A Sept. 6 Style article incorrectly said that Provisions Library's rent was subsidized by the D.C. government for five years. The subsidy was provided by the Gaea Foundation.
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A Shifting Landscape For Conner Gallery
A former auto body shop in Northeast Washington's Trinidad neighborhood is slated to become the new home of Conner Contemporary Art.
(Conner Contemporary Art/*gogo Art Projects)
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Ayodamola Okunseinde has operated Dissident Display Studios and Gallery, at 416 H St. NE, since June 2006. His advice to Conner Contemporary or any new gallery in the area is to stay in touch with the neighborhood.
"It just seems that these establishments coming in are so different from the community," Okunseinde says. "We get a lot of neighborhood people sticking their head in saying, 'What's going on?' "
Dissident Display hosts a free performance series as a way to connect with neighbors.
Mary Coble, who is represented by Conner Contemporary, owns a home and studio in the neighborhood. In a solo show in May, Coble subjected herself to electroshock therapy in a performance piece called "Aversion."
"They're making an investment in all of our futures," she says. "This gigantic complex opens up so many possibilities for the artist."
Trawick Prize Winners
Jo Smail of Baltimore won the $10,000 best-in-show award last night in the Bethesda-based Trawick Prize art competition. Smail, who is originally from South Africa, works mostly in oil on canvas -- using black, white, pink and occasionally yellow. On her Web site, the 60-something artist mentions two important turning points for her art: a 1995 fire that destroyed all of her work and a 2000 stroke.
"Several years ago I lost all my paintings in a fire," she said in a 2004 artistic statement. "That's when I began the pink paintings. Pink seemed appropriate: new skin -- new beginnings -- baby girl -- first steps. I began drawing very simple units."
Nicholas Wisniewski of Baltimore took the $2,000 second prize, and Richmond's Bruce Wilhelm snagged third place and $1,000. Washingtonian Kathleen Shafer won the $1,000 young-artist award.
The Trawick Prize11 finalists' work will be on display through Sept. 28 at Creative Partners Gallery, 4600 East West Hwy., Bethesda. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Free. 301-215-6660.
