There are 16 days left in 2010. 16!
Since updating the blog and not procrastinating were two of our resolutions this year, we're going to recap 2010 early so there's time to remember, digest, and revel in all that SSG has accomplished in the last 349 days. Deeeeep breath & GO!
January marked our first member show in two years and featured over ninety works by local talent. We also headed up to the Glenstone Collection with Women for Art for little contemporary art field trip fun.
In February, Rebecca Scoenthal (SSG's curator) and guest curator Melissa Ragain wove together the work of nine artists who each uniquely addressed the pervasive imagery of war. The 2010 Educator workshop prevailed against the Snowpocalpyse and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art's Jeffrey Allison led a session on Manuel Alvaro's powerful photography.
April was host to an original, site-specific, Charlottesville -inspired sound and light installation by Takafumi Ide, commissioned by SSG and sponsored by the David Greenewalt Trust. At the same time we showed a playfully jarring body of work by Geoffrey Chadsey.
Family Art Day returned in May 2010 after a one year hiatus, to big attendance and a smiling good time. We partnered with Kid Pan Alley and made six music themed crafts with over 200 local kids and parents.
The Gallery's 36th Season ended with a fantastic installation by Hawaiian artist Margo Ray who also helped us build an impromptu water tower on the downtown mall for our Public Art Project.
Next came summer camp! Our first ever summer art camp was a big hit with kid-cvillains who learned basic art principles by creating mini-me's. There was only time for a short exhale before we started on Season 37 prep and a roof-top-tapas-galore preview with our friends.
This fall SSG has hosted three incredible, challenging and memorable exhibitions with Luke DuBois& Corwin Levi, Dymph DeWyld&10x10x10, and Abby Kasonik&Mara Sprafkin. Throughout almost every month of exhibition programming we are also continually providing outreach workshops to area public schools and the Boys and Girls Club. On top of all THAT, since January '10 we have hosted a brilliant slate of local creatives including Sonia Weber Gilkey, Dean Dass, Jon-Philip Sheridan, Sharon Shapiro, Bob Strini, and Sanda Iliescu at our members-only Artist Forums.
Four paragraphs later and loads of detail suspended, we realize that we have a lot to be proud of and even more to be grateful for. Why? Because we are able to do all of these things thanks to this community and its belief that ART MATTERS. Creativity is the root of all innovation, and as we find ourselves seeking solutions and reinvention, art is powerful example of how free expression can benefit us all.
So bundle up and cozy down with friends and family until January 7 when we'll start a new year and another chapter of all things contemporary at SSG. Cheers!
