Friday, February 29, 2008

Check out this page at NewMuseum.org:

http://www.newmuseum.org/events/139

Night School is an artist's project by Anton Vidokle in the form of a temporary school. A yearlong program of monthly seminars and workshops, Night School draws upon a group of local and international artists, writers, and theorists to conceptualize and conduct the program.

I look at this program at the New Museum and I am in awe. My love of the NewMuseum in NYC and my experience in Philly at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)which I am also in heart with are showing me that part of DC's problem when it comes to Art is that there is no reasonably sized privately funded art venue. The Katzen could become it- but it's not quite that yet.

The depth with which the TNM & ICA plumb their communities for shows and ideas and enrichment is staggering. The federal museums are trying, but so long as local art shown at these venues are spread out it seems like exceptional local art will always seem like "tokenism" to any outsider.

The big money person that realized they could come into DC and start building a private or NGP/NFP venue like the institutions I mentioned in Philly & NYC may have an uphill battle - but so did the New Museum and the ICA when they first opened if anyone that reads this has kept track. Something to think about and proselytize for.
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What is DCAC's Sparkplug?

Currently composed of eight DC area artists and curators, DCAC's SPARKPLUG meets regularly to discuss their work, explore common concerns, grow their community and dream up creative engagements both in DC and around the world. Through its support of Sparkplug, DC Arts Center provides meeting space, legal and technical resources and exhibition opportunities to emerging artists, curators and arts writers without current gallery representation or institutional employ. Via a continuing dialogue encompassing the theoretical and the practical, the group’s members share experiences, perspectives, preoccupations, challenges, and topics informing their ongoing artistic practice.



The goal of DCAC's SPARKPLUG is to identify superior artists, curators and arts writers without current gallery representation or institutional employ, provide an environment to help foster their development, provide legal, technical and other resources, and provide opportunities for them to exhibit both in DC and around the country.



DCAC's SPARKPLUG will actively seek its membership from all communities in the Washington, DC region with the goal of bringing together emerging artists and curators with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, a diversity of professional preoccupations and creative visions.