A Day in Philadelphia

The final days of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's special exhibition: Henry Matisse and Modern Art on the French Riviera are upon us. Opened in December of last year, the exhibit is closing October 25th. Highlighting a vibrant collection of Matisse's paintings of France's sun drenched southern coast, the exhibit showcases why so many artists have been drawn to its beaches through the years.

While you're there take time to enjoy the richness of history, arts, and culinary experiences that Philadelphia has to offer. Spend the day in Philly wandering around its Historic District and sampling the gamut of eclectic dining options. Let your mind wander as you gaze at the inspirational art of the French Riviera and end the day with one of many theatre productions offered in the city.

Better yet, coincide your visit with the Philadelphia Fringe Festival going on from September 4-19. Encourage artists in dance, theatre, music, and various sundry. Tickets run from $10 up and you can visit their website www.livearts-fringe.org and find the right production for your tastes. An annual event that's not to be missed!

Just remember - A fun day is only an hour away!

Glazing with Pencils Workshop

with

Carol Wax

Saturday, September 26

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Using textured, toned or color papers, students will learn how to create black and white underpaintings that will then be glazed with color and graphite pencils. This method can be used to create black and white drawings with enhanced chiaroscuro lighting effects, deeper and more lustrous color drawings or as a technique for making quick sketches.

About the Instructor
Carol Wax is an internationally recognized artist whose paintings and mezzotint prints have been widely exhibited. Her work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The National Museum of American Art. In addition to teaching workshops and lecturing throughout the country, she has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and New York University.

Cost
$99 members
$125 guests

Registration
Call Somerset Art Association
908.234.2345

Please note: There is a $10 non-refundable fee included in the registration

Help Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer

The Somerset Art Association is hosting several events in October 2009, during nationally recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to raise awareness through the power of the visual arts about breast cancer which strikes 182,460 women annually.

 Image Early 

October 4 - 31

Artist & breast cancer survivor Marion Behr chronicles her journey of treatment, hope & survival in this exhibit of provocative sculptural works 

  

Surviving Breast Cancer: Decades of Hope

Thursday, October 8

6:00 - 800 pm

  Panel discussion comprised of medical experts and 

women diagnosed during different stages of life.

 

Image Early Benefit

Friday, October 23, 2009

7:30 - 10:00

 Entertainment by Susan Spiedel whose sold-out cabaret shows and off-Broadway performances have entertained crowds for over two decades.  

Funds raised to benefit

Somerset Art Association

with a percentage of the proceeds to benefit

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation

 

How You Can Help

 We are currently seeking advertisers for the 

Image Early Benefit's Ad Journal 

and/or

 Tribute Page

where we will print a message in memory or in honor of a loved one 

  

To download information about these advertising opportunities,

visit

www.somersetart.org. 

Click Special Events on the side navigation bar.

or call SAA

(908) 234-2345

Ask for Ellen Rannells, Special Events Coordinator

 

Thank you for your support

Last chance to visit the Non-Juried Members' Exhibit!

Somerset Art Association's

Non-Juried Members' Exhibit

 

Last Day to Visit: August 28, 2009

 

Award Winners

 

Best in Show

John Henry

Veil of Perversion

oil

 

Award of Excellence

Seppo Siimes

Tranquility

oil

 

 Award of Excellence

Jinnie May

Filling in the Hours Between Lunch & Dinner

watercolor

 

Honorable Mention

Rose Marie Rodin

Eternal Flame

sculpture

 

Honorable Mention

Pat Barnabeo

Thistle

monoprint

 

Honorable Mention

Lane Scarano

Fortress of St. George

charcoal

 

Summer Gallery Hours
Monday - Thursday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Fridays - 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturdays & Sundays closed

Admission Free. Wheelchair accessible. 

Note: The Gallery will be closed Thursday evening, August 27

Fall 2009 Brochure Available now!

The Fall 2009 brochure is available online at the Somerset Art Association website or call SAA at 908.234.2345 if you would like a hard copy.

Ceramic Studio has day and evening classes available. Check out the fall brochure for more information!

4 Day Botanical Workshop this September

Somerset Art Association

welcomes

Katie Lee

 

 4-day Botanical Workshop

September 8, 9, 10, 11

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

 This workshop will introduce students to the fundamentals needed to render plants and flowers accurately in graphite pencil and watercolor or gouache.  Through a series of simple exercises students will learn how to look closely, understand floral structure and most importantly learn a variety of techniques created to remove the mystery of how to depict botanical subjects realistically.  Additionally, students will be encouraged to keep a 'seasonal nature journal.'

 

Katie Lee is a renowned botanical and wildlife artist and instructor.  A graduate of the New York Botanical Illustration program, Ms. Lee has been an instructor at that institution for the past 16 years.  Her uniquely realistic botanical and zoological paintings have been successfully exhibited in one-person shows in the United States and abroad.  Her paintings have been accepted into the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's publication Birds in Art, 2002 ad 2003.  She ha also illustrated a number of books published by Sounds Prints, Norwalk, CT as part of their Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection. 

 

Cost

$425 members

$475 guests

 

To Register

Call SAA at (908) 234-2345.   Space is limited 

 

Please note: 

There is a non-refundable fee of $50 included in the registration

Graffiti as Art

Teaching junior high school students is not always an easy task. Well, to be honest, it's never an easy task, but some days run more smoothly than others. When I taught art to junior high school students in California one unit in particular captured the attention of my classes - graffiti art. 

I have found that one of the tricks of being a successful art teacher is to find projects that are relevant to students and if they think that they are getting away with something a little devious in the process all the better. 

At the start of this unit I would take the time to have a dialogue with my students as to the difference between unartistic "taggers" and artists who practice graffiti art. Our school, like many in California, was made up of several buildings that connected via outdoor hallways, so between the open campus and being in the middle of a couple strong gangs it made our school walls a constant target for gang tags (symbols, names, initials, etc.). I always emphasized the importance of being respectful of others, including buildings, and ways that artists who are interested in graffiti can make a living being hired to do just that.

I came across an article in the Arts & Design section of the New York Times on two Brazilian artists, who go by the name of Os Gemeos, who recently installed a 17 x 51 ft mural on the corner of the Bowery and Houston in NYC. It's beautifully rendered and filled with vibrantly colored whimsical scenes. The mural  will remain up until March 2010 and showcases a wonderful way in which graffiti art can be tasteful, masterfully crafted, and provide a means of earning a living as an artist.