artTag

Posted 18 February 2022 | art, Art education, class, craft, drawing, learn to paint, painting, raffle

February Curator of Education Blog

Classes

Winter Session 2 is starting the week of March 21st! We have all your favorite art class offerings this session. Classes fill up quickly, so make sure you reserve your spot today! A great way to see what classes we have to offer is to check out our website at www.studio23baycity.org. You can also stop in to Studio 23 and pick up a Winter Session schedule. 

Spring Fever Raffle

March 1st we will start our Spring Fever Raffle. The profits from this raffle will go to our Culver-Jones Scholarship. The Jones Memorial Scholarship for the Visual Arts was established in 1994 in memory of Dr. Culver Jones and his wife, Beatrice. Dr. Jones was a gifted artist himself, and he and his wife were dedicated and devoted to furthering the interest of the visual arts in Bay County. Their support of Studio 23/The Arts Center throughout the years has contributed greatly to the growth and continued interest in the visual arts in our community. The purpose of this scholarship is to recognize, encourage, and assist students who wish to pursue a career in the visual arts.

 

Every Friday in March we will be giving out one prize a week! Didn’t win? Your ticket will stay in the drawing for the additional weeks in March for more chances to win! 

 

You could win one of the following! 

4 craft bar packets of the winner’s choice

one children’s class

one adult class

Neurographic collaborative art piece by our teen class

 

$5 a ticket or 6 for $20 

 

Stop in to Studio 23 to purchase tickets starting the end of February or call (989) 894-2323.

 

Upcoming classes/workshops/camps

Try It Session: Calligraphy March 12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Try It Session: Adult Origami March 26, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Melt making w/ Dark Candles April 2, 1-4 p.m.

Beginner Stained Glass w/ Donna Martin April 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Woven Bracelet Workshop w/ Angela Griebe April 23, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Craft Bar: Tues.–Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

What is Craft Bar?

The Studio 23 Craft Bar is a walk-in, self-service art experience. You can come in at your convenience and choose a project from our menu, and we will give you a packet with your instructions and supplies. Just need the supplies? Order from our A La Carte menu for paints, canvas, and more!

www.studio23baycity.org

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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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The Importance of Summer Art Camp
Posted 29 May 2021 | art, classes, classroom, membership, painting, studio 23

The Importance of Summer Art Camp

Whether your child is an artist, athlete, or mathematician, an art camp can help your child balance-out and help further develop their growing brain. A recent Harris Poll revealed that 93 percent of Americans consider the arts to be an important connection to learning and success. Research shows us that arts-based education wires and rewires our brains for creativity in ways we are really only beginning to understand.

When it comes to shaping young minds, summer art camps have become an essential piece of the puzzle. The art camp activities can stimulate young minds with new concepts and skills, as well as lessons about art and art history.

Some children that absolutely love a specific art form find that getting an uninterrupted amount of time at art camp strengthens their skills and nurtures their talents. Many of these students may not even get time to dedicate to art during the school year. So art camp can be even more important to development for these students.

Even if your child is not a budding young artist, summer art camp can be a good option for your child with many benefits. Studies show that children of all ages who participate in the arts perform better on standardized achievement tests than students with low arts involvement.
Art also becomes another way for children to express themselves. By encouraging communication with new friends, summer art camp students can gain a big confidence boost, which can in turn be beneficial in how they communicate at home, school and with other adults.

Students who participate in summer art camps often work collaboratively to create projects, which teaches negotiation skills. They learn to work through creative differences, compromise, and learn that they can collectively create something great.

By interacting and working with a different students, children also learn an appreciation of different perspectives. They observe how other kids create different artwork based on the same instructions- a great way to teach students that just because something is different, doesn’t make it wrong!

Studio 23 is offering four different summer art camps for students aged seven to twelve.

June 21-25

July 12-16

July 26-30

August 2-6

All camps run 8:30-3:30 Monday through Friday and culminate in a student art show at the end of the day on Friday. Cost is $160 for members and $190 for non-members.

We have limited seating in these camps so you’ll want to register your student right away. You can register through our website www.studio23baycity.org or by calling the studio at 989-894-2323.

We hope to see you at art camp this year!

Autumn Reyes

Education Coordinator

Studio 23/The Arts Center

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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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Posted 9 April 2021 | art, art center, classes, collaboration, community, gallery, membership, studio 23

Our members made an impact!

Collaboration within our community is really important to us at Studio 23. Beginning in January this year, our membership committee created a Membership Drive that would give back to two nonprofits in our region. As I hope you know, Studio 23 has been a registered nonprofit for over 60 years. We were founded in 1959 by a group of artists and community members who wanted a space for artists to display their work.

Studio 23 is a part of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and a local Rotary Club. It is a great way for us to network and to know what others are working on. With our connections we reached out to the Bay Area Women’s Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters to collaborate with us for our Membership Drive. Happily they both accepted and we got to work!

With each new member and renewing member we donated a Craft Bar packet to a child in their care. What is a Craft Bar packet? It is an art project that has step by step instructions with all of the art supplies in one convenient packet for you to use. We sell our Craft Bar packets during open gallery hours and they make a perfect project for you to gift or to create on your own!

We set a lofty goal of 100 members in three months. Well, we came really close at 87 members and we are proud to say we still donated 100 Craft Bar packets to children through Bay Area Women’s Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Last Friday, we dropped off the donations and here is how they impacted the organizations:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great Lakes Bay Region has a mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Their vision to help all youth achieve their full potential. Last week I got to sit down with Rachel Sprunger who is one of two Bay County Match Coordinators, and discussed the impact of the Craft Bar Packets.

“Being able to do arts and crafts is wonderful for our littles. It helps keep them creative and focused. With art they can have a creative outlet and it helps them grow and find their strengths” – Rachel told me how art really makes an impact on the littles. The packets will be porch drop offs that the littles and bigs can do virtually together. We can’t wait to see what they create!

Big Brother Big Sisters is always looking for BIGs. There are currently about 12 littles in Bay County who are waiting for a match. BBBS receives referrals of littles from our school system and has a partnership with the Dow Bay Area Family Y. For more information about becoming a Big or referring a little contact BBBS at 844-4BE-ABIG or visit our website https://bbbsgreatlakesbay.org/.

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The mission of the Bay Area Women’s Center is to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault.  BAWC provides free-of-charge crisis intervention, advocacy and safe haven to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and violence prevention education to the community; while actively pursuing social change.

I got to speak with Maggie Pickering who is a Sexual Assualt Therapist and Jeremy Rick who is the Executive Director of the Bay Area Women’s Center. The Craft Bar Packets will be given to their clients who are in their shelter. Maggie said that “art has a therapeutic power and it helps her work with clients”. They provide therapy services in person and virtual.

“Anytime we can expose our kids to something positive and fun, we can help them better”, says Jeremy. Their goals at the shelter are to help empower the children to keep them safe. A lot of times when families come to the shelter, the children feel guilty for their situation. Art can help them erase the guilt as they work with their therapists to better themselves and their family.

 

It was such a pleasure to donate these art packets to two organizations who will benefit. Art is a wonderful thing and now it can help these children be empowered and get creative. With your support as members, these kids were gifted the joy of art!

Thank you for reading along and sharing art with our community! You can sign up to be a member today by visiting: https://www.studio23baycity.org/membership/

Sincerely,

 

Tara Welch

Executive Director

twelch23@studio23baycity.org

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Spring is coming!

We were chatting as staff here at Studio 23 and we are shocked with how quickly time is going! April is here and we are prepping for our Summer Art Camps, Summer Solstice event and even the Chalk Walk Art Festival.

Exhibition: Land To River, A collaboration with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and sponsored by Waste Management.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood to take a Plein Air Painting Class with Artist/Instructor Ruth Howell.
Ruth will guide you through painting outdoor scenes in plein air. The class will cover supplies, equipment and tips to paint outside. Artists are encouraged to work in a painting medium such as watercolor, oil, acrylic or pen and ink.
This workshop will run rain or shine- shine will get us outside and rain will keep us painting from the stage windows inside Studio 23.
Saturday, April 24th 10am-1pm

The social season is upon us! Grab your friends and join Studio 23 for a Bridgerton inspired paint night. Each attendee will learn how to paint a custom wooden tea-cup holder while enjoying a night out. And because you’re creating it yourself, you’ll be able to personalize your own colors selections.

You bring your beverage of choice and we will provide pizza, breadsticks, and all the supplies you need to complete this beautiful cup holder!

Thursday, April 29th 6-9pm

 

 

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Art Ed with Autumn: Upcoming Workshops
Posted 27 March 2021 | art, artist, classes, classroom, drawing, events, painting

Art Ed with Autumn: Upcoming Workshops

We have some very exciting workshops coming up at Studio 23! First up, we have our children’s spring break art camp. Ms. Sue has a whole itinerary planned and her student artists we make passports to travel the globe learning about art from around the world. This camp starts on Monday however, there are a few seats available and if you’re interested you’ll want to register today!

Next up we have an en plein air workshop with artist Ruth Howell. Ruth has been teaching our acrylic class for a few years now and to know her is to love her. Ruth is a wealth of knowledge and truly enjoys sharing that knowledge with her students.  Ruth will guide you through painting outdoor scenes en plein air. The class will cover supplies, equipment and tips to paint outside. Artists are encouraged to work in a painting medium such as watercolor, oil, acrylic or pen and ink. This workshop runs on April 24th and is filling up fast- seats are limited so you’ll want to sign up soon!

The next workshop we’re offering is mixed media with artist Misty Coss. Misty has been creating in mixed media since she was a child but, really started refining and honing her skills as she worked towards her bachelor’s degree at SVSU. Misty’s workshop will offer a variety of techniques to help springboard your journey in Mixed Media. In this workshop you will work on process-based projects that will allow the students to create their artwork and develop new techniques to incorporate into their skillset.  The course will also encourage thoughtful choices of material and enhance the process of using the materials to conceptualize themes. The project is a portrait-themed project. Great to create a photo of yourself or loved one. And while everyone is working on portraits, the sky is really the limit when working in mixed media. This workshop runs Saturday May 22nd and you can register online or by phone.

 

We’re also offering a new featured Sip ‘N’ Swirl based on the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. We’ll be spillin’ the tea and painting the night away. Grab your friends and enjoy a night out while you create with us!

Lastly, I want to mention our summer art camp program. We’re taking registration for all of our summer art camps and let me just say… y’all are going to be so excited! Ms. Sue has been busy planning some fun, educational, and down-right cool projects for these sessions. Our in-studio art camp runs 8:30-3:30pm.You’ll have some fun with Ms. Sue while you learn some great art techniques and history! You’ll use all different art mediums, so be prepared to paint, draw, mold, and everything in between!

 

 

I hope you’re as excited as I am about these upcoming workshops and I can’t wait to update you on more summer workshops in my next installment. And if there’s a workshop you’d like us to offer please send me an email- I’d love to hear from you!

Autumn Reyes

Education Coordinator

Studio 23/The Arts Center

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