Art World News, Events, Competitions, Exhibitions and more.
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UPDATED  for July 2009

Art World News

U.S. Honored – The Philadelphia Museum of Art, commissioning institution for the U.S. Pavilion at the 53^rd International Art Exhibition-La Biennale di Venezia, announced that the U.S. representation, Bruce Nauman:  Topological Gardens, has been awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for the Best National Participation.  This is the first time since 1990 that the U.S. has received this much-coveted award.

Sketchbook Stolen – A sketchbook of original drawings by Pablo Picasso was stolen from the Picasso Museum in Paris between June 8-9.  Dating from 1917-1924, it has a red cover with the inscription “Album” in gilt letters.  Measuring 16 x 24 cm, the sketchbook contains 33 pencil drawings by Picasso, of which four are on back pages.

INTERPOL is investigating.

NEA News – The NEA has announced the 2009 recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, the NEA National Heritage Fellowships.  Eleven fellowships, which include a one-time award of $25,000 each, are presented to honorees from eight states and Puerto Rico.  Included are LeRoy Graber, a German-Russian Willow Basketmaker from Freeman, SD, and Teri Rofkar, a Tlingit Weaver and Basketmaker from Sitka, AK.

Stamp News – Maggie Simpson beat her dad, Homer, by more than 8,000 ballots as the favorite Simpsons stamp in an online vote.  Of the more than 916,000 votes cast, Bart came in third, followed by Marge and Lisa.—A new 44-cent U.S. Flag stamp that was photographed by Rick Barrentine of Duluth, GA, has been issued by the Postal Service.  The detail, showing a softly folded flag, features most prominently the starry blue field, with red-and-white stripes occupying the remaining space.  Look for these in booklets of 10.

Auction News – Christie’s New York Post War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale totaled more than $93.7 million.  New world auction records were set for David Hockney, Claes Oldenburg, Douglas Wheeler, Tony Smith and Kerry James Marshall. The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale realized over $102.7 million for paintings and sculpture with top lots from Picasso, Giacometti and Tamara de Lempicka commanding the highest prices.  A new world auction record was set for Lempicka at $6,130,500. – Sotheby’s sale of Old Master Paintings, European Sculpture & Antiquities brought a total of over $14.2. The top lot of the section of Old Master Paintings and the entire sale was Frans Post’s The Sugar Mill, which more than doubled the high estimate to sell for $1.7 million.

Milestones – Abstract painter Frederick Hammersley has died at age 90.  He is known as one of the Los Angeles-based “Abstract Classicists” whose work gained international attention through the exhibition Four Abstract Classicists at the Los Angeles County Museum in 1959.  The term “hard edge” was coined at the time to describe the geometric, abstract paintings by Hammersley and others

—American figurative painter Robert Colescott has died at age 83. He was the first African-American to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale (1997), and his works can be seen in the collections of many major museums.

July Dates of Interest:
12 - Etch-a-Sketch Introduced (1960)
28 - Beatrix Potter’s Birthday

Art Opportunities & Events

Schedules sometimes change, so call ahead!

—ART Santa Fe 2009 will be held July 23-26 in El Museo in the Railyard Art District in downtown Santa Fe, NM.  See the best in contemporary art from the international art community and across the U.S.  In addition to special single-artist installation spaces, a new hands-on demonstration event, “How Things are Made,” will show the step-by-step process of making lithographs.  505.988.8883. www.artsantafe.com.

—The 5^th Annual Milwaukee Artist Marketplace at the MAM on July 25 will explore works by more than 80 emerging and established area artists in a relaxed and informal setting.  Paintings, drawings, jewelry, prints, sculpture, ceramics, wearable artwork and more will be available for purchase. 414.224.3200. http://www.mam.org/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=868&year=2009&month=7

—After Hours at the Hirshhorn is Washington’s premier contemporary art event held from 8p.m. to midnight.  Enjoy extended museum hours, curator led gallery tours, live music and special performances.  Tickets for the July 24 event (free to museum members) are sold in advance only and may be purchased online—www.hirshhorn.si.edu/afterhours/; by phone: 202.633.4629 or 877.932.4629; or in person at the Smithsonian IMAX theater box offices located at the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History.

—Morning Yoga in the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art will be held July 11, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7.  Classes are from 8-9 a.m. and all participants must pre-register: 504-456-5000.  Each session is designed to give your mind and body the perfect workout to start your day.

—The 52^nd Annual Gold Coast Art Fair will be held July 31 – Aug. 2 in the River North Neighborhood, Chicago.  More than 300 juried artists from around the world exhibit their work at this festival, which draws visitors from around the world.  847.926.4300. www.amdurproductions.com.

Kohl’s Art Generation is a joint effort between Kohl’s Department Stores and the Milwaukee Art Museum to bring art and creativity to area kids and their families.  Included in the program are the Kohl’s Art Generation Gallery and Studio onsite at the museum, where kids participate in exciting and creative projects—all while seeing some of their best work showcased exclusively at the museum.  www.mam.org/artgeneration/.

From June 8–Aug. 7 the Miami Art Museum’s “MAM in the Neighborhood” program offers summer camps and community centers free site visits, art activities and tours based on this summer’s featured exhibition.  MAM comes to your site with free art materials and activities.  Also, visit the museum for a free interactive exhibition tour guided by MAM gallery teachers.  Call 305-375-5466; www.miamiartmuseum.org.

The Walker Art Center presents the WAC Garden Pack, a free family guide to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden that contains fun, hands-on activities.  Games such as Seek+Find, Go-Garden-Go! and Balancing Act will engage your child’s imagination and provide meaningful stops on your outdoor art excursion together.  Borrow the kit on your next visit from either the lobby desk or the FlatPak House in the Garden.  www.walkerart.org.

Learning & Product Expo:  ART! will be held July 10-12 at Chicagoland Western Suburbs, Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel, Lisle, IL.  Here you can immerse yourself in a unique experience for artists where you can choose from 200 art classes taught by some of the most popular instructors in the country.  Also, visit an exhibit hall packed with art material manufacturers to view free demonstrations, learn about art supplies and see new materials.  Classes begin July 9.  Visit http://www.learningproductexpo.com/chi/home.cfm for more info/registration.

Santa Fe – From June 11-14 the first annual SOFA WEST: Santa Fe will be held at the brand new state-of-the-art Santa Fe Convention Center. SOFA, with 40 galleries represented, will focus on 3-D artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design and will include a strong emphasis on educational programs. www.sofaexpo.com/santa-fe/2009/index.htm , 800-563-7632.

Sakura’s Intro to Manga for Classroom Instruction on Video
Sakura of America and Manga Start’s Introduction to Manga for Classroom Instruction workshop encourages teachers to utilize manga-comic art to engage students to learn core drawing fundamentals—and employ graphic storytelling to enhance literacy, creative writing and history lessons. The videotaped workshop presentation is posted at www.youtube.com/user/SakuraColorProducts . The presentation includes manga and anime history, terminology, and the connection between traditional drawing and the manga-comic style. A long-time proponent of art education, Sakura’s goal is to assist educators with their efforts to inspire and sustain the interest of their students in learning. www.sakuraofamerica.com

Maine Folk Art Trail
Maine is a repository for some of the country’s best folk art that includes portraiture, landscapes, still lifes, decorated furniture, trade signs, pottery, marine arts, weathervanes and other sculpture, among other forms. Eleven of Maine’s art and history museums are simultaneously exhibiting their folk art collections as part of a coordinated statewide exhibition in the Maine Folk Art Trail. Ending dates vary. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and visit www.mainefolkarttrail.org  for info/venues/dates.


Houston, TX – Beginning in 1996, each summer the Museum of Fine Arts and the Parks and Recreation Dept. collaborate on creating murals at five parks throughout the city. At each park a teaching artist works with local children to design and paint a mural that reflects the local community and is inspired by a visit to the museum. Masterpieces are created with house paint on plywood panels, which are then covered with a protective coating and displayed within the community centers of parks. Info: 713.845.1098; outreach@mfah.org.

 

Exhibitions

Dallas, TX – Nasher Sculpture Center – Highlights from the Nasher Collection, through Sept.6, includes approximately 100 works installed in indoor galleries and the sculpture garden.  View masterworks by artists such as Rodin, Matisse, Giacometti, Arp, Ernst, Miro, Lichtenstein, Judd, Lewitt, and David Smith, among others.  A special feature is the inclusion of Isaac Witkin’s Volution (1964), on loan for a year.  Summer offerings at the Nasher also include movies, concerts, tours and fine cuisine.  When you purchase a $35 Summer Family Pass, you can enjoy free admission for the entire family all summer.  214.242.5100; www.nashersculpturecenter.org.

New York, NY – The Met – Roxy Paine on the Roof:  Maelstrom is a site-specific installation by conceptual artist Roxy Paine created for the 2009 season of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden.  Maelstrom is a 130 ft.-long by 45 ft.-wide stainless-steel sculpture that encompasses the nearly 8,000 sq. ft. Roof Garden and is the largest sculpture to have been installed in that location.  In conjunction, gallery talks will be presented July 7 and 23.  Through Oct. 25, weather permitting.  212.535.7710. www.metmuseum.org.

New York, NY – Museum of Modern Art – Sculpture in Color, this summer’s installation in The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, celebrates the bold use of color in modern and contemporary sculpture.  Highlights include works by Ellsworth Kelly, Anthony Caro and Franz West in addition to those by Guimard, Calder, Giacometti, Picasso and others. 212.708.9400. www.moma.org.

Mountainville, NY – Storm King Art Center – Storm King Wavefield is the largest site-specific earthwork created to date by acclaimed artist and environmentalist Maya Lin.  Occupying an 11-acre site, the work comprises seven rows—each over 300 feet long—of carefully scaled undulating hills that give the appearance of ocean waves.  845.534.3115. www.stormking.org.

Kansas City, MO – The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art – Inventing the Shuttlecocks reveals the creative process (drawings, collages and models) and celebrates the 15^th anniversary of the installation of four Shuttlecocks in the Kansas City Sculpture Park by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.  The sculptures, each weighing 5,500 pounds and 18 ft. tall, have become visual icons for both Kansas City and the Museum.  Through Aug. 16. 816.561.4000. www.nelson-atkins.org.

Los Angeles, CA – The Getty Center – Foundry to Finish:  The Making of a Bronze Sculpture allows viewers to get a rare look at how bronze sculpture is born through the process called lost-wax casting.  Thirteen step-by-step models illustrate the sculpting and casting process.  Ongoing.  Also see Cast in Bronze:  French Sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution, through Sept. 27.  310.440.7300. www.getty.edu.

Cincinnati, OH – Cincinnati Art Museum – Bessie Potter Vonnoh:  Sculptor of Women features 35 sculptures from 1895 to 1930 and two portraits of the artist by her painter-husband Robert Vonnoh.  This is the first touring exhibition of this esteemed sculptor’s work and celebrates the contribution of women artists to American cultural history.  Through Sept. 6.  www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

Stockbridge, MA – Norman Rockwell Museum – Stone’s Throw:  Peter Rockwell, Sculptor features an outstanding collection of the artist’s bronze, marble and limestone sculptures on view on the pastoral landscape in celebration of the Norman Rockwell Museum’s fortieth anniversary.  Peter is the youngest son of legendary American illustrator Norman Rockwell.  Opens July 11 through Oct. 25.  413.298.4100. www.nrm.org.

Because events are subject to change, please call ahead or confirm whenever possible.

Art Competitions/Call for Entries

Oil/Acrylic The NOAP Society 19^th Annual Fine Art Exhibition, The Best of America! 2009, will be held at the Dunnegan Gallery of Art, Bolivar, MO, from Sept. 27–Oct. 18; at KATY Historic Depot, Sedalia, MO, from Oct. 19–Nov. 2; venue under consideration Nov. 2-10; and location to be determined in Osage Beach, MO, from Nov. 10–Nov. 21.  The competition is open to all living artists 18 years and older who create original works of art utilizing oil or acrylic media.  Entry Postmark Deadline:  July 17. Best of Show Award of $5,000 plus additional awards. www.noaps.org/public/prospectus.html

All Media —The Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, TX, will present Shorelines 2009, a national juried exhibition for excellence in coastal art, from Oct. 14-Nov. 21.  All artists age 18 and over whose work is inspired by and reflects upon coastal life, whether representational or abstract, are eligible.  All media are accepted for entry.  Awards of $4,000 in cash prizes.  Entry Postmark Deadline:  July 6.  http://www.rockportartcenter.com/entries/callforentries.php

ArtPrize invites artists of all kinds (18 years of age and up) from around the world to participate in an unprecedented competition that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes—via mobile devices and the Web. The city of Grand Rapids, MI, will become an art gallery, as artworks and performances will be exhibited at hundreds of ArtPrize-registered venues in the downtown riverfront district from Sept. 23–Oct. 10.  The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation is underwriting ArtPrize—to “reboot a conversation between artists and the public on a grand scale.”  Artists may register at http://www.artprize.org/default.aspx before July 31.

Pastel
The Pastel Society of Colorado will present the 5th Annual Mile High National 2009 from Aug. 8 – Sept. 27 at the Longmont Museum & Cultural Center in Longmont. Any artist 18 years of age or older residing in the U.S. is eligible. Categories include Traditional Pastel (soft pastels, multimedia pieces must be 80% soft pastel) and Abstract & Non-Objective (abstract, experimental work, multimedia pieces must be 80% soft pastel). Juror: Susan Ogilvie. Deadline: June 19. www.pastelsocietyofcolorado.org/events.html .

Watercolor
The National Watercolor Society will present the 89th Annual Exhibition from Oct. 10 – Dec. 20 at the City of Brea Art Gallery (CA). The exhibition is open to all water media artists, paintings must be done on a paper surface and unvarnished, and water media must be the dominant element. Awards. Deadline: June 27. www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org .

Arts Writers Grant – The Creative Capital/Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program is designed to support writers whose work addresses contemporary visual art through project-based grants issued directly to individual authors. It issues awards for books, articles, short-form writing and blogs/new and alternative media projects and aims to support the broad spectrum of writing on contemporary visual art, from general-audience criticism to academic scholarship. Online application submission opens April 27 with a deadline of June 8. See additional info at www.artswriters.org/guidelines.php .

Various Media – The AARP Foundation invites members to enter its 2010 Calendar Contest. Contestants must be amateurs and original paintings must be in pastels, oils, acrylics or watercolor. The theme is “There’s Nowhere I’d Rather Be” and 14 paintings will be selected and exhibited at AARP’s Life@50+ National Event and Expo in Las Vegas from Oct. 22-24, 2009. Deadline: June 6. www.aarp.org/foundation . Call toll free: 1.888.687.2277.

Sugarloaf Art Fairs and Craft Festivals offer a variety of works by the most talented craft designers and fine artists. Shows have expanded from the Mid-Atlantic to the Mid-West and New England to include a total of 18 shows for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009. If you are interested in displaying/selling your work at these popular juried shows, visit http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/becomeex.html for information on applying.

Calling All Artists
The ARC Gallery & Educational Foundation, one of the oldest cooperative galleries in the nation and located in Chicago, IL, is looking for proposals by cutting edge artists for group shows, solo exhibitions, and installation work. All art in all media by all artists is welcome. Work is reviewed via slides and on CDs or Web sites. E-mail arcgallery@yahoo.com or call 312-451-4268.

WORKSHOPS

Basic Airbrush Techniques
6-Hour Hands-On Workshop
with Robert Paschal, MFA
Saturday, August  , 2009 – Beacon, NY

$135

www.arttalk.com/workshop/workshop.htm
845.831.1043
 

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• 10 Bottle Adapter Caps
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• 8oz. Bottle of Medea Airbrush Cleaner
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