TRANSFORMER opening Saturday

[Nicki P.]

TRANSFORMER
1404 P Street NW
www.transformergallery.org


TRANSFORMER is very pleased to present our fifth installment of The
Exercises, a unique peer and mentorship program for emerging artists:

E5: RANGEFINDER July 2 - August 2, 2008

ARTIST TALK: June 28, 2008, 4pm

OPENING RECEPTION: June 28, 2008, 5-7pm

Featuring new works by Kristina Bilonick, Michael Matason, Jillian
Pichocki, and Bryan Whitson, this year's Exercises program highlights
experimental uses of photography. E5: Rangefinder presents works
created through a variety of photographic processes including screen
printing, light painting, multiple exposure Polaroid's, and
photographic renderings, which these artists developed over a several
month process of peer critique and mentorship organized by Transformer
and guest curator Lisa McCarty.

Launched in March 2004, The Exercises for Emerging Artists was created
to support artists at critical points or crossroads in their
professional growth and development. Consisting of a series of
gatherings at Transformer, the program is designed to stimulate and
encourage participating artists as they create new work. In addition
to several peer critique sessions, the artists receive mentorship and
feedback from area gallerists, more established artists, professors,
and curators. This year's mentors included visual artist Jason
Zimmerman, photographer Frank Day, Transformer's Executive & Artistic
Director Victoria Reis, curator, art critic, and the Corcoran College
of Art + Design's Administrative Chair of Photography Andy Grundberg,
independent curator and gallerist Andrea Pollan of Curator's Office,
and E5: Rangefinder guest curator Lisa McCarty.

Seeking to build this year's Exercises to include discipline specific
leadership that would further benefit the participating artists'
overall experience, Victoria Reis approached Lisa McCarty to guest
curate the E5 program. Lisa McCarty, a visual artist, photographer,
and independent curator states: "I am interested in the use of images
as source material or a departure point within an artists' practice;
images as ideas to build upon and fuse into a larger concept. Artists
who work in this way also seem to be incorporating photographic
processes into new techniques, or developing their own hybrid systems
of image creation. For this program I sought to give a forum to these
artist who approach the medium of photography as a means, but not
always the end."

Beginning in April through to June 2008, the artists participated in
facilitated bi-weekly meetings discussing the challenges they face as
artists, the inspiration that helps propel them forward, as well as
their artistic intentions and goals. E5: Rangefinder opens up the
program, presenting the results of these artists' Exercises experience
to the public for interaction and feedback.

EXHIBITION HOURS for E5: Rangefinder are Wednesday - Saturday, 1-7pm &
by appointment

______________________

Transformer is pleased to be partnering with the Arlington Arts Center
in the presentation of Flat Mates, June 10 - July 19, 2008.

Featuring selections from Transformer's FlatFile program, the Flat
Mates exhibition presented in the Community Gallery at the Arlington
Arts Center includes work by fifteen current FlatFile artists:

April Behnke
Miles Bumbray
Natalie Cheung
Cynthia Connolly
Pat Graham
Nathan Manuel
Lisa McCarty
Piero Passacantando
Jay Stuckey
Senior Tangcito
Champ Taylor
Michael Terzano
Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Christine Buckton Tillman
Rachel Waldron

Launched in Spring 2007, Transformer's FlatFile program highlights an
eclectic collection of unframed works in a variety of two-dimensional
mediums, including photography, painting, drawing and printmaking, all
approximately 16" x 20" in size and smaller. Developed to further grow
audience and collectors for emerging artists outside Transformer's
exhibition series, FlatFile is open to both artists that have
exhibited with Transformer in the past, and those who are new to the
organization. FlatFile currently includes work by over twenty-five
emerging artists based regionally, nationally and internationally.

Flat Mates at the Arlington Art Center reflects a diverse mix of
selections from the FlatFile. All works are available for purchase
with 70% of proceeds going directly to the participating artists.
Additional works from Transformer's FlatFile are available for viewing
and purchase by contacting Transformer at: in...@transformergallery.org
or by calling 202-483-1102.

See the Arlington Arts Center exhibition page for more details.

______________________


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Become a Visionary Friend of Transformer and support the leading
artists of tomorrow - today! Please visit the new Visionary Friends of
Transformer page on our website for details.

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TRANSFORMER is a Washington, D.C. based 501(c) 3 non-profit, artist-
centered visual arts organization that connects and promotes emerging
artists locally, nationally and internationally. Partnering with
artists, curators, art spaces and other cultural entities, Transformer
serves as a catalyst and advocate for emergent expression in the
visual arts. Transformer's 2007/2008 exhibition series is supported
by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The DC Commission
on the Arts and Humanities/NEA, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz
Foundation, The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and The
Visionary Friends of Transformer.