Scott Wolniak’s current exhibit at Andrew Rafacz Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd in Chicago, Connoisseurship of Rubble, will be the subject of a talk by Wolniak at 3 p.m., Saturday March 17, 2012.

Wolniak will talk about urban rock collectiong, spastic technique, object aura, integrated painting, carving and color theory. A reception and conversation will follow. Refreshments will be served.

Civilian Art Projects in Washington D.C. is having a reading combined with visual projections, and a live soundscape THIS Saturday, August 13th at 6 p.m. Danielle de Picciotto, artist and Berlin club scenster will read from her memoir, The Beauty of Transgression. Alexander Hacke of Einstürzende Neubauten (probably the only industrial band that matters) will perform those live electronic soundscapes for your amusement as well.

The event will set you back a whopping $5. So be there. They also hint that they just MIGHT play an unreleased Neubauten film collage Picciotto edited for the group’s thirtieth anniversary tour last year.

Again. FIVE BUCKS. It is in DC so I am sure there will be lots of members of Congress there too. Civilian is located at 1019 7th Street NW, Washington, DC

Civilian Art Projects are having a talk by  Baltimore artist Seth Adelsberger. He will be discussing his exhibit, Bordering on Painting  at 4 pm.  Saturday, April 9 at 1019 7th St NW, second floor in Washington D.C. If you want to understand an artist listening to them talk about their work (and interacting with them) is probably the best way. You can  expect to hear technique, concept and opinion on art to be discussed. We did write something on the opening of this exhibition.

While you are there check out the work of Patrick McDonough (entitled Opening Act). This consists of four independent but interconnected projects on the subject of fan behavior (as in music fans).  There is art basted on music, sound pieces and a tattoo piece. Sounds pretty marvelous. It will be on exhibit until May 28, 2011.

Public hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can also make an appointment for other hours if you are in a buying mood. Civilian is a gallery dedicated to both emerging artists and more established folks. They do more than just stuff AT the gallery apparently so if you live in the area, or plan to visit, check their site.

climate, control is an exhibit presented by Civilian Art Projects (and the lower case “c” is on purpose). This is a three-way exhibit by J.J. McCracken, Jan Razauskas & Millicent Young. The name relates to the artists and their response to immediate surroundings and their work. They use different materials—from clay to horsehair—in the works to be displayed. The exhibit was curated by Kristina Bilonick and Karyn Miller.

The website says there is an “intense focus on the precision of artistic production, and a sense of significance in the medium they chose to work in.”

One would hope that was ALLLWAYS the case! But writing about an exhibit is a bitch. Writing about the art and more than a vague sense of what it is and where it comes from can be elusive and the best thing for you to do is go see it.

The Exhibit runs from January 21 through February 19, 2011

There is an opening reception Friday, January 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. An artist talk will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, February 19, 2011.

Professor and researcher, Anelys Alvarez, will conduct a series of lectures on her specialty, Cuban art history, specifically Cuban Painting at the Turn of the Century. The three lectures are presented by Cernuda Arte in Coral Gables, Florida and begin January 26, 2011, ending February 9, 2011.

The lectures will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. at Cernuda Arte, 3155 Ponce de Leon Blvd in Coral Gables.

From 1878 to 1927 was a period of innovation and change in Cuban painting built by a group of prominent Cuban artists. The talks will focus on the links between tradition and the new providing a new perspective on these artists and the transformative nature of their work.

Alvarez studied Art History at the University of Havana and received a B.A. and M.A., teaching Art History and Letters from 2005-10.

 Lecture topics will vary and will be in Spanish. Visit the Cernuda website for details.

Toys are art sometimes aren’t they? I know I thought my Star Trek dolls were when I was a kid. Mark Nagata agrees with me. He has the biggest collection of Ultraman toys outside of Japan.

Morikami Museum & Gardens are about to be invaded by these kaijū this coming Wednesday and Nagata and Professor James B. Levy, also a collector of these Japanese vinyl toys, will speak about them. The toys, first made in the 60s and 70s, were seen as throwaways but over the years have become collector’s items because of their design and artistry.

The cost is $10 or $7 for members. The Consulate General of Japan collaborated on this event as did Tate’s Comics, who are supplying prizes.