Summer exhibition puts plein air art out in the open - Appleton Post Crescent

The act of painting in the open air allows the great outdoors to become the artist's studio. And when that happens, anyone can stop by to watch.

Plein air artists naturally can find ways to interact with observers and, through those meetings, help promote art education in the community, said painter Terry Stanley, art school director at the Richeson School of Art & Gallery in Kimberly.

"People are not afraid to approach you when you're painting, which is really interesting," Stanley said. "I was (painting) this lovely Victorian house across from City Park in Appleton ? and a gentleman came and said he grew up in the house ? and he pointed out his bedroom window and said he used to have red-and-white-striped curtains. It didn't have that anymore, but I painted them in, and he ended up buying the painting that night. Had he not happened by the park that day and talked to me, he probably never would have known the painting existed. It was enjoyable for me, too, knowing the painting has a good home, that somebody appreciated it."

Richeson and the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in Neenah are collaborating on a summer exhibition and event to make plein air art, and art in general, more accessible to Wisconsin residents.

The "Wisconsin Plein Air Exhibition," on display through Sept. 18 at the museum, showcases 55 paintings by 28 artists from around the state.

Later in the exhibit's run, anyone who would like to participate is invited to attend the Fox Valley Plein Air Paint Out Event, which takes place Aug. 4-6. On each day the focus will be on painting outdoors in a different northeastern Wisconsin location. Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet counties are on the list of painting spots, as are the cities of Appleton, Neenah and Menasha. Maps of suggested sites will be available.

The event kicks off with an evening reception and painting preview for artists and collectors Aug. 4 at Richeson, 557 Marcella St., Kimberly. It concludes with a show, awards ceremony and sale of event artwork at Bergstrom-Mahler from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6.

Museum executive director and artist Jan Smith said painting en plein air ? French for "in the open air" ? is a sensory experience that envelops the painter.

"You're involved in the landscape. You're truly involved in the moment," Smith said. "You're dealing with the changing light conditions, the atmospheric conditions, the sounds, the smells and other aspects that come into play. The conditions can be challenging or they can be quite pleasant. Working out in the open air, the changing light conditions or the changing weather conditions change the effects you're going to end up with in your work."

Two artists could set up their easels at the same spot at the same time and yet likely would create two very different paintings, she said.

Exhibiting artists Alecia Schmitz and Julie Jilek, both of Appleton, plan to participate in the Paint Out Event.

"You learn to be very resourceful," said Schmitz, 51, who is scoping out places to paint in August. "I was painting a boat on the marina one time and people got in the boat and sailed away. You learn to get your composition down and paint quickly and make every brush stroke count."

Jilek, 29, said she's focusing on plein air painting. The full-time artist started a project to paint in every state park and forest in Wisconsin. She's completed about a dozen of 57 planned paintings, and one goal of hers is to create a tracking website so people can follow her efforts. "It brings awareness to people that there are artists out there doing this."

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Cambridge artist wins restored Morgan Prize - Boston Globe

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The Museum of Fine Arts has reinstated its award for local women artists and increased the cash amount that goes with it as preparations continue for the opening of the museum’s new wing for contemporary art.

This year’s Maud Morgan Prize goes to Cambridge artist Wendy Jacob, whose work will be shown in the Linde Family Wing when it opens in September. Jacob, 53, an artist who creates sculptures and site-based installations, will also receive $10,000.

“I grew up in this area, and when I was young, from first grade on, I took Saturday art classes at the Museum of Fine Arts,’’ said Jacob, a native of Rochester, N.Y., who moved to Brookline when she was 1 year old. “So getting this award is particularly special to me.’’

The award will likely silence critics who had spoken out after the MFA failed to award the Maud Morgan Prize since 2006. Named after Morgan, a local artist who died in 1999, the prize was first given out in 1993. After being criticized last winter by many in the local arts community, including past winners, the MFA said it planned to relaunch the prize but needed to solidify funding for it. In awarding Jacob, the MFA announced that the prize total had increased, from $5,000.

“That’s fantastic,’’ said Laura Chasman, a painter from Roslindale and 2001 Maud Morgan Prize winter who last year wrote MFA director Malcolm Rogers to complain about the suspension.

Chasman also credited Greg Cook, the artist, blogger, and freelance arts writer, who organized the campaign to restore the Morgan prize.

“They really responded quickly to our request to not forget Maud Morgan,’’ Chasman said.

The MFA, for its part, said it never planned to stop awarding the Morgan. This year, a committee made up of MFA curators considered 46 artists who had been nominated for the biennial prize. Past winners have included Ambreen Butt, Shelley Reed, Jill Weber, and Suara Welitoff.

“We’ve formalized the process, we’ve invited outside nominations, and we’ve increased the size of the prize itself,’’ said Edward Saywell, the museum’s chair of contemporary art. “We feel that we’ve done everything we can to really raise the prize’s profile as we move forward. From the very inception, we felt the artist deserved to receive a greater award. We hope that will increase as time moves on.’’

Jacob’s work has been shown around the world, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. A graduate of Williams College, she is currently a research affiliate at MIT’s school of architecture.

In making the award, the MFA highlighted Jacob’s “Squeeze Chairs,’’ which she created through a collaboration with Temple Grandin, the Boston-born, Colorado State University professor well known for her work as an autism advocate.

Jacob spent Monday morning at the MFA, with a hard hat, examining the still-under-construction Linde Wing. She hasn’t yet decided how to celebrate the fact that her work will be shown in her hometown.

“I haven’t gotten that far,’’ she said. “Right now, I’m focused on the work.’’

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Art Swindle - New York Times

A New York City man pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of wire fraud in a case in which the authorities said he persuaded an investor to buy a painting by the 19th-century French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, inflated the price and then pocketed some of the money.

The man, Thomas A. Doyle, 53, persuaded the investor, Gary Fitzgerald, to invest in the painting, saying that together they could buy it for $1.1 million, according to the United State’s attorney’s office in Manhattan. According to a complaint, Mr. Fitzgerald sent Mr. Doyle $880,000 for an 80 percent ownership stake; Mr. Doyle was to furnish the remaining $220,000.

But Mr. Doyle had actually negotiated to buy the painting, “Portrait of a Girl,” for $775,000, court records show.

Mr. Doyle deposited the investor’s money in his own bank account and told him that another investor had been found who would pay $1.7 million to buy the painting. No such investor existed, the complaint said, and an experienced art appraiser had said that the painting was likely to sell at auction for $500,000 to $700,000. “Thomas Doyle’s purchase of ‘Portrait of a Girl’ was never authentic or genuine,” Preet Bharara, the United States attorney said in a statement, “and now he will pay for his sham with prison time.”

Mr. Doyle, who has a long criminal record, including grand larceny in the third degree, faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 11.

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Lost Da Vinci art to go on show - BBC News

12 July 2011 Last updated at 09:08 GMT The painting was once owned by King Charles I A rediscovered oil painting by Leonardo Da Vinci is to go on show at the National Gallery in November.

Salvator Mundi, meaning Saviour of the World, dates to around 1500 and depicts a figure of Christ holding an orb.

The work was long known to have existed, but had been presumed to have been lost or destroyed.

The painting will be displayed as part of the gallery's Leonardo da Vinci: Painter of the Court of Milan exhibition from 9 November.

The recently authenticated work was once owned by King Charles I and recorded in his art collection in 1649 before being auctioned by the son of the Duke of Buckingham in 1763.

It next appeared in 1900, damaged from previous restoration attempts and its authorship unclear, when it was purchased by a British collector, Sir Frederick Cook.

Cook's descendants sold it at auction in 1958 for £45 and it was acquired by a US consortium of art dealers in 2005.

After undergoing extensive conservation treatment last year, it was determined to be an original Da Vinci work.

It is now estimated to be worth around £120m.

The last time a Da Vinci painting was discovered was in 1909, when the Benois Madonna came to light.

The piece is currently on display at the Hermitage in St Petersburg.

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Hawaii inspires art by Terrebonnes in Redwood City - San Jose Mercury News

Foster City artists Nancy and Robert Terrebonne are also part-time residents of Hawaii, where they are active members of the art community.

A show of their work inspired by the tropics opens Wednesday at The Main Gallery in Redwood City.

A reception with the artists will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Nancy Terrebonne is showing richly colored and textured watercolor and mixed media paintings of flowers, trees and fish.

Robert Terrebonne is a photographer. Many of his works, taken on Maui and other Hawaiian islands, were inspired by the colorful plants, including ginger flowers and taro leaves, and animals such as the gecko.

He also is featuring views of tropical sunsets.

"Aloha -- Return to Paradise" will be on view through Aug. 7. In addition to the reception, the Terrebonnes will be at the gallery July 16, 27 and 28 and Aug. 3 and 6 to talk to visitors.

The Main Gallery is at 1018 Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Call 650-701-1018 or visit www.themaingallery.org.

Cracks, drips, marks

Works by noted Bay Area artists Nancy Genn and Jim Melchert are featured in the exhibit "Mining the Cracks, Drips, and Markings," which opens with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Sanchez Art Center's Main Gallery.

Genn is a painter, printmaker, sculptor and paper maker.

The

Sanchez show is the first time that her newest body of work, "Rainbars," will be shown.

The large hanging scroll paintings are done in casein on paper and Chine-collé.

Concurrently with "Mining the Cracks, Drips, and Markings," the Sanchez presents "TheNocturnes@20," a show celebrating the 20th anniversary of the night photographers group, and "Flight," a group show by the Art Guild of Pacifica.

The Sanchez Art Center is at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica. Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Call 650-355-1894 or visit www.sanchezrtcenter.org.

Arastradero Preserve

Gallery 9 is showing landscape paintings by Carol Hake in the exhibit "Open Spaces." The show opens Tuesday and will be on view through July 30.

Hake, who lives in Los Altos, is a regular walker at the Arastradero Preserve and other local open spaces. She frequently brings an easel and paints with her to capture the scenes of rolling hills and oak trees.

The exhibit also will include some recent sketchbook trip diaries from Hake's travels to Ethiopia, Wales and Puglia, Italy.

A reception with the artist will be held from 3 to 5:30 p.m. July 10. Gallery 9 is at 143 Main St., Los Altos.

Normal hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Call 650-941-7969 or visit www.gallery9losaltos.com.

Family films

The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University is hosting two free "Family Films on the Lawn" during the summer. Families are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs and picnic meals to the south lawn of the center. The Cool Cafe also will offer boxed dinners for purchase.

On July 15 the film is the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." On July 29 the film is "Charlotte's Web." Both movies begin at 8:30 p.m.

The arts center is off Palm Drive at Museum Way. Before the films begin, you can enter the Cantor Arts Center to see the exhibition "The Art of the Book in California: Five Contemporary Presses." It will be open for viewing from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free. Call 650-723-4177 or visit http://museum.stanford.edu.

Information on visual and literary arts can be sent to Bonny Zanardi, San Mateo County Times, 477 Ninth Ave., Suite 110, San Mateo, CA 94402, faxed to 650-348-4446 or emailed to Bzanardi@aol.com.

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Softball: The Art of the Pitch - Sioux Falls Argus Leader

When it comes to winning, the term "ace in the hole" typically refers to a hidden element that ensures victory. But in girls fastpitch softball, it's not the ace in the hole you have to worry about.

It's the ace in the circle.

There are few positions in team sports as crucial - or potentially dominant - as the pitcher in fastpitch softball, which was clearly evident Saturday at the Ringneck tournament at Sherman and Harmodon parks.

Though hitters sometimes have their day, the ace in the circle is confident, even unbreakable. She is focused on the battle in the batter's box, not the runs on the board. Seemingly, she can make the ball evaporate as the hitter swings through thin air.

"A lot of times you'll run across pitchers who can really spin the ball and make it drop off," says coach Trent Daly, whose South Dakota Fusion Black 18-under team is competing in the tourney, which wraps up with bracket play today.

"Or you'll run into pitchers who can throw the gas, then the next pitch looks mechanically the same but goes much slower. We've seen a lot of different pitchers and they all throw a little bit different. Keeping up with them can be a challenge."

The ace in the circle has determination and a game plan built on deceit. For her, the battlefield isn't so much the 43 feet from the rubber to home plate as it is in the mind of the opposition.

With a clockwise rotation of her arms and a whip of the wrist, she delivers a punishing pitch that cripples the confidence of the hitter. The effect ripples through the lineup and halts any hint of momentum.

"Pitching is mostly mental," says Fusion Orange 18-under pitcher Amanda Walters, whose rhythm includes getting set at her belt before reaching high above her head, then below her knees and almost coming set again at the belt before delivering.

Adds Fusion Black pitcher Tayler Elster: "You've got to maintain your focus. If you let the count bother you, you're not going to throw strikes. If you can get your release point down and make it look like it's coming at a different angle, that gets in the batters' heads."

The mechanics of deception are equally as important for the ace in the circle.

Similar to baseball pitchers, the majority of the power comes from the legs. But the shorter pitching distance and low release point allows for more bullets in the chamber.

Aside from the usual fastballs and change-ups, the ace comes fully prepared with an arsenal full of odd-moving pitches.

"I use my hips a lot on my curveball," says Carly Nielsen, a pitcher for Sizzle Gold out of Nebraska and a Michigan State commit. "With my screwball, I have to use my legs differently than every other pitch.

"With a rise ball you have to (shift your weight back), and with a drop ball you get on top of it. I think it's harder to hit movement, personally, because with speed, even if it's flat you can adjust and start your swing sooner."

The impact of the ace in the circle is second to none.

Like a field general, she warrants the respect of her team as she fights off uncertainty with ferocious offerings.

"Teams with great pitchers always know that they're in the game," said Augustana softball coach Gretta Melsted, one of a handful of college coaches taking in Saturday's games at the Sherman complex.

"A dominant pitcher can make or break your team. They have so much impact in that circle. What you see a lot, especially in tournament time, is that pitchers put the team on their back and go. The biggest thing is the willingness of that dominant pitcher - that they always want the ball in big games."

A dominant hurler can make a mediocre team look good and a good team unstoppable. Her ability to take command of the game lessens the pressure of the defense behind her and relaxes the offense that follows her.

"A good pitcher takes care of a not-very-good defense at times," Daly says.

The effect is created, not by a feeling of arrogance, but from a resounding belief that as long as she stands tall in the center of the chalked circle, there's no one better.

"You have to go out there thinking you're the best," says the Nebraska Sizzle's Nielsen with a shrug. "You don't have to act like it - you just have to think there's nobody better than you."

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Elizabeth Kramer | Arts grads have gifts that lift our city - Louisville Courier-Journal

I remember having some reservations when I made the commitment to major in journalism in college, knowing that my earning potential wouldn't be as high as in other fields. Even as I look back on that time now, given my decision to stick with it and work as an arts reporter, I recognize that it has definitely been tested.

I don't regret either choosing journalism or my commitment to the arts, which enriched and shaped my young life and continues to do so.

So, it was no surprise to me when I recently read about a study that surveyed 13,600 graduates from 154 U.S. public and private college arts programs, conservatories and arts high schools. Their take on their own decisions about majoring in the arts echoed my own. According to the report, ?In general, arts graduates are happy with their training and have few regrets.?

But the study, ?Forks in the Road: The Many Paths of Arts Alumni,? by the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, working with Indiana University School of Education's Center for Postsecondary Research, went much further ? and shows that these people don't fit the starving-artist stereotype. It showed how an arts education leads to gainful employment and that these graduates can be a strong support system to the local arts ecology. According to the data collected in 2010, 92 percent of arts alumni who wished to work currently are doing so, and more than 80 percent of them found employment soon after graduating.

These graduates also reported that what they learned in school has helped them in their current jobs, whether as art directors at advertising firms or in such positions as managers, lawyers and health care professionals, among others. Nearly 55 percent reported that their training in the arts is pertinent to their primary job.

The drawback was job security: Only one-third indicated that they were satisfied with that part of their employment.

In past columns, I've written about creativity being crucial to the competitiveness of our local economy. To an extent, this study bears out the ways arts graduates take entrepreneurial actions that contribute to that economy. In the study, nearly 15 percent reported having started their own company or organization and supported arts groups. These arts majors are 18 times more likely to volunteer for such organizations (37 percent) than the population at large (2 percent).

What does this information mean for this community? It gives us a reason to look more closely at what arts alumni are doing here today and how that contributes to Louisville's ability to attract new businesses ? especially those more rooted in the technology-based economy with jobs that pay better, but also require employees with more education and sharp critical thinking skills.

It also gives us a reason to look at the arts education being offered in the region now, and at what these institutions can do to turn out skilled and enterprising arts majors.

These days, the numbers of students earning visual and performing arts degrees are up. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of bachelor's degrees conferred rose nearly 23 percent between the 2002-03 and 2007-08 academic years, and the number of master's degrees rose by 21 percent.

There are a few plans in play that could bolster the local numbers of graduates. For more than five years, the University of Louisville has been working to establish a master of fine arts program, which has been slated to go into Museum Plaza. Given that the latter project is on hold, there has been no official word of when that program will start. But local artists are getting impatient, knowing that the presence of such a program could attract internationally reputable artists to teach here, show their work here and help raise the bar on the quality of work shown around town.

Also, the Kentucky School of Art, which makes its home at Spalding University, has finished its first year there and is looking to grow. In both instances, these programs have the potential to attract more creative types here.

They and arts programs up and running at other colleges and universities ? Bellarmine University, Indiana University Southeast, you name it ? will need to do more than offer first-rate arts courses, however. They need to put serious focus on preparing their graduates for a life of enterprise, self-employment and entrepreneurship. That move would demonstrate a commitment to bolstering their students' successes.

But there will need to be more support for these creative participants to more fully contribute to the local economy after graduation. Public and private institutions will need to not only recognize them but offer some support, even if that comes simply as forums to discuss how to integrate them more fully into the economy. If that doesn't happen, then those people could decide to move to greener pastures, stripping the local economy of its creative work force of the future. And while those one-time arts majors likely might not have regrets, Louisville's leaders could.

To learn more about the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project and read the report, visit http://snaap.indiana.edu.

Reporter Elizabeth Kramer can be reached at (502) 582-4682.

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The young at art - Cincinnati.com

Some are enigmatic, some have a streak of whimsy, some star the artist. They all pull the viewer in.

Weston Art Gallery's summer exhibit, titled Moving Images, fills the two floors of the Aronoff Center's gallery space with 15 short black-and-white films and videos by Alison Crocetta.

In one, Crocetta blows up a mass of transparent plastic balls. In another, the silhouette of an old-fashioned circus train (with a menagerie of beasties) runs on a 'track' across the screen. In a four-screen "three-ring circus," performers present eccentric if less than death-defyng acts.

"I was struck by her work. There's a beauty reminiscent of early silent films, simple and sophisticated at the same time," said Dennis Harrington of the Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery in explaining why he chose it for the exhibit.

Crocetta, an Ohio State University faculty member whose background is live performance and sculpture, said, "I'm interested in the capacity of the human body to shift the built environment," referencing how filling the above-mentioned clear plastic balls with her breath "transforms the space with my ephemera." (Or her exhaled breath fills a space previously filled with something else.)

"It's so cool," said my "docentito" Sam Kerns, 11, from Erlanger and looking forward to entering sixth grade in the fall.

This is the 15th summer for Docentitos, the Weston's summer youth docent program, which turns 9- to 12-year-olds into arts ambassadors. This year, there are 10 docentitos. "I invented the word," said program director Kelly O'Donnell. "It's the diminutive of 'docent' in Spanish."

Sam is in his third year as a docentito, and he embodies what the program strives to do - the kids charm gallery visitors with their surprising knowledge and refreshing perspectives.

Sam, armed with notecards at the final docentito rehearsal the day before Moving Images opened, guided me through the show, and chatted about the program along the way.

"I love it," he made clear. A former art teacher told him about the program. "By far this is the best year - film intrigues me. I never thought of it as an art form." Sam confided that he's started experimenting, making his own short videos.

We started in the upper gallery where trilogy "Clear/Fill/Reveal" is projected inside a funnel-like wooden structure that mimics early camera bellows and allows for a single viewer at a time. Crocetta's head and hands are inside a white box where we're introduced to the artist's interest in transforming space.

"Clear" is one of Sam's two favorite entries in the entire exhibit. He's intrigued by what it has to say about "how we see, speak and hear."

In a later conversation, Crocetta agreed: "It relates to hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Think no evil. That's the true release."

The circus train mentioned above is called "Track," and Sam pointed out how Crocetta pulled her moving train along with a string. He observed that while the imagery is childlike and whimsical on the surface, all the animals are in some way a nuisance. "Kangaroos eat crops. Lions can be dangerous."

The docentitos had a session with Crocetta, where she explained her work and answered their questions. She echoed that she invites viewers into playful images "but it becomes more serious the longer you watch."

A handful of the silent films have soundtracks (headphones are provided), and Crocetta and Sam agree it's "very important" to take the time to listen to them.

"My interest in sound stems from my live performance work," Crocetta said. Like the human body, Crocetta believes "sound and spoken word can change an environment."

"S.O.S." enigmatically spells out distress code on a fogged mirror. Sam wonders, "What constitutes a call for help - When? Where? Why?"

A tour through Moving Images can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as an hour, depending on the amount of time a visitor spends with each film and in discussion with a docentito. Sam said he rehearsed at home for an hour a day during the two weeks of training to prepare as a tour guide.

Another trilogy is "Gather/Shed/Lift" in which Crocetta fills her transparent balls with 180 pounds worth of water which pull at her as she pulls at them. It makes us think about "how we collect burdens in life," Sam noted.

Sam's favorite film in Moving Images is "Shed," in which Crocetta sheds her burden. "It speaks to me." In "Lift," the balls waft on the breeze on a rooftop. "It feels wonderful, " Sam said. "They want to take flight."

Crocetta works hard to give her films "an ease" but they're labor intensive. "The productions are elaborate. 'Gather/Shed/Lift,' was four years in the making."

As we parted company, Sam said, "I encourage you to come back - a lot of the exhibits are really cool." He also promised that he'd be back next summer.

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San Rafael 2nd Fridays Art Walk - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

Art Works Downtown has announced plans for its fourth season of the downtown San Rafael's free monthly 2nd Fridays Art Walk, www.2ndFridaysArtWalk.com an event that showcases 8 art galleries and over 30 participating venues who feature rotating art exhibits, live music, wine and food and other special attractions. For residents and tourists who are uninitiated in art, the 2nd Fridays Art Walk offers an excellent opportunity to easily experience art as well as enjoy local shopping and restaurants. July's Art Walk is on Friday, July 8th, from 5-8 p.m.

"We are very pleased how many new venues join the event every month and the positive reception we receive from new and returning visitors. San Rafael's burgeoning art scene and the opportunity to highlight the arts within our unique Downtown setting seems to be sparking an art renaissance in town," says Petrina Wielgos, managing director of Art Works Downtown. "Since the event's beginning four years ago, the number of participating merchants has more than doubled and the community really enjoy it."

The July Art Walk will feature 4 new participants: J.Grigg at 1224 Fourth St, Ponsford's Place Bakery at 117 Shaver St, Terra Firma Gallery at 1130 Fourth St and Youth in Arts at 917 C Street. Art Works Downtown will hold 2 opening art receptions, Donna Seager Gallery will feature a Summer Salon with live music from "Studio 5", plus there will be a number of new art exhibits and other surprises happening up and down Fourth Street.

The 2nd Fridays Art Walk event in Downtown San Rafael has continued to grow over the years and offers the public a free and dynamic cultural experience that features local establishments and local flavor. A detailed map and listing of all the upcoming Art Walk events are available online at www.2ndFridaysArtWalk.com, Maps are also available at Art Works Downtown at 1337 Fourth Street in Downtown San Rafael and at participating venues on the day of the events.

Media Contact: Grant Raeside (707) 548-0452 or Grant(at)EventMarketingWorks(dot)com
         Petrina Wielgos (415) 451-8119 or petrina(at)artworksdowntown(dot)org

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Domains | Barbara Sexton Smith, Fund for the Arts - Louisville Courier-Journal

Nothing seems to slow down Barbara Sexton Smith, the high-energy, witty and philosophical acting president and chief executive of the Fund for the Arts, who is responsible for generating revenue for the arts in Louisville ?all day every day.?

In the course of a year, she and her team will make close to 1,000 presentations all over the community to raise funds for 28 member groups and programs. On average she'll attend five arts events a week.

?I go to everything. I go to the Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, Walden Theatre, Stage One, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra and Louisville Visual Art Association exhibits. I'm always popping into the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft,? said Smith, rattling off many of the groups funded in part by her organization.

?For me to be recharged, re-energize and inspired I start every morning drinking coffee on my couch looking out over the Ohio River from my apartment on the top of the Harbison building at the corner of Seventh and Main,? said Smith, who typically shares that cup of java with her husband, Lacey T. Smith Sr., an attorney, whom she considers her best friend.

?But the true inspiration ? and that physical place I like to be when I'm not at work ? comes from sitting in my living room surrounded by the beautiful artwork hanging on the wall created by local artists, such as the Billy Hertz painting of olive trees in Italy,? said Smith, 54, stressing the point that visual art is an important part of her life.

Looking out her window, with her artwork to her back, Smith is smitten by the Ohio River and the Falls of the Ohio.

?That's God's art,? she said.

Indeed, another place where Smith finds inspiration and spiritual sustenance is every Sunday at St. Stephen Baptist Church at 15th and Kentucky streets.

?I'm on a mission to help everyone realize that not only is it OK to drive west of Ninth Street ? but you'll get energized and inspired if you do,? said Smith, who has been attending the church for seven years.

? Ken Neuhauser, The Courier-Journal

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CALIFORNIAN GO!: Arts & Entertainment for July 3-9, 2011 - North County Times

"Parker Collection: Images of the Brush Country" ---- Dr. Horace Parker, "Parkie" to his friends, grew up in Temecula when the town was quite remote and very rural (his father was the last railroad attendant at the Temecula Station). A veterinarian, Parkie and his wife lived and worked in Orange County for many years. He became a researcher, historian and writer, picking up interesting bits of Southern California history, and put together a series of columns called "Brush Country Journal." See the photographic collection of Parker's "Brush Country Journal" in this exhibit that continues through Aug. 28; museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays (closed Mondays); Temecula Valley Museum, Sam Hicks Monument Park, 28314 Mercedes St., Old Town Temecula; 951-694-6450.

"Robots + Us" ---- The Western Science Center hosts the "Robots + Us" exhibit through Sept. 11. The exhibit explores what it means to be human by examining the lifelike machines humans build, and includes hands-on activities and many videos showing robots from movies, popular literature and research labs. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; Western Science Center, 2345 Searl Pkwy., Hemet; $8, adults (13 and older); $6.50, seniors (62+); $6, youths (5 to 12); $6.50, students (13-22 with current ID); free, youths age 4 and younger and military with current ID; 951-791-0033, westerncentermuseum.org.

Praise Him With Dancing 2011 ---- Presented by Dunamix Dance Project. An encouraging performance of dance, your heart will be touched by this meaningful show presented by Dunamix dancers. Ages 3 through adult, beginning through professional; 3 p.m.; Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $15-$18; 866-653-8696, temeculatheater.org.

Classics at the Merc ---- Featuring "Americana!" with Lori Bell, flute, and Diane Snodgrass, piano; 3 p.m.; The Merc, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $11 adults and $5 students); 866-653-8696, temeculatheater.org.

The Four Tops & The Temptations ---- The Four Tops are among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s. They had a stream of hit singles, including two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." Formed in Detroit in 1960, the Temptations have always featured at least five male vocalists/dancers. Known for their choreography, distinctive harmonies, and sharp suits, the Temptations have been said to be as influential to soul as The Beatles are to pop and rock. Having sold tens of millions of albums, they are one of the most successful groups in music history; 6 p.m.; The Arena, Soboba Casino, 23333 Soboba Road, San Jacinto; 866-476-2622, soboba.net.

Welk Resorts Summer Music Festival with Freda Payne ---- The Welk Resorts presents the '70s pop/R&B singer performing "A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald," along with outdoor picnicking, barbecue dinners, children's activities, artisan booths and more; 7 p.m.; Welk Resorts, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido; $25, adults; $10, children; 888-802-7469.

Jenni Rivera ---- Latin pop; 7:30 p.m.; Grandstand Stage, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar; $20-$50 (includes admission to the fair); sdfair.com, ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Agent Orange ---- Poisoning punk rock at the Royal Dive. Raging Bettie and Hulaguns also on the bill; 9 p.m.; 2949 San Luis Rey Road, Oceanside; $8; royaldivebar.com or 760-722-1911.

MONDAY, July 4

DVAC Summer Art Camp ---- The Diamond Valley Arts Council will hold a Summer Art Camp for ages 5 to 17 at its Esplanade Arts Center in San Jacinto. The art camp, funded partly by a grant from Riverside County Third District Supervisor Jeff Stone, will offer drawing, painting and crafts using a variety of techniques in a fun, creative and safe environment. All supplies will be provided through a donation from Altura Credit Union. Classes taught by Mary Hemje and Joan Pikard, the instructors for the ASES after-school art program of the San Jacinto Unified School District; 1 to 3 p.m. through Aug. 12; Esplanade Arts Center, 2181 W. Esplanade Ave., San Jacinto; $60 per week; 951-207-8172, thedvac.org.

REO Speedwagon ---- With Navy Band Southwest and fireworks; 7:30 p.m.; Grandstand Stage, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar; free with paid admission to the fair: $7-$13; $22-$33, reserved (includes fair admission); $100, dinner package (includes floor seating, fair admission and parking); 800-745-3000, sdfair.com or ticketmaster.com.

TUESDAY, July 5

"The Concert for Clarence" ---- Bruce Springsteen tribute band Thunder Road's musical remembrance of recently deceased saxophonist and E Street member Clarence Clemons; 7 p.m.; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $10-$12; bellyup.com or 858-481-4040.

"Shrek the Musical" opens ---- Broadway/San Diego presents the national touring production of this stage musical based on the Dreamworks film about a grumpy ogre, his donkey companion and a princess with a big secret; 7 p.m. (also 7 p.m. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday,  2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. July 10); San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego; call for ticket prices; 619-570-1100.

WEDNESDAY, July 6

Joe Torry --- Torry, a nationally known actor/comedian and native of St. Louis, has developed an impressive resume in the entertainment business and in life; 8 and 10 p.m. (also Saturday); Pechanga Comedy Club, Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula; $22; 877-711-2946, pechanga.com/comedyclub.

THURSDAY, July 7

Summer Concert Series ---- Featuring Class of '69; 7 p.m.; Temecula Community Recreation Center Amphitheater, 28075 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula; free; 951-694-6480.

Jazz at the Merc ---- Featuring the Keith Droste Trio; 7:30 p.m.; The Merc, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $15; 866-653-8696, temeculatheater.org.

"Hamlet" previews ---- Shakespeare in the Vines presents the group's sixth Outdoor Summer Season. "Hamlet" is praised as one of the greatest plays ever written. The young Prince Hamlet returns home to find his father has died, his mother has married his uncle, and all is not well in the state of Denmark; 7:30 p.m. preview (also Friday-Saturday, July 10, 15-17 and 22-23); Stuart Cellars Winery, Stuart Cellars Winery, 33515 Rancho California Road, Temecula; $15-$30; shakespeareinthevines.org.

FRIDAY, July 8

"Cinderella" ---- Presented by Inland Valley Classical Ballet Theatre and Svetlana's Dance Academy. A beloved fairy tale becomes alive with this version of the Cinderella ballet performed by Inland Valley Classical Ballet Theatre and Svetlana's Dance Academy. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother and hideous stepsisters prevent her from attending the Royal Ball, a delightful fairy godmother appears. With a wave of her wand, she transforms a simple pumpkin into a magical coach, mice into horses ---- and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with Prince Charming, but must flee before the stroke of midnight breaks the spell; 7 p.m. (also Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. July 10); Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $15-$22; 866-653-8696, temeculatheater.org.

SATURDAY, July 9

See "The Find Magnified" in Fallbrook ---- "The Find Magnified" art show and sale runs through July 31 at Fallbrook Art Center; regular hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; artists' reception, 1 to 5 p.m.; 103 S. Main St., Fallbrook; $5 admission fee waived during the "The Find Magnified" exhibit; fallbrookartcenter.org or 760-728-1414.

14th annual Art Show artists reception --- This year's theme is "Ranching in the Heart of Nature"; 5 to 7 p.m.; Santa Rosa Plateau, 39400 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta; $15 reservation donation; 951-677-6951, srpf.org.

Evan St. James ---- 7 p.m.; Scarcella's Italian Grill & Pizzeria, 27525 Ynez Road, Temecula; 951-676-5450, scarcellasgrill.com.

Country at the Merc ---- Live country music; 7 and 9 p.m.; The Merc, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $15; 866-653-8696.

Dave Koz ---- Part of the Thornton Winery 2011 Champagne Jazz series. In a career that spans 20 years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music. Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change and embraces it ---- and the uncertainty that comes with it ---- on "Hello Tomorrow," his debut on Concord Records released in 2010; 7 p.m. July 9-10; Thornton Winery, 32575 Rancho California Road Temecula; 951-699-3021, thorntonwine.com.

Matchbox Twenty with Vanessa Carlton ---- Matchbox Twenty rose to international fame with their debut album, "Yourself or Someone Like You," which was certified diamond in the United States and multi-platinum in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Their second album, "Mad Season," charted in the top three on the Billboard 200 and was certified four times platinum in the United States. Their third album, "More Than You Think You Are," was certified double platinum in the United States. For Carlton's fourth album, "Rabbits on the Run (Razor & Tie)," she needed a fresh start. She had been going at full sprint since the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated "Be Not Nobody" and she thinks she's found the right mix; 8 p.m.; Outdoor stage, Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula; $45-$70; 877-711-2946, pechanga.com/entertainment.

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NY's Fort Ticonderoga shows off its artistic side - Wall Street Journal

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. — Plenty of cannon, muskets, bayonets, swords and other 18th-century military hardware are on display at Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. Officials claim to have one of the most extensive collections of military artifacts from the 1700s, rivaling those at the Smithsonian Institution and the Tower of London.

But there's more to see this summer and early fall at the historic site on Lake Champlain than relics from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

The fort's extensive art collection is getting equal billing with the weaponry on display. For the first time since the fort was rebuilt as a tourist attraction 102 years ago, 50 of Fort Ticonderoga's most important artworks are on display in a single exhibit.

They include a painting by Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole, engraved powder horns circa 1759, and a portrait of George Washington by Charles Peale Polk.

"You don't have to go to New York City to see great art," Christopher Fox, curator of collections, tells visitors to the fort, located in the southeastern Adirondacks 75 miles north of Albany. "You can go to Fort Ticonderoga and see many pieces that relate to various periods in American art."

The exhibit — titled "The Art of War: Ticonderoga as Experienced through the eyes of America's Great Artists" — is in the gallery on the lower floor of the new $23 million Mars Education Center, named for Forrest Mars Jr. and Deborah Clarke Mars. He's an heir to the Mars candy fortune; she's a Ticonderoga native.

Visitors to the new exhibit pass a large oil-on-canvas portrait of Deborah Mars. Once inside the intimate gallery, they see artwork that tells Fort Ticonderoga's story, from an 18th-century map drawn when the Lake George-Lake Champlain corridor was the focus of warring European empires to black-and-white photographs that capture the fort's crumbling condition before restoration was started by the Pell family in 1909.

The artwork includes side-by-side portraits of British Gen. James Abercromby and his French counterpart, the Marquis de Montcalm. Abercromby commanded the English army that attacked the French-built fort on July 8, 1758. The French, outnumbered 5-to-1, hastily built a defensive line of earth and log barricades about a half mile from the fort's walls.

Despite wave after wave of frontal assaults, the French line held while mowing down hundreds of redcoats with a hail of musket fire.

Two other items are linked to the pivotal year of 1759, when the British finally captured the fort, followed weeks later by their victory at the Battle of Quebec. The first is a painting made in 1774 by Thomas Davies, a British artillery officer who was part of the 1759 campaign. The scene shows the British encampment on the southern shore of Lake George. Fox said it's the earliest known painted image of the lake.

The other link to 1759 is a powder horn engraved with a map showing the British siege works outside the fort that year. Soldiers of the period commonly carved maps and other images onto powder horns during idle hours in camp, Fox said.

"They can be very important documents of what people were actually seeing," Fox said. "I included two powder horns in this exhibit to make the point that art isn't just paintings and prints that you hang on the wall."

The portrait of George Washington painted by Polk around 1790 is part of the exhibit not just for its stellar quality, Fox said. The Continental Army commander and future president visited Ticonderoga briefly during his tour of northern military outposts in July 1783, when he was waiting for word on the treaty that would end the American Revolution.

"He had fellow officers and friends who were at Fort Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War," Fox said.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is Cole's 1826 work, "Gelyna, or a View Near Ticonderoga." Considered the fort's most valuable and important piece, the painting depicts a fictionalized scene of a British officer coming to the aid of a wounded comrade lying on a wilderness outcropping, while smoke rises in the distant background from the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga. It's the earliest known piece signed by Cole, an English-born artist regarded as the founder of the 19th-century American art movement known as the Hudson River School.

"Once his work gained popularity, it seemed the artists who were doing these types of dramatic landscapes began to copy his style," Fox said.

The exhibit also features 19th-century line engravings of the ruins of Fort Ticonderoga, a favorite subject of artists of the period. Unlike Europe, where centuries-old ruins dot the landscape, the United States offered few places where architecture from bygone eras could capture an artist's imagination. Ticonderoga, with its mountain backdrops and old fort ruins, fit the bill for American artists in the decades leading up to the Civil War.

The core of the fort's art collection were acquired in the first half of the 20th century by Sara and Stephen Pell, who restored the fort on the site where it stood before falling into disrepair after the Revolutionary War. Pell was a descendant of William Ferris Pell, the wealthy New York merchant who acquired the fort grounds in 1820.

Together, Sara and Stephen Pell spent decades building a collection that went beyond the glass cases filled with weapons and other martial artifacts viewed by generations of visitors.

"We're most obviously known as a fort," Fox said. "It's fair to say a lot of people wouldn't associate a military site with a place that has a lot of art related to topics outside the military sphere."

The Marses had a highly publicized falling out in 2008 with the fort's then-executive director and cut off their financial support after footing most of the bill for the new building. The couple has since divorced, and fort officials say Forrest Mars is once again among the fort's benefactors.

The exhibit ends when the fort closes for the season Oct. 20.

___

IF YOU GO ... Fort Ticonderoga, 100 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, N.Y. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 20, when the fort closes for the season. Admission: $15; $13.50 age 62 and older; $7 age 7 to 12; free for children younger than 7. For information: 518-585-2821 or click on the website http://www.fortticonderoga.org.

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Sculpture outside Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville inspires curiosity - Fayetteville Observer

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Your message (click here): Please enter some message text. Published: 07:40 AM, Sun Jul 03, 2011Sculpture outside Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville inspires curiosity  By Rodger Mullen
Staff writer

One passer-by likened it to Peter Pan.

Another said it looks like the Swamp Thing.

And still others said the statue outside the Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville looks like an Edgar Degas sculpture or a piece of African art.

Whatever the view, the life-sized sculpture depicting a female figure cloaked in leaves and reaching skyward has gotten attention since it was installed June 22.

"All day, every day, people are stopping, taking pictures of it, taking pictures of themselves with it," said Mary Kinney, marketing manager for the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County. "There's a lot of activity around it out there."

The copper sculpture is the creation of Gary Gresko, who works in Oriental, a small town east of New Bern. He calls it "Return of Spring."

It was placed outside the Arts Center as part of a program to bring art to public places in Fayetteville. The Arts Council is leasing the work; it will be returned to the artist in a year.

Deborah Martin Mintz, executive director of the Arts Council, said the sculpture is part of a public arts master plan that the Arts Council established with a grant from the N.C. Arts Council.

A committee consisting of art faculty members from area colleges makes recommendations on what kind of art to place in public areas. Their recommendations go before a public art commission appointed by the City Council.

Mintz said "Return of Spring" is the first piece of public art to be placed outside Festival Park under the program. The goal is to convince local businesses to lease sculptures to be placed outside their locations.

A plaque will soon be placed on the "Return of Spring" statue asking people to submit their opinions of the work at the council's website.

Gresko said he created "Return of Spring" a couple of years ago.

"It symbolizes new growth, hope, the end of winter," Gresko said. "All the things we reach up for."

Gresko, who will be in town Monday for the unveiling of another of his works at the new Veterans Park, said he likes the sculpture's placement outside the Arts Center.

"After we put it up in Fayetteville, we hung around for about an hour," he said. "A lot of people came by and were checking it out."

In downtown Fayetteville on Friday, opinions about the sculpture were mixed.

"It looks a little bit like Peter Pan," said Richard, who didn't want to give his last name. "If I had to do a costume for Peter Pan, I would do it like that."

Kristi Allen called the sculpture "a little frightening."

"It's a little scary," she said. "Definitely out of place."

Emily Jennings had a different take.

"At first, I thought it looked like one of those (Edgar) Degas sculptures," she said. "It does get your attention. It's not offensive."

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The fine art of royal watching - TheChronicleHerald.ca

The Duchess of Cambridge greets admirers at the War Museum in Ottawa on Saturday. (Frank Gunn / CP)

A crowd of royal watchers wait to catch a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they visit Ste-Justine Hospital in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes / CP)

OTTAWA — After three days of watching the royal couple come and go from public appearances throughout Ottawa, this much is clear: for those hoping to have a moment with the would-be monarchs, it’s all about location, location, location.

Mary Aubrey now knows the ropes. She’s been at almost every one of Prince William and Kate’s public events in the nation’s capital since they arrived in Canada on Thursday.

Aubrey, 21, was one of the first through the gates of Rideau Hall for their formal welcome.

She raced to the top of a hill to be as close as possible to the official podium. Except, she was too close — the couple didn’t do a walkabout that far up.

So on Canada Day, she tried a different tact — sheer force.

She arrived on Parliament Hill at 7:15 a.m. and lined up against the security tape. When the crowd starting surging forward, she pushed along with them, ending up right at the front of the barricade.

"(Kate) walked right up to me. It was a fantastic moment," she said as she waited for the couple’s final public stop in Ottawa on Saturday.

"I couldn’t be any prouder."

She advises fans in other cities to be tenacious, and to get there early.

Smaller events, like many the couple will take part in over the next week are likely better places to try meeting the royal pair than the massive spectacles of the last few days.

British media who make a career following the couple suggest one of the obvious ways to position for a chance meeting is to be within sight of a main entrance. That’s where the motorcade will arrive and leave. They are more likely to do a walkabout among their fans on the way out of an event than they are on the way in.

The duo, known formally as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, appear to enjoy what minutes they have to mingle.

At a veterans’ reception in Ottawa on Saturday, they were only supposed to stop and chat with the first three tables. They instead worked the entire room.

Those lucky enough to be part of official events acknowledge their good fortune.

Cpl. Andrew Knisely was one of the soldiers specifically picked to meet the couple. The veteran of the Afghan war is an amputee and part of a team involved in the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers through sport.

He said it was significant to him that while others in the room had a few seconds with the royals, he had several minutes.

"The royal couple, as I’m finding out, are very nice that way," said Knisely.

"They take the time to go and meet everyone."

Sometimes the encounters are by chance.

The 25 people sworn in as new citizens before William and Kate on Canada Day only found out last week about their high-profile guests, though they’d known about the ceremony itself for weeks.

So far, security officials have been generous in how much access they’ll allow to the couple; a woman managed to give William a pair of sunglasses and a bag on Friday as he worked the crowds on Parliament Hill.

The pair usually work crowd lines separately, criss-crossing back and forth.

Gimmicks like a Welsh flag draped over a banner have caught William’s eye — he and Kate live in Wales.

Kate seems drawn to meeting the younger girls dressed in their best and beaming at the chance of meeting real royalty.

But that hasn’t stopped older women from also trying to woo her affections.

The royal couple left Ottawa for Montreal on Saturday.

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Music and Arts Calendar - Peoria Journal Star

Theater

"Encores!," a musical celebration of the history of the Barn, through July 24, Conklin's Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield. Doors open 6 p.m., show 8 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday; doors open at noon, show 1:30 p.m. for Sunday brunch. Tickets: $34-$38. Call 965-2545.

"Footloose," 7:30 p.m. July 15-23, Corn Stock Theatre, Upper Bradley Park, Peoria. Tickets: $18/adults; $12/age 18 and younger. Call 676-2196.

"Hairspray," 2 p.m. Aug. 5-7 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10-13, Eastlight Theatre, East Peoria Community High School. Tickets: $17/adults, $15/seniors and $10/youth, plus a $2 fee per ticket. Call 699-7469.

Festival 56 in Princeton presents "Songs for a New World," "The Taming of the Shrew," "Annie Get Your Gun" and other plays and musicals in rotation at The Grace Performing Arts Center, 316 S. Main St. and elsewhere in town, through Aug. 7. Ticket packages range from $126 to $250. Visit Festival56.com or call (815) 879-5656.

Special events

RiverLife Gospel Music Lunch Cruise, featuring Rachel West Kramer, 12:30-2:30 p.m. July 22, Spirit of Peoria. Boarding is at noon. Tickets: $36/adult; $18/child. Call (800) 676-8988.

A Night with Jennifer Chiaverini to Benefit Project Linus, Peoria Civic Center, 6:30 p.m. July 22. Tickets: $50. Dinner will be included along with a book signing and more. Visiti www.projectlinus.org.

Auditions

"The Diviners," auditions, 2:30-5 p.m. July 10 and 7-9:30 p.m. July 11, Heartland Theatre Company, 1110 Douglas St., Normal. Call 452-8709 or www.heartlandtheatre.org.

Tazwood Dance Company, auditions for advanced dancers ages 15 and older to dance for the 2011-12 season. Auditions at 7 p.m. July 20 in the Performing Arts Center, Illinois Central College. Call 367-9754.

Exhibits

"Moneyville," through Sept. 11, Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences, Peoria. Call 686-7000.

"Local Color," featuring the work of Te Hsiu Ma, through July 8, Peoria Art Guild, 203 Harrison St., Peoria. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

Peoria Art Guild Member Artists Show, through Aug. 12, Peoria Art Guild, 203 Harrison St. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Art work will be for sale at the reception, 5-7 p.m. July 8. Free. Call 637-2787.

"The Art of Wedding Photography," work of local wedding photographers, ongoing, Arbor Gallery, Kickapoo Creek Winery, Edwards. Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

"Nature's Detail," oil paintings by Ashley M. Lemon, through August, Arbor Gallery, Kickapoo Creek Winery, Edwards. Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

"Artists on the Boardwalk," 4-8 p.m. July 22, Junction City Shopping Center, 5900 N. Prospect Road, Peoria. Local artists displaying and selling their work. Free.

"Harlem 1930s," ongoing installation by Preston Jackson, Side View Gallery, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, 305 SW Water St. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday.

"Meanwhile...." Mark Staff Brandl with Gary Scoles and Thomas Emil Homerin create a comic book installation on site from scratch, eventually enveloping the entire room, July 9-Aug. 27, Gallery 3R, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, 305 SW Water St. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday.

Music

Brown Bag-It: July 6 - Just Friends; July 11 - Ken Carlyle; July 13 - Ready Steady Go; July 18 - Chuck Cunningham Combo; July 20 - Joe Couri; July 25 - Ed and Janet Kaizer Quartet; July 27 - PPD Summer Band & Orchestra. Entertainment 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Peoria County Courthouse Plaza. Free.

Peoria Heights Community Band 25th anniversary concerts at Tower Park, 7 p.m. July 26; Aug. 23. Free. In case of rain, concerts will be held at Peoria Heights Congregational Church.

"The Spirit of America," Faith and Freedom Concert by the Praise and Worship Choir, 9 a.m. July 3, Eureka United Methodist Church, 208 N. Callender St., Eureka. Free. Call 467-3026.

Live at the Five Spot, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, 305 SW Water St. Music: 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 8 - Rob Williams & the Soggy Bottom Blues Band; July 15 - Change Up; July 22 - Marbin; July 29 - Ambient. Admission: $7/CAC members; $10/nonmembers. Call 674-6822.

Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band and Speakeasy, featuring Judy Page, 6 p.m. July 17, Starting Gate Banquet room, Landmark Recreation Center, 3225 N. Dries Lane, Peoria. Admission: $5/members; $7/nonmembers; free/children 14 and younger.

Come "Glee" With Us, Heart of Illinois Chorus summer program, ICC Performing Arts Building, 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through July 26. Six vocal lessons. Free. Call 688-8345.

CEFCU Center Stage's summer jazz series, 7-9 p.m. Peoria Riverfront, July 7 - John Miller and the Romantics; July 14 - Dave Hoffman and Friends; July 21 - Kevin Hart and the Vibe Tribe; July 28 - Change Up. Free.

Peoria Pops Orchestra's Dixieland Band, 4-6 p.m. July 10, Franciscan Recreation Complex, West Peoria. Free.

Book clubs

Mature Readers Book Discussion meets at 2 p.m. July 27 at Humana Community Room, 7015 N. Hale, Peoria, to discuss "Mary and O'Neil." Call 691-8411 for information.

Poetry

"Whisper and Shout," open mike for poetry, 8 p.m. July 7, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, 305 SW Water St. Doors open: 7:30 p.m. Admission: $7/nonmembers; $4/members.

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Thousands brave rain to attend Art of Living festival in Berlin - Mangalorean.com

Berlin, (IANS) Thousands of people, including Indian Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai, braved showers and chilly winds in the German capital to attend yoga performances and cultural programmes at the World Cultural Festival celebrating 30 years of Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation.

Held at the historic Olympic Stadium -- built by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in 1936 -- the function saw devotees and spectators pouring in since Saturday morning despite incessant rains and chilly weather with temperature settling around 10 degrees.

The inclement weather did affect the spectator turnout which came down from expected 70,000 to 20,000-25,000 during the evening function but the mood of the people was upbeat as they cheered, danced and sang with the artists performing at the stadium amidst the rain.

"It rained throughout the day and it continues. I was really worried about how the artists will perform but everything went so well. I think it was the blessing of guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) that the four-and-a-half hour function continued despite the rains," an organiser told IANS.

The function started with playing of nadaswaram -- a popular classical south Indian musical instrument - by artists from Indian and Sri Lanka. The beats of the barrel-shaped drum filled the stadium with energy as people clapped along, forgetting the chilly winds.

"All of us were freezing as it was so cold here but once the programme started, I completely forgot about rains. I danced and clapped and it made me feel warm. It was fantastic and I enjoyed it," said an excited Mary Basel, a devotee from South Africa.

Among the spectators were several world leaders and politicians, including Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari and Subodh Kant Sahai.

The stadium turned into a grand yoga park as 800 people from around the globe came together to perform a brief sequence of yoga. It started with Suryanamaskar (Sun salutation) accompanied by chanting of Sanskrit slokas, honouring different qualities of sun and ended with a global prayer for peace.

"It was breathtaking to see synchronisation between yoga performers. They did it so well despite showers and cold winds," said Henner Hippe, a spectator from Hamburg in Germany.

The cultural festival then took the spectators to a journey of world with classical music from India and US, contemporary music from Malta, traditional flutes from Turkey, folk dances from Russia and Bulgaria, Shaolin monks from China and a variety of performances by Germans.

A lotus dance from Japan and Austrian alpine horns were also some of the major attractions.

The stadium was left mesmerised by the Grand Guitar Ensemble for Peace -- an enchanting symphony of 2,000 guitarists, 30 grand pianists and 3,000 choir singers. Apart from German and other European countries' anthems, the Vande Mataram was also sung.

"The guitar ensemble filled the stadium with energy and I felt as If I was moved to a different world of music and ecstasy. I can't tell you how I felt," said Rama Shakar, an Indian settled in the US.

Spectators were left spellbound by peace meditation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with flautists playing in the background. The 20-minute meditation session calmed the atmosphere in the stadium which was brimming with noise just a few minutes ago.

The colourful evening came to an end with a spectacular laser show and the song "The call of ancient love", spreading the message of peace and love in the world.

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Art fair could nourish artistic evolution - Buffalo News

For any modern American city that hopes to call itself a visual arts center— at least according to the tastemakers who decide these sorts of things—a couple of prerequisites have lately become necessary.

The first is the “biennial,” which Western New York proved it could accomplish in stunning fashion with Beyond/ In Western New York, the epic regionwide exhibition that wrapped up early this year.

The second is the art fair—a more concentrated, typically glitzy commercial phenomenon aimed at creating buzz and bolstering the market for regional painting, sculpture and media art.

On Saturday in Buffalo’s Central Terminal, Buffalo will make its first foray into the collective mass marketing of its fine artists with a daylong event called “echo: Art Fair.” The fair was the brainchild of Frits Abell, founder of the Buffalo Expat Network, which seeks to engage current and former Buffalonians in the revitalization of their hometown.

Think of “echo” as a sort of antidote to the sprawling Allentown Art Festival. That goes for its size and scope, which are comparatively small and focused; its purported quality, which Abell enlisted a slate of high-profile jurors to ensure; but also its higher prices, which float up to the $3,000 range and beyond.

The jury, comprised of the same people who made Beyond/In Western New York such a success, including Albright- Knox Art Gallery Director Louis Grachos and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center’s John Massier, bodes well for the potential of “echo.” The fair includes more than 40 artists and six galleries showing a range of painting, sculpture, video and other new media art.

Abell modeled the fair after a similar event held in London and also took cues from New York City’s Affordable Art Fair. He sees it as an opportunity to bolster Buffalo’s growing reputation as a significant arts city.

“I love the arts and just believe in the power of the arts in Buffalo’s renaissance,” Abell said. “I also wanted to provide artists with another avenue to sell their work. I’d like to see more art flowing into the local artists’ market.”

At their best, events like “echo,”— which ends with a gargantuan dance party featuring a slate of DJs and performances from The Albrights and Free Henry, among others—serve somehow to make the idea of art collecting sexier and also less intimidating.

That’s important, as engaged and active collectors are vital to any healthy art scene. And however icky you might feel about the corrupting potential of mixing fine art and commerce too closely, Buffalo could certainly use a few more.

The importance of the informed, community-minded collector is tough to overestimate. Take the late Giuseppe Panza, many of whose canvases now reside in the collection of the Albright- Knox Art Gallery. The late Lockport collector Charles Rand Penney, whose affinity for the watercolors of Charles Burchfield helped to form the Burchfield Penney Art Center as we know it and whose other collections will be on offer during a September estate sale, is an excellent local example of the collector’s importance to the community.

But “echo” juror Gerald Mead, the discerning local art-gatherer whose collection’s highlights are now on view in the Castellani Art Museum’s “Public/Private” exhibition, might be the ideal model that the creators of “echo” are out to duplicate. Most of the works in Mead’s collection were had for far less than what we think of as “fine art” prices.

If all goes well, “echo” may help to christen a new generation of mini- Meads, thus fostering a healthier marketplace for local artists and, in turn, more and better art. It seems like the next logical step in Buffalo’s artistic evolution.

cdabkowski@buffnews.comnull

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Barnes art collection nears final days at old home - Reuters

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA |

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - After nearly a decade of lawsuits and bitter debate, the world famous Barnes art collection is about to move from its original wooded, suburban setting outside Philadelphia to a bustling boulevard in the city's cultural district.

Workmen are still busy constructing the Barnes' new, modern building in an area of Philadelphia known as Center City that is home to government offices, shops, museums and open-air spaces modeled after the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Once it debuts in spring 2012, the new home is expected to cost $150 million, including expenses to move the collection.

The Barnes, named after Philadelphia physician Albert Barnes, who died in 1951, contains some 800 paintings by famous artists including 181 pieces from Renoir and 69 by Cezanne. The Barnes Foundation, which controls the collection, believes the paintings constitute one of the world's great collections of French impressionist, post impressionist and modern art.

But the Barnes' move from its stately mansion in Merion, a suburb that some civic leaders thought was inconvenient for tourists, has not come without a lot of complaints, and some recent visitors believe it should stay at its original home.

The collection's final day there is set for July 3.

"I am going to miss this so much," said Lynne Rosenbaum, of Marlton, N.J. "I think this is one of the jewels in the museum world," adding that she was "very upset" at the move.

Nearly a decade of litigation has taken place since the change was made public, and a largely critical documentary film, "The Art of the Steal," was released in 2010.

In fact, the legal wrangling has not quite ended. A further court hearing is scheduled for August at which a group called The Friends of the Barnes will ask the court, once again, to order the collection to remain in Merion forever, upholding the terms of Dr. Barnes's will.

But Barnes' watchers believe the odds are against the group because Judge Samuel Ott, who will rule on the suit, has previously decided it could move. So, many Barnes' lovers have been making the trek to Merion one last time in recent weeks.

"For the last two months, we've been packed," said Barnes docent Hildy Jaffe, as she stood in the doorway of the facility's biggest display room with dozens of paintings, including the Card Players by Cezanne that is one of the most popular at the Barnes.

The room famously features a 47-foot long mural called The Dance II by Henri Matisse that dominates the arches on one side of the main gallery.

NEW IS OLD IS NEW, AGAIN

The new building sits on 4.5 acres in Center City that also is home to the famous Rodin Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art several blocks away.

It is decidedly modern, but does retain a few architectural features that are strongly reminiscent of the Merion mansion, a 1922 structure made of French limestone. The new building's facade is done in a similar Israeli limestone, according to project director William W. McDowell III.

The interior might seem familiar to visitors, McDowell said, during a walking tour in which he dodged construction workers and wheel barrows.

The main gallery is nearly identical to the one in Merion, he said. The rooms are the same size, the paintings will be hung in familiar positions, and even the white oak floors will be reminiscent of Merion.

The new facility is bigger, though, because it includes additional gallery space for temporary exhibits of borrowed paintings, plus larger meeting rooms and a bigger library.

The 23-room Merion mansion, which sits amid a well-to-do residential neighborhood, will continue to be used as a training facility for those interested in another fascination of Dr. Barnes, horticulture.

It will house classrooms for those wanting to learn more about the plants and trees in the 12-acre arboretum that surrounds the building. It will also house Barnes' offices and perhaps an archive of thousands of Barnes' documents.

Meanwhile, officials at the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. are looking forward to next spring when the new facility is scheduled to open.

"I think it will encourage more (hotel) stays," said Meryl Levitz, president of the corporation.

Aside from the art, she said that "Physically, (the facility) is just so beautiful."

The corporation, however, has no forecasts as to how many more visitors the Barnes might draw to Center City, and Levitz knows of no studies done by others, either.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Youth art exhibit at Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona Daily Sun

Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Youth are hosting an evening program and exhibit presented by 15 young artists.

The young artists spent seven days on a river trip being mentored by photographer Michael Buchheit, artist Sarah Hooker and park ranger Juliet Oakes as part of a program called Grand Inspiration.

In between riding the rapids and taking remote day hikes, the youth developed a collection of paintings, creative writing and photographs that will be on display at Grand Canyon National Park Headquarters from July 8 though Aug. 8.

The grand opening of the exhibit will be Friday at 7 p.m. Afterward, the youth will join Buchheit, known for his Grand Canyon photography, in presenting a special evening program at 8:30 p.m. in the McKee Amphitheater behind Park Headquarters.

The young artists applied for the program by submitting an application and a piece of artwork with the theme "Nature's Boundaries." Although many youth had an individual specialty, each participated in workshops for painting, photography and creative writing.

Artists have a longstanding history of advocating for people and places. The original idea of preserving the wild, unique lands of the West as national parks is often attributed to painter George Catlin. Other artists and writers like Thomas Moran, John Muir, George Masa and Ansel Adams offered politicians and the American public their first glimpses of the natural wonders of the American West. Their work became a catalyst for the protection of the land.

The Grand Inspiration program is a partnership between Grand Canyon Youth and the Environmental Education branch of Grand Canyon National Park. Together, the two organizations strive to provide inspirational backcountry experiences for diverse youth, connecting them to place through experiential and service learning.

For more on Grand Inspiration, visit the Grand Canyon Youth website at http://gcyouth .org/destinations_grand- canyon_gi.php.

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Clinton doctor's historic house now a home to the arts - Fayetteville Observer

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Clinton doctor's historic house now a home to the arts  By John Ramsey
Staff writer

CLINTON - Before Victor R. Small died in 1971, the Clinton doctor wrote in his will that he wanted his two-story home used to promote the arts.

Today, the former Greek-Revival-style house of Clinton's best-known doctor is part art gallery, part museum.

Forty-seven oil paintings from a North Carolina artist fill the downstairs rooms. In one scene, Evel Knievel is riding his motorcycle through a ring of fire. In others, Mason jars are half-filled with peppers or pickles on a red-and-white checkered background. Think Vincent Van Gogh raised in the South.

Hunter Speagle is the latest artist whose work will be on display for six weeks at the Victor R. Small House on College Street.

Speagle was born in Hickory, graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2005 and now lives in Manhattan while studying at the School of Visual Arts.

"He's a real exciting artist because he's young and contemporary," said Kara Donatelli, executive director for the Sampson Arts Council. "This is big city for a small town."

Donatelli and Speagle are trying to set a date for him to teach a painting course this month at the house.

The Arts Council already has a children's art camp and a watercolors class with Virginia artist Linda Patrick this summer.

Small was a doctor in Clinton from 1924 to 1971. Before that, he was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, serving two years in France during World War I. That's where he met his wife, Suzanne, a Red Cross nurse.

Small also was a poet and the author of a book titled "I Knew 3,000 Lunatics."

He wrote in his will that he wanted his house used "for the purpose of promoting and furthering an interest in music, literature and the fine arts in general."

Visitors to the house can see a replica of Small's doctor's office, with its old medical tools, leather medical bags he likely used on house calls and a notebook containing his notes along with sketches of such things as chromosomes and heart chambers.

Upstairs, Small's bedroom, including his ornate wooden headboard, remains intact. His hat sits on a pair of his old boots in one corner.

"It's fun because it's historical plus it's artsy," Donatelli said.

And it's home to spirits, according to some. Donatelli says the ghost stories add some fun and intrigue to the house.

In one hallway, black and white portraits of Small and his wife hang facing opposite directions. As the story goes, Small told one of his employees never to hang the portraits so that he and his wife are facing each other.

Small and his wife didn't get along, and he told the employee that he didn't want to have to look at her through all eternity, Donatelli said. One day after his death, a woman taking care of the house hung the pictures face-to-face. The next morning, Small's picture had crashed to the floor.

Whenever something goes wrong at the house now, Donatelli jokingly asks Small what he's up to.

As for the portraits, she said, "we keep them hanging opposite to appease Dr. Small."

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To 9/26: Phoenix Art Museum looks at 'Modern Mexican' - Arizona Republic

by Richard Nilsen The Arizona Republic

Modernism as a movement gave us Pablo Picasso, kidney-shaped swimming pools, Art Deco skyscrapers, and, in some ways, it gave us Mexico.

That's one of the lessons to learn from "Modern Mexican Painting From the Andres Blaisten Collection" at the Phoenix Art Museum.

The new show presents 80 paintings by 45 artists from the leading private collection of Mexican easel paintings, and it's complemented by 29 works from the museum's permanent collection.

All the big names are represented, from Diego Rivera to David Alfaro Siqueiros to Jos? Clemente Orozco, but their familiar work is filled out by that of many others. Some are simply lesser known artists, and some, such as Rufino Tamayo, are artists who made their reputations later than the period represented in this show.

The big guns, of course, are best known for their political murals, and the muralist style remains the signature of Mexican art, but this show purposely looks past the murals to the easel paintings of these artists.

"The murals speak for the nation," says Andr?s Blaisten, who was in Phoenix to watch the installation of his collection in the museum's large Steele Gallery, "but these smaller paintings allow the artists to speak for themselves."

The murals tend to be political and propagandistic; these paintings run from still lifes to portraits to nudes to street scenes. Yet, they all still speak of Mexican-ness. And Modernism is the unifying factor.

The collection covers work beginning at the earliest years of the 20th century, when the work was still influenced by the academic styles of the previous century - so you have work such as Julio Ruelas' "Portrait of Ruben M. Campos," which imitates the look of a Franz Hals or a Diego Velasquez - and continues into the 1960s.

In the early years, you can see the influence of a conservative tradition, but the big break comes in 1913, with Rivera's "San Martin Bridge," which Mexico's greatest artist painted not in Mexico, but in Spain, under the influence of Picasso's Cubism. It reminds you of the lines sung in Schoenberg's Second Quartet: "I feel the air from a different planet."

The world has opened up, and the stodginess of the academy has its doors torn down. There is no going back.

Like Rivera, many of Mexico's best artists were in Europe at the time, soaking up the influences, and when they returned home, they brought the new art with them, and at a critical time in Mexico's history.

"They were working with European artists at the same time there was revolution in Mexico," Blaisten says.

And it is impossible to make sense of Mexican art without recognizing Mexican history. They are hand-in-glove.

In the early years of the century, Mexico struggled to overcome centuries of colonial rule, strongman dictators and multiple coups d'etat. From 1911 to 1920, it went through what is called the Mexican Revolution, but was more accurately called a civil war. It dragged on. By the time the dust finally settled in 1929, nearly 1 million people had been killed.

The wars were fought mostly between conservative, entrenched interests, including the Catholic church, and disenfranchised members of the working classes and indigenous Indians. The U.S. vacillated between supporting American corporate interests and supporting democracy. It was a mess.

But it also was the crucible in which a national sense of Mexican identity could be forged. And artists played a role in this process and the "Renacimiento" or rebirth of Mexican culture.

It was a new art for a new national sense of itself.

"Modernity is essential in making the identity of Mexico," Blaisten says. "At the end of the Revolution, in 1920, they came back to Mexico and sought to find what is the heart of being Mexican. After the Mexican Revolution, the country consolidated its identity."

The recent past was tarnished. Modern art was fresh and shiny. The infusion of Modernism into Mexico at the time meant that Mexico could rise above provincialism and become part of the international art dialogue. Mexico could become a player on the scene. Many of the artists, of which Rivera was only one, traveled outside Mexico and brought their Mexican Modernism with them: They became international stars. Yet, although the art was new, it also was old: In the abstracted forms there was something of a reprise of Pre-Columbian designs.

All art looks back, in some way or other, either to a conservative steadying tradition or to an art earlier, before the reigning tradition corrupted the "purity."

T.S. Eliot built poetic edifices from the materials of that past. Igor Stravinsky reinvented Russian paganism for his 1913 "Rite of Spring." Picasso built a private mythology of bullfighting that has its roots as far back as cave painting.

And the Mexican artists used Modernism's "adaptive reuse" of the distant past to create for themselves pre-Columbian roots, and a sense of Mexicanness that leapfrogged back over the arrival of the Spaniards.

And you can see the Mexican pre-Colonial past in such works as Dr. Atl's "View of the Volcanoes From Cuautla" - volcanoes that once served as Aztec gods and goddesses - and Guillermo Meza Alvarez's "White Over Nopal," which is a subtle evocation of the Mexican flag, with its green, white and red, and the foundation myth of the eagle, the snake and the cactus.

It is the reawakening of this mythic past, seen through the lens of Modernism, that gave the young-old culture a new sense of its own validity, separate from its Colonial past and its Catholic faith, and so there is a burgeoning of both urban street scenes, such as Amador Lugo's "Fire in the Colonia de los Doctores," which appears to be a mass protest, or Emilio Baz Viaud's "Cuauhtemotz?n Street," and its vatos and streetwalkers, but also a recognition of the dignity of the rural peasant. You look into the eyes of Fernando Castillo's painting of a campesino holding a cat, and you can see the humanity in his eyes.

It is as if the artists have given their country back to its citizens.

Reach reporter at 602-444-8823.

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Body Art - Albany Times Union

To Tat or Not to Tat?

Over the past couple of years, getting a tattoo has become something of a rite of passage in Brigid Beckman Schmidt's family. It started when her son asked for a Lark Tattoo gift certificate for his birthday. Her other son was the next to get one, followed by her daughter. So perhaps it wasn't a big surprise when, for her 47th birthday, Schmidt's children chipped in to get her a tattoo.

"I had said, for probably five or six years, someday I might get a tattoo. I had been divorced for about a year. I traveled and wrote and landed on my feet again and that year, for my birthday, I threw myself a big party and my kids gave me a $100 gift certificate for Lark Street, daring me to put my money where my mouth was."

Schmidt knew exactly what she wanted. She chose three Chinese symbols representing dance, joy and warrior that had been painted by a local artist and which her son had framed as a Mother's Day gift. "They mean a lot to me," says Schmidt. "It's about my becoming a joyful, dancing warrior."

As tattoos have become more mainstream, a growing number of women -- many of whom had toyed with the idea of tattoos for years -- are plucking up their courage and getting ink done. They're all ages and come from all backgrounds, but most of them share one thing in common: They're getting meaningful tattoos for personal reasons to mark pivotal events in their lives.

"I love the way they look. I look for shirts that have a V in the back and shoes that show them off. I love it when people ask me what they are and what they mean. It's nice for me to tell the story," says Schmidt. "But I have them because I love them."

What to know before you go

Tattoo artists have a saying: "Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good." If you're considering getting a tattoo, look for the best artist, not the best price, because it will cost you much more to remove a bad tattoo than it will to get a good one.

Tattoo artist Josh Lyons of Albany Modern Body Art says people often hire him to go over old tattoos that they weren't happy with. "You need to research the art work, research the artist, really sit down and communicate, check over references and pictures of previous work," he says. The good news is that an increasing number of talented artists and art students are choosing to make their careers in this nontraditional medium.

As a former teacher, Schmidt knew enough to do her homework before she took the plunge. She chose Lark Tattoo, she says, because "it's been around for a long time, has a reputation for being exceptionally clean and professional, and all the artists there are artists. I picked Kara because my friend,

Alicia, had had another one done with her. I looked through the books of different artists and thought her sensibility was close to mine."

It's also a good idea to sit with the image for a while before taking the plunge, which is something that Alicia learned the hard way. Alicia Wein, 37, of Albany got her first tattoo at age 22 at the same time as her mother, who wanted one to celebrate her 40th birthday. Today, Wein has four tattoos that she loves, but the one on her back covers a tattoo she didn't like.

"I had a Celtic knot with a tree in the middle of it. I didn't like the look of it. Now I know it was the skill of the artist. I have just seen work that's much better," says Wein. "It wasn't as carefully selected as my other ones. I didn't live with the image for a while."

No Pain, No Gain

The growing popularity of tattoos has had a dramatic impact, not only on the level of artistry but also on the industry as a whole. Technical advances in inks and equipment have opened up a new world of artistic possibilities and greater oversight ensures everything is done safely. "There used to be a lot of dangerous inks on the market," says Lyons. "These days pretty much everything is regulated and safe."

Reputable tattoo artists are licensed by the Albany County Department of Health and certified in blood borne pathogens by OSHA, reducing the risk of infections, such as Hepatitis and HIV, which are spread via dirty needles. Lawmakers have also made it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to get a tattoo.

The one thing that hasn't changed, however, is the suffering associated with the art. While Kara was tattooing the first character on her back, Schmidt says she was chitchatting to her friend thinking, "this isn't bad at all." Having her feet tattooed, however, was a whole different story. Even though she'd given birth to four children, Schmidt says, "It hurts a lot. I handled it by swearing a lot."

Although feet and ribs have become increasingly popular places for women to get tattoos -- because it allows them to see the tattoos and show them off, or cover them up if need be -- any place where the skin is close to the bone is going to be more painful than an area padded by fat and muscle.

For Clifton Park resident Liz Marsh, 41, however, getting a tattoo was nothing compared to the pain she experienced after breast reduction surgery. "I had a bad reaction to the sutures," says Marsh. "I spit stitches for about four months and had modest scarring. It wasn't so much the aesthetics but seeing that made me remember the four months of pain."

The idea of covering the scars with a tattoo didn't occur to her until she learned that many breast cancer survivors had found great solace in tattoos after surgery."I was looking for a way to reclaim my body and feel good about it again," Marsh says, noting that in her case, the transformation was instant. "Instead of being reminded of those very challenging months of recovery, I was looking down at the beautiful humming bird and a lotus flower, and it shifted that quickly," she say.

So while the days of drunken sailors stumbling into a local tattoo parlor and picking flash art off the wall may not be completely over, for many women at least, tattoos are becoming living art and a way to mark the turning points in their lives. "I feel deep pleasure and happiness just looking at them, because it reminds me of what they symbolize," says Schmidt. "Everything I experience now is through joy. I've tapped into my warrior strength, and I'm dancing through life!"

Til Death Do You Part? (or, what to do if you can't live with that tattoo)

Few people forget their first love but most don't want to be reminded of their ex on a daily basis. Johnny Depp's solution, to turn his Winona tattoo into Wino, is one way to deal with people who literally get under your skin. Tattoo artists say they are often asked to rework old tattoos to obscure names, but if you're really intent on a clean slate, other options exist. Be warned, however, few are cheap, most are painful, and none guarantee complete success.

The easiest, most affordable but probably least effective tattoo removal process comes in a tube. All tattoos fade to some degree over time if exposed to sunlight. Topical creams aim to speed and maximize fading by bringing the tattooed layer of skin closer to the surface and prevent the pigment from spreading to new layers of skin.

After extensive product testing, the Tattoo Removal Association ranked Tat-Med, Profade, Wrecking Balm, Tat B Gone, and Tattoo Fading (in that order) as the most effective and safest products on the market in 2010. The association, however, warns consumers about creams containing harmful chemicals, such as Hydroquinone (a carcinogen that has been banned in a number of countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) and Trichloroacetic Acid, which literally burns off layers of skin.

Professional removal options include dermabrasion (sanding the skin off); salabrasion (using a salt block to rub the skin off); excision (cutting the tattoo out and stitching the skin back together); and skin grafts. Because these techniques can result in scarring, however, the most popular and effective professional procedure is laser tattoo removal.

At the Center for Facial Plastic Surgery and Laser Skin Care in Albany, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Arthur N. Falk uses high-energy, rapid-pulsed Q-switched lasers to break up the pigment in tattoo ink. Black, blue, and red are the easiest to disperse while yellow and green have staying power that makes them difficult to eliminate. In 2007, New York-based company Freedom2 produced a new tattoo ink made of smaller molecules encased in polymers that could be dissolved and dispersed completely after just one laser treatment. The product, called Infinitink, has yet to be widely embraced by tattoo artists, however, who prefer to think of their art as permanent.

If you thought getting the tattoo was painful, brace yourself. Even with a topical anesthetic, laser tattoo removal is more painful and the process typically requires six to eight treatments -- if not more -- over the course of at least as many months to give skin time to heal between each procedure. The price of removal is based on the size of the tattoo but it's not cheap. A tattoo that cost less than $100 could cost thousands to remove.

That, says Lori Kicinski, coordinator for the Center for Facial Plastic Surgery and Laser Skin Care in Albany, can be cost prohibitive for many of the under-30 set who come in seeking the procedure, which is why she advises people to take a long view before they decide on a tattoo. "People need to consider themselves 15 to 20 years down the road in terms of what their lifestyle may be and when they're choosing locations, how obvious the location might be," Kicinski says. "I don't think people know how difficult it is to remove them. When they say permanent tattooing, they're not joking."

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