A Starving Artist’s Secret to Survival
• May 3, 2012

When I signed up for a PR/Marketing & Studio Art degree, I knew that I’d either become a master marketer or a starving artist. Which is all the more reason why I should get behind the Occupy Wall Street protests, but I just can’t. You see, when the housing market collapsed my company went down with it, I was left stuck in Pensacola, Fla. with no home, no job, and no hope of starting over. So I did what any self-respecting artist would do… I sold everything and went on tour.

I traveled mostly around the South East. Altanta, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington D.C., Pensacola twice and then finally I ended up in the Destin area of Florida. I was in my late 20’s with a degree and a skill-set and I would sell my talents to whoever would pay for them. If I wasn’t taking pictures of performing artists and rock bands I was working one-on-one with small business owners developing cost effective marketing strategies or orchestrating elaborate art parties as fundraisers for non-profits.

The biggest obstacle was my network. It’s true that it’s not what you know it’s who you know. After leaving seven years of networking in Pensacola, I found myself starting over again in Destin. Things were going great at first. The tourism market was the strongest it had been in years and I was living on the beach managing a seafood market in the morning and working as a food artist at night for a trendy restaurant, all the while shooting anyone I could with a camera in my free time…and then came the oil spill.

Fast forward through three months of “WTF do I do now?” I managed to work out a deal with the COO of a franchise based in the D.C. area. In exchange for watching the house, taking care of the cats, helping her pack, and some admin/office work I could stay rent-free for six months until she relocated to Colorado. I had six months to start over….again.

One year later, after spending the first six months barely surviving on $10/hour (through a staffing agency), I secured a full-time position as the Creative Director and Executive Assistant to a prominent D.C. psychotherapist and lecturer. Come December, my boss will retire to Florida and I’ll be looking for another similar position. My resume is exquisite, my references are mind-blowing, yet I’m confident that it will still take months to find a perfect match. In the meantime, instead of collecting unemployment, you’ll find me hustlin’ somewhere; selling art, doing photoshoots, writing for various D.C. papers and mags and organizing more art parties.

Whatever happened to that entrepreneurial character that America used to be so proud of? In the panhandle of Florida—where the rednecks and the private money meet on the shores of paradise—there are hundreds of independently owned businesses. I should also add that the commercial rent on the seafood market I used to manage is less than the rent for my studio in Mt. Pleasant.

Taking into account that prices in D.C. are much higher than Florida and that the majority of people who seem to own any of the shops that we visit on a daily basis (coffee shops, dry cleaning, grocery, gas, food/restaurant) are all immigrants, I’m left confused on a level I can’t really even put into words. Explain to me how an immigrant couple can immigrate to the United States, open and operate a business (often unable to communicate efficiently in English), have enough money to feed themselves and their families, and yet there are thousands of home-grown Americans losing their homes, their savings, and their minds?

I understand that not everyone can just create a business out of scratch and make it be successful, but many of us could. And in doing so, we could hire those who can’t do it all on their own. I understand the OWS argument. But if you want them to stop trashing your money, then stop giving it to them! Vote better. Raise your voices in opposition to fraud. But if you’re upset that you can’t “find” a job, then maybe you should take a page from the book of Starving Artists and find better way to create your own income rather than waiting for someone else to give it to you.

Deklan is a writer and photographer living in D.C. by way of the BP oil spill.

From the Publisher’s Desk
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I often say this is not only the nation’s capital, but the fundraising capital of the world. With every advocacy group and association represented in some capacity here, it may at times be difficult to garner recognition for each individual cause. But some causes and people have touched our hearts more than others. For me, one such person Michele Conley, founder of Living in Pink. Michele, a two-time breast cancer survivor, mother of five, successful business owner, health enthusiast and advocate for cancer research, generated $50,000 for Georgetown University Hospital through Living in Pink. I feel privileged to be a part of this noble contribution to combat a disease that has affected so many of us in this day and age. Thank you, Michele.

Web 2.0, I remember that…
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It was not so long ago that the buzz in media was all about Web 2.0 – the sharing, the interactivity. It seemed so stimulus-fresh. And now, like the stimulus, it now seems to have been such a good idea – back them. But 2.0 doesn’t even have a Facebook page! So what is the media buzz now. Web 3.0? Sorry numbers, you are out of fashion, too.

The word today is Mobile. We are, apparently, all Goin’ Mobile. Not just tweets, or texts – everything is mobile. Mobile is your 2.0 “on you.”

And it’s not just the iPad or the tablets or the next generation of smart phones which are really mini-tablets (the new Samsung has a 4.65 inch screen, almost as big as some old televisions…. remember those?). It is what those micro devices do. With new free mobile apps like Audioboo, which allows you to record and post audio or QIK which does the same for video – you are your own walking production studio.

It was barely pre-Obama that “remember when you made calls on a cell phone?” was the “haha” moment. Laugh no more. AT&T’s latest promotion: free calling when you sign up for a texting plan. Texting is where the action is – talking is so Neanderthal (and not worth charging for, apparently). So a thought… just like National Public Radio changed its name to NPR because it is more than radio, perhaps it is just time to drop the phone – as in “Have you seen my new cool Smart?”

And if journalists were not having enough fun over the last few years, this means yet another shift.
Raju Narisetti, managing editor of the Washington Post, noted at recent conference at the University of Maryland that the problem with journalists today is they do not respect the readers. He didn’t mean it in the traditional fashion of “we shall decide what you need to know.” Instead, he was referring to a more sophisticated concept of producing content in a way that reflects how readers are consuming news. His example was a great story with a dynamic opening tale that lost its readers because they had to swipe seven screens before they got to the point of the story.

Some are already predicting that the stationary computer is already obsolete.

But for all us dinosaurs out there, it is good to know we can still roar, even if unconvincingly. In a delicious twist of timing, this Halloween, NBC rose like the undead and inaugurated a new newsmagazine, Rock Center – designed to be a fresh “60 Minutes.” Stacked with a pantheon of legends such as Brian Williams, Ted Koppel and Harry Smith, true giants of the network age, it felt like an old-timers game. They wrote the book – in their day. Note to Mr. Williams: leave the banter to your Twitter.

Comedian/journalist John Stewart turned up for the end of the show and summed it up. “This is why you have test shows.”

But can it go mobile?

Bandolero Restaurant to Take Over Former Hook Restaurant Space
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On M Street, the former Hook restaurant sits vacant, closed down since June when a fire caused severe damage to the restaurant and its neighbor, Tackle Box. Mike Isabella, chef at Graffiato and a former contestant on Top Chef, plans to fill the space with a new, contemporary Mexican restaurant called Bandolero.

Jonathan Umbel, owner of Tackle Box and the former Hook, said he thinks that Isabella will help cater to a younger demographic and provide a more casual dining environment in the face of a sputtering economy. While the new restaurant will be Isabella’s creation, Umbel will continue to own the building.

“We’re really excited to be connected with Mike,” Umbel said. “We think he’s a talented guy.” He also said that Isabella’s cooking is “flavorful,” and that this partnership was a “no brainer.”

Isabella stated in a press release that his vision is for a restaurant that is “high-energy,” one that will “match the bustling vibe of the Georgetown neighborhood.” He plans to serve a variety of Mexican dishes, including salsas, guacamole, ceviches, tacos and fajitas. Options for dishes con carne will include unusual choices such as duck, goat and off-cuts of meat.

Bandolero is expected to open by March of next year, which will give construction workers time to repair over $50,000 worth of damage sustained in the fire.

Umbel plans to have Tackle Box, the other restaurant damaged in the fire, opened by Thanksgiving.

The fire that damaged the two structures started in Hook’s loading dock June 29, and the resulting damage from smoke and water shut the restaurants down. Originally, Umbel announced that Hook would be closed indefinitely.

“We pigeonholed ourselves into a fine dining restaurant [with Hook]” he said, “which is a segment that is really being beaten up by the economy right now.” He said that if he wanted to, he could open Hook back up, but he hopes that Bandolero, a more casual restaurant, will attract more customers and provide a unique dining experience to the Georgetown community.
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Qn’A with Chef Mike Isabella
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The name Mike Isabella has become familiar around the District. With an appearance on Top Chef and the opening of Graffiato, a popular restaurant in Chinatown, now under his belt, he’s collaborating with Jonathan Umbel to bring Bandolero, a Mexican restaurant, to Georgetown. Bandolero will take over the space formerly occupied by Umbel’s restaurant, Hook, on M street, which closed down after sustaining fire damage in June. Isabella hopes to have Bandolero open early next year. He took a few minutes to answer some questions about his new restaurant and his signature style.

Graffiato, your restaurant in Chinatown, opened in June 2011 and is still fairly new. What drove your decision to announce opening a new place so soon?

Well, the opening of Bandolero is still about five months away.

Why did you choose this location for Bandolero? Were you looking for a spot in Georgetown?

Yeah, I was looking for a place in Georgetown. I actually want to spread out all across the city. A lot of the restaurants in Georgetown are more upscale, so I just thought it would be a great location for this type of restaurant, more casual and catered more to the college crowd.

Hook was originally a seafood restaurant. What’s behind the decision to go with Mexican cuisine for Bandolero?

That’s my specialty. I learned a few things working with Jose Garces, the Iron Chef. And, you know, there are no Mexican restaurants really in that area. I just thought it would be a great fit, something different. Obviously I’m not going to do another Graffiato three miles away from my own restaurant. That doesn’t make sense. I just thought it would be a great location for that concept.

Do you have any special dishes planned?

We’re going to do the same kind of thing we’re doing at Graffiato’s, taking some familiar concepts and changing them around. We’ll have lots of different types of tacos; we’ll have a menu with lots of options. We’ll be open late night, serving tacos and guacamole late. That’s the way we’re going, taking classics and reworking them, and just having fun with it.

Despite being a new restaurant, it’s safe to say that Graffiato has been very successful. What would you say has been the key to your success in the restaurant business?

First of all, it starts with a really good team. I’m having a bunch of my guys coming back to work with me at Graffiato. My chef has worked with me before, my management have worked with me before, and we’re going to be doing the same thing at Bandolero. I have some guys coming down from New York who used to work with me, some guys from Graffiato coming to help me out. I’ll be making a lot of phone calls, asking some favors, and hopefully everything will fit together so we can do what we want to do and keep rolling.

When Bandolero opens, you will be running two restaurants at once. How will you juggle those responsibilities?

I actually just bought a Honda Ruckus scooter, and I plan on riding back and forth between both locations. You know, some days I’ll be at one restaurant in the a.m. and lunch, some days I’ll be there in the p.m., but I plan on being at both restaurants. At Bandolero, I’ll probably be there about every day in the beginning; at Graffiato, maybe four to five days a week.

You’ve been a champion of fresh, locally grown produce. What are some of the benefits of using local produce in your restaurants?

You know, it just tastes better, and you have your own supply that you can grow, that can get stronger and better. I mean, it’s the best product you can get. Am I going to get my local tomato which tastes great and works perfectly, or am I going to get it from California? Our meat and produce and everything like that will be as local as possible but, unfortunately, when it’s out of season, things like tomatoes and avocados will stop coming in locally, and we’ll have to go further out. But, I do plan on getting as much as I can done locally.

Manon Cleary Dies at 69
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Unless you were a working, writing, painting, drawing, kibitzing, loving, hanging-out member of the Washington art and gallery scene going back to the 1970s up to now, the name Manon Cleary might not immediately ring your memory bell.

To many interested people, she was something of a rumor, a wispy legend, but to those familiar with the scene and to her friends, students, intimates, her peers, she was a major somebody, a painter who was seen by at least one critic as one of the major and perhaps best figurative painters this city had to offer, perhaps one of the best in the country.

She painted and painted and painted, and her best, most visceral, most literal and haunting was herself and her body—and rats, bye the bye. If ever there was a person, man or woman, who lived the life of the artist in the very best sense of the idea, as well as its most outrageous, dramatic, shining, purposeful, generous sense, it was Cleary, who died at the age of 69 last Saturday, succumbing to her long-time companion, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

It’s easy enough to spy the drama, the aura surrounding her: she was one of those slender, great, long-haired beauties that once met, seem to remain unforgettable, and causing regrets in distant admirers who never got to know her. In her last years, she was forced to move about in public with breathing tubes and oxygen tubes, which turned her into a different presence, a presence which she brought off with remarkable aplomb.

She was a figurative artist class of photo realism but still in a major class by herself. Her subject was life itself, mostly her self—nudes at various stages of her life, with no illusion, bouts of self-flattery. Her work would come out in themes—including one a series of graphic works dealing with her 1996 rape in Kazakhstan. She painted her pet rat(s), white and hungry, she painted male nudes, and she paid skyscapes and erotic flowers that recalled but did not imitate O’Keeffe.

For the past 40 years, she lived in the Beverly Courts Apartments on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, famous in earlier years as a run-down bohemian art magnet, especially because she lived there in a fourth-floor apartment. The façade, the musical, jarring, often painful surface of her life obscured her willingness, indeed, her great passion to help younger artists, protect them; promote them for all of her life. She taught for years at UDC.

If you read the stories about her, from which we’ve drawn this obituary, they seem to sing a lot of songs—a kind of alluring, fragile vitality, a siren song, of a woman with an operatic first name and an Irish-sounding last name. The rats, the friends, the strong and continued output of work made her a Washington original, a kind of scarred patron saint of struggling artists.

I saw her once in 2005 when the Flashpoint Gallery had a showing of photographer Mary Swift’s “The Arts Scene, 1975-2000.” Many survivors—artists, curators, photographers, painters and gallery owners—showed up to see themselves on the wall in younger, halcyon days.

Cleary was there, with breathing tubes and oxygen tank, drawing a crowd with strong eyes and thin body. You went to her like a helpless moth, joining the fringe of a circle around her.

I didn’t know her. I could say though from what I’ve read, from the works I’ve seen, and the time she spent at the exhibition, with certainty that she had great, unspoken courage, brave artist, and brave woman.

Cleary is survived by her husband F. Steven Kijek and a twin sister, an artist who lives in Montana.

Vladimir Potanin Donates $5 Million to Kennedy Center
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Vladimir Potanin is what’s known as a Russian oligarch and billionaire, which is to say he is one of the richest people in Russia and the world.

But don’t let that description mislead you.

Potanin, who founded the Interros Company in 1990 and turned it into one the largest private investment companies in Russia, is also a philanthropist, one of those super-rich folks who likes to give large chunks of his fortune away. He signed on to Bill and Melinda Gates’ “Giving Pledge,” which is a promise to give away half of his money.

In keeping with that, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced last week that Potanin had given a $5 million gift towards the center’s operating and programming budget.

In addition, the Kennedy Center Golden Circle Lounge, on the Box Tier level of the Opera House, will undergo a major renovation this summer, a project that will be founded by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation.

For all that, the Golden Circle Lounge will become the Russian Lounge when it reopens in the fall of 2012, which seems only fair.

Potanin said, “This is such an honor for me to give this gift on the 40th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Center. I believe the Kennedy Center has been playing a very important role in building strong cultural relations between our countries by presenting the greatest Russian artists to the American people. I’m very grateful for the Kennedy Center and Chairman David M. Rubenstein’s continued support to the Russian Lounge project that we launch today and that is aimed to open new dimensions of Russia to the public. I believe that our cooperation with the Kennedy Center is a natural expansion of the philanthropic activities that we carry out in Russia.”

Among other things, the renovated lounge may include a multimedia zone which highlights Russian culture and museums, as well as feature unique museum collections from the Foundation’s archives.

Christmas Tree Arrives at the Capitol (photos)
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Christmas arrived early to the US Capitol West Lawn. The 63 foot Sierra white fir from California’s Stanislaus National Forest arrived in DC on Monday morning on November 28, following a 20-day tour across the country. The tree will eventually be decorated with more than 10,000 LED lights and some 2,000 handmade ornaments from the State of California. The lighting ceremony for the 47th Capitol Christmas tree will take place at 5 p.m. Dec. 6, led by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). A Capitol Christmas Tree has been an American tradition since 1964. The Capitol Tree will be lit up until 11 p.m. every night through Jan. 1. In addition to the Capitol Christmas Tree, over 100 companion trees from the same forest will be placed at other Washington DC buildings, such as the Supreme Court, for the holiday season. A 19-foot fir will be set up in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian after being blessed by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians in a Dec. 5 ceremony.

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Reminder: D.C. is Raking Up its Leaves
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Since the Western world discovered America, the east coast’s autumn foliage has been the most ubiquitously adored seasonal harbinger in the country. It is said that crates of golden leaves were sent back to the Queen, for no one could believe the stories of the fiery, radiant landscape that swept across the new world each fall. And while it is impossible to deny the grace of the season’s initial beauty, anyone with a backyard can also attest to the less romantic, rarely discussed late fall tradition of scooping congealed globs of muddy brown tree matter into giant black garbage bags with flimsy, plastic rakes.

We are, of course, talking about leaf collection. But thanks to the D.C. Department of Public Works, many District inhabitants will be relieved of some of the burden.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) began leaf collection last week, Nov. 7, and will continue through Jan. 14. They will be employing vacuum trucks to collect the bulk of the leaves, which are then composted—a much more friendly environmental alternative to having them dragged to the dump. Residents are asked to rake their leaves into piles by the curbside treebox space. DPW will also collect bagged leaves from the treebox space. In neighborhoods with alley trash/recycling collections, bagged leaves also may be placed where trash and recycling are collected, but these leaves will be disposed with the trash.

DPW asks that all leaves be raked into the treebox space the weekend before your street’s collection weeks. Only leaves should be collected, meaning no tree limbs, bricks, dirts, rocks, and the like. It is likely to damage equipment and delay collections. They also urge you to please use the treebox spaces provided, for raking leaves right inot the street is liable to cause parking problems and potentially even fires.

For the complete collection schedule, detailing the dates of collection in each Ward and Ward zone, along with other tips and useful information, visit DPW’s online calendar.

Happy raking!

Legendary Astronauts Awarded Congressional Gold Medals (photos)
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Space legends John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were awarded Congressional Gold Medals, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Wednesday, Nov, 16, 2011. The ceremony was held in the US Capitol Rotunda. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module, was the second to step foot on the moon. Collins piloted Apollo 11’s command module. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.
Click on the icons below to view photos of the event. (All photos by Jeff Malet)

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