Month: September 2010

Art on the Rocks

Who: You’re invited!

What: Art on the Rocks!
Where: The Art League Gallery, 105 North Union Street, (in the Torpedo Factory Art Center), Alexandria, VA 22314
When: Wednesday, October 27, 6:30 – 10:30 pm
Why: Because who doesn’t love great art and cocktails??
How: Buy tickets beginning October 1 either by: phone (703-683-1780), in person, or downloading an order form from
www.theartleague.org and faxing it to 703-683-5786. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Must be 21 years of age.

The Art League has challenged five local mixologists from Austin Grill, Chadwicks, Columbia Firehouse, Jackson 20, and Vermilion to each select a juried piece from our October exhibit Dinner Party as inspiration to create the most artistic cocktail, and then compete at Art on the Rocks. Ticket holders may sample the cocktails and vote for their favorite at the event. Drawings for prizes, demos by Art League instructors, and appetizers from the restaurants will complete the evening. Don’t miss it!

 

Events

Artist Lisa Vershbow Speaks at Morrison House

Morrison House Lecture Series Presents:
Art and Diplomacy: A Torpedo Factory Metalsmith Makes Cultural Diplomacy with her Craft
October 5, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
 
Accompanying her husband, Alexander Vershbow abroad for eleven years with three back-to-back Ambassadorships to NATO (Belgium), Russia and Korea, Lisa set up a studio and worked at each posting, made connections with local artists, participated in exhibitions, and taught. She was active with the State Department’s Art in Embassies Program and also organized two exhibitions including fellow Torpedo Factory colleagues. In Art and Diplomacy, Lisa will share images of some of the places that inspired her own work, projects in Moscow and Seoul with Torpedo Factory colleagues and a few glimpses into life in an Embassy.
 
Lisa Vershbow, a Torpedo Factory artist and Art League instructor, spent over 30 years as a Foreign Service spouse. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions both at home and abroad. Her most recent solo exhibition was in June, 2010 in Seoul and her work is currently in the Madeleine Albright exhibition of brooches in the Smithsonian Castle. In 2005, the American Foreign Service Association awarded her the Avis Bohlen Award for public diplomacy in the arts while in Russia.

This lecture is part of the Morrison House series – a series of salon style talks celebrating culture held at the Morrison House hotel in Old Town Alexandria. This series of monthly talks is sponsored by the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association, the Alexandria Archaeological Commission, and the Morrison House Hotel. The talks take place on the first Tuesday of each month. Cocktails will be available for purchase through The Grille at Morrison House Hotel, and dinner reservations can be made for guests who would like to continue their experience following the event.



Morrison House, 116 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
www.morrisonhouse.com / Phone: 703-838-8000

Free admission (Food and drink available for purchase)

News

Art Vending Machines

Vending machines…for art? Yes, they exist! Vintage cigarette vending machines are refurbished into Art-O-Mats around the country to dispense 2 1/8″ x 3 1/4″ x 7/8″ original works of art. They create an inexpensive opportunity for new art collectors while allowing artists to display and sell their artwork in a unique venue.

Around 400 international artists are currently involved, and the organization is always on the hunt for fresh work. Find out about submission guidelines here.
The variations between the machines alone are worth a trip to the website!

News

Online Courses at the MoMa

MoMA COURSES ONLINE
New classes start in October
REGISTER TODAY

ONLINE: Modern Art, 1880–1945
This course introduces students to key works and ideas of modern art, from Post-Impressionism to the beginnings of the New York School. Students will have access to a wide range of multimedia educational resources, assigned readings, and discussion forums where the teacher will be an active participant. Learn more about this course

ONLINE STUDIO CLASS: Materials and Techniques of Postwar Abstract Painting
This course explores postwar abstract painting from the perspective of the artist, integrating studio basics (such as stretching and preparing a canvas), visual analysis, and art historical concepts. Each week, students will paint a canvas based on the style and painting techniques of an artist who is well represented in MoMA’s collection, aided by online discussion forums and digital images shared among students and instructor. Learn more about this course

News

Modus Union 2010

2nd Annual MODUS UNION 2010
Presented by Labels For Love


MODUS UNION: An exclusive evening of Fashion, Art and Philanthropy!

Labels for Love founder Mary Amons created “Modus Union”, a unique event to collaborate our active philanthropic, political, and artistic communities within the Nation’s Capital. Modus Union was formed from two words that represent unification with positive intent. The Washington, DC area is the leading world capital and we are seeing the combination of artistic talent and a youthful energy not seen since the Kennedy era. The time has come to collaborate with these disparate groups of influence to showcase opportunities in an effort to make a positive social and philanthropic impact by maximizing our impact on the Nation’s Capital and its global influence. Labels For Love beneficiary partner this year is Fran Drescher, actress, uterine cancer survivor, and advocate, and her Cancer Schmancer Foundation. Cancer Schmancer is dedicated to saving women’s lives through early detection and prevention of cancer.  Fran and her Foundation are continuing to make a major global impact, through sharing her personal story as well as educating women on the causes of cancers and the importance and methods of early detection

Venue: The Lumber Shed in SW DC

Event Date: November 4, 2010 6:00pm- 10:00pm

Submissions Deadline: October 10, 2010
E-mail: [email protected]
Mail: Attention: Steph Holland – 272 M Street, SW – Washington, DC 20024

Artist Announced: October 15, 2010

Installation of art: November 3, 2010

Eligibility: Open to all artists. 18yrs +, nationwide with special attention given to artists from the Washington DC metropolitan area. Accepting original works in 2-D, 3-D & photography including prints, drawings, mixed media compositions, paintings, photographs, and moveable sculptures, which depict the Spirit of Women in fashion, the female form, preventative health or aid.

Objective: To exhibit a small but cohesive selection of work reflecting the concepts listed above (4-6 pieces depending on size) Work can be purchased the night of the event and the week leading up to the event through a website.

Requirements: Artists are asked to submit a portfolio off 8-10 samples of existing work, artist vitae and/or website. If your existing work does not reflect the theme of the show please also submit up to 4 proposed pieces or concepts for the event.

Labels for Love and its representatives as the jurors reserve the right not to display all work submitted.

Fees: Free to submit

Filmed: The show will be filmed for a major TV network

Commission/ Donation: Portion of all sales will go to Labels for Love / Cancer Schmancer

News

David Carter at Krekeler Brower

David Carter: In Search of Sound and Vision
David Carter: In Search of Sound and Vision

Read David Carter’s artist’s statement here.

Krekeler Brower Wealth Advisors
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite F
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-740-4671 fax 703-740-4679
www.KrekelerBrowerWA.com
Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Independent Financial Partners (IFP), a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

Exhibits

FotoWeek DC’S International Awards Competition

Something grabs your attention. What do you do? You jump at the chance: capture the moment immediately! In the world of photography, a split-second delay means a lost opportunity. So what are you waiting for? SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO FOTOWEEK DC’S INTERNATIONAL AWARDS COMPETITION RIGHT NOW. The deadline for entry is today.

The 2010 FotoWeek DC International Awards Competition is looking for your best work. 

  • Cash prizes totaling $23,450 

  • Invitation-only Awards Ceremony for winners at the Corcoran Gallery of Art

  • Winning images exhibited in the Corcoran Atrium during FotoWeek DC festival, November 6-13

  • Exposure through outdoor/indoor projections and our on-line gallery visited by thousands each month

  • Exposure to curators, museums, collectors, and media

 
Our team of world-renowned judges are eager to see your work. This year’s panel includes Jean-Francois Leroy, Founder of the Visa Pour l’Image  photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France; Nick Nichols of National Geographic; Jose Azel of Aurora Images, and many more.
Entries may be made in any of 12 categories, including Multimedia and the new Mobile Phone category. We’ll be awarding 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prizes. The special Spirit of Washington category — with its $5000 cash prize — will recognize images that capture the true essence of the Nation’s Capital.
Enter the International Awards Competition today. For more information and to register for the competition visit www.FotoWeekDCAwards.org
FotoWeek DC:  Everywhere You See

Artist Opportunities

Bravo’s ‘Work of Art’ Series Gets a Second Season

Los Angeles Times Culture Monster blog, 9/8/10
“It’s official: There will be a second season to Bravo’s reality series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. Producers of the series announced that they will be holding open casting calls later this month in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. In the announcement, they said that like last season, the show is looking for people ranging from ‘recent art school graduates to artists with gallery representation and pieces in the permanent collections of internationally recognized museums’…No air date for season two has been announced, though one can assume that it will kick off sometime in 2011.”
News

Snap To Grid at LACDA

Show your work in the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art’s un-juried exhibit featuring digital art and photography. All entries will be printed (8.5″x11″ on heavyweight paper) and shown in their gallery arranged in a grid. All styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable.

Special consideration is given to Snap to Grid artists for inclusion in future exhibits. Entrants to LACDA’s calls for submissions form the pool of artists from which we select the majority of their exhibitors. Proceeds for Snap to Grid benefit these gallery programs and keep LACDA thriving. Exhibit your work, build your resume, and support the LACDA gallery. Everybody wins!

Show Dates: November 11-December 4, 2010
Deadline for entries: October 25, 2010
Opening Reception: Thursday November 11, 7-9pm (in conjunction with Downtown Artwalk)
Entry Fee: $30US

Two easy steps to exhibit your work at LACDA…

1) Register here (one registration fee for each image, no limit to number of images!)


2) Upload images here (separate upload for each image)

News

2012 Solo Artist Jurors Announced!

2012 Solo Artist Jurying is coming up on October 18 and we have finalized this year’s panel of jurors:

Duane Keiser received his master’s degree in fine arts from Brooklyn College in New York, and his undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, where he’s currently an adjunct art professor.

Zoe Charlton is an Associate Professor of Art and Co-Director of the Studio Art program at American University  Charlton is a painter, represented by Conner Contemporary in DC.

Novie Trump served as director of the Lee Arts Center in Arlington, VA for 5 years from 2004-2009.  She exhibits her sculpture throughout the U.S. and England and Wales. She has juried for many local arts groups and currently is the founder and director of the Flux Studios in Mt. Rainier, MD. 

Submission guidelines can be found here. Deadline for submissions is 6:00 pm, Friday, September 24.
News

September All-Media Show – Juror’s Dialogue

September 2010: All-Media Membership Exhibit
Juried by F. Lennox Campello
Juror’s Dialogue with Whitney Staiger & Megan Fox

With over 700 entries to select from, F. Lennox Campello had to make a lot of challenging decisions as this month’s juror. However, he saw the high number of entries as a sign of the fierce competition in Art League exhibits. He views this competition as an opportunity for artists to work harder to be accepted into shows in addition to exhibiting alongside some of the best artists working in the region. Campello enjoyed selecting from such a high number of entries because it allowed him to pick a variety of both media and subjects.

As a gallery owner and operator as well as artist, Campello looked at pieces through a professional, discriminating lens. He stated that both the quality of work and quality of presentation have increased at the Art League since his last stint jurying a membership show. He appreciated the array of subject matter presented and looked for pieces with a unique voice.

Campello did not select works that he felt lacked a strong sense of color (if color was a factor). He saw several paintings where white was used to dilute colors, which he feels generally creates a muddied effect and weakens a work of art. Conversely, Campello felt that several black and white photographs needed more shades of white to create a stronger image. Digital photographers also should pay attention to pixilation in their images; problems in the photograph when it is first taken are amplified when it’s expanded to a larger size.

Wendy Donahoe. Olivia. Colored Pencil.
Campello was drawn to non-traditional subjects, composition, and media. He was especially thrilled to see so many encaustic submissions and he felt an attraction to small, intimate pieces. Works that encourage the viewer to take a step closer and form a connection with the piece were selected.

He also sought out works with technical acuity, such as the winner of the Shayna Heisman Simkin Award, Wendy Donahoe’s “Olivia.” Campello found the piece captivating; it marries incredible technical skill with intense psychological pull.

F. Lennox Campello is a local artist, critic, and curator. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Art in 1981 and has since become a regularly exhibited artist and widely read art critic. Campello has juried several group shows locally, including past Art League membership shows. His art reviews have been featured in major publications, including the Washington Post. He writes the well-read art blog Daily Campello Art News, which covers the Greater Washington, DC arts scene. Campello awarded the $125 Shayna Heisman Simkin Award. This award honors former Art League artist Shayna Heisman Simkin. Her art career spanned more than fifty years, 22 as a member of The Art League.

View this month’s show on The Art League Gallery’s flickr.
View past Juror’s Dialogues here.
Exhibits

Young at Art


24th Annual Juried Art Show for Artists 55+


  • Deliver art to The Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA on Thursday, September 30, 10:00am – 12 noon.
  • Pick up pieces not in show – Friday, October 10:00am – 12 noon.
  • Entry Fee: $25 for up to three works; $15 for each additional piece.
  • For more information contact [email protected]
  • Registration forms and further information are available here.
News

VCUarts and Fountainhead Development Announce Incubator

VCUarts and Fountainhead Development invite fine artists to apply for a subsidized non-living art studio in the New Manchester Flats incubator. This is part of a new 10-acre, eco-friendly, mixed-use development (artist studios, apartments) in the Manchester neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. This is an opportunity to develop work within a community of challenging artists. It is our hope – with your help – incubator will become a synergistic and thriving artists’ community in Richmond.
Up to 20 artist studios will be available for rent at subsidized rates: $265 plus $25 utilities monthly in a 1 year lease.
Participants will have 24-hour access to the following:

Private studio – Each approximately 300 sq ft

Fabrication shop – Table Saw, Bandsaw, Panel Saw, Sliding Compound Miter Saw, Drill Press, Disc and Belt Sander, Work tables w/vices

Digital lab – Mac stations w/Final Cut Express + Adobe CS, 44” wide archival ink Epson Printer, Large work tables

Also available to participants: On-site swimming pool, On-site dog park, Off street parking, Free WiFi

Eligibility:
• Emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. We encourage applications from artists with diverse perspectives, and support artistic practice in a pluralistic and inclusive way. The criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence.
• Students who will be enrolled in a degree program in 2011 are ineligible.

Application requirements:
• Application that includes:
– Contact information
– Education information
– Name + contact information for 2 references to speak about you as an artist and community member
– Image list (title, date, dimensions, materials, etc)
• 10 images of artwork done in the last 2 years
(72dpi, 800 x 600 pixels saved as jpgs +/or max 3 minutes of video clips on Vimeo)
• Artist statement (max 1 page saved as .doc or .pdf)
• Artist resume (max 2 pages saved as .doc or .pdf)

Deadline:
Must be received via email by October 15, 2010 to [email protected]

Selection process:
A jury of VCUarts faculty will choose the studio recipients. Up to 20 artists will be selected. Applicants will receive notification in mid-November. All decisions are final.

Move in:
Studios should be available for move in January 3, 2011 . Leases will be for 1 year with possibility of renewal. Subsidized rent is 265 USD plus 25 USD utilities monthly.

(FYI: Market rate is approximately 15% more with no access to Fabrication Shop or Digital Lab).

To apply:
1. Download application at http://incubator.vcusculpture.info/IncubatorApplication.doc
2. Fill out and save the form, save your images, artist statement and artist resume as required (proper *formats described in application).
3. Compress all files into a zip file and email to [email protected] by Oct 15, 2010.

Questions:
Contact [email protected]

Artist Opportunities

Michele Rea: Vantage Point

Michele Rea. Built to Last.

Michele Rea’s complex watercolor paintings capture cross sections of deteriorating, industrial structures. By finding beauty in decomposing and weathered objects and rendering them in an abstracted and beautiful way, her unique perspective forces the viewer to see these familiar structures in a new light. Vantage Point, Rea’s solo exhibit of watercolor paintings, will be featured at The Art League Gallery, September 9 – October 4, 2010.

Rea has always gravitated towards old historical buildings and structures, and loves the bold shapes, angles, and textures of this type of architecture. She composes her paintings through the camera lens and looks for interesting, abstracted compositions. “I’m searching for appealing angles, shapes, and textures that will create a provocative composition.” She wants to render each subject from a unique perspective – a viewpoint that’s thought provoking and maybe a little mysterious.
Her mentor Ted Betts at The Art League School taught her how to see abstractly and how to break a subject down into shapes and angles. Rea prefers working in watercolor – an unexpected medium for such a bold and gruff subject matter. “I like being able to slowly build up the layers of paint to achieve texture and a weathered look. It’s what this subject demands.”
Gallery Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 – 6; Thursday, 10 – 9; 
Sunday 12 – 6.
Exhibits

The Art League at the Alexandria Festival of the Arts!

Art League Helps Kick-Off the Alexandria Festival of the Arts at Market Square, Saturday, September 11, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Art League will host a variety of free creative programs on Saturday, September 11 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria (The Art League will be located at the corner of King & North Fairfax Streets). Fun, hands-on, art activities for all ages will be offered throughout the day along with demonstrations by nationally recognized artists. We will also hold our first artistically delicious fundraiser – The Ice Cream Bowl!
10:00 am – noon: Kick Off with Art League Instructor Steve Prince and Mayor Bill Euille at Market Square
Art League Instructor and acclaimed artist Steve Prince kick off the festivities with a fun, hands-on activity for kids. Mayor Bill Euille will also participate in the creative activity.
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser at Market Square
Support The Art League Ceramics Department while enjoying delicious local ice cream!
For $15, select a unique handmade ceramic bowl created by the talented artists of The Art League’s Ceramics Department and enjoy a bowl of local artisan ice cream by ACKC Cocoa Bar in Del Ray.
Participants in the Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser may enter our free drawing to win an Art League Gift Certificate.
Our Ice Cream Bowl benefits The Art League’s Ceramics Program. Thank you to ACKC Cocoa Bar for generously donating ice cream and supplies; students, associates, and instructors of The Art League’s ceramics program for creating and donating the handmade bowls; and Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association for their support.
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Art Activated in the Torpedo Factory Art Center with Patrick Kirwin
Art League Instructor and celebrated muralist Patrick Kirwin demonstrates his techniques for creating “fool-the-eye” effects. Note: this event will take place in the main hall of the Torpedo Factory.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Plein Air Painting Demo with Fred Markham at Market Square
Art League Instructor and award-winning landscape artist Fred Markham shares his painting tips and techniques for capturing the essence of any scene.
Events