July 2012 – The Art League

Artist Opportunities: July 31, 2012

July 31, 2012

Read below for details on upcoming deadlines! Past opportunities posts can be found here.

2012 Mid Atlantic Juried Exhibition – PA
Deadline: August 3, 2012. Hoyt Mid Atlantic Juried Art Exhibition held October 9 – November 2, 2012. Open to artists 21 and over living in the Mid Atlantic States: DE, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, and Washington DC working in 2D and 3D media. Cash prizes of $1,500. Entry by slide or digital images on CD. Entry fee. Juror: F. Lennox Campello, Art Critic. Click here for the prospectus.

Gallery B call for proposals
Deadline: August 10, 2012. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and Bethesda Urban Partnership manage Gallery B in downtown Bethesda! The gallery, a non-profit arts space, is available to interested artists and arts organizations for one-month rentals. All media including, but not limited to, painting, photography and sculpture is eligible to use the space. Gallery B does not take a commission on any artwork sold during the exhibition. To be considered for a solo or group exhibition in 2013, please complete this application (PDF). Click here for more information about Gallery B.

“Fresh Impressions” Juried Exhibition at Projects Gallery
Deadline: August 20, 2012. Exhibition Dates: October 5-27, 2012. Artists are invited to submit examples of contemporary printmaking for review by an expert jury. Today’s technologies and mixed media approaches challenge age-old forms of printmaking, creating new genres and new forms. It is a goal of “Fresh Impressions” to help introduce young artists or those new to the area with a sincere interest in printmaking or print media as a creative process. Open to all non-student artists. Click here for more information on Projects Gallery, “Fresh Impressions,” and how to apply.

Strokes of Genius — Maryland Federation of Art
Deadline: August 22, 2012. MFA invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada to enter its Strokes of Genius all-painting competition. Any original work created through any painting media (inc. oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, etc.) and following entry guidelines will be considered by the juror. The selected works will be on exhibit in the MFA’s Circle Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: November 2 – 24, 2012
Submission Deadline: August 22, 2012
Juror: Mark Karnes, Professor, Maryland Institute College of Art
Download printable prospectus (pdf)

Franz and Virginia Bader Fund Grants
Deadline: September 15, 12. The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund invites visual artists (excluding filmmakers, video artists, and performance artists) to apply for grants to enable recipients to develop their talent and concentrate on their art. Artists must be 40 years or older, and must live within 150 miles of Washington, DC. Three grants totaling $60,000 were awarded in 2011. Applications must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2011. Application forms are available for download from www.baderfund.org. Send email inquiries to [email protected] or call 202-288-4608. Please note that the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund no longer accepts slides. All images must be submitted in digital form. For details, see the application form, which may be downloaded from the Fund’s website.

Free Ceramics Demo and Lecture This Sunday!

July 27, 2012

FREE Demo/Slideshow/Discussion with Lindsay Oesterritter
Sunday July 29, 10:00 am in the Ceramics Studio at The Art League’s Madison Annex

Lindsay Oesterritter is a functional potter who teaches at Western Kentucky University. She attended grad school at one of the nation’s premier schools for ceramics, Utah State University. Her work has been exhibited internationally and she is simply an amazing potter/handbuilder. Lindsay is visiting for a couple weeks and will be doing a FREE demo/slideshow/discussion this Sunday, July 29 at 10:00 am in The Art League’s Ceramics Studio at the Madison Annex. She has an interesting story to tell and a great body of work to present. No doubt, watching an artist of this caliber will certainly inspire creativity in everyone’s work.

Please join us!

Artist Opportunities: July 25, 2012

July 25, 2012

Maryland artists: apply by Friday for Individual Artist Awards
Deadline: July 27, 2012. The Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards Program awards grants to Maryland artists through an anonymous, competitive process that encourages the artistic excellence throughout the state. The Program is administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF). Recipients of the award will be announced in February of 2013. The 2013 Individual Artist Award application is open for Maryland individual artists practicing within these disciplines: Fiction, Theater: Solo Performance, Visual Arts: Media/Digital/Electronic Arts, Visual Arts: Painting, and Visual Arts: Works on Paper. For detailed eligibility instructions and guidelines, please review the FY 2013 Individual Artist Award Guidelines (PDF). Applications must be submitted through CueRate, MAAF’s electronic grant application system. View the MAAF web site for detailed application instructions.

American Craft Council 2013 — Baltimore
Deadline: August 1, 2012. (Late applications through August 8.) Our show artists range from seasoned makers to emerging artists and represent the finest quality craft in the country. Come be a part of it! We encourage you to apply if you produce original and handmade work in any of the following categories: basketry, ceramics, clothing & accessories, decorative fiber, furniture & lighting, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, stone, toys & puzzles, or wood. For full details, click here.

Franz and Virginia Bader Fund grants
Deadline: September 15, 2012. The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund welcomes applications from visual artists aged 40 years or older, who live within 150 miles of Washington, D.C., and can demonstrate that they have the potential to benefit as artists from a grant. More details are here.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowships – Visual Arts and Art History
Deadline: November 9, 2012. The VMFA Fellowship program is a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia. VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists and as well as full-time students in the arts and art history who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen disciplines, and as such has awarded over $4.4 million in fellowships to Virginians since 1940. VMFA is now accepting applications for the following 2013-14 fellowships: •$8,000: Professional artists. •$6,000: Graduate students in the visual arts or art history. •$4,000: Undergraduate students in the visual arts (includes college-bound high school seniors). For detailed eligibility criteria, an application, and a printable PDF flyer visit: www.VMFA.museum/Fellowships

Duke Street Garage Party this Saturday!

July 24, 2012

Duke Street sale items — Books, easels, furniture, frames, and lots of other stuff will be for sale when The Art League parties at Duke Street on Saturday.

Our first “30-Something” Summer Series event, last weekend’s Legacy × 3 Art Sale, was a rousing success! Thanks to the donors and to everyone who came and bought artwork to support the Madison Annex Project. The “30-Something” Summer Series continues this weekend with the Free-Cycle Garage Party at the Duke Street Annex!

You can help The Art League move out of our space by taking home some of our stuff and partying with us Saturday, July 28, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. A $30 donation gets you in the free-cycle, where many items, including books, frames, and fabrics, are all-you-can-carry.

Other items — including furniture, power tools, the seafoam locker set and slide projector pictured below — can be purchased for the additional price on their price tag. Brand new Art League easels will be for sale at $175 each!

Check out more photos of sale items in this Facebook album. The remaining artwork from the Legacy × 3 sale will also be available to purchase at Saturday’s party.

Along with the free-cycle, there will be graffiti painting in the garage, live music performed by a youth salsa band, and popcorn. And if you like the Art League flock drawn by instructor Stephen Procopio (like our friends below) there will be bird-branded T-shirts, aprons and tote bags for sale as well!

The next “30-Something” Summer Series event is the Online Silent Auction of Faculty Work in August, and we’ll see you back at Duke Street in September for the final event, the Drawing Marathon Fundraiser.

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

Video Demo: Abstract Painting

July 20, 2012

For our latest video demo, instructor Joyce McCarten let us stop by her Tuesday night class, Abstract Drawing and Painting. Joyce used charcoal, oil pastel, and acrylic to paint up an abstracted, Cubist-influenced still life. Watch the video for tips on how to start your own abstract piece:

You can watch all of the demos we’ve put together so far in this YouTube playlist, featuring almost three hours of video from drawing, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, fiber arts, and painting classes. Subscribe for new videos as we make them!

The Legacy x 3 Art Sale Has Begun!

July 19, 2012

Today is the kick-off for The Art League’s “30-Something” Summer Series, events happening now through September to support the Madison Annex Project. It all starts with Legacy × 3, a sale of work by Pat Barron, Nancy Reinke, and Marian Van Landingham. The opening reception is tonight, 6:30–8:00 pm, and the sale goes from now through Saturday — but lots of pieces are already heading home with buyers, so hurry in!

Many works under $30 are available. More information and biographies of the artists can be found here.

Click the thumbnails for more images of work from the sale:

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You can learn more about the “30-Something” campaign and the Madison Annex Project here. We hope to see you this summer!

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

Q&A with Award Winner Sheila DeLaquil

July 18, 2012

In the July All-Media Show, on view through August 6, juror Katie Dell Kaufman awarded the Larry Kirstein Award to Just Waiting, a mixed-media piece by Sheila DeLaquil. “I like the mixed media approach, and I love how the eye is in constant motion,” Kaufman said. (You can read more of the juror’s dialogue here.)

We asked Sheila to tell us more about the painting and her creative process.

What was your inspiration for Just Waiting?
Sheila: My primary idea was to control myself in terms of color choices. Be subtle. No bright colors or strong values.

Is it part of a series?
It’s hard for me to know if I’m working in a series or not. My work pattern is to start several pieces simultaneously. Sometimes I go back and repeat some aspect of what I did in a previous piece.

What drew you to mixed media for this piece, and what draws you to acrylic and watercolor in general?
For this piece, I needed the textured underpainting, since I didn’t want to use much color. In the past, I painted only with watercolors, which I loved, but now, with acrylics, I can more easily create opacity, layers and remove section of the work, if that’s what it needs.

What materials went into the painting?
“Just Waiting” has a textured gesso underpainting, then some line drawing with pencil, some shape creation by removing parts and very diluted application of pigment to limited areas of the piece.

What is your creative process like?
I’m interested in working on ideas from my head and not representing anything. Usually I start with a compositional idea.

What do you want the viewer to come away with?
I’d like the viewer to find something interesting to look at in each element of the piece, with their eyes automatically moving around the painting.

What are you working on now?
For some unknown reason, recently I’ve been working only in a square format, most often on paper that’s 12″x12″. I start several pieces at the same time, create strong shapes with a dark value paint, then use a crayon to soften edges and recompose. I don’t know exactly where I’m going with this, but the process is interesting to me.

Our past interviews with monthly award winners can be found here.

Artist Opportunities: July 18, 2012

July 18, 2012

FotoWeek DC 5th Annual International Awards Competition
Deadline: August 6 (early bird discount), September 17 (regular deadline). FotoWeek DC’s International Awards Competition is looking for extraordinary work! The 2012 competition will honor professional and emerging photographers from our region and from around the world. Cash prizes totally $26,00. Winning images will be exhibited and/or projected during FotoWeek DC, November 9–18, along with great online exposure. Enter Foto Competition or FotoBook Competition, or both, here.

Call for proposals/exhibition applications
Deadline: August 31, 2012. The Brentwood Arts Exchange invites artists and curators 18 and older to send in proposals for exhibits in their space. Proposals will be reviewed by the Brentwood Arts Exchange staff. Exhibitions will be selected based on the goals of presenting artwork of the highest quality and of engaging a broad range of audiences. More details and contact information is available in the guidelines (PDF).

28th Annual Miniature Art Exhibition
Deadline: September 28, 2012. The Council for the Arts of Chambersburg, PA is calling for entries from artists living in the United States. All fine art media are acceptable; no crafts, jewelry, photography, laser prints or computer-generated artwork. Image size must be no greater than 4″ x 6″, not to exceed 24 square inches; outside of framed pieces must be no greater than 6″x8″, not to exceed 48 square inches. Mats and frames should be delicate and in proportion to the work. Sculpture should no exceed 5″ in any dimension. For more details and to enter, click here.

Good luck! Past opportunities posts can be found here.

The Art League Returns from Provence

July 17, 2012

Student Painting Sault by Susan Abbott — <em> Student Painting Sault </em> by Susan Abbott

A student painting the lavender fields at Sault. Photo by Susan Abbott.

Last weekend, artists returned from the latest Art League travel workshop, where they spent two weeks painting en plein air in the beautiful landscapes of Provence, France. Susan Abbott led the latest edition of the long-running workshop, June 22–July 7.

The workshop focused on daily independent painting work (in oil, acrylic, or watercolor) and not on sightseeing. Each day includes a morning plein air session after breakfast, and another session in the studio or outside, after lunch, followed by a critique.

“There’s also time for walks, swims in the pool, and lingering over a glass of wine at dinner,” Susan wrote. “We cap off our two weeks with a show in the studio, and there’s always more strong painting produced than I have room to hang!”

Opening night — Opening Night on the last day of the workshop, with everyone’s work up on the walls. Photo by Susan Abbott.

Richard Ayres and his wife Beth took the workshop for the fifth time, and probably not their last.

“The Impressionists were right — there’s something special about the light in Provence,” Richard said, adding that it inspires people to become better painters.

The group painted in the Luberon Valley in southern Provence, an area with lots of little hills, each with a small town at the top. “Each of them is an exquisite stage for painting,” Richard said. The group visited and painted areas off the tourist track, making for a peaceful experience in the countryside.

Susan explained that the Luberon Valley’s agriculture and architecture is protected as a French national park. “The landscape is a patchwork of small fields: olive groves, cherry orchards, vineyards and lavender. Villages are perched on hills, and date back centuries.”

Like Richard, Amy Sabrin is a repeat traveler — this was her fourth year taking the trip. Susan gives the experienced painters new challenges each time, Amy wrote. “This year in particular, she emphasized color theory — a natural subject when surrounded by the unique beauty and colors of Provence. I felt like it all came together for me and my work improved tremendously.”

Works from the workshop — A work in progress by Amy Sabrin at the Cliffs of Lioux, and “Fountain, Saignon, Provence” by Susan Abbott.

When the group wasn’t painting, they enjoyed dinners made by the group’s hosts, David and Liz Atkinson of Arts in Provence, and long walks with their new friends, hailing from Toronto, California, Paris, and the DC area. They stayed at the hamlet of Les Bassacs (pictured below) near Gordes, making short trips to nearby locations for painting time. The group “became fast friends united by our interest in art,” Amy wrote.

The Art League’s travel workshops are designed by artists, for artists, taking participants to locations domestic and international to push their boundaries and find inspiration. Susan Abbott teaches the Provence workshop every year in addition to a painting workshop in the Bahamas, coming up this February. Looking for a travel workshop closer to home? Here’s a recap of last month’s trip to the lavender fields of Pennsylvania. You can read more about Art League travel workshops here.

More photos after the jump: Continue reading The Art League Returns from Provence

Opening Reception for July Shows This Thursday

July 10, 2012

This month, The Art League Gallery’s solo room is home to Cecily Corcoran’s paintings of the DC area. The exhibit’s name, “Genius Loci,” is Latin for “a sense of place.” As someone who lives, commutes, and paints in the region, Corcoran captures familiar sights at different times, in different moods and lights.

Genius Loci – Cecily Corcoran — “Brilliant Commute” and “Tivoli Lights” by Cecily Corcoran.

“I want my viewers to remember to take a moment to view the environs and see the beauty that I see,” she says. “I want them to notice that Washington is a dynamic city on clear, blue days, and it softens to a hush on monochromatic, overcast days.”

Corcoran took her first classes at The Art League School as a teenager and currently teaches Art Fun-damentals there.

This month’s all-media membership exhibit is also up in the gallery. Juried by Katie Dell Kaufman, the show includes all sorts of artwork by local artists. She stated, “the pieces in this exhibit have many layers of visual experience.” Though this is an “all-media” exhibit, once Kaufman began to reflect upon her selections she recognized that some strong themes had emerged in the exhibit – pattern, texture, and layers, both actual and visual. Kaufman noted that most pieces she selected warrant at least a second look in order for the viewer to have the full visual experience.

July All-Media — The steel sculpture “Not Going to the Dance” by John Ray Jr., left, and steel-and-silk “Standing Together” by Natalie Shudt.

The opening reception for these two exhibits is this Thursday, July 12, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. They’re on view through August 6.

More images are after the jump and on our Flickr page: Continue reading Opening Reception for July Shows This Thursday

Artist Opportunities: July 10, 2012

July 10, 2012

Read below for details on upcoming deadlines!

La Jolla Art & Wine Festival
Deadline: July 12, 2012. The 2012 La Jolla Art & Wine Festival returns to La Jolla for its fourth annual season on October 13th and 14th. All money from artwork sold goes directly to the artists. Whether you participated in our 2009 or 2010 show or are applying for the first time, we are grateful for your interest in our event. We are thrilled to feature an outstanding jury to select premier, talented artists for our show. More details are here.

“The Shape of Things” at The Art League
Deadline: July 20, 2012. “The Shape of Things” will feature three-dimensional works. This exhibit will be on display in The Art League Gallery concurrently with our annual ‘Scapes exhibit, August 8–September 3. Entry is by digital submission only (deadline: July 20, 2012). Each artist may submit up to two entries. Submission is open to members and faculty of The Art League. Click here to download (pdf) the full prospectus and entry form.

Keep DC Safe Young Art Contest
Deadline: September 4, 2012. DC SAFE (Survivors and Advocates For Empowerment, Inc.) is holding an art contest for young artists. Participants must be between the ages of 6 and 18 and must reside in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia. Click here to download (pdf) the rules and contact information.