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DJ Earworm, not specifically a “district creative” per-say, (San Fran, to be exact) but you know what, let’s celebrate the first rainfall of the last 2-3 weeks with some mashup, and some badass mixing. You have my full permission to rock out at work. : ) -kk
(Photo: Undated handout) [PNG Merlin Archive]
It would be very easy to write this post, and compare UK songstress Adele to her contemporaries. (Winehouse, Estelle, Duffy) Most have, and it’s a simple and logical progression… unless you actually listen to the music. 19 year-old Adele Adkins is a musicians musican, with a knock-down, drag-your-heart-thru-the-rainy-night-streets-of-London voice that soars over most of the amazing arrangements on her album, “19″. But unlike the above mentioned artists, there’s no ’stchick’ in the album as a whole. She seems as genuine and honest thru each of the 12 tracks, and the songs genres range from pop to soul, to bluesy neo-soul-ish. And the best part is, she doesn’t appear as polished as some of the generic UK female singers that have come out lately. (Read: Duffy, -please stop force feeding us your music) …Dammit, I just realized that I wrote this post completely comparing her to others … I’m an idiot.
So, why am I writing about all of this? Well, she’ll be at 9:30 Club this coming Wednesday. If you’re not at the Nats game, watching Manny be Manny, or your not calling it an early night, on account of the kids first day of school or something crazy like that : ) … Head over there. From what I’ve heard, she gives a great live show, and it’s wonderful to support great artists that maybe aren’t on a huge label, with executives pushing out their music with reckless abandon. Sometimes the music speaks for itself. And hers does.-kk
{{ This place is bananas. If the website is as gorgeous as the spot, one can only image how great the spot is. On top of that, the artists and work is amazing. Check it out. -kk }}
LEO VILLAREAL: new work
(gallery one + courtyard gallery)
GALLERY ARTISTS: recent work
(gallery two + media room)
Saturday, September 27 – Sunday, November 9, 2008
Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith are delighted to announce the inauguration of 1358-60 Florida Avenue, NE as the new home of Conner Contemporary Art and *gogo art projects with an opening solo exhibition of new work by
Leo Villareal and a group exhibition of recent work by Gallery Artists.
Since acquiring the building last July, we have extensively renovated the 7,000 sq ft. ground floor area into two galleries, a dedicated media room and an outdoor exhibition space. During the year of construction, our artists have excelled, showing at venues including the Busan Biennial, South Korea; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; British National Museum, London, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, DC; Kulturhuset, Stockholm and the Anchorage Museum of Art, Anchorage; ARCO International Art Fair, Madrid; NEXT, Chicago; and at the Pulse Art Fairs in Miami, New York, and London. We now look forward to advancing our exhibition program as we participate in the momentous evolution of the historic H Street Corridor/Atlas Arts District.
To inaugurate the new space, Conner Contemporary Art takes great pleasure in presenting new large-format digital light sculptures by Leo Villareal: Diamond Matrix, Death Star and Horizon 2. In conceiving his fourth solo exhibition with the Gallery, the artist responded to interior and exterior exhibition spaces within the new gallery complex. Using the latest LED technology, Villareal explored scale, pattern, color and tonality to create imagery that evokes the generation of new life and suggests the emergence of behavior and personality. With stunning visual impact and kinetic appeal, these pieces stand forth as major works in the increasingly impressive canon of this renowned international artist.
In 2008,Villareal’s work has been acquired by the Modern Museum of Art, New York and he has created projects for PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY. The artist has permanent installations at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS.
We are also thrilled to present an exhibition of recent work by Conner Contemporary artists including: Mary Coble’s
Blood Script performance documentation, Mark Bennett’s Mommie Dearest architectural drawing, Erik Sandberg’s latest monumental canvas, Kenny Hunter’s recent sculpture, Zoë Charlton’s figural drawing, Gabriel de la Mora’s memento mori drawings, Harry Shearer’s latest political videos, and works by Maria Friberg, Julee Holcombe, Dean Kessmann, David Levinthal, Avish Khebrehzadeh, John Kirchner, Jeremy Kost, Brandon Morse, Joe Ovelman, Patricia Piccinini, as well as *gogo art projects artists: Geoffrey Aldridge, Taylor Baldwin, Ryan Carr Johnson, Adam De Boer, Isaac Maiselman, Natalia Panfile, Sabeen Raja, Nathaniel Rogers, Zach Storm, and Matthew Sutton.
There will be an opening reception for the artists Saturday, September 27th from 6-8pm. By invitation only.
For further information or images, please contact Leigh Conner at 202-588-8750 or info@connercontemporary.com.
Conner Contemporary Art is located at 1358-60 Florida Avenue, NE – ground floor – Washington, DC 20002 in the H Street Corridor/ Atlas Arts District. Gallery Hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11-6pm; Sunday 12-5pm. Parking is available by prior reservation.
Ahhh, it seems like it was only last year that I was writing about Chris Rief… misspelling his name, commenting on his unique and beautiful style of photography… and now? Well now? NOW!!? Well now, the man has gotten his ducks in a row, and now has a legit business. Not that it wasn’t legit before… I mean, the man wasn’t taking photos and dealing illegal arms to the South American nation of Peru… or was he? Hmm. That was an awful lot of time in South America, Chris.
Focus.
SO, the man-the myth, (-the Duke fan), Chris Rief now is established and has the website up and running and is eager to show you why he’s one of Washington DC’s newest art stars. Rief doesn’t just take photos, he creates a stylized art form that’s evokes memories of an older time when people used this thing called (apparently) “film”, and with old world style, and new age technology, he’s created an aesthetic all is own. Check out the website here, because if a group of people are going to put DC in the center of the art world for years to come, Chris Rief will be one of those people.
No more selling illegal weapons to the Peruvians, Ok Chris? Only photography.
{{Note, no Peruvians were harmed in the making of this post. Chris Rief is not an illegal trafficker of arms. If you see him with large black menacing cases, it’s only the multi-millions of dollars of Nikon equipment that the man is carrying.}}
Headlining this Friday’s lineup at Rock ‘n Roll Hotel, is a local act making it’s triumphant return to the main stage. Go see them before you’re “that person” saying “weren’t those guys from around here??”, a few months from now when the main stage is possibly MSG.
Like other similar area bands, Once, Okay Twice take a veritable cornucopia of musical talents and influences, and make a sound all they’re own. Reggae, punk, indie, jam band, post-alt… it’s all there. It’s a wonderful sonic experience will all sorts of ingredients in the mix. In essence, it’s a pure and unique Washingtonian sound*, and you’ll be sorry you’ve missed it, if you’re not around this weekend. (*-Ok, there’s no go-go in there. I’m sorry. I retract the statement.) They do rock though, so clear your Friday schedule, and rock out. : ) -kk
Ryan Leslie - Diamond Girl
Ok, yea he lives in Harlem… And yea, he grew up and went to school in Cali… And sure, he graduated from Harvard at 19… BUT, my man was BORN in DC, and so therefore by birth, the dude’s a district creative. And why wouldn’t we want to call R-Les one of our own? The man has been busy producing everything from Cassie’s “Me & U”, to working with Snoop, New Edition, and others. So, my a few degrees of seperation, voila! And so there’s 3 reasons why I’m posting this -
1) Hot track, great video, and genuine talent
2) It’s Friday… And I’m mailing in another post.
3) The album finally comes out on the 26th of August, after a long delay. Grab it, and support real music, and real musicians!
-kk
Tyson Gay? Alicia Sacramone? Lebron James? Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Americans have been spending some serious time in China lately. Well, a few DC residents were there about a month before this whole, “Beijing” thing started. You may have heard of them . . . Matt Sesow, and Dana Ellyn. : ) This coming Saturday is the long view gallery opening of their 3 week trek through the Asian country, and their documentation of their travels. Swing by, and have a look at some of the new work from two of the most innovative and exciting artists in the District.
Dana Ellyn and Matt Sesow
“Made in China”
August 16, 2008 – September 20, 2008
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 16, 6pm to 9pm
Press Release -
China is in the news a lot these days. While garnering fewer reports of its widespread human rights violations and environmental woes, it is mostly making headlines with heartwarming stories anticipating the 2008 Olympic Games in the capital city of Beijing. With tensions high and the excitement building for the Olympics, Dana Ellyn and Matt Sesow packed up and headed to China for 3 weeks, documenting their journey on canvas and paper.
Dana Ellyn’s work demonstrates a risk-taking vision, strong content and a colorful critique of social morality – perfect for traversing the complicated culture of China. Her paintings are often inspired by news stories and current events which allow for an immediate connection to her work. Ellyn’s “Made in China” pieces run the gamut of Chinese figures, from street vendors to heads of state; even Mao couldn’t escape her brush!
Matt Sesow, one of D.C.’s premiere outsider artists, is a master portrayer of conflict. His work demands a reaction; his expressionist style comes across frantic, though his pieces feel resolved. Like Ellyn, Sesow’s work for the “Made in China” show focuses on figures he encountered while traveling around China, with the occasional chicken thrown in – a regular visitor in his work.
Hey there! Congrats and a buncha thanks to everyone who’s made District Creatives what it is today. 12 months, and almost 12,000 views later, we’re growing day by day, and today, marks the 1 year anniversary of this little project coming to fruition. Yahoo-for-me! And Yahoo-for-us! I think I deserve a little dap from Arlen Spector… Sweet! Happy Birthday, DistrictCreatives.com!-kk
(Leah Tinari – A Calvin Klein Close Up, 2008, gouache on paper, 22 1/4 x 15 inches)A DFA Special Event At Bloomingdale’s
5300 Western Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD, Level 2, YES
September 5, 2008 – September 14, 2008
Opening Reception Friday, September 5, 6-8 pm
District Fine Arts presents “Hit Me With Music!”
a group show featuring paintings and photographs.
Leon Armour Jr. – photographer. Music has always been a special part of my life, from my earliest childhood memories, to the current soundtrack to my life. Photographing live entertainment has been another way for me to share those memories and to try to convey the emotional intensity of that performance in a single image. Even if you were not there, I want you to be able to hear the music through my images.
Chester Simpson – photographer. In the mid 1970’s, while studying at the San Francisco Art Institute for his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography, Simpson met two of the major influences on his life, legendary master photographer, Ansel Adams, founder of the Institute’s photography department, and Jim Marshall, the famous Rock-n-Roll photographer. He soon indulged himself in the evolving punk rock scene. This led to the start of his professional career as a rock-n-roll photographer when Rolling Stone Magazine published his first picture while he was still in school. Ten years later, Simpson found himself in Washington, DC working as Director of Photography for the Pentagon’s Newspaper. This in turn led to an ongoing contract as a lead tour photographer for the USO. In this capacity, Simpson has enjoyed documenting over 35 USO Tours with many noted celebrities and entertainers. His work has been in most major publications around the world including New Musical Express, Melody Maker, People, Newsweek and he has exhibited worldwide.
Leah Tinari – painter. Leah, who lives and works in New York City graduated from R.I.S.D. in 1998 and has been showing in New York City and beyond ever since. She has been featured in publications such as; NY Arts, The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Spin, Lucky, and Elle. The imagery in her paintings is based on photographs that she takes of friends and family. Although the work is a documentation of her personal experiences, she hopes that the images will evoke familiar feelings or create a sense of voyeurism. Her work often examines seemingly mundane situations and environments, in order to portray the complexities inherent in the unpolished human existence. Leah’s art ultimately provokes questions and discussions about family, relationships, class, gender, personal collection and one’s surroundings.
