Month: June 2012

Video Demo: Fashioning Fascinators

This past Saturday and Sunday, while some Art League-rs were busy painting at the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival, others were at the Madison Annex learning how to create fascinators — the eye-catching headpieces sighted everywhere from last year’s royal wedding to the Kentucky Derby.

Jan Wutkowski, a milliner with a workshop and store in North Carolina, taught the two-day workshop — “Fascinators: Hats and Headpieces for Everyone.” A long-time millinery artist, Jan studied hatmaking in Australia at the Melbourne School of Millinery in 1995 and has been teaching since 1998.

We stopped by the workshop on Sunday to film some demos, which are all up on our YouTube page: part 1 and part 2. You can see what some of the students were working on at the beginning of this video:

Jan will be teaching another workshop at The Art League in the fall: “Dyeing to Make Hats,” November 10–11. Stay tuned!

More artist demos are up on our YouTube channel.

Art Classes

Capturing the Color of the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival

Photo by Bobbi Pratte.

Just in time to catch the yearly lavender bloom on this side of the Atlantic, a group of artists joined instructor Bobbi Pratte for a travel workshop to Willow Pond Farm in Pennsylvania for plein air painting in the sweeping lavender fields. This past Saturday and Sunday, Bobbi and her students painted the landscape, ate gourmet meals, and toured the colorful lavender fields in perfect weather.

After Friday night’s welcome dinner and breakfast at Hickory Bridge Farm, the workshop started Saturday morning with a painting session at Willow Pond Farm. Bobbi did a demo for the class and then the group took their sketchbooks around the grounds, capturing the more than 100 varieties of lavender over the 32 acre farm.

Painting stopped at lunchtime for a six-course meal prepared by Executive Chef Madeline Wajda, with each course incorporating lavender.

“It was a big hit,” Bobbi said.

Cucumber soup at Saturday’s lunch. Photo by Bobbi Pratte.
Photo by Jean Schwartz.

“I had no idea you could do so much with lavender,” attendee Jean Schwartz exclaimed. “The lavender lemonade was the best lemonade I have ever had!” Jean wrote more about the workshop over on her blog.

Painting continued that afternoon and on Sunday, with a critique Sunday afternoon.

“We had a great group — the chemistry was excellent,” Bobbi said. “Nobody wanted to go home.”

Jean wrote, “This is such an unspoiled, beautiful place so close to home.  I think we are all thankful for the opportunity and we could not have asked for a better leader than Bobbi!”

Photo by Jean Schwartz.
Bobbi Pratte gives a demo during the workshop. Photo by Jean Schwartz.
Photo by Bobbi Pratte.

The Art League offers travel workshops for artists to a variety of locales. Upcoming destinations include the Bahamas and Ethiopia — for details on past and upcoming workshops, visit our travel workshop page. We are planning a repeat of the Pennsylvania Lavender trip during next June’s Lavender Festival, as well as a trip to the area this October to paint the fall foliage. Stay tuned for more!

More photos are after the jump and on Bobbi’s Facebook page (log-in required). Click through for more: Continue reading Capturing the Color of the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival

Travel Workshops

Diane Tesler: “Off the Beaten Path”

Art League instructor Diane Tesler has a solo exhibit going on now at the Still Life Gallery in Ellicott City, Maryland. “Off the Beaten Path,” a show of over 25 paintings of the abandoned, the discarded, and other scenes, runs through July 15:

Still Life Gallery
8173 Main Street, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Ph: 410-461-1616
www.stilllifegallery.net

“We are proud to present our premier exhibition, a solo show of over twenty-five paintings by one of America’s best painters in the genre of Contemporary Realism”:

Diane Tesler: Off the Beaten Path
The power of light and the beauty of the discarded have been Diane Tesler’s inspirations since she began painting abandoned cars while living in Hawaii. An instructor at The Art League School in Alexandria, VA, Diane paints the world she sees from her studio in Kewanna, Indiana.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 11:00 am- 6:00 pm

While Diane has moved to Indiana, she’ll still be teaching workshops at The Art League. This summer (August 6–10 and 13–17) she’ll be teaching a travel workshop in Kewanna, Indiana (population 500) where she has her studio.

And watch for Diane’s spectacular painting, pictured below, in our upcoming online auction! The public will have the opportunity to bid on this piece and others by Art League faculty including Danni Dawson, Carol Dupre, Bev Ryan, Lisa Semerad, Robert Liberace, Marsha Staiger, and more to come. You can look at the artwork so far in this Flickr set and learn more about the auction, August 26–28, and the other events in the “30-Something” Summer Series here.

Fallen Angel by Diane Tesler
News

Ted Reed Video Demo: Painting a Hand

In our latest video demo with an Art League instructor, Ted Reed shows his Oil Painting class how to start a painting of a hand by blocking it out and finding the gesture. The finished painting appears at the end of the video.

You can watch all of the demos so far in this YouTube playlist, featuring two and a half hours of demos from drawing, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, fiber arts, and painting classes. There are more to come!

Art Classes

Artist Opportunities Nationwide

The following announcements are courtesy of FindArtInfoBank.com. More listings are after the jump!

Call for Entries: “The 99%” – OR
Deadline: August 30, 2012. Wiseman Gallery, Rogue Community College is seeking work that reflects income inequity in the modern world (decline of middle class etc.). Any media, any size. If selected, artist is responsible for shipping to and from gallery. Submit up to 3 digital images, image list (title, media, size) and statement of thematic relationship to [email protected]. Exhibit dates: Oct 31- Dec 7, 2012. Notification by Sept 21. For more information visit http://www.roguecc.edu/galleries/callforentries.asp.

Visual Politics: Art and the American Experience, 2012 – CA
Deadline: August 24, 2012. The democratic process depends on hearing diverse points of view,reaching wisdom by finding common ground. SCAL invites all viewpoints from all corners of the US and intends to be its own Town Hall Meeting with the brokers of power. Join us at the brink: It’s your chance to speak your piece. Eligibility: Open to United States residents. 2D & 3D art. Exhibit: October 27 – November 25, 2012. Juror, Maureen Davidson. Prospectus: www.scal.org. or send SASE to Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, California 95060. Info: [email protected] or 831-426-5787.

2012 Juried Exhibition – OR
Deadline: July 18, 2012. Newspace Center for Photography, located in Portland, Oregon, invites you to enter its 8th annual juried photography exhibition, July 6-29, 2012. Juror: Laura Moya, Executive Director, Photolucida. The competition is open to all photographic themes and processes, but the work should have been created in the last five years. 35 images will be selected for the exhibition and one photographer will be selected for a solo show in 2013 and awarded $500. Regional, national, and international entries are accepted. $40 for 5 images. Visit http://newspacephoto.org/gallery/call-for-entries for prospectus. Questions? Please contact Chris Bennett at [email protected] or call 503-963-1935. Continue reading Artist Opportunities Nationwide

Artist Opportunities

Painting Retreat with Danni Dawson

From a 2007 workshop.

Last week, painting students gathered for an artful getaway at instructor Danni Dawson’s home. They spent the week painting, eating gourmet lunches prepared by Danni and her neighbors, and sipping wine — and you can, too!

The workshop, “Painting in Danni’s Living Room or Rose Garden,” is held twice yearly, with the next session August 20–24. Students set up their easels outside in the rose garden, like Danni did for the demo below, or in the living room or Danni’s upstairs studio.

We visited the workshop last week for some lunch (caprese salad, two kinds of pasta, and salmon) and to film a demo Danni did for the class. Here’s part one of the demo:

Lunch was so good, we decided to go back and film part two of the demo the next day — that video is here. We also have lots of other instructor demos up on YouTube!

For more info about the workshop in August, click here. Danni will also be teaching a travel workshop in Thomas, West Virginia (along with Mike Francis, Paul Lucchesi, and Kurt Schwarz) from August 8–10 and August 27–31.

Art Classes

Learn to Mat and Frame This Weekend

Do you want to learn how to mat and frame your own artwork? Jurors for Art League exhibits tell us how important presentation is when they consider what pieces to select. With two workshops coming up this weekend, artists and collectors alike can learn how to present artwork acceptable for submission at The Art League and other galleries, how to care for their collection, and the steps involved in completing their own framing project.

On Friday, June 22, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Eileen Yeager will teach Wood Frame Cutting and Joining. Students will learn to cut, miter, join, assemble, paint, and embellish a wood frame, leaving with one 11″ x 14″ frame. The workshop is $95, plus a $20 materials fee payable to the instructor to cover the supplies and use of tools. For more information and to register, click here.

And on Saturday and Sunday, June 23–24, Eileen and Ron Yeager will teach their Basic Matting and Framing workshop, which covers all the steps to complete one 8″ x 10″ framing project. The two-day workshop covers design and preservation techniques, tools, basic and custom mats, hands-on mat cutting, mounting, and pre-cut frame assembly. The workshop is $175, plus a $20 materials fee to cover the cost of tools and supplies, including a mat board, mounting board, and mounting kit. Students bring an 8″ x 10″ frame and artwork. For more information and to register, click here.

Art Classes

Exhibition Opportunities and More

See below for details on two DC-area exhibit opportunities, studio space, and a vacancy on the Alexandria Commission for the Arts:

The Ripple Effect: Currents of Socially Engaged Art
Deadline: June 25, 2012. Washington Project for the Arts and Art Museum of the Americas seek submissions from artists based in the DC region (DC, MD, VA) for The Ripple Effect, a multidisciplinary exhibition that will offer a sampling of social practice and collaborative works produced within the United States and Latin America. The exhibition positions artists as architects of change building creative entry points into conversations on broad social issues while providing both poetic and concrete solutions. Through various forms, The Ripple Effect will critique, explore, and create a space for conversations on new possibilities of place and society. In line with the focus of the exhibition, the call seeks projects and artworks that engage viewers as direct participants, address pressing social issues, and blur the boundary between artistic practice and social engagement. The works in this exhibition will exemplify how socially engaged art can be ambitious, innovative, humorous, and self-reflexive. The Ripple Effect thus seeks to explore new and fresh cultural landscapes through social experimentations that alter the environment, if only momentarily, as the viewer moves into the position of an engaged and active participant. Full details and entry are on the WPA website.

Hillyer Art Space solo show proposals
Deadline: August 31, 2012. Continue reading Exhibition Opportunities and More

Artist Opportunities

Congratulations SOHO Graduates!

Last Thursday was the graduation ceremony for the ten girls in this year’s SOHO class, an opportunity for them to remember the year and share what they did.

There was an exhibit in the gallery of some of the artwork the students completed during the mentorship program, as well as a video (below) of the year’s highlights — making food, volunteering, ice skating, life skills and art lessons, and the room renovations that capped off everything.

The students were in charge of the gathering, with each grad taking a turn at the microphone to talk about their memories and accomplishments from the year — the food they made and ate, Family Night, the room renovations. A crowd of family, friends, teachers, SOHO supporters and donors came to celebrate with them. Congrats to the newest SOHO graduates!

News

Summer Art Camp Starts Monday!

School’s out for summer, and kids and parents everywhere know what that means: time for Summer Art Camp at The Art League!

These popular weekly day camps, in subjects like cartooning, painting, and ceramics, begin next week and run through August 24. Camps are a great way to keep your kids happily — and creatively — busy this summer without spending too much: camps and teen courses range from $150 to $370.

Parents said children’s classes improved their confidence, giving them a way to express themselves and share their gifts. It’s not too late to register — may we suggest a week of claymation?

In the Clay Animation Movie Camp with Andrew Morgan (ages 7–13), students use real animator’s clay to create characters and work in small groups to design sets, record sound, and complete their movie. By the end of four days, each camper has a movie of his or her own!

Here’s one students made in 2009, entitled “Bahama Frostbite” — a tale of a counterfeiting snowman and his criminal cat on vacation:

There are other specialty camps in drawing, cartooning, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and fiber arts, as well as basic art camp, with a different project each day. We also offer a variety of classes for teens. There’s more info on Summer Art Camp here and brochures on the school page.

Happy camping!

Art Classes

A Walk Through the American Landscape

A continuous line of small, jewel-like landscape paintings adorn the walls of The Art League Gallery’s solo artist room this month. Landscape artist Pattee Hipschen’s exhibit “Rural Connections,” open through July 2, provides the viewer with a walk through the American landscape.

These 79 small, 5” x7” paintings compose a visual record of Hipschen’s travels across the country. Despite the large number of works, each piece is unique and offers a window into a completely different scene.

Hipschen draws inspiration from a variety of iconic American locales – from the farmlands and country roads of Virginia to the rural outposts of the Midwest. She adeptly captures the seasons, skies, and terrain unique to each region, and successfully creates a sense of nostalgia.

Hipschen, a seasoned landscape painter with over thirty years’ experience, received her AA in Studio Fine Arts from NVCC and BFA in Art History from George Mason University. In addition to painting, Hipschen is a monotype printmaker and teaches monotype workshops nationwide. A long-time Art League member, Hipschen exhibits regularly both regionally and in galleries in the Midwest.

 

Exhibit Dates: June 7 – July 2, 2012
Opening Reception & Meet the Artist: June 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Location:
105 North Union Street
Studio 21
(located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center)
Alexandria, VA 22314

Information:
www.theartleague.org
703-683-1780

Gallery Hours:
Monday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Open Thursdays until 9:00 pm
Sunday, 12:00 noon – 6:00 pm

Exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

Exhibits

Q&A with Award Winner Shanthi Chandrasekar

Juror Mark Cameron Boyd chose the mixed-media painting Tamil by Shanthi Chandrasekar as winner of the Urquhart Award for best in show in this month’s all-media exhibit. Boyd said the piece “has a commanding atmospheric presence, persona. The way in which the texture merges and fades in and out of the symbols is intriguing and mysterious. The luminous color, hue, and varied textures are just wonderful.”

We asked Shanthi to tell us about the process behind the painting.

Tamil has a mysterious energy and a rich, gritty texture that doesn’t come through in a photograph. Can you tell us about the process behind the piece — how you built up the painting and created the texture and color?
Shanthi: This painting just started as a series of layers of medium and paint with no idea of the end product. I placed it on my deck outdoors so I could create the multiple layers using various media. I started out with different acrylic mediums like stucco, fiber etc. then added pigments and dripped acrylic paint. Sometimes I would paint wet on wet and at other times wait for the layer to dry before adding another layer. The use of powdered pigments created interesting patterns that were very organic, especially when I rubbed them on the uneven surface. Sometimes I would slant the canvas so the paint could drip on the surface when it is wet or dry. It led to some very interesting texture. I just scratched in the letters when the surface was wet and liked the effect. So I started with old Tamil letters and then added more layers of paint to fade them away till I reached the more recent version that is displayed today.

What materials and tools did you use? Are those pieces of leaves and pine needles?
I used acrylic based gel mediums and paints. I also used dry powdered pigments for the first time. As for the tools, I used brushes, cardboard, Popsicle sticks, twigs and other tools to create the texture. As I had mentioned earlier, I was working outdoors and that helped create some of the texture. One afternoon as soon as I had applied a fresh coat of medium and paint, a sudden thunderstorm blew twigs and leaves onto the surface. As the surface was still wet, they got adhered to it and became part of the painting.

Detail from Tamil

Can you tell us about the Akshara series and the place of the letters in the painting?
I grew up in a very small cosmopolitan town in India. My classmates, who were from different parts of India, spoke and wrote different languages, and I always wanted to learn these languages. Seeing my fascination of different languages, my daughter suggested that I should paint them and the Akshara (Syllable) series began. I received a grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, MD, to create 20 large Akshara paintings and Tamil was the last one I made in the that series. Now I have covered 26 different languages and it is an ongoing series. Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner Shanthi Chandrasekar

Artist Interviews

Events Galore: Receptions, Seminars, Art Camp, & More!

Our calendar is bursting at the seams these days — so to keep you on top of things, we compiled all the events coming up at The Art League this month, including:

  • Annual Art League meeting
  • Opening receptions
  • A free Photoshop seminar
  • A free seminar on creating exhibition prints with inkjet printers
  • “Success As An Artist” seminar
  • Art Camp and summer classes begin
  • Bin Gallery Orientation

Details are below. Check our calendar or Tidings to keep track of events at The Art League, and Facebook, Twitter, and this blog for updates! Continue reading Events Galore: Receptions, Seminars, Art Camp, & More!

Events

Announcing the “30-Something” Summer Series

Join the flock! This summer, The Art League will be hosting a variety of creative fundraising events to fund the build-out at the newly expanded Madison Annex facility. You can support the “30-Something” campaign by coming to the summer series events below and telling your friends! More details about the “30-Something” campaign and the Madison Annex project are on this page.

 

Legacy x 3: Barron, Reinke & Van Landingham Art Sale
What: Sale of original works by League artists Pat Barron, Nancy Reinke & Marian Van Landingham. $30 & up.
Where: The Art League Gallery
When: July 19–21, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 19, 6:30–8:00 pm.

 

“30-Something” Free-Cycle Garage Party @ Duke Annex
What: Buy hidden gems from our Duke Street Annex! $30 for an all-you-can-carry free-cycle of art materials, furniture & other oddities. Activities include graffiti painting in the garage, live music & refreshments.
Where: Duke Street Annex
When: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 6:00–9:00 pm

 

Online Silent Auction of Faculty Work
What: A great opportunity to purchase your very own masterpiece from a member of our talented faculty. Artist donors include: Dawn Bendetto, Danni Dawson, CM Dupré, Rob Liberace, Blair Meerfeld, Bev Ryan, Lisa Semerad, Marsha Staiger, Diane Tesler & more to come. All proceeds go to the build-out project. See works already donated on The Art League Flickr site by clicking here.
Where: www.theartleague.org
When: August 26–28, 2012

 

“30-Something” Drawing Marathon Fundraiser
What: Our draw-a-thon offers participants a variety of models to sketch: males, females, nude, costumed, short & long poses as well as great demos. $30 donation at the door.
Where: Duke Street Annex
When: Saturday, September 8, 2012, 10:00 am–10:00 pm

Can’t attend but still want to pitch in? You can support the “30-Something” campaign though a tax-deductible gift to The Art League. Click here for more info & to donate.

And don’t forget to visit us on September 8 & 9 at the Alexandria King Street Arts Festival for our Annual Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser!

Events

June Exhibits Now Open!

This month’s all-media exhibit in The Art League Gallery, an eclectic selection of works juried by Mark Cameron Boyd, is paired with “Rural Connections,” a journey across America in dozens of small-scale landscapes. “Rural Connections” and the June All-Media show are open through July 2, with an opening reception next Thursday, June 14, at 6:30 pm.

Hipschen’s collection of 79 small paintings together depict the breadth and diversity of the American landscape; individually, the color and character of locales at different moments in different seasons.

The 5″ ✕ 7″ landscapes were mostly started on location during the artist’s travels across the country, and finished in studio. Hipschen says the small scale allows the paintings to be “more intimate, more descriptive of a season or specific place.”

"River with Pink Sky" by Pattee Hipschen
"Rural Connections" includes 79 small-scale landscapes.

The all-media membership show was juried by Mark Cameron Boyd, who selected 86 works including photographs, etchings, paintings, sculptures, and others. Boyd awarded eight honorable mentions to pieces including a warthog made of clay (Kneeling Warthog by Trinka Roeckelein) and a painting made of sand (Trupti Vakharia’s rangoli piece Life is Colorful).

Morning Moon by John Ploch

The Urquhart Award for best in show went to Tamil, a mixed-media painting by Shanthi Chandrasekar with a gritty texture and subtle color. Boyd praised the piece’s mysterious atmosphere, luminous color, and varied textures. (You can read the full juror’s dialogue here.)

Click on the thumbnails below for images of these pieces and others from two June exhibits, on view through July 2.

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Exhibits

Artist Opportunities from FindArtInfoBank

If you missed them, check out the announcements we posted yesterday, too. Today’s opportunities are courtesy of FindArtInfoBank.com:

Open Call for Mural Proposal – NY
Deadline: June 18th, 2012, 5pm. Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC), in partnership with the TnT Scrap, seeks proposals for artwork to be installed on a large corrugated metal fence in Greenpoint, Brooklyn near the Newtown Creek at 1200 Manhattan Avenue. The fence’s dimensions are approximately 60 feet wide by 20 feet high. Proposed works should integrate ideas about the community, the beauty of the creek, recycling and/or the importance of maritime industrial usage. Artwork should capture the beauty and uniqueness of an industrial waterway in a creatively and impactfully. Chosen artists/collectives will receive a $5,000 honorarium. For more information and to apply, visit: http://brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/1960

“It’s Pastel!” Fourth Annual National Juried Show – NH
Deadline: July 16, 2012. The Pastel Society of New Hampshire announces a call to artists for its annual national juried exhibition, September 15 – October 27, 2012 at Discover Portsmouth Center, Portsmouth, NH. Awards: $5,000+; $1,000 Best in Show. Juror of Selection: Christina Debarry, PSA; Juror of Awards: Jack Pardue, PSA. Open to all artists in the United States. Artists may enter up to 3 digital images. Work must be original soft pastels only. No classroom or workshop work allowed. All paintings must be for sale. Members: $35, Non-Members: $45. Visit http://www.pastelsocietynh.com for prospectus, or send a SASE to: Sally Shea, 33 Pebble Beach Dr, Bedford, NH 03110.

Many more announcements below! Continue reading Artist Opportunities from FindArtInfoBank

Artist Opportunities

From the Archives: The Art League Goes to Hollywood!

We’re organizing old newspaper clippings at The Art League, and reliving exhibits, workshops, and art camps past in the process. Recently we rediscovered the story from the time Hollywood made The Art League a star!

From the August 21, 1997 Alexandria Gazette Packet:

“While Washington, DC is coping with road closures and snarled traffic due to the filming of [the] movie “Deep Impact,” Alexandria’s Art League is abuzz with excitement. Seventeen of its artists have had their work selected to appear on the film set by set directors Peg Cummings and Carl Catanese.”

Catanese, the article explains, was a former Art League School student and wanted to promote unknown artists.

Marsha Staiger was director of the gallery at the time. She recalled that Catanese came by the gallery looking for artwork to fill out the movie’s sets, and the pieces were secured with releases from the artists and rental fees.

She and the artists were invited to visit a set on Eisenhower Avenue in July, where they watched filming and got a tour. When the movie came out the following summer, everyone scoured the film for glimpses of the artwork.

Regardless of the screen time, being featured in a summer blockbuster was thrilling for those involved. Jill Newburger told the Gazette, “It was my first show at The Art League and this happens.”

For more exciting chapters from Art League history, stay tuned as we sift through the archives!

"Lady Jane Doe," a watercolor by Jan Burley, appeared on set in the living room of Robin Lerner (played by Vanessa Redgrave).

 

News

Artist Opportunities

Today’s slate of announcements includes two upcoming exhibits at Target Gallery, two other regional opportunities, and a studio space in Alexandria. Don’t forget to check Tidings or the gallery page for opportunities at The Art League Gallery!

25: Target Gallery Celebrates Twenty-five Years
Deadline for Entry: June 18th, 2012; Exhibition Dates: September 8 – 30th, 2012
This is an all media exhibition that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Target Gallery. This is open to all artists nationally and internationally. Artists are asked to submit work that responds to world events that have occurred over the past 25 years. A special catalog and poster will accompany this exhibition. Our juror is J.W. Mahoney, an artist, critic and independent curator who serves as Washington’s Corresponding Editor for Art in America.

Homage: Past Influences
Deadline for Entry: August 6th, 2012; Exhibition Dates: October 6th – 28th, 2012
This is a juried exhibition that invites artists to submit work that pays respect or dedication to past influences. This is an all media exhibit open to all artists nationally and internationally. Our juror is Brooke Seidelmann,  director of DC’s Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, located in the vibrant U St. corridor and part of the larger community center, Smith Center for Healing & the Arts.

(More info on these opportunities at Target Gallery is on their web page.)

Mid Atlantic Competition at Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts
Deadline: August 3, 2012. The 2012 Hoyt Mid Atlantic Juried Art Exhibition (October 9 – November 2, 2012) showcases artists from the Mid Atlantic Region: Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Viginia and Washington, DC. Public Reception: Sunday, October 14, from 2:00–4:00 pm. Juror: F. Lennox Campello, Art Critic. Details and prospectus here.

RSVP 2012 at New Wilmington Art Association
Deadline: June 30, 2012. The New Wilmington Art Association (NWAA) is proud to present RSVP, an annual juried exhibition open to all artists and medium. RSVP annually invites a talented curatorial voice to jury the works of artists from around the United States. These selections will be presented in a two-month exhibition at the NWAA in Wilmington each September and October. Details and prospectus here.

Alexandria Studio for Lease – 3 sizes
An 11,500 sq. ft. warehouse is being remodeled for artists. It’s about 2.5 miles from the Torpedo Factory and near the intersection of Duke Street and S. Quaker Lane. The studios have full spectrum lighting. Onsite parking is free, and you will have 24/7 access. Each artist has a key to his or her studio and another key to the building’s main entrance. For information on the available studio space please contact Liz Boynton: [email protected] or 703-759-4227.

Artist Opportunities

“Tea” Ceramics Exhibit Awards

Thursday’s opening reception for the Ikebana show and “Tea” included a visit from John Neely, who flew in from Utah to see the international ceramics show he juried digitally. John wanted to see the pieces — ceramic teapots, cups, bowls, and other wares associated with drinking tea — in person before selecting the award winners, which he announced last night.

Black Iron Chawan, a stoneware bowl by Robert Fornell, of Seattle, won best in show:

The two equal merit awards went to porcelain work: two Iced Tea Tumblers by Amy Kline of Las Vegas, and Toron Meru by Joseph Sierra.


John Neely’s juror’s statement is after the jump. Continue reading “Tea” Ceramics Exhibit Awards

Exhibits

Ikebana Show Open Through Sunday!

Last night was the opening reception for our 14th Biennial Ikebana Show  — the four-day event that pairs plant and flower arrangements with the artwork that inspired them.

“Sogetsu Ikebana is not your grandmother’s Ikebana,” director of the DC Sogetsu branch Diana Cull said at the reception. “Anything goes: that’s our motto.”

That philosophy comes through in this year’s show, with the installations running from the minimalist — like the single flower adorning the metal structure below — to the more extravagantly colorful and playful arrangements with materials like red feathers.

Joyce Overholtzer arranged this piece, with the oil painting "Industrial Workers" by Sheep Jones and a ceramic base by Masami Bryant.
Gloria Hege arranged this piece with the acrylic painting "Garden After Rain" by Ann Barbieri, in a ceramic vessel by Carla Amerau.

Even if you missed the reception yesterday, events continue on Sunday with a flower arranging demonstration at 1:00 pm and an encore performance by the Washington Toho Koto Society at 2:30. Sunday is the last day to see the show, with the gallery closing at 6:00 pm.

Attendants from the Sogetsu School will be on hand throughout the weekend to maintain the arrangements and answer questions.

Curious what else you can expect to see? Here are a few more preview images — click to view full-size, and make sure to visit by Sunday to see the real thing!

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News