DT Fine Art

INTO THE GARDEN: Hopewell’s fine art photography gallery features works by Martha Weintraub, whose “Conservatory,” shown here, is one of several garden images on view. Ms. Weintraub creates hand-colored gel transfers from her photographs to yield whimsical and often surrealistic landscapes.
(Image Courtesy of Gallery 14)

The Downtown St. Charles Partnership, in a release, said ^st St., is the sponsor of the Feature Tent, where , will present “The Art of Weaving.”

The release describes Fine Line Creative Arts Center as one of the few regional art centers in the country. The center on the West Side primarily is a school where internationally known artists lead a variety of workshops in textiles, ceramics, graphic arts, metalwork, glass, jewelry, and many other arts and crafts. Fine Line Creative Arts Center has more than 40 faculty members and 1,200 students who participate in 200 classes a year.

This year, in the Feature Tent, Fine Line Creative Arts Center faculty members will demonstrate the following arts of weaving and the equipment and methods associated with them.

Weaving: Making hand-woven cloth.

Spinning yarn used for weaving and knitting.

Ply-split braiding: An ancient craft of the Far and Middle East for making very strong cords and braids.

Felting: Processes for working with woven wool or wool yarn, from treating fabrics to creating shapes and objects.

Basket weaving: Involves wood or reed-type materials and may incorporate anything that can be woven, ranging from textiles to metals.

The 15th annual St. Charles Fine Art Show also will feature a family photo booth, live musical entertainment, a historic downtown trolley tour, artist demonstrations, and the “Art of Weaving” Feature Tent. All St. Charles Fine Art Show activities are free to the public and people of all ages are encouraged to attend. 

The St. Charles Fine Art Show is held, rain or shine, on Riverside Avenue between Main Street/Route 64 and Illinois Avenue in downtown St. Charles. Admission is free, with ample free parking in multiple city lots. For more information, please visit www.stcharlesfineartshow.com.

SOURCE: Downtown St. Charles Partnership

Related:

• April 17, 2013: St. Charles Gears Up for 15th Annual Fine Art Show Is May 25-26
• May 8, 2013: 15th Annual St. Charles Fine Art Show To Be Largest Yet
• May 12, 2013: Spotlight on Two New Artists for 15th Annual St. Charles Fine Art Show
• May 13, 2013: Past Award Winners Return to 15th Annual St. Charles Fine Art Show
• May 16, 2013: 2 St. Charles Photographers in Fine Art Show
• May 20, 2013: Art Talks: Something New at the 15th Annual St. Charles Fine Art Show

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Limited edition fine art prints from an original oil painting by Norman Wilkinson will be boosting the coffers of a sailing charity.

The painting, of big and frightening seas, was commissioned by Colonel Bill Whitbread to celebrate Sir Francis Chichesters pioneering one-stop circumnavigation.

It was presented to the yachtsman after his return in 1967.

Sir Franciss son Giles Chichester says the relationship between the patron and sailor went back a long way.

He said: They were both members of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Bill first had Whitbread sponsor my Father when he made a record breaking solo crossing of the Atlantic in 1962.

Whitbread continued as a major supporter of the circumnavigation in Gipsy Moth IV in 1966-67 and Bill presented the painting to my father.

It remained a favourite of his because he said, the seas were so very realistic – big and frightening.

The 250 limited edition prints measure 76cm x 51cm and are signed and numbered by Giles Chichester.

All profits go to the Gipsy Moth IV Trust, which is charged with keeping this famous yacht sailing. She competed in last weeks Round the Island Race with a crew of disadvantaged children.

The prints cost pound;99 each including VAT, postage and packing to the UK, and can be found online here.

Sheila Hicks is an artist who builds with color and thinks with line. From her earliest work of the late 1950s to the present, she has crossed the boundaries of painting, sculpture, design, drawing, and woven form, and has been a critical force in redefining the domains of contemporary art-making.

As a young man obsessed with driving rapid sports cars (often far too rapidly), I considered myself very fortunate to have my very own mechanic who would regularly tune my latest beasts to perfection. He was a genius, and to watch him go about his work which was his obsession was an honor and a privilege. He rarely lifted the hood until he was ready to perform his magic. Instead, he would just listen not unlike the way a master piano tuner listens carefully to the notes being played.

I knew this mechanic well; he was my father. And he was one of the most intuitive people I have ever known.

Very occasionally, I have witnessed the same thing in my business life, but sadly, it has been far too rare. It is that trait that distinguishes the great manager or leader from the merely good.

Intuition means feeling rather than merely seeing or hearing. We are completely in tune with our team. We understand each of them on a very deep level. We know what motivates them. We are able to stimulate and goad them in equal measure to reach optimum performance levels. As a consequence, we end up with a team capable of remarkable things.

Can anyone become an intuitive manager or leader? Yes, of course. I have always believed that if one person can do something, then anyone can if he possesses sufficient desire.

Example? Up until that balmy May evening in 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England, when Roger Bannister ran the mile in under four minutes, everyone believed it to be impossible. But later that same year, another 16 athletes also ran sub-four minutes, because Bannister had proved it possible.

In order to become a truly intuitive manager you first have to have an interest in people a genuine interest. You need to genuinely care about them, too. Then you have to know and understand yourself well. You have to be comfortable and confident with who you are and with your management style.

When I communicate with my team (and in fact my clients teams, too) I listen for what is not said as much as what is. I understand and recognize gaps in written communication. I immediately note facial expressions, body posture and voice tone. I have honed and developed this skill over the years, and it has stood me in good stead. It is like a sixth sense, and I feel privileged to say I have it.

So, the next time you survey your team, ask yourself this question: Do I feel my team? Do I understand each of them do I need to lift the hood to reach them? Or can I just listen and hear their imperfections, and then fine-tune them to reach peak performance levels? If the answer is yes, congratulations, youre practicing the fine art of intuitive management.

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Amazon, which already sells everything from books to washing machines to industrial equipment, is making what could be its most novel move yet. Its getting into the art business, according to a release Tuesday from Phaidon, the purveyor of art books.

A letter was sent from Amazons development department on Friday inviting select galleries to get together in New York Wednesday to talk about a new site, the Amazon Fine Art Gallery, which would sell original artworks and may launch as early as this summer. The letter from Amazon said the success of some galleries on its site has already been overwhelming.

In general, the contemporary art market is booming and setting records right now. Christies auction house in New York made history last week, selling nearly half a billion dollars worth of modern and contemporary art and setting new records for artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Jackson Pollock.

Will Amazon be able to compete with sites such as Artsy.net (formerly art.sy)?It launched in 2010 and has attracted investors such as Larry Gagosian, the empire building and wildly successful gallerist. Artsys art-focused search engine allows users to discover art that interests them. The online platform has a collection of 30,000 artworks from more than 6,000 artists and the involvement of leading galleries, museums, private collections, foundations and artists estates.

The Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair takes place for the 15th straight year from 10 am to 5 pm May 25 and 10 am to 4 pm May 26 at Sunset Park, located at the corner of North Third Avenue and Florida Street.

As before, the juried art fair features original works of more than 100 Wisconsin and Midwest artists in a variety of media, including sculpture, painting, jewelry, ceramics, fiber and photography. All artwork is for sale.

Returning to the art fair is the Sculpture Garden, a whimsical setting to showcase the work of some of the three-dimensional artists in the fair among topiaries, flowering shrubs, trees and potted flowers from Briggsville Gardens. The aim is to highlight outdoor artwork and help visitors visualize the objects in their own natural spaces.

In addition to the professionals, children visiting the fair are invited to contribute through special kid-friendly art activities.

Entertainment is also scheduled throughout both days, with well-known children?s entertainer Peter Donalds giving shows from 11 am to 1:30 pm Saturday and noon to 2 pm Sunday. Folk-rock musician Coventry Jones plays from 2:30 to 4:30 pm Saturday, and guitarist Steve Lavell performs from 2 to 4 pm Sunday. Strolling entertainers will make their presence felt throughout the park as well.

The popular artwork raffle will again be part of the activities and feature a large selection of items from art fair participants. A variety of food items and beverages will be available all weekend.

For more information, visit the Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center, 36 S. Third Ave.; call (800) 301-6695 or (920) 743-6246; or go to www.sturgeonbay.net.

Its an honor, Larsen said. I mean, this is one of the real cultural events in south Alabama.

Whats more, Larsen, a sculptor who creates primal works out of metal and driftwood, and Nall, famous for his provocative pieces of mixed media, would be showing their works in Hangouts artist compound … meaning the likes of the Kings of Leon and Kendrick Lamar will be strolling through and having a look. And though fine art might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a massive music festival, well, it turns out the two artists are feeling right at home.

To include art [makes sense]; these are all intangibles, music, it goes right to your soul. Larsen said. Its eclectic, we put together different pieces, and music uses different notes, its like a sculpture. Were using pieces people recognize, and I think it evokes memories.

Of course, theres more to the gallery than just giving musicians something to look at in-between complimentary beverages … its also about raising awareness of Alabamas cultural treasures.

It brings a world view; I was doing this thing called Alabama Art, to raise the consciousness of art to the level of the consciousness of football in this state, Nall said. We have musicians, we have writers, we have singers, and nobody is really aware that theyre Alabama people. Were rich in culture.

More than 75 artists from across the United States working with glass, jewelry, metal, ceramics, fiber, paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media and wood will be featured this Saturday and Sunday at the Fine Art at the Village art show.

The show takes place along the sidewalks of the shopping center located at the northeast corner of Adams Road and Walton Boulevard.

We believe the beautiful and relaxed atmosphere of the Village of Rochester Hills is the perfect setting to view artwork of this caliber and meet the artists, said Donna Beaubien, executive director of the festival. Along with enjoying the exciting fine art and fine crafts, patrons can stroll the tree-lined streets and visit the more than 50 intriguing shops and restaurants. Children can enjoy the playground and participate in the free arts and crafts activities.

A special feature of this years event is live artists demonstrations throughout Saturday and Sunday as well as the special childrens activities for the kids both days. The Village of Rochester Hills is also the site of the Detroit Institute of Arts Inside Out program showing reproductions of some of the museums most famous works on the outside of village buildings.

The artists were selected by a panel of experts who juried the entries inviting only those with the highest scores to participate.

During the festival sponsored by Creative Arts Council, a non-profit art group a panel will judge the artwork in the festival and award outstanding entries.

Two area residents among the artists are Nile Kramer of Commerce and Roger Meeker of Rochester Hills.

Kramer was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey a country where most things are handmade. Shes brought that background to the United States making stunning wearable art by combining materials together. Kramer takes a new and modern approach to the ancient technique of felting by combining different fabrics such as silk, cotton and vintage lace with luxury natural merino, cashmere and silk fibers.

She is professionally trained in the fine arts but she said she is also ever-learning and evolving.

Roger Meeker is new to the festival. Originally from Indiana where he went to college in Bloomington at the University of Indiana, he made his way from Indiana to Chicago, then Holland, and now Rochester Hills. He has trained with some of the finest woodturners and won numerous awards. Continued…

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The fine art market is a bubble ready to pop, according to Michael Novogratz of Fortress Investment Group.

In fact, it will be the next gold, he told CNBC, referring to the recent plunge in gold prices.

High-priced art, he noted, shows all the signs of a bubble: speculation, high and increasing prices.

Editors Note: The Final Turning Predicted for America. See Proof.

Art is 100 percent a bubble I mean it has all the markings for a bubble, Novogratz stated. Prices have gone parabolic. You go to any of the art shows and you know even the cheap stuff that was $10,000 two years ago is now $80,000. The expense of art has gotten crazy.

The drop in prices when the bubble pops will be severe. All bubbles pop, and when they pop, they come down a lot further than people think, he explained.

These $90 million paintings, you know, they might be worth $8 million one day. They wont go from $90 million to $70 million. It will go from $90 million to $8 million.

The Federal Reserves policy of keeping interest rates low has added fuel to the skyrocketing art market, according to Novogratz. The Fed has a trickle-down monetary policy because it helps the rich get wealthier from rising asset prices.

Plus, wealthy Chinese and Russians are buying expensive artwork as a means to mover their wealth overseas. Criminals around the world are buying artwork to launder their money, he said.

Thats whats really giving this its turbo charge to the art market.

At a recent Sotheby art auction, a Barnett Newman painting sold for $43.8 million, almost twice as much as any previous Newman painting, while a Gerhard Richter painting that sold for $3.6 million in 1998 was purchased for $37 million.

Many records were also set at a recent auction at Christies that took in a record $495 million, Reuters reported.

We are in a new era of the art market, Jussi Pylkkanen, president and chairman of Christies Europe, told Reuters. There is global competition that we have never seen in the art world before.

Weve reached a stage where its very difficult to gauge prices.

Purchase prices consistently exceeded even high price estimates, Reuters reported. For instance, a Jackson Pollock painted went for $58.4 million, almost twice its pre-sale estimate. A painting by Roy Lichtenstein predicted to go for about $30 million went for $56.1 million.

Editors Note: The Final Turning Predicted for America. See Proof.

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