"Close Connections" Opening SOON!

Monroe County Arts Alliance has a very impressive art show coming up!  Thirty-five local and regional artists with over 100 artworks vie for $700 in cash prizes plus honorary ribbons in a display that showcases the area’s best.  “Close Connections” set out to encourage artists who had a connection with Monroe County to participate.  All counties that touch our borders are included, as well as artists who are connected by family, work or organizations.

As coordinator for the show, I am excited about the response from the art community. We put out the call for artists and they responded!  We hope the community will come out to support these artists and the devoted efforts of so many MCAA volunteers that desire to keep the fine arts alive. 

The opening reception is Thursday, Sept 1, 5-7 PM at the gallery at 54 N.Jackson St.

Judge, Karen Strelecki, will speak at the awards/reception evening at 6:00 PM, explaining what she looks for in a show piece and how she has come to her decisions regarding the winning entries. Not all judges are willing to give this critique and it is valuable information for artists entering the show arena as well as the general viewing public, who sometimes wonder why a particular piece has won an award.

“Close Connections” will hang from Sept 1 to Oct 21 and will be viewable during regular gallery hours of 11-4 Weds –Fri.  Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours will get to see the show, as MCAA hosts their September meeting.  The gallery will also be open during Monroe County’s annual ‘Taste of Monroe’ for the community’s viewing pleasure. 
Awards
$300 Best of Show
$100 First Place 2-D
$100 First Place 3-D
$100 First Place Mixed-media
$100 First Place Photography
Peoples Choice Ribbon - Please come vote before 6PM at the reception!
Honorable Mention ribbons at the judge's discretion.

Participating artists (over 100 artworks!):

Debbie Anderson - http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/debbie-anderson.html
Betty Arnold
Sharon Bailey
Nancy Barnes - www.metallikos.com
Dr. Steve Barnes
Sue Bond
Ashlin Breland - breland_ashlin@hotmail.com
Donna Brown - http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-donna-brown.html
Pat DeVane Burns - patburnsart.com
Hazel Caldwell - hazelcaldwell.com
Markey Duensing
Pat Freeman
Doug Fromm
Cheryl Hildebrand
John R.L.Isaacs XV
Cynthia Jenkins
Gloria Joy
Mary Leslie - http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/mary-leslie.html
Gypsy McKinna
Coni Merritt - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Merritt-Pottery
Peter Nishanian - joycines@gmail.com
Mary Parks - http://www.artfromtheheartbymary.blogspot.com/
Bambi Rogers- http://facebook.com/bambi.rogers
Bill Rogers -http://www.jacksonprogress/-argus.com/news/2011/jun/21/popular-panes-stained-glass-artist-83-earning/
Gloria Smith
Joy A. Smith - http://www.paintingsbyjoy.com/
Linda Sosebee
Alan Stecker
Eleanor Stecker
Martha Thompson - Martha Adams Thompson on Facebook
Martha Tisdale - http://www.marthahtisdale.com/
Sam Traina - myspace.com/samtraina
MJ Venrick - http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/m-j-venrick.html
Paula Williams
Julie Yamamoto - http://www.windwalkerdreams.com/ 

I invite you to visit our event page on Facebook.

MCAA is appreciative of local sponsors Jonah’s, Prime Palate and Grits, who all helped with printing promotional material for the show.  Enjoy their delicious eats and please tell them "thank you!"

Most of the artwork will be for sale, although ‘not for sale’ pieces are also entered for competition.

Dog Days of Summer reception

There was so much to share about this fun show that I created an entire static page for it on the blog.  Just click here or on the right hand sidebar on "Dog Days of Summer".  Enjoy....I know I sure did!

Dog Days of Summer

Macon Arts invited me and five other local and regional artists to present some new artwork for their August show "Dog Days of Summer".  Never could summer weather be more appropriate than this year!  Wow, it's been HOT here.  I will be entering eight new works, which I will wait to blog until after the opening reception August 5th 5-8 PM. AC Pup, mascot for the Macon-Bibb County Animal Shelter, will be making a personal appearance.  I do hope you will join us that evening.  I'm really excited to see what the other artists have done for man's best friend! 

'Circle of Life' honors

"Georgia Red" tied for third place honors in Arts Clayton's 'Circle of Life' show in Jonesboro.  Check out their Facebook page for all the pictures.

"Circle of Life"

Arts Clayton in Jonesboro, GA is having a reception for it's "Circle of Life" show this Friday evening, Nov.5th, 5:30-7:30.   My offerings for this theme include "Georgia Red", a 30"x40" depiction of a family of foxes; "Day One", an 11"x14" foal on the day of her birth; "Sabbath Morning", a 24"x24" painting of a bromeliad and stick figure in the window that symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.  I hope you can join us for the festivities in their lovely gallery or catch the show before it comes down on Dec.18th.
In conjunction will be another show called "Vessels", which I think is an appropriate pairing to the 2-D show.

The Magnificent Small Works Show

This month is fast getting away from me... I should have posted this way sooner!  As soon as September comes, it always seems a mad dash to Christmas.  Tonight will be a fabulous reception as only Art on the Avenue can pull off!  I do hope that you can join us for some wine and munchies while we enjoy great little gift-size art and great big fun-size fellowship.

"Elephant Walk" wins Second Place

I attended Arts Clayton's "Into the Wild" show reception in Jonesboro, Georgia last night.  What a variety of media!  I will post pictures of the event and the other winners as soon as Arts Clayton has them available.

Meanwhile, I have completed three new paintings for my show in Darien for the McIntosh Art Association, but I can't show them to you until after the reception on June 25th.

Back to the easel!

"Into the Wild"

I am very happy to announce that I have been juried in as an exhibiting artist at Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro, Georgia! 

The first group show I'll be participating in is "Into the Wild", in which exhibiting artists offer their different viewpoints on wildlife, wilderness and wildness in all mediums.  A grouping of my 'Spirits in Stone' will be shown as well as a painting or two.  The response for this theme was so great that the gallery could not hang all that was submitted.  I can't wait to see it!  Arts Clayton has a beautiful gallery space and I invite you to attend the reception Thursday, June 3rd, 5:30-7:30, when you can vote for the Patrons' Award.  The show will hang from June 1 through July 30 and all artwork is for sale.

"All American" is a winner!

I just got the good news that "All American" won Second Place in the Georgia in Bloom Art Fest in Madison, Georgia last night.  I had made plans to attend the reception with my son, but after watching the weather forecast and seeing those red and yellow blotches coming across the radar, my husband said that he'd rather we were not on the road...it's a one-hour trip one way from my house.  I have never heard thunder quite like last night's.  It sounded like multiple cannons going off with deep rumblings over long stretches of time.  I'm glad our house was not in the direct path.

I am praying that the weather is good for my reception Tuesday night at Art on the Avenue!  I only have one painting left on the easel drying.  There's a floor easel waiting to receive it at the gallery.  Are you like me and always have one important piece just making under the wire for a show?