Connersmith Explained

Connersmith is an art gallery in Washington, DC, owned and founded by Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith.[1]

History

CONNERSMITH, (originally Conner Contemporary Art), was founded in 1999.[2] The gallery, initially located in Dupont Circle, moved to the Atlas Arts District in 2007[3] and to the Shaw Historic District in 2015.[4]

CONNERSMITH specializes in contemporary art and post war painting, including Washington Color painting of the 1950s and 1960s.[5]

CONNERSMITH participates in international art fairs, which have included The Armory Show,[6] Art Brussels,[7] ARCO, EXPO Chicago,[8] ZONA MACO, and UNTITLED Miami Beach.[9]

CONNERSMITH hosts Academy, an annual invitational group exhibition featuring works by students and graduates of college art programs in the greater Washington, DC region.[10] Jamie Smith founded CONNERSMITH's Academy exhibition in 2001.[11]

Artists

CONNERSMITH has hosted exhibitions of works by many contemporary artists, including: Leo Villareal,[12] Erik Thor Sandberg,[13] Janet Biggs,[14] Joe Ovelman,[15] Julie Roberts,[16] Kenny Hunter,[17] Maria Friberg,[18] Susan MacWilliam,[19] Francis Ruyter[20] and Wilmer Wilson IV.[21] The gallery has also presented historical exhibitions featuring works by Morris Louis, Alma Thomas, Gene Davis, Howard Mehring, and Thomas Downing.[22]

External links


Notes and References

  1. "The Visionaries," DC Modern Luxury, Dec 2016.
  2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021104745.html Dawson, Jessica,  “Leigh Conner, the driving force behind Conner Contemporary Art,” Feb 12, 2010.
  3. https://dcist.com/story/07/09/04/conner-contempo/ Goss, Heather, “Conner Contemporary Finds New Home,” DCist, Sept 4, 2007
  4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2015/06/02/connersmith-gallery-moves-to-shaw/ Judkis, Maura, “CONNERSMITH gallery moves to Shaw,” Washington Post, June 2, 2015
  5. http://www.connersmith.us.com www.connersmith.us.com
  6. https://hyperallergic.com/488295/women-and-minority-artists-flourish-amid-elite-indulgence-at-the-2019-armory-show/ Small, Zachary, “Women and Minority Artists Flourish Amid Elite Indulgence at the 2019 Armory Show,” Hyperallergic, March 7, 2019
  7. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021104745.html Dawson, Jessica, “Leigh Conner, the driving force behind Conner Contemporary Art,” The Washington Post, Feb 12, 2010.
  8. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/10-standout-artworks-expo-chicago-2015-333694 Davis, Ben, “Ben Davis Picks his 10 Best Booths at a Bubbling Expo Chicago 2015,” artnet news, Sept 18, 2015
  9. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/preview/dealers-take-a-stand-against-transphobia-at-miami-s-fairs Yerebakan, Osman Can, “Dealers take a stand against transphobia at Miami’s fairs,” Art Newspaper, Dec 3, 2018.
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/08/02/academy-2002-a-class-act/3e732c11-6931-4b09-ae14-1c66ea3748b2/ O’Sullivan, Michael, “Academy 2002, A Class Act,” The Washington Post, August 2, 2002
  11. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/08/02/academy-2002-a-class-act/3e732c11-6931-4b09-ae14-1c66ea3748b2/ O’Sullivan, Michael, “Academy 2002, A Class Act,” The Washington Post, August 2, 2002.
  12. O’Sullivan, Michael, "Villareal's Trippy Light Fantastic," Washington Post, December 6, 2002; Tanguy, Sarah, "Washington, DC, Leo Villareal," Sculpture Magazine, July/Aug 2003, 22(6); Jenkins, Mark, “Conceptualists, Putting It on the Line,” Washington Post, June 6, 2004; Wennerstrom, Nord, “Leo Villareal, Conner Contemporary Art,” Art Forum, Feb 2007 XLV (6) 299; Combs, Chris, “Lights, Viewers, Action: Leo Villareal’s Light Sculptures,” Washington Post Express, Sept 25, 2008; Capps, Kriston, “High Pressure System at Conner Contemporary Art,” Washington City Paper, Jan 25, 2011; Capps, Kriston, “Leo Villareal, the Real Painter of Light,” Washington City Paper, June 1, 2012.
  13. O’Sullivan, Michael, "Different Strokes," The Washington Post, November 26, 2004; Wennerstrom, Nord, “Erik Sandberg, Conner Contemporary Art,” Art Forum, Sept 15, Oct 2006; Howell, George, Erik Sandberg, Washington," Art Papers, Feb/March 2007; Wennerstrom, Nord, “Erik Thor Sandberg, Conner Contemporary Art,” Art Forum, Summer 2009; Anderson, John, “Reviewed: Is Realism Relevant? At Conner Contemporary Art,” Washington City Paper, Sept 21, 2011; O’Steen, Danielle, “Conner Contemporary’s Is Realism Relevant? Reviewed," The Washington Post, Sept 30, 2011.
  14. https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2012/03/21/on-the-spot-janet-biggs/ Miller, Shauna, “On the Spot, Janet Biggs,” The Washington Post Express, March 21, 2012.
  15. Web site: June 2012 Sculpture Magazine - Reviews. Tanguy. Sarah. June 2012. www.sculpture.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120518210721/http://sculpture.org:80/documents/scmag12/jun_12/jun12_reviews.shtml . May 18, 2012 .
  16. http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/at-connorsmith-exhibition-the-kids-are-not-all-right/2012/11/22/9bf0e3f2-341b-11e2-bb9b-288a310849ee_story.html Jenkins, Mark, “At CONNERSMITH exhibition, the kids are not all right,” The Washington Post, Nov 22, 2012
  17. https://www.artforum.com/print/reviews/200208/kenny-hunter-47362 Risatti, Howard, “Kenny Hunter @ Conner Contemporary Art,” Art Forum, Oct 2002
  18. Gopnik, Blake, "You Hear It First," Washington Post, April 10, 2005; Ross, Susan, "Maria Friberg," Art US, July – Sept 2005; "BYT Interview: Maria Friberg,” Brightest Young Things, Mar 26, 2010.
  19. http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/byt-needs-more-nudity-conner-contemporary.htm Legetic, Svetlana, “BYT Needs More Nudity @ Conner Contemporary,” Brightest Young Things, Sept 16, 2010.
  20. http://artforum.com/picks/id=34448 Honigman, Ana Finel, “Lisa Ruyter, CONNERSMITH,” Art Forum, Sept 2012
  21. "Collect Call: Wilmer Wilson IV,” DC Magazine, December 2011; O’Sullivan, Michael, “Gallery Opening of the Week,” Washington Post, March 16, 2012; Capps, Kriston, “Wilmer Wilson IV’s Faust in the City reviewed,” Washington City Paper, Oct 4, 2013.
  22. Michael Duncan, "Thomas Downing at Conner Contemporary and Howard Mehring at the Catholic University", Art in America, May 2003; Dawson, Jessica, "Finding A Rainbow Within the Clouds," The Washington Post, April 28, 2007; Gopnik, Blake, "Fall Arts Preview," The Washington Post, September 13, 2009; Lyons, Emily, "Still Colorful After All Those Years," Washington Spaces, October 12, 2009.