19th Annual Critics' Residency Program: Just Looking
April 19 - May 21, 2005
Public Forum and Reception: April 30, 2005
Critic in Residence: Franklin Sirmans
Participating Writiers: Jenny O'Grady and Jiyun Park
Participating artists: Rebecca Blakley, Dianne Bugash, Marc Fanberg, Eric Garner, Christopher Gladora, Juliette Goodwin, Michele Kong, Sonya A. Lawyer, Lauren Simonutti and Jo Smail
“Baltimore occupies an interesting place in the geography and imagination of America. Just north of the District of Columbia and south of Philadelphia, it remains a bit of a crossroads in the historical boundaries between the American South and North. Yet, it is smaller than these cities and lacks the art infrastructure of either, with few commercial galleries. Though, like other small cities, Baltimore has one thing in no short supply—affordable housing and studio space—clearly essential ingredients for a burgeoning art scene. It is perhaps because of that fertile real estate market that we encountered artists originally from several other places who, at least for the moment, now (fondly) call Baltimore and its surrounding area, “home.”
Franklin Sirmans, Maryland Art Place’s 19th Annual Critic in Residence
During recent months, a group of writers and artists have focused on finishing dynamic new works that will be exhibited and written about in a soon-to-be-released catalogue, as part of MAP’s exhibition, Critics’ Picks: Just Looking. Since September 2004, Franklin Sirmans, a prominent New York art critic and the 19th Annual Critic in Residence at Maryland Art Place, has been working behind the scenes to mentor and further the careers of two Maryland-area writers and ten area artists. Last summer, Sirmans selected writers Jenny O’Grady and Jiyun Park to write critical essays on diverse new works byartists that he selected from a large field of applicants. These ten Maryland artists represent all stages of dynamic careers, from emerging artists (Rebecca Blakley, Marc Fanberg, Christopher Gladora, Juliette Goodwin and Sonya A. Lawyer,) to recently recognized names (Eric Garner, Michele Kong and Lauren Simonutti) to those with well established careers (Dianne Bugash and Jo Smail.) The exhibition provides an opportunity to see a selection of work by each artist, as well as to explore critical issues that remain essential to all artists.
Read the Review in the Baltimore Sun›
