Ceramics students from The Art League School joined ceramics chair Blair Meerfeld on a Saturday morning this month to fire their work using the raku process. After the raku ware is heated in a kiln until red-hot, the pieces are placed in metal cans filled with combustible material, like newspaper. The paper ignites and the smoke completes the process. You can see the whole process in the video:
Visit our YouTube channel and subscribe to see more videos from teachers, events, and more!
Next week is the graduation for the girls in this year’s SOHO program, a mentorship program by The Art League and the Alexandria Court Service Unit that engages at-risk, low-income, fifth-grade girls in a year of personal growth centered on art.
Since September, ten girls and their mentors have been meeting weekly for lessons about life skills and art. In January, the girls had their own photography exhibit in The Art League Gallery. The program recently concluded with the renovation of each girl’s bedroom using the artwork they made this year! (You can learn more about the SOHO program here.)
The reception to celebrate the newest graduating class will be Thursday, June 7, at 5:30 pm in the gallery (in the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 105 N. Union St in Old Town Alexandria). In addition to hors d’oeuvres and an art exhibit, there will be a before-and-after video of the bedroom renovations that capped the mentoring experience.
The bedroom makeovers always include lighting, study space, and the girls’ artwork that they make in class.
Congratulations to the graduates! Check back later to see the final reveal video.
In one week, the four-day Ikebana Show, the unique combination of fine art and flower arrangements that comes to The Art League Gallery every two years, will finally open! Next Thursday, artists from the Washington, DC Sogetsu School of Ikebana, one of the many schools of thought of the art of Japanese flower arranging, will come and create their installations before the brief exhibit opens at 6:00 pm.
Last month, the Sogetsu artists came by and selected the artwork they’ll use to pair with and inspire their arrangements. Here’s a sneak peek of a couple of pieces they chose, courtesy of the gallery:
We’ll have to wait until next week to see how it all comes together! You can read all about Ikebana and the events surrounding it in this blog post.
Renovation work started last month on the Madison Annex Project, a consolidated facility to meet the needs of all of The Art League’s 2D and 3D classes starting this fall, and we have updates!
As you can see in the photos below, demolition has been mostly completed and the framework for the new classrooms is in place.
The walls between the new spaces and the existing Madison Annex have been opened up, too.
You can read more about the Madison Annex Project on this FAQ page. Please join the 30-Something fundraising campaign to fund this new space, and tell your friends! Thanks to your generous donations on Spring2Action day, May 2, and a generous lead gift from a longtime student, we’ve raised $82,465 so far — but we need your help to raise $210,000 for the build out and move. You can donate by clicking the link on this page.
The Madison Annex had its grand opening 15 years ago, on March 14, 1997. This fall, it will be a bigger, newer home for Art League students. Stay tuned for more updates!
We took a field trip today to Crystal City to visit Artomatic, the free, open arts festival which opened last week to great fanfare. It will be just the first of several visits, because there’s no way to see everything in one sitting.
Art League artists have a strong showing at Artomatic, and we stopped by as many of their spaces as we could. Check out the gallery below for some of what we saw! (Click on the thumbnails to view the full-size photos.)
Applications are now open for the 2013 Smithsonian Craft Show, with a deadline of September 15, 2012. You can find the details here.
The exhibition “Concepts in Clay” will demonstrate the development and fulfillment of an idea in clay by individual potters, who are members of Cape Cod Potters. The deadline for entry is May 24. More details are here.
These other announcements are courtesy of FindArtInfoBank.com:
10th Annual Peninsula Art League Open Juried Art Exhibition – WA
Deadline: May 31, 12. The Peninsula Art League announces a call to artists for a juried art exhibition, August 9 – Sept. 16, 2012 at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, Gig Harbor, WA. Over $3,000.00 in awards. Juror: Rock Hushka of Tacoma Art Museum. 2D and 3D work accepted. Members: $30 – first image; $5 each additonal image. Non members: $35 – first image; $5 each additonal image. Visit website for prospectus @ http://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/Default.aspx?OJSID=71, or send a SASE to: 3412 Lewis St., Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Questions? Contact Jeni Woock at [email protected] or call 253-851-1619. http://www.peninsulaartleague.com/eventShow.html
From Our Perspectives: A National Women’s Art Exhibition – MI
Deadline: July 20, 12. The Oakland Community College Womencenter sponsors From Our Perspectives: A National Women’s Art Exhibition. This exhibition commits to giving women artists a forum in which to share their creative inquiries into the material, personal, global, political, and cultural landscapes surrounding us. The exhibition occurs September 27 – October 26, 2012 at the Smith Theatre Gallery, Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills, MI. Open to all women artists nationwide. All media (excluding video, audio, & performance). Submit up to three entries; $25 fee; $1300. in awards. Juror: Margi Weir, artist and Assistant Professor of Painting & Drawing, Wayne State University. Download prospectus from www.oaklandcc.edu/womencenter/artshow.htm; E-mail: [email protected] or call Arlene Frank, OCC Womencenter, 248.522.3642
Fiber Art Crossroads: All Media – CA
Deadline: June 1, 2012. The Santa Cruz Art League announces a call to artists for a juried art exhibition, August 11 – September 9, 2012 in Santa Cruz, California. $1,000 in Awards. Juror: Jean Cacicedo. Open to all U.S. Residents. “Crossroads” celebrates the diversity within the contemporary Fiber Arts movement. We are looking for work created with any material using fiber techniques. $40 for up to 3 entries. Download prospectus (PDF format) at: http://www.scal.org/assets/SCAL_2012_Fiber_Art_Exhibit.pdf, or send a SASE to: SCAL, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Questions? Contact Cindy at [email protected] or call 831-426-5787. http://www.scal.org
Continue reading Smithsonian Craft Show and Other Artist Opportunities
It’s time to start getting excited for the best artistic and cultural mashup in The Art League Gallery since Art on the Rocks! The Ikebana Show, May 31–June 3, is the very cool exhibit that’s held only in years with an Olympics.
The Ikebana Show is the result of a long-time collaboration with the flower artists from the Washington, DC branch of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, who will pair their unique arrangements with fine art in every medium.
This year, the Ikebana Show is presented in conjunction with “Tea,” an international juried exhibit of ceramic forms related to drinking and enjoying tea.
The Sogetsu School teaches a contemporary, “no limits” Ikebana, in which students don’t emulate nature, but instead use flowers and other plants to create lines, hues, and masses of their own creation. During this short exhibit, members will be in the gallery to maintain the installations, water the flowers, and answer questions.
Twenty-two of the arrangers came by the Torpedo Factory in April to choose artwork — paintings, photographs, sculpture, mixed-media — and the vessels to hold their floral arrangements. On May 31, they’ll return, bringing in armfuls of fresh-cut flowers to create their arrangements before that evening’s opening reception.
The reception will include awards for the ceramics exhibit, “Tea,” and a performance by the Washington Toho Koto Ensemble. The koto players will return for an encore performance on the last day of the exhibit, preceded by a flower arranging demonstration.
Ikebana events in the gallery:
Make sure to come see the show, May 31–June 3. We’ll have more photos and videos to remind you, too. Your next chance to see the Ikebana Show won’t be until 2014!
The third prize in this month’s “Bedtime Stories” exhibit went to Josh Band’s terra cotta sculpture, Egg Man. Juror Judy Greenberg said the sculpture’s form was both visually interesting and well-executed, working from all viewing angles and giving off a surrealistic quality. We asked Josh to tell us more about the piece.
What was the inspiration for Egg Man?
Josh: I wanted to add a twist to the classical figurative sculpture that I was working on so I decided to create the Egg Man.
What would you like viewers to get out of the sculpture? Did you have a story in mind when you made it?
I would like to have the viewer wonder about the sculpture, to think why a man would be emerging from an egg. Either to laugh or to be challenged.
Is it part of a series? If so, how has the series evolved since it began?
Since this piece was well received, I am inspired to create the Egg Woman.
What materials did you use for Egg Man?
The sculpture was made using and firing terra cotta clay.
What draws you to sculpture? Do you work with other media or materials?
I love the three dimensions of sculpture, seeing the planes, angles, points, etc. I watch my pieces become alive. It is a great feeling.
What is your artistic process like? How do you keep your work fresh?
I still am learning and love the creative process.
Is one technical element most important in your work?
To get the right proportion from each viewpoint.
Where do you see your work going next, or what are you working on now?
I would like to continue experimenting with different ways of presenting figurative sculpture with the intent of giving the viewer an object that will bring joy to their life.
You can find our interviews with other award winners from this exhibit or past shows here.
If you haven’t seen the Art in City Hall exhibit yet (at — where else? — Alexandria City Hall), Monday’s opening reception is the perfect opportunity. The reception is at 5:30 in room 2000 of City Hall (301 King St.).
Art in City Hall, now in its seventh year, is a partnership between The Art League, Del Ray Artisans, the Torpedo Factory Artists Association, and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Since the first show, in February 2006, the shows have hung twice a year in City Hall, sharing works of art with the community and giving artists a new venue for exposure.
The exhibit can also be viewed weekdays on the second floor of City Hall. Check it out!
This month’s group exhibit, “Bedtime Stories,” focuses on narrative art. Juror Judy Greenberg chose three award winners, with second place going to the painting Beloved: The Young Babar by Lisa Neher. Greenberg said that the vibrant brush strokes and a strong composition contributed to making Beloved an excellent piece. The animal subjects engage the viewer with “a sense of soul,” she said.
We asked Lisa to tell us more about the painting, her thoughts on the theme, and her artwork in general.
What was the inspiration for Beloved: The Young Babar? Since this month’s theme was narrative art, is there a story behind the painting?
Lisa: I don’t work well to themes. Beloved was painted because I love animals and find they are much like humans in their emotional lives. When I tried to consider the theme, I remembered the story of Babar.
What would you like the viewer to come away with?
A sense of relationship — of being in the presence of other earthlings, sentient or not, but all born of this beautiful and precious planet home of ours.
Is it part of a series? If so, how has the series evolved since it began?
I always paint animals, and hope they speak to those who see the paintings, as they speak to me. If that is a series, so be it.
What draws you to painting?
Wow. That’s hard! It’s all about communication, I think. Painting allows me to communicate something about my vision of the world that goes beyond what is possible with words. That’s when the painting is successful, of course.
What is your artistic process like? How do you keep your work fresh?
I try to be very demanding of my work. If a painting doesn’t quite make it, and I am unable to fix whatever is wrong, it can nonetheless continue to live by participating in a new painting that is layered right over the top of the old. Whether in texture or in chunks of the first image, the old painting still can live on in the new.
I try to shake things up. When I get stale, I look for new inspiration by driving, reading, using different techniques (I have just recently begun to use a palette knife and scrapers of all kinds) and visiting museums. I am part of a wonderful critique group that is a great help.
Is one technical element most important in your work — color, composition, line, etc?
I don’t know. My work must imply motion and life. That can come from anything.
Where do you see your work going next, or what are you working on now?
Fooling around with musicians on paper – check out Artomatic! My website: www.studio18b.com.
This batch of announcements comes courtesy of FindArtInfoBank.com and includes Target Gallery’s 25th anniversary show:
Passages, Pathways and Portals juried group show – MN
Deadline: May 30, 2012. Flow Art Space in Minneapolis, Minnesota announces a call to artists for a national art exhibition, August 8-25, 2012. Awards: gallery exhibition, website promotion, artist reception. Juror: Flow Art Space Founder Melissa May Metzler. All media that relates to the theme of Passages, Pathways and Portals will be considered, including drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, fiber, ceramics, prints, mixed media, books, digital art, wood, installation art, encaustics, etc. US-based artists at least 18 years of age, professional and amateur, are welcome to submit. $40 for 4 images, $10 each additional image. Download prospectus (PDF format) @ http://www.flowartspace.com/uploads/7/9/6/5/7965517/passages_pathways_and_portals.pdf. Questions? Contact Melissa Metzler at [email protected] or call 612-564-3569.
MiniSolos@Touchstone Gallery in August 2012 – DC
Application deadline: Sunday, May 22, 2012, 12 midnight. An opportunity to hang as much artwork as possible in a space 10ft x 4ft for the month of August at Touchstone Gallery a contemporary gallery in the heart of Washington, DC. Digital images of all artwork required with application. There will be room for only 38 artists; each space about 10ft high x 4ft and 1 floor space for sculptor 5ft x 5ft. $240 hanging fee; work to be hung by our hanging committee. No entry fee is required. Must submit filled out application form that can be downloaded at www.touchstonegallery.com and e-mail it to [email protected] along with images of the works you intend to show. Full Prospectus, Application form and other information are available for download on Touchstone’s website: www.touchstonegallery.com
Many more announcements after the jump! Continue reading Artist Opportunities
If you haven’t been to see this month’s group show “Bedtime Stories” yet, you’re in for a treat! Artists responded to the theme of narrative art with pieces in all media, each telling a different tale: humorous, personal, obscure, and everything else. Juror Judy Greenberg chose the photographic collage New York Minute by Frances Borchardt as winner of the Amelia T. Clemente Family Award for best in show. We asked her to tell us a little more about the piece and her work in general.
What was your inspiration or motive for New York Minute?
Frances: New York Minute is a travelogue of one day spent in New York City. The photographs were all taken virtually in a straight line from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Staten Island Ferry.
Is there a story behind any of the images?
The far right lowest compartment contains a photograph of me taken at the Empire State Building.
What do you want the viewer to come away with?
A unique glimpse of New York City, a “day in the life” collage.
Where do you see your work going next, or what are you working on now?
I’ve made several trips to New York recently. I plan to complete a series of type cases on subjects such as the Statute of Liberty, the High Line, the World Trade Center Memorial, Chinatown and the Roosevelt Tram.
How did you first start these kinds of montages and the unique way of displaying them?
I think of myself as a travel photographer. I shoot multiple images including detail shots to capture a sense of place. When I began to show my work I struggled with presenting single images, framing and how to set my work apart. Around the same time I’d purchased a type case at a yard sale. I found that it had all the characteristics I needed in order to present a visual journal.
After the jump, Frances discusses more of her artistic process and how collages can tell a story. Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner Frances Borchardt
Just a friendly reminder about two upcoming events! See below for details and let the gallery know if you’ll be attending:
Announcing The Art League Book Club!
Are you interested in books about art and artists? Art League member Rebecca McNeely is organizing our new Art League book club. Our first book will be Off the Wall: A Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg by Calvin Tomkins. This easy-to-read book is a fascinating view of the New York art world from the ’50s to the ’70s.
The first meeting will be Tuesday, May 22, 1:00 pm in The Art League Gallery. This meeting will include a discussion of the book and planning for future meetings. Bring books and ideas for future selections. If you’re interested in joining this group, please contact [email protected] or call 703-683-1780.
Critique with Art League Instructor Delna Dastur
Wednesday, May 23, 11:00 am-1:00 pm in The Art League Gallery
Artists may bring up to two pieces each for review in a group setting.
Dastur has taught at The Art League since 2002 and also teaches for the Smithsonian Associates. She received her B.A. in Art History from Wellesley College and her M.F.A. in Oil Painting from American University. She has exhibited her narrative abstract works through-out the world and exhibits locally at Gallery Plan b in DC and Twelve Gates Gallery in Philadelphia. Please contact the Gallery to sign up: [email protected], 703-683-1780.
On Tuesday, the Alexandria City Council heard a proposal for a new public art policy that would create dedicated funding for public art projects in the city. They will be considering the proposal in September. You can read about the proposal on Patch.com and vote in the poll to let the council know you support public art!
The beautiful ceramic works in this month’s “Tea” exhibit mark a first for The Art League: it was internationally juried from hundreds of digital submissions of wares associated with drinking, preparing, and presenting tea. John Neely, a ceramic artist and teacher, chose from digital submissions from 200 artists from the United States and Canada.
In the end, he selected 47 pieces created by 33 artists from 19 states and Canada. Including cups, bowls, teapots, and everything else to do with tea, the pieces exhibit a wide variety of styles and sensibilities.
(You can see more photos on our Facebook page and on Flickr.)
Later this month, artists from the Washington, DC branch of the Sogetsu school of Ikebana — the Japanese art of flower arranging — will be filling the rest of the gallery with their arrangements to complement the ceramics exhibit. Come see “Tea” (now through June 3) and the 14th Biennial Ikebana Show (May 31 – June 3) and quench your (metaphorical) thirst for art!
The Art League Board of Directors is delighted to announce that Suzanne Bethel has been appointed to the position of Executive Director commencing on October 1, 2012. She will succeed current and long time Executive Director, Linda Hafer.
Currently the Executive Director for Operations, Suzanne’s multi-faceted experience and career at The Art League will bring a unique wealth of knowledge to her future role as the chief executive officer. From her days as School Registrar, Curriculum Director, School Director, and Deputy Director of Operations, to her present position as the Executive Director for Operations, Suzanne has excelled in every project she has undertaken. She will continue to direct the day-to-day management of The Art League, which includes all operations and programming, and will oversee all Development and community programs. The Art League’s School, and Gallery, with their celebrated and renowned educational, membership and exhibition programming will continue to be under her very experienced hand.
Suzanne will continue to lead The Art League staff in serving the long time mission and constituencies of The League, and will be fostering new creative partnerships within Alexandria and beyond. Focusing on sustainability, Suzanne is leading the way with the establishment of a newly consolidated school facility at the Madison Annex. This complex will house 3-D and 2-D art programs in a synergistic environment that will be ready for launch by the beginning of the Fall 2012 term.
We have enormous pride in her many accomplishments and respect for Suzanne and her extraordinary capabilities and vision for The Art League’s future. Current Executive Director, Linda Hafer, has offered a ringing endorsement of Suzanne’s succession to this new position:
“Suzanne is the perfect choice to lead The Art League ‘onward & upward!’ She has a deep understanding of the culture of The Art League, and the experience, vision, and passion to recognize the strengths and the wonderful potential of our organization. She has earned the respect of all who have worked with her. I have complete confidence in Suzanne’s ability to continue building on the successes of the generations of artists who have created this living community, and enthusiastically congratulate her on this well deserved recognition!”
Nancy Pane Fortwengler
President
The Art League Board of Directors
Three new exhibits open today in The Art League Gallery: the membership exhibit “Bedtime Stories: Storytelling Through Art,” the internationally juried tea ceramics exhibit, and “Conversations With My Mother,” the solo show of work by Elissa Farrow-Savos.
“Conversations With My Mother” is comprised of 11 sculptures that began with found objects and became storytelling works of art. Artist Elissa Farrow-Savos says, “Every piece I make is about storytelling – each a narrative of some woman somewhere, and every woman everywhere.” The figures are created from polymer clay and layers of oil paint.
“Bedtime Stories” asked artists to create narrative artwork, as well. Artists responded in a variety of ways, with abstract and representational work in all media, each with a unique emotion.
“Conversations With My Mother” and “Bedtime Stories” are open through May 28. Come visit and hear some stories! More photos below: Continue reading Storytelling Exhibits Now Open!
Announcements and reminders for upcoming exhibition opportunities are below! Watch this space or subscribe to the blog for more announcements as we get them.
Artomatic
Registration for visual artists closes Friday, May 4 at 5:00 pm. Artomatic will take place May 18–June 23 in Crystal City. Click here to register!
“Call it the Blues” exhibit
Deadline: May 16, 2012. As part of the Tinner Hill Blues Festival, the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation is participating in FIRSTfriday of Falls Church by hosting a juried all-media exhibition, entitled “Call It the Blues” at Art and Frame of Falls Church. The exhibition will focus on the meaning of the “blues” from an artist’s or visual perspective. Works of art may explore the nature of blues music, poetry, literature, or history; interpret or reflect the emotions and events inspiring or evoked by the “blues”; focus on blues performers; or the submitted work may explore the “hue of blue” (perhaps, for example, paying homage to the “blue” periods of such artists as Picasso, Degas, Tanner, Bearden, Lawrence, or O’Keefe). Details are here.
A Tribute to Margaret’s Garden
Deadline: June 10, 2012. Herndon ArtSpace invites all artists over 16 to submit artwork for a show honoring Margaret’s Garden, an iris garden kept by Margaret Thomas on Lawyers Road in Herndon. Artwork must pertain to the garden. Details are here.
RRUUC call for art-exhibit proposals
River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation (RRUUC) in Bethesda, Maryland invites proposals for exhibits to be displayed in the gallery of its Fellowship Hall. The gallery is 42 by 43 feet, with one full wall of windows. Two walls are available for hanging art with approximately 60 feet of wall space. Exhibits are about six weeks in duration. Proposals are welcome year round from individuals or groups, with rolling acceptances. There is no entry fee. RRUUC charges a commission of 20% on work sold. Further details and instructions for applications are available at http://www.rruuc.org/finearts. Please read “Becoming an Exhibitor” carefully.
What an amazing day! Thanks to your help and your incredible generosity during this year’s Spring2ACTion event, we achieved FIRST Place on the “most donors” leader board, winning $5,000; reached SECOND place on the “most dollars” leader board, winning $2,500; won an additional $2,300 throughout the day; AND raised $32,416 from an astounding 610 donors! The grand total for the launch of our “30-something” Madison Annex Project on Spring2ACTion day was $42,216!!!
We are overwhelmed and honored by the outpouring of generosity from our Art League community! And most grateful! With donations from the Spring2ACTion initiative combined with other contributions received toward the “30-something” Madison Annex Project, plus the grant prizes earned on May 2, and the very generous $35,000 lead gift provided anonymously by a dedicated and generous student — the current amount received to date for our Madison Annex Project is… $82,339!!!!
You had the power to make this happen and you did! Thank you!! We are off to a fantastic start for funding our build-out campaign, and are excited to bring you this newly expanded facility in the fall!
A million thanks,
The Art League Staff and Board
Please note: We’ll still be holding classes in the Duke Street Annex through the summer—and Summer Term Registration opens next week, Monday, May 7. SIGN UP NOW!
WOW, what an amazing day! Thanks to your generosity we’ve had a HUGE surge in donations and are in FIRST place on the “most donors” leader board with 472 donors, AND FIRST on the “most dollars” leader board with over $26,000 in donations! We’re on the brink of surpassing our one day fundraising goal of $30K through Spring2Action! Check out our progress!
Be a part of this historic fundraising campaign for the arts in Alexandria and become a “30-Something” for The Art League!!
We have until midnight to cement our standing at the top. By donating any amount between now and midnight tonight, you could help us win these two $5,000 grants to help fund our Madison Annex Project! We already won three $500 grants today thanks to your generosity AND two $100 bonus prizes. Let’s keep the momentum going!
We’re also fighting for first on the Individual Fundraiser Leader board, and could win another $3,000 grant. Make your donation through Executive Director Linda Hafer’s page or student Marie Drissel’s page. These donations count towards our overall total.
YOU could be the ONE that keeps us in 1st place! Please help us by making a donation or by helping us spread the word!
Thank you so much for your support!
