Assembling Art: Wednesday Junior Art Class

As most of you know, I lead a Wednesday Junior Art Class. I say lead because I don't know how much actual teaching I do. Mostly I try to mentor and guide them into doing what they want to do anyway, rather than imposing what I want to do. I try to give them the skills and confidence to achieve what they need to do.

Robbie Sets things up

To this end, I have been looking into having other artists give demonstrations in their own art, and how they approach the creative process. How they work, what they work with, what are their goals, that sort of thing. To this end, I bludgeoned, ah, asked by friend and fellow Renaissance Art Gallery artist, Robbie Poore to give the class an insight into his unique approach to art.



Robbie is an assemblage artist at The Renaissance Art Gallery. This means that he creates works of art out of things that everyone else would through out. His demonstration was simple. You take a surface, in this case canvas; you use glue and start building. Robbie seldom has the complete design in mind when he starts. Oh he has an idea, even a goal, but he follows obediently to where the art leads him. It is not unusual for him to change directions in mid-stream. He gets inspiration from the objects themselves and the music he listens to.

Working on Art

So he presented the idea of found art, and assemblage. He brought in 12x12 canvases, glue and bags of different items including bottle caps, old CD’s (shattered) broken records (literally) cut up gift cards, string, lugs, eye hooks, crushed shells, and tubes of kitty litter (unused, thankfully!) All kinds of things! Others brought in miscellaneous items also.

Creative use of materials

Several items proved to be rather popular and flexible items, such as the kitty litter. Now, I did think some of those nice decorative polished stones you get in floral craft shops would be good, but kitty litter? It works. As well as the wooden keys you often get when you buy stretched canvas, but seldom use? It was very well received, both as a tool for spreading glue and for parts of the artwork. Things with a lot of texture worked really well, but unusual things also were used. All of them mixed and matched things with abandon, but with their own unique aesthetic eye.



We do have paint for the kids, both tempura and craft acrylics, but they actually preferred working with the natural colors of the items. Quite a few used random puzzle pieces, sometimes the print side, and sometimes the backs. They were really innovative in how they used these items, working with texture and design. Things I would not have thought would make good art found their way into some rather nice pieces. The work they did give me a fresh look at art. It also gave them a different point of view on just what art is. We had done standard collage and torn paper projects but this was totally different for them and me.

Watching each piece develop was exciting

The success of today makes me realize just how important it is to expose these young artists to other points of views, to other ways of approaching art. In the coming months I will be having other artists and other media in the Junior Art Class at The Renaissance Art Gallery. I do enjoy working with them and giving them my point of view on art. Teaching them to look at the work as an artist does. But what I can give them is simply one point of view, and that is in itself limiting. I am not looking to turn out clones of me but help them access their own unique artistic gifts. Being exposed to other artists, with different aesthetics will help them focus on their own views without stifling them. And by having each gallery member visit, they will be exposed to multiple mediums.

~Susan Tschantz

Renaissance Artist

Butterflies are free!

Here's looking at you, Kid

Lots of different materials
gave many options

Robbie Poore and Fixing up the Gallery

Another week has gone by. March is quickly coming to an end. I came into the gallery and finished up addressing and labeling the reception postcards invitations for the May Fine Arts show. Now all I need are stamps and they can go out the first 2 weeks of April.

We are all working on Robbie Poore’s reception April 3. Robbie has done quite a bit of work on his show. I know that these are all new pieces. Robbie has made sure no one has seen these before, so I think it will make the show rather special.

I am hoping for a large turn out for the reception. This will be Robbie Poore’s first show with The Renaissance Art Gallery. There has been a lot of interest in his work shown since he joined the gallery last fall. I know the 3 pieces he entered in the Miniature show in November caused quite a stir! I can’t wait until the entire room is made over in his bits and pieces.

New Walls

Ron Haeberle is working on the new display wall in the main gallery. It is really going to be something, and will improve the look and flow of the gallery. We have some major changes to The Renaissance Art Gallery. It is going to make such a difference in what we can display. While we all love being in a historic building, having historic wiring is not nearly as much fun! Just having the new circuits has already made a difference. With the new display wall and proper display lighting, the main gallery will be much more inviting.

Spring at The Renaissance Art Gallery

Bud
S. Tschantz

I Saw A Bud



Pulling into The Renaissance Art Gallery parking lot last Wednesday, I saw a small green bud. The radio was casting out the news of coming bad weather-a return to winter come the weekend,

But I saw a bud

And it was encouraging.

Returned Mail



Waiting by the computer were 3 envelopes containing the prospectus for the Spring Fine Arts Show, “Parks & Recreation”. All were local and all were “return to sender”, “undeliverable as addressed” “unable to forward”. There was a couple more in the mailbox. Like I said, all were local. Of the 10 that came back 9 were members of Tri-State Art Association. So someone is not keeping up their contact information!



If you do not receive your prospectus for the Spring Fine Arts Show by the end of the week, check to make sure we have your current address. All our addresses were taken from the last two open entry show’s entry forms. Another reason to make sure when you use these forms that they are legible. If you did not receive a form, please write to us and update your contact information.



You can get a prospectus by coming into the gallery, or you can request one by e-mail. Renaissance Art Gallery e-mail is gallerywv@yahoo.com.



Anyone interested, is 18 years old or older and lives in North America can also request a prospectus from us, or download one off The Renaissance Art Gallery website.



R. Poore



Assemblages





Robbie Poore has his artwork ready for his April show, but is sweating over the dreaded Artist’s Statement. How many of you have actually written such a document? One of the harder pieces of prose to write! How to you talk about something that is essentially instinctual? An artist’s statement is only second to the Artist’s Biography is giving us poor visual people the hives! If writing the artist statement is soul-bear in its intensity, the artist’s Biography can be down right embarrassing. There is just something about talking about yourself in the third person that seems utterly ridiculous. There is always the question of what to include, what to leave out not to mention, does anyone ever really read those things?

Winter Is Not A Slow Time for Art for the Artists of the Renaissance.

   

           It has been a busy winter for gallery artist Ron Haeberle. In December he submitted two pieces for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History "Inspired - Historic West Virginia Buildings and Structures". Returning from a Christmas vacation he learned both had been accepted. These were delivered at the last moment. The opening was more elaborate than for the previous show. While it was a great honor, both were purchased for the WV collection on opening night. This is exciting and satisfying, it is also a bit sad. One was the painting of the Johnson Memorial Church, which was featured, in the Gallery's Blog. We have to say sadly; because the painting was so fresh it had not been show in Huntington at all. We never got the chance to hang it in the Renaissance Gallery! Luckily Ron has prints!

The Renaissance Building
R. Haeberle

          Coincidentally, Tamarack has scheduled an architecturally based show for this winter as well. This is a members show and He have selected four pieces which I will deliver this week. These include a very early work depicting the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans based on a photo by his son and three from the Huntington series. One of these is hot off the easel - the old Huntington High building - now the Renaissance Center, home to our own Renaissance Art Gallery.


           Finally, Ron delivered 30 or so works to the French Art Colony in Gallipolis Ohio recently. He was invited to put together this solo show late last year and it is a real honor to participate in this gallery's annual schedule. Ron now realizes he has almost nothing left that he would willingly show. His walls at home are bare - embarrassingly bare. He now feels the need to get to work!


The schedule for Ron's shows are:

WV Dept. of Culture and History - WV Culture Center - Charleston: Current until midsummer in the Commissioners Gallery/

Tamarack - Architectonic - Tamarack Gallery -Beckley WV: Opening Feb 13. Running til April 9, 2011.
French Art Colony - Gallipolis Ohio: Opening Feb 4. Running til Feb 27, 2011


He will have a solo show at the Renaissance Gallery in June 2011.

*~*



Round & About
Fern Christian

          Ohio University Southern in Proctorville, OH will host Fern Christian in a solo show at opening Feb 10, 2011. So Fern has been working in her James River Studio getting ready for this show in addition to teaching her own painting classes at the Renaissance two days a week.

*~*

          Bruce and Lillianne Bowersock have been invited by Ashley Home Furniture Store in Barboursville to hang an exhibition in the front glassed-in area of their store. Ashley Home Furniture will have an opening artist's reception on Sunday, March 7 from 5-8 pm at the store. Bruce and Lillianne’s work will hang for two weeks there. The manager felt that if people had access to original art right at the time they are buying furniture, it would make sense and be a big asset to them. Everyone is invited.


          Lillianne was invited to show her “Cats in the Window” series at the Red Caboose located in the new Huntington Visitor's Center where Heritage Station is. She will have two sizes of prints and her note cards available for sale there. There is a Grand Opening on Thursday, March 3 from 4-7 p.m. Everyone is invited to meet the artists. It will be a great place with an old-fashioned bakery right outside the door of the Red Caboose! Stop by on the 3rd!

*~*

          Robbie Poore is gearing up for this one-man show in April 20111 at the Renaissance Art Gallery.. This will be our first show with the newly remodeled gallery. Already this is drawing some excitement.

*~*

          Drawing has occupied Susan Tschantz most of this winter, both teaching her drawing classes and doing a series of drawings. Giving in to the weather, she has been doing a series of winter snow scenes, in graphite, charcoal and more. You can see her progress in her Starrpoint blog.


          She has also been working on doing effective drawings with simple shapes.

Long Shadows
S. Tschantz

*~*

          And all of the Artists of the Renaissance are preparing for the Spring Fine Arts Exhibition, “Parks & Recreation” May 2011.

Robbie Poore - Artist

The Renaissance Art Gallery is proud to welcome Robbie Poore, Collage artist into the membership of the gallery.

Robbie is an innovative “Green” artist who specializes in 3 dimensional collages. His work is colorful with just the right touch of whimsy. Each piece delights the eyes and begs the viewer to touch!

When asked about his work Robbie said:

“Loose buttons, CD's and broken eye glassesAll glued together to sell to the massesMy old computer, can tabs, and stretched springsThese are a few of my favorite things!”

Robbie’s work is fun and full of action and life. Come in and enjoy this local boy’s work.

The Renaissance Art Gallery
900 8th Street, Suite #20
Huntington, WV 25701

Gallery (304) 525-3235
Appointments: (304) 453-3187
gallerywv@yahoo.com
www.orgsites.com/wv/renaissance

http://twitter.com/wvgallery
http://renaissancegalleryart.blogspot.com/

Gallery hours are:

Friday & Saturday 12-4 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm
Studio hours Monday 10-Noon, Wednesday 1:00-7:30 pm and Saturday 10-Noon