| By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon, announces the 2016 International Juried Exhibition, Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century, and invites entries. This special tenth anniversary show will be held in honor and memory of Royal Nebeker, internationally renowned artist and beloved instructor who taught at CCC for over 30 years and who served as the first juror for the competition. The 2016 Au Naturel exhibit will open on Thursday, January 21, 2016 and continues through March 10, 2016.
The Au Naturel competition is open to all artists working in any two dimensional drawing, painting, or printmaking medium with a focus on the nude human figure as subject matter in any form from representational to abstract, and in which the handmade mark is employed as the primary means of image-making. Entrants must be 18 years or older, and submitted artwork must have been executed in the last three years and available for the duration of the exhibit. Due to the special focus of the exhibit, any artwork reproduced by photomechanical processes (including giclée prints) will not be accepted. Visit the exhibit website, www.aunaturelart.com, to view artwork from previous Au Naturel exhibitions and for further information about the show. Applications are now being accepted online using the CaFÉ™ website, www.callforentry.org. Applications must be received on CaFÉ™ by Midnight (11:59:59 pm) Mountain Time, Saturday, November 7, 2015. There is no additional fee to use the CaFÉ™ online application system. Enter and register a username and password. Navigate to Apply to Calls, and search the list for Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century. The site also provides detailed instructions for use. There is a $40 fee for the submission of up to three images, and $5 for each additional image submitted. 2016 exhibit awards will include $1,000 in cash prizes and up to $2,000 in purchase awards. A select number of Visiting Artist Workshop awards will also be granted. Additionally, one artist will be chosen to be featured in a solo show for the following exhibition season (2016-2017) at the Clatsop Community College Art Center Gallery. For a prospectus, send a SASE to Au Naturel International Juried Exhibition c/o Kristin Shauck, Clatsop Community College, 1651 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, OR 97103 or download it from the Au Naturel website, www.aunaturelart.com.  Lisa Harris, owner and director of Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle, is the juror for Clatsop Community College’s 2016 International Juried Exhibition Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century. Serving as juror for the 2016 exhibit is Lisa Harris, the Director and Owner of Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle, WA. The gallery, which represents thirty Northwest and West Coast contemporary artists including Royal Nebeker, has been presenting rotating exhibitions for the past 31 years. Harris is a founding member of the Seattle Art Dealers Association and a member of Art Table, the national organization of women in the visual arts. Harris received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with Highest Honors from Williams College in 1975 and studied at the University of Paris (Sorbonne) from 1973 to 1974. She earned an M.B.A. in Arts Management from the University of California at Los Angeles (now the Anderson School at UCLA), and during that time did an internship at the Oakland Museum where she focused on strategic planning. From 1979 to 1980 she was Assistant to the President of Cornish Institute (now Cornish College of the Arts) for which she curated an historic American-Soviet exhibition. Faculty at Cornish and a similar art institute in Vladivostok (then a “closed” city) provided work for joint exhibitions that took place in Nakhodka and Seattle. Before founding her own gallery in 1984, Harris served as Director of Pioneer Square Gallery where she collaborated with other galleries to firmly establish Seattle’s First Thursdays. She has served as a juror for organizations such as Gage Academy, Women Painters of Washington, Edmonds Art Festival, Eastside Fine Art Association, and Artist Trust (The Artist Innovator Award). Last year, Harris co-curated the exhibition, John Cole: A Historical Perspective, at the Museum of Northwest Art. For more information, contact Kristin Shauck, 503-338-2472 or [email protected]. Attached Image: Lisa Harris, owner and director of Lisa Harris Gallery in Seattle, is the juror for Clatsop Community College’s 2016 International Juried Exhibition Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Tall Hinaki 4, Kapowai Series; Dragonfly Lake, 2007; Colleen Waata Ulrich Clatsop Community College is honored to present Uku-Aoteroa-The Spirit of Materials, a ten-day cultural exchange with six visiting indigenous Maori clay artists from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Invited artists include Colleen Waata Urlich, Baye Riddell, Dorothy Waetford, Todd Douglas, Carla Ruka, and Rhonda Halliday. These highly respected artists are supported by New Zealand Maori Art organizations, Creative New Zealand and Toi Maori Aotearoa to act as cultural representatives to communities around the world. The exchange will feature a series of events in the Astoria community that will provide a rare opportunity to interact with people from a unique indigenous culture. A special exhibition of Maori clay artworks will be held in the CCC Art Center Gallery, 1799 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, from May 7 to July 30. This exhibit will open with a welcoming of the artists on Thursday, May 7 at 6:00 PM. The Maori artists will be in attendance and available to share their connections to their work and its surrounding mythological and historical origins. The artists will also give a free public presentation at the CCC Performing Arts Center, 588 16th Street, Astoria, called, Uku-Aotearoa-The Spirit of Materials on Friday, May 8 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. This presentation will include a conversation that will engage the community by examining critical issues surrounding cultural landscape, collective and individual vision, and the value of myth and memory. Nancy Cook, CCC Writing Instructor, will lead artists in a discussion on the spirit of materials and related relevant questions. Artists, students and community members are also invited to participate in two all-day hands-on clay workshops led by the Maori artists on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM for both days in the CCC Art Center Ceramics Studio, 1799 Lexington Avenue, Astoria. Seating is limited for this event; please contact [email protected] for additional information.  Clay artist Colleen Waata Urlich has been made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit (ONZM) for her service to Maori arts in the New Year Honours. 30 December 2014 Northern Advocate Photograph by John Stone The Spirit of Materials Cultural Exchange is centered around the broad potential of the arts and humanities, and will cultivate the North Coast community’s knowledge of post-colonial indigenous identity and creativity. Events will include sharing of stories and meals, challenging dialogue, cultural/collaborative art-making workshops, and educational outreach. Community members will have an opportunity to learn about and consider the traditional and evolving meaning of oceanic arts. Our community will also have the opportunity to develop relationships through personal interaction and examination of shared values. This exchange continues the rich cross-cultural history that has existed at mouth of the Columbia for thousands of years. Colleen Waata Urlich, who is leading the traveling Maori collective with Baye Riddell, has been sculpting, molding and nurturing Maori art for years. She is a Maori clay artist and senior foundation member of the National body of Maori clay workers. Colleen has been involved with various Maori art initiatives. She is a founding member and coordinator for the Maori contemporary clay artists’ movement that begun in the 1980s. Colleen, along with Manos Nathan, Maori clay artist, participated in the Pacific Rim Exhibition in 2012, an indigenous gathering of artists from around the Pacific Rim that took place at Clatsop Community College. “Our return to Astoria with a group of younger clay artists, who have yet to experience the warmth and hospitality offered to us on our first visit, has been keenly anticipated. Our regret is that Manos Nathan has been unable to join us but all the current participants worked with Richard Rowland, ceramic artist and CCC Instructor, in January 2014, during the International Indigenous Artists Gathering “Kokiri Putahi,” in Kaikohe at Kohewhata Marae – a traditional meeting place – which brought together some 145 indigenous artists from Alaska to Australia,” says Urlich.  Seven Days, by Baye Riddell, 2012 Baye Riddell began his vocation as a ceramicist in 1973 and has been working as a full-time ceramicist ever since. In 1987, he co-founded Nga Kaihanga Uku, a Maori clay workers’ organization. “When I took up pottery in the early 70s there were no Maori ceramic traditions to refer to and so my first attempts to express my culture in fired clay were very tentative and clumsy. I was nicknamed “the Native” in the local pottery circles at the time who were mainly influenced by Japanese and European approaches to ceramics. Since those days however I have been privileged to be a part of the birth and growth of an exciting Maori ceramic movement which has forged a unique identity in the ceramic world.” Dorothy Waetford’s early career began as a performing artist as a member of the contemporary Maori dance company Taiao based in Auckland. Excited by developments in the contemporary Maori art scene, her interest led her to choosing clay as a preferred medium for art making. “The rich, cultural heritage I come from is the ground beneath my feet in the space I work from. In that space, I search for sculptural forms connecting the past with the present and use clay as a medium to transfigure the spiritual into physical, contemporary space.”  Paihau (fin of a fish), 2013: Dorothy Waetford Todd Douglas is a fulltime ceramic artist living and working at Muriwai Beach. Primarily self-taught, Todd’s work is recognized for utilizing a broad range of ceramic techniques and surface treatments as well as combining materials such as clay, wood, lashing and LED lighting. “As soon as I touched clay, I was hooked. Bringing together the four elements – fire, earth, air and water, clay is like no other material. It has fascinating physical properties such as its malleability but it also has many cultural and spiritual significances. As it is at the heart of so many creation stories, it’s a reminder of the interconnectedness between people/s.” Carla Ruka is a contemporary Maori clay sculptress. Her inspiration and ideas descend from her ancestors.
The clay artworks and images she has developed over the years are based on the korero of her Marae (Mahuri), Kapa haka (Maori Performing Arts), Maori Spirituality, indigenous cultures, her whanau and the Taitokerau/Hokianga area. “Clay is my therapy. It molds and develops images of my wairura (spirit). As a contemporary Maori Clay Artist, the artworks and images I have created over the years descend from my ancestors and are inspired by the people around me.” “I continue to surround myself in cultural and community activities.” Rhonda Halliday is a Maori clay artist whose work focuses on learning more about her cultural heritages, Maori and Pakeha, and finding an identity that integrates the two. “Our ancestors used metaphors to express themselves in their artworks; to tell a story, an historical account of a person/s or an expression of thoughts and beliefs. My work is also a metaphor used to express personal feelings from research into the many areas of history between my Māori and Pākeha connections. There are still many more conversations to be captured in clay.” “These gifted artists have been selected by the Maori to honor and keep the life of their ancestors and their communities alive. Clatsop Community College has brought another educational and cultural experience that can impact our blended and evolving global community.” Richard Rowland For information on any of the events please visit https://www.clatsopcc.edu/community/art-gallery/2015-maori-art-exhibit-cultural-exchange or contact [email protected] ; 503- 338-2449. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world. The 2015 Clatsop Community College Art Student Exhibit will be on display at the CCC Art Center Gallery, 1799 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, from Thursday, April 9 through Thursday, April 30. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 9 beginning at 6:00 p.m. During the reception, cash prizes and award winners will be announced. This year’s juror, Eleanor H. Erskine, will be present at the reception to give a juror’s talk. Clatsop Community College thanks the Astoria Coffeehouse and Bistro for its generous support for this year’s student awards. The CCC Art Center Gallery is ADA accessible, free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and weekends by appointment. The Annual Art Student Exhibit is a juried event that showcases the talents and creativity of the college’s art students. Art students are invited to submit up to three pieces of work created in the art classes in which they have been enrolled during the past year. The show will feature a range of disciplines taught at Clatsop Community College, including graphic arts, basic design, drawing, painting, ceramics, photography and printmaking. Juror Eleanor H. Erskine attended the Chicago Art Institute, received a BFA in Painting/Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1981, and earned her MFA in Printmaking, with a special focus in Sculpture from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1988. She has taught at the Maine College of Art; the Kansas City Art Institute; The Chautauqua Institution; Penland School of Crafts; and Portland State University. Her works have been exhibited at the Mark Woolley Gallery; Museum of Contemporary Art in Washington D.C; Nelson Atkins Museum; Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA); and the Marylhurst Art Gym. Erskine is recognized locally, nationally and internationally. Her work is held in major private and public collections including the California State University Museum; Portland Art Museum; Spencer Museum of Art; Hallmark Corporation; New York Public Library; Downey Museum of Art; University of Iowa Museum of Art; and in various collections in Canada, Africa, Japan and South Korea. Please direct inquiries to: Kristin Shauck, 503-338-2472; [email protected]. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  James McComas
(Superior, CO, USA)
Diana, Oil on Linen, 24×18 Voters selected Jim McComas’ oil on linen piece entitled Diana for the People’s Choice Award in this year’s international juried show Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century, which was recently on display in the Clatsop Community College Art Center Gallery. All gallery visitors were invited to cast a vote for their favorite piece. Upon being notified that his painting Diana received the greatest number of votes, the artist responded, “I felt privileged simply to be juried into this year’s Au Naturel and I feel doubly so to have received the People’s Choice Award.” This is not the first time that the artist has been selected to exhibit in the Au Naturel; he was also chosen to exhibit two of his paintings in the 2013 exhibit. In describing what he calls “an interesting little back story” about his painting Diana, he explains that “it was inspired by my visit to Astoria for the 2013 Au Naturel show. One of the days we were there, my wife, Lea, and I hiked up a short trail behind or beside the college that led up to some sort of monument. It was a bright sunny day (apparently rare for that time of year in Astoria). All along the trail, sunlight streamed through gaps in the trees to illuminate emerald green vegetation and dew covered spider webs, which sparkled like a million tiny rainbows. It was magical, somehow larger than life, and evoked thoughts of mythological figures hidden behind a shallow veil of reality. Anyway, this painting of Diana, the Huntress came from that experience. Lea and I had such a wonderful time visiting Astoria for the 2013 show.” In his artist statement McComas states, “Compositionally, I perceive art as a visual melody, which can be as simple as a song, or as complex as a symphony. Somewhere in the music – in the image – is an expression of the human condition, be it narrowly focused or grandly sweeping. Along those lines, I see the role of the figure in my art much as the role a dancer plays in a ballet: profoundly moving in and of itself, yet a cohesive part of a larger story. My ultimate artistic desire is to integrate the human element into expressive compositions that are visually compelling, intellectually stimulating, and which engage the viewer on multiple levels.” McComas received formal academic training in the classical tradition at the Colorado Academy of Art and has had the good fortune to study under such contemporary masters as Daniel Sprick, Robert Liberace, Michelle Torres, and Ron Hicks. He works in a variety of media, drawing in graphite, charcoal, and chalk, and painting primarily in oil. McComas is currently based in Superior, CO. Visit www.jimmccomas.com for additional information about McComas and his work. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  James McComas, Superior, CO: Diana, Oil on Linen, 24×18  Cynthia Yatchman, Seattle, WA: Carapaces, Mixed Media, 12×12  Nicole Jeffords, Austin, TX: Arden, Oil on Canvas, 28×22  Reed Clarke, Portland, OR: Apparition Number Four, Oil on Canvas, 42×42  Patrick Kernan, Portland, OR: Amanda, Watercolor and Pastel Pencil, 21×14  Chris Sheridan, Seattle, WA: Beyond the Boundary of the Hedge: Margarita and His Errand, Oil on Canvas, 54×40
The ninth annual international juried exhibit Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century will be on display from January 22 through March 5, 2015 at Clatsop Community College’s Art Center Gallery located at 1799 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, OR. Gallery hours are from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The gallery is open on Sundays and holidays by appointment only. A reception honoring the selected artists will be held on Thursday, January 29, at 6:00 pm. This year’s juror, Barbara Shaiman, an independent curator and art consultant based in Seattle, will be present to give a gallery talk. Barbara Shaiman was the artistic and managing Director of the Seattle Art Museum’s SAM Gallery for 24 years. She left a year ago to spend more time on personal curatorial projects and art consulting as well as doing her own artwork. Among other projects, she currently is Curator at the Alexis Hotel. Barbara also devotes time to jurying community art exhibits, participating in public art panels, advising local arts organizations and helping clients with collection management. Before joining the SAM staff, Barbara taught studio art classes in NYC at Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Museum Art School, at Hawthorne Studio in Montana, and in the Seattle area at Seward Park Arts Center and Bellevue College. She was also a working ceramic artist and the owner/director of Shaiman Gallery, a local contemporary fine crafts and design gallery. Awards to be announced at the reception include cash prizes, purchase awards, a solo show award to be held during the 2015-2016 exhibition season, and a select number of workshop awards. The Bridgewater Bistro and Dairy Maid are providing hors d’oeuvres for the event, and Erikson Floral Company and Bloomin’ Crazy Floral are providing flowers. This reception is free and open to the public. The College also thanks the Cannery Pier Hotel, the Commodore Hotel, and the Ft. George Brewery for their support. A No-Host Post-Reception party at the Astoria Coffeehouse and Bistro, 243 11th Street in downtown Astoria, will immediately follow the reception. This year, artists from 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, Turkey, New Zealand, and South Africa submitted over 500 images for consideration. The 2015 exhibit will represent 41 artists from 14 states in addition to an international artist from South Africa. Please note that the artist from South Africa will be represented in the online 2015 gallery only at www.aunaturelart.com. Juror Barbara Shaiman states, “It was a great pleasure to serve as the juror for 2015 Au Naturel competition and to see such a variety of compelling and high quality work interpreting the theme of the nude. It was difficult to narrow down such a large group to the 56 pieces I eventually chose in order to create a coherent exhibit. My task as I saw it was to choose work that was both excellent and representative rather than to attempt to create an exhibit with a particular point of view.” Paring down the artwork from among the hundreds of images is an extremely difficult task. Each year, a different juror is invited to select the work for the show, and each juror brings his or her own unique perspective and approach to the selection process. “My curatorial approach is affected by my background as a working studio artist and instructor of studio courses, as well as the many years I have worked as a gallery director. For me the visual is primary, and then comes attention to concept and execution. When I choose artists for an exhibit or jury a show, I look for artwork that has strong visual appeal and is rooted in ideas I find compelling, stimulating and challenging,” explains Shaiman. “I also look for work that in some way pushes boundaries, reflects a unique vision, or pushes the medium in different areas. The work should be technically proficient, experimental and passionate about its subject matter. None of the works chosen fit all of these criteria of course, but they all meet at least a few.”  Cynthia Yatchman, Seattle, WA: Carapaces, Mixed Media, 12×12 Seattle artist Cynthia Yatchmanwho typically works with various combinations of acrylic paint, ink, papers, charcoal and canvas, was invited to exhibit her mixed-media piece called Carapaces. Yatchman enjoys the process of “creating a rich sensual surface by making layer upon layer of marks,” and describes her work as possessing “an unseen history within these layers as images are obscured and revealed.” While the subject matter of her work references her “experience with nature,” she explains that the content of her work often “speaks to issues of social justice, revelation and connection and how we are all one.”  Reed Clarke, Portland, OR: Apparition Number Four, Oil on Canvas, 42×42 Portland artist Reed Clarkealso a part-time resident in Gearhart, has been invited for the fifth time to exhibit his work in the Au Naturel. Clarke points out that while his two oil paintings selected for the show entitled Apparition Number Four and Woman Standing With Man may be considered by some to be portraits, the design elements such as line, tone, color, shape, and form are equally as important as the subject matter in any work of art. “It took me a long time to become aware of how painting people/figures sets up the need to solve certain types of problems encountered in the act of painting,” he admits. “I hope to find some solutions to these problems that I can feel are authentically mine. What I hope to achieve is work that transcends the fact that the painting has a subject and exists simply as a good painting.”  James McComas, Superior, CO: Diana, Oil on Linen, 24×18 James McComas of Superior Coloradowho has exhibited in the Au Naturel several times, explores design concepts in his paintings from the standpoint of the fascinating relationship between visual art and music. “I perceive art as a visual melody, which can be as simple as a song, or as complex as a symphony,” he states. “Somewhere in the music – in the image – is an expression of the human condition, be it narrowly focused or grandly sweeping. Along those lines, I see the role of the figure in my art much as the role a dancer plays in a ballet: profoundly moving in and of itself, yet a cohesive part of a larger story.” Seattle artist Chris Sheridan looks to the past for inspiration in “early myths, traditional folklore, the histories, and the classics.” At the very heart of his work is storytelling, which he describes as “the foundation upon which my paintings are built,” and further explains that in every one of his paintings that he creates, “every element has symbolic meaning that supports that story.”  Patrick Kernan, Portland, OR: Amanda, Watercolor and Pastel Pencil, 21×14 Portland artist Patrick KernanPortland artist Patrick Kernan has also been selected to exhibit his artwork in the Au Naturel multiple times. Kernan creates all of his work from observation directly from life, and counts painting the human figure among one of his greatest passions. Rather than focusing on accuracy as his main goal, he believes his work is successful if the artwork “becomes a journal of my observations, emotions and reactions to the model, at the specific, shared, moment in time.” The rigorous discipline of drawing and painting from figure models in the studio directly from life has also been a passion of artist Patrick Deshaye of Hillsboro, Oregon. Deshaye maintains that for him this practice embodies everything worthwhile about the process of art-making, which includes “centuries of tradition, an endless array of media and techniques, a subject of overwhelming expressive potential…what’s not to love?” He describes his oil painting entitled The Model, Death and the Inferno as a “playful hommage to the figure studio model and her inevitably ironic environment.”  Nicole Jeffords, Austin, TX: Arden, Oil on Canvas, 28×22 Nicole Jeffords of Austin, TX, on the other hand, works from a photographic reference since for her, “a live sitter’s energy would be too much.” She describes her process as a slow and silent dialogue that progresses “until bit by bit a picture emerges, almost as if a channel opens and the person steps forward, allowing me to see some part of them that is real and true. In that way, hopefully, the painting becomes revelation.” Further information about the 2015 exhibiting artists will be available online at the Au Naturel website at www.aunaturelart.com after January 22nd. In addition to the CCC Art Center Gallery exhibit, for the fifth consecutive year, other venues in downtown Astoria will be exhibiting nudes in a collective show entitled Nudes Downtown: A Compendium of Art Inspired by Au Naturel. A gallery walk will be held on Saturday, February 14th. Among the galleries and venues hosting this year’s event are RiverSea Gallery, Imogen Gallery, Tempo Gallery and Artist Collective, Lightbox Photographic Gallery, Old Town Framing, and KALA@Hipfish. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world. The Clatsop Community College Art Center Gallery will open its exhibition season with a show entitled Cakes, Nudes, and Bowling Balls, the first retrospective exhibition by Bay Area artist V.E. Long. The show will feature the artist’s figurative works, monotypes, sculptures, collages, and assemblages created over a span of 27 years, from 1987 through the current year.  Bliss-Detail, by V.E. Long The exhibition opens with a reception on Thursday, October 2 beginning at 6:00 p.m. and continues through November 6. The gallery reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. The CCC Art Center Gallery, 1799 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on weekends and holidays by appointment. In conjunction with her exhibit, V.E. Long will conduct a workshop entitled “Pushing the Figure to Abstraction” on Friday, October 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. During this workshop, participants will gain greater insight into the artist’s personal process and practice this approach in a productive, hands-on session. “Having taught at Napa Valley College, I love to teach workshops,” Long confesses. Describing her intentions for the workshop, she says, “My goal is always the success of workshop participants, and to personalize any feedback to participant’s individual needs. One of the hardest jobs of an artist is that of being an editor, and I would like to share how an artist might approach that challenge. My teaching sessions are serious, yet full of humor; we work hard and have a lot to show for a few hours of work. Participants leave with work well underway and heads full of information that they can actually use.” The workshop will be held in the Drawing/Painting Studio of the CCC Art Center, and is free to CCC students enrolled in fall term credit classes and open to the general public for a $20 fee. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. For a materials list and to register, contact Kristin Shauck, 503-338-2472 or [email protected]. Selected to exhibit in the 2014 Au Naturel competition by the highly respected Portland gallery owner Charles Froelick, Long was also chosen by the art department faculty to receive the coveted prize of a solo exhibition at the CCC Art Center Gallery. V.E. Long’s work has been collected by corporations including AT&T, Chubb Corporation, IBM, Twentieth Century Fox, and the Hewlett Foundation. Private collectors of her work include Manuel Neri, Robert Redford, and Lawrence Halprin, designer of the F.D.R. Memorial in Washington, D.C. Born in Washington, D.C., Long earned a B.A. from University of California at Santa Barbara and an M.F.A. from California State University, Long Beach where she studied with Paul Wonner, one of the original Bay Area Figurative artists. She has also studied with Llyn Foulkes and Howard Warshaw. She is regarded as a third generation Bay Area figurative artist influenced by the work of Nathan Olivera, David Park, Paul Wonner, Richard Diebenkorn, and Manuel Neri. Her prevailing use of the strong gestural marks of Abstract Expressionism is reminiscent of Willem de Kooning, while influences for her assemblage works and sculpture range from Ed Keinholz to Louise Nevelson to Joseph Cornell. Although the show represents a wide variety of work in both two dimensional and three dimensional formats, the common thread interconnecting all the pieces lies in the process of creation; the original image that initially inspired each work of art has been removed from its original context. With the two dimensional figurative work, the artist initially works from a life model in the beginning stages. In the following stages after the model leaves, the artist begins to deconstruct the images, pushing and abstracting them into something quite removed from the original vision. With the three dimensional assemblage works, the artist scavenges bits and pieces of items that once had a specific function, such as game tokens and cake decorations, and then she transforms each item into a completely different incarnation imbedded into a work of art. Each item then serves as a visual element in a new visual context, and in the process, each item becomes infused with a deeper, more complex meaning. Both the figurative works and assemblages express what it is to be human in various ways. They depict circumstances and tragedies, strengths and frailties, hope and survival. “The figure, and its connotations, are a never ending source of inspiration for me,” the artist states. She also explains that “had I been born more recently, I’m sure I would have been labeled as ADHD. As it was, my parents just received notes that I was a ‘distracted child’ and a ‘daydreamer,’ and I guess I was, because everything interested me and still does. My sculptural work uses ordinary items as icons, many of which I find in the street or at the landfill. My figurative work is ‘all over the place’—once the model leaves, I can make her into something else. So I’m really thankful that I was, and still am, a distracted child.” Long creates her work in her Napa Valley studio space that she describes as a “bi-level on a slope in an old chicken feed granary on the ranch where we live…the lower portion is where I paint, and I also print on a huge etching press. The upper portion is where I produce the wood constructions and assemblages. It’s a wonderful life and I am so grateful to get to live here.” Clatsop Community College acknowledges special support for this exhibit and workshop from The Cannery Pier Hotel and Spa. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Prey
44”x30” Watercolor
Alexandra Becker-Black
(Portland, OR USA) Voters selected Alexandra Becker-Black’s watercolor painting entitled Prey for the People’s Choice Award in this year’s Au Naturel: The Nude in the 21st Century exhibit at Clatsop Community College. Throughout the duration of the show, which opened on January 23rd and was on display through March 20th, visitors were invited to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award. In her artist statement, Becker-Black explains that she “aspires to capture an ethereal beauty that transcends reality by using the body itself as an emotional medium,” and “finds beauty to be subtle, simple, elegant, and pure, stripped down to reveal the bare essence of what is true.” Becker-Black studied art at both PNCA and OCAC in Portland as well as overseas in Italy, earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2007, and is currently based in Portland. For additional information about the artist and her work, visit www.alexandrabeckerblack.com. Artists who are interested in submitting work for the 2015 Au Naturel competition should contact Kristin Shauck, 503-338-2472 or [email protected]. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
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About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world. Old Town Framing, 1287 Commercial Street in Astoria, will host a Preview Exhibit of selected artwork to be presented at the 2014 Arts & Experience Dinner and Auction to benefit Clatsop Community College. The exhibit opened at 5pm on March 8 as part of the Astoria 2nd Saturday Art Walk and continues through April 6. Viewers will be able to register and begin bidding on the works presented. The 2014 Preview Exhibit features approximately 15 of the more than 60 artists who will be presented at the Arts & Experience Dinner and Auction on April 12 at the Astoria Golf & Country Club. Participating artists include, for example, Roger Dorband, Stirling Gorsuch, Carol Riley, Charles Schweigert, Gin Laughery, David Lee Myers, Neal Maine and Christi Payne. A wide range of media will be represented. In addition to stunning original artwork, the Auction highlights opportunities to participate in activities including classes, outdoor experiences, arts and cultural events and gourmet meals. Tickets for the 2014 Arts & Experience Dinner and Auction are on sale now at 503-338-2306 for $75. Sponsorship opportunities also remain available. By Southern Oregon Artists Resource, 2003 contributed posts
View all Southern Oregon Artists Resource's posts.
About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists, enthusiasts and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world. Grace Benedict, originally from Canada, and now residing on the Gulf Coast, will visit Clatsop Community College to present a workshop entitled “Design and Figure Drawing” on March 7, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Clatsop Community College Art Center Drawing and Painting Studio, Room 112, 1799 Lexington in Astoria, OR. The workshop will overlap the timeframe of the Winter Term life drawing class, but limited spaces are available to the public for a fee of $25. Please contact Kristin Shauck at 503-338-2472 for registration information and a materials list. Selected by juror Clint Brown to exhibit in the 2013 Au Naturel exhibit, Benedict was chosen for a special workshop award. In addition to this workshop, RiverSea Gallery will exhibit recent drawings based on the figure that showcase Benedict’s color and design sensibility. Please join the artist for the gallery reception on Saturday March 8, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Grace Benedict, Self-Portrait with Ginkgo “Design and the Figure Drawing” will emphasize design principles which can be applied to understanding the underlying energy, structure and vision of any composition. Initial drawing exercises with the live model will lead into a sustained drawing which will explore and build a conception of space: observing, measuring and processing, making visual connections and generating a personal vision. Increasing creative awareness, which includes planning, is a key component to the workshop. After the morning session, Benedict will share a brief presentation of drawings of figures within design frameworks and discuss how her work has evolved, both unconsciously and intentionally. During the final session of the hands-on workshop, participants will introduce a surprise element, yet continue to use the power of observation and interpretation to add new meaning to their original drawing. Benedict will challenge and encourage each person’s design strategies toward a successful integration and harmony of elements. A variety of papers, drawing materials, both dry and wet, including color, are encouraged.
Grace Benedict has taught drawing for 35 years and is currently working as an artist in Ocean Springs, MS. From 2002 to 2013 she served as the Foundations Drawing Coordinator in the Department of Art & Design in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She holds a BFA degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada and an MFA from Tulane University, LA. As an emerging realist artist in the 80s she was a two-time recipient of the Elizabeth T. Greenshields grant. Her life drawings are spontaneous and undisguised, yet hold very conscious conceptions of the figure, the portrait and other thematic constructions. In addition, she works on highly developed colored pencil drawings. A focus on historical cemetery figures and statues was supported by an Individual Artist Grant (2005) from the Indiana Arts Commission. Benedict’s drawings have been juried into contemporary figurative national and international exhibitions. As a member of the co-operative gallery Artists Own in Lafayette, IN since 2003 Benedict’s work is widely collected. Through her work, Grace will show how something that is commonplace can become part of a narrative incorporating new meaning. Ambiguous space as a modern concept – how the surface and the illusion work to create tension – holds the imagery together in a way that makes an impact in the viewer’s mind. “The creative process for me is grounded in realism working from direct observation. Imagery includes the figure, life in the garden and landscape, pattern and references to myth. A composition tends to grow, move in a different direction and knit itself together from some point: at the very beginning, in the middle or closer to the end. The history, tension, energy and play between the actual recorded image and what I impose from the repertoire of motifs in my imagination will gravitate toward a final “design” that provokes a response and impacts the viewer.” These combined ideas allow me to express myself as an individual artist in today’s world. Harmonic connections of drawing the figure and drawing from the natural world can be interpreted as an embodiment of self. | |
