A, B, C's of art in Conn.

A:
Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
We visited this wonderful museum for an artists' networking event.  Aldrich galleries stayed open late and their exhibits are always thought provoking and 'out of the box' (my favorite place to be!).

James Grashow: Corrugated Fountain

Jim Dingilian-candle smoke drawing

Merging artists - me and Steph! installation bed by Roy McMakin

B:
The Beach and Beth Reynolds - shows in West Hartford and Canton                      

Beach Paintings April1-April 15 Reception: Sunday April 1 from 3-5pm at Engel and Voelkers Real Estate office 130 Memorial Rd Blue Back Square and Garden and Beach Watercolors April 20-May 21 Reception: Saturday April 21st 6-8 pm  Gallery on the Green Rt 44 Canton

B:
and my own beach photos of Milford's Silver Sands in March:

C:
Creative Arts Workshop's latest exhibit

March 30 - April 20, 2012  Opening reception: Friday, March 30, 5 to 7 pm Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; Saturday 9 am to 12 noon Free and open to the public   Please join us from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, March 30, for an opening reception for Van Chu: Prizewinner of Seeing Seeing. In this exhibition, Chu presents a selection of images from his series Photographic Brushstroke. The series combines the relatively new medium of digital photography with the ancient art form of Chinese ink painting, as Chu takes multiple exposures of pigment spreading in water and then layers them into a single image which may call to mind "a dragon, a landscape in the sky, a war-torn area filled with burning trees and mushroom clouds." The show also features new work from three Honorable Mention winners from Seeing Seeing: Susan Bender (Branford, CT), Justin Ginsberg (Dallas, TX) and Tom Peterson (Hamden, CT). Also on Friday, March 30, from 5 to 7 pm, join us for an opening reception for Bart Connors Szczarba: Hanami. 'Hanami' is the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. The exhibition presents new photographs by Szczarba that celebrate the fleeting annual display of cherry blossoms in New Haven's historic Wooster Square.

C:
and Chester Gallery features Katie Samuelson, opening April 1

Go Live!

Great happenings this weekend with art and music:
Crewel Linen:
Cate's installation is AMAZING, go see it!  Cate is amazing too!

  

                                           

Unfinished Business:

A Panel Discussion on the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and Cate Bourke's memorial installation Crewel Linen: Unfinished Business. What does the past still have to teach us about workplace safety, labor organizing and immigrants' rights?

Members of the panel are Jennifer Klein, Professor of History at Yale University,

Megan Fountain of Unidad Latina en Accion, and Cate Bourke.

Moderated by Henry Lowendorf,

Chair, New Haven Peace Commission

Saturday, March 24, 2 until 3 p.m.

People's Center,

37 Howe Street,

New Haven, CT

followed by a reception from 4 until 6 p.m. at the

West Cove Studio,

30 Elm Street,

West Haven, CT

Bourke's centennial/commemorative work in memory of the 146 individual workers who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, is made up of an eight foot length of shirtwaist cloth for every one of the victims, with a name embroidered on each panel.

The installation is now on view through March 25, 2012

http://www.westcovestudio.com/exhibitions.html

Friday and Saturday, 10 until 4

or by appointment, phone 203-500-0268 for directions

And live music in West Hartford:

String Band featuring Sam Moss -
from Sam:

STRING BAND, will be playing in West Hartford, CT tomorrow night at 21 Vanderbilt Rd, the house where I grew up! Music will start around 8 pm, but feel free to come a few minutes early! There will be refreshments. It would be wonderful to see you. Call or email if you have any questions: 860-882-7729.

We will have copies of our debut album available at the show, which you can listen to here. You can also see us in Collinsville in a couple weeks, or head to our website for a complete schedule:

3/23- West Hartford, CT- House Show at 21 Vanderbilt Rd, 8 pm- Free! (donations welcome)

and Balkun Brothers Blues on Sat.:

By DOMENIC FORCELLA at The Middletown Press

BLUES BEAT: Catch the Blue Lights at the Blues Blizzard, Saturday

Get ready for another Blizzard.  Saturday it is the Connecticut Blues Society’s Blues Blizzard.  As in the past it will be held at the Hannon-Hatch VFW Post on 83 South Street in West Hartford.

The doors open at 5 pm, with the music starting at 6 pm.  First up are The Balkun Brothers Blues Band.  The bands start on the hour with Junior Krauss & the Shakes up next.  They are followed by The Walter Lewis Blues Trio, Washboard Slim & the Bluelights, and The John Bailey Band featuring Eric Ducoff closes the show.

The Blizzard has a reputation as one big party.  The bands are excited to play and the people are shaking and dancing off the winter. $10.00 donation at the door.

3/24 SATURDAY 

CT 

Blues Society's Blues Blizzard - Hannon-Hatch VFW Post (83 South St.) - West Hartford, CT

Doors open at 5pm, music starts at 6 

with: 

The Balkun Brothers Blues Band 

back on Campus

College gallery delights:

Classical collections and Anthony Riccio's photographs at the Bellarmine Museum of Art (at my Alma Mater):

Bellarmine Museum of Art's plaster cast collection

Riccio's 1970's photos of life in rural Italy

Bellarmine's guardian

And contemporary sculpture at the Housatonic Museum of Art - wow what art they have in the gallery and the halls!

And at CCSU Chen Gallery (my other alma mater):

CRAFTS 2012

A display of contemporary craft forms by Mark Del Guidice, Peter Greenwood, Judith Laffey, Takashi Ichihara, and Joy Raskin

March 8 – April 12

(Closed for Spring Break, March 19 – 23)

CCSU Art Galleries

1615 Stanley St

Chen Fine Arts Center

Maloney Hall, 2^nd floor

New Britain, CT 06050

Regular Exhibition Hours: Monday – Friday 1 – 4 PM

Call for Artists: WHAL CT +6

CT+6: April 22 - June 3   In an effort to cut down on late entries, we are reminding artists about pre-registration rules, below. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.  CT+6 is open to artists residing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island. Pre-registration is required. Please complete and return the Pre-Registration form with payment to 37 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford, CT on or before March 29th.    If you miss the pre-registration date, you may still enter but will be charged an additional $15 late fee. $20 non-members, $15 members.    Best of Show: $1,000 cash prize, plus a one person exhibit. Second place: $750 cash.  Third place: $250 cash. Additional awards and prizes.  Juror: Susan Cross, curator, MASS MoCA A full prospectus can be downloaded from our website at www.westhartfordart.org West Hartford Art League 37 Buena Vista Road West Hartford, Connecticut 06107

Day off, off season

A midweek visit to Westerly R. I. offered a bunch of art viewing opportunities.  The First Weds. art stroll brought us to the Artist's Cooperative and the local library.

I loved the juxtaposition of these two paintings by the same artist:

Oil paintings by Dennis Sirrine

ck out:
http://www.westerlyarts.com/

and of course, the beach!

This was a whole tree driftwood, root and all - I would've dragged it home if I lived closer!

What's up in the workshop

I recently attended a monoprint class at Creative Arts Workshop taught by master printmaker Eileen Foti.  Eileen was overflowing with information and I was in over my head for sure. With all my mistakes and inexperience, I did manage to get 2 layers on my print and hopefully will finish it with a return visit.

Eileen demonstrating how to burnish the applied gold leaf.

my print, w/gold leaf, step 1

With added layer of black ink, step 2

more to come…

ck out:

CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOP: New Haven's Community Art School

www.creativeartsworkshop.org/

In a workshop closer to home, guitars are on the bench - getting ready for the Farmington Valley Guitar Show later this month.  Steve's on a mission to show off his expert craftsmanship with a self-designed resonator guitar!

Steve shaping the guitar body

then setting the neck.

ck out: 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Balkun-Guitars/165050896850469?sk=photos

http://www.fvguitarshow.com/FVGS2012.html