Real student artwork from classes and camps on The Art League’s actual fridge. (Not part of the exhibit.)
With Summer Art Camp registration just starting up, there’s no better time to show off some of the artwork by our young students!
A companion exhibit to the annual Student/Faculty Show downstairs, the Young Artists Student Show features artwork by the past year’s students in our classes for teens and kids ages 5 and up. You can find it on the second floor of the Torpedo Factory, outside the School office.
Self-portraits by students in Ali Wunder’s Art Fun-damentals class for 5–8 year-olds.Still lifes by students in Ali Wunder’s class.Ceramics by students in Art Fun-damentals (ages 5–8) with instructor Jean Stark.Above and below: paintings by students in Karen Day’s classes, Painting And Drawing (ages 8–12) and Creative Painting and Drawing for Teens.
For our catalog of classes for kids and teens, click here.
For photos from the rest of the Student/Faculty Show downstairs, see this blog post.
Receiving: March 1 & 2. For this exhibit at Del Ray Artisans in Alexandria, let your dreams inspire your art. All area artists are invited to explore and express in any medium.More about the exhibit →
All-Media Exhibit
Receiving: March 2 & 3. The March exhibit in The Art League Gallery is an all-media exhibit juried by Liza Key Strelka. Entry is open to all Art League members. More about the exhibit →
Faces of Humanity
Deadline: March 9. Art-Competition.net is proud to announce this call for artists with $7,600 in cash and prizes. The artwork or photography should capture the diversity of humanity in faces. The emotion, beauty, love, hope and wisdom in the faces should connect the viewer to the many different cultures of the world. The work can be from representational to non-representational. More about the exhibit →
Touchstone Foundation Fellowship
Deadline: March 30. The Fellowship provides a 2 year membership in Touchstone Gallery in downtown DC. This guarantees a solo exhibition as well as participation in gallery group shows, mentorship, and a presence on the gallery website. The monetary value of the fellowship exceeds $4,500. The Fellowship is awarded to 1 or more emerging artists who have not been represented by a commercial gallery in at least 10 years. The application and related information can be found on the TFA website.
In the foreground: Riding Free, a stained glass bicycle by Ann Abercrombie.
This year’s Student/Faculty Show is open through this Sunday, March 1, when we’ll have a closing reception (come join us, 2:00–4:00 pm) and the announcement of awards.
The exhibit’s judge was Joseph C. DiBella, an artist and Distinguished Professor of Art at the University of Mary Washington. He selected a number of works among the hundreds in the show for special recognition:
Process and Communication by Jean Stark won the Best in Show award (class: Lisa Semerad, Pencil Techniques)Reclining Male by Susan O’Neill won the John Foreman Life Figure Award (class: Robert Liberace, The Figure and Portrait)Sunset by Sheila Flanders won the Landscape Award (class: Lisa Semerad, Painting Projects)“Ready, Set, …” by Virginia Coffindaffer won the Potomac Valley Watercolorist Award (class: Gwen Bragg, Watercolor: Start to Finish)No Peace for the Wicked by Elena Strunk won the Jennie Lea Knight Creativity Award (class: Bev Ryan, Developing the Narrative)Cities by Sandra Dalal won the Dennis Davis Award (class: Carlos Beltran Baldiviezo, Ceramics)
DiBella also named 18 Equal Merit Awards, listed here along with the artist’s class and instructor:
Harriet Westfall, Ocean Deep (Bryan Jernigan / Abstract Painting)
Allison O’Shea, Fish Grotto/Portland Street View
(Patrick Kirwin / Trompe L’oeil and Photorealism)
Gerlinde Binder, Untitled (Delna Dastur / Abstracting with Acrylic Paints)
Dominique Cooper, In Honor of Dorothy Height, Civil Rights Leader
(Renate Maile-Moskowitz / Advanced Felting)
Cheryl Roesel, Origami Bag
(Renate Maile-Moskowitz / Wet Felting: Expanding the Possibilities)
Stephen Sherwin, Snow Fall (Jimmy Powers / Stained Glass)
Masami Bryant, Pinwheel (Kirke Martin / Ceramics)
David Marquardt, Untitled (John Murray / Still Life in Oil)
Robin Brown, Industrial Revolution (Beverly Ryan / Abstract Painting)
Julie Sagatov, Eye of the Storm (Marsha Staiger / Abstract Acrylic & Mixed Media)
Sharon Lienemann, Violets in Bloom – Shawl
(Andrea Blackmon / Projects and Advanced Weaving)
Monica Kruszka, Barbie: Deconstructed (Beverly Ryan / Abstract Painting)
Betsey Goldberg, Roman Ruins (Rachel Collins / Watercolor From Start to Finish)
Don Rubin, Path From Above (Marsha Staiger / Emerge: Advanced Acrylic and Mixed Media)
Samantha L. Shelton, At the Door (Penny Barringer / Printmaking Projects and Techniques)
Scott Van Domelen, Untitled (Lisa Semerad / Figure Drawing: Long Pose)
Sung Ho Chung, Waiting For the Tide (Peter Ulrich / The Watercolor Experience)
Ann Abercrombie, Riding Free (Jimmy Powers / Stained Glass)
We hope you’ll come see the show before it closes Sunday! For the judge’s statement and full exhibit program, see the exhibit page.
“I had lots of mentors in my life without whom I don’t know where I would be.”
Can you think of the mentors in your life that helped you become who you are today? You can pay that feeling forward and be an important part of a young person’s life. It all starts with attending an info session to see if Space of Her Own is right for you.
Space of Her Own (SOHO) is a mentoring program for at-risk girls in Alexandria, with art and life skills forming the foundation of the program. To find out more about how to mentor, read on.
SOHO Old Town is holding an info session for mentors on Friday, February 27, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in The Art League’s Madison Annex at 305 Madison Street. We need adult women to be mentors for the 2015/16 school year! Please RSVP to [email protected].
Taryn Wilkinson, quoted above, is just one of the SOHO mentors in the Old Town program this year. She found the mentorship listed on idealist.org. Having heard about the program already because of the SOHO photography exhibit, Taryn signed up.
Making aprons in the 2012/13 school year.
Since then, it’s become a part of the week for Taryn to look forward to. “It’s taken me by surprise,” she said.
SOHO Old Town meets every Tuesday. When Taryn and the other mentors arrive, the girls are finishing up a life skills lesson. They talk about the lesson and have dinner together, followed by that week’s art project.
Art is a central component of SOHO, with an eye toward the ultimate goal from which the program gets its name: Space of Her Own. In April, the year’s program culminates with a room renovation to transform the girls’ bedrooms into a beautiful, personal space. Projects like mosaic mirrors, lampshades, and the big photography project make that space unique.
The artistic angle of SOHO is part of what made mentoring a good fit for Taryn, an art enthusiast from an arts-oriented family. With a background in painting, drawing, and music, she finds the weekly art projects not only keep things interesting, but pushes each mentee-mentor pair toward a new accomplishment each time they meet. That’s especially important for girls who don’t have time or supplies for art at home or school.
All the paints for this year’s room renovations!
This SOHO year got started in early fall. For mentors, it began with mentor-only meetings to learn about what to expect. The first few meetings take place before mentors are paired with mentees on Match Night, after which they continue building a relationship with weekly meetings and other outings. Part of the program is driving the girls home at the end of the night to build a relationship with her family, too.
Right now is the most exciting time of the year, Taryn said. They’re doing more outings and get-togethers, like a cookie decorating night, and getting ready for those room renovations in April.
Foreground: Riding Free by Ann Abercrombie, who took Stained Glass with instructor Jimmy Powers.
We love sharing photos and videos of students in action in our classrooms — but what’s even better is the annual Student/Faculty Show, where you can see in person what our student body has done in the past year!
Hermes Head Study (detail) by Irina Parshikova, a student in Thanasi Papapostolou’s Figure Sculpture class.Foreground: Work by ceramics instructors Joan Ulrich, Susan Cohen, and Susan Greenleaf.
The Art League’s students and our wonderful faculty bring out their best work for this exhibit, so make sure you see it by Sunday, March 1! The closing reception will be held that day from 2:00–4:00 pm.
Each piece is labeled with the artist’s name and the class they took, so if anything has you thinking “Hey, I want to do that,” take a closer look and browse the catalog here!
Artwork by instructors Tea Okropiridze (tapestry), George Tkabladze (sculpture), and Scott Hutchison (drawing and painting).Foreground: Soft Serve by Amanda Traub, who took ceramics classes with Blair Meerfeld.Paintings by Art League instructors (clockwise from right) John Murray, Peter Ulrich, and Robert Liberace.Debonair Monkey by ceramics instructor Kathlyn J. Avila.
More photos and news to come, including the announcement of the student awards!
Five hours and hundreds of artworks after it started, the biggest Patrons’ Show Fundraiser in history ended Sunday night with lots of happy patrons and some very empty walls!
These artists won prizes:
Geri Gordon First Choice Award, given to the artwork selected in the First Choice Raffle:
(#426) Charlene Nield, Lucille & Max
Clemente Family Award, for first artwork selected in main drawing:
(#186) Jane Johnson, Tempest
Halt, Buzas, and Powell Popular Vote Award, chosen by popular vote:
(#104) Wendy Donahoe, Deer Isle Cottage
The Van Landingham Awards (chosen by juror Twig Murray)
(#104) Wendy Donahoe, Deer Isle Cottage
(#305) Joyce McCarten, Provence Fields
(#415) Barbara Muth, Bathing
(#412) Larry Rood, Skipjack at Rest
Tempest by Jane JohnsonLucille & Max by Charlene NieldDeer Isle Cottage by Wendy Donahoe
We have a lot of people to thank for this incredible fundraiser:
Our artist donors, who gave over 700 works of art this year
Our patrons, who support our mission by buying tickets
Our staff and volunteers who make everything happen
Tom Roberts, who once again lent his technical knowledge
Deadline: March 2. Hamiltonian Artists encourages all interested artists who have not had prior gallery representation to apply for their competitive, two-year fellowship program. More about the fellowships →
All Watercolors
Deadline: March 2. Art-Competition.net announces a call to artists for an online juried international competition with $7,600 in cash prizes. The competition is open to all artists 18 years of age or older working in watercolor medium. More about “All Watercolors” →
High School artists
Deadline: March 14. The Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery is sponsoring an art competition for all high school sophomores, juniors and seniors from Montgomery County, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC. More about the competition →
Mid-Atlantic Painting Competition
Deadline: July 15. The University of Mary Washington Galleries, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia are proud to host the tenth edition of our juried painting competition. It is open to artists 18 years of age and older living in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Entries will be judged by a guest juror. Cash prizes and a purchase award are also available. The exhibition will be on view January 15–February 28, 2016. For more information, visit umwgalleries.org.
The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is this Sunday, February 15! It all starts at 4:00 pm, though you can get here to take your seat as early at 3:00. Here’s everything you need to know:
How to Join In
There are still some tickets left at the time of this blog post! To get yours, click here:
Even if you can’t come on Sunday, you can join the fun with the First Choice Raffle Ticket, on sale in the Gallery. See below for details!
Because 600+ pieces is a lot to keep track of, we’ve posted a number of tools to help you make your lists. For the most up-to-date versions of these downloads, visit our Patrons’ Show Fundraiser homepage.
Who gets the first pick of all this Sunday? The winner of the First Choice Raffle! Buy one raffle ticket for $15 or two for $25 and you could win that piece you’ve been eyeing …
Tickets are available for sale in the Gallery right up until the drawing on Sunday. You don’t need to have a Patrons’ Show ticket to purchase a raffle ticket.
Cast Your Vote
Stop by the Gallery desk to pick up a ballot and vote for your favorite piece in the Patrons’ Show. The artist whose piece wins the popular vote takes home $100!
Gallery Hours This Weekend
Thursday: 10:00 am–9:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Valentine’s Day in Old Town
SOUPer Saturday: Saturday, February 14
Torpedo Factory Art Center, 9:00 am–12:00 noon
For $20 this SOUPer Saturday, purchase an handmade ceramic bowl and receive a cup of clam chowder donated by our neighbor, the Chart House. All bowls have been generously created and donated by Torpedo Factory artists, and proceeds benefit United Community Ministries, a Route 1 corridor social-service agency serving Alexandria and Fairfax.
Restaurant specials in Old Town
Some of our favorite restaurants in Old Town are having some Valentine’s Days specials this Saturday. Support those who have continued to support us!
With the Patrons’ Show Fundraiser drawing set for this Sunday, we’re getting ready for hundreds of visitors this weekend as ticketholders come to pick out their favorites!
Even those without tickets will be coming in to see some fantastic work by their favorite artists and buy a First Choice Raffle ticket ($15 for 1 or $25 for 2 — no Patrons’ Show ticket is necessary).
Check back next week to see what happens Sunday. Before things got too crowded in the gallery, we snapped some quick pictures to show you what things are looking like.
“Sometimes I get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” — Ansel Adams
Chesapeake Bay Arts Show
Dates: May 15–16. Chesapeake Bay Waterfowl Arts Show: A Celebration of the Traditional Arts of the Bay is looking for quality artists! This show is located indoors at St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown, MD. The fee is $85 per booth. To receive an application form, send an email including photos of your work to: [email protected]. More information will be posted here.
Share your failures
Deadline: March 9. For “Lower Moments” at Pleasant Plains Workshop in NW DC, you are encouraged to submit your most embarrassing artwork, art moment, curatorial disaster, embarrassing artist statement, or awkward art story! More about “Lower Moments” →
Truro Anglican Church
Receiving: March 18–19. As part of the City of Fairfax’s Spotlight on the Arts, Truro Anglican Church presents its 5th Spring Arts Festival Art Show. Work can be submitted in two categories: Adult and Youth. Work will be exhibited in the Truro Anglican Church Gallery and Undercroft from March 20 – May 22, 2015. Cash prizes will be awarded to each age category. More about the Spring Arts Festival →
Small Works on Paper
Deadline: April 20. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania invites all artists to participate in a juried exhibition of small works on paper in conjunction with The 25th Annual International Conference on Virginia Woolf. Works on paper (15″ x 11″ or smaller) in all traditional and experimental visual arts media, including photography, will be considered. More about the exhibit →
Re-runs: the announcements below have appeared here before, but it’s not too late to apply!
3-D art last chance!
Deadline: February 11, 4:00 pm. Artful Dimensions Gallery in Fredericksburg, VA invites artists to submit to their April show, “Dimensional Expressions.” All 3-D media are eligible. More about the exhibit →
2-D art last chance!
Deadline: February 12. Fresh Paint Magazine is looking for submissions from emerging and mid-career artists for our juried April 2015 Issue. Artists working in two dimensional fine art disciplines (except photography) are welcome to submit their work. Juror: Margaret Winslow. More about the magazine →
Bethesda Painting Awards last chance!
Deadline: February 13. The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites eligible artists to enter the Bethesda Painting Awards. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC. More about the painting awards →
Lost & Found last chance!
Deadline: February 13. The Off-Rhode Gallery at Art Enables invites artists in the Washington, Virginia, Maryland area to participate in “Lost & Found,” a show featuring work created with found materials, or regarding items both lost and found. Off-Rhode Gallery at Art Enables is a gallery for self-taught and emerging artists however, this call is open to all artists working in all mediums (including photography) and preference will be given to self-taught artists. Read the call for artists →
Emulsion at East City Art last chance!
Deadline: February 15. This call for entry is open to all residents 18 years of age or over who reside or create art within 50 miles of East City Art’s headquarters located at 922 G Street SE. Artworks in all media are eligible; the theme is “Emulsion.” Download the prospectus (PDF) →
Emerging clay artists
Deadline: February 17. The May 2015 issue of Ceramics Monthly will feature the works of emerging clay artists. US and international clay artists who have been actively pursuing a career in ceramics for less than ten years are encouraged to apply. Read the rules (PDF) →
Art about first responders
Deadline: February 20. “Visions of Courage, Impressions of Service” at Lorton’s Workhouse Arts Center will express, through art, the values of the first responders and interpretations of police, fire and first responders from around the world. The exhibit coincides with the World Police and Fire Games in Fairfax. Entries are limited to 2-D art. More about the exhibit →
Paint Annapolis
Deadline: February 22. Paint Annapolis is a five-day juried plein air painting competition held June 8-14, 2015, that brings to Annapolis plein air painters from around the world. Artists are juried in to participate, and a judge awards prizes at the competition. More about Paint Annapolis →
Public sculpture proposals
Deadline: February 27. The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) in Maryland is seeking up to 13 artists to participate in its Fourth Annual Juried Public Art Competition for a temporary outdoor exhibit from August 2015 – July 2016 . HCAC’s goal is to make art more accessible to the entire community by placing sculpture at sites throughout Howard County. Read the Request for Proposals (PDF) →
Richmond Gallery seeking proposals
Deadline: March 1. 1708 Gallery in Richmond, VA is currently accepting proposals for 2016 and 2017. National and international artists and curators are encouraged to submit proposals to exhibit work in all mediums (including but not limited to: video and film, new media, installation, sculpture, performance, painting and social practice). More about 1708 Gallery →
Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship
Deadline: March 2, 2015. The 8th annual open call to the Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship is now open. Advancing the professional development of emerging visual artists, the two-year program serves as a steppingstone for the next generation of contemporary artists in Washington, DC. More about the Hamiltonian Fellowship →
Summer exhibit at Target Gallery
Deadline: March 9. This call is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. The selected artist or group will receive a solo exhibition at the Target Gallery from July 25 – August 30, 2015, as well as a stipend and an exhibition catalog. A panel of independent arts professionals will review submissions and select the final proposal. Our jurors this year are John James Anderson, Amy Boone-McCreesh, and Alex Goldstein. More about exhibiting at Target Gallery →
Virginia artists
Deadline: March 13 (early bird February 16). The Bay School Community Arts Center in Mathews, VA invites all adult Virginia artists to enter Art Speaks on the Bay 2015, a juried exhibit with $3,200 in prize money. More about “Art Speaks on the Bay” →
South Atlantic Juried Exhibit
Deadline: March 20. This exhibit will be at the Montpelier Center in Montpelier, VA. The South-Atlantic Juried Exhibition is open to all professional artists who reside in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. More about the exhibit →
2016 Solo Exhibits
Deadline: March 25. VisArts in Rockville, MD invites artists working in all media to apply for 2016 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery and Common Ground Gallery. More about exhibiting at VisArts →
“Red”
Deadline: March 30. Gallery Underground in Crystal City is asking artists to explore the color red for an exhibit opening April 27, juried by watercolorist Frank Eber. More about “Red” →
Torpedo Factory loading dock mural
Deadline: March 31. This is an open call for artists to design and execute a mural to cover the exterior of the Torpedo Factory Art Center loading dock. More about the mural →
Philadelphia Craft Show
Deadline: April 1. The 39th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, a juried exhibition and retail sale, will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from November 12 to 15, 2015, with a Preview Party on November 11. The jury will accept 195 craft artists. More about the show →
Art @ the Park
Deadline: April 10 (early bird April 4). Art @ the Park 2015 is a regional festival (Mid-Atlantic Region) located in Annapolis MD in the magnificent setting of Quiet Waters Park. It features original art work from exhibitors throughout the region and includes musical performances, children’s activities, eclectic food, wine and beer. More about exhibiting at the festival →
Smithfield Arts Festival
Deadline: April 10. The Smithfield (Virginia) Fall Festival of the Arts is a juried outdoor fine art show featuring accomplished travelling artists from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. There will be live entertainment throughout the day on an adjacent stage. The show has openings for more than 80 artists in the first year, and room for expansion in the future. We welcome artists working in Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber/Leather, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Painting, Photography, Wood, and other media. Prizes include $1,000 for Best in Show, and $200 prizes for first place in each category. More about the festival →
Interactivity: Sight and Sound
Deadline: April 17. Sounds, music or voices seen as colors is referred to as synesthesia. Artists are invited to consider this concept and propose an exhibit of works that might connote or express it for an exhibit at Montgomery College. More about “Interactivity: Sight and Sound” →
Bethany Beach Boardwalk
Deadline: May 1. The 37th Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival will be held Saturday, September 12. Entry is open to artists 18 and over. More about the festival →
L’occhio di Shui (The Eye of Shui) by Shui Mao. Image used with permission.
Ask Rose, Katie, Kevin, and Raquel in the Gallery what their favorite office supply is. Then, ask them what question visitors have most often. The answer is the same.
Red dots!
Why do you see these spots around The Art League? Red dots on a gallery wall mean simply mean that a piece has sold. Hence why they’re our favorite! By using the red dot, we can indicate a piece is no longer for sale while still leaving it on view for the remainder of an exhibit.
Katie and Rose
The red dot has a bit of a history. They’ve been used for decades in galleries around the world. Some use a red marker, and some use the sticker. Online, the red dot has mostly disappeared, and pieces in image galleries are just marked “SOLD” — how utilitarian!
If you ever see a yellow dot, by the way, that means a 24-hour hold has been placed by a prospective purchaser.
Our happy wall
For all that history, the dot’s origins are mysterious. None of the gallery owners we contacted knew why we use red dots — and not, say, a gold star. But we do have some theories!
Red stands out on white gallery walls
Red markers and labels are common and easy to find
Red intuitively means “stop, it’s already sold”
Somebody used a red sticker one day and it just … stuck (sorry)
The red dot archetype has been passed down from our ancestral artists
Robert-Jean Ray, curator at Red Dot Gallery in Sacramento, reports it’s an American gallery tradition that can probably be dated to the height of the art market back in the late 1950s. Colin from the Red Dot Gallery in Norfolk, England shared his experiences in Japanese art galleries, where sales are conducted differently and red dots aren’t used. You also won’t see them in high-end London galleries, which may simply remove the information card or not use one in the first place.
Any theories from our readers? Happy memories of red dots? We’d love to hear them! Whatever the reason, now you know why red dots make galleries everywhere feel warm and fuzzy.
“Red Dots” was Shanthi Chandrasekar’s 2011 exhibit at The Art League.
“A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish.” — W.H. Auden
3-D artwork
Deadline: February 11, 4:00 pm. Artful Dimensions Gallery in Fredericksburg, VA invites artists to submit to their April show, “Dimensional Expressions.” All 3-D media are eligible. More about the exhibit →
Waverly Street
The Waverly Street Gallery, a cooperative gallery in downtown Bethesda since 1993, is accepting applications for membership from artists in various media. A gallery committee will be interviewing for prospective new members in the beginning of March.
For information and instructions on how to apply, please visit their website.
Summer exhibit at Target Gallery
Deadline: March 9. This call is open to all artists from North America working in all visual media. The selected artist or group will receive a solo exhibition at the Target Gallery from July 25 – August 30, 2015, as well as a stipend and an exhibition catalog. A panel of independent arts professionals will review submissions and select the final proposal. Our jurors this year are John James Anderson, Amy Boone-McCreesh, and Alex Goldstein. More about exhibiting at Target Gallery →
2016 Solo Exhibits
Deadline: March 25. VisArts in Rockville, MD invites artists working in all media to apply for 2016 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery and Common Ground Gallery. More about exhibiting at VisArts →
Art @ the Park
Deadline: April 10 (early bird April 4). Art @ the Park 2015 is a regional festival (Mid-Atlantic Region) located in Annapolis MD in the magnificent setting of Quiet Waters Park. It features original art work from exhibitors throughout the region and includes musical performances, children’s activities, eclectic food, wine and beer. More about exhibiting at the festival →
Smithfield Arts Festival
Deadline: April 10. The Smithfield (Virginia) Fall Festival of the Arts is a juried outdoor fine art show featuring accomplished travelling artists from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. There will be live entertainment throughout the day on an adjacent stage. The show has openings for more than 80 artists in the first year, and room for expansion in the future. We welcome artists working in Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber/Leather, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Painting, Photography, Wood, and other media. Prizes include $1,000 for Best in Show, and $200 prizes for first place in each category. More about the festival →
Bethany Beach Boardwalk
Deadline: May 1. The 37th Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival will be held Saturday, September 12. Entry is open to artists 18 and over. More about the festival →
Every year, The Art League gets over 600 pieces of artwork generously donated for our Patrons’ Show Fundraiser. We also get about 150 unframed pieces that we need to mat and frame — so they’re wall-ready for 150 lucky patrons!
Tiffany and Kevin are doing the bulk of the framing this year. On Friday, we stopped by the Madison Annex to make sure they were keeping busy (which they were) and pick up some tips for framing.
Here’s what we heard:
#1: Wear gloves. Keep Band-Aids nearby. Don’t bleed on the artwork.
Safety first!
#2: Don’t forget the tunes!
Try the Spotify “framing jams” playlist.
#3: Invest in a good point-driver and acid-free materials. Oh, and an electric screwdriver.
The point-driver (above) and electric screwdriver are big time-savers. And acid-free matboard and foam core keep the artwork looking good for years to come.
#4: Measure twice, cut once.
Always good advice, and doubly good with a project this big!
Thank you to Tiffany, Kevin, and all our framers for your hard work — and these tips!
Every year, The Art League gets over 600 pieces of artwork generously donated for our 
