Summertime and Art

So it is now summer, schools are out, pools are open and the heat index rises. During this time, you ponder what to do during the week to occupy your self and the youngsters, and at the same time stay cool. Why not visit an art gallery or museum. If you look around, there are several that are free and they abound with some rather unigue collections. There are also others that may have a "Free Day" or "Reduced Admission Day". Also look at the many colleges that are in the area, several have galleries that are open to the public. One is the Montgomery County Community College Fine Arts Center at the Blue Bell Campus. Presently they are hosting a collection of 103 pieces created by 54 artists of the North Penn Arts Alliance. The show is titled "Mixed Media" because of the many medium that these artists have employed in creating their art. The show runs from June 29 to July 29.

The North Penn Arts Alliance offers opportunities for all artists and art enthusiasts, and its exhibit will include professional, semi-professional and amateur pieces of artwork. Styles will vary from traditional landscapes and still life paintings to contemporary and exclusive pieces created with mixed media or with modern computer and digital methods.

“The unique aspect of the North Penn Arts Alliance is that we have a great mix of traditional and non-traditional artists, who respect each other’s creativity and are interested in learning from each other.” 

For more than 20 years, the NPAA provides programs for artists and art enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to “create, learn, network and grow in a supportive environment.”

NPAA participates in local art shows, hosts art classes and arranges trips and other special events to encourage and foster a passion for art in its members and the community. For more information about the North Penn Arts Alliance, visit http://northpennarts.org.

For more information about the exhibition, contact MCCC Gallery Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

Help support the arts and art education programs at Montgomery County Community College by becoming a Friend of The Galleries. Donations are tax deductible. For more information, contact the College Foundation at 215-641-6535.

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends.

So this summer stay cool and enjoy the arts.

Flowers and Art in Lansdale

Members of the North Penn Arts Alliance had a wonderful display at the International Spring Festival recently held at the North Penn High School. Three of our members hung their artworks for display amongst the students works. We also had several members demonstrate throughoutthe day. One member painted the visitors as they passed the hallway of the Art Pod, another was drawing using a goose quill to draw with and there were others that demonstrated digital imaging and pottery techniques. It was most interesting to see our works blended with the works of the high school studeents. It was  a pleasure to see that there are others willing to take the journey of art.

The North Penn Arts Alliance is gearing up for their 17th Annual Spring Members' Art Exhibition. This is in conjunction with the Elm Terrace Gardens Flower Show. This is a three day show that will open on April 28th at the Elm Terrace Gardens and will close the evening of April 30th. This show will showcase hundreds of North Penn Arts Alliance's members artworks, from paintings, drawings, prints, and three dimensional works. We will also have a special exhibit highlighting our student members and those attending our "Just for Kids" Art programs.  Most of the works on display will be available for purchase. In addition several artists and businesses have donated original art, prints, gift baskets, and gift certificates for a raffle drawing that will take place on Saturday evenining at 7:00 p.m.

All proceeds from the raffle ticket sales and the consignment from the art sales go towards the mission of the North Penn Arts Alliance, to offer artists and art enthusiasts' opportunities to create, learn, network, and grow in a supportive environment.

There will be free refreshments and entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings. Admission to the show is free.

So join us on this fantastic journey of art. Come supports the arts and buy an original.

What you missed on the journey of Art with the NPAA

If you could not make it to the April 6^th meeting of the North Penn Arts Alliance, you missed a wonderful meeting.

Our “Gallery Hour” had two presenters that evening. Our first presenter was Mike Darr who is a photographer. Mike presented several of his photographs from his recent travels across the country. He is interested in photographing different textures and several of his photographs were from an historic tobacco farm. He talked about organizing a trip to North Carolina to visit this historic tobacco farm which has been placed in a state of preservation and is now a Bed & Breakfast facility and campground. He also proposed a NPAA artist book. He showed example slides. It would showcase different artists of the NPAA. This book could be used as a marketing tool to promote both the artists and the NPAA. There will be a price to be featured in the book, but the more artists that partake, the lower the cost. It is a work in progress and hopefully will be rolled out in the fall.

Our second presenter for the evening was Christine Webb. Christine is a self-taught quilter. She has been quilting since she was 17 years old. Christine enjoys using recycled jeans to make quilts. She is inspired by her family and her African roots. She also incorporates bright colors and patterns in her quilts.  She brought many finished quilts to show and explained the different techniques that she uses.  Most of the quilts shown were what she calls, “one square wonders”.

During the business meeting we discussed the several “Exhibition Opportunities” that are coming up. The first is on April 16^th when we help celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of the International Spring Festival. We will be set up in the Art Pod of the North Penn High School. There we will display our work, promote the organization and provide demonstrations. The festival is open to the public from 11 to 5 and we will be setting up at 10 a.m.

As always we have several venues were members of the North Penn Arts Alliance display their work in the community. The Lansdale Library has had several members there for a long time. The Penn Suburban Chamber of Commerce (formally the North Penn Chamber of Commerce) has rotating shows, currently showing is Sally Neiderhiser. Arlene Reynolds will be showing in mid-April to mid-May. Then Ed Kane will display his art from mid-May to June.

We have an opening at Rapunzel’s for someone to show from May 15^th through June 15^th.  St. Peter’s Church in North Wales will permit us to show in the narthex when it is not needed for congregational functions. Contact the NPAA office and we will place you on the list.

There is an exhibition opportunity at St. Miriam’s in Blue Bell, please contact the NPAA office for information.

We will soon have space to display in the North Wales Library once that is available we will make the announcement.

Lansdale Hospital (formerly North Penn Hospital) has three hallways just looking for local artists to display. Currently there are artists showing but they would like to see more. Please contact the NPAA office and we will forward your information to the coordinator.

Lansdale First Friday Events held on the first Friday of each month until December. This is a great opportunity to spread the word about the North Penn Art Alliance and to show your art. We need more volunteers to display art, demonstrate, and talk to the public.

Finally we have our “17^th Annual Spring Members’ Exhibition” at the Elm Terrace Gardens in Lansdale. If you have not received a prospectus, you can get one from our website www.northpennarts.org.  This is a great show that has been growing in art and visitors each year. The show is a juried show for prizes and will open to the public on April 28^th at 10 a.m.

Participating artists are required to register their entries on April 25^th from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Elm Terrace Gardens. Our Juror for the event is acclaimed watercolor artist Jim Mc Farlane, AWS, PWCS, PWS. Jim McFarlane is a signature member and current president of the American Watercolor Society (AWS), a signature member of and past president of the Philadelphia Water Color Society (PWCS), and a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (PWS). He teaches watercolor painting at the Woodmere Museum Art, the Greater Norristown Art League and the Doylestown Art League. He conducts workshops nationally and is a featured speaker on watercolor painting and art history. He has been a finalist in the Artist Magazine Annual National Art Competition and has authored several articles on watercolor painting. Most recently his work was featured in the Spring 2011 issue of American Artist Watercolor magazine.   Jim has also been honored with the PWCS Crest Medallion for “Consistent Excellence.” Mr. Mc Farlane is looking forward to seeing the Art of the North Penn Arts Alliance members.  

2010 Spring  Best of Show winner Dan Fione

Several of us have continued on this journey of art. By joining the NPAA or visiting our shows, displays, demonstrations or classes, you also take the steps on the Art journey. It is a wonderful journey filled with color, emotion, and friendship. So come out and see the many faces and the wonderful works of the members of the North PennArts Alliance. 

Art will be blooming in April with the North Penn Arts Alliance.

This April there will be no shortage of art blooming in the North Penn Area with the North Penn Arts Alliance. Starting on April 1^st, we will participate in the First Friday event in Lansdale. Join us as we display members artwork in the first outdoor First Friday of the 2011 season.

On April 6^th, the NPAA will hold their monthly meeting at 521 W. Main St, Lansdale (Univest Insurance Building) at 7 p.m.. Presenting that night will be traveling NPAA correspondent Mike Darr, who will discuss his book, then NPAA member and artist Christine Webb who works in “Fiber and Fabric” will display and discuss Quilting. We will also have our Artist Trading Card trade off with the theme of “April Showers.”

Then join us on April 16^th at North Penn High School as we help at the International Spring Festival and help them celebrate their 20^th anniversary. This annual community event helps raise funding for the Lansdale library. The festival runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and admission is free. The North Penn Arts Alliance will be displaying artwork and demonstrating art during the day.

And if that is not enough we will hold our “17^th Annual Spring Members’ Exhibit” at the Elm Terrace Gardens from April 28^th to April 30^th. This is a juried show for all NPAA members, new and old. This year the show will be juried by watercolorist Jim McFarlane. Jim McFarlane is a signature member and current president of the American Watercolor Society (AWS), a signature member of and past president of the Philadelphia Water Color Society (PWCS), and a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (PWS). He teaches watercolor painting at the Woodmere Art Museum, the Greater Norristown Art League and the Doylestown Art League. He conducts workshops nationally and is a featured speaker on watercolor painting and art history. He has been a finalist in the Artist Magazine Annual National Art Competition and has authored several articles on watercolor painting. Most recently his work was featured in the Spring 2011 issue of American Artist Watercolor magazine. Jim has also been honored with the PWCS Crest Medallion for “Consistent Excellence.” Not only will members’ artworks be on display, but our students from the “Just for Kid’s” Art programs will also have their works on display.

Art has always been around, it is used as a form of communication, it helps people relax and express themselves. A painting or drawing can tell a story, enhance beauty or alert us of the beauty all around us. Art exercises the mind as one views the piece; the viewer is interpreting what the artist is saying or trying to see how the artists came to the conclusion of the finished piece. At the same time the artist is composing, defining, and problem solving, with a line, brushstroke, placement of articles in a mixed media,  a chisel or knife cut in stone or wood, even in molding, stretching, or forming, clay, glass or a precious metal. Art is an expression or a conversation that takes place between you and the artist. Each of us will see, hear, or feel something different because we are as unique as the art that we look upon or create.

Support the Arts in the North Penn Community, the North Penn Arts Alliance and Artists of all ages by visiting our displays and shows. Support the Arts by purchasing an original piece of art or donate to the North Penn Arts Alliance so their mission to offer artists and art enthusiasts' opportunities to create, learn, network, and grow in a supportive environment can continue. What better environment than that of the North Penn Community?

 

Photograph Courtesy of Bob Koenig

What you missed. At the NPAA.

If you couldn’t get to Wednesday night's North Penn Arts Alliance meeting, you missed a lot. There were 26 of us, both artists and friends of the arts that came together. We had a fantastic presentation on silk screening by Debbie Celenza who discussed about the process and showed us how colors are used in a single "pull" on the screen. Then several of us had anything from shirts, tote bags and even paper, silk screened with our own designs that we either cut before the meeting or created it right there. Debbie with the assistance of Karen Celenza and Andrea Metz helped us to set up the piece that was being screened, placed the stencil, and then pulled the inks across the screen. I counted close to 15 different prints throughout the evening. Thank you Debbie.

Our Business portion of the meeting informed us about the upcoming juried show being held at the Meadowoods on April 8-11, the International Spring Festival at North Penn High School on April 16th, and our 17th Annual Spring Members' Exhibit at Elm Terrace Gardens. The dates for this our show is April 25 for delivery and the show runs from April 28-30. This year our Juror is Jim McFarlane, President of the American Watercolor Society. He is looking forward to seeing the art of our members. A prospectus for our show will be included in the March Newsletter and then posted on the website. The Show Committee will be meeting Tuesday evening March 8th and they welcome anyone that wants to help with this show. It was announced that First Fridays will start again in Lansdale on Main Street, April 1st. Please contact me if you are interested in showing or helping out and I will pass your name to Danielle Schaffer.  NPAA artists have sold at these events last year.

 Joyce Shafer has started a "Give & Take" basket. She has filled it with greeting cards and photos that you could use for inspiration or help get ideas started. All that is asked is if you "Take" a card or photo you "Give" one back. This will be on the sign in table at each meeting. Thank you Joyce.  

As usual we are always looking for information where NPAA Artists are showing or will be showing. Please send information about your accomplishments, awards, and shows to info@northpennarts.org    

  

There were 6 Artist Trading Cards presented with the theme "In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb." Mediums from watercolor, pen, colored pencils and fabric were used by the six artists to create these unique miniature masterpieces. April's theme is "April Showers.

The next issue of "The Fine Line" is getting underway, all articles or Photos are needed by Friday, March 11.    

 The members committee is looking for a volunteer to be a secretary to take minutes at the monthly meetings. Karen Celenza is pursuing her studies and will not be able to continue in this capacity. Thank you Karen for doing this task.

For Information & a Prospectus on the Juried show at Meadowoods go to: http://www.meadowood.net/

We hope to see you at the April Meeting on April 6^th. We will have two presenters that night, NPAA traveling Correspondent Mike Darr will discuss an idea for a book and Christine Webb will present her Quilting.

Networking with other artists and those that love the arts is another step on the journey of art. By networking; problems were resolved, designs were applauded and learning experiences were available. Get involved with art and the North Penn Arts Alliance.

North Penn Arts Alliance Monthly Meeting

The North Penn Arts Alliance Meeting is scheduled for March 2nd at the Univest Building located at 521 West Main street in Lansdale. The meeting starts at 7:00. NPAA Member and Instructor Debbi Celenza, will be presenting Silk Screening and anyone interested can take part. Just bring a t-shirt, canvas tote, pillow case or any blank piece of fabric that you would like to silk screen your image on. After this we will provide information about upcoming shows and events.

We will also have our monthly Artist Trading Card Trade-off with this months theme being "In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb."

Please join us as we take another step on the journey of Art. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Get Started on a Fantastic Journey of Art.

Whether you are a seasoned professional, enjoy drawing and painting as a hobby, or you want to learn more about art, there are classes available. Most of you have seen the Spring 2011 Community Education Program booklet that was mailed out recently.  Right on the first page is a list of opportunities for you to take part in an art class of your choice. Anything from drawing, watercolor painting, oil/acrylic painting, digital imaging, ceramics and pottery, and basic cartooning are several courses instructed by North Penn Arts Alliance artists. There are even courses offered for the budding young artist. Each course, although covering a different discipline, are all stepping stones on the journey of art.    I use the metaphor of “a Journey” because each time an artist picks up a brush, pen, pencil, charcoal, or any other instrument that makes a mark, he/she begins to travel and with each journey there is a destination.  The destination is a finished piece and a sense of accomplishment. 

As we draw or paint, sculpt, mold or shape we take a journey with our minds and our hearts to a new world, a new fantasy, the inner world or our inner being. On this journey we learn with each step, with each brush stroke, line or plane that we create.  The artist will do this as an individual and with a group. Several will join in the classes that are offered so that they can learn new techniques, or new disciplines, and learn from each other. But mostly it is also Fun. The instructors are your guide on this phase of the journey and I trust that you will learn much from them, for they all have much to offer.  So we invite you to look at the program booklet again or visit http://www.npenn.org/ and then click on the “For Families” tab and then click on the “Community Education” tab for more information.  The deadline for registration is February 25^th and only mail-in registrations will be accepted.   So join us and let’s get started on a fantastic journey of Art.        

Photo of Pen & Ink drawing titled "Pennypacker Mills Estate" courtesy of NPAA artist Ed Kane.
(Copyright of the piece belongs to the artist)