Art Matters
Current and upcoming exhibitions Classes and workshops Art Center news
Magazine of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts
Volume 2, Issue 2 March - May 2017
The mission of the Family Health West Foundation is to provide sustainable funding to ensure the organization’s ability to continuously provide comprehensive healthcare services to our community
How to Help
To make a contribution to the Family Health West Foundation or for more information, please contact Stacey Mascarenas, Foundation Director at 970.858.2170 or smascarenas@fhw.org.
Art Matters Contents
Director’s Letter
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About The Art Center
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Exhibitions Annual Members Exhibition Watercolor Society and Colorado Mesa University Material Limits invited artist exhibition
Programs Piano Salon Series Critique Night
Education
6-7 8-9 10-11
12-13 14-15
Off-Site Workshops
16 17-18 19-21 22-23 24-26 27
Coming Soon
28-31
All the how-tos you’ll need to enroll in fantastic courses Youth and Teen Programs Adult Classes Ceramics Workshops
On The Cover: Susan Delgalvis, Breakup, 36x12”, encaustic and cloth on birch panel
Art Matters March – May 2017 gjartcenter.org
WELCOME
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Dear Friends, This is my first director’s letter since assuming the responsibilities of Executive Director, so I wanted to make a big splash and write something that would “wow” everyone. After several attempts to communicate all the hopes and dreams I have for The Art Center’s future, and the hopes and dreams others have shared with me the last couple of months, I still find myself at a loss for words. I wanted to share comments and thoughts that so many of you have shared with me, but there’s just too much to include here. I can’t count the number of cards, letters, emails, phone calls and personal visits I have received and continue to receive from so many amazing people. All have included words of support and wisdom, and most have advice and ideas on how to make The Art Center even better, and how to make The Art Center’s positive impact on life in Western Colorado even more profound. What has become quite obvious to me (though it came as no surprise) is that The Art Center is not just a building. The Art Center is people – hundreds and hundreds of people. The Art Center is an ideal, an icon, and a vital part of the lives of people in Western Colorado. Just like me, many of you have memories of The Art Center that reach far back into childhood. For others, The Art Center is a relatively new part of their lives, but for almost everyone who has had any real involvement, The Art Center has made beautiful, indelible marks on their lives. For over 65 years, the center has enriched the lives of people on the Western Slope, and it will continue to well beyond another 65 years. In order to serve and inspire an ever growing community, The Art Center needs to look to the future, to explore new art forms and mediums, expand its reach to touch all corners of Western Colorado and to embrace a new generation of art lovers and ensure that that new generation loves and values the arts as much as we do. To that end, we are exploring many possibilities to expand the outreach of the center. Just one example is working in cooperation with The Blue Pig in Palisade to offer Art Center-supported classes to that part of the valley. We hope to develop more exhibitions and educational programming that reach and appeal to more and more members of our diverse community. We want The Art Center to be accessible and valuable to everyone who loves the arts. I think that’s exciting, and I hope you do, too. I hope you are as excited about The Art Center reaching more and more people. And, if you aren’t already, I hope that you will become an Art Center volunteer, donor, and advocate. An hour here, a few dollars there, singing The Art Center’s praises—it all adds up. It all makes a difference. YOU make a difference. Thank you for all you do, and thank you in advance for your continued support. The Arts, now more than ever! Lee Borden, Executive Director
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Board of Trustees
Robbie Breaux (President) Denny Herzog (Vice President) Rob Jenkins Dan Ryan Dean Harris (Secretary) Kelley Burford Jeremy R Franklin Kirk Granum Chris Briardy (Treasurer) Cathy Zippert (Art Center Guild Representative) Kay Ambrose (Art Center Foundation President)
Art Center Staff Lee Borden
Executive Director
Avery Glassman Curator
Rachel Egelston
Director of Youth & Special Needs Education
Terry Shepherd
Artist-in-Residence, Director of Ceramics
Nicole Byrnes
Membership & Gift Gallery Coordinator
Haley Van Camp
Administrative Assistant
Maxine Buchholtz Gift Shop
Charity Finnigsmier Gift Shop
Art Center Hours
9am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday
Admission $3 (free to members and children under 12) There is no charge to visit the gift gallery Tuesdays are free to everyone thanks to a generous sponsorship by Home Loan & Nationwide Insurance
Operational funding provided in part by
ABOUT US
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.
EXHIBITIONS
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All Together Now: Members 2017
Feb. 3-25 Sponsored by Chuck & Kendra McDaniel and Ron Beckman First Friday reception Feb. 3, 7-9pm February means The Art Center’s annual Members Exhibition. With over 250 works of art it has the claim to fame of being our largest exhibition, but it also reflects the geographic and technical diversity of our membership. Medium ranges from collage to clay, and exhibiting members come from all over the Western Slope and beyond. In 2012 The Art Center incorporated People’s Choice Awards into the Members Exhibition. Visitors vote for their favorite piece and cash prizes are awarded to the winners. “Favorite” means different things to different people. Maybe it’s the composition you find most aesthetically pleasing, or thought-provoking, or skillful. These modes for evaluating art can overlap, but they are distinct. Our predilections and priorities, especially when it comes to art—that most subjective of subjects—can teach us a great deal about ourselves. This year we will add to the suspense by announcing the award-winners live on Facebook. Simply like our Facebook page, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, and tune in to watch the video in real time. You’d be hard-pressed to find another exhibition that showcases beginners alongside experts, painters alongside photographers. Our members are distinct in their method of artistic expression but united in their support for the Western Colorado Center for the Arts.
7 EXHIBITIONS
Awards Announcement Saturday, Feb. 11 at noon
Best of Show: $350, Frame Depot Inc. First Place: $250, Colorado Canyons Gallery, Framing & Gifts Second Place: $150 gift card to The Great Frame Up Third Place: $50 gift card to The Blue Pig Gallery
Thank you to our award sponsors!
EXHIBITIONS
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Colorado Mesa University Juried Student Exhibition March 1 – April 8 Sponsored by The Art Center Guild First Friday reception March 6, 7-9pm Juror lecture Saturday, April 1 at 11:30am
The 41st annual Juried Student Exhibition will showcase an eclectic array of two- and three-dimensional artwork by CMU undergraduates. Mediums include printmaking, drawing, painting, sculpture, fibers, ceramics, and more. This year’s juror is Cortney Lane Stell, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Black Cube, a nomadic contemporary art museum based in Denver, Colorado. Stell has held independent curatorial practice since 2006, curating numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally for museums, university galleries, biennials and art events. Stemming from a philosophical interest in art as communication, Stell organizes exhibitions that focus on artworks experimental in both conceptual and material nature, including exhibitions with artists such as Liam Gillick, Cyprien Gaillard, Daniel Arsham, and Shirley Tse. Stell holds a MA from the European Graduate School in Switzerland where she is also a PhD candidate in Media Communications. Under the guidance of Josh Butler, Associate Professor of Art, and Avery Glassman, WCCA curator, CMU students enrolled in the Art Department’s Sophomore Seminar course coordinate the exhibition each spring. Sophomore Seminar prepares students for future career endeavors in the arts. As part of the curriculum, students learn how to coordinate a professional art exhibition; they study promotion, fundraising, print design, budget, and are responsible for artwork placement and installation.
Feb. 28 – April 1 First Friday reception March 6, 7-9pm
ROCKIES WEST NATIONAL 2017 will be at The Art Center from February 28 to April 1. The opening reception will be on Friday evening, March 3, from 7 to 9pm with a gallery talk and awards at 6:30pm. This year’s exhibition is the 25th presentation by Western Colorado Watercolor Society and promises to be as distinguished as in previous years. Iain Stewart, this year’s juror, will conduct a three-day workshop at The Art Center March 1-3. There is still space in the workshop so if interested, contact Dani Tupper, Ph. 970 874-3088 for more information. Visit Stewart’s website at iainstew.fineartstudioonline.com.
EXHIBITIONS
Rockies West National 2017
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EXHIBITIONS
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Sara Ransford, Enveloped by Blue
Susan Delgalvis, Enigma
Michael Kruger, Untitled
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March 3 – April 22 Sponsored by Chuck & Robbie Breaux At least 500 years of western Art History is based on illusion. From the early Renaissance to beyond Impressionism, artists used the materials they had at hand to represent something else, whether a religious scene or dappled light on a harbor. Rumblings in this breakdown of the pursuit of illusion began in the 19th century with artists like Edouard Manet and continued in the early 20th with works like Kazimir Malevich’s suprematist paintings. Yet even in the gestural paintings of the Abstract Expressionists, the composition’s subject matter is still separate and apart from the materials being used. Consider Jackson Pollock’s action paintings. Pollock laid these canvases without a stretcher board on the floor of his studio and moved around them, splattering them with paint as he went. There is no illusion in that the compositions do not depict recognizable forms. But they do depict movement, emotional states, and the artist’s presence. In this way they are still representing something. The act of painting is the content, and the paint itself is merely a vehicle. Now consider Enveloped by Blue by Sara Ransford, pictured opposite. The way the clay bends and folds, appears as a two-dimensional pattern from some angles and a three-dimensional texture from others, the way the thin slab and tubes intersect and interact—these phenomena all help compose the work’s subject matter, and all relate directly to the materiality of clay itself. This exhibition asks: what happens when the medium not only informs the content, it is the content? What does it mean for a work of art to have its medium also be its subject? The artists in Material Limits explore these questions in their work, to different ends. Some stretch the physical constraints of their medium— flexing wood, hinging stone, creating impossible and contradictory surfaces in clay. Others challenge the border separating two- and three-dimensional art. Sculptural paintings, painterly sculptures, fibrous ceramics, and even works of poetry that stretch the limits of what the written word can accomplish are some of what you can expect to see. Participating artists: Mark Bueno, Susan Delgalvis, Cynthia Duff, Michael Kruger, Jack Mueller, Lyle Nichols, Kyounghwa Oh, Sara Ransford
EXHIBITIONS
Material Limits
PROGRAMS
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Upcoming Piano Salons Feb. 11: Black Composers in America
In conjunction with Black History Month. Piano music overlaid with rhythms deriving from Africa and melodies and harmonies of Europe shows the idiomatic piano style developing from the nineteenth century forward. Some of the most prominent composers’ music is included in this program.
March 11: Romantic Traditions
The rich harmonic and melodic language of the Romantic period influenced New World composers’ conceptions of piano music. Composers like Chopin and Schumann supplied a good deal of raw material for later adaptations and innovations by twentieth-century players of Ragtime, Jazz and Stride piano. European music in its multiethnic forms and dance forms dating from at least the eighteenth century left their mark in the later adaptations such as Quadrille, Fox-Trot, and Two-Step. Operatic music also exerted its influence in salon piano music played in various settings in America at the turn of the twentieth century.
April 8: The Latin Tinge
The early influences of Latin American music on American piano styles date from the nineteenth century. New Orleans-born composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) captured much of its essence in his works dating from the 1850s. With the influence of “Spanish Tinge” music established in Louisiana it permeated Ragtime and early Jazz. Concurrent music from Brazil and Cuba round out this program with a Pan-American flavor.
Saturdays at 2pm Single tickets: $15; Series tickets (all four performances): $40 Tickets can be purchased over the phone (970-243-7337 x. 2) or in-person, in advance or at the door
13 PROGRAMS
About the Series
This winter and spring, come enjoy a different genre of turn-of-the-century American music every month. The intimate atmosphere of salon piano came into being as early as the 18th century, before economic entities demanded that music venues grow to the volume and scale of today’s arenas. Pianist Frank French will provide historical background and perform at close range, along with projected images of time, place, and conditions. Frank French has enjoyed a long career in music, first as a student and later as a performer, composer, festival promoter, piano technician, instrument builder, and teacher. He has produced numerous recordings and performed throughout the world. French formerly served as the director of the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival and lives in Grand Junction.
PROGRAMS
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April First Friday: Critique Night April 7, 7-9pm Free and open to the public
Don’t miss the Art Center’s first annual Critique Night! Whether you’re a producer or a consumer when it comes to art—and we’re all consumers—this is an opportunity to hone your palate by hearing from two Colorado arts professionals who have devoted years exposing themselves to art in its many different forms. With this event we aim to provide an outlet for local artists to challenge themselves and burst the Grand Valley bubble by experiencing opinions from outside the community. For the first week in April a select number of artworks will be displayed in our Studio Colorado gallery. That Friday, invited critics Mardee Goff and Sam Harvey will debate the merits of each piece in front of an audience. This is not a technical critique; rather, it will focus on the ideas and concepts behind each artwork. Grab a drink, take a seat, and enjoy the conversation! Sam Harvey has co-owned and operated Harvey / Meadows Gallery in Aspen, Colorado, since 2005 and is a ceramic artist in his own right. Mardee Goff has served as the Curator for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art since 2013, organizing such risky exhibitions as Substrate, where artists attacked the museum’s floorboards.
15 Art may not be as easily defined as other trades, but as with any other practice, there is always room for improvement. This is why critique is important. Successful art is not made in a vacuum; it is an interpretation of the world around us and this wacky phenomenon called life that we are all dealt. By exposing one’s work to the informed opinions of others, artists can learn how to communicate more effectively. By opening the critique up to the public we cultivate an environment that strives for excellence.
How It Works
Be brave! Email JPEG files of artwork to submissions@gjartcenter.org by March 1 with “Critique Night” in the subject line. Artists will be notified midMarch whether or not their work has been selected. Artwork selection is limited in an effort to allow adequate discussion time for each piece. Interested artists must submit their work electronically ahead of time. There is no submission fee, no limit to the number of pieces one person can submit, the size of the work, or the medium. There is also no guarantee that your work will be chosen for Critique Night.
PROGRAMS
Why It Matters
EDUCATION
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The Nitty Gritty Spring registration opens Tuesday, Feb. 7. Programs start as early as March 12! Students must register three days before the start of a class to secure a spot. Registration and payment: Registration can be completed online at gjartcenter.org, over the phone, or inperson at The Art Center. For phone registration, call 970-243-7337, x. 2. To register in person, stop by during gallery hours, Tuesday-Saturday 9am to 4pm. Payment can be made by American Express, 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 Gallery. Tuition for ceramics classes includes a $30 fee covering one, 25-lb. bag of clay and the firing and glazing associated with it. Ceramics students will need a pottery tool kit, not covered by tuition and available from The Art Center Gift Gallery for $20.99 plus tax. Need-based scholarships are available. Visit our website’s scholarships page for more information!
We love early registration!
Rachel Egelston Ages 5-13 All materials provided Thursdays 1-2:30pm, March 9 - April 27 $105 member / $155 non-member
Are you looking for an art curriculum for your homeschooled 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 children. Students will be introduced to different cultural and historical influences in art. Each session contains different lessons. In this session students will be sculpting, painting, drawing, pottery, exploring print-making, and working with textiles. We aim to have fun while learning essential skills such as problemsolving, creative self-expression, life lessons and teamwork.
Afterschool Program: Art Sampler Rachel Egelston Ages 5-13 All materials provided Fridays 4:30-6pm $55 member / $70 non-member per session
This is a multimedia program designed to inspire a young student’s imagination and interest in art. After instruction on techniques of various mediums, students will select one to develop into their own individual art piece. This class will foster a level of confidence and a sense of independence in your child, while increasing his/her skill level in accordance with age and developmental stage. Session 1 March 3-31 (skipping March 24): Anaglyph art, papier-mache sculptures and how to add to your drawing knowledge Session 2 April 7-28: Clay sculpture, tie-dye, watercolor painting techniques
Teen Wheel-Throwing
Ashtonn Means Wednesdays 4-6pm, April 5 – May 24 $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.
YOUTH & TEEN
Home School: Art Explorers
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YOUTH & TEEN
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All youth classes address the Colorado Model Content Standard for visual arts. The writeups for these content standards used in class will be provided on request. Students and parents are assured 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.
Spring Break Day Camp
Ages 5-13, all materials provided March 20-24 Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm Tuition per day: $20 member / $25 non-member Your child is invited to Spring Break Day Camp, where they will experience art in many different and exciting forms! From creating with household items like duct tape to learning tie-dye techniques (with a scarf to take home!), there will be something new that resonates with each young artist. We have added the art of yoga to Spring Break Day Camp, introducing your child to breathing and meditation techniques that better their focus for the arts. Campers will learn basic yoga poses, using art in a more physical way. We look forward to creating with your child! March 20: Art of Printmaking, mini-decorative kites, tie-dye scarves March 21: Create your own outdoor board games, learn techniques of drawing and painting March 22: Duct tape shoes, the art of yoga, oil pastel tricks-of-the-trade March 23: Super Hero Day! Come dressed as your favorite character or create your own superhero. We’ll make art trading cards and learn about drawing with color. March 24: Bubble wrap stomp painting, outer space salt painting, Earth Hour activities
Saturday, June 3 Kids: 10am-12pm, $20 member / $25 non-member Adults: 1-5pm, $65 member / $85 non-member
Join printmaker and Contemporary 2017 juror, Gabriela Martinez, to draw, cut, and print your own Lotería playing cards! A popular game of chance in Mexico, Lotería uses cards rich in design that often depict religious symbols or flora and fauna specific to a region. Prints designed in this workshop will incorporate aspects of local culture. Who are the saints of the Western Slope? What are our native bird species? What do Grand Junctioners do in their spare time? Hometown quirks makeup the iconography of this Lotería. Gabriela is the Curator of Education at the Latin American Museum of Art in Los Angeles, where she oversees the curatorial programming of the Port to Learning, an interactive educational space that provides work experience to emerging artists and museum professionals. Her work has been exhibited at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in China, the Modern Art Museum at Hong-Ik University in South Korea, La Passarelle Institute in Normandy, France, and at galleries and educational institutions throughout the United States.
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. 6 Weeks Nude Figure (ages 18 and up) Mondays 6-9pm $60 member / $90 non-member Session 1: March 6 – April 10 Session 2: April 17 – May 22 8 weeks Costume Portraiture (Clothed Model) Wednesdays 9am-12pm April 5 – May 24 $80 member / $120 non-member 6 Weeks Dynamic Figure Drawing (ages 18 and up) Wednesdays 7:30-9pm $30 member / $45 non-member Session 1: March 8 – April 12 Session 2: April 19 – May 24 Artists develop foundational skills for figure drawing (gesture, line quality, directional strokes and an eye for proportion) by practicing short poses. This open studio offers artists of all genres an opportunity to capture dynamic poses by live models. The poses will progress from one minute in length to a final twenty-minute pose. All sessions are guided by a facilitator; artists new to figure drawing are welcome to come early for an orientation.
19 ADULT CLASSES
Youth and Adult Workshop: Linocut Lotería
ADULT CLASSES
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Adventures in Mixed Media Gayle Gerson Mondays 1-4pm, April 3 – May 22 $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 and create works of art that release 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
Experimenting with Watermedia Diane Saulnier Tuesdays 1-4pm, April 4 – May 23 $140 member / $180 non-member
In this introductory class, students will experiment with watercolors, gouache, and fluid acrylics in an open-ended and playful environment. Learn the basics of watercolor washes, wet-on-wet painting, and how to effectively layer color. We will discover how these media can work together for interesting visual effects. Most importantly, Diane will show students how to have fun with watermedia. For people who think there is only one way to do something, this class will challenge you in the best sense!
21 Susan Claffey Tuesdays 6:30-9:30pm, April 4 – May 23 $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 will be on the formal elements of composition, particularly shape, value, and color. We will be working in three directions: landscape, still life, and figurative with a live model. Students will follow master artists from Impressionism up to modern masters, 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 over 20 years. Instructor email: claffey_susan@hotmail.com
Linoleum Cut Printmaking
Lauren Stern Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm, April 5 – May 24 $150 member / $190 non-member Most materials provided; supply list available This class will explore the basics of relief carving on linoleum. Students of all skill levels will be able to explore and create a composition using basic structure of line and shape using tools to carve away linoleum to create an image. This course will involve the steps of printmaking from creating a design to printing the created image in a cooperative environment. Instructor email: lsternart@gmail.com
Western Colorado Rock Art
Ramana Konantz Saturdays 1-4pm, April 22, May 6, and May 20 $50 member / $90 non-member Transportation not provided Spend some time this spring 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. The first class will be an art history lecture and discussion; the following two classes will be guided hikes to local petroglyph sites. We’ll see first-hand 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
ADULT CLASSES
All Levels Oil and Acrylic Painting
CERAMICS
22 Fundamentals in Clay 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 6:30-9:30pm, April 3 – May 22 $195 member / $235 non-member Tuesdays 1-4pm, April 4 – May 23 $195 member / $235 non-member Gary Andrews Tuesdays 6:30-9:30pm, April 4 – May 23 $195 member / $235 non-member Terry Shepherd Thursdays 1-4pm, April 6 – May 25 $195 member / $235 non-member Dan Patten Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm, April 6 – May 25 $195 member / $235 non-member
Intermediate/Advanced Ceramics
Terry Shepherd Wednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm or 6:30-9:30pm, April 5 – May 24 $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 Hand-building Nina Williams Mondays 1-4pm, April 3 – May 22 $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.
No instruction 9am-4pm March 4-11 and March 20 – April 1, closed on Sundays $75 member / $115 non-member The purpose of March Open Studio is to provide ceramics students with an opportunity to work independently in between The Art Center’s class sessions. Students must be of at least an intermediate level in ceramics and must get approval from Ceramics Director Terry Shepherd (970-243-7337 x. 1).
Sculpting in Clay
Merri Roderick Fridays 9:30am-12:30pm, April 7 – May 26 $195 member / $235 non-member This class will explore techniques of sculpting your ideas in clay. Bring good reference photos to try your hand at dimensional work. It could include sculpting the head, a favorite pet, a bas relief landscape or any fun idea you have in mind. Basic tools are available for use but if you already have tools, please bring them. Merri will also provide suggestions for where to buy and what tools might best suit your needs. One bag of clay, glazing if it applies and firing is included in the class. Instructor email: merri.studio@gmail.com
Your Home Studio: Dos and Don’ts Damian Radice Sunday, March 12, 1-3pm $25 member / $40 non-member
In this informal seminar you will hear a professional’s perspective on how to go about setting up a personal ceramics studio. Local potter Damian Radice has worked out of his home since 1985. He is represented by galleries in Ouray, Salida, Breckenridge, Palisade, and Grand Junction. Damian can offer tips on equipment, safety, budgeting, as well as what not to do!
Surface Design Techniques: Part I
Nina Williams Sunday, March 19, 9am-4pm (with an hour lunch break) $79 member / $99 non-member In this hands-on workshop we will explore the many facets of surface decoration with an emphasis on textures using stamping, carving, sgraffito and attachments. We will also be covering stains, slips, engobes, and underglazes. Students will end up with four exploratory tiles. This workshop is about learning; tiles will not be glazed or high-fired, but a bisque firing is included in tuition so that tiles may be kept as a reminder of the process.
CERAMICS
Ceramics Open Studio
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WORKSHOPS
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Surface Design Techniques: Part II Ashtonn Means Sunday, April 30, 1-4pm $40 member / $60 non-member
Discover your love of surface work in this three-hour mini workshop on sliptrailing and shellacking. This workshop will be half demonstration and half hands-on, covering surface design techniques on vessel forms. Focus will be on preparing slip, using different thicknesses of slip to varied effect, application of shellac, and combining slip-trailing and shellacking in one piece. Students are asked to bring two small vessels (about 5 inches tall), an old brush that will only be used for shellac, and a slip trailing bottle (Xiem makes a decent one). The vessels should be of a smooth clay body such as B-mix or Porcelain, one at the leather hard stage and one at the bone-dry stage (make this one slightly thicker than usual, similar to the idea of carving). This workshop is about learning; most students won’t leave with a finished design but are encouraged to continue individually. A bisque firing only is included in workshop tuition.
Gary Clapp Saturday – Sunday, Feb. 25-26, 10am-4pm $70 member / $110 non-member Supply list available This workshop will delve into the tools, materials and techniques of Japanese and Chinese brush and ink painting, including the use of ink painting techniques in sketches, detailed renderings, and abstraction. Students will learn how to adapt these techniques to personally selected subject matter and media such as watercolor.
Graphics for the Commons: Collaborative Graphic Design for Movement Building Emily Hornback Saturday, March 18, 1-3pm $10 member / $15 non-member
Whether on flyers, websites, or the street, graphics are a crucial element of any successful campaign. In this hands-on, participatory workshop, Emily will share strategies for educating and organizing with images. These art-based tools are useful for collective analysis and collaborative design, and also enable participants to build connections between activists who use words and those who speak in pictures. Students will take brainstorming to a new level through web mapping and drawing exercises that can be used with any group to generate relevant and strategic images. Participants will be introduced to an array of tactics for collaborative image design. We’ll also explore methods for those who don’t feel comfortable drawing – like teaming up artists with organizers or using web-based image research.
25 WORKSHOPS
Ink Painting Techniques
WORKSHOPS
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Working to Achieve Convincing and Dramatic Landscapes in Oil John Lintott Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23 10am-4pm with an hour lunch break $135 member / $175 non-member
This fun, two-day workshop is for artists wanting to get more experience painting successful landscapes in the studio. Topics will include: utilizing thumbnail sketches for better composition, working out drawing problems, working with color mixing to render light and value, and experimenting with application of paint to get varying textures. Supply list available at gjartcenter.org.
Shakespeare Appreciation Tim Pinnow Saturday, April 29, 1-4pm $40 member / $60 non-member
William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest writer of all time, but what really makes him so incredible? In this workshop, we’ll explore how Shakespeare constructs his language and what clues to its meaning lie within the text. We’ll take some of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches and dissect them for meaning and uses of language that make the whole far greater than the sum of its parts. Tim Pinnow is a Professor of Theatre at CMU with more than 20 years of teaching experience.
The Art Center is excited to co-offer spring workshops with the Blue Pig Gallery in beautiful Palisade. Workshops will be held upstairs at the Blue Pig in over 2000 square feet of open space, incredibly lit by eight large windows and seven artist sinks to live for. Start your day with hot drinks and pastry from Slice O Life Bakery or Cafe 11.0 and join us for lunch in one of our local cafes. Registration is through the Blue Pig: 970-464-4819 (open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-5pm)
Three Little Pigs
Instructors vary 10am-1pm Feb. 4, 15, 25 $48/session. Materials sponsored by Atlasta Solar Center Like the nursery rhyme, only you’re the art wolf going to three different stations, each station a different medium taught by a different instructor. No worries; there will be some huffing and puffing and spills, but the three little pig instructors and you the wolf will live. Only art materials are consumed and they will be provided by each little pig. You will leave this workshop with three completed art projects that you can frame or give as gifts.
More Cyanotype Plus Digital
Gary Hauschulz Wednesday, Feb. 22, 10am-3pm $65. Materials sponsored by Atlasta Solar Center Bring in two of your own photos and learn to turn your digital images into cyanotypes under the expert guidance of artist and sculptor Gary Hauschulz. Final cyanotype images are on rice paper, watercolor paper, and fabric, which all lend themselves to hand-coloring with pastels, watercolor, markers, acrylics, etc.
Getting Loose
Cheri Isgreen Session 1: Wednesday, March 22, 10am-2pm Session 2: Wednesday April 12, 10am-2pm $60/session. Supply list available (call the Blue Pig), or $15 paid to instructor Looking for a way to loosen up your art? Love gardens and the natural world? This class will offer ideas, suggestions, and techniques to create lively compositions in watercolor. You will explore techniques and concepts to complete a painting during each workshop, with different themes to fit your interests and schedule. Each four-hour workshop includes instruction in composition, design, and watercolor techniques to enliven your style; recommendations on economical yet quality supplies; digital notes for future reference after the workshop is over; and digital consulting of future work as you explore the techniques presented in this workshop.
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Off-site Workshops
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May Dance Concert Promises To Be On Point Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13, at 7:30pm Tickets: $15; $10 with student ID
The Enigmatic Movement Project (TEMP) is a local dance company committed to performing in diverse venues, collaborating with other artists across mediums, and elevating and challenging the audience experience in Western Colorado. Under the direction of Laura Bradley and Ousa Hymas Samkara, TEMP will present a contemporary dance concert at The Art Center on May 12 and 13. Choreographers will include Bradley and Samkara, along with CMU professors Meredith Lyons and Maridee Slater, Beyond Boundaries Dance Collective veterans Rebecca Fleishman and Liz Vrettos, and CMU alumnae Jazmyn Phillips and Shelly Chapple Clements, among others. The audience will be seated in the round and can expect an intimate evening of performance art that may include video, live music, and a variety of movement styles exploring a range of subject matter. A cash beer and wine bar will precede the performance, when dancers and choreographers will mingle with the audience.
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Altrusa Art Fair
April 14-28 Opening reception and awards Saturday, April 15 Middle School Awards: 12-1:30pm; High School Awards: 1:30-4pm Altrusa’s annual Art Fair began in 1962. The late Ruth Moss started the fair as a way to highlight artwork completed by middle and high school students. Since then, thousands of art students have been recognized and their artwork displayed for the enjoyment of the community. The fair continues to be a unique collaborative effort between The Art Center, Grand Valley area schools, and Altrusa International of Grand Junction. The Art Center provides the facility and sponsorship, local art teachers select and hang the students’ work, and Altrusa volunteers contribute their time. It is no wonder the event has continued to be a success over the years. At the reception on April 15 a presentation of the winning artwork will be shown while the judges provide commentary on each piece. Make plans to visit The Art Center and enjoy the output of the Grand Valley’s youngest artists. The artworks are feats of imagination and technical skill. Drawings, paintings, sculptures, batik, graphic design, and ceramics are just a few of the categories that you can expect to see at this year’s Altrusa Art Fair. As in the past, it will be an inspirational fair.
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The 2017 USBANK Fine Art Auction is just around the corner. Friday, May 5 5pm: Opening reception, meet the artists, silent auction & preview of live auction works 7pm: Live auction Tickets: $20 Extended hours art preview on Thursday, May 4, 9am to 8pm This year’s auction will be held on Friday, May 5, and, as always, promises to be a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a fun evening with your friends and fellow art lovers while showing support for your Art Center by purchasing amazing art work. The auction is The Art Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and proceeds support art education and exhibition programming. During the year the auction committee assembles quality works by local and regional artists, historic artworks and collectible objects from both artists and private collectors. This year, the auction committee contacted artists who have taught at The Art Center throughout the years and asked them to show their love and support of The Art Center by offering some of their works for the auction. So this year, our “featured artist” will be “featured artists.” We’ll be showcasing artwork from amazing artists who have shared their talents and expertise with Art Center students over the years. There is art representative of every taste and price range. In fact, this year’s silent auction will consist of budget friendly fine art by local and regional artists. The Art Center will be open extended hours on Thursday, May 4, from 9am to 8pm and on Friday, May 5, from 9am to 4pm for an auction preview. This is a chance to visit the silent auction room and bid on some wonderful artwork, and wander the galleries to peruse the artwork which will be auctioned Friday evening. Thursday evening is also a great opportunity to meet some of the artists with works in the auction; several artists frequent the Thursday preview from 6 to 9pm. The big evening of the auction kicks off when the doors re-open at 5pm on Friday, May 5. Since it’s Cinco de Mayo, we thought we’d join in on that fun with Mexican appetizers, some Latin music, and maybe even a margarita or two. From 5 to 7 we’ll have hors d’oeuvres, silent auction bidding and a preview of live auction works. Then at 7pm the live auction begins with emcees Dr. Chuck Breaux and Lee Borden, and auctioneer Jill Herbert from Boots n Lace Auctioneering. The bidding can be fierce, and fun. So bring a friend … heck, bring a bunch of friends, have a good time, buy some amazing art, and make the arts in Western Colorado thrive. Call 243-7337, x. 2 for more information about tickets, volunteering, and general questions regarding the Fine Art Auction. Artists and collectors who want information about submitting work for the auction, contact Lee Borden at lborden@ gjartcenter.org. See you at the auction!
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First Fridays at The Art Center are free to the public thanks to
Art Matters March – May 2017 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 2, Issue 2 March – May NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PA I D GRAND JCT, CO PERMIT 162