GALLERY BEAT
F. LENNOX CAMPELLO
Piggyback Astronomy by Elaine Thompson
Seed of Change by Judith Peck
“Neighborhoods and Gathering Places” & “Buried Wild, Visions or Calligraphy”
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ne of the great magnets which bring people to the beautiful city of Alexandria, in addition to the city’s great historical footprint, restaurants and shops, are the abundance of artists and artwork in such iconic places such as the Torpedo Factory, Principle Gallery and others. The City of Alexandria is currently hosting somewhat of an exhibition at the Alexandria City Hall (through August). The works are being exhibited while they are being considered for an Alexandria Art Purchase Award. In 2012, the Alexandria City Council adopted a policy to grow the City’s public art collection into “an inspired and engaging program that reflects the City’s unique history, people, cultural identity, and future aspirations.” To support this growth, the City commissioned the development of a Public Art Implementation Plan which was approved by City Council in December, 2014. The Alexandria Art Purchase Award is essentially a means for the City of Alexandria to purchase original art to add to the City’s art collection and to display in City-owned buildings. The theme of this first Alexandria Art Purchase Awards is “Neighborhoods and Gathering Places.” Artists, art galleries, and art consultants working or residing in Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C. applied and submitted 109 artworks, ten of which were subsequently 12 | July 2018
chosen to go on display at City Hall. At the end of the three-month exhibition, the City will purchase artwork based on the recommendation of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The ten finalists can be seen on the second floor of City Hall from December 22, 2017 to March 30, 2018. What’s missing in this process is public input – would have been nice for the public to vote on at least one acquisition – sort of a “popular” choice award for acquisition by the city. If any of you readers know any of the Alexandria politicos or an Alexandria Commission for the Arts commissioner, tell them that Lenny says to get on with the times and get the public involved in public art acquisition! My favorite painting in the exhibition is Judith Peck’s entry (see image). Peck, who is not only one of the hardest working artists around the DMV, but also one of the most talented, flexes her formidable painting skills in this piece, which I sincerely hope will end in the collection of the city. One of her paintings is being displayed at the Alexandria City Hall for three months while it is being considered for an Alexandria Art Purchase Award. The Alexandria City Hall is at 301 King Street in Old Town – work is on the 2nd floor. A little further north, right off Rockville Pike in North Bethesda, artists featured in three concurrent Undulent and Opalescent by Marta Legeckis
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Old Town Crier