ART: Good News

Good News: my piece, Endure, has been accepted into the YWCA’s 34th Women Artists: A Celebration!

Although this juried show is held right here in Youngstown, they receive entries from all across the country. Most of the work submitted is so amazing that I feel like it is an honor just to get in. At the same time, I would be embarrassed if I didn’t because I am on the art committee.  Last year, I didn’t make it… two years in a row would be bad. Of course, the committee has no say on the judge’s decisions.  This year, we asked a highly qualified art historian/professor to be our juror and only stipulation given was on quantity, as the space can only display ye 125.

The show opens June 18th, so I will tell you more about it later.

Thanks for reading!

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Call for 5×7 Donations

A share for our local YWCA.  I donate because their housing programs help homeless women and women at risk of homelessness (with or without children) right here in Youngstown, Ohio.

The juried “Women Artists: A Celebration!” show is an annual fundraiser for a worthy cause that attracts a nice crowd of art collectors and benefactors. It is very well presented.  The donation display is like a show within a show.

Last year was the first year of including donated 5×7 art and most of the art donated was from local artists and/or artists known by someone on the art committee.  They were amazed to receive a donation from an artist in Chicago, so I think it would be really cool and totally blow their minds if donated art arrives from all over everywhere. So, feel free to share!

Thank you!

NOTE:  Here is the call for donations as a pdf for easy printing: 5X7 Artwork Donation

Mosaic Guitar

After posting “June Bug” today, I looked at my last post and noticed that I promised to share the photos of the mosaic guitar now that it is done.  I had posted photos on BeesATC and neglected to post here, so my apologies!

Mosaic Guitar

Mosaic Guitar BACK

If you want to see it in person, it will be in the  32nd Annual YWCA “Women Artists: A Celebration!” show June 21 to July 19, 2014 at the YWCA of Youngstown building located at 25 Rayen Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio.  Tickets are required for the opening night preview party, otherwise the hours are Monday – Saturday, 12 to 4 PM (closed on July 4-5 and all Sundays except July 13th).

The mosaic guitar is priced at $300 because it is my first mosaic guitar and it is not perfect so I would not feel right asking top dollar.   It is grouted and sealed for indoor display.  The back of the neck is painted (not tiled) so it could be hung on the wall with a standard U hook bracket used for hanging guitars.

NOTE:  click on photos if you want to see it bigger.

A treble clef made of copper wire dangles in the sound hole as a tribute to American artist Lily Harmon (1912-1998) because I got hit by a Deja vu when I walked into the Butler Museum of American Art to see her life retrospective show (Trumbull County Branch, 1997?) and saw her guitar assemblage with the strawberry hanging in the sound hole.   I recognized it.  I  knew I had seen that same strawberry dangling inside an old guitar repurposed as art years ago (before 1970?) as it had captured my full attention when I was a child absorbing the colors and textures of art up like a little sponge.   Our guitars may look nothing alike (hers was assemblage art, mine is mosaic, different designs and everything) but my thoughts often turned to her while I was working on this guitar.  I knew that I had to hang a dangle in the sound hole as my way of saying thank you to an artist who influenced future generations.

There are no strings because when some old guitars die, they donate their organs (reusable parts: tuners, nut, bridge, etc.) to cigar box guitar makers so the music can live on.