Art

The Smithsonian Institution has selected a work by recent Oberlin graduate Samantha Mitchell ’08 to be included in a special exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Mitchell’s piece, a drawing entitled Psychoanalyst One (Tony), was selected as one of 49 finalists in the second Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, a nationwide competition held by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Galley. Mitchell’s work was chosen from a pool of over 3,300 entries in a variety of visual arts media, from digital animation and video to large-scale drawings, prints and photographs to painted and sculpted portraits. “The Smithsonian Institution feels like the keeper and guardian of the American narrative in many ways, and it is such an unbelievable honor to be involved in a small part of that,” said Mitchell. “Whereas most if not all of the other finalists in this competition are practicing artists with somewhat established and defined careers, I am a very recent college graduate unsure of my position in the field. This is an amazing affirmation for me and my work.” “The portrait itself is a part of a series of portraits that I completed during my senior year at Oberlin College,” added Mitchell. “The series is comprised of five portraits of psychoanalysts, including my parents, who had a great impact on me while I was growing up. I wanted to recall the experience of being surrounded by observant, omnipotent adults, whose faces could simultaneously be powerful icons of control and nonsensical conglomerations of nooks and crannies when observed close-up.” Mitchell’s piece will be on view until August 22, 2010. In addition to being featured in the exhibition, Mitchell’s portrait will be highlighted in a publication illustrating each of the 49 finalists’ works. External jurors for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition included Wanda Corn, emeritus professor of art history at Stanford University; Kerry James Marshall, artist; Brian O’Doherty, artist and critic; and Peter Schjeldahl, art critic for The New Yorker. Jurors from the National Portrait Gallery included Martin E. Sullivan, director; Carolyn K. Carr, deputy director and chief curator; and Brandon Brame Fortune, curator of painting and sculpture.

Oberlin -- The small green seed of an idea that a decade ago grew into the most sustainable building in Ohio appears ready to bloom again. This time spreading out over an entire city block. You can also find another article here: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/10/qa_with_oberlin_sustainability.html

ARTS / ART & DESIGN | October 09, 2009 Art Review | 'Eccentric Visions': Renegade Apprentice By HOLLAND COTTER The Qing dynasty artist Luo Ping, whose works are now on view at the Metropolitan Museum, was a brilliantly inventive painter who for years subordinated his art to the influence of an aged mentor.

Upcoming show Recent Work: 1460 - 1865 September 15 - October 24 David Krut Projects 526 W 26th Street rm 816 Opening Reception September 17 6 - 8pm

SEEING ABANDONED BUILDINGS THROUGH A NEW LENS Artist Julia Christensen peers through the ceiling of an abandoned auditorium in Gary, Indiana. We often take the buildings around us for granted - that is, until those factories, schools, or big retailers close shop and people around town are left wondering - what's going to happen to that place? One photographer's making a career out of documenting the surprising ways people deal with this. Shawn Allee met her in the heart of America's Rust Belt: Julia Christensen's website: http://juliachristensen.com/