VOL 04 ISSUE
18 
September 21, 2005
BACK ISSUES | ° | ¤ | CURRENT ISSUE
VOL 04 ISSUE
18 BACK ISSUES | ° | ¤ | CURRENT ISSUE |
| VALLEY INVITATIONAL:MAT-SU COLLEGE FACULTY AND GUESTS | ||||
 VALLEY FRIDAY INVITATIONAL 2005 is
an annual occasion to view some of the work of the arts faculty at the Matanuska-Susitna
College of the University of Alaska Anchorage and artists in the communities of Palmer and
Wasilla. Contributors Teresa Boston, Rosemarie Langworthy and Lemar Bennett converse in
the foreground of the photo of the gallery shown at right. The college is two
miles out Trunk Road, now the first exit north of the Parks Glen Highways Interchange, and
the group exhibition was open one Friday evening and a few other days by appointment and
this event was well attended by artists and enthusiasts. The gallery space is
walled off from a larger room and illumination is provided by flourescent lights. The
walls are covered with paintings and there are cabinets of handmade items and stained
glass. |
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ON BOARD:CROXTON FEATURED
In an adjoining room, folding tables covered with reproductions were backed up by
the originators in a marvelous instance of vertical marketing. The featured artist, Mary
Croxton, a detail of whose original watercolor On Board is shown at left,
was a friendly example. She cheerfully shared information about her techniques,
which combine wet-on-wet with dry brush to achieve fully saturated hues. A large
part of the appeal of her works lies in her drawing, where she is able to animate her
subjects. She spoke fondly of her teaching experiences with UAA and the Sitka Fine
Arts Institute as teaching by example. Her subject matter and approach to what sells
are other things students would do well to observe carefully. The group of 20 artists were also included in a modest and important catalog, giving titles and prices and including biographical information. Many include an affiliation with the recently developing Valley Fine Arts Association among their bona fides. This group meets twice monthly for three hour sessions at Mat-Su College. Fred Machetanz, whose name is on the building and whose painting Cradle of the Storm stands example in the lobby, can rest easy in his grave. . |
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TIMES A-WASTING:SUZANNE BACH The Mat-Su College prepares students in the Liberal Arts curriculum to finish their degrees at the larger universities in state and the arts courses are presented as a part of that preparation and to satisfy an increasing amount of community interest as the Valley region fills in the sprawl. Fine Arts Coordinator Suzanne Bach is founder and orchestrator of the Friday Invitational, and her involvement and energy are exemplified in her Times A-Wasting, shown at left. The strong diagonals of her representation of the lawn tools take on a graphic rhythm that borders on abstraction. Bach is an active member of the VFFA and a past Director of the Alaska Fine Arts Academy in Eagle River, Past President of both the Alaska Artists Guild and the Alaska Watercolor Society, so when there is organizing to be done, she knows what to do. For the invitational, this even included live music provided by Tucker Horn and Naomi & Joel Stamoolis. | |||
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MATANUSKA GOLD:LAMB ORIGINAL Among the 20 artists invited, several are familiar to visitors to the State Fair and to various arts and crafts festivals around the state. One independent oil painter, Shane Lamb of Palmer, Alaska, shows a collection of reproductions of his Alaskan landscapes in affordable prices at such venues, and usually reserves originals as exhibit pieces. For this show, he offered the original Matanuska Gold, shown at left, for discriminating collectors. The Dean of the College seemed to be hovering in the corridor outside the gallery, waiting for a proper chance to score on this one, which he judged to be a 'size I could afford'. The Gold in the painting may refer to the reflection of sunrise on the broad waters of the river. Lamb uses a fine touch and a larger scale to insure that his reproductions at smaller sizes are packed with detail. His keen eye for the visual momento adds to the prosperity of his self-publishing business model. Technology has made it possible for many artists to go this route, and Lamb uses a printer in Anchorage to create his 'limited' editions, some of which he describes as sold-out. These terms are quaintly misleading because the traditional uses are obsoleted by digital technology, and they are actually open editions of reproductions, and not hand-pulled artists prints. They are priced accordingly, and make it possible for those who admire an artist's originals to afford a copy of the image without costing the artists their dignity and dues. | |||
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STUDIO:GUNTHER BACH AT WORK An artist who is given the freedom to convert their living room into a studio has an understanding spouse. Local painter and sculptor Gunther Bach's wife Barbara will accompany him in support as he participates in the fifth edition of the International Biennial for Contemporary Art in Florence Italy December 3-11th of this year. Bach, who rarely shares his work with the world (or even locals) has been involved since the days of the Visual Art Center in the mid seventies and has a collection of his works on display in his home, where ArtSceneAK was graciously invited this month. In the photo of his studio at left, two large works carved in low relief in basswood can be seen surrounding the fireplace. The wood is carved and lightly stained for effect, and subject matter is strong in all of the work. The carving of Eve at the right in the photo, pictures her holding the apple next to her naked breast, making the connection wryly. The Puckish approach is common to Bach's easel pieces as well. | |||
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BIG BANG:MILLER'S
REACH Not averse to making comments on the socialogical scene
around him (including a bit of 'Bush bashing' by his own estimation), Bach has selected
his recent painting Big Bang, shown at left, as one of the pieces to
represent him at the Florence Biennale and in their prestigious catalog. The
painting shows a fireworks vendor out in the woods with the fire approaching fast. A
cherry bomb on a stick gives the vendor's face a clown nose, and other details allude to
the infamous Miller's Reach fire in the Susitna Valley a few summers ago. Other political
paintings include Alaskan subjects such as the Valdez oil spill, former Anchorage Mayor
Tom Fink, and Bears on Bike Paths, none shown. An example of both full
round carving and low relief are included in the picture, each with a droll feature such
as the oversized praying hands of the standing monk and the Fisher of Men's net full with
the hook jawed snout of Alaskan salmon. The nominating committee and the international jurors of the Florence Biennale have shown an openness in response to the world-wide trend among artists to return to meaning associated with figurative and narrative themes. Gunther Bach and his unique pieces have the opportunity to tell the world a little more about the art and culture of Alaska and will do so with grace and good humor. |
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GIRDWOOD CVA:NEXT TO BAKE SHOP A solid business plan includes location, and when their longtime lease of the little house in the old town center got shaky, the Girdwood Center for the Visual Arts moved overnight into a commercial space in the Alyeska lodge, right next to the Bake Shop, anchor eatery for the ski resort's customers. Their cinnamon rolls have provided the calories to weather many a cold winter day, and most businesses would be happy to be neighbors under these important conditions. The transition for the GCVA, now in its 23rd year as a nonprofit membership organization, allows for a new level of commercial opportunity. The photo at left shows the side walls of a portion of the deep, narrow space, with the front given over to temporary exhibits. Shows from Cindy Shake, Jules Wolfe, Z Denise Gallup, and John Metzler will carry the gallery into 2006. During September, the oil on panel landscapes of Joshua Demain have been featured. | |||
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MAN BUILDING:DEMAIN URBANE After graduating from Chugiak in 1997, Demain received his BFA from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota Florida and is an MFA candidate at Montclair State University. In the painting Man Building, shown at left, urban skylines crop a patch of well developed sky. Sky and atmosphere are in plentiful proportion to earth hued details of varying complexity. Demain clearly enjoys developing his representational skills while allowing himself ample canvas to work expressively. The New York landscapes have more than a hint of lensism, giving the impression of having been projected onto the canvas from a photograph. Demain has had the courage to include the human figure in Man Building and in a few less successful portraits. In his statement, he speaks of an airier motivation: "hopefully they offer a breath of calm to anyone who is burdened by their claustrophobilc lifestyles..." .A breath of fresh air with his urbane context when he turns his attention to Alaskan landscapes, encountering work like Demain's at the gallery on the hill is sure to impress both locals and an international audience this season. | |||
- ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES- 9/28/05 deadline MAYOR'S DIVERSITY AWARD DINNER ART AUCTION October 1st seeks contributions from local artists to raise money for unknown purposes without any benefit to those artists beyond good will. Contact Vonnie Gaither 350-3065 9/29/05 reception 5:30-7:30 pm ANCHORAGE MUSEUM OF HISTORY & ART Expansion campaign expansion 'kick-off' recognizing Mary Rasmuson and her generosity. RSVP 343-6175 Contact Capital Campaign Director Joy Atrops-Kimura 9/30/05 deadline ORLANDO FLORIDA DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT seeks qualifications from artists wishing to be considered for a series of figurative bronzes being commissioned. RFQ. Budget $60-100,000 each piece. Contact Cassy Turiczek 10/7/05 deadline UAA NO BIG HEADS jurored show seeks slide submissions. Size restriction 12" cube. Contact Michelle Hayworth 786-1052 10/14/05 AMHA ALL ALASKA JURORED BIENNIAL seeks submissions for the consideration of Matthew Drutt, chief curator of the Menil Collection in Houston TX. 4 slides, $20, two stage jurying process. Prospectus online. Prints to 8-1/2" x 14" legal size paper or choose [fit oversize copy to page] check box in PDF print window. Good luck.. 10/31/05 deadline FAIRBANKS ART ASSOCIATION BEAR GALLERY reviewing exhibition proposals contact 907-456-6485 10/31/05 deadline BUNNELL STREET GALLERY in Homer AK invites slides and exhibition proposals for the 2006-2007 season. Contact Asia Freeman, details online. 11/1/2005 deadline ALASKA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS program applications for artists who want to be in the registry and schools which want art education. Download applications online. 11/30/2005 deadline MOA ARTS ADVISORY COMMISSION 2006 GRANTS administered by the ARTS AND CULTURE FOUNDATION an eligible organization is one whose primary purpose is to produce arts events, projects and services within the Municipality of Anchorage. 2. The organization must be nonprofit. Guidelines and applications online. 11/15/05-1/30/06 applications accepted DENALI NATIONAL PARK ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE program offers use of cabin in park, wants a work of art and a lecture, and pays no stipend.details online. Juneau Arts and Humanities Council accepts proposals for exhibitions from artists.
NEXT: ELASTICITY SHORTCUTS: Aggravated again?! Ecstatic?! Let us know you love us or hate us. Help correct attribution errors that you suspect. Tell us about your upcoming event or artist opportunity. Let us know about your website. Form makes it easy to try your hand at pumping or dumping. |
CURIOUS CABINETS:WOOD
TURNERS The
traveling exhibit Cabinets of Curiosity from the Wood Turning Center in
downtown Philadelphia has been installed at the Anchorage Museum in a puzzlingly
industrial fashion with the antic 'furniture' fenced off on a common platform so that many
of the upper surfaces of the pieces are above eye level. Clustered in the center of
a two story gallery with excruciatingly bare walls, the various pieces shown in the photo
at right include the shattered Seed cabinet in the foreground. Visitors
hoping to explore the qualities associated with the historical cabinets of curiosities may
find the presentation and even quite a few of the pieces focused on meaninglessly
decorative 'collections' rather than genuinely inventive cabinetry. The piece
called Seven Wonders (not shown) by Kurt Nielsen and Dan Essig offers intricacy
and mystery elements similar to those in a Japanese puzzle box. The full depth of Essig's
artist book contributions are inaccessible, and the turtle base is paralleled by a turtlet
emerging from an egg inside an opening globe at the top. The quirky nature of many
of these pieces are most rewarding to individual collectors who can experience the
details, and the presentation here as a group display draws an unfortunate cloak over the
most interesting aspects of the work. .Turn around the center of your wood in the BACK ISSUE Index.
Thank You and Welcome to a new subscriber from Eagle River, who wrote: "What is that password airplane salmon boy? Yours was by far the most exciting auction last night!" ArtSceneAK publisher Donald R Ricker's Float Fish raised $6,500 from each of two bidders in an auctioneerial slightof-hand maneuver in an evening when nearly $80,000 was raised through live and silent auction and banquet ticket sales. Ricker's bidders were second in their generosity only to those who bid $8,100 for the salmon/fountain A River Runs Through Itt, by the team of Deborah Schildt and Larry Myers. Virginia Amstrup's Reeled in Riveted went to a lucky bidder with $4,300. The enormous success of the Wild Salmon on Parade public art event is due to the energetic and talented artists and also to to the initiative and dedication of the organizers and to people's genuine enthusiasm for the work, often accompanied by the testimonial 'My kids loved it!". Congratulations to all of the contributing artists, several of whom extended extraordinary efforts to rebuild their work after it was vandalized in Town Square. The individual accused of destroying the works was absolved by an alibi at his hearing. De Nada to my big brother, who wrote: "your "fish" must be some expensive fishing up in AK!! Congratulations for making all that money for charity...... do you get to write it off??". Gotta have something to write something off. Victoria Lord of the Rasmuson Foundation sends word that decisions on grants and fellowships from the September 1st cycle will be announced in November. Note to self: timing is everything. .From NYC: "Hi Donald. As soon as we receive your Membership dues, we will send you a formal welcome note. Cheers, the Art & Science Collaborators, Inc. team." Athena Tacha is a member, but she didn't have time to consider the recent MOA 1 % for Art RFQ for a multi-media installation at East High."Unfortunately,$100,000. is too little these days for an artist from far away to do a major work in Anchorage." So there! Municipal Curator of Public Art Jocelyn Young seemed to agree in another context, saying that she considered the amount sufficient only for a temporary piece. ARTIST MATH: Since the Phase 3 Renovations contract has a $7.95 million dollar budget, presumably there could be over 70 such pieces commissioned, doncha know. The Denali Arts Council is planning to party and fundraise October 1st this year at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in beautiful Talkeetna. Contact Lacy Ruskin to learn more. From Europe, W Saddy offers this opportunity: "The first Painting from our Chess Series is completed. If you are interested to do also a Art Work to the theme Chess please let us know." Shirley Renet of ArtPrice in St-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or, France writes: "I am pleased to inform you that your application to the Artprice affiliation program has been accepted for your new website. " ArtPrice (cf form below) is the world leader in art auction database information, and a professional tool ArtSceneAK is proud to be connected with and share with readers. cf also ART IN ALASKA
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text & photos © 2005 Donald R Ricker; artist's works pictured ©2005 to artists credited.
ArtSceneAK is published by Donald R Ricker and sponsored by
BETTER LETTERS, PO Box 103554, Anchorage AK 99510-3554
, a partial listing of links to Museums,
Galleries, and individual Artists around the state.
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