Work by Stuart Diekmeyer

Work by Michele Banks

Work by Watson and the Shark photo courtesy of National Gallery of Art

By F. Lennox Campello

First and foremost: Congratulations to Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, Maryland on its 11^th anniversary, which in gallery years is like 100 years.  The unique model for this amazing space, under the guiding hand of its hardworking owner and Executive Director, Judith Olivia HeartSong, had grown into other spaces in Oro Valley, Arizona, and in San Gabriel and North Hollywood in California.

The National Gallery of Art in DC had an interesting open call which should be of interest to most of you if it ever happens again – not sure why I didn’t hear about it sooner, but…

The NGA invited anyone to submit a proposal for a 15- to 30-second social media video inspired by a work from their collection. If your video idea was selected, then you’d receive $3,000 to bring it to life. Your final video creation will be featured online and inside the museum, most likely after April 2026 or so.  Cool or what?

Here is how it worked:

• You’d choose one artwork from their curated list here: https://www.nga.gov/open-call
• Submit a written proposal by February 28 telling the NGA how you’d remix it.
• Their team reviews submissions this month.
• In April, the top 50 creators will be selected to make a vertical video of their idea.
• Each top creator will receive $3,000. Videos will be featured on the National Gallery’s social media and inside the museum.

Smoking hot idea or what? Let’s hope that they do it every year – that is why I am discussing it here, so that you keep an eye out for it… and also the below.

It’s not on their list, but my absolutely favorite work of art in their collection is Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley. It seeks to depict a true event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1748.

The naked guy in the water is fourteen-year-old Brook Watson, who was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in Havana harbor. Lucky for Watson, some of his shipmates were already at sea waiting to escort their captain ashore, and thus were able to fight the shark and rescue Watson, although the shark bit one of his legs off. On his return to England, he got his fifteen minutes of fame, became quite a celebrity in demand, and Copley painted this work to record the event.

However, if you study the painting carefully, you will realize immediately that Copley probably had never seen a shark in his life, and his depiction of the great white in Havana harbor yields one of the most ungainly and ugliest non-sharks fish things ever painted.

I love to sit in front of this painting and watch people as they walk by and get mesmerized by the brutal event taking place and kids making fun of the shark.

The NGA will host a workshop exploring Watson and the Shark, which will be on March 13th at 2:15 p.m. and on March 14th at 10:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

They note that “during this 90-minute pause from your daily route, we’ll look slowly and mindfully at John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark. You’ll be invited to look closely, wonder, and share your insights with the group.  Together, we’ll learn “awe practices” that you can bring to your everyday life.”

You have to register here: https://www.nga.gov/calendar/finding-awe/finding-awe-john-singleton-copleys-watson-and-shark.

Finally…. And you heard it here first: There’s an Artomatic coming in the near future!

Yep! The planet’s largest free and open group art show… the show that artists and the public loves – and art critics hate – will be back soon!

“By artists and for everyone,” Artomatic is well-known for temporarily transforming empty spaces into vibrant arts events that celebrate creativity and create a unique and exciting opportunity for tens of thousands of visitors. This is the show that we all love, and that art critics hate (mostly because they usually don’t have the mental batteries to write about an art show that can include a few thousand non-juried artists!).

Anyone and everyone can present their art at Artomatic, and presentation spaces are always selected on a first-come, first serve basis — so it’s a great way to discover new art and artists. This is what makes this show unique on the planet – it is a great charging of artistic batteries for artists, and a great place for beginner and experienced collectors to pick among the 1000s of artists to find that gem!

Another cool thing about Artomatic is that not only do you usually find the best-known DMV area artists such as Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Michele Banks, Alison Sigethy, Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Laurel Lukaszewski, Erwin Timmers, Andrew Wodzianski, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Sondra Arkins, Ric Garcia, Steve Wanna, J. Jordan Bruns and others, but also discover dozens and dozens of “new” artists!

More later…

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello’s art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area has been a premier source for the art community for over 20 years. Since 2003, his blog has been the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet with over SIX million visitors.