Inside view of part of the Tubman-Mahan Gallery (image courtesy of The Center for Green Urbanism)

Authentic Contemporary Art to manage exhibitions for a new community incubator for environmentally-friendly businesses in Washington, DC

Authentic Contemporary Art (ACA), a five year old virtual and community-based resource for contemporary art by emerging artists announces a new partnership with the Center for Green Urbanism to showcase exhibitions of contemporary art. The Center is a new business incubator providing office space for small to mid-size businesses and start-ups interested in locating in Ward 7 in far northeast Washington, DC. The Center is located at 3938 Benning Road NE on the edge of Fort Mahan Park, a national park site and gateway to the Fort Circle Park Trail. The building is located directly across the street from the new Benning Road Library and is walking distance from the Minnesota Avenue metro stop on the orange line.

As a part of this new collaboration, Authentic Contemporary Art will provide curatorial direction and management of regular exhibitions of contemporary art in the Center’s Tubman-Mahan Art Gallery, located within their eco-friendly remodeled building and workspace.   The inaugural curatorial exhibition ReCREATE,a group exhibition of artwork made from recycled materials from artists across the country, will coincide with the Center’s official Open House, scheduled for Sunday, October 17, 2010.

“We’re very excited at the partnership with The Center for Green Urbanism, which allows us to extend our mission to make art more accessible to the community,” describes Authentic Contemporary Art Founder and Creative Director, Sharon J. Burton.  “We look forward to attracting new collectors and exposing emerging artists from the DC area and across the globe, especially those who work focuses on the environment or who work with eco-friendly materials.”

In May of this year, The Center for Green Urbanism’s Co-Founder Zandra Chestnut approached Burton with the idea of a partnership as a result of ACA’s history of working with talented emerging artists in professional art exhibition installations across the Washington, DC area. Burton immediately saw the potential of the Center as an excellent place to showcase art, with sleek hardwood floors, natural light, expansive wall space and environmentally-friendly interior design. She also believes in the incubator’s mission to promote green and eco-friendly businesses in a urban community.

“We are thrilled to gain Sharon’s expertise and the exposure that this partnership will garner for both the Center and for Authentic Contemporary Art.  We believe that artists play a significant role in sharing the beauty of our planet from their unique perspective,” added Chestnut.

Exhibitions will be free and open to the public to visit during regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, and weekends by appointment.  Anyone interested in joining the invitation list for Tubman-Mahan Art Gallery exhibitions and events can submit their name and email address at Authentic Contemporary Art’s website at http://authenticartonline.com/contact.htm

About The Center for Green Urbanism

The Center for Green Urbanism is located in downtown Ward 7 in far northeast Washington, DC and provides affordable business incubator space for entrepreneurs to work. Meeting spaces are available and wi-fi is accessible throughout the facility. The Center is a design model for a “living green business” in an urban setting, by decreasing our carbon footprint — promoting home gardening, using energy efficient CFLs and appliances, solar shade window treatments, a purified drinking water system, water saving devices and the recycling of trash and waste.

The Center sits on the edge of Fort Mahan, a national park site and gateway to the Fort Circle Parks Trail. Hiking and biking trails are close and Metro Bus and subway are a short walk away. The address is 3938 Benning Road NE Washington, DC 20019. You can reach the Center via telephone: 202-506-3867, email: contact@centerforgreenurbanism.org. The hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm open on Saturday and Sundays only for scheduled activities refer to the calendar of events for scheduled activities. Visit the website at www.centerforgreenurbanism.org.

The Tubman-Mahan Art Gallery can be reached via email at TubmanManhanGallery@gmail.com and Twitter at @TubmanMahanArt

About Authentic Contemporary Art

Authentic Contemporary Art (formally Authentic Art Consulting) was founded in 2005 and now serves as an alternative source for emerging and contemporary art. Based in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area, Authentic Contemporary Art (ACA) creates opportunities for art collectors and emerging contemporary artists to connect through exhibitions and through a juried online art gallery. We also work with a variety of design and art professionals to find the right artwork to fit the right space.

ACA also provides opportunities for individuals who are interested in visual art to learn more about collecting and conserving art through workshops, gallery visits and special events. ACA partners with a variety of art and interior design professionals and organizations to present contemporary art that is accessible and affordable to the novice collector and attractive to established art connoisseurs.

For more information, visit the website at www.authenticartonline.com, email at artinfo@authenticartonline.com or call 1-888-861-1395.

Sharon Burton of ACA (second from the right) with artis J”Nell Jordan (middle) and James Terrell (far right).

This exciting exhibition features emerging artists and poets based the DC/Baltimore Metropolitan area on the theme of “Soul Revival.” What do we mean by revival? We are speaking of revival of the soul, spirit, neighborhood, community, nation, and even the world. The result is a eclectic visual range of artistic expression, ranging from realism to abstract and everything in between! Selected works from the visual artists work has been paired with a poet/ spoken word artist who developed a poem that expresses their view about the art. Their contributions are an integral part of the exhibition, resulting in an innovative creative representation from a variety of artists–literary and visual– of the meaning of Soul Revival.

During this podcast, which is part two of a two part series on the exhibition, we talked to two participants of this exhibition, visual artist J’Nell Jordan and poet/songstress Stephanie Renee.

Artist J'Nell Jordan (photo courtesy of J'Nell Jordan)

J'Nell Jordan poses next to Mirage oil and acrylic on masonite board, 24 x 48

"LH" by J'Nell Jordan - oil and acrylic on masonite

J’Nell Jordan is an emerging artist working out of the DC Metropolitan area. She was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She attended Adelphi University in New York on a visual arts talent scholarship and received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in 2009. She has since shown her work at Gallery 788 and Maryland Art Place in Baltimore, Maryland and Soundry in Virginia. She was recently recognized on the online art gallery artscenetoday.com as the 2nd Place Winner and Merit Award winner for the My Personal Best Art Contest. Visit her website http://www.jnelljordan.com and her blog http://impressionsinfluence.wordpress.com for more information.

Stephanie Renee (photo courtesy of Stephanie Renee)

Stephanie Renee’s passion for writing is both inherited and well-groomed. Descending from a long line of college professors and ministers, she has a genetic predisposition for composing lyrical passages and poetic metaphors. As a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, her first English instructor was none other than Obama inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander. No stranger to the music world, Stephanie’s voice first introduced to mainstream audiences through her inclusion on Who is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 and Patti LaBelle’s When A Woman Loves CD. In 2004, she became the lead female vocalist and lyrical collaborator with NJ-based production company Steal Vybe, and together they have released a string of critically-acclaimed dance singles, which earned her a vocal residency for Ministry of Sound Sinagpore.

As a respected media mogul, Stephanie pours her dynamic energies into the expansion of her non-profit arts education foundation Soul Sanctuary and her creative services company Creator’s Child Productions, among a wide variety of other performance and educational endeavors. She recently moved back home to her native Washington, Dc, but maintains a presence in the Philadelphia arts and culture scene. View the poem she composed for Soul Revival here. And visit her website at http://www.stephanierenee.com.

Down load and listen to the conversation here (or the podcast player on the right column of this blog).

You’re Invited to the
SOUL REVIVAL ARTSCAPE OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, July 17, 2010
2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Soul Revival: A Poetic and Visual Experience of Renewal

Meroe Art Gallery
West Baltimore Center for Urban Art
1623 West North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217

Co-Sponsored by Meroe Art Gallery and Authentic Contemporary Art

Exhibition Dates: May 1-August 1, 2010

FREE and Open to the Public!

Featuring:

DJ Fusion of Fusebox Radio
Spoken Word Performance by Baltimore’s Own Nina “Lyrispect” Ball (invited)
Musical Performance by James Terrell
Plus Face Painting for the Kids by
Art-n-Soul of Baltimore and light refreshments

In Baltimore during this year’s ArtScape? Come by and check out Soul Revival at Meroe Art Gallery on Saturday, July 17th!

This exciting exhibition features emerging artists and poets based the DC/Baltimore Metropolitan area on the theme of “Soul Revival.” What do we mean by revival? We are speaking of revival of the soul, spirit, neighborhood, community, nation, and even the world. The result is a eclectic visual range of artistic expression, ranging from realism to abstract and everything in between!

Selected works of from the artists work has been paired with a poet/ spoken word artist who developed a poem that expresses their view about the art. Their contributions is an integral part of the exhibition, resulting in an innovative creative representation from a variety of artists-literary and visual- of the meaning of Soul Revival!

Check out the the artwork and poetry of Soul Revival here!

Visual Artists (Authentic Contemporary Art):

Jade Andwele
Prudence Bonds
Sharon Burton
Keisha Carroll
Marshetta Davis
Sherria Green
Darren Jackson
J’Nell Jordan
Nilja Mumin
Heather Schmaedeke
Marcel Taylor
James Terrell

Poets and Spoken Word Artists:

Cherrie Amour
Nina “Lyrispect” Ball
Natasha Brown
Marguax Delotte-Bennett
Amy Jackson
Alan King
Dehejia Maat
Bonnie MacAllister
Stephanie Renee

The GlamourHolics are at it again!

The next GlamourHolics Shopping Mixer for the “Glam @ Heart” is scheduled for this Saturday, July 10, 2010 from 4 to 8pm at the Upscale Aloft Hotel located at the Gaylord National Harbor. The shopping mixer for the ‘Glam@Heart’ that will bring together some of Maryland, DC and Virginia’s most unique and best kept secrets in retail. Bring your girlfriends, your wallet, and your fabulosity because this is an event for marvelous women of all ages!

Authentic Contemporary Art is contributing to the event by donating fine art prints that will be one of the glamorous prize giveaways and the silent auction. Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit, BeautyRoxxDC.

“Beauty Roxx DC has been established to empower young women to overcome academic, social, and emotional difficulties so that they can reach their full potential; to provide young women with the opportunity to become prominent leaders in our society by giving them the tools necessary to achieve excellence in all facets of their lives; to promote healthy responsible behavior that allows girls to grow socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”

For more information on tickets, sponsoring, or general information, please visit www.GlamourHolics.com, or call 202-465-2576 event and can be purchased on EventBrite at: http://glamourholicsglamatheart.eventbrite.com/ or through Paypal at: www.GlamourHolics.com

Did you miss When Harlem Came to Paris in March? Want to find out more about purchasing the art that was created especially for the event by the talented, James Terrell?

The remaining artwork is available on-line for bidding until July 2nd!

That’s right, the pieces that were not sold are still available for purchase, with a percentage being donated to the Anne Bujon Educational Initiative of the Alliance Francaise de Washington which provides educational outreach to DC Public Schools.

Visit the When Harlem Came to Paris online auction here to bid and purchase one of the hot pieces available for sale!

The event was presented by Think Brown INK and HoneyComb Set LLC is designed to showcase the creativity, beauty, intellect and talent of women in the Washington area. ACA presented James Terrell’s wonderful portraits of women from the turn of century to the present which was selected to be featured as part of this exciting event.

Music was provided by DJ Heat from WPGC 95.5 and The Big Tigger Morning Show. Media partners include W.O.W Radio, which will broadcasted live from the event and EliteDC Magazine which will feature photos from the event in its e-newsletter and web site.

Below are highlights of the event, which includes a video of Sharon Burton, Founder/Creative Director of Authentic Contemporary Art, addressing the crowd. For more photos, visit the Authentic Contemporary Art’s Facebook Fan Page.

James Terrell’s Artwork displayed

James poses with two of his newest works.

A guest chats art with James…

A scene from the fashion show…

DJ Heat from WPGC 95.5

L to R: Natasha Brown of Think Brown Ink and Sharon Burton of Authentic Contemporary Art

Build/Renovate Your Own Castle IV
Presented by Port of Harlem Magazine

Saturday, June 19, 2010
11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Honfluer Gallery
1241 Good Hope Road, SE
Washington, DC

Limited to 40 participants! RVSP here.

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AMAR Group

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Mortgage Consultant Noel Shepherd
MetLife Home Loans

Save Energy. Save Earth. Save Money
Contractor Jabali Nash
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Collecting Art to Beautify Your Walls and Benefit Your Pocket
Art Collector and Dealer Barry Lester
Attitude Exact Gallery

How to Design A Beautiful Space
Design Principals Sherry Ways and Susan Featherstone-Schemm
Design Scheme Interiors, LLC