ART @ the KATZEN | Washington DC arts blog by Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator, American University Museum

WE ARE MOVING...

Our new blog address is
http://art-at-the-katzen.blogs.american.edu/

 

I think I'm going to cry...

Michael O'Sullivan does a beautiful job
on our shows.

Howard County Center for the Arts

Mike Giuliano writes a great review!

See you at the Howard County Center for the Arts tonight!

I juried this show.

Binstock Shot From Space!

Those little things casting shadows in the Sylvia Berlin Katzen Sculpture Garden are fabulous sculptures by Alan Binstock. Maybe the best way to see his work is the way Charles and Ray Eames showed us the world in this, maybe my vavorite, movie.

This is it! All she wrote! Finito!

Not only B.G. Muhn's (pictured here), but also Alan Binstock's, Luciano Penay's, Arne Ekeland's, Marianne Heske's, Bjarne Melgaard's, and Marthe Thorshaug's art is all coming down at 4:00 PM on Sunday, October 17, 2010. Don't cry, get off the couch and come on down! Free parking this (and every) weekend. 11:00 - 4:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday.

Enrique Chagoya in Washington, DC tomorrow night... come out and support freedom of expression!

Fundamentalists Untie!

On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 3:05 AM, Enrique Chagoya <echagoya@stanford.edu> wrote:

Dear Friends,

Sadly, today in the afternoon a woman armed with a crowbar attacked my book "The Misadventures of the romantic Cannibals" at the Loveland Art Museum, in Loveland, Colorado, and apparently broke the plexiglas box, took the book and thorn it to pieces. Luckily the book is a multiple hand made lithograph and although there are only limited copies of the book it can be replaced by an equal print. The book is included in a group exhibition with the prints published by Shark's Ink (see sharksink.com)

I am worry that our first amendment rights are also attacked by the same crowbar. I am in shock, and fear for the personal security of the museum's staff, publisher, and myself since this has been an orchestrated attack by a national religious organization with fanatics everywhere.

There was a great article from this morning (Wednesday October 6) at the Huffington Post by Leanne Goebel that was the most balanced piece done so far. The rest of the media (with few other exceptions like A.P. which also has been balanced) has been demonizing the piece with complete fabrications and false descriptions. Just google it to read more about it (my name and Loveland) and check the Huffington Post article by Goebel. There is already some late news about the vandalizing, and by Thursday there will be more about it. As I said to the press, my book is a critique to institutional and spiritual corruption in religious organizations and not an attack on anybody's beliefs and opinions which I respect, and I been keeping my hope that people will respect mine (but clearly it has not been the case).

I don't take our rights for granted, and I will keep exercising my freedom of speech right by replacing the work with a similar copy in the show in spite of all this extreme reactions (and I hope the museum agrees).

Thank you all for your supportive e-mails. They are a relief in the middle of all the hate/racist e-mail I keep getting. Luckily I also got much support from artists, art professionals, and even a Pastor in Loveland who agrees with my explanation of my work who is inviting me to do a painting for his Church. There is hope.

Enrique Chagoya

If you knew Sushi...

Membership has its privileges... like raw fish. Really, really beautifully prepared raw fish, washed down with an appropriate beverage.

We are hosting our very first members-only event! On Friday, October 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., we will host a special reception for BG Muhn where we'll enjoy sushi prepared on-site in the museum by the artist's brother! Become a museum member by Monday and receive an invitation! If you have any questions, contact our Membership Director Mimi Fittig, at 202-885-2436 or aumuseummembership@american.edu.

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We are hosting our very first members-only event! On Friday, October 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., we will host a special reception for BG Muhn where we'll enjoy sushi prepared on-site in the museum by the artist's brother! Become a museum member by Monday and receive an invitation! If you have any questions, contact our Membership Director Mimi Fittig, at 202-885-2436 or aumuseummembership@american.edu.

 

Grads are Hung!

Two works from UP DOWN AROUND series by Ani Hoover, MFA 1995.

Check out the AU Alumni currently hanging in the museum. Good stuff... through October 24.