Ornament Workshop Recap!

On December 5, Charlottesville awoke to billowing flakes.  While some enjoyed the day inside, steaming mug in hand, or even outside, chasing rosy-cheeked rugrats, our friends and members rallied by pulling on parkas and boots to attend SSG's ornament workshop at McGuffey Art Center.

This annual event is always an adventure! Charles Hall, glass artist extraordinaire, has a workshop/lair in the North Basement of McGuffey which is perhaps best described as  a Dickinson-Seuss lovechild.  Menacing furnaces and kilns face a small army of plastic bags full of candy colored glass and the gorgeous curvature of his beautiful pieces which nest in every free inch of the studio. He is a great coach- getting one and all alike excited to create a signature ornament.

The basic process is this : pick your colors, point out a few patterns that you admire, sanitize the end of the glass blowing rod, wait for your cue, and then BLOW with all your might.  Charles turns the rod round and round while your huffs and puffs try to fill out the glass sphere.  Eventually, after many encouragements along the lines of, “Keep going, you got it, blow blow blow!” Charles would yell, “STOP!!!”, lower the rod and then raise it to the light above so you could see the colors start to deepen.  The performance of it all was so amusing that many stuck around to see other members give it a go.  At the end of the weekend, nearly 100 glass balls had been blown!

Everyone left smiling, warmed by hot apple cider, the anticipation of seeing their finished ornaments (since they had to stay in the kiln overnight!), and the knowledge that through this festive crafting they were supporting Second Street and a talented local artist. If you missed out this year, make sure to make a mental bookmark.  Christmas 2010 will be here in no time!

Cheers,

the SSG elves

The studio!

Chip firing up the ornament

Getting ready to blow

 Ta-da...artisan quality holiday ornament!

Behind the Scenes at SSG: Life of an Intern

I remember checking my email last spring and feeling a huge wave of relief flood through my system. The answer to every third year student’s prayer of finding an internship before graduation had been answered: the University Internship Program, better known as the UIP. The pressure to find an internship had been building up and I had little direction as to where to go with an Art History major. The UIP piqued my interest, and their variety of hosting organizations seemed to have a spot for everyone…

And it did. For me, it was Second Street Gallery. Before starting the internship, I had visited several galleries in New York and was always curious as to what went on “behind-the-scenes:” Who chose the art? What went into the installation process? What type of events were affiliated with an art gallery, and how did it promote new exhibitions to the public?

The answers to these questions awaited me at Second Street. I have been interning here since last June and I find myself learning something new everyday. It is interesting to see how different types of organizations operate. Working with a non-profit is a real eye-opener as to how much the gallery depends on the community, which makes our work here so valuable. With a three person staff bolstered with several interns, the input of each person is vital.

As an intern, you can assume that I get the tasks of highest importance at Second Street, such as mailing, filing, and cleaning. (Note: the office of an art gallery is never clean). While these are the duties of every intern across America, I also get to witness and partake in the creative process behind closed doors. Did you know that over 100 artists submit their work each year to be reviewed by an anonymous panel?

Personally, my favorite part of working at Second Street is getting to experience the different artwork and meeting the different artists. The amount of forethought that goes into each exhibit is incredible, namely the time put in by the artists themselves paired with my director’s knack for installation design. It is always fascinating to see the way artists’ ideas manifest into art.

Accompanying the “on-site” part of my internship with Second Street there is a weekly seminar hosted by UIP. These weekly classes consist of discussions of the ongoing events in each of our different internships; it is a great way to see how much one workplace can differ from another. I am appreciative of an office environment where there is constant change taking place around me, where relations in the office are amicable, and where new ideas and creative incentives are valued. As a native New Yorker and as a fourth year student getting ready to pack up, I find working with Second Street Gallery a great way to integrate myself with the community of Charlottesville for my final year in Virginia.

- Chelsea Coppinger, UIP Intern 2009-2010 -

SSG Presents a Member's Show, January 2010

Calling all member-artists! We want to see what you do, what you like & who you are! This will be a fun way to share your work with your peers, the public and to meet, mix and mingle with fellow SSG members. Who knows, you may make a sale, catch the eye of a collector or a curator!

How it works:

Come between 11am and 6pm on January 12th or 13th to hang your artwork. SSG will provide nails, levels, tape measures, ladders and labels. Please bring your own hammer, or any other hanging accoutrements you may need. Staff will be on hand to coordinate hanging.

Criteria:

Work may be in any media but we ask that anything larger than 3 feet x 4 feet be approved by staff. Sculpture and floor pieces are welcome, but must still adhere to above size constraints.

Your name must be presented with the artwork.

All entries must be for sale. SSG retains 40% of sale price.

Submissions must be retrieved Friday January 22 by 6pm.

SSG staff and Board reserve the right to withdraw any entries.

There will be a $15 processing fee for each entry. Members are limited to 2 entries apiece.

The fun part:

There will staff and board awards presented to entries in various categories.

SSG will host a pot-luck opening for the show on “third Friday” Jan 15.

All entrants are asked to contribute to the potluck. SSG will provide beverages.

Second Street Gallery
115 Second Street SE
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.977.7284
Not a member but want to show? Join online www.secondstreetgallery.org

Holidaying with SSG

Somehow in the midst of putting up, member previewing, First Fridaying, taking down, workshops, lectures, and running the day to day, three months have flown by and the holiday season is here!

Insert panic button.

There, there fair readers. We're here to help.  If you'd like to gift family and friends while also supporting your favorite non-profit, contemporary art space consider buying them a gallery membership.  Included in these lovely boxes are a gallery t-shirt, coasters, bumper sticker, and, of course, a membership! Remember, members are the first to hear about exciting new exhibits, the first to see them at our exclusive Preview events, and receive news and special invites to all gallery programming!

We are also holding our annual Ornament Workshop at the McGuffey Art Center on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6 with local glass artist Charles Hall.  Come and blow your own Christmas ornament! Bring a friend!  Make an ornament for a friend or for your whole family! Whatever you do, just make sure your tree is decked with a gorgeous, hand-made, SSG supporting ornament.

It's a fun way to spend your weekend and an original gift idea.  Reserve your space today by calling the gallery at 434-977-7284 or emailing members@secondstreetgallery.org.

p.s. Last plug, I promise.  Have you booked your holiday party space? Call Andrew and mention this post for a 10% discount!!!!

John Grant Workshop at Charlottesville High School

October SSG exhibiting artist John Grant was generous to lead an Outreach workshop with fourteen AP Studio Art students at Charlottesville High School. As a prelude the workshop, the CHS students took a field trip to Second Street Gallery a week ahead of time to see the show. They were able to view Grant's sixteen works of art hanging in a gallery setting, and had some quiet, contemplative time with the exhibition.







This collaboration was great for everyone involved, as the students were able to take a field trip to SSG and see the exhibition, and in turn we were able to bring that artist right into their classroom. The class met Grant personally during morning announcements at the high school on October 27th. We had prepared for the workshop by connecting Grant's scanner and laptop computer to the monitor inside of the classroom which projects onto an interactive white board. All the classes have these white boards, which was essential for our project, and a great tool for teachers and artists alike!



Grant opened a discussion with the students to find out who was really interested in making a career as an artist, and almost all the hands in the class raised up, which he was glad to see. Grant opened up and talked about his journey as an artist, and through that story, we learned a lot about his life. He was a member of the United States Navy, a graduate from the University of Virginia, and a partner in a publishing firm here in Charlottesville. Grant mentioned that fine art doesn't necessarily allow him to make a living, but through stock photography he is able to capitalize on images that he has created which publishers and authors can choose for their book covers.







Grant highlighted Lynda.com as a great resource students who are interested in furthering their design, photography, and editing skills via computer software. The interactive videos allowed Grant to gain an in-depth knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, which he uses to layer the compositions of his photographic works.

For the Hands-On portion of the workshop, the AP students hunted around the classroom for creative objects to be scanned into Photoshop. Grant was particularly interested in a cardboard shoe that one of the students had created. It was amazing to see how three-dimensional objects could be scanned onto a computer by simply leaving the top of the scanner open in a darkened room. We were all shocked with Grant showed how he was able to completely change the lighting, mood, and color of one of his landscapes "Cedar and Egg" by accidentally using a dirty scanning surface! The detail and clarity of the shoe, colored pencils, and light bulb that the students collected can be seen in the pictures below.







Thanks go out to AP Studio Art teacher Jennifer Mildonian, who was instrumental to the organization of the workshop. SSG would also like to thank Mary Johnson for photographing the workshop, and Caitlin Clonan for volunteering her time to help as well. Most of all, thank you John Grant for sharing your story, insights, and artistic techniques with our Charlottesville community.

Post by AG.

Installation Madness!

We were a little strapped for time this week so we don't have a full fledged installation post yet but  take a look at that tri-ladder teamwork... and please join us tomorrow for First Fridays!  Opening in the main gallery are a series of paintings on Duralene by Sandeep Mukherjee and in the Dove is Hilary Wilder's installation of High Lonesome. 
 Check out the website for more details!

Andrew, with interns Chelsea, and Kaye hanging Golden Spiral

The Boys & Girls Club Visit SSG

On Thursday, October 22nd, children ages 6 through 10 from the Washington Park Boys & Girls Club visited Second Street Gallery for a painting lesson led by local artist Susan Patrick.



Eight students stepped off the bus and lined up in the gallery for a tour of John Grant's exhibition "Fairy Tales & Reveries". Settling down in the gallery, the children identified some of the organic images layered throughout Grant's resin-coated photographs.



Susan brought the kids in to focus on John's smallest piece, titled "Carpe Diem" which has a focal point of a bright red leaf floating in a pond. We tied in the concept of decomposition, and how that process leads to the coloring change we see in the leaves during the Fall season (they came up with green, red, yellow, orange, and purple for colors they've seen in the trees outdoors). Susan gave each student an orange maple leaf that she had collected outdoors for reference and inspiration.



Then it was time to paint! One goal was to show the kids how to mix primary colors in order to generate new colors. Using their stirring sticks, the children mixed red, yellow, and blue tempera paint together and came up with a dark green to start painting the stem and veins of the leaf. Susan showed the kids how to connect each segment to form an outline.



Outreach volunteers swooped in with blue and white tempera paint, and the students mixed those two colors to form a blue sky background on their paper. Artistic freedom then took over, and the participants created their own color variations for the four different blank quadrants. Lots of fun, with beautiful results!





Thanks go out to SSG intern Kaye, Outreach volunteer Caitlin, artist Susan Patrick and site directer Olga for their help organizing the workshop. We'll be seeing the Boys & Girls Club children again in November at SSG.



Post by AG

Women for Art - A Photo Recap

In no particular order, here is a delectable spread of pictures we just received in the mail.  Meredith Montague, of Charlottesville, graciously donated her photography services to capture the eats, treats, faces, and spaces of the big event. Enjoy...

signature cocktail : muddled ginger, cilantro, elderberry liquer, vodka, & ginger ale

cheese tray by Whole Foods

arrival and raffle ticketing

dinnerscape tunnel to Georgianne Stinnett's "Dog"

enjoying the John Grant triptych of "Clematis Rising," "Spawn," and "Falling World."

**all still availiable!**

Andy Warhol showed up! the invite said to artfully accessorize...

revelry

best dressed award...

festive feathers

seated for dinner

 

one more, what a roomful!

harvest moon superstars at work

shrimp bisque and thai curried crispy shrimp 

 

seared salmon with yuzu citrus glaze, sesame sauteed spinach, and wasabi mashed potatoes.

 

each woman got a portion of a "did you know" interactive speech about ssg's mission, programming, and the women for art initiative. one woman would stand up and say, "did you know?" while the next would answer. among many answers was, "ssg's mission is to enliven Virginia through access to the best in contemporary art and artists to inspire new ways of thinking, seeing, and doing."

getting things started

 

teamwork

some ladies received slips that said, "just smile and wave!"

Rebecca Schoenthal, the director,  spoke to the need to keep art in our daily lives and the doors open at SSG, 36 years and counting!

Co-chairs Onnie Baldwin and Pam Friedman spoke about the goals of Women for Art and 2009-2010 activities, please email us for details!

 

riveted by the call for support and involvement...

dessert bar of chocolate tartlets, cookies by ABC, and cookies by Brix

wines for the evening provided by J.W. Sieg Wines

raffle time! gifts provided by acac, bikram yoga, nicole sherman, tru pilates, maya, ventana, a painting by marge allegretti, massage by Robin Blanco, Moxie, Blenheim Vineyards, Scarpa, and SSG.

a happy winner

Chelsea, our faithful intern, a bit delirious after the big push...so worth it

a sweet ending to an invigorating evening.  everyone agreed on their favorite answer to the  "did you know" prompt was that, "together, women can accomplish extraordinary things!"

Thanks to everyone that made the night so memorable.

note: all images are credited to &  copyrighted by Meredith Montague Photography