“In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm; in the real world, all rests on perseverance.” — Goethe
Bethany Beach
Deadline: May 1. The Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce announces that applications for the 36th Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival (September 6, 2014) are now open. Join over 100 skilled artisans against the beautiful backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bethany Beach boardwalk. This one-day show attracts more than 7,500 visitors. More about the festival →
Tabletop last chance!
Deadline: Friday, May 2, 6:00 pm. The Art League’s annual functional ceramics exhibit, open to all artists internationally and juried by potter Tony Clennell. More info and entry here →
Figurative art
Deadline: May 12. “Flesh & Bone” at Hillyer Art Space is a juried exhibition that examines contemporary figurative art. This is an all-media exhibition that invites artists — local and regional (within 150 miles of Washington, DC) — to submit work for consideration that includes the human figure as its subject. Juror: Judy Byron. More about the exhibit →
Hillyer also has an open call for proposals for the 2015/16 exhibition season, with a deadline of September 28. More info here →
Cooperstown national juried exhibit
Deadline: May 15. The annual National Juried Art Exhibition is open to artists working in all mediums residing in the United States. The show runs in the July/August time slot and coincides with the peak of Cooperstown’s summer tourist season allowing for prime public exposure. Juror: Sondra Freckelton. More info and entry here →
Photo Review contest
Deadline: June 30. Jennifer Blessing, Senior Curator of Photography at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, will be the juror for the 2014 Photo Review Photography Competition. The Photo Review, a highly acclaimed critical journal of photography, is sponsoring its 30th annual photography competition with a difference. Instead of only installing an exhibit that would be seen by a limited number of people, The Photo Review will reproduce accepted entries in its 2014 competition issue and on its website. More about the contest →
Marfa residency
The Artist in Residence program provides an opportunity for artists from the USA to work in a unique natural environment. Marfa is a small town in a sparsely populated area of far West Texas and artists should be prepared to spend a great portion of their time alone. More about the program →
Join us on Instagram and share photos with the tag #aotr2014! The best photo of the evening wins tickets to the next Art on the Rocks.
The Pop Art edition of Art on the Rocks is less than a week away, and our competing restaurants are beginning to reveal the cocktails they’ve created for the April 30 cocktail/art party.
Each of the seven restaurants — Bastille, Chadwick’s, Columbia Firehouse, the Light Horse Restaurant, RedRocks Neapolitan Bistro, Union Street Public House, and Virtue Feed & Grain — are bringing an appetizer and a drink, inspired by the piece they selected from the Pop Art exhibit. Here are the first two drinks we posted on YouTube:
And here is the artwork chosen by the remaining five mixologists:
Each ticketholder will cast their vote for their favorite drink of the evening, and a special panel of judges will also award prizes for the most creative cocktail/appetizer/artwork pairing. We’re also inviting everyone to share their best photos on Instagram, tagged with #aotr2014, for a chance to win tickets to the next Art on the Rocks!
Art on the Rocks 2013
It’s not too late to buy your ticket, but don’t wait until the last minute — space is limited! This event is 21+ only. You can buy your ticket on our Eventbrite page or below:
Painting by Art League artist Meg Mackenzie, from the June 2012 “CON(text)” exhibit.
We’ve been getting a lot of questions in the Gallery about the theme for our June exhibit, “Neo-Expressionism.” To help our member artists get a feel for this historical movement and how it can inspire their submissions for the exhibit — the fifth in our 60th anniversary series — our Gallery director, Rose O’Donnell, is giving a presentation next week with an overview of Neo-Expressionism.
Underground #9 by October’s solo artist, Leslie Nolan.
For a general sense of what the term means, see MOCA’s glossary or this summary from the exhibit prospectus:
Neo-Expressionism refers to the movement of the 1970’s and 1980’s that emerged in Europe as a reaction against Minimalism and Conceptual Art. Artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Julian Schnabel and David Salle brought back recognizable imagery combined with the broad gestures of the Abstract Expressionists. Through painting, sculpture, photography and collage, Neo-Expressionists were characterized by a return to recognizable and realistic images combined with the broad gestures typical of the abstract expressionists.
To sign up for this free lecture, just click here to RSVP on Eventbrite. We’re excited about this exhibit, juried by writer and educator Kim Levin, and can’t wait to see what our artists submit!
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou
10 Days Left! Tabletop Ceramics
Deadline: May 2. The Art League’s international juried ceramics exhibit is open to all artists. This year’s juror is Tony Clennell. More about Tabletop →
16″ × 16″
Install: May 4; reserve spots ahead of time. In this all-inclusive show, artists are invited to submit art limited to 16×16 inches! Each 16”x16” space in the show will have a $14 hanging fee. More about the exhibit →
Underpass Competition
Deadline: May 9. The NoMa Parks Foundation seeks an artist, artist team, designer or architect to create designs for four railroad underpasses in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC. More about the competition →
Figurative art
Deadline: May 12. “Flesh & Bone” at Hillyer Art Space is a juried exhibition that examines contemporary figurative art. This is an all-media exhibition that invites artists — local and regional (within 150 miles of Washington, DC) — to submit work for consideration that includes the human figure as its subject. Juror: Judy Byron. More about the exhibit →
Del Ray Artisans
Receiving: June 1–2. “SUITES” at Del Ray Artisans is open to all area artists. The theme is SUITES: SUITES: Scandalous, Uproarious, Intriguing Titillating Entanglements & Seductions. This exhibit is a collaboration with the Little Theater of Alexandria in conjunction with their production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite. Read the call for entry (PDF) →
Strange Bedfellows
Deadline: June 6. Strange Bedfellows is organized by Washington Project for the Arts and will be located at VisArts at Rockville. This exhibit will explore intimacy in its various incarnations, approaching the topic from a variety of angles. The call is open to all artists regardless of media used or geographic location. Artists do not need to be WPA members and there is no submission fee. More about the exhibit →
Art studios & large woodshop available
The studios are 133, 266, and 600 square feet. The 1,234 square foot woodshop would be ideal for potters, glass blowers, wood workers, or sculptors; plus it has an additional 600 sf mezzanine. Spaces are in an artist-tenant building 2.5 miles from the Torpedo Factory. Two weeks free rent if you identify the Art League instructor who painted the mural in our main hall! Contact Liz Boynton: 703-759-4227, cell 703-638-8369, [email protected].
Lifesaver by Claire Carroll won the Juror’s Choice award in the “Pop Art” exhibit. (click for a larger version)
With larger-than-life colors and bold presentation, the photograph above isn’t shy about putting the “pop” in “Pop Art,” our April exhibit juried by Robin Nicholson. Nicholson selected Claire Carroll’s Lifesaver for the Juror’s Choice Award, and his wasn’t the only eye it caught: it was also selected by Trae from Chadwick’s as the inspiration for his Art on the Rocks cocktail.
We asked the artist to tell us more about Lifesaver and make an Art on the Rocks prediction:
What was your goal with Lifesaver?
Claire Carroll: I love the simplicity. It was all about the shapes, the colours and the negative space. Lifesaver was shot from the balcony of a hotel room in Provincetown, MA. I had just checked in and walked straight out to the balcony, looked down at the swimming pool and this image jumped at me. The combination of the clean lines of the lifesaver and the beautiful contrast of the colours really appealed. I wanted it to say, “I am a lifesaver. Here I am.”
What’s your creative process like, from an idea to a finished piece?
As a photographer I don’t always go out with a plan in mind to create a particular image. I find so much inspiration just walking around. The creative process is a natural progression from the things that I see. They have their own look which I might enhance a little.
How did you achieve the look you were after for Lifesaver?
I cropped this image to deliberately place the lifesaver in the centre and I enhanced the vibrance of the colors.
Why are you a photographer?
I want to record what I see and how I see things. I enjoy seeing the unusual or beautiful in something that is not perhaps immediately obvious. The thrill I get from making a successful image is addictive! I have been taking photos since I was quite young and in the 1980s did a degree in Fine Art — photography formed a part of that course. I shoot a lot and digital has certainly made that easier.
Claire Carroll, Susquehanna Swans
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I honestly don’t know! My degree in Fine Art was originally sculpture but I changed to printmaking after a year. I have always felt I was artistic but it is only in the last two years that I have started to focus primarily on photography. I really feel I have found my niche.
What are you working on now?
I have recently started looking at motion blur. I have spent a lot of the last two years trying to get tack sharp images of birds, which are my passion. In the process I discovered the beauty of blur! I am experimenting with this with wildlife and with people in motion, whether in sports or everyday activities.
What kind of drink do you think this will inspire?
A creme de menthe-based cocktail called The Lifesaver would be perfect!
Three skies: details from paintings by (left to right) Mike Francis, oil; Fred Markham, oil; and Bobbi Pratte, iPad.
At The Art League School, the world is our classroom, and what better time than the spring to take advantage of that? We have several classes coming up for painters in all media — including digital — who want to venture en plein air to capture the landscape.
Some plein air painters use alkyd paint, like the Winsor & Newton carried in The Art League Store, for oil-like results with a much faster drying time.
These classes and workshops meet outside. Grab your easel and click the links to register!
Weekend in the Plein Air Landscape($90, April 26–27)
This weekend workshop with Mike Francis meets for two afternoon painting sessions on the Potomac.
Landscape Painting ($150, Saturdays starting May 3)
This class with Fred Markham focuses on composition, value organization, and color relation, with demonstrations for painters new to plein air.
Gouache for Field Studies & More ($175, May 17–18)
This weekend workshop with Diane Tesler covers the use of gouache, or opaque watercolor, which combines the portability of watercolor with the flexibility of oil or pastel.
Instructor Fred Markham demonstrating at the 2009 plein air event Paint Alexandria.
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” — Amelia Earhart
Ceramics artists — don’t forget to enter “Tabletop” at The Art League by May 2!
Solo or group shows at Gallery Underground
Deadline: ongoing. The Gallery Underground in Crystal City (Arlington) announces solo or group exhibition opportunities for artists from the Greater Washington, DC area. We are searching for talented professional artists with a cohesive body of work to exhibit in our new Special Exhibitions space. Read the full call for artists →
Nature exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Battle Creek Nature Education Society, in support of the Calvert County Division of Natural Resources, is pleased to issue a Call to Artists to submit artworks highlighting the natural world of Southern Maryland. Artists are invited to submit up to 3 original artworks inspired by nature (wildlife, flora, fauna or nature scapes) and a 100-word statement about the intent of each work and location of subject matter. Prizes total $2,000. More about the exhibit →
Maryland artists
Deadlines: May 5 (exhibit competition) and May 19 (studio jury). Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland invites artists 18 and over to apply for studio space and/or placement on their exhibit calendar for 2014–15. Click here to download the PDF prospectus →
Ward 5 Artists
Deadline: May 30. Artists living or working in Ward 5 are invited to submit work for Artists Off-Rhode at Off-Rhode Gallery. No entry fee. More about the exhibit →
Free photo contest
As part of Rosemary Luckett’s exhibit at Touchstone Gallery, you can enter a contest for the Best Atrocious Trash Photo. Find details here →
Re-runs: the announcements below have appeared here previously, but their deadlines still haven’t passed:
Hudson Valley 82nd Annual Exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Work must be an original oil, acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, pastel, or graphic (drawing, intaglio, lithograph, or woodcut print). More about the exhibit →
National Photo Competition
Deadline: May 1. The Soho Photo National Photography Competition has no limits as to subject matter or technique. More about the competition →
Tabletop Ceramics
Deadline: May 2. The Art League’s international juried ceramics exhibit is open to all artists. This year’s juror is Tony Clennell. More about Tabletop →
Washington Printmakers Gallery
Deadline: May 31. WPG is now accepting entries for the 2014 National Small Works exhibition. Submit your prints by May 31, 2014. This exhibition is open to any artist 18 years of age or older residing in the United States of America. Submitted works must be original hand-pulled or digital inkjet prints, completed within the past two years, with an image no larger than 170 square inches and a frame no wider than 18 inches. Photographs will not be considered. More about the exhibit →
Digital Magic
Deadline: June 1. Digital photography, digital painting, 3D modeling, 3D printing, web based artwork, digital installation, video, phonography, mobile device display, and mixed media works are all potential objects for exhibition. Read the full call to artists →
Artist in Residence at Artisphere
Deadline: June 4. Artisphere is offering a free 500 square foot studio space for one artist each for a five month time period in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. In return for free work space, the artist would be required to interact with the public and do a final exhibit in their studio of their work created while in residence. More on the residence →
Emerging Artists — Kennedy Center
Deadline: June 30. A juried competition and national touring exhibition of work by emerging young visual artists with disabilities, ages 16–25. Read the full call to artists →
Colors of Life Photo Contest
Deadline: June 30. Colors of Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that embraces the idea that by combining art with philanthropic activities, the quality of life and conditions of the less fortunate can be improved. Through the International Photo Contest, held annually, Colors of Life has provided support and attention for institutions and organizations that share its goals. The theme is “Young Men With Big Dreams.” More about the contest →
Emerging Artist Fellowship
Deadline: July 5. The Harpo Foundation’s Emerging Artist Fellowship at the Santa Fe Art Institute was established in 2013 to provide an annual opportunity to an emerging visual artist 25 years and older who needs time and space to explore ideas and start new projects. Artist Fellows will receive a one-month residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute, which includes a handsomely appointed room with private bath, a beautiful, well-lit studio space, and a $500 travel stipend. More about the fellowship →
This week is National Volunteer Week — one of those dates on the calendar, like Mother’s Day, that reminds us to thank the people we’re thankful for all year long.
The Art League was an all-volunteer organization for decades, and as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, still depends on thousands of volunteer hours to keep it running. From receiving and hanging exhibits each month, to serving on the board of directors, to teaching lessons at SOHO, to helping at events like Patrons’ Show and Artfête, volunteers are behind the scenes of everything that makes The Art League great.
So this week, we’re spotlighting just a few of these MVPs to say to all of our amazing volunteers:
The volunteers below are only some of volunteers we saw around The Art League in just one week — there are many more who donate their time to keep things running. If you want to join this stellar group and help with fundraising, outreach, or anything else we do, click here to get involved.
The weather is beautiful today to usher in our April exhibits at The Art League Gallery, “Pop Art” and “Sway.” The opening reception is tonight, Thursday, April 10, at 6:30 pm. Join us to meet the artists behind these exhibits!
Cootie by Doug Stern and Homage to Pop Art by Kay Walsh are two of the pieces chosen by local mixologists to inspire their Art on the Rocks cocktails.
The “Pop Art” exhibit, juried by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts deputy director Robin Nicholson, asked artists to look to the pop artists of the sixties through the lens of the 21st century. Mass production, artificial color, and contemporary life and culture all feature in the multilayered exhibit. It’s the third in our 60th anniversary exhibit series, following “Abstract Expressionism Revisited” and “ColorField.”
Artwork from “Pop Art” will also form the creative seed for seven new cocktails debuting at Art on the Rocks on April 30. Local mixologists are coming in to select their inspiration.
“Sway,” the new exhibit by solo artist Natalie Shudt, combines sculptures and installations for a fresh environment in the gallery. Shudt uses silk, steel, and wood to create botanical forms that float, sway, and bring the space to life.
The Wrath of Prime by Denise Dittmar.The award winners for “Pop Art,” left to right: Klafangled #4 by Arlie Hammons, winner of the Marshall Award; Lifesaver by Claire Carroll, winner of the Juror’s Choice Award; and Presence by Nancy Fortwengler, winner of the Carol Bruce Pastel Award.From “Sway”
The juror for “Pop Art” is returning later this month for a free gallery talk. You can register here:
Pop Art and Beyond
The Art of Tom Wesselmann
Thursday, April 24, 7:00–8:30 pm
Robin Nicholson, deputy director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss well-known pop artist Tom Wesselmann. In the 1960s, Wesselmann (1931–2004) — along with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, and Jim Dine — formed the core of the Pop Art movement in the United States. Long after Pop Art’s crest, in a career spanning more than four decades, Wesselmann continued to create a highly original and accomplished body of work. Nonetheless, he is the last of this group to have a major U.S. exhibition and is perhaps the least known of these artists. Following on from the successful retrospective at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 2013, this talk explores the artist’s diverse career and inspirations.
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.
— Wayne Gretzky
Volunteer opportunities
Deadline: April 11. There are two vacancies on the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Applicants must apply at http://www.alexandriava.gov/Boards by 5:00 p.m. on April 11. One vacancy is for a member who represents the public at large as an arts consumer and participant, and the other is for a member who represents arts education or business expertise relative to arts and cultural development, including such perspectives as marketing, finance/funding, tourism promotion and organizational development. The Commission meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Approximately twelve hours per month are required of Commission members. Commissioners are required to become involved in various art projects/events throughout the City and serve on one grant review panel and one committee. More about the vacancies →
Last Chance: Transformations
Deadline: April 12. Entry to “Transformations” at the McLean Project for the Arts is open to all Mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV). The journey from one thing or state to another can be explored or demonstrated through any technique, approach or medium, conceptually and/or formally. Read the full prospectus (PDF) →
Last Chance: Washington Craft Show
Late deadline: April 19. The 27th annual Washington Craft Show, October 31 – November 2, 2014, sponsored by Crafts America, will be held at the Washington Convention Center in the heart of Washington, D.C. This prestigious show features 195 artists who are jury selected from all over the United States. More about the craft show →
Washington Printmakers Gallery
Deadline: May 31. WPG is now accepting entries for the 2014 National Small Works exhibition. Submit your prints by May 31, 2014. This exhibition is open to any artist 18 years of age or older residing in the United States of America. Submitted works must be original hand-pulled or digital inkjet prints, completed within the past two years, with an image no larger than 170 square inches and a frame no wider than 18 inches. Photographs will not be considered. More about the exhibit →
Athenaeum open call
Deadline: ongoing. The Northern Virginia Fine Art Association actively seeks local and regional artists interested in having an exhibition at the Athenaeum. See the full open call →
Art studios & large woodshop available
The studios are 133 square feet, 266 square feet, and 600 square feet. The 1,234 square foot woodshop would be ideal for potters, glass blowers, wood workers, and sculptors; plus it has an additional 600 square foot mezzanine. Studios are in an artist-tenant building 2.5 miles from the Torpedo Factory. Two weeks free rent if you identify the Art League instructor who painted the mural in our main hall! Contact Liz Boynton: 703-759-4227, cell 703-638-8369, [email protected].
Mona/Martha/Marge by Martha Wilson. The feminist artist, gallery director, and founder of the Franklin Furnace will speak May 22 during the exhibit “The Feminist Movement in Art.”
As our 60th Anniversary exhibit series continues, we’re excited to announce a new slate of speakers to continue the accompanying lecture series. These talks began in January with Dr. Claudia Rousseau speaking on the Abstract Expressionists, and in March, Joyce McCarten spoke on the Washington Color School. The next three talks accompany “ColorField,” “Pop Art,” and “The Feminist Movement in Art.”
These talks are all free to attend, but space is limited, so click on the links to RSVP!
Color Field & Art History
with Timothy App
Saturday, April 5, 10:00 am
Painter and MICA art professor Timothy App, who juried the “ColorField” exhibit at The Art League Gallery, will speak on the Color Field movement from an art historical perspective. He will also talk about how the work in the current exhibit that he selected relates to that movement.
Pop Art and Beyond
The Art of Tom Wesselmann
Thursday, April 24, 7:00–8:30 pm
Robin Nicholson, deputy director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss well-known pop artist Tom Wesselmann. In the 1960s, Wesselmann (1931–2004) — along with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, and Jim Dine — formed the core of the Pop Art movement in the United States. Long after Pop Art’s crest, in a career spanning more than four decades, Wesselmann continued to create a highly original and accomplished body of work. Nonetheless, he is the last of this group to have a major U.S. exhibition and is perhaps the least known of these artists. Following on from the successful retrospective at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 2013, this talk explores the artist’s diverse career and inspirations.
Martha Wilson and the Franklin Furnace
Thursday, May 22, 6:30–8:30 pm
Martha Wilson (b. 1947) is a pioneering feminist artist and gallery director, who over the past four decades created innovative photographic and video works that explore her female subjectivity through role-playing, costume transformations, and “invasions” of other people’s personae. Wilson will discuss her work and the work of the Franklin Furnace, an artist-run space that champions the exploration, promotion and preservation of artist books, temporary installation, performance art, as well as online works.
The mixed-media Red Lights Construction won the Adam Wishnow Award for Creativity and Innovation.
This month’s “ColorField” exhibit includes a special award for artists taking things in a new direction. It’s called the Adam Wishnow Award for Creativity and Innovation, and it went to Victoria Cowles, a painter branching into the third dimension.
Red Lights Construction, also titled #756, is constructed of wood, fabric, plexiglas, clear roofing, acrylic paint, plastic fencing, and lights. We asked Victoria, or Tory, to tell us more about her constructions and her career in general:
Since this month’s theme was the Color Field movement, how do you think about and work with color?
Tory Cowles: Bright colors make me happy and give me energy. Subtle natural colors in found materials are rich in unexpected colors and textures. For me colors talk to each other and change each other. I pay a lot of attention to how each color affects the other colors and the overall composition.
What is your creative process like — how does an idea start, develop, and finish?
My process is for me to start painting or constructing and then respond as directly and honestly as I can to each step. I don’t have a preconceived idea of where the painting or construction is going. My work doesn’t come alive unless I can reach a state of stream of consciousness. For me the stream of consciousness is an expression of what is most important to me emotionally. I try to allow as much chaos and spontaneity as possible with just enough structure to hold it together.
Tory Cowles painting in her Torpedo Factory studio.
I work on 8–12 large canvases or 3–4 constructions at a time. The size allows me or encourages me to paint with abandon. Their large size also encourages the viewer to fall into the painting and travel around inside seeing and enjoying different things depending on the viewer’s mood and the vicissitudes of the light. The 8–12 paintings or the 3–4 constructions often come together at about the same time with certain common elements that evolve through, and are unique to, the series.
What was your goal with this piece?
My goal for #756 was to try to combine strong bright colors, in this case deep red, with some subtler elements. I tried to do that by adding the plastic fencing and the lights behind the plexiglas so that the light came through the layers.
How are your constructions different from your paintings?
So far, I’ve found that, compared to my paintings, I have to simplify my constructions tremendously in order to make them work. It’s so much easier to set off strong colors using paint because you can more easily add subtler colors and shapes that set off the stronger colors without it becoming too busy. Thinking in three dimensions is a different mindset. These constructions are mostly bas relief which is somewhat three dimensional, but still mostly two dimensional. I think I am moving slowly into a more three dimensional direction.
What role does interactivity play in your work?
Some of my work in the past have been highly interactive in a playful way. I would like to go back to that but experiment with using the interaction to illustrate and manipulate abstract concepts, shapes and colors. For instance, a viewer might move a colorful object on a rope across the piece and see how the composition changes and how the colors look different, actually change, when they are next to or on top of different colors.
#576 by Tory Cowles from the Gallery’s 2012 interactive-art themed exhibit, “Play.”
How did you start incorporating lights?
I’ve done a number of light pieces over the years — my first pieces were a series of boxes with electric light coming through various materials. About 5 years ago I made a piece which consisted of a bas relief abstract painting with a box of sand across the front. You could take out a long thin candle and a match, light the candle and place it in the sand in front of the painting – similar to some church altars except that you could say that you were lighting a candle for the painting, or for painting in general, or for abstract painting, or for anyone who you may be mourning. The candles were very thin, leaning in different directions and at different heights. I like lights and their impact on colors. Lights inside a construction are like the spirit that animates a body.
What artists have influenced you most?
Robert Rauschenberg, Thaiwijit, Tapies, Richard Diebenkorn.
What are you working on now?
I’m making some more constructions. I feel like I am just scratching the surface of what interests me with using different materials. I will continue to paint which is very enjoyable and seems easy after struggling with the three dimensional pieces.
Wednesday, April 9 is Spring2ACTion – the 24-hour, online giving event throughout the city of Alexandria – and we’re raising much-needed funds for our IMPART outreach program, a program that provides the powerful and transformative outlet of the visual arts to recently Injured Military Personnel from Ft. Belvoir.
Our goal is to raise $25,000 – ensuring six soldiers and their tech escorts/caregivers can go through a year of our life changing IMPART program – and we need YOUR help!
Below is information about the big day and how you can help!
What is Spring2ACTion?
Spring2ACTion is a 24-hour online event that encourages everyone to contribute to Alexandria’s nonprofit organizations through a single online giving platform on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. Leader boards add a sense of competition and excitement during the event day. Additional cash grants will be awarded to top winners in each category for the day – up to $30,000 in additional grants and prizes are up for grabs!
Spring2ACTion is hosted by ACT for Alexandria, a community foundation seeking to raise the level and effectiveness of community engagement and giving for the benefit of all Alexandria.
Why is Spring2ACTion important?
Last year, Spring2ACTion rose nearly $660,000 in one day, benefiting 97 local nonprofit organizations. The Art League received $23,518 from 322 donors during Spring2ACTion 2013, coming in fourth place for the most unique donors. We won an additional $1,600 in grant money and prizes. We’re aiming to raise $25,000 for our IMPART outreach program.
When is Spring2ACTion?
Spring2ACTion is Wednesday, April 9 from 12:00 midnight-11:59 pm.
Where do I make my donation to The Art League on April 9?
There is no maximum donation limit for Spring2ACTion.
I can’t donate on April 9. Can I schedule my donation ahead of time?
Yes! Donors can pre-schedule a donation for Spring2ACTion’s 24-hour event on April 9, 2014.
In order to schedule a donation, a donor MUST create a user account so the system can securely store the card information and donation as “pending” until the event day. If a user does not want their card information stored, they must wait until the event day to donate if they would like it to count towards the event. On April 9th, all scheduled donations will be processed and the donor’s card will be charged. Donors will then receive a confirmation/tax-deductible receipt when the transaction is complete. A user can also check the status of their scheduled donation in their user account under “my donations.”
What are “power hours”?
Throughout the day on April 9, organizations that raise the most dollars or unique donors during designated “power hours” will win an additional $500. Try and donate during these times if you can! The times marked with an asterisk* are the ones we would like to focus on.
$500 power hours:
Most donors by 8:00 am*
Most dollars raised by 8:00 am*
Most dollars raised between 11:00 am-12:00 noon
Most donors between 3:00-4:00 pm
Most dollars between 3:00-4:00 pm
Most donors between 7:00-8:00pm
Most dollars raised between 7:00-8:00 pm
Most donors between 10:00-11:00 pm
Most dollars raised between 10:00-11:00 pm
ACTion Hero Prizes
Individual donors will be randomly chosen hourly from 10:00 am–10:00 pm and their designated nonprofit will receive an additional $100 donation.
What are the leader board prizes? Why are they important?
Every donation made to The Art League through Spring2ACTion on April 9 gives us the opportunity to win up to $30,000 in additional grants and prizes. Every donation, regardless of size, helps us get closer to winning this big prize money!
The leader boards we’re eligible for:
Most unique donors: Most dollars raised:
1st: $5000 1st: $5000
2nd: $2500 2nd: $2500
3rd: $1000 3rd: $1000
4th: $500 4th: $500
5th: $100 5th: $100
How can I watch the results as they come in on Spring2ACTion day?
Stay tuned to spring2action.org for all the leader board action and to The Art League’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Updates will be posted all throughout the day on the 9th.
Offline events:
You Shop, OTBD Gives!
A percentage of sales from local shops will be donated to the charity of the customer’s choice on April 9. The organization with the most designations at the Old Town Boutique District Shops will receive a $500 prize. Visit www.causetown.org/spring2action for a complete list.
You Dine, They Give! 25 cents from each meal purchased at Holy Cow, Pork Barrel BBQ and Sweet Fire Donna’s will be donated to the charity of the customer’s choice on April 9. The organization with the most designations at all three of the restaurants will receive a $500 prize.
“We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.” — Bob Ross
Last Chance: Philadelphia Craft Show
Deadline: April 1. (Late deadline: April 13.) The 38th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, a juried exhibition and retail sale, will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from November 6 to 9, 2014, with a Preview Party on November 5. The jury will accept 195 craft artists. More about the show →
Tabletop Ceramics
Deadline: May 2. The Art League’s international juried ceramics exhibit is open to all artists. This year’s juror is Tony Clennell. More about Tabletop →
Colors of Life Photo Contest
Deadline: June 30. Colors of Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that embraces the idea that by combining art with philanthropic activities, the quality of life and conditions of the less fortunate can be improved. Through the International Photo Contest, held annually, Colors of Life has provided support and attention for institutions and organizations that share its goals. The theme is “Young Men With Big Dreams.” More about the contest →
Emerging Artist Fellowship
Deadline: July 5. The Harpo Foundation’s Emerging Artist Fellowship at the Santa Fe Art Institute was established in 2013 to provide an annual opportunity to an emerging visual artist 25 years and older who needs time and space to explore ideas and start new projects. Artist Fellows will receive a one-month residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute, which includes a handsomely appointed room with private bath, a beautiful, well-lit studio space, and a $500 travel stipend. More about the fellowship →
Harmonies in Pinks and Blue by Linda Lowery won the Juror’s Choice Award in the ColorField exhibit. (click for full size)
What do you see when you look through this window?
Linda Lowery painted Harmonies in Pinks and Blue, above, as part of an series experimenting with value and flat color. This month it appears in our “ColorField” exhibit, where juror Timothy App gave it the Juror’s Choice Award. We asked the artist to tell us more about this trompe-l’oeil-meets-Color-Field painting and her artwork in general:
What was the idea behind Harmonies in Pinks and Blue? What did you want to accomplish?
Linda Lowery: I had been working on a series of paintings with bands of flat color and noticed that, if a band had a dark value on one side and a light value on the other, the band seemed to be graded in color from light to dark, even though it was actually only one flat color. I decided to see if I could do a painting in which I could make something appear that wasn’t actually there. So I did a series of “window” like paintings with different values of a color around a flat blue “sky.”
I don’t know that I was totally successful at making something appear, but maybe, if you look carefully, you can see the glow of a “UFO” in the blue area of the painting. I think I see a bright area in the blue space and thought maybe I could think of it as the track of an unseen UFO, but maybe, if you see it, it reminds you of something else.
Detail from Harmonies in Pinks and Blue
Why pink and blue?
I worked with lots of colors, but found something special in the contrast of pink and blue. Maybe it was because it was satisfying to create a serious painting out of colors that we usually think are sweet and associate with babies.
Is this a usual subject for you? What do you typically paint?
I did do a series of these paintings but have moved on since then. Lately, I have been concentrating on portraits of newborns. (Babies again – maybe there is something there!)
First Cry by Linda Lowery
What is your creative process like, from an idea to a finished piece?
After the idea, I usually do sketches on paper, sometimes in color, sometimes in black and white. Then I may do a small painting to see how the idea works out. From there I go to a full size painting.
Why are you a painter?
I love paint. There is something calming for me in the act of painting. It draws me in and then I am in another state as the piece I am working on takes over my mind and complete attention. Being in this “altered state” is what brings me back again and again. I suppose I could achieve this state of creativity using another medium, but, for some reason, painting is the one that has resonated with me the most.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I loved to paint and draw as a little kid. By the time I was in high school I knew I wanted to be an artist.
Tender Napalm by Philip Ridley is making its Washington debut through May 11 at Signature Theater. Besides being a popular playwright, Philip Ridley is also an artist (he went to school for drawing) and his plays are incredibly visual and popular with artists. As a special discount for AL students, the tickets are only $25 with the code STU25.
Photograph by Amanda Marie Harner from December’s All-Media exhibit. Amanda entered her first Art League show in September 2012 and won third prize — read the Q&A here.
This week was the annual jury for new members at the Torpedo Factory, and we’re pleased to see some familiar names among the newly accepted artists! Congratulations to Art League artists and new Torpedo Factory artists David Flohr, Amanda Marie Harner, Guy Jones (a new Art Leaguer in March), Maureen Minehan, Tim Hyde, Barbara Muth, Liz Roberts, Susan Sherwin, and Fierce Sonia.
The Target Gallery will hold a Newly Juried Artists’ Exhibition, March 29–April 13, with a reception on Saturday, April 13, from 3:00–5:00 pm. (This has been updated from the earlier date posted here — the reception is not on April 6.)
Below are the full lists of new TFAA members. You can read more about the jury process on the TFAA blog.
A platter by ceramics artist David Flohr.Susan Sherwin
2D artists (jurors Alec Simpson, Phil Hutinet, and Margaret Adams Parker):
Amanda Harner, Photographer
Tim Hyde, Photographer
Maureen Minehan, Photographer
Valeri Proudkii, Photographer
Jill Finsen, Painter
Liz Roberts, Painter
Kara Hammond, Painter
Karen Fitzgerald, Mixed Media
Susan Sherwin, Painter
Ellen Kdansky, Painter
Fierce Sonia, Mixed Media
Barbara Muth, Painter
Guy Jones, Drawing
Brandon Newton, Painter
Fritz Desroches, Painter
3D artists (jurors Dagmar Painter, Maria Karametou, and Rick Wall):
Erika Cleveland, Fiber Artist
Heasoon A. Rhee, Fiber Artist
Hattie Barker, Fiber Artist
David Flohr, Ceramic Artist
Leah Sturgis, Jewelry
From Fierce Sonia’s 2010 solo exhibit at The Art League, “Paper Dolls.”Liz RobertsTim HydeMaureen Minehan
Octavia Frazier’s Color Blocking in acrylic and mixed media won the Evelyn Turner Award.
The best-in-show piece from “ColorField” began, appropriately, by applying color. Artist Octavia Frazier says color is what got her into painting and it’s how she started Color Blocking, which won the Evelyn Turner Award in this exhibit. We asked her to tell us more about her love of painting and her art career:
How did Color Blocking come about? What is your creative process like?
Octavia Frazier: I created this painting by beginning with color. I begin my paintings by applying paint to the canvas/board and then looking at the balance and composition of the paint. I then start applying various mediums to the canvas. During each step in my process, I review each of the applications to see how I like the effect, and I look at the composition and make changes if I feel they are needed to ensure the rhythm, pattern, movement, and balance. I look for light, value, and texture as I move through each step.
I must say that I do a lot of reviewing and editing with each step. I will leave the room and come back to observe my work with a fresh perspective, and make changes as I go through the entire process. I plan the piece based on a theme that may be required in a show or art exhibit, and I determine the media based on whether I am exhibiting something right away and need to work quickly, or whether I can work for a longer period. I might use oil paint for something that I don’t need to turn around quickly for a particular exhibit. I stop painting when I feel the work is complete. I consider it complete when it answers my basic questions of: balance, movement, pattern, rhythm, and value.
When I feel I have accomplished those elements, I am satisfied.
What different media and tools did you use for Color Blocking?
I used large brushes, palette knives, paper, and gloss medium on wooden panel.
Color Blocking — detail
Why are you a painter?
I love the way paint looks when I apply it to a canvas/board. I like to experience color and texture and paint gives me that satisfaction.
When did you first become interested in art?
Early on in my childhood I realized that I loved to draw and paint with color. I looked at my surroundings and the color is what I was attracted to, not necessarily the composition or the subject matter. Color and design are the two areas that I love to experiment with in my paintings. When I was 12 years old, I won my first art competition while I was living in Paris, France. As a military dependent, I was able to travel to many cities where art was presented. I lived in Japan, Germany, and France where color and patterns were my inspirations.
How do you think of colors or choose colors when you are painting?
Color plays a significant role in my paintings, from my abstracts to still life paintings, I bring vibrant colors into my art. Color is the focus and what most people identify with in my artwork. I love to use bright colors to begin my paintings, like aquamarine, magenta, and orange. These are some of my favorite combinations and while I believe all colors work together, I do favor this color palette.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Exhibit proposals
Deadline: April 15. The Department of Visual Arts and Design is calling for exhibition proposals for the Open Gallery in The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center that address the theme, “Mark, Trace, Impact.” Four exhibitions will be scheduled for the 2014–2015 academic year. Read the full call to artists →
Art Uniting People
Deadline: April 25. Art Uniting People is presented and sponsored by the Anti-Stigma HOPE Campaign each spring during National Mental Health Month. Artists whose lives have been affected by mental illness, addiction, developmental and intellectual disorders are invited to submit two-dimensional artwork. More about the exhibit →
Online exhibit: Imagining Equality
Deadline: April 30. The Global Fund for Women announces a global online media project, “Imagining Equality: Your Voices on Women’s Human Rights.” Submissions of visual art, video, audio, journalism, creative writing and more are accepted online. More about the project →
Plein air painters
Deadline: April 30. Event: July 11–13. The Howard County Arts Council is now accepting applications for the juried portion of “Paint It! Ellicott City” 2014. Artists will paint in the picturesque historic district of Ellicott City, MD for three days, creating work that will be shown in a six-week exhibit at Howard County Arts Council’s Gallery I. Artists who are not juried into the exhibit may still participate in the paint-out and an exhibit at the Howard County Welcome Center. All plein air artists working in oil, acrylic, pastel, or watercolor, 18 years or older, are eligible to apply. More about the event →
Annual photography exhibit
Deadline: May 30. Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, Oregon is pleased to open the call for entries to our 8th Annual Juried Exhibition. Selections will be made by Melanie McWhorter, photographer and Book Division Manager of photo-eye. All styles of work will be considered for inclusion. More about the exhibit →
Art studios available
One studio now available in a building with 12 studios 2.5 miles from the Torpedo Factory. Several other studios may be available soon. First month’s rent free if you can identify the Art League instructor who painted the mural in our main hall! Contact Liz Boynton: 703-759-4227, cell 703-638-8369, [email protected]
Re-runs: the announcements below have previously appeared here, but their deadlines still haven’t passed.
Call for sculptors
Deadline: March 30. Applicants will consider some scientific/mathematical theory, hypothesis, or principle as their inspiration and externalize these thought experiments in a sculptural expression. Read the full call to artists →
Mayhem
Deadline: March 31. For this exhibit at Gallery Underground in Crystal City, artists should depict the theme “Mayhem” visually. More on the exhibit →
To Labor With Love
Deadline: March 31. On behalf of Fjord Gallery in Philadelphia, artist curator Elisa Gabor is calling for artworks to be submitted to To Labor With Love: a collection of objects, images, and gestures about art and process. More about the exhibit →
Target Gallery open call
Deadline: March 31. This Open Call for proposals for an exhibition in the summer of 2014 is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. More about the open call →
The Trawick Prize
Deadline: April 7. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. More about the Trawick Prize →
Transformations
Deadline: April 12. Entry to “Transformations” at the McLean Project for the Arts is open to all Mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV). Read the full prospectus (PDF) →
Fiber Art Exhibit
Deadline: April 14. For this exhibit at NOVA in Annandale, work in either traditional or contemporary categories must be composed of at least 75% fiber. More about the exhibit →
Hudson Valley 82nd Annual Exhibit
Deadline: May 1. Work must be an original oil, acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, pastel, or graphic (drawing, intaglio, lithograph, or woodcut print). More about the exhibit →
National Photo Competition
Deadline: May 1. The Soho Photo National Photography Competition has no limits as to subject matter or technique. More about the competition →
Digital Magic
Deadline: June 1. Digital photography, digital painting, 3D modeling, 3D printing, web based artwork, digital installation, video, phonography, mobile device display, and mixed media works are all potential objects for exhibition. Read the full call to artists →
Artist in Residence at Artisphere
Deadline: June 4. Artisphere is offering a free 500 square foot studio space for one artist each for a five month time period in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. In return for free work space, the artist would be required to interact with the public and do a final exhibit in their studio of their work created while in residence. More on the residence →
Emerging Artists — Kennedy Center
Deadline: June 30. A juried competition and national touring exhibition of work by emerging young visual artists with disabilities, ages 16–25. Read the full call to artists →
The Art League is always looking for new audiences who can benefit from art’s potential for healing and growth.
In 2011, this led to the creation of the ongoing IMPART outreach program serving our local military community. More recently, we’ve also been honored to partner with the Printmaking Center of New Jersey to offer a new venue for their program, Combat Paper.
With the motto “Deconstruct, Reclaim, Communicate,” Combat Paper is a free week-long workshop for veterans and service members in which they share stories, make paper from their uniforms, create artwork on the paper, and show the work in an exhibit:
“Combat Paper NJ is run by veterans, for veterans. It provides safe and comfortable settings where veterans can use art to help them recover from physical, psychological and emotional effects of war. In weekly drop-in sessions, on college campuses, on community centers, VA Hospitals, and Military Installations, Combat Paper NJ brings printmaking and the ancient art of hand-papermaking to all veterans from all conflicts.”
How cool is that? One Combat Paper workshop took place at The Art League back in January, followed by a brief exhibit in the solo room of our gallery. The next workshop is coming up next week — see below for info about an exhibit to follow! Click here for more information about the program. You can also read more about it in this PBS NewsHour story.
Update, 3/27: Here’s the info for the exhibit, happening Friday night at the Duke Street Annex:
Art League instructor Joyce McCarten lent the Gallery Pretoria by her late husband, Washington Color School painter Donald McCarten, for display during the ColorField exhibit.
The second exhibit in our special 60th Anniversary series, “ColorField,” pays homage not just to art history, but also to Art League history and The Art League’s close ties to the local Washington Color School.
The Art League School, then called the Workshop, was hitting its stride in the 1960s and 70s, the same time the Washington Color School became active. Painters central to the movement, including Gene Davis, Paul Reed, Leon Berkowitz, Lou Stovall, and Sam Gilliam, all taught at The Art League during those years, and they continue to inspire our artists today.
Lou Stovall giving a workshop to a group of Art League artists, 1971.
The artists of the Washington Color School made color the central subject of their paintings and prints, exploring the phenomenon of color on its own. Artists in all media took direction from the movement for our ColorField exhibit, and two speakers will be giving free lectures on both the Washington Color School and the larger Color Field movement.
Joyce McCarten, an Art League instructor and abstract painter, will speak March 27 on the Washington Color School and the work of her late husband and Washington Color School artist Donald McCarten. On April 5, Timothy App, an abstract painter, professor of art at MICA, and juror for “ColorField,” will speak on the importance of Color Field in art history. Click here to RSVP for these free events.
A 1971 workshop schedule with evening classes by Paul Reed and Lou Stovall.
Washington Color School painters will also be featured in a special August and September exhibit featuring Art League Faculty, “Inspiration and Influence.” This offsite exhibit of select works from past and present faculty will feature notable artists including celebrated painter Danni Dawson and Washington Color School painter Gene Davis.
Deadline: March 31. On behalf of Fjord Gallery in Philadelphia, artist curator Elisa Gabor is calling for artworks to be submitted to To Labor With Love: a collection of objects, images, and gestures about art and process. More about the exhibit →
Fiber Art Exhibit
Deadline: April 14. This exhibit at NOVA in Annandale will be curated by Trudi Van Dyke, an independent curator and fine arts consultant who juries and curate nationally. Work in either traditional or contemporary categories must be composed of at least 75% fiber. More about the exhibit →
Hudson Valley 82nd Annual Exhibit
Deadline: May 1. The Hudson Valley Art Association holds an annual exhibit of traditional representational artwork; this year at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Work must be an original oil, acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, pastel, or graphic (drawing, intaglio, lithograph, or woodcut print). More about the exhibit →
National Photo Competition
Deadline: May 1. The Soho Photo National Photography Competition has no limits as to subject matter or technique. Besides awarding prizes, juror, Ariel Meyerowitz, will select approximately 35 photographers to take part in an exhibition at the gallery during July. More about the competition →
Digital Magic
Deadline: June 1. Digital photography, digital painting, 3D modeling, 3D printing, web based artwork, digital installation, video, phonography, mobile device display, and mixed media works are all potential objects for exhibition. The judge for this exhibit is digital artist Laurence Gartel. Selected work will be exhibited at b.j.spoke gallery in Huntington, NY. Read the full call to artists →
Artist in Residence at Artisphere
Deadline: June 4. Artisphere is offering a free 500 square foot studio space for one artist each for a five month time period in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. This studio is located at the main entrance of the facility. In return for free work space, the artist would be required to interact with the public and do a final exhibit in their studio of their work created while in residence. More on the residence →
Emerging Artists — Kennedy Center
Deadline: June 30. A juried competition and national touring exhibition of work by emerging young visual artists with disabilities, ages 16–25. Artists are invited to reflect on the theme The Journey — internal and external, personal and communal, human and technological — our journeys shape our aesthetic and environmental terrain and define our daily lives. Read the full call to artists →
Position at Old Town Editions
Old Town Editions has an opening for a full-time assistant studio manager. More about the position →
Open Call at Hillyer
Deadline: September 28. Hillyer is now accepting proposals for solo exhibitions for our 2015/2016 exhibition season. Hillyer presents monthly exhibitions and each accepted artist is given a room in our three room gallery space to present their work. Read the full call to artists →
Studio space available
Studios have onsite free parking and 24/7 access. Each artist has a key to the building’s main entrance and a studio key. All studios have full spectrum lighting with a color temperature matching sunlight. The building has twelve studios ranging in size from 197 to 1,064 sq. ft. and a larger 1,186 sq. ft. industrial space for a commercial artist or group of artists. Near intersection of Duke Street and S. Quaker Lane (2.5 miles from Torpedo Factory). Contact Liz Boynton 703-759-4227, cell 703-638-8369, [email protected].
Re-runs: the announcements below have previously appeared here, but their deadlines still haven’t passed.
Photography competition
Deadline: March 20. The Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter its 4th annual Focal Point, an open-juried all photography competition. Following exhibition guidelines, any 2-D or 3-D work created in any form of photography will be considered. More on the competition →
Torpedo Factory jury
Receiving: Monday, March 24. This is the annual jury process to become a member of the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. On the first day of the Annual Jury, applicants bring five pieces of their artwork plus a CD with images of 10-20 additional works, completed application, and a $75.00 fee to the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. The work will be juried over the second and third days. More on the jury process →
Call for sculptors
Deadline: March 30. For “Gedankenexperiment,” presented by the Washington Sculptors Group and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, applicants will consider some scientific/mathematical theory, hypothesis, or principle as their inspiration and externalize these thought experiments in a sculptural expression. Non-traditional ideas and broad interpretations of “Gedankenexperiment” are encouraged. Audio-visual and Performance Art will be considered with the understanding that the artist will supply all his/her own equipment. Entry is restricted to WSG members — non-members can join by paying annual dues of $45. Read the full call to artists →
Mayhem
Deadline: March 31. For this exhibit at Gallery Underground in Crystal City, artists should depict the theme “Mayhem” visually. The juror is Mark Cameron Boyd, and the exhibit benefits the Arlington Artists Alliance. More on the exhibit →
Target Gallery open call
Deadline: March 31. This Open Call for proposals for an exhibition in the summer of 2014 is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. Proposals for exhibitions by both individuals and groups will be considered. Our jurors this year are Mark Cameron Boyd, Schwanda Rountree and Cory Oberndorfer. More about the open call →
The Trawick Prize
Deadline: April 7. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites eligible artists to enter The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. Jurors will select up to 10 finalists who will be invited to display their work in a group exhibition at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda in September 2014. More about the Trawick Prize →
Transformations
Deadline: April 12. Entry to “Transformations” at the McLean Project for the Arts is open to all Mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV). The journey from one thing or state to another can be explored or demonstrated through any technique, approach or medium, conceptually and/or formally. Read the full prospectus (PDF) →
“Artist Friendly” Perspective
Drawing & Sketching Architecture at the National Building Museum
Friday–Sunday, March 28–30
$300
For this weekend workshop, visiting instructor Nick Raynolds isn’t approaching perspective with math-heavy theory, but based on the premise that this essential tool of naturalistic painting is all about identifying and describing a convincing depiction of space.
This workshop will be taught both in and out of the classroom, revolving around a trip to the National Building Museum. Students should have some drawing experience. In addition to their drawing or painting materials, students should also bring a piece of plexiglass, around 8″ × 10″, and a black felt-tipped marker.
Here’s Raynolds’s plan for the workshop:
On the first day of this workshop, we will be in the studio talking about the theory of linear perspective and composition. I will present a slide show and lecture in which we will discuss master paintings of architecture and an outline of the principles relevant to the subject. In the afternoon I’d like to get everyone to do at least one drawing of an invented space; we’ll work through this together in one-on-one critiques.
Nick Raynolds
The next day we’ll spend the day on location at the National Building Museum in DC, where participants will pick a location and work up a drawing all of Saturday and Sunday morning. I’ll be coming around to everyone and offering individual critiques. On Sunday afternoon, we’ll have a class wrap-up back at the studio, look at everyone’s efforts, and tackle any lingering questions.
Occasionally you’ll find art students, both beginners as well as those more advanced, who are surprised to find that linear perspective applies to more than just drawing buildings. Though we will be focusing on architecture, the study of linear perspective deepens one’s understanding of other subjects such as still-life and the figure (see George Bridgeman for example) and is an essential component to representational painting.”
About the instructor: Nicholas Raynolds’ formal studies in art were conducted in Düsseldorf, Germany; Vancouver and Halifax, Canada; Seattle, WA and in New York at the Water Street Atelier and Studio 126. Raynolds has taught in New York at the National Academy School of Fine Arts, The Art Students League of New York and the Long Island Academy of Art. He has also taught at the Gage Academy of Art (WA) and Studio Incamminati (PA). Mr. Raynolds has exhibited nationally and abroad and can be found in national and international collections, including The Forbes Collection (NY). He is represented by the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery (NY) and the John Pence Gallery (CA) and Haynes Galleries (TN). His work has been published in American Artist: Drawing Magazine; The Artist’s Magazine; American Art Collector and on the cover of John Updike’s novel, Seek My Face.
