it is a very very very small artworld

Fairy Butler and Mountain Man have both posted announcements for Sarah Peters upcoming show at PS122 Gallery. It was a surprise to me that they are probably friends with Sarah, because I moved into her old apartment here in Richmond.

It was really strange meeting Sarah. The landlord showed me the place while she was home and we just said hi, but the next day we ran into each other at Lowes and briefly chatted about the apartment. Later that same day I ran into her again at the supermarket across town and so we laughed and talked a little more, and discovered that we had both used to live in Philadelphia (at different times), and that Sarah had gone to PAFA. I could have said twenty different Academy names but the one I said was "Do you know Carson Fox?" - someone I haven't seen or heard from in more than fifteen years. It turned out that she and Carson were best friends (!!!), AND that the place I would be renting was formerly owned by Carson's mom. Carson had grown up next door. I never would have known any of that if we hadn't run into each other that second time at the supermarket.


Carson will be showing in Richmond at 1708 Gallery in April!

I found that out last time I was in New York and saw one of her pieces at Claire Oliver Gallery. I was at Claire Oliver to see very best buds Eva and Adele's show, and then I saw one of former HUGE crush Carson's pieces, then I saw some of former teacher Bonnie's pieces, then I saw one of Philadelphian Judith Schaecter's pieces. I think I first saw Judith's work more than fifteen years ago, Meatman, at a show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art of Philadelphia artists; I still remember seeing that piece - a small stained-glass of a man made of meat, boxing. I'm sure PMA curator at the time John Ravenal had something to do with that show, and he is now here in Richmond at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Actually, the last time I saw John Ravenal was when I was sitting in front of Scope Miami trying to sell my paintings.


Judith Schaecter will be showing in Richmond at the Visual Arts Center in April!


So I went to the PS122 Gallery's website to see if they had any more images of Sarah's work, I hadn't seen anything since her show at Feigen last year, and I find that they still have up the page for the January show - and one of the artists is Fawn Krieger! I met Fawn at a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, she is very very very funny. She does everything, her work is smart and fun and funny and GOOD. Sculptures, paintings, drawings, stories, comedy, computer things, performance - she is un-pigeonhole-able.

Then I check my e-mail today and find that Look, See friend Chris Ashley has mentioned Warren Rohrer on his own blog and that Chris will be showing in Richmond at 1708 Gallery in May, in a six-person show co-curated by Kristin Beal and Peter Baldes. Peter Baldes was one of the faculty members on the unanimous vote NOT to grant me a leave of absence from VCU (otherwise, he's okay).


Chris Ashley will be showing in Richmond at 1708 Gallery in May!

I go to the 1708 Gallery site to see if they say anything about Chris' show and notice that the current show includes a catalogue essay by Michael Oatman. This is the same Michael Oatman whose Saratoga show I wrote about in July (he posted a comment!), and whom both Warren Craghead and Carolyn Zick e-mailed to say they used to know fairly well when they lived in the Albany/Troy area. Now Warren is in VIRGINIA and Carolyn is in Seattle. Did Warren and Carolyn know each other?


Warren Craghead will be showing in Richmond at ADA in March!

Finally, at last week's ADA Gallery opening I noticed some small drawings John had in the back, and they are by one of the artists I enjoyed so much at Scope, Jered Sprecher!


Jered Sprecher will be showing at ADA in October!