By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times
This week make sure to submit your artwork to the Oxford Art Alliance’s Juried Show by the close of Thursday August 24th. This is a wonderful national show that is juried this year by Brandywine River Museum of Art’s Executive Director, Tom Padon. Go to www.oxfordart.org for more information and an online application. There are great cash prizes and it is always a wonderful show every year at The Oxford Arts Alliance – so go for it and submit some artwork!
Local photographer, Fred Weyman has just published his first book of beautiful photographs entitled “High Sierra – The Range of Light”, by Schiffer Publishing house. Fred says that “the Sierra Nevada mountains are a photographer’s mecca and that many consider the Sierra to be the most beautiful mountains in the world.” Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club writes: “Fred Weyman’s photographs reflect the same kind of passion for their subject as Ansel Adams” and Goodreads reviewed the book, writing, “There are no words to fully convey the beauty in the pictures of this book. It is page after page of some of the most stunning pictures I have ever seen.” Cheers to Fred, with hopes that this will be the first of many photography books to come! To purchase this book, you can go to Amazon, or straight to the Schiffer publishing site (www.schifferbooks.com), but fair warning, if you are a book lover, you might be stuck on this site for hours as you scroll through their incredible selection of interesting titles. Fred has a book signing at Visual Expansion Gallery in West Chester on October 6th during the West Chester Gallery Walk, so that might be a great time to chat with the friendly photographer and pick up a signed book.
Queen Anne’s Lace by George Weymouth, Brandywine River Museum of Art.
This Wednesday August 23, The Brandywine River Museum of Art hosts “An Evening for Educators” from 6-8pm, which offers a tour of “Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect” specifically designed for those who teach art education, with food and refreshments afterwards. The Museum’s “Gift of the Week” is a print of the glorious “Queen Anne’s Lace” by the late George A. “Frolic” Weymouth. Also this week, Thursday August 24th from 5:30-8:30pm is a “Gin Dinner” at the Museum’s gorgeous Millstone Café. I have never heard of a gin dinner – sounds intriguing! The gin is made by the Brandywine Branch Distillers for Elverson Pennsylvania, and the staff will be on hand to discuss the types of gin that are paired with each course. The food is prepared by Blanch and Shock. Sounds like great fun, but you need reservations, so remember to go to www.brandywine.org to sign up.
If you are in Delaware this week, make sure to pop into The Delaware Contemporary, DCCA, at 200 South Madison Street in Wilmington. This Wednesday August 23rd, there is a moderated discussion and viewing of “Spiral, Recoil” with a cash bar and one free drink. This is the sort of show that you want to chat about during and afterward, so it is a wonderful opportunity to openly talk with other art lovers about what you see in the show.
Portraits of Ukranian women, by Ola Rondiak
Two other new shows at DCCA also just opened this past week: “Behind the Lines” with artwork by painter Ola Rondiak, and “eastern Poesia” with abstract paintings by Monique Rollins. Ola Rondiak’s stunning portraits recall her family’s Ukranian heritage, with visual references to icons, political upheaval and traditional folklore. Monique Rollins’ paintings are abstractions filled with drawing, shape and color where “every gesture, color, and biomorphic forms augur an association to human emotion.” This is a great week to check out the terrific shows at DCCA! By the way, unlike most museums, DCCA carries a price list for the artwork that is hanging in their galleries, so if you fall in love with a piece of art at DCCA, be sure to go to the museum shop and see the price list booklet.
While in Wilmington, also make sure to check out The Delaware Art Museum, with their current major show “The Original Mad Man: Illustrations by Mac Conner” showing concurrently with “The Cover Sells the book: Transformations in Commercial Book Publishing.” When at this museum, always remember to check out their small changing gallery of local art on the second floor.
Many New Moons by Lauren Litwa
Through September 13th, the local gallery within the museum offers “Assemblage: A Regional Collective of Women Artists” showing the artwork of 17 women artists from the Greater Philadelphia area that each incorporate a variety of media in their art. This is always such a fascinating little gallery, and it is great to see so many artistic points of view in works that are being created by living artists of our area. I am particularly drawn to the colorful dreamscape paintings by Lauren Litwa, but each of the artists are interesting and provide a visual pleasure.
Also in Wilmington, Blue Streak Gallery at 1721 Delaware Avenue, The Station Gallery in Greenville and of course Somerville Manning Gallery in Greenville which is showing its fabulous “Andrew Wyeth-A Survey”. The Andrew Wyeth show continues through September 9th and might be your best chance to ever own an Andrew Wyeth original.
Art Watch Radio WCHE am 1520 is this Wednesday August 23rd from 1-1:30 where I will be discussing the “Art of Wine” with Galer estate Winery winemaker Virginia Mitchell, and celebrated wine consultant Denise Gardner.
