| | News and Opportunities for Artists of Fairfield County March 10, 2019 PART ONE |
| | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a nonprofit service organization that supports its members through unified marketing, capacity building, professional development, and advocacy services. This newsletter is sent to all who request it - but we ask that, if you are not a member, you explore membership benefits and consider joining this community of more than 600 individuals and organizations. See member benefits here. Join here.
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| | | | | MEMBERS: PLEASE REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE |
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Our new website has been live for 17 weeks and so far 370 (of our 600) members (including 152 artists) have created their profiles on the site. All members are asked to register as soon as possible. You will need a description of your work, and 3 images: a square headshot, a wide "hero" image (like the one above) and a smaller, wide "reference image" used in the Meet Our Members page. Complete the simple form and upload your images here. A new image app. makes it easy to upload your images. Contact us with any questions.
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| | MARCH 11 SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS & CULTURE: AIM HIGHER TOGETHER BRIDGEPORT |
| | | Our Mon. Mar. 11 Spotlight on Arts & Culture interview show on WPKN 89.5 FM, looks at what creative activists are doing about gun violence in Bridgeport in the new arts-based campaign: AIM HIGHER TOGETHER BRIDGEPORT. Artists Jahmane and Darcy Hicks discuss their past success working with young people and future mural workshops planned for this summer at Neighborhood Studios. Frank Derico, Executive Director of Neighborhood Studios will explain how this program fits into their ongoing work with the youth of Bridgeport. And City Lights Gallery Director Suzanne Kachmar ties much of this together with her ongoing foundational work in Bridgeport. Also hear details about the fundraising launch event on March 28 at Blends Gallery. |
| | ARTISTS RESIDENCIES PANEL VIDEO & SLIDES NOW AVAILABLE |
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| Our Feb. 27, 2019 panel presentation and discussion, hosted by Silvermine Arts Center, and featuring Felicity Hogan (Director of NYFA Learning) and three artists (Liz Leggett, Susan Newbold, and Jay Petrow) is now available for all to see. A video of the evening is available here; the slides are available here; and a clickable resource list can be downloaded here. |
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| NOMINATIONS FOR ACE AWARDS 2019 NOW OPEN |
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| NOMINATIONS are now open for our 2019 Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) Awards, designed to celebrate the passion for arts and culture in Fairfield County, and to raise awareness of the quality and diversity of our arts and cultural offerings. Awards will be presented in five categories in late spring at our 4th annual ACE Awards Breakfast: Artist, Citizen, Corporate, Educator and Nonprofit. Details and nomination form (where you can use upto 150 words to describe why you are nominating your choice) are here (bit.ly/ACE2019Nominate). Deadline March 29.
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MIKE HARRIS
Mike Harris has loved photography ever since he was given his Kodak Brownie Camera as a young boy: "My dog, Donnie," he says, "was my primary model." Although he has photographed all his life, it wasn't until fairly recently that he began to seriously focus on his work and share it with others, which he and his wife Sally, also a photographer, see as an important part of what they do. Developing a passion to photograph the world as he sees it, has changed the way he sees the world. While he enjoys the aesthetics of capturing patterns and landscapes, he has increasingly enjoyed capturing the essence of the people he meets and the places where they live. His goal is to share his vision of culture through his photographs and he hopes to challenge viewers as they see his subjects in a new and different way. Mike believes his best photographs "tell a story - whether it is a street scene, highway or people interacting with others. All I hope is that you see something in my work which piques your curiosity." Mike has had a solo show at the Cos Cob Library in 2014 and his photographs have been selected for shows at the Greenwich Library, the Bendheim Gallery at the Greenwich Arts Council, the Carriage Barn Arts Center, the Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich Botanical Center's Gallery, Stamford Art Association and the UConn Stamford Gallery. He and his wife Sally have also made presentations including for Rotary Clubs, the New Canaan and Cos Cob libraries, at the Retired Men’s Association in Greenwich, and others. He and Sally have a 2-person show of a decade of their work scheduled for April 2019 at the Bendheim Galleries at the Greenwich Arts Council. See Mike's website, his SmugMug and Facebook pages |
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| PENNY PUTNAM
Penny Putnam is a Greenwich-based painter, working in mixed water media and collage. With a degree in Design from the University of Florida, she launched a noteworthy career in graphic design in New York City in the offices of Raymond Loewy, and co-founded the design firm Kollberg/ Johnson. Since leaving that career in 1999, she has developed her creativity within the fine art world, participated in juried exhibits, winng many awards for her paintings, and has presented several solo shows.Her paintings have often been described as joyful, upbeat and optimistic - abstract tapestries of sophisticated color and marks that celebrate the natural world with a nod to the unknown. She writes that all of her creative work is informed by her treasured time as a child exploring the woods near her family's home in Indiana. She started as a realistic painter with the intent to interpret simple beauty: "A feather, a piece of driftwood, a bleached bone...all are worthy of a portrait." She discovered however that what she really wanted to paint was "the underlying spirit that these objects and the places I find them share. I want to understand what that spirit is and make it visible to others. So I left realism and began to investigate the abstract beauty of places, and things, and moments in time. By doing so, I hope to understand why I have been drawn to the woods, the beaches and the trails where they are found, and why I find that experience so thrilling." Penny is a member of the Greenwich Art Society, the Art Society of Old Greenwich, the Rowayton Arts Center and the Connecticut Watercolor Society. Penny served on the Board of Trustees of The Silvermine Arts Center and as a board member for the Greenwich Art Society. She is represented by Sandra Morgan Interiors. See Penny's website. |
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| | STEVE MAGEE
Steve Magee is a Fairfield based painter, a member of Norwalk's St. Philip Artists' Guild (SPAG), who remembers being a 10-year-old, fresh from the baseball field, avidly soaking up the atmosphere at Scarpantoni’s Art Studio, Spring Valley, New York. While baseball faded, due to a knee injury, his art career flourished as he majored in Graphic arts and communication at Syracuse University. A successful career followed as Advertising Art Director, Creative Director and Graphic Designer, leaving his mark on clients ranging from the Fortune 500, to friends opening a new local restaurant. Switching careers in 2005, he got his license as a General Contractor, building luxury homes over the following decade. Real estate development appealed to his love of architecture and design, but it wasn't long before he started to long for the art world of his youth. He discovered the Silvermine Arts Center in 2017, and after taking a one-day oil painting class with Alex McFarlane, was hooked. A dozen paintings later, he says his visual awareness has never been at a higher level. See Steve's Instagram page. |
| | | Those artists who have posted their profiles onto our new website, that launched Nov. 2, have their names in green with links to their profile. Please join them!
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| Elizabeth Agresta, Painter
Valerie Ahneman, Musician
Peter Alexander, Landscape ArchitectFrances Ashforth, Painter/
Media ArtistDennis Bradbury, Photographer Carolyn Brady, Photographer Nancy Breakstone, Photographer Michael Brennecke, Sculptor
Mixed Media Tom Comerford, PhotographerPenrhyn Cook, PhotographerRod Cook, PhotographerMargaret Stapor Costa, Filmmaker |
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| Designer
Joyce DiCamillo, Musician
Barbara Kunin Dierolf, PainterErin Dolan, PainterAmy Dolego, PhotographyJennifer Drolet, Painter Ganga Duleep, PainterDavid Dunlop, PainterPhilip Eliasoph, WriterJeanine Esposito, Mixed
Media
Mixed-media
Sue Brown Gordon, Painter/Jeweler Ellen Gould, PhotographerJoyce Grasso, Painter/
PhotographerKristen Graves, Musician Jen Greely, Painter/
PrintmakerCarolina Guimarey, Multi-
Media ArtistBarry Guthertz, PhotographerDorothy Hafner, SculptorDon Hamerman, Media Dancer Tracy Hoffman, Photographer & Painter
Wayne Keeley, Writer, Producer
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| Jin Hi Kim, Musician Lesley Koenig, PainterMoki Kokoris, Visual ArtistRichard Koleszar, PainterMichael Kozlowski, PainterDawn Kubie, PhotographerJoanie Landau, Jewelry
designer/PrintmakerLydia Larson, PainterEmily Hamilton Laux, PhotographerKatya Lebrija, PainterEric Jiaju Lee, Visual
Artist/MusicianJulie Leff, PainterLiz Leggett, PainterSusan Leggitt, PainterHenry Lepetit, PainterJulia-Rose Liptack, PainterBarbara Loss, PhotographerShelley Lowell, Painter/
Sculptor/PoetJane Lubin, Mixed Media Laurie MacLean,
Choreographer, DancerMark Macrides, Painter,
Collagist Photographer
Barbara Mathis, Painter
Megan Bonneau McCool, Choreographer
Grace S. McEnaney, Painter Photographer, Designer,
Curator
Jay Misencik, PhotographerDay Moore, PainterNancy Moore, PainterBrechin Morgan, PainterLina Morielli, Multi-MediaMeighan Morrison, PainterCarol Mueller,
Painter/PrintmakerCynthia Mullins, PainterSusan Murray, PainterTava Naiyin, Dancer Dale Najarian, Painter Erin Nazzaro, Painter Karen Neems, Photographer/Mixed Photographer Eddie Niño, Painter
Julie O'Connor, Performing/Visual ArtistMelissa Orme, Painter Rose Palmiero, Painter Eileen Panepinto, Mixed
MediaSteve Parton, PainterJudy Peknik, PainterJustin Perlman, SculptorChris Perry, Book ArtistJay Petrow, Painter Laura Pflug, Painter Igor Pikayzen, Violinist |
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| Elizabeth Quesada, PainterBen Quesnel, Sculptor,
Videographer
PhotographerMariya Rivera, PainterDorothy Robertshaw, Mixed MediaLizzy Rockwell, Painter,
Illustrator, AuthorAlyse Rosner, Painter/
Mixed MediaRichard Sadlon, MusiciansRenee Santhouse, Graphic Artist Anthony Santomauro, PainterJill Sarver, PainterEllen Schiffman, Fiber
ArtistNorma Schlager, Fiber
ArtistMarianne R. Schmidt, PainterGuy Sealey, MultimediaKatie Settel, PhotographerRick Shaefer, Visual ArtistRosalind Shaffer, CeramistBarbara Shea, WriterAlissa Siegal, PainterNorm Siegel, PainterLisa P. Silberman, Printmaker
Phyllis Sinrich, PrintmakerConnie Stancell, PainterBarbara Stewart, PainterPam Stoddart, PainterFlorence Suerig, Visual
ArtistDenise Susalka, PainterJanice Sweetwater, PainterSusan Tabachnick, SculptorJuliette Tehrani, PainterAlicia Thompson, Actress/
PlaywrightDara Tomeo, PainterKris D. Toohey, PainterAndrea Towey, MusicianRuth Kalla Ungerer,
PrintmakerVincent Verrillo, PainterKaren Vogel, PainterLee Walther, Mixed Media Liz Ward, Multi-MediaAnn Weiner, Multi-Media,
PainterPeggy Weis, MultiMediaGregg Welz, Paper ArtistJahmane West, MultiMediaCynthia Whalen, PainterJoan B. Wheeler, PainterElizabeth White, MultiMediaJarvis Wilcox, PainterBruce Williams, PainterJen Williams, PainterJonah Wilner, PainterTammy Winser, Mixed
MediaNancy Woodward,
Photographer/Mixed
Media
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| | ❦ – Latest List by Town of Organization and Creative Business Members: here
❦ – Latest List by Town of Artist Members: here |
| | | | | | Carol Nipomnich Dixon and Rick Shaefer were two of four artists speaking at an Artist Talk at Silvermine Arts Center Sun March 10, 3-4pm. Rick Shaefer, who won Best in Show at Silvermine's 2017 Art of the Northeast, has his own show now at Silvermine and spoke about his work in "Three Trees: Life-Size Drawings." Carol is one of the artists in the other exhibition currently at Silvermine: "ReFraming Aging: Health, Happiness, and the Arts." |
| | | Sue Benton, Lisa Berger, Nancy Breakstone, Janine Brown, Joseph Dermody, Scott Glaser, Fruma Markowitz, and Chris Perry all had work juried into the Rowayton Arts Center's Photography, Sculpture and Fiber Art exhibit, that opened with an awards reception Sun. March 10. The judge, Michael Shapiro, is a collector of vintage and contemporary photography. He became established as a dealer in 1980 after a curatorial position at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California. |
| | Carol Nimponmich Dixon, Lori Glavin and Karen Kalkstein all have work in Fiber Now, an exhibition of "Textile Artists on the Cutting Edge," curated by Jill Parry and opening with a reception at the Rye Arts Center (51 Milton Road, Rye, NY) on Thurs. March 14, 5-7pm. |
| | Dawn Dahl, Carol Nipomnich Dixon, Heide Follin, Scott Glaser, Ellen Gordon, Joyce Grasso, Mike Harris, Susan Leggitt, Ann Mcrae, Lina Morielli, Melissa Orme, Jay Petrow, and Julliette Tehrani all have work in the 102nd annual juried exhibition of the Greenwich Art Society at the Bendheim Gallery that opens with a reception Friday, March 15, 6-8pm. |
| | Sue Benton, Amy Bock, Trace Burroughs, Eric Chiang, Kat Evans, Scott Glaser, Mary Ellen Hendricks, Jana Ireijo, Amy Kaplan, Sooo-z Mastropietro, Susan Newbold and Norm Siegel all have work included in the next Pop-Up exhibition by members of The Artists Collective of Westport, in their gallery at the Westport Country Playhouse. The reception will be Wed. March 20 6-8pm in the Barn at WCP. Artists talks are scheduled for Sat. March 23 at 3pm. |
| | | | | Lisa Berger's Railcar Repose (24x32, detail at right; click for complete image) was juried into the Rowayton Arts Center's Photography, Sculpture and Fiber Art exhibit, that opened with an awards reception Sun. March 10. This photograph is a close-up of the side of a train with peeling paint. |
| | Nancy Breakstone had her photograph A Distant Place In The Sand (digital, 16x15, at right) juried into the Rowayton Arts Center's Photography, Sculpture and Fiber Art exhibit, that opened with an awards reception Sun. March 10. The juror was Michael Shapiro. Nancy is now back in Costa Rica to take more of her magical pictures of these volcanic sand beaches.
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| | | Ann Chernow has a solo show, Femmes Fatales: Paintings, Drawings and Prints, opening at Odetta, 229-231 Cook Street, Brooklyn, with a reception Fri. March 15, 6-8pm. The show runs through April 14 and Ann will give a talk Sun. March 31 at 3pm. |
| | Dawn Dahl's painting, Monarch (2018, oil on canvas 20x24,” detail at right, click for complete image) was accepted into the Greenwich Art Society's 102nd annual juried exhibition opening with a reception at the Greenwich Arts Council's Bendheim Gallery, Friday, March 15, 6-8pm. Dawn notes that "the inspiration for this painting came from a visit to Deyrolle, the incredible taxidermy shop in Paris. It was the source of the Monarch butterfly in the presentation box. and the genesis of the feel of the work.” |
| | | | | | | | Kate Henderson is "guest artist" for a solo show at the Branford Art Center (1229 Main St, Branford), opening with a reception Sat. March 16, 1-4pm, and running through April 21. This show focuses on Kate's “Gestural Journeys” series, depicting a sense of place and the energy around us, bordering between abstraction and the natural world: "Using a combination of gestural and contour line, I translate elements of the natural world into a place of imagined passages". Kate will also teach a pastel workshop during the exhibit. At right, The Forest Beckons (pastel on paper, 45x28; click for whole image) |
| | Sooo-z Mastropietro is one of the artists in the next Artist Collective of Westport's Pop-Up on March 20 in the Barn of the Westport Country Playhouse. One of the pieces she will be showing is Beneath the Fray (2019, fabric tubes on acrylic on canvas, 73x48, diptych). Sooo-z says she will also have I will also have fresh printed socks, available for purchase on the spot |
| | Jill Nichols has sold a full-scale print of her painting Phi to the Vatican Observatory Museum. Named after the Greek symbol PHI for unity, the painting, based on the Carina Nebula, is 3 x 8 feet, on copper with hand-made oil paints formulated with mica, copper and other earthbound stardust. Speaking of Italy, Jill is guiding a 7-day painting workshop and retreat at a private villa in the Renaissance village of Farnese, July 12-19, 2019. "Paint among olive groves, capturing sweeping views of the sea and hills of Tuscany." |
| | | | Chris Perry won 2nd Place in Sculpture at the Rowayton Arts Center's Photography, Sculpture and Fiber Art exhibition, juried by Michael Shapiro, for his piece 185 Ripples: glass of water (2019, altered books 10x15x12, at right; see another view). This work was made with copies of Merck Drug Catalogs from three different years, the most recent being the biggest. Comments Chris: "Picture the manuals dropping into the glass of water, a picture of which is inset into the back of the piece, one needs to choke down all those pills. This is the first piece that I have referenced the subject matter of an old book I have repurposed." |
| | Dorothy Robertshaw is having a moment: 18 years ago, as an interior designer, she was the first "Business of the Month" at Westport's Webster Bank. (244 Post Rd East). Now, as she is entering "semi-retirement" with her business, she is back at Webster Bank as an artist with a solo show, showing her work through April 26. |
| | | | CALENDAR
Thur. March 14: Fiber Now, Rye Arts Center. Opening reception 5-7pm (Carol Nimpomnich Dixon, Lori Glavin and Karen Kalkstein)
Fri. March 15: Greenwich Art Society, 102 Annual Juried Members Exhibition at Greenwich Arts Council. Opening reception, 6:30-8pm (Dawn Dahl, Carol Nipomnich Dixon, Heide Follin, Scott Glaser, Ellen Gordon, Joyce Grasso, Mike Harris, Susan Leggitt, Ann Mcrae, Lina Morielli, Melissa Orme, Jay Petrow, and Julliette Tehrani)
Sat. March 16: Kate Henderson, Solo Show at Branford Art Center. Opening reception 1-4pm. Wed. March 20: Artists Collective of Westport, Pop-Up Show, The Barn, Westport Country Playhouse. Opening reception, 6-8pm. (Sue Benton, Amy Bock, Trace Burroughs, Eric Chiang, Kat Evans, Scott Glaser, Mary Ellen Hendricks, Jana Ireijo, Amy Kaplan, Sooo-z Mastropietro, Susan Newbold and Norm Siegel)
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| | | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofit membership organization. We are grateful to our members and our donors whose support enables us to do our work. Donations are always very welcome and may be made here. In particular, we are grateful for support from: |
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