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!
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.
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
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
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
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!
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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 SOHO class learning about color theory
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.
Ciara's bedroom, before and afterAlisson's bedroom before …… and after the renovation.
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:
"Trigger Happy" by Marcel"Rose Glow VII" by Rachel Collins
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!
Keith Verna models for Monica Maynard during a sculpture class at the grand opening of the Madison Annex in 1997. (The Gazette Packet)
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
The 2010 Ikebana Show In 2010, artists from the DC branch of the Sogetsu School transformed The Art League Gallery for the biennial Ikebana Show, which returns May 31.
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.
From the 2010 Ikebana Show.
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:
Thursday, May 31, 6:00–8:00 pm: Opening reception, including presentation of awards for “Tea” by juror John Neely and performance by Washington Toho Koto Ensemble starting at 6:00
Sunday, June 3, 1:00–2:00 pm: Flower arranging demonstration
Sunday, June 3, 2:30 pm: Second performance by the Washington Toho Koto Ensemble
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.
"Egg Man" by Josh Band
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.
"Beloved: The Young Babar" by Lisa Neher
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
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.
"New York Minute" by Frances Borchardt
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.
