Art for thought...

A few tidbits for the day:

• We open Joss Richer's exhibition this Friday, April 23rd at 7pm. Be there or be square! I reallly like his art. Traditionally a 'drawer' myself, I also appreciate the written word (although you wouldn't guess it using words like 'drawer', lol) and what journaling has to offer, and I love how he combines these art forms in his work. His metalwork is incredibly fascinating. The process intrigues me, the way it appears to be a heavy, solid metal and is in actuality quite fragile intrigues me, and the final appearance intrigues me. A very multifaceted show. (He has a piece titled Boulder that I'm particularily fond of. His work meshes geographical landscapes with human form, can you guess my penchant for this piece?)
• Another biggie in ALMAG conversation right now, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is happening Saturday, May 1st. Tickets are ready for purchase and pickup at the gallery now! I'm excited and so curious, I wonder where I'll be dining?
• It's bittersweet that WhiteFeather and Carol have packed up and their exhibition has gone home, although new art, a fresh exhibition, is exciting, we enjoyed having them at the ALMAG. New friends are good too though! You can follow WhiteFeather on Facebook, she constantly has fascinating local art tidbits to share! 
• A random piece that caught my blogging eye today, what do you think of this installation piece, Rita's Wooden Living Room? Look at the use of pattern. No shading, just solid colors to bring that box room to life!

Teachers are always teaching.

Such a big week! A little overview for you...

• We are head-on tackling our annual Guess Who's Coming to Dinner event, coming to Florenceville-Bristol May 1st. Support your gallery while hosting or dining with us!
• I also had a museum board meeting at Kings Landing earlier this week, chock full of interesting information. So many informative tidbits, to be expanded on some other time... 
• I was the guest host at storytime upstairs at the library Friday morning for the preschoolers. I presented the new Stories in Art program I've been working on for the 3-5 group, an introduction to art via childrens storybook illustrators. Following our main topic this month, the common thread throughout these illustrators was mixed media. We had illustrators who created their art from plasticine, from paper, and even quilted illustrations. It was a very successful workshop, the kids seemed to have a really great time! Free rein of the art materials (yarn, papers, buttons, ribbon, feathers) and 'glue paint' (watered down white glue to apply with paintbrushes, great for sticking materials to) generally equals a good time for this crowd. To really push their brains outside of what they might think art is, there wasn't a marker, crayon, or paint in sight. But of course, that age doesn't need much of a push to think outside of the box, they haven't had as many years as the rest of us at being pushed into the box! 

Where I really learned a lot though was, of course, in my teachers workshop Thursday evening. Always at it, those teachers. This workshop was technically the first flop I've had. There were three of us. Just three. Wonky.

But the three of us sat and did our own mixed media self-portraits anyway. And ate brownies. Maybe I forgot to advertise that there would be brownies?! And it was sooo lovely! I'm going to do it again! I won't give up on the teachers workshops, not yet.

Here's a few things I learned from the teachers workshop:

• Almost May is almost June, which in teacher language is 'school is almost done for the year'. Fall may be a better time to start this program.
• My planned target for this workshop were the elementary teachers, who are responsible to cover visual art in their curriculum but who may not consider visual arts education to be their strong point. I'm thinking now that they may not be the group that I can actually attract to take an evening out to come do and talk art with us. The elementary teachers did look at me a little like I had three heads when I advertised the teachers workshop at their staff meetings, but they jumped at the idea of me coming in to offer childrens art workshops for their classes. So taking the art to them I will do! I hope, along with classroom workshops for the students, to offer art workshops for the educators via their professional development days. You likey?
• And my grand discovery? The workshop actually did attract the highschool and middle school art teachers, people already dedicated to the arts and excited to meet with like-minded colleagues to soak up more about the topic. And the relaxing art making, along with the peer discussion on art techniques and how those can be applied to the classroom, was the perfect art therapy to end a crazy day. I'm thinking Thursday evening studio time at the gallery may be my new favorite idea to brainstorm! What do you think? Are you up for a little studio time at the gallery? We'll see what we can arrange...

An Easter overview.

Let's talk mixed media and Easter eggs. Better yet, let's do it!

We talked about what mixed media is (which is using anything and everything to make art with!) and big hands and little hands created side by side. Family Art workshops may be my new favorite thing. What better to nurture the natural creativity littles have than to get the big people in their lives creating alongside them.  

Today...

• I battle the chill in the air to get to work. You know when the calendar says Spring, so you just can't face your winter jacket anymore, even though you think your fingers may fall off from cold? That was me this morning.
• I open up the gallery, turn on the lights, and say hello to the ladies, my new friends here. Their names are Alma, Murmet (and his friend Mumble), Cha-chi, Hodmedod, Moggy, tattie Bogle, Moppet, Effigia, Jack-o, and Bambin. I call them the ladies, but some of them are indeed men, Cha-chi to be sure. They're a quiet bunch, but they have so much to say!
• Messages hold two more registrants for our workshops with Carol and WhiteFeather this weekend!
• First up on the agenda, well actually that's coffee. Second thing on the agenda? Find a new artist to exhibit next month. Yep, ixnay on the rothelBay, my artist has backed out on us. Thankfully I was just realizing the other day that I've been fairly innodated with requests to exhibit, so I'm quite confident I can find a great artist in a pinch. Speaks to the richness of our local art scene I think. I'll keep you updated!
• Then on to the lovely world of finance. Time to sit down and punch in the numbers. Every art-type's favorite job I'm sure.

'Til next time, friends of the gallery!