Month: December 2015

A Look Ahead at 2016

You know we like to keep busy at The Art League — and we like to keep you busy, too! Highlights in the Gallery this year include a slate of exciting solo artists and the return of the biennial Ikebana exhibit.

Here’s a list of every exhibit, major event, and school term dates for 2016:

January 2016

  • Monday, January 11: Winter Term begins at the School
  • Saturday, January 16: Patrons’ Show Fundraiser tickets go on sale — online only

“Muted”
Tuesday, January 5–Sunday, January 31: For “Muted,” artists are encouraged to focus on using a limited palette, explore a subtle composition, soft representation, or discuss thoughts that are not openly or strongly expressed. Juried by Allison Nance.

Solo Preview Exhibit
Wednesday, January 6–Sunday, January 24: The Art League’s Solo Preview Exhibit will premiere a work by each of our 2016 solo artists. (See below!)

SOHO Photography Exhibit
Monday, January 25–Sunday, January 31: Photographs taken and developed by the girls in the Space of Her Own arts mentorship program.

February 2016

patrons-show-2015-7

  • Monday, February 8: registration begins for Spring classes and Summer Art Camp

Patrons’ Show Fundraiser
February 1–14 (Tickets go on sale: Saturday, January 16 / Drawing: Sunday, February 14, 4:00 pm)
Don’t miss out on the best art fundraiser in the DC area! Details are at the link above.

Student/Faculty Show
Wednesday, February 17–Sunday, February 28: The Art League’s annual Student/Faculty exhibit showcases the diversity and talent of our prestigious visual arts school in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

March 2016

Night Glow by Fritz Descroches
Night Glow by Fritz Descroches
  • Sunday, March 13: Winter classes end

Ikebana
Thursday, March 3–Sunday, March 6: Floral arrangements created to pair with works of art. This exhibit comes to The Art League for four days only, every two years!

March Open Exhibit
Tuesday, March 8–Sunday, April 3: A juried exhibit of artwork in all media by Art League artists.

Fritz Desroches: “The Caribbean – How Beautiful”
Wednesday, March 9–Sunday, April 3, 2016: Airbrush paintings full of color, movement, and happiness. Desroches shows off both vibrant examples of daily activities and traditional elements of Haitian art.

April 2016

Plague by Teresa Oaxaca
Plague by Teresa Oaxaca
  • Monday, April 4: Spring Term begins at the School
  • Wednesday, April 20: Spring2ACTion, a 24-hour online fundraising event
  • Friday, April 29: Art on the Rocks

Orbit Exhibit
Tuesday, April 5–Sunday, May 1: Juried by Melissa Staiger.

Teresa Oaxaca: “Misfits”
Wednesday, April 6–Sunday, May 1: Teresa Oaxaca’s recent paintings explore themes of clowns, dolls, human effigies, and painted faces. All paintings in this exhibit will also be displayed in unique artist-designed and painted frames.

May 2016

B&B Quality Cleaners by Nancy McIntyre
B&B Quality Cleaners by Nancy McIntyre
  • Monday, May 9: registration begins for the Summer classes

May Open Exhibit (digital entry)
Tuesday, May 3–Sunday, June 5

Nancy McIntyre: “Rhythms of Time”
Wednesday, May 4–Sunday, June 5: Silk screens and acrylic paintings celebrating “the local, the small-scale, the eccentric, the ordinary.”

June 2016

Moon Over DC by Alex Tolstoy
Moon Over DC by Alex Tolstoy
  • Monday, June 6: Spring classes end
  • Monday, June 20: Summer classes and Summer Art Camp begin

June Open Exhibit
Tuesday, June 7–Sunday, July 3: A juried exhibit of artwork in all media by Art League artists.

“Tabletop”
Wednesday, June 8–Sunday, July 3: An international juried exhibit of functional tabletop fine craft.

Alex Tolstoy: “Watermarks”
Wednesday, June 8–Sunday, July 3: Watercolor paintings by a former research scientist in mathematics.

July 2016

Beach Houses by Kathleen Best Gillmann
Beach Houses by Kathleen Best Gillmann

“Not a Box” (digital entry)
Wednesday, July 6–Sunday, August 7: A juried exhibit of installation art.

Kathleen Best Gillmann: “Vision at Water’s Edge”
Wednesday, July 6–Sunday, August 7: Oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, inspired by the coast of southern Maine where the artist grew up.

August 2016

  • Monday, August 8: Registration opens for Fall Term classes
  • Friday, August 19: Last day of Summer Art Camp
  • Sunday, August 21: Summer classes end

’Scapes
Tuesday, August 9–Sunday, September 4: The annual juried landscape exhibit.

“Taking Shape”
Tuesday, August 9–Sunday, September 4: A juried exhibit of 3-D artwork.

September 2016

Rising Seas by Michael Fischerkeller
Rising Seas by Michael Fischerkeller
  • Monday, September 19: Fall classes begin
  • Date TBD: Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser at the King Street Art Festival

September Open Exhibit
Tuesday, September 6–Sunday, October 2

Michael Fischerkeller: “Art of Politics”
Wednesday, September 7–Sunday, October 2: Spraypainted paintings exploring the state of politics, by a doctor of political science.

October 2016

Floral Tapestry #1 by Anita Damron
Floral Tapestry #1 by Anita Damron

“OpEd”
Tuesday, October 4–Sunday, November 6

Anita Damron: “Transformations: Tapestries in Glass”
Wednesday, October 5–Sunday, November 6: The tapestries of India are the inspiration for these glass mosaics.

November 2016

Lost and Found by Soomin Ham
Lost and Found by Soomin Ham
  • Friday, November 4: Art on Tap
  • Monday, November 7: Registration begins for Winter classes
  • Sunday, November 20: Fall classes end

“MINImax” (digital entry)
Tuesday, November 8–Sunday, December 4: A juried exhibit of very small and very large works.

Soomin Ham: “Sound of a Butterfly”
Wednesday, November 9–Sunday, December 4: Photographs are re-photographed under ice and snow to create the final product.

December 2016

Blue Magdalene by Dennis Crayon
Blue Magdalene by Dennis Crayon
  • Date TBD: Artfête Open House, Holiday Party, Ceramics and Jewelry Sales

December Open Exhibit
Tuesday, December 6–December 31

Dennis Crayon: “That Which Was Once Whole”
Wednesday, December 7-December 31: Trompe l’œil paintings on panel that create “contemporary fragments of our culture.”

To make sure you don’t miss out on anything this year, sign up for our email list and check the boxes for what you’re interested in. If you’re already on our list, clicking that link will update your preferences.

Exhibits, News

The Art League’s Year in Review

Original painting: detail from Excavation by Beverly Ryan. Cover image: Branch by Deborah Ellis.
Original painting: detail from Excavation by Beverly Ryan. Cover image: Branch by Deborah Ellis.

4

new electric kilns in the Ceramics Department

250%

increase in Weaving enrollment

2,506

artworks exhibited in group shows at The Art League and Alexandria City Hall

2 years, 67 days

total time watched on our YouTube videos

Every year at The Art League means dozens of exhibits, hundreds of classes and workshops, and thousands of students. This year was no different.

But we also did lots of other fun stuff:

Some of this year’s most popular blog posts were answering questions like Why Do Galleries Use Red Dots?, What Art Class Should I Take?, and What is Surface Design?

Thank you for coming to class, exhibiting your work, attending events, reading this blog, and otherwise making this another great year for The Art League!

We’ll see you in 2016!

News

Q&A with Watercolorist Pat King

The Puppies by Patricia King. Winner of the Carolyn Zakaski Award for Best Watercolor in the December Open Exhibit.
The Puppies by Patricia King. Winner of the Carolyn Zakaski Award for Best Watercolor in the December Open Exhibit.

Sometimes, you see something and you just have to paint it. These two Whippets practically posed for their picture, so Patricia King took them up on the offer.

This month, juror Clint Mansell selected The Puppies as the best watercolor, and we asked the artist to tell us more about what and why she paints.

Who are The Puppies? What made you want to paint this scene in particular?
“The Puppies” are Anthony and Cleopatra, better known as Tony and Cleo. They are Whippets, and we have had 3 pairs over the years. I took this photo when they were 3 months old. I couldn’t resist them in that pose, and the light was perfect.

My most successful paintings are with subjects I know and love. I paint mostly flowers and animals.

Why are you a watercolorist? Do you work in other media as well?
I love watercolor because it is free and expressive. I have tried oil, acrylic and pastel many years ago. When I retired, I knew I must do something creative. I was a fashion designer and owned three retail stores.

Rainbow Peony by Patricia King, from the 2013 Art League exhibit "Flora and Fauna."
Rainbow Peony by Patricia King, from the 2013 Art League exhibit “Flora and Fauna.”

What’s your creative process like, from an idea to a finished piece?
After I have the idea, I think of the composition. Then I decide what kind of painting it will be. I do a lot of limited palette. The colors all “keyed” together is pleasing to me. Also, I like contrast against the subject. I do many dark backgrounds.

When the painting is semi-finished, I have it in the kitchen to look at every day until I think it is finished. Usually, there are several adjustments. Then it is ready to sign and have framed.

What do you think makes for a successful painting?
I think that a successful painting happens when you really enjoy the process.

What was your first experience with art as a child?
As a child I was always coloring, drawing and making clay figures.

Artist Interviews

Sculptor Caprica Peniza’s “The Last Woman”

Caprica Peniza - The Last Woman

Caprica Peniza won the Bertha G. Harrison Award for Best in Show for Figurative Sculpture this month.

The Last Woman, the garment-like terra cotta sculpture, was not only the first piece Caprica had ever entered at The Art League. At one time, it was the last piece of her artwork she had.

Caprica’s story of The Last Woman:

I’m native born creole from New Orleans. My mother has nurtured my art from day one.

The Last Woman’s journey began in Savannah, GA, where my husband and I studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I was a teacher’s assistant in the sculpture department. She started as an example of slab construction using a model — she was pregnant; so was I. But we lost that pregnancy.

She (The Last Woman) is different because of her make-up. She is formed from a special terra cotta in that her clay is lightweight and smooth like porcelain. Formulating glazes and clay bodies is my speciality. The glaze comes from a racuce glaze that I adapted for a kiln firing. This gives the glaze a bronze look to it.

The Last Woman by Caprica Peniza
The Last Woman by Caprica Peniza

Once I was done sculpting her, she became more to me than a teacher’s tool. This was after our loss. I didn’t finish school. I had one class to go and I was young and in love. Rene (my hubby) finished school and got a job working at NASA, so we left for Newport News, VA, where I thought I could continue my art career. But Newport News is dead as far as art. So I planned to have a show in New Orleans for Christmas. With high hopes, I took 15 sculptures and 10 paintings home to New Orleans (except for my girl, The Last Woman).

Then Katrina hit and all was lost. I was so devastated that I all but lost the will to paint or sculpt. From the stress we lost our third pregnancy.

The Last Woman was my last piece of work, my treasure. She was now my symbol of joy and sorrow. From everything to nothing, my husband and I started over. But sadnesses followed us: we’ve gone through eight miscarriages and my husband has had three job losses which caused us to surrender our home and move to a small apartment. On the third job loss we felt like we were done. Then a miracle happened when my husband got a job working for the Department of Defense, so we moved again within eight months.

The Last Woman (detail) by Caprica Peniza
The Last Woman (detail) by Caprica Peniza

A girlfriend from my church told me to go to the Torpedo Factory and told me about The Art League. I said to myself, “I have nothing left to lose, so just put her in. She should be loved by everyone as much as I do.”

So her form and shape has been myself: I have worn her and tempered in the fire to become stronger. If I was seen crying it is because being accepted in the show was so humbling and I felt that at that moment God gave me justice. The relief, the joy, and tears came pouring out at once. I had to have that journey to come here. The fact is that myself and many other women have worn her as The Last Woman.

— Caprica Peniza

Artist Interviews

Wendy Donahoe on the Spectrum of Drawing

Boston Girl, colored pencil, by Wendy Donahoe
Boston Girl, colored pencil, by Wendy Donahoe. Winner of the Gwen Lockhart Award for best in show.

Wendy Donahoe has been interviewed twice before in this space, both for award-winning graphite portraits. This month, her best-in-show portrait is in a different medium: colored pencil.

What does colored pencil offer that charcoal and graphite don’t? Why use colored pencil for a monochrome drawing?
Wendy Donahoe: In an earlier interview I was asked about my creative process in which I made the statement, “first I need to decide which medium would best suit my vision.” For Boston Girl, a drawing of my daughter Avery, I chose to use colored pencil working only with Prismacolor’s warm shades of gray, black and white, on a warm gray Colourfix paper. I’ve completed other drawings in this same manner, most notable, my 2010 colored pencil drawing, entitled Olivia.

“Why use colored pencil for a monochrome drawing?” My initial thought was not about my answer, but rather about a viewer discovering that works in colored pencil do not preclude they be exclusively rendered in a full spectrum of “color.”

"Olivia" by Wendy Donahoe won the Shayna Heisman Simkin Award in the 2010 September All-Media Show at The Art League.
“Olivia” by Wendy Donahoe won the Shayna Heisman Simkin Award in the 2010 September All-Media Show at The Art League.

“What does colored pencil offer that charcoal and graphite don’t?” To speak to this I’d like to flip “colored pencil” with “charcoal and graphite” in the question. When my drawings in these different mediums are hung side by side, they appear similar and in sync, with only subtle differences in the final resolution. There is an ease in working with charcoal and graphite, and the ability to achieve fine detail, that I don’t always find with colored pencil. I work my graphite and charcoal drawings on white paper, where the highlights are subtracted to reveal the white of the paper. I work my colored pencil drawings on a toned paper, where the highlights are applied using white and light toned pencils.

Nicholas, graphite, by Wendy Donahoe, winner of best in show in December 2012.
Nicholas, graphite, by Wendy Donahoe, winner of best in show in December 2012.

What was your goal with Boston Girl?
My goal with Boston Girl was the same as it is for all my work: to find that elusive element, and in doing so, hopefully provide a wide range of responses from the viewers. Clint Mansell, in his juror’s dialogue, sums it up quite simply: “Good art asks questions.”

Artist Interviews

Artist Opportunities #301

Shift, graphite, by Art League instructor Scott Hutchison.
Shift, graphite, by Art League instructor Scott Hutchison.

Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Full-time position at Brentwood Arts Exchange

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation is seeking an Assistant Arts Facility Manager at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Alexandria installations

Extended deadline: January 11. Up to ten artists or groups will be selected to create installation work (PDF) over the course of approximately 90 days within vacant, commercial properties throughout Alexandria, VA. Artists will be paid a commission of $2,500-$5,000 per project. Installation art is used in the broadest sense. We are looking for innovative, compelling, and community-inclusive work. All mediums, styles, and collaborations including those not necessarily associated with installation artwork will be considered. Group submissions are encouraged. There is no fee to submit.

Video fest

Deadline: January 20. The Brentwood Arts Exchange All-Screened Video Fest (PDF) is an open-call feature of short film and video work by regional filmmakers. Presented to the public in a social and appreciative atmosphere, the one-day festival is a showcase of known and unknown talent alike. One artist/filmmaker will be awarded Best in Festival with a $300 prize.

Maker Faire

Deadline: January 23 (early bird January 16). The NoVa Mini Maker Faire is held each spring in Reston, Virginia. Northern Virginia tech enthusiasts, engineers, woodworkers, artists, and craftspeople come together to show what they’re making. Makers who wish to sell work at their booth pay a fee; otherwise participation is free.

Emulsion 2016

Deadline: February 15. The third annual Emulsion juried show at East City Art is open to all 18 and over within 50 miles of East City Art in SE DC.

Artist Opportunities

Building 3-D Collages with David Alfuth

 

Architecture with Perspective #11 by David Alfuth. Winner of The Art League Award. (click for a larger image)
Architecture with Perspective #11 by David Alfuth. Winner of The Art League Award. (click for a larger image)

The tools of the trade are a sharp knife, adhesive, and a photocopier.

But of course, there’s much more to it than that. David Alfuth’s 3-D collages started years ago as a project for his eighth-grade art students, and since he got hooked, they’ve been branching in different directions.

After his piece Architecture with Perspective #11 won an award in this month’s Open Exhibit, we asked the artist a few questions for a Q&A. He told us about the origins of his collages and why his process isn’t too different from a painter’s:

What’s your creative process like, from an idea to a finished piece?
David Alfuth: My creative process is much like any other artist’s. I start with an idea, and I collect images that I think will help me with the piece. Now, as I start to put the pieces together, some work and some do not.

I change images, make some smaller and some larger to achieve the idea I am trying to get. I will take images out and add new ones that I feel give the piece a better look. 95 percent of the time, what I thought it would look like is nothing like what I end up with. I was a painter in my early days, and I find the process is about the same. You start out with an idea and change as you need to achieve your goal.

Architecture with Perspective #11 (detail)
Architecture with Perspective #11 (detail)

What are some examples of places you get your source material?
All my images come from books that I get from Dover Publications. I have to be very careful to have images that can be reproduced without any copyright infringement. Dover Publications offers me this ability. I have even had several of my works published in their catalog as examples of what you can do with their publications. I think I have just about every architectural book they publish.

How are these architecture pieces different from your botanical and narrative pieces?
I have to tell you that my art work started as a lesson for my eighth graders when I taught art. I needed a lesson to teach surrealism, and came up with the idea of using the images to create their project.

I started making examples for my students and found I was getting hooked. I, however, took it to the 3-D level. I started off with the 3-D relief narrative ideas because that is what my students were working on. Then I wanted to try and to create some free-standing sculptures, so I created the botanical series. I also have a cubist series that contain both relief and free standing work.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, What Happened To Your Garden? by David Alfuth (click for a larger image)
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, What Happened To Your Garden? by David Alfuth (click for a larger image)

I started on the architectural series because I liked the use of perspective as a element of surprise. It allowed me not only to create a 3-D piece but to give that magical element of depth. I want my viewers to look a little surprised after looking at one of my pieces.

Where does this fit in the Architecture with Perspective series?
The Architecture with Perspective series has changed in many different directions. The series started with very simple elements of architecture using perspective. I have also created free-standing sculptures by combining a series of stair cases. They are all named What Goes Up Must Come Down. These works did not employ as much perspective work as the first series. I am now creating new pieces that combine more unusual and different perspective view, and they are very ornate in decoration. This is my Ceiling series.

From David Alfuth's July 2014 exhibit at The Art League, “The Adventure”
From David Alfuth’s July 2014 exhibit at The Art League, “The Adventure”

What are you working on now?
I am now starting out a new venture where my pieces are in small cabinets. They still employ all the elements of architecture and perspective; however, when you open the doors to the cabinet, you find a small surprise! I am still working out the details on this new series. I am hoping to combine the architecture and the narrative elements of my first series. So we shall see where this idea goes.

The December Open Exhibit is open through January 4.

Artist Interviews

Seven Amazing Letters From Artists

Max Bohm to Emilie Bohm, 1889
Max Bohm to Emilie Bohm, 1889

Perhaps today’s famous artists send their delightful doodles as email attachments (if you get one, won’t you forward it to us?). In years past, they went through the mail, and — luckily for us — many survived so we can peek at them decades or even 100 years later.

Written by typewriter and by hand, these are some of our favorite letters from the Letters of Note blog. If you enjoy them, follow the links at the bottom of this post to explore some other sources!

Be sure to check out the illustrated letters collection at the Archives of American Art! If you’re interested in mail as art, rather than just letters by famous artists, here is the University at Buffalo Mail Art Collection and the Mogens Otto Nielsen mail art archive.

 

Artful Resources

Kathlyn Avila’s Extraordinary Women

Say hello to the group!
Say hello to the group!

This is a guest post by sculptor Kathlyn Avila, whose exhibit “No Ordinary Woman” is on view at The Art League through January 3. 

My process of generating ideas can begin with looking at photos, usually vintage photos that spark nostalgic memories of my childhood or stories from older relatives. Iʼm an observer of mannerisms, body language, and other little quirks of behavior that are identifiable to some personalities. I begin with a very broad idea of how I want the figure to look, but as it progresses, I let her do the talking as to how she wants to be “birthed.” Once I sculpt the eyes, I immediately detail the eyes by painting them with underglazes so I know she can see me. The nostrils come next. Itʼs at that point I feel we can communicate with each other and the character begins to really take form.

Griot (detail) by Kathlyn Avila
Griot (detail) by Kathlyn Avila

Iʼve always been fascinated with women who have exceptional knowledge and talents, whether it be a seamstress, a singer, or a grandmother. The women that I have become most curious about are the ones that donʼt have traditional jobs, but are fortune-tellers, tea leaf readers, or healers who know how to use roots or the power of prayer.

Before making narrative figures, I made cloth dolls. As I transitioned into working with clay, my goal was to explore a variety of glaze techniques and various mixed mediums that I could create texture and possibly give the illusion of textile. I want the surface of the clay to transform into a surface that canʼt be absorbed by the eye alone, but also by touch.

Seamstress Chatelaine

Seamstress Chatelaine by Kathlyn Avila
Seamstress Chatelaine by Kathlyn Avila (click for a larger image)

The Seamstress Chatelaine was inspired by those women that made careers out of sewing, mending and designing garments. For many women, sewing was considered to be a “respectable” job that enabled them to be able to contribute to the welfare of their families. A chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with household appendages such as scissors, thimbles, watches, keys, or tools of her trade.

The chatelaine.
The chatelaine.

My queen figure is crowned with vintage replica scissors and hat pins. She is a homage to an outstanding woman in my childhood neighborhood (the Nauck Community of Arlington, Virginia), Ms. Grace Hill, who was extremely gifted and recognized for her talents as a seamstress throughout the metropolitan area.

Pearl

Pearl by Kathlyn Avila. (click for a larger image)
Pearl by Kathlyn Avila. (click for a larger image)

The ceramic bust, Pearl, was inspired by a great aunt I never met. Her sepia colored photo in the family album always left me in a trance, mesmerized by her beauty. She died of pneumonia in her twenties in the 1920s. Aunt Pearl was stylishly elegant, dressed in typical twenties style dress, her hair was coiffed in meticulous placed finger waves. She was known for her calm, loving spirit. Although I didnʼt sculpt Pearl to look like my aunt, my intention was to capture her elegance and spirit. Pearl was selected Best In Show at the Clay National Exhibit at the Workhouse in Lorton.

Señora Fortuna

Señora Fortuna by Kathlyn Avila.
Señora Fortuna by Kathlyn Avila. Sold.

Who does not want to be touched by Lady Luck? Señora Fortuna is a figure that embodies the essence of good luck and protection. Her adornment is coated with symbolism and charms that are representative of various cultures. Her crown of wishbones adorns her head to capture “merry thoughts,” while her Native American turquoise charm that dangles with silver eagle feathers is centered on her forehead for honor and protection. Mexican milagros encircles her sacred heart as the three keys bracelet ensures you have good health, happiness and fortune. On the back of the Señora, the Hamsa is the final touch to draw in goodness, abundance, luck and good health.

The Tea Leaf Reader

Tea Leaf Reader by Kathlyn Avila.
Tea Leaf Reader by Kathlyn Avila.

While I was visiting in Spain and Mexico, I encountered gypsies who wanted to read my palm or tea leaves. The Tea Leaf Reader was a combination of my experiences with both. My inspiration was generated by my curiosity I have for women that practice that lifestyle. My interest is not in the telling of my fortune, but in the women themselves, their personalities and where they come from. My grandmother would tell us about a neighbor that she claimed was a gypsy, a free spirit woman with a family history of moving frequently. In Spain, I was told to stay away from the gypsies, never look at them in the eye. My attraction grew like a moth to a candle, I was drawn to look at them straight in the eye to see what powers of magic they had. While in Mexico, a beautiful gypsy woman strutted down the street like she owned it, her full ruffled skirt swayed rhythmically with every stride. Her confidence exuded from every pore, our eyes locked and the moth flew into the flame.

JuJu Woman

JuJu Woman by Kathlyn Avila.
JuJu Woman by Kathlyn Avila.

JuJu Woman has goat horns, which means perpetual abundance and determination. JuJu means energy; the experience of positive and negative forces all around us that charge our lives and shape each unique day on this planet. You know JuJu: itʼs that thing when you enter a space and get that “off” feeling in your gut telling you itʼs time to leave; itʼs the warm embrace of your loved ones, the sensation of sand between your toes walking on the shore. Itʼs the powerful stuff that we pick up on everywhere when we let our intuition take the reigns.

There are “No Ordinary Woman” figures among us. My figures have all been inspired by women, friends, or acquaintances that I have encountered in my life. Their stories, mannerisms, and quirks have been my treasure box of inspiration.

— Kathlyn Avila

Sculptures by Kathlyn Avila.
Sculptures by Kathlyn Avila.
Exhibits

Artist Opportunities #300

Calathea (detail) by Art League instructor Rachel Collins.
Calathea (detail) by Art League instructor Rachel Collins.

Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Alper Initiative

Deadline: none. The Alper Initiative for Washington Art accepts general exhibition submissions from Washington area artists and curators of all ages, medium, and backgrounds.

I Eat Therefore I Am

Deadline: February 29. “I Eat Therefore I Am” will be at Sipma Contemporary in Trenton, NJ. Artists are invited to express their take on food, body image, need, nourishment, obsession, and compulsion, anything that pertains to the human condition in question.

Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship

Deadline: March 1. The 9th annual open call for 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.

Philadelphia craft show

Deadline: April 1. The 40th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, a juried exhibition and retail sale, will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from November 10 to 13, 2016, with a Preview Party on November 9. The jury will accept 195 craft artists.

Re-runs: The listings below have appeared here before, but their deadlines still haven’t passed:

Boardwalk Art Show

Deadline: December 31. The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art invites you to apply to be one of 275 exhibitors at the 61st Annual Boardwalk Art Show along the Virginia Beach oceanfront, June 16–19, 2016. More about the Boardwalk Art Show →

Howard County Arts Council

Deadline: January 1, 2016. General exhibition applications for Howard County Arts Council galleries are reviewed on a quarterly basis. All artists ages 18 and over are eligible to apply. More about HCAC general exhibitions (PDF) →

Drop-off: January 7, 2016. For the HoCo Open 2016 exhibit, all artists in Howard County are eligible. More about HoCo Open 2016 →

Hole in the Sky

Deadline: January 3. Hole in the Sky, a cooperative artist-run live/work space located in NE Washington, DC, will hold a series of juried shows showcasing the work of artists living and working in the DC metro area. Works will be chosen by the merit of the individual works, and also by their interplay with surround pieces.

Maryland Federation of Art

The Maryland Federation of Art is hosting three upcoming exhibits and competitions. See details at the links above.

Fairfax County Artists

Deadline: January 6, 2016. The Arts Council of Fairfax County is pleased to announce the annual Strauss Artist Grant program for individual artists. Artists in all disciplines including visual arts, creative writing, theatre, dance performance, choreography, film, new media, music composition, and music performance are eligible to apply. More about the Strauss Artist Grants →

The Cube

Deadline: January 18, 2016. The Cube is an experimental and installation space programmed by Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC. The space, a roughly 20×20′ box, is equipped with several electrical outlets and track lighting. More about the Cube →

Sculpture residency

Deadline: January 25. Artist Residencies at the Carving Studio & Sculpture Center offer sculptors opportunities for inspiration and to create new work in the former marble quarry and manufacturing area of Vermont. Residencies are from one week to three months, featuring artists working in a diverse range of materials and techniques.

Delaplaine juried exhibit

Deadline: March 15. The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Frederick, MD, announces a call for entry. All media are eligible. Artwork for exhibition must have been completed in last 2 years and not previously exhibited at the Delaplaine. More about the 2016 National Juried Exhibit →

Artist Opportunities

Deck the Halls with Original Art!

Deck the halls with …

Brrr!

That’s the sound of bare walls and unadorned branches, calling out for a winter coat of ar(t)mor to keep them warm.

Art League artists have you covered this season, with original art for your home (and your friend’s)!

This year’s holiday ornaments are down at the Christmas Attic (125 S. Union St. in Alexandria, open 10:00 am–9:00 pm Monday to Saturday and 11:00–6:00 on Sunday). You can find them nestled snugly on this beautiful tree:

tree-2015

ornaments-2015

the-christmas-attic

Each piece is an original work of art, with media including painting, glass, and fiber.

More about the Holiday Ornament Collection →

Buy a gift card →

ornaments-2015-2

News

Paint With Us in the Bahamas This Winter!

Roof and Sky, Hope Town (and details) by Susan Abbott
Roof and Sky, Hope Town (and details) by Susan Abbott

Winter can be a beautiful time of year.

Especially if you spend it in the Bahamas!

Painter Susan Abbott makes that trip each year, and painters of all media join her to paint en plein air in one of our travel workshops. This winter, the workshop is February 3–9, 2016.

Read more in this blog post and this PDF brochure, and to register or ask questions, contact Travel Workshop Coordinator Margaret Cerutti at 703-683-1780 x13 or [email protected].

Travel Workshops

Special Art Opp: Want to Be a National Parks Photographer?

The Tetons and the Snake River, Ansel Adams, 1942
The Tetons and the Snake River, Ansel Adams, 1942

There’s a position open at the National Park Service in DC (with travel required, naturally) for U.S. citizens with experience in large-format photography.

But hurry — the deadline to apply is December 15!

“Duties: Produces large-format photographic documentation to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the HABS/HAER/HALS [Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey] permanent collection at the Library of Congress. Develops photographic guidelines and standards for traditional and born-digital photographic processes and products. Produces exhibition quality prints for exhibition, publication, or other visual purposes. Evaluates submissions and provides advice and assistance concerning production of photographic documentation for donations to the collection or for mitigation purposes. Makes presentations about the collection or the programs to various public and private groups.”

See details about this job listing on USAJOBS.

h/t Phogotraphy

Artist Opportunities

Artist Opportunities #299

Cambridge in the Rain by Art League watercolor instructor Peter Ulrich.
Cambridge in the Rain by Art League watercolor instructor Peter Ulrich.

Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Hole in the Sky

Deadline: January 3. Hole in the Sky, a cooperative artist-run live/work space located in NE Washington, DC, will hold a series of juried shows showcasing the work of artists living and working in the DC metro area. Works will be chosen by the merit of the individual works, and also by their interplay with surround pieces. More about the exhibit at Hole in the Sky

Maryland Federation of Art

The Maryland Federation of Art is hosting three upcoming exhibits and competitions. See details at the links above.

Sculpture residency

Deadline: January 25. Artist Residencies at the Carving Studio & Sculpture Center offer sculptors opportunities for inspiration and to create new work in the former marble quarry and manufacturing area of Vermont. Residencies are from one week to three months, featuring artists working in a diverse range of materials and techniques.

 

Artist Opportunities

What Will You Jump Into?

palette

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”
— Kurt Vonnegut

Trying out a new art is always rewarding. But we know you don’t always have time in your schedule for a nine-week class.

If that describes you — or someone you know (hint hint) — there are workshops at The Art League designed for just that purpose. We call them jumpstarts, and they have a few things in common: they last one to two days, they take place on the weekends, and they’re suitable for absolute beginners.

Here’s everything you can jump into this Winter!

December

January

Of course, jumpstarts are far from the only workshops you can take at The Art League. Browse the full catalog for more!

browse-the-catalog

Art Classes

Your Guide to Artfête 2015

Artfête 2015 map

A lot happens at our Madison Annex classrooms.

This weekend, even more is happening, as we invite everyone — that means you! — to come celebrate the holiday season, shop for handmade gifts, and see what The Art League School is all about. There are three main events:

See below for details!

Location

All Artfête Weekend events take place at the Madison Annex, 305 Madison Street in Alexandria. (View on Google Maps.) This is our main classroom facility and home to sculpture, painting, photography, stained glass, mosaic, ceramic, drawing, jewelry, fiber arts, and printmaking classes!

Artfête Open House & Holiday Party

Artfete demos
Admission is free of charge to our annual bash! It takes place Friday, December 4. Here’s the schedule of events:

  • 6:00–9:00 pm: Artist demos, exhibits, refreshments, photo booth, and shopping at the Ceramics and Jewelry Sales
  • 6:30–7:10: Music by Go Cozy (Room 1)
  • 7:30: Wearable art fashion show (SOHO Hall)
  • 7:30–8:30: Music by The Sea Life (Room 1)
  • 8:00: Raku ceramics firing finale (Outside 305 Madison St. entrance)

If you haven’t heard of Raku firing before, it’s an exciting and unpredictable way to create pottery, and it looks especially neat at nighttime.

Here’s a room-by-room breakdown of events. See the top of this post for a map.

  • 1: The Sea Life & Go Cozy perform
  • 2: Stained glass demo with Stephen Sherwin
  • 3 & 4: Holiday Ceramics Sale
  • 5: Facial Reconstruction with Joe Mullins, Mosaics with Anita Damron, Silk Screen with Nancy McIntyre, Silk Painting with Clara Graves
  • 6: Holiday Jewelry Sale & Art League Merchandise
  • 7: Jewelry faculty meet-and-greet
  • 8: Art League School Faculty Exhibit, Calligraphy with Hermineh Miller, Rugmaking with Michael Heilman
  • 9: Weaving demonstrations with Linda Hurt, Marilyn Harrington, and Raquel Rosa
  • 10: Potter’s wheel with Blair Meerfeld, Surface Design with Julie Booth and Candace Edgerley
  • 14: Wine, photo booth, food donated by Chadwicks, & donations (double impact with matching donations provided by MRE/Montgomery Center)
  • SOHO Hall: Water, snacks & 7:30 fashion show

Holiday Ceramics Sale

Hours: Friday, 12:00 noon–9:00 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am–6:00 pm; Sunday, 12:00 noon–5:00 pm

Stop by rooms 3 and 4 in the front of the building to shop handmade tableware, vessels, and sculptures by our ceramics artists. Over 30 artists are represented here. Find something you love!

Holiday Jewelry Sale

Artfête jewelry
Hours: Friday, 12:00 noon–9:00 pm; Saturday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm

Handmade jewelry created by Art League students and teachers, showcasing a variety of metal work based on the techniques taught in Art League classes. Pieces fit all tastes and budgets.

Art Classes, Events

Artist Opportunities #298

Painting by Art League instructor Matt Pinney.
Painting by Art League instructor Matt Pinney.

Every Tuesday, we gather a variety of artist opportunities around the DC area and beyond. Find one below and enter today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.

Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival (last chance!)

Deadline: December 6. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) and is a competitive, juried, outdoor event that showcases the best contemporary fine art and craft from around the country. Two hundred artists will be selected on the basis of quality, originality, and craftsmanship by a panel of jurors, who are experts in their fields, and by members of GRACE’s professional staff. More about the festival →

Studio space: Bethesda

Deadline: December 31. Artists can apply now for studio space at Studio B in Bethesda’s Arts & Entertainment District. More about Studio B →

Studio space: DC

Deadline: None. DC Arts Studios has available studio space near the Takoma Metro station. More about DC Arts Studios →

Greater Reston Arts Center

Deadline: Ongoing. GRACE in Reston, VA mounts solo, themed, and juried group exhibitions, which may be proposed and organized by GRACE curators, guest curators, and individual artists. More about exhibition proposals →

McLean Project for the Arts

Deadline: Ongoing. MPA encourages artists to submit jpegs, slides and other visual materials of recent work for consideration in solo exhibition programming. More about solo exhibits at MPA →

Art in Embassies Project

Deadline: Ongoing. By joining the Art in Embassies registry, you will become eligible to have your art selected for display at U.S. embassies worldwide. More about Art in Embassies →

 

Artist Opportunities