OPTIONS Choices Posted

The WPA\C has put up the list of those artists selected by Dr. Lumpkin to be in the Options 2005 show. Read it here. I've posted the list below:

Bayo Abiodun
Judy Baumann
Jorge Benitez
Anne Benolken
Sheila Blake
Chad Caldwell
Kimberly Caputo
Tim DeVoe
Suzanna Fields
Lynn Galuzzo
Emily Hall
Lori Larusso
Ryan Mulligan
Mark Robarge
Lindsay Rogers
Amanda Sauer
Gary Thompson
George Tkbladze
Randy Toy
Susan Vaughan

I'm only familiar with two of these artists by name: Ryan Mulligan and Suzanna Fields. Ryan particpated in the One Word Project here and Suzanna is in the current Stricly Painting 5 show at McLean Project for the Arts.

I do want to apologize to my friends who were finalists but got rejected. It seems we were the minority here. 2/3rds of the finalists were selected but the few finalists that I am friends with all got rejected.

Given my recent search for abstract/minimal work in DC, I've found that minimal art especially is not all that prevalent. It doesn't seem to be particularly prevalent among the emerging artist crowd. So I was glad to see this quote in Lumpkin's statement:

...one could easily organize a Minimalist-style exhibition that would rest comfortably in New York or Los Angeles.

If it could be easily done for NYC or LA, then I say let's do it! Of course though, I have a vested interest in that happening. I do want to know where this other minimalist work can be found.

The one remaining outstanding question, other than who the heck these artists are and what type of work do they make, is where will the show be held? I have a request in to the WPA\C for that information.

I'll probably do some Google sleuthing to find out more about these artists but in the meantime do you have any thoughts?

Comments

[wwc]

Randy Toy is a printmaker in Richmond - I went to school with him at VCU in the early 90s. He got a VMFA grant a couple years ago. Very nice guy and a very good artist.

[AAS]

Amanda Sauer (www.amandasauer.com) is a DC-based photographer. I believe she works mostly with older cameras, although I could be wrong. I met her at the Young Artist Grant recepient workshops at Transformer. She was also chosen for Radius250. I definitely look forward to seeing more of her work.

[Scott]

I wonder how much different the show would have been had Philip Barlow remained as curator. This show sounds really eclectic.

[zippa]

I, too wonder what this show would have been like. I wonder if Philip Barlow reads this blog?

I feel this whole "Options 05" process has been treated as an afterthought by WPA/C. I said this before my studio vist and before I knew if I was in or out, so this is not a case of sour grapes, they seem to not be sure about the entire vision of this show. Case in point, no one knows where the show will be. Is it a big secret? or do they not know yet? Also, I got a package in the mail yesterday of slides and other promotional material. I assume it was from them (I always have a few slides etc out to different opportunities) sent with no cover letter, no return address, not even a"post it" saying thanks but no thanks. The only clue was the suburban Maryland cancellation stamp and the dates on the slides.

If I had been juried in, I would be pretty nervous due to this lack of vision and, so it seems, leadership.

[Scott]

Zippa,

I think a Barlow show would have been alot heavier on the politics. I didn't get the sense from Lumpkin's statement that there will be anything political about this show at all. I think she says that there's really not a unifying theme at all. That's kind of disappointing. I had my problems with the way Barlow dealt with the "Panda artists" but I have think there probably would have been an energy around his show that this one seems to lack. But who knows, the show could be great and Dr. Lumpkin really seems to have done a good job of bringing out new talent.

As far as the WPA/C, they're short-staffed since Annie left, just pulled off Seven, and are working on the Artist Directory, so I'm willing to cut them some slack. I think they did a great job with Seven, so hopefully they'll do the same with Options whenever and wherever it is.

[J.T. Kirkland]

I agree Scott. I'm not sure I would want "the best emerging DC artists" to be pigeonholed into some sort of themed show. It was a concern of mine with Barlow's curating... that it would be political. While I'm not sure Lumpkin got the best artists (yeah, I have an ego!), I'm glad it is jumbled. I have faith that when the show goes up it'll be professionally done. Though I'm still not sure how Richmond, VA fits into "metro DC." That's a discussion for another day.

As for when and where it will be, the announcement should be out soon. Patience grasshopper! Like Scott said, they are doing a lot of work with Annie gone and Ingrid Nuss very, very pregnant (who by the way was hanging another WPA\C show). Would you rather go back to the WPA\C putting on one Anonymous show per year and that's it? For me, I'd rather them push the envelope and do as much as they can. And I've been told there's more to come. Funny how all this activity comes when Corcoran struggles the most and Annie leaves. Coincidence? I'll let you decide...

[Scott]

JT,

I didn't have a problem with Barlow's (reported) focus on political art. Although it wasn't good for me, since I don't make overtly political art (or for you either, I guess), it probably would have resulted in a very energetic, thought-provoking and controverial show. That type of energy seems to be lacking with this incarnation, though admittedly it's still early. Maybe the momentum will build as we get closer to showtime. In any case, I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.

[J.T. Kirkland]

I agree. I didn't have a problem with it either though I'm not sure if it would have acheived the intended goals of the show. Regardless, at this point it doesn't matter. We have 20 selected artists. I think the excitement should come from supposedly seeing the best of the unknown, not too different than the current Greater New York show. That's where the excitement will come from. Learning who in the world these people are and what they are doing.

[wwc]

"Though I'm still not sure how Richmond, VA fits into "metro DC." That's a discussion for another day."

Remember the rules - DC, Maryland and Virginia. So from Bristol to Baltimore. I'd like to know how manty chosen were from the grad school visits she made.

[J.T. Kirkland]

I don't remember the rules stating VA, DC and MD. At least the entirety of those states. I don't have the entry form to check but all I keep seeing (3 different places in the press release) is "Washington metropolitan area." A Google search reveals that most Web sites don't believe Richmond, VA is part of DC's metro area. It is part of Richmond's metro area. Ha!

The western most part of Virginia must be some 4-5 hours away by car. Correction, try 7 hours to Big Stone Gap, VA. Since when did DC get the responsibility of showing artists there? Just two hours north of here is Philly and we know much cooler things are happening there.

Does anybody still have a copy of the application form for the show?