Art Matters
Current and upcoming exhibitions Classes and workshops Art Center news
Magazine of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts
Volume 1, Issue 3 June - Aug 2016
Art Matters Contents
Annual Fine Art Auction Exhibitions Suspended Earth: Contemporary Clay 2016 highlights 40 artists A Wild Still eyes beauty of nature and importance of wildlife conservation Learning exhibition signals a time to share and showcase art education The Two of Us touts internationally-acclaimed artists Surls and Locke
Lectures Elizabeth Ferrill shares insights in pochoir and the influence of collage Bill van Gilder charts journeys and joys of working with clay Joann Brennan explores relationship between humans and wildness
Ready, willing, sign up All the how-tos you’ll need to enroll in fantastic courses at The Art Center
Adult Classes and Workshops Tai Chi, open studios, What Is Beauty? art history class.
Ceramics Classes Fundamentals, advanced, teen wheel-throwing
Youth and Teen Programs Summer art camp and teen workshops
Workshops Blacksmithing, batik, watercolor, sculpture and bookmaking
Gift Gallery Artists of the month: Kay Crane, Maggie Cook and Trudy Harper
Arts Briefs Art Center participates in Americans for the Arts economic impact study Digitize your artworks for free at our neighboring Mesa County Library On The Cover: US Bank Fine Art Auction featured artist Nina Williams’ multimedia piece, A Thrilling Time is in Store for You. Art Matters June - Aug. 2016 gjartcenter.org
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3 WELCOME
One Cup Leads to Another Warm burgundy with a gold rim. The colors of the ceramic coffee cup caught my eye. I walked by it several times, then paused, picked it up and bonded with the cozy handle on its solid base.
Mikkel Kelly Executive Director
The cup made by Harold Snider of Utah was one of several buys I made at the Fine Art and Craft Fair in November at The Art Center. I christened it a “study cup,” a gift for my 15-year-old studious nephew Joe. I wrapped it up and checked it off my list. It was impossible not to purchase a few items at the fair, where my main objective was to meet people while keeping one eye on replenishing paper towels in the bathrooms. The event simply had amazing works wall to wall. Incidentally – for our artists – let me share that The Art Center netted about 8 percent more than the previous year, which we hope mirrored success at each artist’s booth. As for the ceramic cup gift, it was a hit. My sister said her son does not allow anyone else to use the vaunted cup of Joe, and the cup generates envy when he notes how it keeps his coffee hotter longer. My 16-year-old son Andrew, who has also been gearing up in schoolwork, caught on and gave me an “I want a study cup too” look, with emphasis on “I.” So I found one for him and tried to be ahead of a father’s game theory curve by delivering cups to all three sons. This time I bought cups from our ceramics director Terry Shepherd and included extra details he shared about the glazes. So now all the gents are pleased. It’s always so satisfying to give relatively modest gifts that are much appreciated – especially items made by artists. And as it happens my wife even seemed to give a faint want-a-cup vibe. She likes cups with very thin rims, so I thought by not buying her a ceramic cup I was making the “I know my wife” choice, but now I am not so sure.
Cups made by Harold Snider
So the rest is not history. But I do know, art touches our lives on many levels, cup by cup.
Make a Bid at the Fine Art Auction An art purchase can beautify your home and help the Art Center in one master stroke at our US Bank Fine Art Auction on Friday, May 6. We have been lining up some amazing artworks, and we have a new twist – a fun raffle with a children’s art theme. The auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so we very much appreciate all-hands-ondeck support. Auction tickets, $20, and raffle tickets, $50, are available in our gift gallery. Please see Page 5 for more details, and join us for a wonderfully festive evening!
Art Matters June - Aug 2016 gjartcenter.org
ABOUT US
4 Our Mission: The Art Center is a community arts organization dedicated to improving quality of life by promoting the enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts and related arts through studio art instruction, educational programs for children and adults, exhibitions and the acquisition, care and display of a permanent art collection.
Board of Trustees
Robbie Breaux (President) Denny Herzog (Vice President) Randall Cupp (Treasurer) Rob Jenkins Betty Bechtel Mary Hertert Dan Ryan Judy Vanderleest Dean Harris Kelley Burford Cathy Zippert (Art Center Guild Representative) Kay Ambrose (Art Center Foundation President)
Art Center Staff
Mikkel Kelly, Executive Director Avery Glassman, Programs & Exhibitions Curator Lee Borden, Events & Communications Manager Laurie Quinn, Gift Shop & Membership Manager Rachel Egelston, Children's & Special Needs Programming Coordinator Terry Shepherd, Artist-in-Residence D Plunkett, Accountant Maxine Buchholtz, Gift Shop Charity Finnigsmier, Gift Shop
Art Center Hours
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Summer hours (June through Aug.) 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Admission $3 (free to members and children under 12) There is no charge to visit the gift shop
Tuesdays are free to everyone thanks to a generous sponsorship by Home Loan & Nationwide Insurance
Operational funding provided in part by
Hold your hands up, and seize the moment at the US Bank Fine Art Auction. This annual live auction features stunning art from regional artists in support of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts. The action begins at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, at The Art Center, 1803 North 7th St. A select group of about 60 artworks from the region’s most recognized artists will be featured in the auction. We extend a big thank you to the artists, many of whom donated their works at 100 percent. Our featured artist is Nina Williams, who has been working in clay for three decades and is a hand-building instructor at The Art Center. She ingeniously translates inspiration from the nature and energy of the West into clay. Many other renowned artists – who contribute beautiful and thought-provoking pieces year after year – are featured as well. For a new twist, a raffle has been added to the mix. An 8-by-10-inch children’s painting on canvas accompanies the purchase of each $50 raffle ticket for a grand prize of $3,000. We thank the wonderful students in local K-12 schools who created and contributed these mini paintings in support of The Art Center. Auction tickets, $20, and raffle tickets, $50, are available at The Art Center. For more information call 970-243-7337 or visit gjartcenter.org. Please join us. Support The Art Center and bring home a new piece of art!
AUCTION
Make your bid for the arts
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EXHIBITIONS
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Suspended Earth: Contemporary Clay 2016 May 13–June 25 Sponsored by Sara Ransford and Colorado Creative Industries First Friday reception June 3, 7–9 p.m. The results are in! From 174 entries, juror Steve Hilton selected 59 works of art for Suspended Earth: Contemporary Clay 2016. The exhibition will feature a healthy spectrum of abstract and representational work. Many of the artworks play with weight shifts and ideas of suspension. Some appear as heavy as bronze, while others give the impression of weightlessness—a testament to clay’s incredible adaptability as an artistic medium. Several pieces are mixed media, incorporating materials as varied as fabric and bone, and there is even one video installation. Suspended Earth will also feature installation work by Hilton and invited artists KyoungHwa Oh, Jamie Bardsley, Kristin Schimik and Natasha Hovey. A ceramics professor at Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls, Texas) and a geologist as well, Steve Hilton will give a juror’s lecture at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, and will also lead a workshop at The Art Center on May 14 and 15. As of this publication there are several spots left. The Art Center’s Contemporary Clay Biennial began in 2006. This year’s will represent artists from 36 cities and 26 states. Colorado and California are the two biggest contingencies, but their numbers are relatively small, with seven and five artists, respectively. This is a marked difference from Contemporary Clay 2014, when Colorado dominated with 20 accepted artists, 38 percent of the exhibition. The increase in geographic diversity this year points to a growing awareness of The Art Center on a national level. By creating an opportunity for ceramicists— whether established veterans or up-and-comers—from all over the country to enter their work, we in turn build our reputation as a hub for the field of ceramics. Contemporary Clay is actually an international call for entry, and this year saw two international submissions. Going forward we will continue to cultivate our international status. Seventy-four artists submitted and 40 had work chosen. They are: Jill Allen, Natalia Arbelaez, Noel Bailey, Ashwini Bhat, Victoria Buck, Larry Buller, Neil Celani, Andrew Cho, Jennifer Chua, Angela Dieffenbach, Josh Dillinger, Jonathan Fitz, Ann Fremgen, Eileen Gagarin, Forrest Sincoff Gard, Sharon Harper, Eleanor Heimbaugh, Marguerite Hogue, Bill Jamison, Hakyoung Kim, Lucien Koonce, Jennica Druse, Robert Lawarre III, Clay Leonard, Lee Middleman, Sara J. ParentRamos, Jarred Pfeiffer, Rebecca Pinnick, Mike Rand, Sara Ransford, Mark Rigsby, Lauren Sandler, Ariel M. Selcer, Terry Shepherd, Noah Starer, Anthony Stellaccio, Shannon Sullivan, John Tobin, C.A. Traen, and Charity White.
7 EXHIBITIONS
Angela Dieffenbach, Prometheus #7
EXHIBITIONS
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Joann Brennan, Kingfisher Specimen with Arsenic
99 EXHIBITIONS Hans Peeters, Peregrine Falcon (Juvenile)
A Wild Still
Aug. 3–27 First Friday reception Aug. 5, 6:30–9 p.m. John Moore still remembers his high school art teacher, Dr. Schmidt. “He was from the old school … you did not sit down in his art class.” It was classes like Dr. Schmidt’s and those offered on Saturday mornings at the Art Institute of Chicago that cultivated John’s appreciation for the visual arts from an early age. He grew up in Cicero, Illinois, an inner suburb of Chicago. At the time there was still a fair amount of undeveloped property that was natural grassland. John spent much of his youth exploring that urban prairie and developed a passion for the outdoors and wildlife. These two interests—art and natural history—have stayed with him ever since. After 10 summers in the 1960s and ’70s working as a ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park, John got a job as a biology teacher at Wheat Ridge High School outside of Denver, where he taught for 24 years. It was during this time that he began collecting bird art, initially from the Denver galleries. Today he has upwards of 100 works by historic naturalists such as John James Audubon, modern masters such as Don Malick, and local artists such as Art Center member David Mosier. About 40 of these paintings, drawings, and prints will be on display as part of the Art Center’s exhibition A Wild Still.
EXHIBITIONS
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Joann Brennan, Winter Migration Bird Counting Also featured in A Wild Still are photographs by Joann Brennan. The stillness in Brennan’s work is twofold: captured by the camera, the animals she photographs— mostly birds, but also mammals—are often depicted in the clutches of the humans studying them, or simply lifeless. As an artist, educator, and environmentalist, Brennan’s work draws attention to the positive and the negative encompassed by humans’ interactions with nature, particularly wildlife. Whether shadowing hunters or conservationists, Brennan’s frank compositions transport mundane activities into the realm of the peculiar. Her photos from behind-the-scenes of natural history museums produce the disconcerting effect of seeing once-animated creatures laid flat for research and taxidermy, surrounded by scientific instruments in the unnatural habitat of a lab. These images are part of her series Managing Eden, a project 20 years in the making. Brennan will speak 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at The Art Center. Seeing wildlife frozen in time, as it is in both Brennan’s work and Moore’s collection, has the inverse effect of reminding the viewer of the harsh reality outside the gallery. Time and human development march on with severe implications for these species. If steps are not taken to preserve and protect, the animals represented in A Wild Still may come to exist only in museums. Yet both Brennan and Moore remain optimistic about the future of wildlife conservation. “When I started photographing,” says Brennan, “I had this idea that nature was lost … as I photographed and met people, I realized that there are amazing experts out there, working hard to try to find this balance between human concerns and wild populations.”
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Learning
Nina Williams, Mask Snake Skull (detail)
July 1-30 First Friday reception July 1, 6:30–9 p.m. Drop off artwork: Monday, June 27, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. Pick up artwork: Sunday, July 31, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Formerly known as the student and instructor show, Learning is an annual exhibition open to anyone who has taken or taught a WCCA class, workshop, or open studio between July 2015 and June 2016. Entry forms are available on The Art Center’s website and in hardcopy. Over 1,000 people enriched their learning through a WCCA program in the past year. The Art Center is proud to highlight the vast exchange of knowledge that occurs through its educational programming. Whether the exchange is between peers, instructors, or students and their mentors, artistic techniques and philosophies are constantly being shared, contributing toward the greater good of a visually literate public.
EXHIBITIONS
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The Two of Us: James Surls & Charmaine Locke July 13–Sept. 23
The exhibition will take place simultaneously at The Art Center and at CMU’s art gallery (437 Colorado Ave.). Both spaces will feature sculpture and drawing by Locke and Surls. A special, online-only edition of Art Matters with images and scholarly essays will be available on the Art Center’s website as a catalog of the exhibition. Both artists’ work is laden with symbolism yet maintains a literal quality that is the first layer to the viewer’s experience. Whether due to the sheer size of some of their artwork or the human traces embedded in the materials—irregular carvings in wood, modeling in bronze—the initial impression is often one of a sentient presence, with deeper meanings to be gleaned upon further visual exchange. Surls is heavily influenced by Surrealism, particularly Mexican Surrealists such as José Clemente Orozco. Several of his pieces fixate on the dichotomy of male and female and its potential for falseness. Locke studied psychology before turning to art; a series of portraits featured in the exhibition portray internal states ranging from peace to anguish, while a series of sculptures depict how internal energies manifest to the outer world.
James Surls, On Being Home and Being Home
13 EXHIBITIONS
The Art Center is collaborating with Colorado Mesa University on an exhibition of work by internationally-acclaimed artists James Surls and Charmaine Locke. They married in 1978 and moved from Texas to Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley in 1997. Locke and Surls have exhibited together several times, including at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Anderson Ranch (Snowmass Village), The Jung Center (Houston) and the National Art Museum of China (Beijing).
LECTURES
14 Pochoir and the Influence of Collage on My Process Liz Ferrill, juror of Rocky Mountain Collage Society’s 2016 exhibition Thursday, May 19, at 6 p.m.
Elizabeth Ferrill is a painter, printmaker, and mixed media artist who works primarily in the medium of pochoir. Pochoir is a hand stenciling technique that was developed in France in the early 20th century and typically used as a way to hand color limited edition fashion and architectural magazines. Gouache is tapped through a cut stencil and applied in layers to create a hard-edged image. This additive process is akin to collage and allows for the layering of shape and color. Ferrill will discuss her process as well as the content behind her imagery. Ferrill is the Artistic Director of Painting, Drawing and Printmaking and the Chair of the Artists-in-Residence program at Anderson Ranch. Previously a Studio Coordinator at Anderson Ranch from 2009 to 2012, Ferrill returned after teaching printmaking at the University of Nevada, Reno, and more recently teaching printmaking to graduate students and graduating seniors at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She received her MFA from RISD and is an accomplished artist with multiple solo exhibitions across the U.S. and in Berlin, Germany. Her work has been exhibited around the world and is in the permanent collections of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art as well as the Brown University Library.
The Life and Times of Bill van Gilder Friday, Aug. 12, at 5:30 p.m.
A professional potter for more than 45 years, Bill van Gilder began his clay work at age 15, as a studio apprentice to the late Byron Temple. During the following years he apprenticed in Ireland and England and received a degree from Harrow School of Art (London). He then established and managed two large training pottery centers in southern Africa (Lesotho & Swaziland) under the auspices of The World Bank. Bill returned to the U.S. in 1979 and established a studio and craft gallery atop South Mountain in Central Maryland, which he continues to operate today. His clay work is exhibited and held in collections worldwide.
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Joann Brennan
Saturday, Aug. 27, at 3 p.m. Joann Brennan is an artist, educator, and environmentalist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions such as the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and Internationale Fototage (Germany). Brennan has worked as Professor of Photography at CUDenver’s College of Arts & Media since 1998. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 and a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship in 2010. Her work examines the human impact on nature, particularly our conflicts with wild animals. In her own words, “My photographs are a bridge, a vehicle to create and share stories that expose nuances and the paradox of our complex relationship to wildness and the natural world.” Thirty images from Brennan’s series Managing Eden are featured in the exhibition Wild Still, which runs Aug. 3-27 at The Art Center. All lectures are free and open to the public, courtesy of Sara Ransford, Betty & Joel Bechtel, Chuck & Kendra McDaniel, the Art Center Guild,
ADULT CLASSES
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Classes and Workshops Summer classes start June 13! Online registration opens April 27 at 8 a.m. Register in person or over the phone starting April 28 at noon. Member’s discount deadline is June 10. Registration and payment: Registration can be completed online at www. gjartcenter.org, over the phone, or inperson at the Art Center. For phone registration, call 970-243-7337, ext. 2. To register in person, stop by during gallery hours, Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, check, or cash. Class space will not be reserved without full payment. Please be aware that classes require a minimum number of students and are subject to cancellation. The best way to ensure that the class you are interested in does not get canceled is to register early and don’t forget to urge a friend to sign up! Cancellation Policy: To cancel a class or workshop registration, notify The Art Center at least 14 days before the start of the class or workshop. If given the required 14-day notice, The Art Center will issue class credit in full or will refund your payment less the registration fee ($15 for adults and $5 for children). No refunds or class credit will be issued for cancellations made
within 14 days of the start of the class or workshop. If you register for a class or workshop within the 14-day period, you will receive no refund or class credit for cancellation. Sorry, no refunds or class credits for no-shows. This registration policy helps instructors plan and prepare for upcoming classes, ensuring you receive ample notice if a class has insufficient registration. Art Supplies: Supply lists for each class are available on our website. Unless otherwise specified, the student is responsible for purchasing art supplies. Some supplies are available at The Art Center Gift Shop. Tuition for ceramics classes includes a $30 fee covering one bag of clay, firing and glazing. Ceramics students will need a pottery tool kit, not covered by tuition and available from The Art Center Gift Shop for $19 plus tax. Need-based scholarships are available. Visit our website’s scholarships page for more information!
Members: Register by June 10 to receive your discount!
Mark Posey
Mondays 6:30–7:30 p.m., June 13–Aug. 8, skipping July 4 $110 member / $150 non-member Wear clothing that is comfortable to move in. This class is intended for all levels of fitness and body awareness. Tai Chi is a system of movement designed to reduce your stress level, boost your immune system, and promote optimal functioning of your body and mind. Learn valuable methods for aiding in relaxation so that you can enjoy the season, and your life, more. The movements of Tai Chi improve your balance, joint function, and range of motion. They make it easier to move, help prevent and heal injuries, and generally help you to stay active longer and with more comfort and energy. Instructor Mark Posey has been teaching Tai Chi for 20 years.
Live Model Open Studios (Guided by a facilitator)
All levels and all media welcome. The open studio is a relaxed and light-hearted space where artists work with live models to hone their skills and understanding of elements such as line, form, shape, value and proportion, as well as gain insight into the principles of the medium they choose to work in that week. Nude Figure (must be 18 years of age) Tuesdays 6–9 p.m., June 14–Aug. 2 $80 member / $120 non-member Portraiture (Clothed Model) Thursdays 6–9 p.m., June 23 to Aug. 11 $80 member / $120 non-member
ADULT CLASSES
Tai Chi
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ADULT CLASSES
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What Is Beauty? Ramana Konantz
Wednesdays 8–9 p.m., June 15–Aug. 3 $110 member / $150 non-member In this 6-week course, Ramana Konantz will guide participants through the history of art with an eye toward how the concept of beauty is understood differently by different cultures. Through slideshows and discussion the class will discover and discuss the importance of beauty and how philosophers and artists through the ages have interpreted beauty in different ways. Some of the topics covered will include: How do we define beauty?; beauty in the East vs. West; the origins of beauty; is beauty lost?; Classical beauty; and Modern perspectives on beauty. Ramana Konantz is a Lecturer of Art at CMU and spent almost three years studying beauty and its relationship to religion, art and ethics in Canada.
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CERAMICS CLASSES
CERAMICS CLASSES
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Fundamentals in Clay $195 member / $235 non-member
Designed for beginners and intermediates alike, this class will cover the fundamentals of wheel-throwing, hand-building, glaze and slip decoration, clay body, slip formulation and raw materials. Independence is a primary component of this class, with students encouraged to develop their own projects and take initiative toward their creative learning during open studio hours.
Instructor Gary Andrews
Robbie Breaux
Mondays 6:30–9:30 p.m., June 13–Aug. 8, skipping July 4
Robbie Breaux
Tuesdays 1–4 p.m., June 14–Aug. 2
Gary Andrews
Tuesdays 6:30–9:30 p.m., June 14–Aug. 2
Terry Shepherd
Thursdays 1–4 p.m., June 16– Aug. 4
Dan Patten
Thursdays 6:30–9:30 p.m., June 16–Aug. 4
All Levels Handbuilding Nina Williams
Mondays 1–4 p.m., June 13–Aug. 8, skipping July 4 $195 member / $235 non-member Not all beautiful ceramic work is thrown on a wheel! We will join slabs of clay into beautiful works of art using a variety of techniques and surface patterns. We will focus primarily on decorative and ornamental work this session. In addition to slab-built work, there will also be coiling and extrusion projects throughout the class.
21 CERAMICS CLASSES
Teen Wheel-Throwing Ashtonn Means
Wednesdays 4–6 p.m., June 15–Aug. 3 $140 member / $180 non-member Ages 14-18 Whether you’ve never touched clay before or have experience throwing, this is the class for all teens 14–18! Students will learn the skills behind wheel-throwing, glaze application and a basic understanding of Cone 10 materials and firing, as well as design principles for functional pottery, fundamentals of form and aesthetic design techniques. Every class will have demonstrations, hands-on projects, and one-on-one guidance on the wheel-throwing process. Students are strongly encouraged to be selfdirected and to bring project ideas and learning goals to work on throughout the eight-week course. Demonstrations will be geared toward students’ learning goals. See you there!
Instructor Ashtonn Means
Intermediate/Advanced Ceramics Terry Shepherd
Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. or 6:30-9:30 p.m., June 15–Aug. 3 $195 member / $235 non-member This class is a continuation of Fundamentals in Clay. Students will acquire skills, techniques, and study of form and function that include throwing, handbuilding, and altered throwing techniques. Further study of cone 10 stoneware, porcelain clay, multiple glazes and alternative firing processes will be introduced.
YOUTH & TEEN
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Summer Art Camp 2016
A unique experience every week
Ages 5-12 years old. Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuition: member $100 / non-member $125 per week, per child. Need-based scholarships available. Students are asked to bring a sack lunch and a water bottle. May 31–June 3: (Short week - tuition: member $80 / non–members $100) Themed Lego projects. Fantastical Beast: After studying mythological and fantastical beasts throughout culture and literature, students will design and render their own creatures. Through the door, create your own world or room exactly the way you would want it to be. Community nature loom installation. June 6–10: Clay pottery. Sculpture: miniature to maximum – students will create abstract and realistic sculptures on large and small scale using a variety of media. Ode to the Blue Group, making musical instruments. Meet the galleries: curator will take students for informative guide tour. Community nature loom installation. June 13–17: (Camp will be at The Botanical Gardens Wednesday, June 15) Cyan printing /art journals. Stepping stones. Sun catchers, rock art, bubble wands. Art made easy: Learn trick of the trade. Community nature loom installation. June 20–24: National Park Centennial Celebration: exploring highlights of our own Colorado National Monument with fabric and thread. Improv class: teaches students the art of acting and subsequently how to improvise. Tell stories: learn to tell stories with pictures. Create cartoons, images and emotion. Community nature loom installation. June 27–July 1: Clay techniques. Creative writing exercises with a final piece of writing to present to parents on Friday. Draw, paint, cartoon: Emphasis on drawing skills. Community nature loom installation. July 5–8: (Short week - tuition: Members/$80 and Non–Members/$100) Fun with color: edible color wheel, faux alcohol ink, watercolor, Jackson Pollock and a color run. Found sculpture: student will discover the recycling art movement and scavenging for items to create found sculpture. The art of bookmaking with Maxine Buchholtz. July 11–15: Music theater workshop; teaching song and dance. Clay sculpture. Mosaic, art scavenger hunt and build your own board game. July 18–22: The travel and adventure in art: explore place and ideas with skill of an art journalist. Meet the galleries: curator will take students for informative tour. Graffiti art. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) art projects. July 25–29: Clay vessels. Story book construction and illustration. Make your own art supplies.
23 YOUTH & TEEN Cate Shirley, 12, one of many students who created and donated a painting to raise funds for the art center.
Teen Workshop 2016
A unique experience every week
Ages 13–18. All materials provided Monday–Friday, 9am–4pm Tuition: member/$100 and non-members/$125 per week, per student Need-based scholarships available. Students are asked to bring a sack lunch and a water bottle. June 6–10: (Ages 13–18) A look at William Blake: Focus on poetry and watercolor. Jun 20–24: (Ages 13–15) The art of beading; design your own look; learn how to put a balance in jewelry making. July 11–15: (Ages 15–18) Make personal journey through eons of time: This workshop will help you develop thinking differently and enhance skills to analyze. Student will work with mixed media on alter book. July 20–24: (Ages 13–18) Open 2-D Studio: come work in the media of your choice while being mentored by a professional artist. Media can include graphite, charcoal, pastel, ink, watercolor and acrylic.
WORKSHOPS
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Mike Allen, work in progress
Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 12–5 p.m. OFFSITE: Mike Allen Metal (1128 S 9th St., Grand Junction 81501) $150 member / $190 non-member Materials provided; $15 paid to instructor on first day. Eye and ear protection required, cotton clothing recommended. Ages 18 and up. Come taste the world of forging in a blacksmith shop. This class is a preview into the world of shaping metal by forging. Heat steel and use a hammer and anvil to move the metal into different shapes by forging, bending and twisting. Not a full beginner’s class but a taste to see if the world of hammer and steel is for you.
Traditional Shibori Workshop Mary Hertert
Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. OFFSITE: Color Creek Fiber Art (1150 N 25th St., Unit B) $80 member / $120 non-member Materials provided; $45 paid to instructor on first day. Please bring gloves and an apron or old clothes. Shibori means “Shape Resist Dyeing” and allows for sculpted fabrics as well as textural patterns. Shibori is often referred to as the origami of the fabric dye world. Think a much more elaborate version of tie-dye. In this two-day workshop we will explore a variety of resist methods as we wrap, stitch and clamp the fabrics before immersing them in color. This will also be an introduction to dyeing with the natural plant Indigo. Mary will provide pots and pans, and we’ll set up dye baths for “instant gratification.” You will walk away with samples and a finished piece.
WORKSHOPS
A Taste of Metal Mike Allen
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WORKSHOPS
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Beginning Batik and Beyond Mary Hertert
Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. OFFSITE: Color Creek Fiber Art (1150 N 25th St., Unit B) $40 member / $80 non-member Materials provided; $25 paid to instructor on first day. Please bring gloves and an apron or old clothes. On Day 1 of this weekend workshop we will explore batik techniques on fabric. Batik, an ancient and versatile art medium, is the use of wax as a resist to color. Wax as resist is commonly used in textiles for the dyeing of fabrics and is also used in pottery and paper decoration. The class will start with wax and dyes on silk for a quick immersion into the concept of layers. Later in the day you will have the opportunity to work on either cotton or silk to get a feel for creating a composition using wax and dyes. You will have the opportunity to complete two projects in the time period along with several practice pieces.
Summer Watercolor Intensive Sarah Peterson
Thursday–Sunday, June 16–19, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. $325 member / $365 non-member Boulder-based artist Sarah Peterson teaches a popular technique of using wet-onwet watercolor, or alla prima. It means “all at once” and is a very different way of painting, one that does not create layers. The result is a fresh and translucent feel. Create gorgeous paintings of an ethereal nature, of any subjects that capture your interest! Sarah’s individualized attention toward students enables all levels of painters. To view her work and learn more about her method, visit sarahfpeterson.com. Sarah grew up in Aspen, in the days of dirt streets and no movie stars. She moved to Boulder in 1977, where she and her husband raised their four children. She has been a studio potter for 19 years and is well known for her signature trout majolica ceramics. However, her true love has always been watercolors, spending summers in Aspen at Anderson Ranch under the tutelage of her mentor, Anstis B. Lundy. She has exhibited both her ceramics and watercolors in numerous shows in Boulder, Denver, Aspen, Ketchum, NY, Key West, and San Francisco.
27 WORKSHOPS
Instructor Daphna Russell
photo by Joanne Tullis
Horsing Around Daphna Russell
Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $95 member / $125 non-member In this hands-on ceramics workshop, students will practice techniques in representational sculpture while also experimenting with abstraction. Daphna Russell holds a BA from Colorado College in sculpture and art history and an MA in the same subjects from Texas Women’s University. She is known for her stylized sculptures of animals in clay and bronze. In her own words, “I reconstruct using geometric shapes and biomorphic masses … The basic design, while still describing the animal, combines with the composition to create the meaning lying under the surface.” Students will gain exposure to additive and subtractive techniques in sculpture: slab work, modeling, thumb tricks, and carving, as well as an introduction to alternative finishes. Daphna will demo twice each day, with plenty of time for individualized instruction. Students can bring their own clay or purchase it from The Art Center at 60 cents per pound. A bisque firing is included in the tuition; students can pick up their work two weeks after the workshop. Additional firings are $10 per sculpture.
WORKSHOPS
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Wet-Carved Concrete Sculpture Elder Jones
Friday-Sunday, July 29-31 (7/29: 6–9 p.m., 7/30: 9 a.m.–6 p.m., 7/31: 10 a.m.–noon) $250 member / $290 non-member All materials provided Join master concrete-carver Elder Jones in this three-day, hands-on sculpture workshop. Participants will learn the technique of wet carving to create their own concrete sculpture or planter about 14 inches high. The process is done while the concrete is still soft so no power tools are required. All materials are provided (those interested will be able to purchase a tool set designed by the artist). Elder Jones is an award-winning artist who carves concrete into sculpture, fountains, and public art projects. A Tennessee native, Elder is the nation’s foremost expert in cement carving, with more than 25 years of experience. His art has received national attention on HGTV and in Southern Living Magazine, San Francisco Examiner, and two books by Sherri Warner Hunter. Elder’s work can be found at La Mesa Gallery of Santa Fe, among others. To view Elder’s work visit www.sandpudding.com.
The Perfect Take-a-long Journal Maxine Buchholtz
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20–21, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $80 member / $120 non-member All materials provided; $30 paid to instructor on first day Make a backpack or travel journal using leather in this two-day workshop. This size (5 x 5½ inches) journal is the most popular and easy to carry. Rives BFK paper is well-suited for pen and ink, watercolor or acrylics. We will use the Long Stitch or Twisted Long Stitch to sew the signatures (a group of folded papers) into the journal. You will also make decorative pieces to be used as end papers. Whether you want to create a gift for a loved one or simply a place to store your thoughts, handmade journals are a special way to do so. Maxine will bring tools to share and students who have their own are encouraged to bring them. All levels of experience welcome.
Visit The Art Center’s Gift Gallery for a wonderful selection of artwork by some of the Grand Valley’s finest artists. The Gallery features handmade jewelry, small-scale artworks, scarves, bookmarks, magnets and books, as well as fine art prints and originals, beautiful ceramics and more, all made by members of The Art Center! You can also purchase gift certificates and memberships for your loved ones. If you are taking one of our classes, we carry watercolor paper, YUPO paper, sanded pastel paper, alcohol inks and clay tool kits. Summer Gift Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The Pastel Society will be the featured club on the North Wall of The Art Center Gift Shop from May through June. The Raven Mavens will be the featured club on the North Wall of The Art Center Gift Shop from July through August.
Kay Crane June Gift Gallery Artist of the Month
Maggie Cook July Gift Gallery Artist of the Month
Trudy Harper August Gift Gallery Artist of the Month
GIFT GALLERY
Art Center Gift Gallery
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NEWS
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In Our Galleries: Art Center ceramics studio director Terry Shepherd, left, visits with retired Judge Harold Moss, who lives in Parker and will turn 100 on May 31. His late wife Ruth Moss was one of the founders of The Art Center. Judge Moss visited the Members exhibit at the center Feb. 19 with his son Art.
Study Tracks Arts Impacts The Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture is gathering information for the 2016 Economic Impact Survey in partnership with Americans for the Arts. Please stop by the tables you see at various Art Center events, as well as other events in the area, and fill out the brief survey. The surveys are anonymous and a snap to complete. Your information is an important contribution to this invaluable study for arts and culture in Grand Junction. Looking back, a study by Americans for the Arts in 2006 found that Mesa County had 255 arts-related businesses and employed 883 people in “creative industries” businesses. In 2006, about 552,046 people were welcomed to arts and cultural events in the Grand Valley, which was about four times the population of Mesa County at that time. The aggregate income of Grand Valley arts and cultural organizations and governmental arts agencies in 2006 was about $10.8 million. “It will be great to have new information to serve as benchmarks for further progress,” Art Center Executive Director Mikkel Kelly said. So please do your part and fill out the surveys. The information validates the importance of the arts and provides data to attract new business and provides valuable information for grant proposals. Art Matters June - Aug 2016 gjartcenter.org
31 NEWS
CMU Student Show: Tiffany Carlson of
Richland, Washington, contemplates Butterfly Book by Vanessa Porras on a Free Tuesday at The Art Center. Carlson said she was initially drawn to the work because butterflies remind her of her mother and was then captivated with the creativity and skill involved in the piece.
Digitize Your Artworks Mesa County Library offers free, professional digitization for local fine artists. Requirements include but are not limited to: 1) original works only, 2) maximum of six submissions at a time, 3) library may choose to catalog and digitally display art as part of the library’s permanent art collection. The library will credit the artist where appropriate and link to websites when possible. The library will store images in a “dark archive,” and artists may requests high resolution copies twice a year. For examples, please see the 970West collection at mesacountylibraries.org. For more information please contact Jessica Geddes at jgeddes@mcpld.org.
Art Matters June - Aug 2016 gjartcenter.org
1803 Nor th 7th Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 tel 970 - 243 - 7337 fax 970 - 243 - 2482 w w w. g j a r t c e n t e r . o r g
Volume 1, Issue 3 June - Aug. 2016 NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PA I D GRAND JCT, CO PERMIT 162