Letter from Washington, DC F. Lennox Campello The new buzz around the DC art scene these days has been art,” said Mera Rubell. “DC is known for its extraordinary created by the announcement of a new type of art fair comcultural institutions and as an international political capital, ing to DC later this year. The fair will be called (e)merge and and we’ve discovered it also has a uniquely plugged-in, vital the organizers describe it as a “vetted art fair focused on and energetic arts community that’s poised for broader recemerging artists and ognition.” galleries with emergApplications for galing art.” The fair will leries, nonprofits, and run September 22artists will be available 25, 2011, at the Moron (e)merge’s Web site ris Lapidus-designed in the near future. A Capitol Skyline hotel committee of internain Washington, DC, tional art professionals which is owned by the will evaluate submiswell-known and highly sions. Artists, currently respected art collectwithout representaing couple Mera and tion, wishing to exhibit Don Rubell and adjawill submit proposals cent to the site of the for experimental projtheir future museum. ects in noncommercial According to the orformats. Vetting and ganizers (Leigh Conadvisory committee ner and Jamie Smith, lists will be announced co-founders of Conat a later date. Addiner Contemporary in tional info about the Washington, DC, and art fair is available at Helen Allen, founder emergeartfair.com. and former director of PULSE Contemporary Elsewhere in the DMV Art Fair), “(e)merge (how locals describe will feature multiple the area or “District – platforms: dozens of Maryland – Virginia”): international galleralthough we saw a sigies; artist, curator and nificant decrease in collector panel discusthe number of DMV sions and tours; pergalleries attending the formances; and, exhiArt Basel art fair week bition opportunities extravaganza in Miami for artists currently last December, one of without representathe consistent fair partion to present, free of ticipants is Civilian Art charge, performances, Projects, and their exinstallations, intervenhibition titled “climate, tions or other work. control,” a three-per“There’s an exciting son exhibition curated art scene happening by Kristina Bilonick Sam Gilliam, "Nite III", 2011, acrylic on birch, 30 x 17.5 x 4.75 inches. in DC and I’m thrilled and Karyn Miller feathat Capitol Skyline will be the site of (e)merge. This fair is turing J.J. McCracken, Jan Razauskas, and Millicent Young a fresh, original and provocative approach to experiencing is one not to miss this winter. The exhibition title “climate,

28 A|C|A March 2011