art galleryTag

Posted 7 January 2022 | 2022, art, art center, art gallery, book club, community, word of the year

Building Momentum for 2022!

Momentum

Our word of the year for 2022.

In 2020 we picked the word ENGAGE. In hindsight it was the perfect word. I am still so proud of the staff of Studio 23 for pivoting so quickly to provide virtual engagement during the shutdown. We didn’t skip a beat and made sure that art was still accessible to our community.

In 2021 we choose the word ELEVATE. We felt that we could continue to elevate the visual arts within our community. One of my favorite projects was the Summer Solstice program. Michigan Sugar partnered with us to provide business development and artist opportunities. It was such a fabulous event we can’t wait to share what we have in store for this year.

Not only did we have great success with that program, we also created Sails Away, a progressive painting. This project was a great collaboration between six talented artists; Alan Maciag, Misty Coss, Debra LaRocque, Ruth Howell, Sheri Moore and C. Joanne Grabinski. This piece turned out amazing and was a wonderful community outreach project for us.

As we navigate through this year, our community needs art. We want to continue to provide the momentum to create, to view, to discuss, and to connect with other artists. The energy can be felt as soon as you walk through our doors or log in to a virtual session. Let’s keep that momentum together and have a creative year ahead.

Thank you for being a part of Studio 23. I feel so lucky to be a part of this artistic community. This past year I have seen amazing artwork be created, on display and collaborations. With the support of Amy G., Misty, Randy and Amy W. we are going to have a great year.

Let’s have a creative year! I hope to see you in the gallery soon.

Sincerely,

Tara Welch

Executive Director

twelch23@studio23baycity.org

Upcoming Events and Workshops

Weekly classes for adults and children begin on January 17th. Check out the education tab on our website to view all the options. Children classes begin at age 7 and adult classes begin at age 18. From pottery to drawing, and watercolor to poetry, we feel we have something for everyone!

Beyond Photography, a stunning collection of cemetery photos by Michael Joseph Murphy. You are invited to a public reception on Friday, January 14, 2022 from 5pm-7pm. This exhibit will be on display from January 12th to January 29th.

The 100 Day project is back for the fourth year!! This year we are using our word of the year MOMENTUM to inspire us. If you can commit to 5-10 minutes a day to create, this is the project for you. Are you trying to work on a new process or have some projects you want to finish? Join other like minded individuals and challenge yourself to 100 days of work.

We will be holding an information session about the 100 Day project virtually on Tuesday, January 11th at 3 pm via Zoom. You are invited to join that session for questions and answers by following the link here on the 11th.

Our first day kick-off session will be on January 25th from 4 – 5:30 pm. This will be a hybrid style check-in with options to join us in the classroom or virtually over Zoom. We will have meetings at the 30, 60, and 90 day marks with a final celebration after the 100 Days on May 10th.

Our guiding word for 2022 is momentum. You may use this as a theme throughout the 100 days or choose your own, but I hope we will all find the momentum we need to have a successful 100 days and more!

To register for the 100 Day Project, please visit our jotform link by clicking here. Registration and membership to Studio 23 is required to participate, and there is a registration fee of $10.

Books on Art: February 16, 2022, 4pm on zoom

Announcing our first book for 2022 Books on Art Club! We will be reading The Flowering, An Autobiography of Judy Chicago. Artist Nancy Philo will be leading our discussion. Nancy has been an artist collective member at Studio 23 for a few years and she is now teaching two classes for Studio 23. Make sure to check out our class schedule for some options!

If you would like to be notified about book club activities, please send us an email. We will update your interests in our database.

Don’t forget to start at smile.amazon.com when you shop! Select Studio 23 as your charity and we receive of portion of your purchase. This helps support our exhibits, programs and public art initiatives. Thank you for your support!

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Curator’s Clipboard: “The Circuit” for displaying artwork with Studio 23
Posted 16 October 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: “The Circuit” for displaying artwork with Studio 23

Let’s talk about “The Circuit” for more opportunities to display your artwork.

 

Being a member of Studio 23’s Artist Collective has advantages! We are always on the lookout to find venues that would welcome display of our member’s artwork. We have criteria such as the ongoing audience of the venue, the professionalism of the staff at each venue and the alignment of a positive value system with ours.  Currently we have four venues that keep our outreach exhibit opportunity circuit board spinning.

  1. Bay Area Chamber of Commerce displays artwork in their boardroom. They are back to regular in-person meetings and the walls are perfect for intimate viewing of art. Makes the meetings much more interesting!
  2. Bay City Players has an inviting gallery setting with excellent lighting and slat-board hanging system. Their audience can view the exhibit before, at intermission and after the performances.
  3. MidMichigan Health Park-Bay made a commitment to artists early on in their construction. A designated rotating gallery lobby displays both 2-D and 3-D artwork throughout the year for the enjoyment of their clients and staff.
  4. Water Street Nutrition is located right across the street from Studio 23. This upbeat location is perfect for abstract paintings as well as traditional art that is vibrant in colors. They are huge fans of social media so we love to share “art sightings” on our stories as well.

 

Clockwise from top right:

MidMichigan Health Park-Bay, Water Street Nutrition, Bay City Players and Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

Our next opportunity is a Call for Artists in Michigan.

It’s time to think about our annual Black & White Gala and Art Auction.

We will be continuing with our online auction this year as it was a great success! We are taking applications now. Artists, thanks for considering!

One to Show and One to Grow

Virtual Art Auction/Gallery Exhibit

Black & White Affair Art Auction 2021

Studio 23/The Arts Center’s major fundraiser of the year will feature an art auction with two exciting components: auction and gallery space both online and inside the Tabor Gallery of Studio 23. Artists donating one artwork for the Black & White Affair art auction will have the additional option of presenting another piece of artwork for sale at the usual gallery split of 60% to artist and 40% to Studio 23. This is an opportunity to show your work and grow your visibility in the community of art collectors in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Both artworks will be featured on the online art auction gallery website as well as “in person” in our Tabor Gallery at Studio 23. We will be taking auction bids on your donated art, and we will have your artwork for sale set up as a “Buy Now” option. 

This One to Show and One to Grow concept was introduced last year for the 2020 Art Auction. Here is a 2020 video interview with marketing expert Donna Wagner of DMWagner and Associate and our curator, Valerie Allen on networking for artists. 

Here is the link to the Online Art Auction/Buy it Now Event Application.

Below are photogaphs from the 2020 Black & White Affair Art Auctions displayed in the Tabor Gallery of Studio 23. 

       

Become a 2021 Art Advocate today and celebrate artists!

Click here for our donation page!

The first 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region was held in September 2017. This event has propelled over the past four years with help from businesses and community supporters. This biennial exhibit is alternated with an all-state exhibit for Michigan artists. Through Studio 23’s Art Advocate campaign, there has been over $10,000 in cash prizes awarded as well as a $12,500 investment in the Art Around the City Public Art Project. This specific art advocacy campaign also provides support for educational growth seminars for artists. Momentum continues as the number of 50 Art Advocates grows for 2021. Thank you to all who have joined to date and we welcome others to  join today!

Current list of 2021 Art Advocates to date Friday, October 14, 2021

Leeds and Margaret Bird, Thomas Bock, Larry and Shanna Butcher, Dr. Cheryl Canfield, Dr Rajesh and Sarah Dandamudi, Janet Darby, Carol Fowler, Bruce Francke, Amy Gibas, C. Joanne Grabinski, Ed and Kathy Langenburg, Alan and Carol Maciag, John McAlpine, Jean McCue, Armin Mersmann and Valerie Allen, Jennifer Paradise, Dominic Sakon, Charlie and Kathy Schwartz,  Jerry Somalski and Wanda Dziwura, Karen Tighe, Tim and Jan Tobin, Mark and Maria Trahan, Dee Dee Wacksman, Brent and Tara Welch, Jeff and Shelley Whitehead, Amy Wurdock, Lori Zurvalec.

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator of exhibits

  PS: Check out our Forgotten Spaces Window exhibit starting Wednesday, October 20, 2021! Over 20 Studio 23 Artist Collective members and nonmembers will have artwork for sale in the window inspired by our regions forgotten, vacant or just plain haunted spaces.

Upcoming Events on our Studio 23/The Arts Center Facebook Page

Curiosities Wonders Exposition Click Here!

Witches Night Out Click Here! 

 

October 23 session with Julie Tyslicky’s Fundamentals of Drawing Click Here! 

 

 

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Curator’s Clipboard: A Celebration of 50 Artists!
Posted 20 September 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: A Celebration of 50 Artists!

You are invited to 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region 2021

50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region + Art Around the City 2021 showcases the works of 50 artists who live and/or work in the Michigan counties of Saginaw, Bay, Midland, Isabella, Gratiot, Clare, Gladwin, and Arenac. A panel of experts in the visual arts and community leaders from the region selected the artists from 108 entries. 50 original artworks are displayed in the Rowley Gallery at Studio 23/ The Arts Center from September 23 – November 13, 2021.  In addition, 50 images from the selected artists are being installed and displayed on weatherized metal plates as part of the Art Around the City project situated along the Bay City Riverwalk and in historic downtown Bay City for two years.

We are celebrating with a public reception on Thursday, September 30, 2021, 5–7 p.m. Meet the artists, view the artwork and enjoy an evening of camaraderie!

Here is the link to the Facebook Event.

The legacy of fine art in our region includes a rich history of artists that include international names such as architect Alden B. Dow, painter E. Irving Couse and contemporary artist, Jim Shaw. Studio 23 credits the presence of many art nonprofits, guilds and associations that promote visual arts in Mid-Michigan as important resources for the artist community. I am thrilled that the ongoing collaboration between artists and communities is encouraging connections that lead to conversations, inclusion and general well-being in our region. The power of art can bring hope, healing, happiness and so much more. This free public reception will be another example of how art brings us together.

Douglass Barron, Bridgeport   Sharon Berkan-Dent, Midland   Nancy Brooks-Siebert, Midland   Sharon Caldwell, Midland   DJ Carmody, Midland     Jeff Caverly, Essexville   Tamara Ebenhoeh, Frankenmuth   Michael Glowacki, University Center   Brian Goff, Bridgeport   Avram Golden, Bay City     Jason Graham, Saginaw   Emmy Heger, Midland   Phillip Hanson, Saginaw   Pamela Hart, Midland   Erin Houghtaling, Saginaw                              Michael Inman, Midland   Danielle Kato, Bay City   Bonnie Lalley, University Center   Debra LaRocque, Bay City   Matt Lewis, Saginaw                           Marti Liddle-Lameti, Sanford   Bruce Lipsitt, Midland    Jamie Long, Midland  Alan Maciag, Midland   Jim Matherne, Essexville                                      Jody McDonald Rider, Midland   Zizelda Moreira, Midland    Allise Noble, Saginaw   Priscilla Olson, Midland    Susan Pack, Hemlock                         Steven Parkhurst, Midland   Mark Piotrowski, Bay City   Katrina Rae, Frankenmuth   Roger Reichmann, Midland   Hermelinda Roof, Midland            Sally Rose, Mt. Pleasant   Stacie Rose, Birch Run   Laurie Russell-Parrent, Kawkawlin   Annie Stout, Midland   Janis Taylor, Mt. Pleasant           Kristianne Tefft, Midland   Suzanne Thomas, Midland   Julie Tyslicky, Coleman   Jan Wegner, Saginaw   Marilyn Whitworth Soules, Midland             Neal Wilcox, Midland   Vicki Winton, Saginaw   Carol Zahn, Midland   Rebecca Zeiss, Midland   Mike Zureich, Midland

The jurors for this year’s exhibit were selected for their art expertise as well as their locations in the region. Jurors from Bay City, Saginaw, Mt. Pleasant and Midland studied over 300 images to select the ultimate 50 Artists. The panel included Janet Danek of Janet Danek Design, Leeds Bird, nonprofit performing arts leader and art collector, Kathie Fuce-Hobohm of Space Inc., and Thor Rasmussen, Saginaw Art Museum and Temple Theater.

Read more about our jurors here on the exhibition page.

Become a 2021 Art Advocate today and celebrate artists!

Click here for our donation page!

The first 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region was held in September 2017. This event has propelled over the past four years with help from businesses and community supporters. This biennial exhibit is alternated with an all-state exhibit for Michigan artists. Through Studio 23’s Art Advocate campaign, there has been over $10,000 in cash prizes awarded as well as a $12,500 investment in the Art Around the City Public Art Project. This specific art advocacy campaign also provides support for educational growth seminars for artists. Momentum continues as the number of 50 Art Advocates grows for 2021. Join today!

 

The public reception for 50 Artists will be held on Thursday, September 30, 2021, 5–7 p.m. The juror’s Best of Show award of $1000 will be awarded that evening as well as two juror’s cash awards of merit. The award ceremony will start at 6 p.m. There will be a popular vote cash award of $1000 and two honorable cash awards on the images displayed for the Art Around the City path. Those awards will be announced on closing day of the exhibit, November 13, 2021 at 1 p.m.

 Our hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Please stop and view the new exhibit.

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator of exhibits

Upcoming Events on our Studio 23/The Arts Center Facebook Page

 

Studio 23 “Call for Artists” to exhibit Forgotten Places in our window gallery.

Click Here 

Curiosities Wonders Exposition

Click here

 

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Curator’s Clipboard: Instagram for Artists
Posted 28 June 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: Instagram for Artists

Artist Bonnie Lalley and her presence on Instagram is a visual feast!

You can find our upcoming exhibiting artist, Bonnie Lalley on Instagram and follow her tastefully curated grid of images. She intermingles art photos, videos and story telling elements throughout her feed.

Artists are naturally drawn to Instagram due to its emphasis on images with short descriptions and the feed that is constantly changing with the option of quickly paced stories. This model lends itself to work-in-progress images, finished artwork available for sale and personal tidbits on the artist that relate to the art audience.

Tap on this link for a fun video of Bonnie painting. 

Bonnie is an expert on adding relevant hashtags to her work. Long story short, hashtags are labels for content. It helps others who are interested in a certain topic, quickly find content on that same topic. Here are just a few of the ones she uses to promote her posts. #artistslife #floraandfauna #paintingsonpaper #artistsoninstagram #collage

   

I would describe Bonnie Lalley’s Instagram presence as a total lifestyle experience. Her artist bio describes her life is these words: Bonnie Lalley is a full-time artist/illustrator living on a smallholding, in the American Midwest, with a man, even chickens and a dog. She lives in a century old farmhouse restored by her cabinetmaker husband, Timothy Lalley,  who is also the maker of frames  for all of Bonnie’s work. Being a dedicated Biophile, the flora and fauna surround the Lalley home is a constant source of wonder and inspiration for this artist.

Now that’s an Instagram story if I ever read one! Be sure to follow Bonnie at @bonnielalley on Instagram and save the date for her exhibit, July 22–September 11, 2021. We will be having an extra special reception for her on Friday, July 30, 2021, 5–7 pm and you are all invited! See you there!

Upcoming Events

Painters & Potters: Students, Faculty and 100 Day Project Members Exhibit continues until July 10, 2021.

Downtown Bay City Sidewalk Days is July 22–July 24, 2021 with Throwback Thursday, Perfect Picnic Friday and Sizzling’ Saturday!

Reception for Bonnie Lalley at Studio 23 is Friday, July 30, 5–7 pm.

Chalk Walk Festival is Saturday, August 14, 2021.

 Our hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Please stop in!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Art Ed with Autumn: Supporting the Arts
Posted 24 April 2021 | art, art center, art gallery, classroom, drawing, painting, studio 23, support, watercolor

Art Ed with Autumn: Supporting the Arts

Hello everyone and thanks for visiting the Studio 23 art education blog! 🙂

First, I just want to remind you that we have some really great classes starting in our spring session here at Studio 23. Adult clay, kids clay, drawing, painting, art for kids and teens… we really try to offer a diverse selection of classes. Also, by taking art classes at studio 23 you’re not only learning valuable art skills, you’re also supporting your local art hub AND helping make art accessible to EVERYONE in the Great Lakes Bay region. So what are you waiting for? Check out our selection of classes and register today!

Check here for adult classes!

Check here for child classes!

While on the subject of supporting the arts, I wanted to share this fantastic list compiled by Randy Cohen titled;

10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2021

 

 

  1. Arts unify communities. 72% of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 73% agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better”—a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.
  2. Arts improve individual well-being. 81% of the population says the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world,” 69% of the population believe the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences,” and 73% feel the arts give them “pure pleasure to experience and participate in.”
  3. Arts strengthen the economy. The nation’s arts and culture sector—nonprofit, commercial, education—is an $919.7 billion industry that supports 5.2 million jobs. That is 4.3% of the nation’s economy—a larger share of GDP than powerhouse sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and construction. The arts have a $33 billion international trade surplus. The arts also accelerate economic recovery: a growth in arts employment has a positive and causal effect on overall employment.
  4. Arts drive tourism and revenue to local businessesThe nonprofit arts industry alone generates $166.3 billion in economic activity annually—spending by organizations and their audiences—which supports 4.6 million jobs and generates $27.5 billion in government revenue. Arts attendees spend $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging—vital income for local businesses. Arts travelers are ideal tourists, staying longer and spending more to seek out authentic cultural experiences.
  5. Arts improve academic performance. Students engaged in arts learning have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and college-going rates as well as lower drop-out rates. These academic benefits are reaped by students across all socio-economic strata. Yet, the Department of Education reports that access to arts education for students of color is significantly lower than for their white peers. 91% of Americans believe that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education.
  6. Arts spark creativity and innovationCreativity is among the top five applied skills sought by business leaders—per the Conference Board’s Ready to Innovate report—with 72% saying creativity is of “high importance” when hiring. Research on creativity shows that Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged as an arts maker than other scientists.
  7. Arts have social impact. University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates.
  8. Arts improve healthcare. Nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78% deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients—shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.
  9. Arts for the health and well-being of our military. The arts heal the mental, physical, and moral injuries of war for military servicemembers and Veterans, who rank the creative arts therapies in the top four (out of 40) interventions and treatments. Across the military continuum, the arts promote resilience during pre-deployment, deployment, and the reintegration of military servicemembers, Veterans, their families, and caregivers into communities.
  10. Arts Strengthen Mental Health. The arts are an effective resource in reducing depression and anxiety and increasing life satisfaction. Just 30 minutes of active arts activities daily can combat the ill effects of isolation and loneliness associated with COVID-19.

 

Wasn’t that a great list? It made me feel so empowered to help advocate for the arts! I hope it moved you, too, and I challenge you to share this list with 5 friends or family members!

 

Until next time… stay safe and keep creating,

Autumn Reyes

Education Coordinator

Studio 23/The Arts Center

 

 

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Curator’s Clipboard: First things first: the business of being an artist.
Posted 18 April 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: First things first: the business of being an artist.

Artists wear many hats….deadlines and promotion are two of them.

I recently read a super hashtag on Instagram. #ibelieveinartists

Yes, I do and I feel as a curator and working artist I can relate to the many facets of being an artist ranging from creative practice to marketing your brand. It all adds up and each bullet point is important. I’ve missed my fair share of deadlines through the years for calls for artists as well as underestimating the power of a well-placed social media post. Here are 5 bullet points to keep in mind as an artist!

  • Find your tribe or community of artists. This can be a collective, a guild, an association. It’s the group of artists who share encouragement and opportunities.
  • Attend networking events that are either virtual or in-person. Even on the ever-present Zoom meetings your name will be in front of people as an active and engaged artist.
  • Keep a calendar with deadlines so you don’t miss a call for artists. Push yourself to meet the deadline.
  • Post images of your work on Instagram and Facebook. Tell a story about the work as well as title, size and if it is available or sold.
  • Be part of the 10% of artists who meet deadlines, send biographies, provide images that are cropped, sharp and clear and you will be ahead of the game. Be proactive and make it easy for galleries, organizations and the press to promote you.

 

50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region Submission Deadline is Here!

Friday, April 23, 2021

You will find all the information HERE for entering this regional biennial exhibition. Artists selected will be part of the fall exhibit in our gallery at Studio 23 as well as have weatherized image plates placed on the Art Around the City trail located on both sides of the Saginaw River and Downtown Bay City for two years.

There will a $1000 cash award for Best of Show selected by the panel of jurors as well as awards of merit and honorable mentions. Here is complete list of the awards:

$3000 in Cash Awards

$1000 Best of the Region

$1000 Popular Vote

$250 for 2 Runner-ups of the Region

$250 for 2 Runner-ups of Popular Vote

 

The Juror Panel 2021

  Thor Rasmussen is the marketing and creativity manager at the Saginaw Art Museum and the Temple Theatre in Saginaw, Michigan. With a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, he runs a small photography company with a special focus on documentary family and wedding photography. When not working with clients, his personal photography projects explore the observation of place and seeing uniqueness in familiar spaces.

 

  Janet Danek earned a B.S. in art and design at the University of Wisconsin–Stout and began her career designing the interiors of Boeing aircraft.  She later taught design at her alma mater, then moved to Michigan to design museum exhibitions at a Midland firm. As an independent contractor, she has managed the design and production of numerous museum exhibitions. Since 2010, she has been coordinator of exhibits at Central Michigan University’s Park Library.

 

  Leeds Bird is active in the arts community of Bay City. A retired teacher of drama, he owned a professional picture framing business and served on boards of directors for Bay City Players, Studio 23/The Arts Center, and Bay Arts Council. He finds his training in the visual aspects of theater serve him well in appreciating the visual in other arts. His personal collection of art reveals a highly eclectic taste.

 

  Kathie Fuce-Hobohm is CEO of SPACE, Incorporated, an interior design firm in Midland, Michigan. SPACE, Incorporated creates beautiful and functional interior space for their commercial clients in the Great Lakes Bay Region and their federal government clients throughout the United States. Professionally, Fuce-Hobohm is passionate about creating work environments that help agencies and businesses promote their culture, align with their mission and vision, and attract top talent.

50 Artists Application Form: Click Here

Land To River continues through May 15, 2021

Check out our ongoing video series for Land To River that is available on our Facebook Page at Studio 23/The Arts Center. Click here to view our current video on Alex Gilford. 

Congratulations to all the artists in this invitational exhibit collaboration with Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.

The featured artists are Mark BleshenskiZachary BraniganAlex Gilford, Frits HoendervangerErwin LewandowskiAlan MaciagJohn Sabraw, and Larry VanSteenhouse.

Congratulations to Artist John Sabraw on his recent interview with Savvy Painter International Podcast host, Antrese Wood.

Click here to listen to John Sabraw’s complete interview. 

In conjunction with our Land To River events, I will be presenting a Zoom Workshop on Saturday, April 24, 2021 starting at 1:00pm. It will also be streamed on Facebook Live at that time and saved on our Facebook Video Library for future viewing. The topics covered will include: Methods on safely disposing art materials, creating artwork from recycled/reclaimed objects and calls for artists with environmental themes.

Click on photo for details.

Land To River is sponsored by Waste Management of Saginaw

SAVE THE DATES!

Circling back to the beginning of this blog post and the idea that artists wear many hats, during our 2021 Summer Solstice event, sponsored by Michigan Sugar, we will feature professional development Zoom sessions with experts in marketing and social media as well provide creative art making opportunities for artists across our region. Take a peek at this ambitious schedule of events with more being added in the next month. Call us for more details or email me at vallen@studio23baycity.org.

We are open and ready for visitors this spring. Downtown Bay City is bustling with activity!  We continue to maintain our gallery and classrooms safely, wear masks and social distance. Our hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Please stop in!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Curator’s Clipboard: Connecting Collectors with Artists
Posted 20 March 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: Connecting Collectors with Artists

The Story of a Painting

You may have read the bumper sticker saying EARTH without ART is simply EH! Well, this is a story about the word HEART and how when we follow our heART we can end up with Art with a capital A! Read this incredible story written by a new collector about her recent acquisition of a painting by Rosemary Kavanagh commissioned during Rosemary’s My Bay City Family Tree exhibit.

“Hello, my name is Ericka and I am here to tell you about how wonderful and creative the universe really is!

 In order to correctly tell the story, I have to take us back to the 2018 Black & White Affair at Studio 23. My sister, best friend and I were gifted tickets to go. It was a beautiful event and we all felt so lovely dressed up, sipping on bubbly and gazing at spectacular art. Vowing we have to come to this event again.

Artwork credit in photo: Tisch Mikhail Lewis      Photograph taken by Rosemary Kavanagh

Fast forward to summer 2020, Rachel (sister) and I started embarking on a yoga journey that takes place at Carroll Park. There are a few other women who regularly show up and we started to recognize faces after awhile. One of those faces belonged to Tara Welch, executive director of Studio 23. We didn’t chat much but always shared a smile. One day my yoga teacher sent me a photograph.  It was of Rachel, my best friend, and I at the Black and White Affair! I was shocked and filled with excitement when seeing it. When I asked where it came from, she informed me that Tara from yoga class had sent it to her after seeing it on Facebook and recognized my sister and I. Luckily I saw Tara at yoga the next day and I inquired on who snapped it!? She filled me in that it was a woman named Rosemary Kavanagh who took the photograph. Rosemary was reminiscing on Facebook about  joy-filled pre-Covid days and had posted the photograph. Tara also told me about Rosemary being not only a photographer but an amazing artist and how she comes from the Carroll family lineage here in Bay City. 

About 7 weeks ago I decided to join the Sunday morning yoga class at Studio 23, and during that class I was surrounded by beautiful oil paintings of someone’s family. Each pose and different views of the paintings were transcending me to times of the past and I fell in love with the style of the portraits. The more I stared, the more the little dots in my head started connecting together and I suddenly realized who painted these portraits. The name in the corner stated Rosemary Kavanagh and I began to believe that this was the same woman who snapped that picture of us! 

After class I approached Tara about it and she confirmed my suspicions. I knew in that moment that Rosemary had to create an oil painting inspired by the photograph of us she captured. 

 I have always wanted to be transform into a work of art. Being a fellow artist myself, this is such a dream come true. Having my sister and soulmate next to me is icing on the cake. My sister and I decided to go in on the painting and will be sharing joint custody of it!

In this photograph now rendered as an oil painting on linen, I was at a time in my life when I felt truly beautiful inside and out. I had lost 80 pounds, cut my hair the shortest it had ever been and was regaining the love for my soul. In the back was a painting I resonated with too, a face-less plus-size woman with short hair and standing confident in the mirror, nude. I felt her, I saw her, I am her. 

The smile oozing across my face says it all in the painting, love thyself. 

Gratitude for the universe working its magic, you just have to believe.

Written by Ericka DeFord

Thank you Ericka, for sharing this heart-felt story with us. We look forward to hearing the history of Rosemary Kavanagh’s painting as it travels from your home to your sister’s while you share it through the years. I am very happy and honored that we at Studio 23 could do our part to help facilitate this project.

For more information on our Artist Referral Program please contact me at vallen@studio23baycity.org.

Please join us Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5 – 7 pm for the opening of Land To River. We will go live on Facebook at 6 pm for our virtual audience.

Thank you to Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy for collaborating with us.

Thank you to Waste Management for sponsoring this exhibit.

Congratulations to all the artists.

This invitational exhibit includes the artwork of Mark Bleshenski, Zachary Branigan, Alex Gilford, Frits Hoendervanger, Erwin Lewandowski, Alan Maciag, John Sabraw, and Larry VanSteenhouse.

Click here for complete information of the exhibit. 

We are looking forward to welcoming more visitors into our galleries and classrooms this spring. We continue to maintain our gallery and classrooms safely, wear masks and social distance. Our hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Please stop in!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Posted 20 February 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibits

Curator’s Clipboard: A Closer Look

As a curator, I’m very optimistic that this year  we will see the return to more events in the gallery both live and virtually. Our plan is to have hybrid components so that all will feel comfortable and have the opportunity to view the art and meet the artists. In reality, what was seen as problems have blossomed into more robust programming options and better communication. The best place to view all events centered around the exhibitions are on our Studio23/The Arts Center Facebook Page and on our website. Here is a closer look at each exhibition for 2021.

Rosemary Kavanagh’s My Bay City Family Tree will close at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. We recently had a very special Valentine’s event, Love Letters from World War II. This was a hybrid event with both live and virtual components. I interviewed Rosemary in front of live audience and we broadcasted on Facebook and Instagram live. Rosemary read two of her father’s letters to her mother from very historic moments in World War II history. I’m inserting that video here for you. It is about 30 minutes.

 

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 (online March 1, 2021)  will be virtual for 2021. We have had over 130 entries to be included from Bay County art students. These entries were posted by art teachers, parents, grandparents,  family and friends of students, and the students themselves.  We are overwhelmed by the response. The online gallery will go live on March 1st and we will have a chance for all the students who entered to win art-related prizes. These prizes will be announced on Facebook and we will notify the winners by email. Let us know how you like the online exhibit as it will remain on our website for 2021.

Land To River (March 25 – May 15, 2021) is a collaboration with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and sponsored by Waste Management. This invitational exhibit explores the role of artists as communicators, explorers, and environmentalists. Each artist brings their own interpretations to Studio 23 that range from visually capturing nature in paintings and carvings, to bringing awareness to our environment through installation statements , the use of reclaimed materials and photojournalism. The invited artists are Mark Bleshenski, Zachary Branigan, Alex Gilford, Frits Hoendervanger, Erwin Lewandowski, Alan Maciag, John Sabraw, and Larry VanSteenhouse.

Public reception is March 25, 2021,    5 pm- 7 pm.

Sponsored by

 

Painter & Potters 2021 (May 27 – July 10, 2021) is a celebration of our students, 100 Day Project members and Studio 23 Faculty. This exhibit has been a staple at Studio 23 since the late sixties. Our studio school and complete clay studio offers classes throughout the year and we are now back with in-person sessions as well as zoom selections. Students and instructors who have taken or taught classes since January 2020 are welcome to complete the application here. Please contact me by email at vallen@studio23baycity.org.

Bonnie Lalley, artist and illustrator (July 22 – September 11, 2021) This in Bonnie Lalley’s solo exhibit that will include over two years of new artworks. Bonnie’s original exhibit dates in 2020 landed at the very beginning of the pandemic and was postponed until now. Undaunted she continued to create inside the 100-year-old home and studio she shares with her husband, Timothy Lalley, master craftsman. Their residence is filled with amazing natural light, vintage furnishings, thoughtful color that would inspire all artists at every turn. Please join us for her reception this summer on Friday, July 30, 2021, 5 pm – 7 pm. You can find more of Bonnie’s artwork on her website and Instagram @bonnielalley.

50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region ( September 23 – November 13, 2021) This highly anticipated juried exhibit showcases the artwork from the eight-county area of the Great Lakes Bay Region. Artists from the counties of Arenac, Bay, Midland, Saginaw, Isabella, Clare, Gladwin, and Gratiot  are judged by four jurors with backgrounds in art, design, collecting and/or arts administration also living or working in the region. Applications will be available in early March and will be due in late April. The 50 Artists selected will also be featured with images in the Art Around the City public art project in Bay City. Public reception will be Thursday, September 23, 2021, 5 pm– 7 pm.

Chalk Walk Art Festival 2021 (August 14, 2021) This annual festival features chalk art, live music, art market and food vendors on the sidewalks of historic Downtown Bay City near Wenonah Park. The committee is busy planning ways to return this festival to Bay City and meet the requirements to keep it safe for all in the outdoor setting. Follow Chalk Walk Art Festival’s Facebook Page for information as it develops for 2021.

 

Richard VanNostrand Photography (November 27, 2021 – January 8, 2022) This exhibition includes photographs by award-winning Bay City photographer Richard VanNostrand. The family collection includes themes of nature, history, sports and community. There will be a public Reception on Saturday,  December 4, 2021, 2:00 – 4:00pm. Family members and colleagues will be in attendance to discuss Richard’s career in photography. This exhibit will be the featured exhibit for Studio 23’s annual fundraiser, Black & White Affair which will be held Friday, December 10, 2021.

 

I hope you enjoyed this closer look into the exhibit for the coming year. Keep a look-out on our Facebook Page and Instagram for ongoing updates and events. We are open to the public every Tuesday – Saturday from 11 am – 5 pm and we’d love to see you!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Posted 21 December 2020 | art, art gallery, exhibits

Curator’s Clipboard: Welcome 2021 at Studio 23!

2020 – A year of Pivots

2021 – A year of Moving Forward

Looking back our team here at Studio 23 made the best of a situation during 2020. We all had each others back and we all knew when one of us was down, the others were there to energize and encourage.  The best part was when we reopened in June and each day we could begin planning for times that would be better.  Thank you to everyone who continued to visit and show support for our exhibitions we had the remainder of 2020.

Our current exhibition, Rosemary Kavanagh’s My Bay City Family Tree will be extended until March 10, 2021. During the month of January 2021 you can view the exhibit by appointment only. February 2021 we return to our regular hours of Tuesday–Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm.

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 will be virtual for 2021. Our Bay County art teachers are doing all they can to keep creativity alive in their classes as they work virtually. After a survey was completed by the teachers, we realized that our annual student exhibit would go virtual this year.

We are keeping it simple and easy for students and their parents to send images of artwork via this application with the intent that we produce a virtual exhibition complete with an online gallery for the students that include high school, middle school, and elementary school.

Here is a flyer that will take you to the application and we encourage you to spread the word for students to participate. We are planning a contest where each student’s name that submitted an image will be included in a drawing for art-related gifts.

 

Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project

 

Our next step to finding optimism and purpose as visual artists for 2021 is the start of our annual Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project. We started Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project in 2018 and I used a book by Twyla Tharp to connect the dots for motivation. Today, I am reminded of a quote from her book,  The Creative Habit, that stated, “Remember this when you’re struggling for a big idea. You’re much better off scratching for a small one.” With that in mind, I’m happy to announce that our third year of  The 100 Day Project is about to begin!

I will host a Zoom information session on  Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 1:00pm. Click here for the Facebook event to attend. This session will introduce the new features and procedures for our 2021 project. If you are new to The 100 Day Project or a past participant you will find that this session can be the refresh button for your art practice.

There is a penny a day ($10.00) subscription for current members of Studio 23/The Arts Center. If you are not a member of Studio 23 and would like to participate it is a total of $50/$40 seniors 60+ which includes your subscription and  a one year membership into both Studio 23/The Arts Center and Studio 23 Artists Collective.

This year we will be starting a Private Facebook Group specifically for 2021. Your subscription includes five Zoom sessions for Day 1, 25, 50, 75, and 100 that are designed to keep momentum running high! For more information contact me at curator.studio23@gmail.com. You can also go ahead and apply by submitting this application.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION:

 

ANNOUNCING STUDIO 23 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE FOR 2021

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 goes Virtual!

ONLINE GALLERY OPENS MARCH 1, 2021 

Teenworks & Kids’ Kreations celebrates the artwork created by students attending art classes throughout Bay County. This is a wonderful opportunity to see their imaginative art displayed in a virtual exhibition in the online gallery on our website.

Land to River

March 25 – MAY 15, 2021

This invitational exhibit features artists as communicators, explorers and environmentalists. This is a collaboration between Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and Studio 23.

Virtual reception: Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Painters and Potters 2021

May 27 – July 10, 2021

This annual exhibit showcases the artwork created by the talented students and instructors of Studio 23 during the 2020–2021 terms. You are invited to meet the artists and instructors, plus learn more about our education programs during the reception.

Virtual reception: Thursday, May 27, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Afterglow: Immediately after reception

Bonnie Lalley, artist and illustrator

July 22 – September 11, 2021

Bonnie Lalley is a full-time artist, illustrator, and art instructor at Delta College. She lives in the countryside by choice, as flora and fauna are the motifs she loves best. Her 100-year-old home and studio in the Thumb reflect her aesthetic with vintage colors and patinas.

Gallery Reception: Friday, July 30, 2021 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Chalk Walk Art Festival 2021

August 14, 2021

This annual festival features chalk art, live music, art market and food vendors on the sidewalks of historic Downtown Bay City near Wenonah Park.

50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region

September 23 – November 13, 2021

This eight-week exhibit showcases the works of 50 artists selected by a jury of experts in visual art and community leaders from the region. The Great Lakes Bay Region includes the counties of Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw.

Gallery Reception: Thursday, September 23, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Richard VanNostrand Photography

November 27, 2021 – January 8, 2022

This exhibition includes photographs by award-winning Bay City photographer Richard VanNostrand. The family collection includes themes of nature, history, sports and community.

Public Reception: November 27, 2021, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Featured exhibition for Black & White Affair: Friday, December 10, 2021

Your support of all of the programming we did for 2020 such as our Friday Live Videos, Virtual Summer Solstice and MI Artists All-State Virtual Reception is much appreciated and I am grateful! The overwhelming response to our Black & White Art Auction was icing on the cake for 2020. We cannot do any of this without all of our members, artists, sponsors, and 50 Art Advocates contributions. Many thanks and I look forward to future projects in 2021!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

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Art Education with Autumn
Posted 28 November 2020 | art, art center, art gallery, bay city, classes, community, drawing, Healthy, Safety, support, workshops

Art Education with Autumn

As I was sitting at home last night working on homework I was having a terrible time concentrating. It makes sense, right? There’s quite a bit of uncertainty in the world right now and it just has to have an effect on us… it can’t not! I found myself grabbing a sheet of scrap paper and moving between doodling and homework. Next thing I know, I’m getting my work done.

See, as I’ve grown older I’ve realized that doodling/creating/artmaking is not just fun and not just another distraction. It’s a great way to help us relax and refocus.

 

My homework doodles- clearly I was hungry!

 

So, how does creating benefit your mental health and how can Studio 23 help?

Well, Malaka Gharib, a journalist for NPR, found that in between daily tasks she was always doodling. To find out why she enjoyed doodling so much and what effects it had upon her brain, Gharib spoke with Girija Kaimal, a professor and researcher in art therapy at Drexel University. Kaimal conducted an experiment where blood flow to the brain of a variety of participants was measured. They found that when subjects created there was an increased amount of blood flow to the reward center of the brain. This would suggests that creating art stimulates the reward center of the brain.

In another experiment, subjects were asked to create art for 45 minutes in a studio with an art therapist. During this time, cortisol levels significantly lowered. Additionally, they found “no differences in health outcomes between people who identify as experienced artists and people who don’t.”

What this information suggests to me is right now, during a pandemic, we need to create more than ever. This is why Studio 23 has been offering art classes and virtual art lessons that you can easily follow. I make it a point to post fun, easy projects that don’t require a bunch of fancy art supplies. Because it doesn’t matter what products you use or what your result is- it’s the act of creating that helps center us.

I hope this inspires you to keep healthy and create something today!

Autumn Reyes, Education Coordinator

 

If you’d like to read more on that study, here’s the link!

 

Posted in my office space to inspire me! 🙂

 

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