Flying Brushes

Have you noticed all the great art on the walls in the library lately? Paintings from the Flying Brushes art program are on display until December 19th*. Flying Brushes, run by Open Arms Care, allows people with limited mental and physical abilities to express themselves artistically. Those with very limited physical abilities use an innovative technique called, Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.) to create through the help of an assistant.

Take a break from studying for finals to admire these beautiful paintings before they're gone!

*Correction: The end date was initially posted as December 1st.

CGR

Who Armed and Baptized Renaissance Art?: Surprising Contributions of Monks and Preachers to Artistic Developments

The Kolwyck library is pleased to present part one of a fascinating two-part program during two activity periods this semester. Part one will be February 6 at 10:00 AM in the Library Classroom. Part two will be March 22 at 11:00 AM.

This two-part series is titled Who Armed and Baptized Renaissance Art?:
Surprising Contributions of Monks and Preachers to Artistic Developments and will be presented by Denise Heinly, distinguished Chattanooga State faculty in Art History.

This intriguing half-hour talk explores the puzzle of why museums today are flooded with so many Italian Renaissance Madonna with Child paintings. This presentation will open with the horrific plight of children. Ms. Heinly will explore the shocking sociological-historical information surrounding the sad and grisly plight of children and orphans from the Late Middle Ages through the 15th century. Hear about the church's big family values campaign and how a little known early 15th century Florentine preacher’s “How-to-Parent” book was taken directly to heart by artists and families for well over a century. Discussion time will follow. 

Denise Frank Heinly, a former studio artist, has long taught studio and academic humanities courses in art appreciation, literature and art history at Chattanooga State Community College where she also founded its Outdoor Sculpture Gardens and its art department, which she led for 2 decades.  From the University of Florida, she holds a BA in English, a BFA in studio art + an MEd in art education.  Her art resides in several public collections.  From Chattanooga's University of Tennessee she earned an MFA in writing and has published a few stories. She's led numerous educational student tours to museums, galleries and architectural sites in key US cities or abroad, including 3 weeks in Italy with one scholarship student in 2009.  Her presentations have been highlighted in many professional venues, such as those associated with the Hunter Museum of Art, the College Art Conference, The National Collegiate Marketing Industry and most recently in venues sponsored by The Community College Humanities Association in 2008, 2010 and 2012 and by the Olli Institute at Stony Brook University, NY in 2011, where she delivered 12 lectures entitled "Unveiling Florence."  As an art historian she is a generalist whose research has focused on the complex context within which late Gothic and early Renaissance art was shaped.     

"Who Armed and Baptized Renaissance Art?:
Surprising Contributions of Monks and Preachers to Artistic Developments" Part I of II*

Presentation

By

Denise Heinly

(Distinguished Chattanooga State faculty in Art History) 
Opens with the horrific plight of children...

February 6, 10:00, Library Classroom

Activity Period

*Part One of a Two Part Presentation Series. Part Two on March 22 @ 11AM

Flying Brushes: Meet the Artists Night

The Open Arms Care "Meet the Artists Night" was held in the library on October 18. The Open Arms Care "Flying Brushes" art exhibit can still be viewed in the library until October 31.

Pictures from "Meet the Artists Night" by L. Warren.

Thank you to Laura Young for her work with bringing the Open Arms Care art exhibit to the library and for planning "Meet the Artists Night."
DDH

Flying Brushes @ The Chattanooga State Library

Artwork from Open Arms Care is on exhibit at the Chattanooga State Library during the month of October. The artists whose works are on display have developmental disabilities or physical limitations. Artists use a technique called Flying Brushes, which was developed from Artistic Realization Technologies by Tim Lefens, a professional artist. They often use lasers as pointers.

Meet the Artists is a special event to be held in the library on Thursday, October 18, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Talk to the artists and discover how they paint and what art means to them. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited.

Flying Brushes Chattanooga State Press Release: http://tiny.cc/jcotlw

Open Arms Exhibit 2012 Brochure: http://tiny.cc/openarmsbrochure

DDH

Homeless Art Exhibit Interview on WUTC Radio

An exhibit of artwork by local homeless and other non-traditional artists in the Augusta R. Kolwyck Library was the subject of an interview by WUTC radio. The exhibit will be available for viewing until April 13 and comes from The Hart Gallery TN, a 501c3 nonprofit gallery, which provides a place for the artists to create and exhibit their works.

Recently, Garrett Crowe of WUTC Public Radio interviewed Ellen Heavilon, founder and executive director of the gallery, and Laura Young, Chattanooga State reference librarian, about the exhibit at the Chattanooga State Library. Click on the link: Audio about Local Homeless Art Exhibit
or go directly to the audio here.

Find more information about the Hart Gallery at www.hartgallerytn.com

DDH

Art Exhibit by Local Homeless and Other Non-Traditional Artists

An exhibit of artwork by local homeless and other non-traditional artists will be in the Augusta R. Kolwyck Library beginning Tuesday, March 13, and continuing for a month.  The exhibit comes from The Hart Gallery TN, a 501c3 nonprofit gallery, which provides a place for the artists to create and exhibit their works.  Their extended mission is to supply art materials and mentoring classes to other non-profit community organizations who can provide a space for their clients to participate in art classes.

Find more information about the Hart Gallery at www.hartgallerytn.com

View the Photography of Kevin Livingood

Come see the photography of Kevin Livingood in the library!
Visit Kevin Livingood photography on the web at http://www.kevinlivingoodphotography.com/


Kevin Livingood utilizes multiple photographic techniques to create his final works. He primarily relies upon a style know as "High Dynamic Range"  to merge multiple exposures into a single composition. This technique allows Kevin to accentuate the outlier ranges within highlights and shadows that are ordinarily lost within the confines of a single exposure. 


Kevin also enjoys the art of long exposure photography. Using a specially designed neutral density filter which restricts light to 0.1% of what the human eye can normally see, he is able to produce very long exposures to unveil movement, textures and mood which is normally absent to the human eye.


As photographic art being Kevin’s outlet and form of expression, he prefers to create unique and one of a kind images. Many of his images are planed out months in advance and are only created under appropriate conditions.

Celebre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana con Nosotros!

(Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Us!)

You are cordially invited to celebrate and honor the

Hispanic heritage that enriches our lives 
 by enjoying a month of activities, media presentations,
art exhibits, and events both in the library and on our campus.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 20 - October 15, and the library is excited to offer for your enjoyment a variety of activities: an inspiring art exhibit; numerous media presentations related to travel abroad, food, artists, and countries; as well as informative book displays.

Here is a schedule of slide and video presentations that will be shown throughout each day from-Oct. 11-Oct. 15.  Media will be shown on a computer located on the book display shelves.

10/11 - 7:30am-1:00pm - Salvador Dali
Lisa Cagle

10/11 - 1:00-8:30pm - Fernando Botero
Stephanie Billingsley

10/12 - 7:30am-1:00pm - Pablo Picasso
Tarnisha Martin

10/12 - 1:00-8:30pm - Jose David Alfaro Siqueros
Kristie Broyles

10/13 - 7:30am-1:00pm - Francisco Zuniga
Rachel Brookshire

10/13 - 1:00-8:30pm - Frida Kahlo
Sarah Moody

10/14 - 7:30am-1:00pm - Diego Velazquez
Shelby Bradshaw

10/14 - 1:00-8:30pm - Diego Rivera
Lindsay Lee

10/15 - Pablo Picasso
Brittany Richards
    
The entire schedule can be found at: Hispanic Heritage Month.

In addition to these daily presentations, come by the library and you can view an exhibit of inspiring and imaginative paintings by the award-winning, young Mexican artist

Magdalena Pedraza Jamangape

Magdalena's paintings have been exhibited in New York, Mexico, Spain, and Tennessee. Come by to experience these remarkable works.

If you would like to participate in this event by presenting your own media project, read the project guidelines and contact Laura Young in the library. 

Angela Ditmar's Vibrant Art is on Display in the Library

We are excited to be able to display a selection of works by local artist Angela Ditmar. The exhibit will be shown in the library through June 24. 

This collection of works was inpired by Angela's visit to the Philipines.  She says, "The term “baranguay” is used to describe a division of land in a Filipino city. By definition it is the smallest unit of government in Filipino culture. As I visited various cities and rural areas of Luzon, the northern region of the Philippines, I was compelled to record an informal baranguay marking system....Each baranguay was coded by a color or color sequence, and on rare occasions, a symbol had been used. Each sequence was then painted on electrical poles and trees along the streets throughout each baranguay. This system, whether placed with intentions towards patronage and pride, invariably became a visual language, demarcating invisible boundaries and territories.

Competition, persuasion, balance, control and defiance are the behaviors that come to mind when something is territorial. I have discovered that these found color sequences combined with the compositional devices and the materiality of a painted field imitates some of these behaviors."

Angela received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from Hunter College, City University of New York, where she has been a guest instructor of graduate courses in Theory and Criticism. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Angela is currently teaching foundation courses as an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Art at UTC, as well as working for the department as the Visual Resources Librarian.

We invite you to take some time out of your day and experience her remarkable interpretations of this element of Philipine culture. 

Art Exhibit in the Library--Pastels by Susan Doubleday

Local artist Susan Doubleday has loaned to the library six of her beautiful pastel landscapes. Ms. Doubleday is an award-winning artist who holds signature membership in the Tennessee Watercolor Society. She has worked most recently in pastels creating vibrant landscapes, examples of which are on display for your enjoyment through the month of February.

Susan says of her work, "Painting, for me, allows me to express the colors and energy of the landscape and capture that in my art. I draw the energy from my surroundings, places I visit, and the elements that catch my eye visually.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience this artist's beautiful work.

You may view examples at her website: Susan Doubleday Art.

Experience the Paintings of Robin Howe

When you come by the library during the month of April, you will experience the delightful paintings of local artist Robin Howe.  Robin, known for her carefree and whimsical work, has won both national and international awards, and her work is on display in galleries around the country.   In addition to teaching classes in art and English here at Chattanooga State, she is a mother of three who runs a bed and breakfast on Signal Mountain and teaches homeschool students.  (Whew! She's a busy lady.)  Robin says that she tries to "evoke a positive mode whether it be pensive or reflective, or joyous and ebullient."

To read more about Robin and to see, purchase, and commission her work, visit her website robinhowetownsend.com.  Thanks, Robin, for sharing your talent!



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She's Ba-a-a-a-a-ck!

In August we were excited to have a vibrant art exhibit by local artist Christie O'Grady. Well, she's back! Christie and the ArtBox Gallery have loaned us several more of her works, this time from her newest collection.

Christie says of her work, "I am interested in what I call 'the field' from which everything emerges, and the movement of manifestation out of this field. I think of it as primal material springing out of a void. I see it as vibrant energy filled with infinite potential."

Energetic, wondrous, fantastical, and stunning are good words to use to describe her creations. Here you can see just one of her works, but come by and look at her other pieces and visit her website for a glimpse into her world.

Here are the titles and brief descriptions of the six pieces on display. The arrangement is in order from the classroom entrance to the back of the library.

• Gray Dancing Forms---framed; oil & acrylic on canvas; 26"h x 30"w
  
• Bright Pink Forms---acrylic on panel; 24"h x 30"w
  
• Vesica Pisces---framed; oil on canvas; 20"h x 40"w
  
• Foliage: Four Directions---framed; acrylic & oil on panel; 24"h x 30"w
  
• Sketch: Orange & Pink---unframed: acrylic over palette knife on panel; 24"h x 30"W
  
• Foliage Communication---unframed: oil on panel; 24"h x 30"W

Image credit to Christie O'Grady.

Christie O'Grady Exhibit Now Showing

Chattanooga artist Christie O'Grady is interested in "vibrant energy filled with infinite potential," and viewing her work is something akin to feeling a small earthquake's tremors in one's brain. The spectator becomes involved in her energetic expression of what she describes as "natural patterns...from ocean washed sand, wood grains, rocks, clumps of tall grasses, and clouds" that are layered with other "compositional elements in patterns like tree rings or reflections in water."

Christie graduated from Memphis College of Art; opened a studio in San Francisco; held one-woman shows in Chattanooga and Santa Fe, New Mexico; and recently returned to Chattanooga to open a studio here.

The ArtBox Gallery in Rising Fawn, GA has generously loaned seven of Ms. O'Grady's paintings to the library for the next few weeks so that visitors will be able to admire and wonder at her unique creations.

Come by the library to view her work, and visit her website to see other examples of her collection. Don't miss this extraordinary exhibit!

Image credit to ArtBox Gallery.

From the Entrance to the Exit, Art Surrounds Us

In case you have been focused on your textbooks and haven't had a chance to observe the campus environment, you may not realize that our campus is adorned with an incredible collection of outdoor art. In fact, we have an "Outdoor Museum of Art" located between the student center and the humanities building. That designated location is only a part of the campus-wide effort curated by Joe Helseth, accomplished artist and sculptor, and Special Assistant to the President.

Lori Warren, Instructional Technology Librarian, and our newest staff member, has created a photo slideshow that she posted on her Windows Live space. Lori's creative photography, combined with this fantastical collection of unique sculpture, provides an entertaining way to appreciate the art around us and encourages us to walk around the campus for an "up close and personal" art experience.

Take a few moments to view Lori's slide show, then explore the campus to fully appreciate the art all around us.

Prismism and More--Art in the Library

On display now through May 15 are eight beautiful and amazing paintings by local artist Terry West. Mr. West has been a professional visual artist for more than 45 years and has owned Studio West for 35 of those years. In addition to painting, Terry has created graphic designs for numerous nationally known products, services, and company brands, as well as architectural renderings and murals. He also offers private instruction in his studio.

He describes his work this way: "It's a delight to interpret what I consider to be the essence of ideas, things, and places that are of interest to me, whether real or imagined." He sees his subjects as "ideas and things that have exceptional visual value and sometimes ideas and things that are virtually valueless but visually and thought provokingly interesting." His objective is "to stimulate the sense of sight in an artistic way and to express these things and ideas in a style befitting the subject matter."

He explains that one of his unique painting techniques which he has termed, "Prismism," is a way to "bring vertical eye movement and added visual stimulation to what otherwise might be horizontally dominant and sedentary."

We invite everyone to come by the library for a tantalizing introduction to the art of Terry West.

A more extensive collection of Mr. West's works is currently on display at the Optimal Health Institute (downtown) and in Bennett's Western Art Gallery, Chattanooga.

Star Light, Star Bright--Art in the Library

Our latest art exhibit is that of local artist Brandon Anthony. Brandon's unique approach to this collection was inspired by star charts of the constellations. Maps of the stars were broken down into segments, then interpreted in oil on canvas through Mr. Anthony's creative vision, use of color, and geometric designs.

Those who are familiar with the constellations and their patterns will see the subtle ways in which Brandon has revealed maps of the stars in the lines and intersections he painted. Vibrant colors that blend and contrast remind one of Stanley Kubrick's photographic and camera innovations in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, students in the astronomy class were treated to a discussion and showing by Mr. Anthony when they came as a group to see the exhibit.

Come by and enjoy these energetic art works and see if you can find the hidden constellations.

Library as Art Gallery


We are fortunate to have on display a collection of paintings for sale by local artist Robin Howe Townsend. Ms. Townsend's works have been described as "nostalgic impressionism,...abstract intellectualism,...and whimsical collages."

She enjoys the "play" in some of her subjects--a Paris street scene, Cotswold cottages, and wooded landscapes, but she expresses a serious side in works that depict a worn path at sunset, contemplative women, or quiet surroundings.

You may have seen her brightly colored poster print of Chattanooga in local shops, and you can purchase it and her other works at her website Art Without Boundaries: the art of Robin Howe Townsend.

She will also take commissions if you have a favorite location or subject you would like depicted. Or if your business or organization needs a fundraiser, she will create a piece specifically for your event.

The paintings that are on display in the library are for sale, and a portion of the sale price will be donated to the library. Please come by and enjoy the exhibit which will be on display for about a month.

How Sweet It Is!

Susan Moses, chef and owner of 212 Market, a popular restaurant near the Tennessee Aquarium, has talents beyond the mere cooking of delicious entrees and the creation of food temptations. She has learned the skill of sugar art and has loaned some of her amazing creations to our library for all to admire.

According to Susan, she "began training in sugar courses with Ewald Notter (of Notter's School of Pastry Arts) in 1994." She will create sugar sculptures for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events, and has even shipped a pastel-colored set of sugar balls to Chicago for decorating a wedding cake. Susan compares sugar art to glass blowing. Although sugar art is edible, she does not recommend them for eating but rather for viewing, decorating, or making some event personal.

Stop by and see her beautifully delicate sculptures that top the bookcase near the reference desk. Thank you, Susan for sharing your craft with us.