Artistic Expressions

Loveland Show Prize Winners

The Sculptural Pursuit team had a great time meeting and visiting with artists at this year's Loveland Invitational and Sculpture In The Park shows in Loveland, Colorado. To show our appreciation to the artists and advertisers who support us, we did prize drawings for the artists who participated in either show. Our supplier advertisers also donated some exciting prizes to the drawings.

Here are the winners of the gifts donated by our supplier advertisers:

Supplier                            Winner Name
PCF Studios, Inc                 Tim King
Ball Consulting, Ltd.            Dwayne Cranford
A Cut Above                       Rebecca A. Bowman
Bicknell Supply Company    John Houser
Bicknell Supply Company    Diana Fierin
Triple D Game Farm            Dan Toone
Triple D Game Farm            Sharon Fullingim
Chavant, Inc.                       Maryann Eikens
Shidoni Foundry                  Merrilee Cleveland

Hammer & Pen Productions also gave gift certificates to the following drawing winners:

Winner Name                      City, State
Larry Starck                           Loveland, CO
Maryann Mansfield                 Palisade, CO
Dan Chen                              Eugene, OR
James Moore                         Galeton
Richard Bell Smith                  Phoenix, AZ
Merle Randolph                      Marion, OH
Danae Bennett-Miller              Bend, OR
Jane Isaki                              Loveland, CO
Linda Serrao                          Walnut, CA

Congrats to all the prize winners, and thanks to all the advertisers who awarded prizes!  We hope to see you all again next year!

Deadlines Approaching - Don't Miss These Opportunities!

International Sculpture Symposium - Spain

Deadline: July 24, 2009   

A municipality in Spain invites all sculptors to participate in its XX Sculpture Symposium at open air. The symposium will have a duration of 18 days, from the 25 of September to the 12 October 2009.  The material to be carved will be the granite, in any existing typology in Galizia, provided that its acquisition will be possible for the organization.  The dimensions of the block to be used are limited to a maximum of 1.80 x 1.80 x 0.50 meters, 1´62 m3s or similar dimensions inside this given volume of reference.  The theme will be free. The granite cannot be painted or covered with any other material. But, if in the work it is initially planned the combination of the granite with another material like solid metal or wood, it will be the organization that on the basis of its technical and economical possibilities will decide the feasibility of the work.  Every participant will use his/her own utensils.  The organization will furnish lacing to the compressor, electricity, maintenance of chisels.  A diamond disk will be delivered to every participating artist for the realization of the work.  If a sculptural proposal consists in a parallelepiped, or if for its execution it is essential this figure, the organization will facilitate four cuts to the stone, indicated by the artist in his/her proposal.  In other cases, the same number of cuts will be facilitated to the blocks to give the same opportunities to all the artists, if these cuts will be technically and economically possible for the organization.  The organization will pay the travel expenses, food and lodging for the participating artist. The prizes will be:  

Denver to Host 39th Annual Women Artists of the West Show

The 39th Annual Women Artists of the West show will open February 6 at Saks Galleries in Denver.  The show features the work of WAOW's members and celebrates some of the finest female artists in the country.  Sculptor Jane DeDecker and painter Karen Vance will be honored with the Award of Excellence at the Friday evening reception.  On Saturday, February 7, artists Kathy Cooper, Cecy Turner, Teresa Vito, and Mary Ann Cherry will demonstrate their techniques.  Invited artists include Cammie Lundeen, Louisa McElwain and Jill Soukup, and the work of seventy-five members will be on display as well.

WAOW is a group whose specific objectives and purpose include uniting women artists; promoting appreciation of art created by women; encouraging technical excellence by educating artists and the public through exhibitions and workshops; encouraging professionalism by advising women artists regarding business practices; providing publicity and national awareness for members through advertising and web presence; and developing a spirit of unity among its members.

The organization was founded in 1971 by a small group of women who banded together to share marketing ideas and promote their work with shows.  Today the organization includes 200 professional artists from across the country working in a variety of styles and media.

Show Dates:  February 6-28, 2009

Hours:  Tuesday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5

Albert Wein at the Boston Athenaeum

THE BOSTON ATHENÆUM PRESENTS

"ALBERT WEIN: AMERICAN MODERNIST," SEPT. 17 - NOV. 29, 2008

 

First Museum Retrospective of Sculptor's Work Celebrates Publication of First Major Monograph on Wein's Life and Work

 

 

(BOSTON - July 15, 2008) The Boston Athenæum presents "Albert Wein: American Modernist," the first museum retrospective of the sculptor's work. The exhibition opens on Sept. 17 and runs through Nov. 29, 2008, in The Boston Athenæum's Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery. The Boston Athenæum is located at 10 ½ Beacon Street on Beacon Hill near the State House. Admission is FREE and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information, call (617) 227-0270 or visit www.bostonathenaeum.org.

 

Sculptor Albert Wein (1915-1991) had both a keen interest in the human figure and an awareness of and appreciation for modernist concepts, specifically abstraction. Today, scholars are taking a closer look at artists such as Wein, who sought to balance the legacies of the past with the excitement of the future. This exhibition will be the first museum retrospective of Wein's work and is being held on the occasion of the publication of the first major monograph on the artist's life and work.

 

According to exhibition curator and art historian David Dearinger, "Scholarship and the market are now in the process of rediscovering those American sculptors who came of age during the 1930s and '40s. Many of these men and women were trained in the traditional aesthetics of Classicism - they initially worked in the Art Deco movement, gained experience through WPA projects, and ultimately helped bring Modernism to America. Albert Wein was one of these artists, and it is exciting for us to collaborate with the artist's estate in presenting this, the first major exhibition of Wein's work."

 

Albert Wein was the only son of artist Elsa Wein. Her early influence had a profound effect on the creative course that he would take. When Albert was 12, Elsa enrolled herself and her son in classes at the Maryland Institute of Fine and Applied Arts, a major art school that adhered to the academic traditions of Classicism that would continue to have an impact on Wein's work throughout his career.  He once said that the main thrust of his work was "to modernize and stylize the classical tradition."

 

Wein also matriculated at the influential Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York. In the 1930s, he worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and in 1946 won the Prix de Rome, a distinguished award that allowed him to study at Rome's American Academy. In Europe, Wein was inspired by the classical art of Italy, and the work of his contemporaries, both European and American.

 

In 1955 Wein moved to California where -- besides creating sculpture for numerous churches, synagogues, and private collectors -- he drew upon his experience of New York theater. He designed sets for television productions and was art director for the Ernie Kovacs Show.  He experimented with a wide range of media and explored figurative abstraction in both his sculpture and painting.

 

In the late 1950s and 60s, Wein followed the trend toward abstraction but returned to figurative work in the 1970s. At that time he received the commission for the major commemorative sculpture for the new Libby Dam in Montana (1973), the largest granite relief in the United States. The commission prompted Wein to return to the East Coast, where his family eventually settled in Westchester County, New York.

 

During his long career, Wein received most major American awards given for sculpture. In 1989 he was awarded a residency fellowship to the Rockefeller Foundation's Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy. In late 1990 he completed a major commemorative medal for Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. It proved to be his last major work. Albert Wein died of cancer in 1991.

 

About the Boston Athenæum

The Boston Athenæum, founded in 1807, is one of the oldest and most distinguished independent libraries in the United States. The building's first floor galleries are always free and open to the public. The Library's Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery features new exhibitions three to four times a year, and works of art from the Athenæum's formidable permanent collection are on display on a rotating basis in the public areas. Membership at the Boston Athenæum is open to all by application. In addition to library borrowing privileges, members enjoy access to beautiful research rooms with wireless internet access, and many events, including concerts, lectures, book groups, children's story hours and a delightful bi-weekly Athenæum afternoon tea. For information about membership, visit www.bostonathenaeum.org.

 

Tonight in Albuquerque!

Exhibition of Blown Glass
by Einar and Jamex de la Torre
Visits National Hispanic Cultural Center

The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque announces the opening of "Meso-Americhanics (Maneuvering Mestizaje) de la Torre Brothers and Border Baroque" September 12, 2008, 6 p.m., with a free public reception in the Center's Art Museum. On September 20, 2008, brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre will lead a free tour of their exhibition, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is located at 1701 4th Street SW on the corner of 4th Street and Avenida César Chávez.

La Belle Epoch, 2001

Baja Kali, 2001

Einar and Jamex de la Torre are a two-man bi-national renaissance, traveling between National City, California and Ensenada, Mexico on a weekly basis. Their parallel appreciation of both cultures and personal experiences lead them to create art free of labels and feeds their desire to preserve the survival of the possibility of doing something new. They translate their creative passion and critical thinking into intensely collaborative, opulent and monumental blown glass, mix-media works. And, even though their art constantly addresses and questions complex issues, they love a joke, a visual pun, hidden symbols and wordplay. "The National Hispanic Cultural Center continues to establish itself as one of the premier art destinations in the country," said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. "'Meso-Americhanics' promises to both entertain and stimulate all who see it. We encourage all New Mexicans and their visitors to take part in this special event."

For the de la Torre Brothers nothing - and everything - is sacred, including politics, religion, tradition, and geographical location. Visually and socially timely, Einar and Jamex de la Torre have their fingers on the pulse of popular culture and excel in peeling off layers of the 21st Century transnational world. Their edgy creations, fusions of glass, cast resin, popular arts, video, and dollar-store treasures unmistakably defy designation and veer into a new place that might be known as Border Baroque.

Center Visual Arts Director, Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn said, "Wait until you see this incredible work - the de la Torre brothers are funny and courageous. They mix up everything about their bi-national experience and influences and spit it out."

The brothers were born three years apart in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to Orange County, California when they were in elementary school. Nationally and internationally recognized masters of the specialized technique of glass blowing, both brothers studied at California State University in Long Beach and taught at the preeminent Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington.

Recipients of numerous awards, they recently were honored with both 2007 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award and the 2007 Joan Mitchell Foundation Award. "Meso-Americhanics" is organized by the Center's Visual Arts Program and the Museum.

For a complete listing of programs and activities at the National Hispanic Cultural Center call 505-246-2261 or visit www.nhccnm.org. Art Museum hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and free for children ages 16 and younger. The Center is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Hispanic arts and culture at the state, national and international levels and is a Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Loveland Photos

We've been talking about posting pictures from the Loveland shows since we got back a week and a half ago.  Unfortunately, we've been trying to get the next issue of the magazine finished, and haven't gotten them posted.  Well now that I have a moment, here are a couple of the pictures that Nancy took at the shows.

Creative Wisdom contributor and SP staffer John Ostlund exhibits his sculpture at Sculpture In The Park at Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland.

William Mueller, subject of a feature article in the Winter issue of SP (to be released in October 2008), in his booth at Sculpture In The Park. 

Our view from the media tent at the Loveland Sculpture Invitational, which took place across the street from Sculpture In The Park.

Stay tuned, we'll have more pics from the ultimate sculpture celebration soon!

Public Art -- When Worlds Collide

Public art adds to the cultural landscape of a community, but what happens when a piece causes a collision between two of those cultures?  That's the subject of the P.O.V. documentary, The Last Conquistador, to be broadcast on PBS July 15 (check your local listings for the time).

The film, by John J. Valadez and Cristina Ibarra, explores the moral dilemma facing sculptor John Houser as he creates the world's largest equestrian sculpture, a tribute to Juan de Onate, Spanish explorer and first governor of New Mexico.  While many of the people of El Paso, where the monument will be placed, are excited to see a tribute to their Hispanic heritage, the Native Americans of New Mexico are outraged.  Their ancestors were the victims of Onate's genocide, and the wounds are still fresh.

The documentary is a powerful examination of the role of public art and the responsibility of the sculptor to see both sides of the story.  It's an engrossing hour for anyone who wants to create public art or is interested in the history of the American Southwest.

We will be presenting an in-depth feature on the sculptor and his monument in the October issue of Sculptural Pursuit.

Don't miss the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta

The National Black Arts Festival is one of the premier national and international celebrations of the art, music, and culture of people of African descent. The mission of the NBAF is to engage, cultivate and educate diverse audiences about the arts and culture of the African Diaspora and provide opportunities for artistic and creative expression. Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council, Georgia Black United Fund, Georgia Council for the Arts, The Kendeda Fund, The Nonprofit Finance Fund/Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the Woodruff Arts Center: Alliance Theatre, Young Audiences, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art, 14th Street Playhouse.

Just a few of the festival's visual arts offerings:

embrace: the fine arts fair of the national black arts festival

embrace: the fine arts fair of the National Black Arts Festival returns to the festival schedule this summer after two very successful years.  Embrace is a unique gathering of the nation’s top art galleries, displaying and selling museum quality fine art to serious collectors looking to build their collections at reasonable prices.

July 17-20, 2008, Mason Murer Fine Art, 199 Armour Drive, Atlanta, GA 30324, Thursday July 17, Preview Party 7-10 p.m., Friday July 18, 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday, July 19, 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Sunday July 20, 12 p.m-6 p.m., Preview Party Pass $75 (Includes 3 day pass), Day Pass $10 (July 17-20), children free, day passes include admission to lecture series, 404.879.1500

Studio Clout - Too Black, Too Fast

Too Black Too Fast is an exciting exhibition which features paintings by Nashville’s Michael McBride and sculpture by Atlanta’s George Nock (formerly with the NY Jets). The exhibition spotlights the history of the slave jockeys that were the nation’s first professional athletes who contributed to the development and birth of the thoroughbred racing industry.  This exhibition is supported by a documentary directed by Donnie Betts (Music Is My Life, Politics, My Mistress) and a soundtrack produced by three-time Grammy Award winning writer and producer Shannon Sanders (India Arie, Heather Headly, Lyle Lovett).  Curated by Michael McBride and Linda Lima.

July 14-27, Opening Reception/Party: Monday, July 14,  6p.m. – 11p.m., Hours: Monday – Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.-6 p.m., 144 Walker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313, 404-688-2787

The Official National Black Arts Festival Artists’ Market

The Official National Black Arts Festival Artists’ Market moves downtown to the Georgia World Congress Center this summer to accommodate MORE independent artists, MORE art and MORE patrons.  The Market features an eclectic array of original paintings, works on paper, sculpture, mixed media, photography, ceramics, unique textiles and beautiful hand-crafted jewelry.  Textile artist K. Joy Peters, who has coordinated the market since 1988, returns to coordinate this special 20th Anniversary edition.

July 24-July 27, Thu-Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Georgia World Congress Center, $5

2008 Sculpture Only Competition Winners!

On behalf of the Sculptural Pursuit team, I would like to congratulate the winners of our 5th Annual Sculpture-Only Competition.  Be sure to look for the Fall issue of SP, which hits newsstands in July, when we will feature the first, second, and third place winners. 
 
AWARD:  NAME,  CITY/STATE - MEDIUM, WINNING PIECE

1st PLACE:  John Schwartz, Chelsea, MI - Multi Media & Found Object, ROCKY

2nd PLACE: Andrew Myers, Laguna Beach, CA -  Bronze & Mixed Media, WORTH THE WEIGHT

3rd PLACE:  David Borgerding, New Orleans, LA - Stainless Steel & Bronze, DABURA

4th PLACE:  Rob Neilson, Appleton, WI - Brass & Enameled Iron, JOHNNY

 

NAME, CITY/STATE -- MEDIUM, WINNING PIECE, INDUSTRY SPONSOR

INDUSTRY AWARDS:

Christine Barney, Jersey City, NJ -- Glass, SERAPH, The Compleat Sculptor

Alber De Matteis, Fallbrook, CA -- Stainless steel, SOL SEARCHING,  Atlas Metal Sales

Caroline Douglas, Boulder, CO --Clay, SLOW BOAT TO CHINA, Studio 121 Photography

Walter Early, Lexington, KY -- Wood, SOMETIME IN MAY, Sculpture Depot

Suzanne Johnson, Grand Blanc, MI -- Bronze, WISDOM'S PROMISE, PCF Studios

Marcela Noriega, Fredericksburg, VA -- Stoneware, WAITING, Chavant, Inc.

Tom O'Brien, Hadley, NY -- terra cotta, LAUREN BLAIR, Madd Castings

Lena Gaylene Olson, Colorado Springs, CO -- Clay, FRIDA KAHLO, Moonscapes 3D

M. P. Wager, East Greenbush, NY -- Mixed media, JUNCTURE,  Ball Consulting

Jerry Williams, Montpelier, VT -- Granite, AFTERMATH, Sculpture House

Ellen Woodbury, Loveland, CO -- Marble, WHISPER ON THE WIND, The Carving Studio & Sculpture Center

Ruth Zafrir, Philadelphia, PA -- Marble, MODESTY, Vermont Granite Museum

H&P HONORARY AWARD:

George Tkabladze, Manassas, VA -- Marble, wood, metal, SHE SEEMED SO PURE, Hammer & Pen Productions

Coming Soon! Feats of Clay and Maryhill Museum Shows

If you're on the West Coast and need an excuse for a long weekend away, here are two options of note:

Feats of Clay XXI, Lincoln, CA

The historic Gladding Bean terra cotta factory in Lincoln, California opens to visitors once a year during the annual Feats of Clay ceramic sculpture competition and exhibition, this year from April 26 through May 25.

Visitors will learn about the special characteristics of Lincoln clay, take a look back in history to see how Gladding McBean’s skilled artisans sculpted enormous pieces of art for architectural facades, and will become aware of the company’s basic production of ground pipe, roof tiles and garden pottery.  They will stroll by the twenty-two massive beehive kilns and visit the historic molding room.  In addition, art lovers will get to view over seventy pieces of ceramic sculpture, most of which are for sale.

This year's award winners, chosen by juror Judith S. Schwartz from more than 1,100 entries, include Gabriel Pargue, Portland, Oregon; Porntip Sangvanich, Los Angeles; Shane Keena, West Henriette, New York; and Jeff Irwin of San Diego.

Reservations are required for tours and can be made by calling the Lincoln Arts Council, organizers of Feats of Clay, at (916) 645-9713. Entry fee is $10.  Visitors must be age ten or older and should wear comfortable shoes as tours last about ninety minutes and require much walking.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation, supporting local cultural programs, including a summer concert series, after-school art classes, and school arts programs.  For more info, visit their website.

Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale WA

Maryhill Museum of Art will present its annual Outdoor Sculpture Invitational May 10 - October 31, 2008. The exhibition features large-scale works in a variety of media by Northwest artists Gregory Glynn, Stuart Jacobson, Alisa Looney, David Miller, Dennis Peacock, Mylan Rakich and Tom Urban. Exhibiting artists and Maryhill's curator of exhibits, Lee Musgrave, will lead an exhibit walk on Saturday, May 17 at 4 p.m. as part of the museum's Members' Day festivities. Admission to the museum's sculpture garden is free.

In addition to works in the 2008 Outdoor Sculpture Invitational, visitors to Maryhill can also see sculptures from the museum's collections that are on permanent display: on the grounds -- works by Brad Cloepfil, Tom Herrera, Mel Katz, Heath Krieger, Jill Torberson, Julian Voss-Andreae, Jeff Weitzel and Leon White, and in the museum -- Auguste Rodin.

 Perched on a stunning 5,000-acre site overlooking the scenic Columbia River Gorge, Maryhill Museum of Art contains a world-class collection of artwork ranging from early 20th century European works to Native American objects.  This award-winning museum, founded by Northwest entrepreneur and visionary Sam Hill, opened to the public in 1940.  Outside the museum is an Outdoor Sculpture Garden, Lewis and Clark interpretive panels, and a life-sized replica of Stonehenge.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 to November 15. Admission fees are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16. Maryhill is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale, Washington. Drive times to the museum are 2 hours from Portland/Vancouver, 3.5 hours from Bend, 4 hours from Seattle, and 1.5 hours from Yakima. Visit www.maryhillmuseum.org for more information.