Monday, October 17, 2011

Update on Photo Exhibitions

Unfortunately due to a lack of interest – whether because of the economy or because we are a new organization – we are being forced to cancel the show, "Hope," as well as the others in the series.  This is very disappointing for us and we apologize for this inconvenience to those who have already submitted.  Your submissions fees have been refunded.  We still hope to hold another, successful, show at some down the road, perhaps when we are better established.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Article in The Voice


In a 12,000-square foot Kensington building on the intimate, bohemian Howard Avenue, Gary Rosenthal crafts one of the most popular lines of Jewish artwork in the country; his busy metal workshop is filled with skeletons of unfinished pieces, bins of fused glass, and shelves of Menorahs, dreidels and plaques.
And above, sits a studio space he hopes will one-day house the arts community of Rock Creek.
The Howard Avenue Arts Incubator is the latest in the line of Rosenthal’s endeavors, after nearly 40 years as an artist, businessman and nonprofit sponsor.
“I wasn’t happy just being a successful sculptor, I wanted to help the world. Art is a wonderful avenue to get people engaged in social action,” Rosenthal said.
 Click to read the full article.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Hope - Survival - Renewal: Call for Entry

I mentioned previously that we have been working on getting ready for some photography competitions, and now I can tell you that we are finally ready to start accepting applications!  We've been hard at work to plan out this series to ensure it is going to be a fantastic event.

Three of the strongest and most positive forces to be presented in a series of exhibitions at the Howard Avenue Arts Incubator Gallery.  We invite professional and amateur photographers to submit images to one, two, or all three of this powerful series.
Awards include cash, and publication in a commemorative anthology of the three shows.
Visit http://artincubator.org/competitions.html for full details!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Updates

I realize that there has not been much activity on this blog as of late, but I assure you we are still here!  After a few well received events at the Incubator we've taken a step back to evaluate what is working and what is not to make sure we take this in a direction that is best for everyone involved.  We've been very busy behind the scenes in getting ready to use the Incubator's gallery as a place to host a series of international juried photography shows.  We're very excited about this development and anticipate some wonderful events, as well as a way for us to expand our resources and turn the Howard Avenue Arts Incubator into a place and service that will be used an enjoyed by a multitude of people.  Keep an eye out for more details on the photography shows in the very near future!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Fran Abrams - Dinner with an Expert

Wednesday, March 23rd – Dinner with An Expert: Fran Abrams
Fran Abrams is a polymer clay artist whose work has been widely exhibited in the DC metro area. She served for 41 years in government and non-profit agencies and recently retired from her position as Grants Director at the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC). Fran has an undergraduate degree in art and architecture and a graduate degree in urban planning. She is a member of the Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC. As a contractor for AHCMC, she manages the county's public art program and the new Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room in the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans' Plaza in downtown Silver Spring, MD.

The Incubator's "Dinner with An Expert" series kicked off with Fran Abrams, who spoke about her career and answered questions over dinner.  There were about 15 people there for the night which went very well.  We anticipate making this type of event a regular activity with a variety of guests who are experts in their various fields.  Keep an eye out for upcoming dinners!

If you would like to be a speaker or have an idea for a guest, please contact Joy Parisi.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Call for Art, Artists and Artisans for the AVON Walk Washington, DC


The Howard Ave. Arts Incubator is forming a team of artists, artisans, and friends to participate in the April 30th to May 1st Washington, DC AVON Walk for Breast Cancer. The Incubator is a new collaborative arts center in Kensington, MD which nurtures the artistic and professional growth of artists to enhance the greater Maryland community.

The Incubator is partnering with its neighbor Anytime Fitness Kensington to invite and train walkers for the team. The Incubator hopes to help walkers reach their fundraising goals with proceeds raised during a “Walking Wearables” show on Sat. April 23rd in the Incubator gallery featuring sales and auctions of donated and member artwork. Breast cancer-related themed and wearable works are being accepted at the Incubator now.

Anytime Fitness Kensington created a special Arts Extreme Walker 67% savings value package to get our team members moving: a 2-month temporary membership and 3 personal training sessions for $99. Package members can hit the treadmills at any hour just a few doors down from the Incubator, and increase their overall health and walking-related synergies with the safety and motivational expertise of Kensington’s finest personal trainers. The partners will also organize historic walks along Howard Ave. and other points of interest in Kensington.

For more information, please contact Joy Parisi, Assistant Director of the Howard Ave. Arts Incubator, at 301/897-4152 or joyartincubator@gmail.com. Please also visit the AVON website at www.avonwalk.org/washington-dc, or the Anytime Fitness site at www.kensingtonfitness.com.

Friday, February 11, 2011

State of the Crafts Industry

The “State of the Crafts Industry” was the topic of the Howard Avenue Arts Incubator first panel discussion on January 25th, 2011. Gary Rosenthal, mixed media sculptor and founder of the Arts Incubator, led a panel discussion with Tony Glander, owner of Fitzpatrick Glass, and Deborah Simon, owner of the Waygoose Gallery in Rockville and Waygoose Redux in Bethesda.


Twenty-five guests toured the studio of the Gary Rosenthal Collection on the second floor at 4218 Howard Ave., then gathered in the Incubator Gallery on the third floor to socialize, network, and interact with the panelists. Attendees could not miss the address, as the building was dramatically lit with gobo lighting effects!


The gallery was also decked out with a variety of paintings, mixed media collages, pastels, photographs, and sculptures by founding members of the Incubator and local guest artists.

Gary started off the panel discussion by asking the panelists to describe their backgrounds in the craft industry, and then discuss what changes they have noticed with the unstable economy. The panelists gave many insightful observations, such as:

1) A change in the number and scale of custom orders;
2) Less traffic at the standard industry shows (New York gift show, Philadelphia, etc.), with many smaller shops going out of business;
3) Fewer artists going into production crafting, and instead coming out of art school and only pursuing gallery sales;
4) A drop in customers buying for themselves, which has only recently begun to return; and
5) Customers buying either at a low price-point below $20, or a higher gift purchase point of $100 and above, but not much in-between.

Overall, the panelists agreed that business is beginning to pick back up. They advised attendees to be strategic about approaching store owners, for example: keeping in touch monthly with the shop owners who carry their work to make sure they have enough in stock; emailing the owner to ask about representation rather than going into the shop; and offering work in a range of price points.


The Howard Avenue Arts Incubator thanks Gary, Tony, and Deb for contributing their time and wisdom to this event. For more information on the panelists, please visit their websites at collectgaryrosenthal.com, thewaygoose.com, and fitzpatrickglass.com.
Our next event will be Wednesday, March 23rd – Dinner with An Expert: Fran Abrams:
Fran Abrams is a polymer clay artist whose work has been widely exhibited in the DC metro area. She served for 41 years in government and non-profit agencies and recently retired from her position as Grants Director at the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC). Fran has an undergraduate degree in art and architecture and a graduate degree in urban planning. She is a member of the Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC. As a contractor for AHCMC, she manages the county's public art program and the new Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room in the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans' Plaza in downtown Silver Spring, MD.