Colors of the outdoors exhibit era of rebirth
Italian Maiolica, also known as Italian Majolica, is a tin-glazing technique that processes earthenware into a silvery white glaze. Often hand painted, the glaze and metal oxides of the paint blend together to create magnificent translucent colors specific only to Italian Maiolica. Never without a touch of the Renaissance period, which Maiolica gained its popularity, there are very few types of pottery that can thrust vivid colors as this ceramic media can.
Karin Kraemer of Duluth, Minnesota appreciates all aspects of Maiolica, from the shaping of the clay to the brush strokes that bring life to each functional vessel created. The decision to make Maiolica clay vessels and tile pieces her media has always been with her original study was with glass.
Earning a BFA in glass at Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, Karin worked with glass studios until studying ceramics and earning her MFA in Ceramics at the Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. Fully engulfed in the arena of creation by clay, Kraemer is now an expert in the concept of primitive clay building and a variety of techniques.
Besides being the owner of Duluth Pottery Superior Division of Duluth Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, Kramer has taught ceramics at Lake Superior College, the University of Wisconsin and the Duluth Art Institute among other classes. Her own business offers classes in throwing, hand building and tile making.
Gaining as much knowledge on ceramics as possible, Karin has traveled to Italy and spent time in Vancouver Island, British Columbia before returning to her home in Duluth. She brings with her training skills that can only be obtained through personal experience and the character formed in her native Minnesota.
“I love to camp, be in the woods, garden and cook. These things all come together in my work: it celebrates everything from individual flowers in my garden to landscape, good friends and making food,” Karin said. Visit her website at www.duluthpottery.com and appreciate a modern Renaissance as only Karin can create.
Cast to give talk
As part of the George R. Mather Lecture Series, on Sunday, March 7, from 2:00-3:00 p.m at the History Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Anita Hursh Cast will give a free lecture on "The Philharmonic's Story, From Maestros Schweiger to Constantine." Cast's talk will primarily discuss the history of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic from the perspective of their music directors.
of the Fort Wayne Fire Department" by Dennis Giere.
The History Center is located at 302 East Berry Street. For more on these free lecture series, 260.426.2882 or see www.fwhistorycenter.com.
Ms. Cast serves on the executive committee and board of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Friends of Music at Indiana University, including on the board of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and on the National Dean's Advisory Board at Jacobs School of Music at I.U. She received her degree in education from DePauw University and is the owner of Anita Cast Wearable Art.
Future Mather lectures are: April 4, "Economic History of Fort Wayne" by Maclyn Parker; May 2 "Fort Wayne's Women Medical Pioneers" by Peggy Seigel; and June 6 "History
Borowiec to talk about his 'dream' and show
Photographer and professor at the University of Akron, Andrew Borowiec will give a lecture on his exhibit, "Looking for the American Dream" on Sunday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the Akron Art Museum. His talk will explore his expansion from black and white works to the use of computers and digital printing in order to better document the rapid changes taking place throughout the heartland. This change in his work allows him to magnify minute details more accurately, such as the switch from wood to plastic siding in the McMansion housing developments.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium. Parking is free in the High Street municipal garage directly across the street from the entrance of the Museum.
For more information, www.AkronArtMuseum.org or call 330.376.9186.
Educator’s works reveals
a society of broken parts
On display through March 11 at Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, "Layered Existences: Nature's Depths of Realities" features work by artist Moira Marti Geoffrion, who describes her works that, “explore concepts of placement, isolation, interrelatedness, illogical connections, overlays, transparency, and opacity--all suggestive of issues of fragmentation within our society."
sizes, and suspended from the ceiling, creating a sense of the infinite or cosmic. Movement, transparent illusions, and an inner glow empower the installations.
Currently, Geoffrion is a professor of art at the University of Arizona where she teaches sculpture. She received higher education degrees from Boston University School of Fine Arts and Southern Illinois University. Also, the artist has exhibited globally, had national and international residencies, and has received numerous grants and both public and private commissions.
For more information on this exhibit, call Kate Sprengnether at 859. 257.1545 or e-mail: k.sprengnether@uky.edu. The Tuska Center for Contemporary Art is on the first floor of the University of Kentucky Fine Arts Building, located on Rose Street. Current gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday.
Geoffrion’s initial interest in the natural environment came while growing up on a large farm in southeastern Ohio. Images in the artwork are made from found and altered natural objects (roots, dried and aged plant materials), painted forms and textures, and figurative elements. The images are then printed on a transparent medium in graduated
Puskarich show to open
at Pennsylvania art center
Filmmakers Galleries will present “My Deviant Muse: Photographic Imagery in Glass” by Pittsburgh artist Heather Joy Puskarich from March 12 through April 18. The exhibit has been tagged to be personal and introspective. “I'm bearing my soul… not just with the images but with the mediums I am using,” said Puskarich. They show also takes a look at form and function with six featured works where glass manipulation techniques have been used.
“Kilnforming refers to glass processes using the heat of a kiln, at temperatures between 1100 and 1700 degrees Fahrenheit,” explains Heather. Fusing is a process when glass softens as heat is applied and with more heat, separate pieces can fuse together. “The bending and shaping of glass can take many forms, but the most common is slumping,” she says. Here the mold is used that causes already fused glass to take on the shape, such as a bowl, a plate or similar object. "Other items may be placed under that glass to give it organic or exaggerated shapes during the slumping process,” she adds. For her Avalon work, Puskarich used this technique.
Also in the galleries and running concurrently with the Puskarich show is “Equipment Office and Friends” by local media artists: Photographs by Gretchen Neidert and Laura Jean Kahl; Anna Hawkins video installation; Julie Gonzalez and Emmett Frisbee photography/video installation; Joseph E. Morrison photography installation; Matthew R. Day and Marina Pfenning installation; Christopher Smalley video installation; Tess Allard photography installation; and videos by Sam Boese, Mike Bonello, Christopher Smalley, Anna Hawkins, Matthew R. Day, Tess Allard, and Marina Pfennning. A reception is on Friday, March 19 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and open and free to the public.
For more information, call 412-681-5449 or www.pghfilmmakers.org.
Hoosier museum to showcase major 'working class' artist
The most extensive presentation ever mounted of Thornton Dial's painting and sculpture will premiere on February 27, 2011 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art through May 15, 2011. “Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial” will highlight the artist's significant contribution to the field of American art and show how Dial's work speaks to the most pressing issues of our time-including the War in Iraq, 9/11, and social issues like racism and homelessness. The exhibition will present over 75 of Dial's large-scale paintings, drawings and found-object sculptures spanning twenty years of his artistic career-including 25 works on view for the first time.
Thornton Dial's work draws inspiration from the rich symbolic world of the black rural South. With no formal art education, Dial developed a truly distinctive and original style that was born out of decades of struggle as a working-class black man. Influenced by African American yard shows, Dial's work incorporates salvaged objects-from plastic grave flowers and children's toys to cow skulls and goat carcasses-to create highly charged assemblages that tackle a wide range of social and political subjects.
"The work of Thornton Dial offers powerful insight into the most compelling political and social issues of our time," said Maxwell L. Anderson, The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the IMA. "This exhibition will bring long-overdue recognition to Thornton Dial's remarkable career and make this important artist's work accessible to new audiences."
For more information, www.imamuseum.org.
About
Thornton Dial was born in Alabama in 1928 and spent most of his adult life as a welder for the railway car-maker Pullman Standard Company. Beginning as a young man, Dial worked with his hands to make "things," and gradually became adept in the media of painting, drawing, sculpture, and watercolor. Dial first gained recognition as a major artist in the late 1980s, with the growing interest in so-called "folk" or "outsider" art. Despite being self-taught and choosing to remain outside of the formalized art world, his work has continued to earn critical praise for its deft fusion of painting and sculpture, its emotional power and its unique expression of a contemporary vision of the African American experience in the South. Now in his early 80s, Dial continues to build his extensive body of work. In 1993, Dial's art was shown in a major New York exhibition held simultaneously at the New Museum of Art and the American Folk Art Museum. In 2000, Dial was featured in the prestigious Whitney Biennial, and in 2005, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, mounted a solo exhibition of his paintings and assemblages produced during the first half of the decade. In 2007, Dial was the subject of an award-winning documentary produced by Alabama Public Television entitled, "Mr. Dial Has Something To Say." His works are included in the collections of a number of major museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the IMA, and the Milwaukee Museum of Art.
Art in Performance - AAP Spotlight on the Symphony
THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
Dedication has been the fuel to power their multi engines on the roadway of excellence, including not only on the artistic and musical lanes, but also the many other educational byways that provide people of all ages their own window to experiencing both musical and cultural compositions presented at the highest level.
George Mabry Albert-George Shram Kelly Corcoran
Chorus Director Resident Conductor Assistant Conductor
Giancarlo Guerrero
Music Director
Smith new 'middleperson' for school's public talk
Ashley C. Smith has joined the Huntington University team as Assistant Director for Media Relations. She will serve as the University’s liaison to the news media.
Before joining, Smith worked in various newspaper markets in Indiana and Ohio. Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, she graduated from Blackhawk Christian School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Journalism from Taylor University.
To contact Ashley, 260.359.4171 or
email: asmith@huntington.edu.
Custom Search
A voice of record for the Arts and Educational communities
Vol 5 No 3 Through March 2010
Archives Dept.
Tips&Techniques
HowDoIt
Tips&Techniques
HowDoIt
New book probes Western New York craft movement
"New York City may be the cultural center of the state, but it was in the small western towns in New York where the craft movement took root, producing some of the most important schools and artists in the nation-wide studio craft movement,” says Rochester native Barbara Lovenheim, who initiated the book and edited it with Smith and Ramljak.
"Breaking Ground: A Century of Craft Art in Western New York" is the first book to fully explore the history of the craft movement within the region. The rise of craft art in Western New York began in the early 1900s and the area became a hub of the Arts and Craft movement with the founding of the Roycroft community in East Aurora, Gustav Stickley's furniture workshops in Syracuse, and Steuben Glass in Corning. It was also during this period that Charles Fergus Binns developed the New York School of Clay-Working and Ceramics at Alfred University, which quickly became the leader in its field.
In 1950 the School for American Craftsmen moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology, further establishing the area as a nexus of craft activity. Founded by Aileen Osborn Webb, a major patron of the craft movement, SAC became renowned for its comprehensive programs and its outstanding faculty. Today, Western New York still abounds with educational programs and professional artists who are breaking ground in the craft media.
On Sunday, March 21, the Memorial Art Gallery will present “Craft Art: Looking Back, Looking Forward”, a panel discussion with Castle and Higby; three other featured artists, Robin Cass, Linda Sikora and Leonard Urso; and
Paul J. Smith, director emeritus of the American Craft Museum; including moderator Suzanne Ramljak, editor of Metalsmith magazine. The program begins at 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium and a book signing follows.
"We are delighted to have been a partner in this significant venture," said MAG director Grant Holcomb. "Western New York has long played a pivotal role in the development of American craft art and design. As this book points out, we continue to be enchanted and enriched by some of America¹s leading artists."
To purchase "Breaking Ground" which is co-published by Hudson Hills Press and is available for preorder at the Memorial Art Gallery Store for $45 (softcover $30); wholesale discounts are also available. To order, contact Colleen Griffin-Underhill, 585.276.9012 or email: cunderhill@mag.rochester.edu.
The book is illustrated with vintage and contemporary photography and the 156-page publication surveys the work of early pioneers as well as 29 current artists. The book also features original interviews with four contemporary Masters: Wendell Castle (wood), Albert Paley (metal), Michael Taylor (glass) and Wayne Higby (clay) and included are 50 pages of art by 25 other contemporary artists who live in the Rochester region. They are:
Furniture: Andy Buck, John Eric Byers, Wendell Castle, John Dodd, Bill Keyser, Richard Scott Newman, and Rich Tannen. Metal / jewelry: Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez, Tom Markusen, Albert Paley, and Leonard Urso. Glass: Robin Cass, Stephen Dee Edwards, Concetta Mason, Jackie Pancari, Angus Powers, Michael Rogers, and Michael Taylor. Clay: Anne Currier, Val Cushing, Andrea Gill, John Gill, Wayne Higby, Rick Hirsch, Nancy Jurs, Walter McConnell, Stephen Merritt, Linda Sikora, and Bill Stewart.
The railway without a train
“You ask me, where the devil can the railway be in the painting ‘The Railway.’ Where is it? By Jove! There, in this smoke which leaves its modern gray trail on the canvas... the smoke is enough for me.” (Jacques de Biez in his 1884 lecture on Edouard Manet)
The Gare Saint-Lazare is the second busiest train station in Paris, handling 274,000 passengers each day. In the 1870s Impressionist artist Edouard Manet (1832-1883) (not to be confused with that other great Impressionist, Claude Monet) lived so close to the station that the trains rattled his windows. “We make our way into the studio,” wrote a newspaper reporter who visited, “--a huge room paneled in old, dark oak...the train passes close by, sending up plumes of white smoke that swirl and eddy in the air. The ground constantly shakes under one’s feet like the deck of a ship in full sail.” (Fervaques, “Le Figaro,” 27 December 1873.)
It is no wonder Manet felt compelled to capture the excitement of the railway station in paint. However, his painting “The Railway” (popularly known as “The Gare Saint-Lazare”) caused quite a sensation when it was first exhibited at the 1874 Paris Salon because it was so different from the kind of paintings people were used to. Manet wanted to paint the beauty of ordinary life rather than paint perfect (but unrealistic) ideals. “You must be of your time and paint what you see,” he said. Rather than painting a romanticized picture of the railway station, he painted an everyday scene that expressed the experience of being near the station when a train came in.Manet painted the picture from a position in the back yard of a friend’s apartment house, looking across the railway tracks through an iron fence to the street on the other side. The door and windows on the upper left corner are those of his own studio. The train itself is hidden by the great cloud of steam it puts out as it chugs into the station. A little girl stands looking through the fence with her back to us, fascinated by the noise and activity. Next to her a pretty young woman with a sleeping puppy in her lap looks up from her book. In this painting, Manet is concerned with the effects of light and shadow. He contrasts the woman’s dark dress and the dark iron bars with the great cloud of white steam and the little girl’s bright clothing, which echoes the steam in its white and airy appearance. The colors are strong and lovely. The young woman looks directly at the viewer, as if we have just walked into the scene. We can almost imagine the fresh air, the warm sunlight, the hiss of steam, and the rattle and clatter from the train in the background.The little girl is the daughter of a fellow artist. The young woman is Victorine Meurent, Manet’s favorite model during the 1860s. He felt that her healthy, unconventional beauty was the perfect counterpoint to the frail, romanticized females so common in paintings of the time. Today, we can appreciate the beauty and emotion of Manet’s painting. But in 1874 people were used to seeing highly finished paintings of idealized, uplifting subjects. Many Salon visitors and critics were baffled by Manet’s painting. They couldn’t understand why anyone would want to paint scenes of ordinary life. The composition was odd, the technique was sketchy, and the picture seemed to have no meaning. In addition, the woman in the painting wasn’t classically beautiful, the little girl had her back to the viewer, and the puppy was sound asleep. This was completely contrary to the painting subjects people were used to seeing.Caricaturists ridiculed Manet’s painting and newspaper stories made fun of it. The critics raked Manet over the coals. “Doubtless he (Manet) belongs to a school which, failing to recognize beauty and unable to feel it, has made a new ideal of triviality and platitude,” said the critic de Hauranne in his review of the Salon exhibit. Only a few people recognized the artist’s highly sophisticated vision. Manet ignored the criticism. His goal was to paint truthful pictures of real life, and he didn’t care whether he pleased the critics or not. On an invitation to an exhibition in his studio, he printed the motto “Faire vrai, laisser dire,” which means, “Be truthful, let people say what they will.” Fortunately, his work gained positive recognition during his lifetime as people became more open to new ideas and art moved away from idealism and toward realism. The poet Stephane Mallarme spoke for many when he praised Manet as a “bold innovator” who “seems to ignore all that has been done in art by others, and draws from his own inner consciousness ...effects of light incontestably novel.” By Kay SluterbeckPots" 12" x 12" pure watercolor
Those once now become
a work of art
David Poxon is more than a watercolor artist; he is an historian that visually records subjects at the end of their life; those that were once another’s treasure, however they now have been forgotten and hidden away from public viewing. “To me as nature reclaims what has been cast aside, I see a renewed beauty,” said artist Poxon. But there is more that is told in his visual works. Those once, although not shown in their original new form, engage the viewer’s memory to recall their former strengths. “These remnants have a common thread that binds them: their lifetime of service and unrelenting work ethic,” said David.
In his work, “Field of Dreams” Poxon restores life to illustrate our human deficiency. His mixed array of chosen collection of discards,
moving on, the old cliché, ‘stop and smell the roses’ verse the disposable society syndrome, we should embrace the ‘green road’ as one to be taken.
"Field of Dreams" 22" x 37" pure watercolor
symbolizes our wants, those material things acquired that aid our human comfort, but we eventually replace them a new. Poxon suggests before
Attitudes and emotions exhibition to go on view
Samuel Johnson meant the word, “abstraction” as a sort of summarizing:“a smaller quantity containing the virtue or power of a greater.” Artists who practice abstract art may take more liberties with how the scene changes, or their focus on relationships between things. There also could be an element of obfuscation, or a play of associations, like those found in really great poetry, and those associations drift in and out. Two exhibits going on view Saturday, March 6, “Abstract Art” in the main gallery and “Bifurcations: Recent Paintings by Ric Dragon" in the Members’ Lounge will run through March 27 at the Arts Society of Kingston.
Local artist and businessman Ric Dragon will be showing his abstract and colorful project “Bifurcations” that was inspired by the newly added support pole in the Members’ Lounge. The pole created a division in the gallery and the four paintings were made as unified pieces. The underlying supports were bifurcate and then the pairs of canvases bolted together.
Dragon’s method for creating his art is a focused exercise. For him, the process of making art is the art. The stretching of the canvases, the mixing of the paints from their basic pigments, and then the application are done as a labor of love. His paintings have a physical build-up of paint that creates playful, colorful, forms that sometimes suggest the human body. “All of us painters make paintings and whatever the approach, paintings are objects that often require being lived with or seen many times, before they reveal themselves fully,” said Dragon.
"For John Ashbery”
Owen Harvey - oil on canvas, 28” x 24”
"Bifurcation II"
Ric Dragon - oil on Canvas 136"x72"
.
Love of art is rooted
in Papa’s workshop
What do you get when you mix an Industrial Designer with the craft of folk art? We have all seen whirligigs that fly with the wind, but adding mechanical parts to art magically tells a story and is a sight to behold. Rowing oarsmen, a running mustang or colorful flowers are just a few of the custom creations that Jane Corbus has designed and built since 1989.
“I grew up in my Father’s workshop,” said Jane when asked where her love of art had first materialized. Her Father was a woodworker and mechanic and operated a sawmill where he had the freedom to cut his own wood and build with his hands. Her Mother was a schoolteacher with a love of people.
Receiving her Bachelor of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and then her Master of Arts from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Corbus struck out as a designer in museums, architectural signage and trade show exhibits for the next 20 years, but never forgot about her Father’s workshop and dreaming of having her own artistic business, which today she operates Amazing Wind Machines.
Jane signs on much custom work in addition to attending craft shows in the Midwest. She will be in Atlanta in March, St. Paul in April, Michigan in May, Ohio in June and Michigan in July is where you can see live mechanical art on display or drop Jane an email to chat about building your own spring creation.
Not only will Jane's hand-crafted mechanical sculptures last through the windy Midwestern seasons, but also will add a new dimension to your garden, deck or pier. They are all weather resistant, made from PVC, acrylic, brass and stainless hardware, and all move with perfect sequence in the wind.
Visit her website at www. amazingwindmachines.com where you will find more examples of whimsical animals and joyful scenes.
Jackson’s world ‘colored’
with awards of rainbows
Winners in the Huntington University’s Fifth Annual High School Art Exhibit are: Best of Show: Adeline Jackson, Peru High School, colored pencil drawing, “Color My World”; 1st Place: Kellen Beutler, Homestead High School, dark room photograph, “Contemplation”; 2nd Place: Adeline Jackson, Peru High School, watercolor painting, “Sundae Afternoon”; 3rd Place: Ashley Rudd, Whitko High School, “Day’s End” scratchboard.
Honorable Mention Award Winners: Danielle Graves, Whitko High School, mixed media, “Pink Flower”; Jessica West, Peru High School, ceramics, “Tea Paries are Torture”; Leanne Jamison, Peru High School, mixed media, “The Other Side of the Mirror”; Page Daniels, Maconaquah High School, charcoal drawing, “Light Through Darkness”; Sara Bruce, Maconaquah High School, pencil drawing, “The Nest”; Stephanie Miley, Peru High School, charcoal drawing, “As the Human Dragon”; Bethany Hemrick, Peru High School, charcoal drawing, “Irrelevant”; Shelby Rose, Peru High School, colored pencil drawing, "Mid Afternoon Stroll”; Erin Hatfield, New Castle Chrysler High School, ceramics, “Jethro & Winston”; Alexandria Taylor, Huntington North High School, mixed media, “At the Mouth of the Beast”; Joanna Nguyen, Homestead High School, batik, “Floating Fancy”; Michelle Bollinger, Homestead High School, metal, “Mr. Roboto”; and Christine Bainbridge, Acton-Boxborough (Mass.) Regional High School,“Lizze” conte and white chalk.
Exhibit at the Robert E. Wilson Gallery of the Merillat Centre for the Arts until March 11. The gallery hours are weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
About
Art is one of more than 70 academic concentrations offered by Huntington University. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)
Exhibit open at Mount Memorial Gallery
Each spring graduating art majors at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana organize an exhibit of their own work at the Mount Memorial Art Gallery. The first of two senior exhibits, “Practice, Paint, and Potato Chips” runs through Friday, March 12.
The first group will feature the work of the following six artists are:
Michael C. Baker graduates in the fall with a major in drawing/painting and a minor in journalism. A graduate of Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio, he has exhibited the last two years in the Grace College Juried Student Art Exhibit, the Grace College Art Club Show, and the “See the Need Exhibit”. He has also studied at Cincinnati State and Miami University, Ohio. The son of Jerry and Cindy Baker of Cincinnati, he resides in Winona Lake with his wife Jodi.
Matthew W. Hawley will earn a degree in graphic design and a minor in information systems. A home school graduate, Matthew is the son of Mark and Janet Hawley of Akron and the grandson of Wilma Hawley of Warsaw.
Leslie Hicks double majors in graphic design and illustration with a minor in communication. Also a home school graduate, Leslie is the daughter of Kim and Sue Hicks of Sheridan.
Molly J. Reed will earn her degree in drawing/painting with a minor in English. An Art Talent Scholarship recipient, she exhibited in the 2009 Grace College Juried Student Art Exhibit and the Grace College Art Club Show. The daughter of John and Gail O’Neill of Homer, Alaska, Molly is a home school graduate and also studied at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. She and her husband Kristopher reside in Winona Lake.
Jonathan Lee Vornbrock will graduate with a degree in graphic design and a minor in communication. A graduate of Toledo Christian Schools, Jonathan is the son of Craig and Beverly Vornbrock and the grandson of Harold Hutchinson, all of Toledo, and Charlene Vornbrock of Piqua, Ohio.
Kayla R. Wieland has double majors in graphic design and drawing/painting with a minor in Bible. She is a graduate of Fremont Ross High School, Ohio, and also attended Terra Community College. An Art Talent Scholarship recipient, Kayla is currently employed as a gallery assistant at Art and Soul in the Village at Winona art district. She is the daughter of Barb and Larry Bilbrey and granddaughter of Julie Wright, all of Fremont, and Nancy Bilbrey of Bellevue, Ohio. Kayla and her husband Jeremy (BS ’09) reside in Winona Lake.
For more information, phone 574.372.5100 ext 6022, or see: www.grace.edu or e-mail keithac@grace.edu.
Student works
to show creativity
on the rise
The Cleveland Institute of Art's 64th Annual Student Independent Exhibition is on view through April 3 in the Reinberger Galleries, located at 11141 East Boulevard. Organized and curated entirely by students, this juried exhibition of emerging young talent showcases an eclectic mix of art, design and craft.
Each year, SIE offers an opportunity for students in all majors to showcase their talent, creativity and passion in media ranging from painting to sculpture to video work. Students from all of the Institute’s departments were invited to submit works to a jury of nationally recognized artists: Dario Robleto (San Antonio), Pascual Sisto (Los Angeles) and 1998 Institute alumna Christa Donner (Chicago).
For more information, see www.cia.edu or call 216.421.7000.
'Kewpee art' on the walls
ArtSpace/Lima (Ohio) 22nd Annual Kewpee High School Art Invitational is on view to April 10. The exhibition includes works in various categories including sculpture, photography, painting and drawing.
The show was juried by Linda Lehman of Ohio Northern University and Bluffton University Professor Emeritus of Art Jay Bumbaugh.
Call Kay VanMeter at 419.222.1721 for more information.
Youth artists
exhibit works
In observance of Youth Art Month, the 2010 Regional Student Art Exhibition, "A Place to Begin" will feature artwork by area students at Arts Place’s centers in Portland, Indiana and St. Marys, Ohio from March 4-May 1. Admission is free to the public.
Youth Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs.
For more information by center location, Arts Place/Portland, please call 260.726.4809 or online: artsland@artsland.org. For St. Marys, call 419.394.0707 or email: thecollectivecenter@artsland.org.
Image: Artwork by Samantha Luedeke
Museum seeks youths who want to have fun
Will you need a solution for those summer lags? Back on the agenda by popular demand at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville, are the summer camps for elementary and middle school age children. Each week-long camp is carefully designed to create a fun and educational art experience for kids and teenagers, with the focus on hands-on art projects taught by professional artists.
Campers in the KidArt Camp, which takes place at the Museum, is from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fees are $144 members, $169 non-members. Youths will explore all sorts of media and techniques, including fiber art projects, painting, photography, and sculpture. The week also includes lunch at the Belvedere, and a chance to meet the Museum’s artist-in-residence. Dates are: Grades K-1 June 14-18, Grades 2-3 June 28-July 2, and Grades 4-5 July 12-16.
Sixteen move up on the prose ‘ladder’
The Illinois’ 2009-2010 Poetry Out Loud State Final, featuring recitations by sixteen regional contest winners, will take place on Thursday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m. in Springfield’s Hoogland Center for the Arts. Attendance is free, open to the public, and accessible.
More than 4,500 students from 48 Illinois high schools participated in this year’s Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a free program created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to encourage youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. The Illinois Arts Council implements Poetry Out Loud statewide as a collaborative project with seven regional partners.
For more information, contact the Illinois Arts Council at 312.814.6750 or toll free in state 800.237.6994 or following in your area:
Central Illinois, Springfield Area Arts Council, Penny Wollan-Kriel: 217.753.3519 or pwk@springfieldartsco.org.
Chicagoland, Literature for All of Us, Liz McCabe: 847.869.7323 or lizmccabe@northwestern.edu
Eastern Illinois, 40 North/88 West (Champaign), Steven Bentz: 217.351-9841 or sbentz@40north.org .
Northern Illinois, Rockford Area Arts Council, Sharon Nesbit-Davis: 815.847.5382 or sharon@artsforeveryone.com .
South Central Illinois, Jacoby Arts Center (Alton), Melissa Mustain: 618.789.4626 or mmustain@frontiernet.net.
Southern Illinois, Carbondale Community Arts, Nancy Stemper: 618.457.5100 or cca@neondsl.com .
Western Illinois, Quad City Arts (Rock Island), Tracy Alan White: 563.579.7630 or tracer@iowatelecom.net.
Blackacre Artweek is designed for middle school aged students with an interest in art. This camp is held in the inspirational natural setting of Blackacre Nature Preserve, located at 3200 Tucker Station Road. Conducted July 26-30 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., students receive an in-depth learning experience with a variety of media from fiber art to metal-smith. Fees are $145 without bus transportation and $165 with bus transportation from select locations.
To register, contact the education department at 502.589.0102, or email danewaters@kentuckyarts.org, or online at www.kentuckyarts.org.
Student work to go on view at Arts Place in St. Marys
The 2010 Regional Student Art Exhibit goes on display at Arts Place/Collective Center in St. Marys, Ohio on Thursday, March 4 and runs through May 1.
A reception to recognize the students and instructors of the region will be held on Friday, March 5 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Public is invited and admission is free.
The list of participating students is as follows: Auglaize County, Ohio: East Elementary School, St. Marys, Amanda Godinho, Damien Prater, Krista Prater, Lexi Sell, Taylor Slone, Skyler Sullivan; Memorial High School, St. Marys, Anthony Aldora, Mitchell Fowler, Harley Heise, Colleen Magee; Memorial High School, St. Marys, Emily Bayham, Garrett Burger, Hannah Langsdon, Rachel Now, Sam Taylor, Andrew Wheeler.
The Collective Center is located at 138 East Spring Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. For more information, contact Heidi at 419.394.0707 or hmeade@artsland.org.
Bests to grace center's walls
The Wassenberg Art Center, 643 South Washington Street, Van Wert, Ohio, will present the Ohio Watercolor Society touring exhibit from March 7 through March 27. Exhibit hours are 1:00-5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
This exhibit features "the best of the best" watercolor paintings selected from the OWS annual juried competition.
For more information, www.vanwert.com/wassenberg.
"Maumee Shack @ Winter"
watercolor 24 x 32 by Robert Martin OWS of Toledo
America's own to perform
at the Mountain State center
Under the direction of Principal Conductor Iván Fischer, the National Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Clay Center in Charleston, West Virginia on Monday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the Kennedy Center’s American Residencies.
The repertoire for this special concert features anarray of classical masterpieces from across musical periods. They include Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s dramatic Symphony No. 38 in D Major (Prague) and Antonin Dvořák’s dynamic Symphony No. 8 in G Major.
Tickets? Online at: www.theclaycenter.org or call the Clay Center Box Office, 304.561.3570.
About
In 1992, the National Symphony Orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts began a project unique throughout the world: The American Residencies. The Orchestra accepts one invitation each year, making a state or a region the focus of a host of activities.
The goals of the Residency are: to share all elements of classical instrumental music throughout a given region; to explore the diversity of musical influences within the state, and to give the region a musical voice in the nation's center for the performing arts through training programs, career development opportunities, and commissions.
Boozemakers and basketball coach
are ‘outreaching’ for the children
Building on the past success of the Maker’s Mark/Keeneland charitable bottle series, it continues the program with the celebration of UK basketball coach John Calipari, whose likeness will be featured on the bottle this spring. The popular coach will team up with University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Maker's Mark and Keeneland to raise money for a unique extension program highlighting the performing arts for elementary school children throughout the Commonwealth.
"It's an honor to team with Maker's Mark and the university in this unique fundraising opportunity to help benefit the UK Symphony Orchestra Outreach Program," said Coach Calipari. "I'm not sure the world is ready for my face on a bottle, but if it helps
the university, I'm all for it. I hope all our great fans will support this worthy effort."
Maker’s Mark will donate proceeds from the sales that has been estimated to be about $300,000 from 24,000 bottles. "This year we launched the outreach program, and have already performed for thousands of young people around Kentucky," said John Nardolillo, director of UK Symphony Orchestra.
A bottle signing is scheduled the day of the Grade-1 Maker's Mark Mile, will be held Friday, April 9, trackside at Keeneland with Calipari, Samuels and Nicholson.
Chicagoans to dance to magic
“Breathtakingly athletic”, “fiercely complex”, “powerfully beautiful”, performing “vibrant choreography” are a few of the critical reviews that have been given to the contemporary dance troupe, Thodos Dance Chicago, since its inception. Coming to Art Place’s Portland, Indiana center on Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m., “It’s a Kind of Magic” features noted works by Melissa Thodos including the ensemble members and dances created by the iconic Broadway legend Bob Fosse. Also, a special narrative by Thodos is a highlight throughout the concert.
Consisting of a well-rounded artists who teach, choreograph, and perform, their mission is to bring contemporary dance to a wider audience with an appealing unique style. They have succeeded by the merging a variety of dance forms created and performed with an innovative flair. The Company’s highly unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation, and dance performance has established them as an innovative presence in American contemporary dance.
On Friday, April 9, an in-school performance, “Imagine Dance” for age k-5 will be staged at Parkway Schools in Rockford, Ohio between 2:00-2:45 p.m. The program is a 40 minute interactive dance assembly that educates student about the concepts and tools employed in creating dance. Between 4:00-5:30 p.m., a master class in Contemporary Dance Technique is geared for dance students age 16 and older.
A master class in Jazz Dance Technique will take place on Saturday, April 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Portland, Indiana center. This class features dance combinations taught in the Bob Fosse style and is also for students 16 and older. Class is free and open to the public, but registration is required by e-mailing hmeade@artsland.org or phone 419.394.0707 or online.
With their vibrant, award-winning style, the Thodos Dance Chicago performs on the national and international dance circuits, as well as in Chicago’s most prominent dance events. Concert tickets are $16.00 for adults and $8.00 for students and are available at the box office, by phone at 260.726.4809, or online at www.artsland.org.
Special Concert on agenda
The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra will be performing a special concert on Friday, March 26 at Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church.
The concert features some of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s best works including his famous Overture to Lucio Silla, his Symphony No. 36 in C Major (The Linz) and his Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major performed by WVSO audience favorite Corey Cerovsek.
Tickets? www.wvsymphony.org or Clay Box Office 304-561-3570.
Poets to talk at KMAC
In conjunction with the exhibition "Searching for the Heart of Black Identity" - the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville, Kentucky will host “An Evening with Affrilachian Poets” on Thursday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m.
Call 502.589.0102 or see: www.KentuckyArts.org.
New play to open at civic theatre
Through March 22 at the United Arts Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is the biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable.
Joseph, his father's favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged.
He is purchased by Potiphar and eventually lands in jail. When news of Joseph's gift to interpret dreams reaches the Pharaoh (wryly and riotously depicted as Elvis), Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command.
Eventually his brothers, having suffered greatly, unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize.
Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless. Rated (G)
Tickets? 260.422.8641 x221 or online at: www.fwcivic.org
Humana Festival features
visual and performing arts
The Gallery at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky has on view the Lloyd Kelly’s “Equestrian Games” exhibition through April 11, in conjunction with the 34th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays. Kelly’s works celebrate the tradition and glory of Kentucky’s favorite pastime as well as brings a festive feel to Actors with their vibrant colors and texture. Included in the show is a limited edition of 25 lithographs, which were hand pulled and hand colored.
In Louisville, Kelly’s equestrian work is prominent at Churchill Downs. His works on paper hang in the hallways and public spaces of the Fifth Floor Jockey Club Suites, and his sixty-eight foot mural graces a main entry to the second floor of Churchill Downs.
Also part of the Humana Festival of new American plays, opening March 18 in the Pamela Brown Auditorium, “The Cherry Sisters Revisited” is a play about how far can you go with ambition, gumption, a good heart, but no talent. The Cherry Sisters’ dreams of Vaudeville took them from their Iowa barn to Broadway, where their inept acrobatics and tone-deaf caterwauling continually sold out, bringing them fame and a barrage of rotten cabbages. With music by Michael Friedman (This Beautiful City, Gone Missing) and based on a true story, Dan O’Brien’s thought-provoking comedy takes a look at the insatiable urge to perform, and the audience’s inability to look away.
For more information, www.actorstheatre.org or call the Business office at 502.584.1265. The Actors Theatre is located 316 West Main in Louisville, Kentucky.
Artist Kelly’s collection displayed is the culmination of the two years the he spent observing, sketching and photographing while attending the qualifying events leading up to the 2010 World Equestrian Games, which the games will take place in September at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The eight disciplines of the games are captured in seventeen oil paintings and forty-six works on paper.
The larger oil paintings, some of which are mural size (six feet by six feet), is by the result of a unique process: under-painted with a ground of emulsion suspended mica, yellow oxide, and bronze powder. The solvent used for the oil is also unique, Kentucky Bourbon. Kelly discovered using bourbon as a medium in 1997, when he painted the Woodford Reserve mural at the Labrot and Graham Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky.
