms of accessibility and amenities, the vacuous feel of the exhibition hall created a bizarre apathy. Whereas many art fairs are downright claustrophobic with art, overwhelming the viewer and creating a very palpable sense of urgency, the atmosphere in Hall E was alarmingly relaxed. Viewers were literally strolling and exhibitor booths were plopped in the center of the room with tremendously open space surrounding the cubicles.

No sooner had I passed through the hallway lined with TVs and entered the main hall, than I was approached by a gentleman who asked me for a glass of wine. When I realized he identified me as a waitress by my all black outfit, I knew I wasn’t in South Beach anymore. I dismissed his blue-suited befuddlement and moved on to the art. Ahh the art. In a word, ‘underwhelming.’

In an almost homage to the recently deceased Vasarely, Op Art swirled and spiraled around each corner. Uninspired propaganda – esque paintings and collages were prevalent. And, predictably, large scale, uber-glossy C-prints covered in plexi provided a discreet way for viewers to check their hair in just about every booth. The artwork chosen by the participating galleries seemed suspiciously last-minute.

All was not lost however. A handful of galleries pulled through with well thought-out presentations of talented artists. Brancolini Grimaldi Arte Contemporanea from Florence showed the outstanding photography of Massimo Vitali. While large scale and, yes, covered with plexi, these photos are breathtaking in their complexity, composition and color scheme. There’s no wonder as to why Vitali is collected by museums, corporations and individuals around the world. Baltimore’s own Goya Contemporary stood out with their consistently interesting, high-quality works on paper demonstrating a level of refinement that stood out from the crowd. Hand-blown vases from Berengo Studio in Venice were stunning and Norman Parish’s booth was a faithful recreation of his successful Africa and African Diaspora – focused gallery in Georgetown.

In general – ArtDC was safe. Maybe this is because dealers and galleries had no idea what to expect from this first year “trial run.” Perhaps it was the replacement of the traditional opening night preview gala with a non-profit benefiting, ticketed cocktail reception that sucked the wind out of the event. The relative lack of publicity may have also contributed to the buzz-less atmosphere.

Will ArtDC become a major player on the art fair circuit? Only if the fair’s organizers treat year one as a jumping off point and not a mold for ArtDC.

Labels: Art, ArtDC, Goya Gallery, Washington

  2:41 PM •  0 Comments •

Is 1% Enough? On Tuesday morning from 11:10 – 12:30, the Baltimore City Council convened to debate the merits of the “1% for Public Art” initiative. As defined by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts’ (BOPA) ordinance, the program’s purpose is to establish a public art commission; requiring the allocation of certain construction project funds to be used for artwork; abolishing the Civic Design Commission, and generally relating to public construction projects. The basic premise is to continue a program that allocates 1% of any municipally supported project exceeding $100K in eligible construction costs to the commission of artwork. A public art commission consisting of 9 members will select appropriate art for the spaces. The 1% can be used to create a commissioned piece, or can be used to repair or maintain an existing public artwork.

Presided over by City Council Person, James Kraft, the mood in the council chambers was a positive and supportive one. All seemed to be in favor of the bill passing with relatively minor changes to the ordinance’s wording.

What bothers me about this whole idea is the proposal’s completely underwhelming concept. As councilman Kraft openly stated within the first few minutes of the hearing, there are few, if any, current municipal projects exceeding $100K. So, leaders of BOPA two artists and I had convened in the chambers to beseech Baltimore City to dog ear a meager $1K per project for public art. Somehow the program seems slightly outdated.

“Percentage for Public Art” programs have been in place in cities across the country for years: New Orleans has commissioned over 240 artworks since their percentage program began in the late ‘70’s, Philadelphia’s program is responsible for over 300 pieces since 1959, and between 1977-1979, percentage for public art programs were implemented in Albuquerque, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle, and Anchorage. Baltimore was ahead of the curve being the second city in the nation to implement a percentage plan. The 1% may have stretched a little further then.

Since the plan was put in place, Baltimore’s 1% has gone towards the acquisition, commission and maintenance of more than 300 works of public art. I guarantee that the 1% in 1982 allowed the city to commission and acquire some great pieces, but in 2007 when unknown artists are charging $3K for a canvas, this 1% will do nothing more than contribute to an artists’ stipend or defray the cost of mailing publicity postcards.

Of course I am supportive of the ordinance and I commend the city for continuing the program. But, thirty years after Baltimore initially adopted the 1% for Public Art Program, shouldn’t we be adjusting for inflation and not merely reinstating the same idea? Ultimately, city supported arts initiatives give the message to the city’s residents and visitors that art is important to the local community and economy. However, when the support is 1%, what message does that send? Is something always better than nothing or, in this case, can it sometimes undermine the very reason why it was put into place?

Labels: 1%, Art, Baltimore City

  10:54 AM •  0 Comments •