Art matters September - October 2016

Art Matters

Current and upcoming exhibitions Classes and workshops Art Center news

Magazine of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts

Volume 1, Issue 4 Sept. - Oct. 2016

Art Matters Contents

Exhibitions Bliss Fishing illuminates conscious dreaming in multiple media

ÂĄDel Corazon! juxtaposes iconic symbols and plays with association Bonsai Society returns for an outdoor exhibit Brush & Palette Fine Art Show Voices. Junction Clay Arts Guild exhibition Home Impressions Art Center and Roice-Hurst Humane Society join forces for Art Unleashed The Two of Us touts internationally acclaimed artists Surls and Locke

Lectures Bill van Gilder charts journeys and joys of working with clay Joann Brennan explores relationship between humans and wildness Hispanic Heritage Month 2016 kicks off at The Art Center Bliss Fishing roundtable reunites four prominent local artists

Ready, willing, sign up All the how-tos you’ll need to enroll in fantastic courses at The Art Center

Workshops Pastel, anatomical sculpture, watercolor, and more

Youth and Teen Programs Fall break youth and teen art camp

Adult Classes and Workshops Tai Chi, open studios, collage, landscape and still life painting

Ceramics Classes Fundamentals, advanced, teen wheel-throwing

Gift Gallery Artists of the month: Diane Saulnier and Trudy Harper

Arts Briefs Auction report, Contemporary Clay winners and members survey Enterprise Zone information On The Cover: Tony Ortega, Cuatro en el Campo

Art Matters Sept. - Oct. 2016 gjartcenter.org

5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 14 16 17 18-21 22-23 24-27 28 29 30 31

3 WELCOME

To the Future Let’s pick a word.

The Western Colorado Center for the Arts board of trustees and staff completed a strategic plan this past April setting goals for the next two years.

One of the goals aims to size up the state of our facility, identify our space needs and position to either renovate or move into another facility in coming years.

Mikkel Kelly Executive Director

What might this goal boil down to if I had to choose a word? I’ll go with classrooms.

The Art Center – its exhibition halls, courtyards, gift gallery, ceramics studio and so forth – is a certainly welcoming place. But like the timeworn pair of beloved boots I read about in a column by Grand Junction Sentinel features editor Ann Wright, there comes a tipping point – a time to choose between retreading or a new pair of boots altogether.

Clearly at the core of our needs is additional and improved classrooms to further elevate The Art Center. The number of wonderful classes we can offer is limited by space availability. We often use exhibition space for courses when classrooms or quasi-classroom areas are unavailable or too small. Further, when exhibition halls are crowded by courses and student camps, it limits efforts to incorporate increasingly advanced features in our outstanding exhibitions.

With little prompting, our staffers can recite a substantial wish list for our charming center.

We might mention our aging HVAC systems or other frailties of our facility. But for now, the rally cry that comes to mind is simply the word classrooms.

Our Place in the Mix Neighbor to neighbor, we have been getting hints from Main Street voices urging The Art Center to move downtown and perhaps become an anchor for a potential creative arts district. At the same time, a new John McConnell Math and Science Center is tentatively scheduled to open in early 2018 near us on North 7th Street. From time to time we partner with this dynamic organization and with its new doors to open soon, we can envision increased synergy. We are excited about its goals in a new thrust known as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education.

Yes we feel multiple tugs, which is why we are getting our ducks in a row.

We do know one thing for sure – we need each other. A one-plus-one-equals-three philosophy comes easily to those in the arts advocacy world. The magic math can be realized in so many ways; for example, using our building in new ways or combining the center with a convention center, restaurant or theater. Who knows?

We will be touching base along the way as we did this month with our survey to members.

Please see Page 30 for a brief summary. I always look forward to comments from members, so please email mkelly@gjartcenter.org or call me at 970-243-7337, ext. 4. We are looking to you, our loyal members and our community, to continue supporting The Art Center and shaping the future side by side.

Art Matters Sept - Oct 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 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 Maxine Buchholtz, Gift Shop Charity Finnigsmier, Gift Shop

Art Center Hours

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday 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

5 EXHIBITIONS

Bliss Fishing

Josh Butler, Moth Study

with Charles Hardy, Roger McCoy, Josh Butler, and Araan Schmidt Oct. 4 – Nov. 12 Artist talk Friday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Lancer Livermont

Joseph Campbell always told his students to “Follow your bliss.” Good advice, but with one problem—most people never figure out what that is. The four of us have. For each of us fly fishing and art rank high. A third related love is teaching, especially art. Through these shared blisses we have become good friends. We spend a lot of time together on the Grand Mesa (or plotting to get onto the Grand Mesa) to fish. On the way up to our favorite spots, and after a long day of fishing, we cast into each other’s minds, motivations and ideas. We don’t talk about art—but that’s all we talk about. The acts of fly fishing, art making, and teaching require a tenacious faith that there is something meaningful lurking out in the unknown: a trout off the shores in a dark lake, art deep in the waters of the unconscious or a budding creator inside a hopeful beginner. The trick is to coax them up into the known, to bring them out of the darkness.

Josh Butler is a professor of drawing and printmaking and Araan Schmidt is a professor of sculpture at Colorado Mesa University. Charles Hardy and Roger McCoy both taught art at CMU (then Mesa State College) for many years.

Left to right: Charles Hardy, Roger McCoy, Josh Butler, Araan Schmidt

EXHIBITIONS

6

¡Del Corazon!

In conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month 2016 Sept. 1 – Oct. 1 Artist talk Friday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m.

Artist workshop Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 8-9 Sponsored by Colorado Creative Industries and Luis Lopez

Sylvia Montero

7 EXHIBITIONS Tony Ortega, Super Hombre

The Art Center is excited to welcome back Denver artists Tony Ortega and Sylvia Montero, this time for a duet exhibition. Ortega has been involved in recent years with School District 51—even creating a mural at Dual Immersion Academy in 2009—and The Art Center’s educational programs, but the last time he and Montero exhibited at The Art Center was in 1999. The exhibition will feature recent drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage by both artists, as well as video art by Ortega. ¡Del Corazon! is from the heart in more ways than one. The artists, who married in 1992, utilize abstraction, magical realism, folk, and pop art in the creation of mixedmedia work that focuses on Chicano/Chicana identity. On the surface Chicano is synonymous with Mexican-American, but that definition far from encompasses its meaning. As with art, intention is crucial: Chicano and Chicana are chosen identities.

They are not a label slapped on by census surveys, but an assertion of pride and political consciousness around one’s dual heritage. This association is due in part to the Chicano Movement, a civil rights movement of the 1960s led by Denver activist Rodolfo Gonzales, among others.

Sylvia Montero trained as a modern dancer and turned to visual art after the birth of their son. She has taught at the Art Students League of Denver for 18 years and is a fellowship recipient of the Rocky Mountain Women’s Institute. She has exhibited throughout Colorado as well as Bulgaria and Spain. In addition to exhibiting all over the U.S., Tony Ortega has exhibited internationally in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, and Hungary. His work belongs to collections including the Denver Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, Museo del Barrio (New York), and Museo Estudio Diego Rivera (Mexico City). Both artists have exhibited in China, Chile, Mexico, and Palestine, and together they created a mural, Women of the West, for the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Englewood, Colorado.

EXHIBITIONS

8

Western Colorado Bonsai Society Sept. 2-10 First Friday reception Sept. 2, 7-9 p.m.

Bonsai is a fascinating horticultural art form, deeply rooted in history. From its early incarnation as penjing in China, to what is seen now as the formal Japanese bonsai, the art form has nurtured roots and souls for centuries. The trees come in many forms and colors, from the tiny pink leaves of a delicate maple to the rugged gray bark of an old collected pine. The pots act not only as a container but an aesthetic extension of the tree, and stands are chosen to enhance the view of the composition as a whole.

Bonsai require great care. It is a huge responsibility to care for these sometimes very old trees. They become a part of and have a history with their caretakers, and some are said in folktales to possess a spirit. As much work as it can be, the reward of experiencing the ever-changing landscape of a bonsai tree pays back tenfold.

9 EXHIBITIONS

Brush & Palette Fine Art Show

Kathryn McBride, Lilacs

Oct. 19 – Nov. 15 Awards Reception Friday, Oct. 21, 6:30-8 p.m.

The Grand Junction Brush and Palette Club’s 69th annual Fine Art Show will run from Oct. 19 until Nov. 15 at The Art Center. It is open to Brush & Palette Club members, and this year there are even more opportunities to win. Awards include Best of Show, Legacy Ribbon, and three in each of the following categories: professional, advanced and amateur. Each member may submit one piece for the ‘small wall,’ up to five bin works and two judged entries.

Artwork will be judged by Dean Bowlby, a Western Slope figurative and landscape painter. Raised in the Roaring Fork Valley, Bowlby’s rural upbringing encouraged a wonder and admiration for his surroundings. He attended Regis College and studied with established classical artists. Many of his artworks tend toward Impressionism, yet they always have an underlying foundation of careful drawing and rendering. Visit deanbowlby.com to view examples of his artwork.

The public is invited to participate in the B&P Fine Art Show. A reception will be 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. Ribbons and prizes will be awarded. A prospectus is available on the B&P website (gjbrushandpalette.org) and at The Art Center beginning in early August.

EXHIBITIONS

10

Voices

Deb Stewart

Oct. 5 – Nov. 12 First Friday reception Oct. 7, 7-9 p.m.

For the 14th consecutive year, the Junction Clay Arts Guild will partner with The Art Center for the annual show and sale. This year’s exhibition is titled Voices. The title was chosen due to the wide variety of methods the group uses to produce work, making each piece a unique expression. This exhibition will feature functional work, sculpture, wall pieces and pottery as fine art.

The Junction Clay Arts Guild has been in existence since 2001. In the 15 years since its inception, the guild has grown to about 40 active members, ranging from novice to full-time professional artists. The guild participates as a group in at least two public shows a year. Some members also exhibit as individuals or participate with other organizations.

Gen Morris

Jeanette Davis, Arches I (detail)

11

In conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 1 – Oct. 15 Kick-off reception Friday, Sept. 16, 5:30-7 p.m.

Sponsored by Western Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce, US Bank, Jerome Gonzales, Mercedes Cameron and Bert Nieslanik The artists in Home Impressions each have experience in the cultural hybridity that comes with having ties to the U.S. and Latin America. Whether that experience influences their work to a large or small extent, in ways apparent to viewers or not, depends. The featured artists are: Yvette Villanueva Campbell, Vidal Castillo, Jeanette Davis, Ivan Guaderrama, Beatriz Ledesma, Luis Lopez (co-curator), Connie Martinez, Miguel Reyes and Elisa Uribe.

The immigrant narrative is so central to American history and identity that it is often homogenized. It has become easy to forget the details, how many different factors play into the decision to make a home for oneself in a foreign country.

Some of the artists in Home Impressions grew up in Mexico, or Honduras, or Argentina, and moved to the U.S. as adults.

Others were born and raised in Colorado by parents who were from elsewhere, or by one parent who was American and one who was not. Still others came to the U.S. as small children and have since grown up here. No two stories are the same, and that uniqueness is evident in the diversity of artistic expression that comprises the exhibition.

Home Impressions seeks to highlight the talent and skill of local Hispanic artists not as a conclusion, but rather, as a jumping off point. By organizing exhibits such as these the hope is that they eventually outgrow themselves, because the goal is to have parity—racial, gender, socioeconomic, ability parity—throughout our exhibits calendar and throughout every art center’s exhibits calendar. On a national scale it’s going to take a long time: in the U.S. we are swimming against centuries of cultural dominance and marginalization.

It may take centuries to undo. Until the pathways of opportunity are equitably paved, we need to continue to promote Latinx artists both within and outside the context of Hispanic Heritage Month.

EXHIBITIONS

Home Impressions

EXHIBITIONS

12

Art Unleashed

Kay Crane, Parking Lot Fun (detail)

Oct. 7-29 Deadline for submissions Aug. 15 First Friday reception Oct. 7, 7-9 p.m.

The Art Center is definitely going to the dogs ‌ and cats and other four-legged friends this October. We are excited to be teaming up with Roice-Hurst Humane Society to bring art patrons and animal lovers together for a fun First Friday evening, a fabulous exhibit, and a celebration of National Shelter Dog Month.

A call for artists of all ages, all mediums and all levels of experience went out this summer seeking artistic expressions of animals. Visit gjartcenter.org/wp/art-unleashed to learn the specifics! The exhibit will surely bring smiles to all visitors as they enter the Atrium. Most artwork will be for sale, with proceeds going to support both The Art Center and Roice-Hurst Humane Society. A few priceless pieces from our permanent collection will also be sprinkled about for the eye and heart to enjoy.

Plan now to attend the first ever Bow Wow Film Festival, brought to you by Roice-Hurst Humane Society, at the Avalon Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 1, to see a preview of the exhibit. Then make sure to mark your calendar for the First Friday event Oct. 7 where surprises, treats, and opportunities will be UNLEASHED!

13

Sponsored by Chuck & Robbie Breaux and Mary & Dean Harris Artist talk Saturday, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m.

Through Sept. 23 The Art Center is collaborating with Colorado Mesa University on an exhibition of sculpture and drawings by James Surls and Charmaine Locke.

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).

This exhibition takes place simultaneously at The Art Center and at CMU’s art gallery (437 Colorado Ave.). Both spaces feature sculpture and drawing by Locke and by Surls. A special, online-only edition of Art Matters with images and scholarly essays is available on The Art Center’s website as a catalog of the exhibition.

Both artists’ work is laden with symbolism yet maintains a literal openness.

This quality often acts as 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 like José Clemente Orozco. Several of his pieces fixate on the masculine/feminine dichotomy 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 and outward environmental concerns intersect.

Lecture: James Surls & Charmaine Locke Saturday, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m.

Internationally acclaimed artists James Surls and Charmaine Locke married in 1978 and moved from Texas to Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley in 1997. In this artist talk they will discuss work from The Two of Us, as well as a lifetime of exchange and influence on each other’s individual art practices.

Background image: Charmaine Locke, Dancing on the Water

EXHIBITIONS

The Two of Us

LECTURES

14

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.

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 CU-Denver’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 A Wild Still, which runs Aug. 3-27 at the Art Center.

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Celebration

Tony Ortega and Sylvia Montero, keynote speakers Friday, Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m.

Each year, the United States honors the contributions that Latinos have made to our country with a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration that runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Once again this year, the Western Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Colorado Minority Business Office and The Art Center, will host the annual kick-off celebration for National Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at The Art Center.

This is a free event for the community, featuring music and dance performances, the presentation of the Hispanic Advancement Award, and keynote speakers Tony Ortega and Sylvia Montero. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, The Art Center will feature an exhibit of Ortega and Montero’s work, as well as a second exhibit of Latinx artists from the Western Slope.

15 LECTURES Tony Ortega, La Marcha de los Devalidos

Since the Western Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce’s inception in 2013, the organization has collaborated with the Mesa County Public Library District, the Hispanic Affairs Project, the Western Colorado Congress, Migrant Education and the Latin Anglo Alliance, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the Grand Valley. This year the WCLCC welcomes The Art Center as a sponsor for the 2016 festivities.

In addition to the Sept. 16 Kick-Off, ongoing events in the month-long celebration include the Colorado National Monument Naturalization Ceremony (Sept. 14), bilingual puppet shows at the Clifton and Central Libraries (Sept. 15 and 23), the LAA Golf Tournament scholarship fundraiser (Sept. 17), National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 27), and a mural painting at Las Colonias park (Oct. 15).

LECTURES

16

Araan Schmidt

Josh Butler, Charles Hardy, Roger McCoy, Araan Schmidt: Bliss Fishing Friday, Oct. 7, at 5:30 p.m.

In this roundtable discussion, the artists of Bliss Fishing will question each other’s creative processes and thread connections between the works in the exhibition.

Audience participation encouraged!

All lectures are free and open to the public, courtesy of Sara Ransford, Betty & Joel Bechtel, Chuck & Kendra McDaniel, the Art Center Guild,

17

Fall class registration opens online Tuesday, Aug. 2. Register in person or over the phone starting Wednesday, Aug. 3.

Students must register before Friday, Aug. 26 to secure a spot in any adult class.

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!

We love early registration!

CLASSES

Classes and Workshops

WORKSHOPS

18

Anatomical Sculpture Rebecca Woods

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18 and 24-25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $200 member / $240 non-member Supply list available Enjoy an introduction to figurative sculpture through the écorché, a traditional style of anatomical sculpture. The écorché begins as an armature, and participants sculpt the skeleton before applying muscle layers from deep muscle to outer muscle. One half of the sculpture is left as skeletal, to demonstrate the relationship between skeleton and muscle in the human figure.

As an introduction, this workshop will cover basics, such as different tools and how to use them, how to build armatures and sculpture stands, anatomy and anatomical concerns for the sculptor, and working start to finish by roughing out and refining.

Some level of anatomical understanding or artistic experience with the human figure is helpful but not obligatory. All that is required is a desire to learn more about the structure of the human body through your hands. Students can bring their own clay or purchase it from The Art Center at 60 cents per pound. A bisque firing is not included in this workshop.

Instructor email: myousa@gmail.com

19 WORKSHOPS

Pastel Mark Making Tony Ortega

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 & 9, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. $200 member / $240 non-member Internationally acclaimed Denver artist Tony Ortega invites you to open new ways of thinking about your art. Tony will introduce students to his expressionist pastel drawing techniques and subjects. The workshop will explore composition, color theory, organizing a pastel palette, mark making and understanding value.

The class will begin with a pastel demonstration and Ortega will demonstrate how to use distortion and exaggeration for emotional effect. Students will learn to apply vivid and dynamic color and will merge abstraction, simplification, and realism into their drawings. The workshop ends with a critique.

Ortega earned a Masters of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from the University of Colorado and is currently an associate professor for Regis University. He received the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1998 and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1999. Tony’s lifelong project is to contribute to a better understanding of cultural diversity by addressing the culture, history and experiences of Chicanos through his art. Says Ortega, “My visual language speaks to the issue of international migration, focuses on shifting demographics, draws from pop culture by using existing community posters and seeks to present truth at a more local, personal level.”

Ortega’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museo Estudio Diego Rivera (Mexico City), among many others. To view more of Ortega’s art, visit tonyortega.net.

WORKSHOPS

20

Expressing Inner Beauty Ramana Konantz and Roger McCoy Friday – Sunday, Oct. 14-16, 1-4 p.m. $90 member / $130 non-member

Join Roger McCoy and Ramana Konantz to seek the answer to two fundamental questions: Am I an artist? What is missing from my art? In three sessions we will explore the link between our inner selves and expressing that beauty to others.

Our goal is to answer these questions through discussion and a variety of creative drawing methods that will help us link our unconscious mind with our conscious mind. This balancing of our unconscious creativity and conscious desire to communicate with others will increase our creative output. We welcome individuals of all levels who are interested in answering these questions!

Instructor emails: rkonantz@coloradomesa.edu, rpmccoy@bresnan.net

21

WORKSHOPS

Watercolor Intensive (rescheduled) Sarah Peterson Thursday – Sunday, Oct. 27-30, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. $325 member / $365 non-member

Boulder-based artist Sarah Peterson teaches a popular technique of using weton-wet 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.

Peterson 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, along with 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, New York, Key West and San Francisco.

YOUTH & TEEN

22

Afterschool Program: Art Sampler Ages 5-13, All materials provided

Rachel Egelston

Fridays 4:30-6 p.m. $52.50 member / $70 non-member per session Students will work on basic art skills and experiment with a variety of art making materials. Students will draw, paint, print, sculpt, build and collaborate. Students will have fun learning about art and making art in an engaging social setting.

Session 1: Sept. 2 – Sept. 23 Clay pottery. Drawing. How to use color pencil and markers. Screen printing on textile.

Session 2: Oct. 7-28 Clay sculpture. Cartooning. Techniques in painting. Casting.

Home School: Art Explorers Ages 5-13, all materials provided

Rachel Egelston

Thursdays 1-2:30 p.m. Sept. 1- Oct. 27 $105 member / $155 non-member Are you looking for an art curriculum for your homeschool child? Do you want to develop your child’s creative and critical thinking skills? Our students enjoy homeschool classes tailored to their level and skill in a supportive and fun environment. This program provides an artistic foundation and creative outlet for students to be introduced to different cultural and historical influences in art. Students will be sculpting, painting, drawing, making ceramics and batik, and print-making. The goal of the program is to have fun while learning essential skills such as problem- solving, creative self-expression, life lessons and teamwork.

All youth classes address the Colorado Model Content Standard for visual arts.

The write-ups for these content standards used in class will be provided on request. Students and parents are assured of a unique classroom and project experience whether it be in fall, holiday, winter, spring, or summer sessions.

Classes are designed for the students to be able to work at their own ability and development level.

Fall Break Day Camp

Ages 5-13, All materials provided Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Tuition per day: $20 member / $25 non-member per child Need-based scholarship available.

Students are asked to bring a sack lunch, snack and a water bottle.

Monday, Oct. 3: Create your own superhero, mandala stones, quick bottle rockets

Tuesday, Oct. 4: Shoulder dragon fiber sculptures, Sara Siberzweig-inspired self-portraits, how to create abstract painting

Wednesday, Oct. 5: Insect – stick sculptures, worm–eye pastel drawing, faux lava lamp

Thursday, Oct. 6: Readymade clay monsters, draw by using a shadow, salt dough snakes

Friday, Oct. 7: Lego™ sculpture, STEAM projects

23 YOUTH & TEEN Students enjoy a recent workshop.

Fall Break Teen Workshops (Ages 13-17) All materials provided

Manga

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1-4 p.m. $15 member / $20 non-member per student Need-based scholarship available.

Students will learn all the basics necessary to start rendering the exotic worlds and creative characters that attracted them to Manga and to develop their own character.

Urban Contemporary Street Art Friday, Oct. 7, 1 a.m. - 4 p.m. $15 member / $20 non-member

This workshop is an introduction to the tools, and practice behind street-art and graffiti. Students will create a finished piece by the end of the workshop.

Need-based scholarships available.

Artability Wish List

Materials for Artability installation (huge amounts needed) • White buttons • Styrofoam cups - 8.5 ounce • White 6-inch paper plates • Q-tips • Clear straws

ADULT CLASSES

24

Adventures in Mixed Media Gayle Gerson

Mondays 1-4 p.m., Aug. 29 – Oct. 24, skipping Labor Day $140 member / $180 non-member Supply list available This class will explore experimental techniques for making mixed media art, such as collage, painting and transfer. Students of all skill levels will be able to devote plenty of time to four or five projects in order to create a work of art that releases the sparkle of the artist’s personality. Mini-workshops and art journaling and drawing sessions will also be part of this dynamic class.

Instructor email: gaylestarr48@gmail.com

Ramana Konantz

Saturdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Sept. 10-24 $50 member / $90 non-member Transportation not provided Spend some time this fall learning about art outdoors! Instructor Ramana Konantz will lead the class on hikes exploring local examples of rock art. Learn about the Fremont Indians and other groups that left behind images on the rocks and what those images might mean. We will go on three guided hikes to local petroglyph sites to see firsthand the unique art of western Colorado and enjoy thousands of years of art history. Hikes will be intermediate level or below.

Remember to bring water!

Instructor email: rkonantz@coloradomesa.edu

The World of Dyes, Resists and Fabrics Mary Hertert

OFFSITE: meets at Color Creek Fiber Art (1150 N 25th St., Unit B) Sundays, 1-4 p.m., Sept. 11 – Oct. 16 $105 member / $145 non-member All materials provided; $45 paid to instructor on first day This class will be an extensive foray into the world of dyes and resists on all types of fabric. Students will learn to work with chemical resists such as wax, potato dextrin and gutta, as well as mechanical resists like wrapping, clamping, stitching, silk screen or airbrush and color discharge. The class will also introduce students to fiber-reactive dyes for cotton or silk, acid dyes for silk and polyester dyes for synthetics. The results will amaze you. Hertert sets up different stations and exercises to work through that demonstrate the various processes. Your last session is creating a final project using any of the demonstrated methods. The class is open to both beginners and more advanced practitioners. For those who’ve been through the sessions before—you can treat this as open lab and work on your own projects.

Lots of flexibility.

Instructor email: colorcreek49@gmail.com

ADULT CLASSES

Western Colorado Rock Art

25

26

Tai Chi

ADULT CLASSES

Mark Posey

Mondays, 1-2 p.m., Aug. 29 – Oct. 24, skipping Labor Day $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 more than 20 years.

Instructor email: info@coloradotaichi.com

All Levels Oil and Acrylic Painting Susan Claffey

Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Aug. 30 – Oct. 18 $150 member / $190 non-member Supply list available This painting class is open to all levels of experience, from basic to advanced.

Students may work in oil, acrylic or both. Emphasis for all levels will be on the formal elements of composition, particularly shape, value and color. We will be working in three directions: photographs, still life and figurative with a live model.

Students will follow master artists from Impressionism up to the early 1920s, and advanced students may try implementing the style of a master in one of their own compositions. Susan, who received her MFA from the University of Denver, taught at Colorado Mesa University for more than 20 years.

For the first class students should bring a canvas, an image of a painting by a wellknown artist from between 1865 and 1925, and painting supplies. Canvases should be pre-stretched and gessoed, with sizes no larger than 30 by 40 inches and no smaller than 24 by 30 inches.

Instructor email: claffey_susan@hotmail.com

27

ADULT CLASSES

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 (ages 18 and up)

Mondays, 6-9 p.m., Aug. 29 – Oct. 24, skipping Labor Day $80 member / $120 non-member

Portraiture (Clothed Model)

Wednesdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Aug. 31 – Oct. 19 $80 Member / $120 Non-member

Painting the Magic Charles Morris

Thursdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Sept. 1 – Oct. 20 $140 member / $180 non-member Supply list available When a two-dimensional canvas becomes a three-dimensional painting, when viewers feel as though they could step into a rendered scene—that is a magical moment! In this class students of all levels will learn how to achieve this “magic” in oil painting. Demonstrations and technical exercises, combined with lots of personal attention and painting time, will enable students’ artistic growth. Go to www.charlesmorrisartstudio.com to see more of Charles’ work.

Instructor email: camorris@bresnan.net

CERAMICS

28

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.

Robbie Breaux

Mondays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Sept. 12 – Oct. 24 plus one TBD

Robbie Breaux

Tuesdays 1-4 p.m., Sept. 6 – Oct. 25

Gary Andrews

Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Aug. 30 – Oct. 18

Terry Shepherd

Thursdays 1-4 p.m., Sept. 1 – Oct. 20

Dan Patten

Thursdays 6:30-9:30 p.m., Sept. 1 – Oct. 20

Intermediate/Advanced Ceramics Terry Shepherd

Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 6:30-9:30 p.m., Aug. 31 – Oct. 19 $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.

All Levels Handbuilding Nina Williams

Mondays 1-4 p.m., Aug. 29 – Oct. 24, skipping Labor Day $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 slabbuilt work, there will also be coiling and extrusion projects throughout the class.

Teen Wheel-Throwing Ashtonn Means

Wednesdays 4-6 p.m., Aug. 31 – Oct. 19 $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-onone guidance on the wheel-throwing process.

29

The Art Center’s Ceramics Department will stage its annual pottery sale in the Ceramics studio beginning Friday, Sept. 2.

This annual sale is a fundraiser for the Ceramics studio complex and raises funds for the acquisition and maintenance of equipment and tools. It also contributes funds for class and workshop scholarships. This sale runs through the month of September. Not only is it a fantastic way to support the ceramics department, but it’s also an opportunity to find great deals on hand-made ceramics made by Art Center instructors and students.

Art Center Gift Gallery

The holidays are upon us! Visit the Art Center’s Gift Gallery for a fantastic selection of unique gifts by some of the Grand Valley’s finest artists. Stop by and pick up some great stocking stuffers and lightweight, small gifts perfect for mailing to your loved ones who are far away! We have lots of handmade jewelry items, “Wild Woman” pins by Fay Timmerman, scarves, miniature oils on balsa wood by Diane Saulnier, as well as books and cards, all by Art Center Members.

Purchase gift certificates and memberships for your loved ones. If you are taking one of our classes, we also carry watercolor paper, YUPO paper, sanded pastel paper, alcohol inks and clay tool kits.

Fall Gift Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Grand Valley Blacksmith’s Guild will be the featured club on the North Wall of The Art Center Gift Shop, from September through October.

Diane Saulnier September Gift Gallery Artist of the Month

Trudy Harper August Gift Gallery Artist of the Month

GIFT GALLERY

Annual Pottery Sale Fundraiser Kicks Off Sept. 2

NEWS

30

Auction Supports The Art Center The annual US Bank Fine Art Auction netted about $30,000 for The Art Center in May. As always, it was a highly competitive process to select artworks for the auction, which numbered 66 items for the live auction. About a third of the pieces were contributed by generous artists or collectors who agreed to allow 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale to benefit center. The selective silent auction featured 12 items and netted $1,400.

In a new twist, $7,000 of the proceeds were raised through the Everyone Wins raffle. Numerous students painted 8-by-11-inch canvases and contributed them to The Art Center. For the price of a $50 raffle ticket, participants received a painting of their choice and a chance to win $3,000. The winner was Fruita Monument High School senior Ethan Schweissing, who consequently joined The Art Center, made a contribution to Help Save The Night and smartly banked the rest for college.

“We can’t thank the artists, members, volunteers and our US Bank sponsor enough for everything they put into the auction,” Executive Director Mikkel Kelly said. “Additionally I had the pleasure to witness wonderful civic pride in Studio Colorado on weekends as children made colorful, creative paintings, proudly knowing their contributed artworks would help to support The Art Center.”

Planning is under way for next year’s auction. Those interested in volunteering, making an artwork contribution or supporting on other ways, may email mkelly@gjartcenter.org or call 970-243-7337, ext. 4.

Clay Exhibition Winners Named Winners of the Suspended Earth: Contemporary Clay 2016 were: Best of Show, Charity White ($750 sponsored by the Art Center Guild); First Place, Robert Lawarre III ($450 sponsored by the Ceramics Studio Annual Pottery Sale); Second Place, Jill Allen ($300 by Intermountain Architecture Ltd.); and Third Place, Sara Parent-Ramos ($250 sponsored by Kirk Granum and Karen Moore).

Juror Steve Hilton, ceramics instructor at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, also completed an installation work titled Black and White #27 in The Art Center courtyard and presented a lecture in Studio Colorado. Sponsors of the exhibition were Colorado Creative Industries and Sara Ransford.

Membership Survey Completed About 110 Art Center members completed the online membership survey, which provided useful information the staff and board will use to target new ideas and improvements.

Highlights included the top four reasons people value Art Center membership, which are: 1) an opportunity to show support for the arts, 2) to receive Art Matters and postcards, 3) invitations to members-only events; and 4) the discount for classes and workshops.

Art Matters Sept - Oct 2016 gjartcenter.org

31

Enterprise Zone Tax Credit a Win-Win Our Art Center members have been learning about the state’s Enterprise Zone tax credit in our communications and taking action. Seventeen people made contributions totaling $10,550 during the first few months the credit has been available this year. Those contributors earned credits totaling $2,637 on their state income taxes.

The tax credit is designed to encourage contributions to organizations in the EZ region, such as The Art Center, which in turn bolsters the quality of life in the region. An EZ region is described as an economically distressed area (which often relates to factors such as aging buildings, elevated unemployment and below average population growth).

Frankly we are very proud of our neighborhood, but will gladly take part in the EZ credit to make it even better. The Art Center has a leadership role given the fact that Art Center exhibitions, ceramics classes and youth programs and the like improve the quality of life. Further, the center attracts tourist dollars with signature events.

Contributions of $200 or more to The Art Center are eligible for the Enterprise Zone 25 percent state tax credit, which makes these generous contributions go further for the contributor. For example, when $200 goes to The Art Center, the contributor gains $50 as a state income tax credit, reducing their out of pocket to $150.

When a contribution check is processed by The Art Center, the contributor will be asked to supply the last four digits of his or her Social Security number or FEIN number (Federal Employment Identification Number) for state processing. Within two to three months, contributors receive an EZ certificate by mail to file with state income tax forms at the end of the year.

Additionally, donations of significant artwork, equipment or supplies valued above $200 may qualify for the EZ in-kind state tax credit at a rate of 12.5 percent. These donations must include a receipt or another document (either a formal appraisal, or supporting information relating to the value of the work or a relevant comparison).

The Art Center reserves the right to take additional factors into consideration or request further information in determining a fair market value prior to acceptance.

For items $5,000 or higher, an official appraisal document is required. Any questions, please email mkelly@gjartcenter.org.

Art Matters Sept - Oct 2016 gjartcenter.org

NEWS

Attendance at the 10 annual First Friday events for members is: 70 percent attend one to five events, 20 percent attend seven to 10 events, and 10 percent did not attend a First Friday event in the past year – a group that The Art Center wants to encourage to come join in to enjoy the entertaining and educational events.

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 4 Sept. - Oct. 2016 NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PA I D GRAND JCT, CO PERMIT 162