Thomas Hoving, former Director to the Metropolitan Musem of Art, dead at 78

Wow. I did not realize Thomas Hoving died a few weeks ago, but he is a very interesting man in the art world. Read his New York Times Obituary here.

An eccentric man, art collector, and man responsible for transforming and revitalizing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, was not just a mover and shaker with the politcal art elites, he also loved sharing his excitement about good art with the populace. I will miss his enthusiasm. Among things you may remember him for, if you ever saw the movie, Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?, he was one of the experts who viewed the disputed Pollock painting found at a garage sale for $5, and stated his expert opinion that it was a fake. From time to time, he also did online video reviews of artworks and shows for ARTNet.com called, My Eye with Thomas Hoving. Enjoy this video of him below, as we say Good bye, and thanks for spreading the word:

Rest In Masterpiece.

Let's take a trip to Chicago, and see Caravaggio!

Hi all. I hope that you are having a great Winter break! I just realized that a fantastic Caravaggio painting is on loan from The National Gallery of London to the Art Institute of Chicago. Caravaggio is an Italian artist, and the most important painting artist of the Baroque Art period, the period that follows the Renaissance. He picked up where Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael left off with chiaroscuro lighting, and made it bigger, and more dramatic.

A very interesting artist, and one of the greatest painters who ever lived. So few of Michelangelo Caravaggio's paintings exist in America. Unless you are planning a trip to Italy any time soon, go see it in January in our backyard of Chicago!!! If you are going to Italy...then bring me back a David Statuette! Just kidding, but go see this painting.

If Caravaggio is not incentive enough, you also get to see the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. It will blow you away. I will try to arrange a field trip in late January. More information below.

~Miles~

October 10, 2009–January 24, 2010 Gallery 211

This is an extremely rare opportunity to view firsthand one of the most highly regarded paintings by one of the most influential Western artists of all time. There are very few paintings by Caravaggio in American museums, and none that can rival this painting in its immediate impact. The Supper at Emmaus, painted in 1601 for a Roman nobleman, comes from the outset of a new, mature

phase of the master’s career in which he treated great religious subjects with uncompromising realism, while at the same time employing his trademark contrasts of light and dark to great dramatic effect. In this revelatory image, two of Christ’s disciples have just recognized that the stranger at their table is none other than Christ himself, reappearing to them after his death and Resurrection.

The Supper at Emmaus will serve as the centerpiece for a focus installation in Gallery 211 of the Art Institute’s collection of “Caravaggesque” paintings. Caravaggio’s insistence on heightened realism and the sculptural qualities of his figures, often brightly lit against a dark background, are evident in works such as Bartolomeo Manfredi’s Cupid Chastised and Cecco del Caravaggio’s The Resurrection. A gallery brochure will also lead visitors to other galleries where the diffusion of Caravaggio’s style throughout Europe will be immediately apparent in works such as Rembrandt’s Old Man with a Gold Chain and Rubens’s The Capture of Samson.

Jewelry Sale

Please support our Jewelry/Metals students and consider this event for your holiday shopping.

the Kamelian

Please participate
The Kamelian is Kishwaukee College's award winning Literary and Arts magazine meant to showcase the best creative efforts of our students.

Kamelian Entry Form and Guidelines: Coming Soon

Fall KC Student Art Show

Please participate in the Fall KC Student Art Show.
The submission dates for the annual student show for Fall are

• M 11/16 - W 12/2 during the gallery's scheduled hours.

• The show will open T 12/8 and the reception will be W 12/9 2-5 p.m.

• The exhibition will be on display 12/8/09 - 1/28/10, closed over winter break.

• There will also be a second reception in Jan.--as the show will run through that month.

Collegiate Regional Scholarship Competition

Please consider applying

My art show, Transition.

Welcome to my art show called, "Transition." It is in the Doshi Gallery at the Susquehanna Museum of Art, in Harrisburg, PA. If you are at this blog, you probably know I teach 2D art at Kish.

Don't try leaning on paintings at home.

My nephew noticed me right away and told me that Uncle Miles is jumping up and down.

New shirt, tie, and pants.

People at my artist talk.

I called the show "Transition," because I am at a stage in my life, and art, where much is changing.

Visual Effects: 100 years of inspiration

A299 Production Jewelry Class Survey

Click Here to take survey
Please help the students in the A299 Production Jewelry course determine their market for a huge jewelry sale here at KC later in the Fall semester. There are only 8 short questions to answer.

you are invited

Kishwaukee student Marilyn Sjoholm is presenting her latest beaded jewelry designs at the Bliss Bead Studio & Gallery. Please come to the opening event on Thursday September 17th from 4-8PM at 161 E Lincoln Hwy in DeKalb.

Welcome to Art and Kish Fall 2009

Welcome back to Kish. The art faculty have exciting plans for the art department this year and we are looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces. Art is about creating a message, thinking out side of the box, communicating, and having a good time doing it.

This is a blog for Kishwaukee College students and Faculty to have that conversation about art, share ideas, and post events within the department.

Here are some of the core functions of the site:

1. Sharing, discussing, networking, and promoting your art with others.
2. Posting about local art events and meet up groups.
3. Announcements for upcoming events, trips, and opportunities within the Art Department at Kish.
4. Honing your art journalism skills and posting articles, videos, and links about the arts.
5. Participating in a local and online community.

There are also many handy links on the left-hand side filled with tutorials, links to purchase art supplies for cheap, or info about art contests and opportunities. This is your community, so browse, post, comment, and welcome to the Art and Kish Community!

Thanks,

The Kish Art Dept.

Lockery Lotter and pick up Old Portfolios from last Semester!

Interested in using one of the brown lockers this Fall semester? The locker lottery will be held the second week of classes.

If you haven't picked up your art portfolio from the Spring semester and you want it back, please claim your Art Portfolio the first week of the Fall semester. We must make room for the new semester projects, so all unclaimed artwork will be disposed of if unclaimed soon.

Stay tuned for the Lottery, and Good Luck!

"A Day at the Beach" made in Intro to Visual Art at Kish

If you thought Wolverine, or Star Trek would be the Summer Blockbuster, think again. "A Day at the Beach," is "a work of art," ..."pure cinematic gold," "Aardman...move over, cuz there's a new Daddy in town."

A collaboration in our Art Appreciation class at Kishwaukee College. Each student altered the poses and created the clay actors in our 3rd Intro to Visual Art Production. "A Day At The Beach" is a 3-ring circus of activity. Little did they know a day of the beach would be full of bunnies on the prowl, starfish on the attack, avalanches, and collosal lobster! Next time, better head to the private beach! Enjoy.

Art Gallery Announcement: Pick-up Student Art Dates and Times

The Student Art Show through Commencement on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Ronna will remain at the Gallery from 12-2 p.m. for students to pick up their artwork.
Ronna will also be in the Gallery from 12-4 p.m. on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19.

Any work not picked up by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 will be discarded at the Art Department's discretion. The Gallery will not assume responsibility for storage beyond that date.

Thanks to all of you for encouraging your students to enter their artwork into the student exhibitions. We had the largest number of submissions ever for our last show, 120 in all! Let's try to generate even more interest next year.

Ceramics Sale at Kish: A message from the Mudslingers

It's that time of year again. Mudslinger Spring Sale for one day only. May 5, from 11-2. We will be looking forward to seeing you all there. We will have some out doors things, such as, bird houses, bird feeders, and then some bowls, cups, plates.
Thank you for your time,
Tonya Hardy
Pres. of the Mudslingers.

Fall 2009 Art Courses at Kish

Art classes offered for the Fall at Kish

CLICK image to enlarge class list

Pictures from the Steven Hill Workshop at Kish

These are some photos from the Steven Hill Workshop from this past Friday. We are glad so many students were able to watch and participate in this event and benefit from visiting artists we bring to campus. Again, if you want to check out more of his work, visit his website.

Art Show Reception this Wednesday at Kish

Hello All,

The Spring 2009 Student Art Show opened today. Jurors James Obermeier & Nina Rizzo accepted 45 works for display from 120 entries. This is the largest amount of entries for a given exhibit to date. Kudos to our Art students and faculty! A reception will be held for the exhibiting students on Wednesday, April 22 from 2-5 p.m.

I hope you all take the opportunity to stop in see the artwork and show our students your support.

Be well,
Michelle

Ceramics E-News: Steven Hill Visiting Artist Workshop-Thursday, April 23 12:30-6:30p.m.

Hi all.
Thursday, April 23 the Kishwaukee College Art Department & Art Gallery will be hosting a visiting artist workshop featuring Internationally-renowned Ceramic Artist Steven Hill.

Steven will be demonstrating his unique techniques for creating wheel thrown vessels on the pottery wheel from 12:30-6:30 p.m. in B-420/3-D Art Studio. We will take a break from 3:30-4:30. We invite students, staff and the public to view this demonstration.

Hope you can attend!
Michelle

Art-Bab-ble [ahrt-bab-uhl]
noun; verb (used without object) -bled, -bling

1. free flowing conversation, about art, for anyone.

2. a place where everyone is invited to join an open, ongoing discussion - no art degree required.

The Art of Watchmen

In this SundayArts segment get a look at the original art that went into the famous comic book by Alan Moore and the recent movie based on the book at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. On view are photographs by Clay Enos of the Watchmen movie cast and original artwork from the graphic novel co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Also get a look at original covers and color guides from the original publication of the graphic novel in 1986. Co-curators Ellen S. Abramowitz and Peter Sanderson guide you through this new exhibit.

Fall 2009 Art Class Schedule

Art Field Trip to Chicago this Friday 3/20

Meet at Elburn Metra Station at 9:25 am on Friday. This trip is for Art Students in any class as well as to friends or family who would like to come along.

Information on our Art Field Trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Hyde Park Art Center.

There is a lot of information below, but I will be taking you around, so leave that to me. You will need money for a train ticket (both ways), plus money for buses, museum entrance, and an optional snack/lunch/dinner. Bring your student ID for discounts.

We will meet at the Elburn Train Station (350 S. Anderson Rd.) and catch the 9:25 train to Chicago (arrive at 10:47). You buy your ticket on the train ($3.05 cents one-way). I believe parking at the station costs $1.25 a day.

You will get hungry at various points, so it might be a good idea to pack a lunch/snack.

Upon arrival, we will take Bus X28 Stony Island Express - Direction: Olive Harvey, departing from"Canal & Jackson" and arrive at "E. Hyde Park & Cornell." It is a 20 minute bus ride. Upon arrival, we will visit the Hyde Park Art Center. We will check out recent visiting artist and painter Mary Lou Zelazny's "Altogether Mutable" mid-career retrospective. There is a small cafe where we can grab something to eat after the show, or munch on your packed lunches at the Art Center.

Next, on to The Art Institute of Chicago!

From the Hyde Park Art Center, we will take Bus 6 - Jackson Park Express - Direction: Wacker/Columbus, from "E Hyde Park and Cornell", and get off at "Michigan and Monroe (20 minutes)."

While at the Art Institute of Chicago museum, we can decide to go around together, or some may break off and meet up with us at a later time. Admission for students will be $7. Additionaly, there is an Edvard Munch exhibit currently at the Museum. Admission to this special exhibit costs extra. We can decide who wants to do that when we get there.

Depending on what time it is and how the weather is looking, when we finish the museum we can check out Millenium Park (right next to the Museum), or even go to the Chicago Cultural Center...another really nice museum in the neighborhood.

At the end of our art field trip, we will take Bus 14 Jeffery Express - Direction: Madison/Jefferson, departing from "Michigan and Moroe" and arrive at "Madison and Clinton (8 minute ride)." The train station will be about a 1 minute walk from here. We will shoot for the 5:25 train arriving in Elburn at 6:49pm, or the 6:25 train arriving in Elburn at 7:46pm.

More than likely, we will just get to the Hyde Park Art Center, and The Art Institute of Chicago, and return to the Ogilvie Transportation Center to take the Union Pacific/West Line Train back to Elburn. Elburn is about 25 minutes away from DeKalb.

This should be fun, so I hope to see you there!

Costs:

Train Ticket: $6.10 for 2 tickets

Museums: $7 for students (excluding cost to see special exhibit Edvard Munch)

Bus: $5.75

Food: pack snacks/lunch/dinner, or buy at cafeteria

Total: $16.85 plus food.

Weather forecast: High 47, low 35 degrees. 10% chance of rain.

Visiting Artist Lecture by Painter Mary Lou Zelazny this Wednesday!

Come see her talk in the Library room L202! at 2:30 p.m.

A Century of Italian Drawings

The Renaissance was a time that many believe was the peak era for figurative drawings.  No one studied the human form as seriously and as aesthetically as the artists working in the Italian Renaissance.

Want to see 70 original Italian Renaissance Drawings spanning a Century?...including the likes of Michelangelo?  A coincidence that you ask, because between now and April 5th, you can see these drawings from the Prado Museum collection brought from Spain now at the Block Museum of Art, on Northwester Univeristy's campus.

Click on the link for more information, and the address is listed below.

Michelangelo to Annibale Carracci: A Century of Italian Drawings 

from the Prado

Block Museum of Art   

40 Arts Circle Drive   

Evanston, IL   60208

"Focusing on the period from roughly 1520 to 1620, this exhibition highlights the exceptional technical proficiency achieved by artists of the time while demonstrating the importance of drawing in the creation of multiple types of art, including ceramics, frescos, prints, tapestries, and stained glass."

If you are interested in drawing, or the figure, this is a regional show you won't want to miss!  Otherwise, you can always see these drawings the next time you are in Spain!

P.S.  A Robert Mapplethorpe Photography show is there as well.

Trading Cards!

Just wanted to make it known to anyone interested. A few people around Kish have started making trading sketch cards! They're easy to make, and anyone can make whatever they want! Anyone interested in making some and trading can contact me at checkmarkcomics@juno.com! You can buy the cards at VCB on NIU campus.

If you only want a few, we'd be happy to give a few blanks too!

It's fun, really!

NI Metals Guild: Martini Pick Sale

This is a great opportunity to purchase a gift for yourself or another & support your neighboring art students!

Free Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago all February

For the month of February, admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is FREE. If you are in Chicago this month, take advantage of this!

Otherwise, we at Kish will probably be taking a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Hyde Park Art Center on Saturday, March 20th. More info to come.

Enjoy.

Advice for Artists Seeking Gallery Representation

On the Edward Winkleman art blog, he offers some advice as a professional NYC art gallery owner on how to succeed as a fine artist in the art world.

The links listed below will take you to diaries by Art Gallerist and Blogger Edward Winkleman on how to show your works in Art Galleries. Enjoy.

1. Selling solo vs. working with a gallery
   
2. Tailoring your resume for an art dealer
3. Studio visit strategies
   
4. Getting your foot in the door
5. Mistakes to avoid in finding the gallery right for you (the one-size-fits-all myth)
   
6. My very best advice for approaching a gallery
7. The logic behind the 50/50 split
8. Communicating with your dealer
9. Dealing with over-protective dealers
10. Notes on ending a gallery-artist relationship

New Show Opens at Kish Art Gallery

Come celebrate the new photography art exhibit at the Kishwaukee Art Gallery!

Artist: Liz Gresey

At Your Service: Exploring Gendered Spaces
On exhibit, Feb. 1st-27th.


Please attend the Artist Reception on Wednesday, Feb. 4th from 7-9pm.

To learn more about Liz Gresey, visit her website, here.

Reminder to pick up your artwork.

This is just a reminder for those who have artwork in the Art Gallery, that you need to pick up your work either Friday, January 30th from 9am-1pm, Monday, February 2nd from 10am-6pm, or Tuesday, February 3rd from 1pm-9pm. Any artwork NOT picked up by Tuesday, February 3rd or have an arrangement made to extend the due date, will be disposed of. If you have any questions please call the Art Gallery during gallery hours or talk to Michelle.

Why I think Contemporary Art is really exciting.

I've been browsing some great art blogs/sites and gallery sites, checking out the pulse of today's art.  Wow.  It is striking how diverse it is.  It does not matter what your tastes, medium, subject matter, style is...there is something for everyone in the world of contemporary art and you are bound to find something you like.  

Donald Judd

In the 1950's, word on the street was, if you wanted to fit in, then you had to paint non-objectively (no objects) in the Abstract-Expressionist style.  Those who did not step in line were considered to be artistic dinosaurs with antiquated notions about making art (read about art critic Clement Greenberg to learn more).  In the 1960's, Pop Art was popular, and recognizable imagery came back as strong as ever.  By the 1970's...painting was considered dead...forbidden to be taught in respectable art schools, shunned by major galleries unless you were ok with being considered a kitch puppet for the masses.  Minimalism broke a lot of painter's hearts :-(.  Then came Neo-Expressionism of the 1980's and BOOM!  Paint exploded passionately across canvasses from Berlin to Los Angeles!  Art movements seemed to come and diseappear as they came to be replaced by new dogmas and styles to follow.  Freedom seemed to mean rebelling against the old style to become the new artistic tyrant of the day, stuck in their ways and ideologies about art.

Tim Hawkinson

So, what goes today?  A little bit of this, a little bit of that.  There is so much room to experiment and follow your chosen path that the only problem is figuring out what your path might be.  They are all so appealing.  That is why many artists are hard to define today.  A sculptor may also be an  installation/performance/neon/video/Maya artist as well.  The arts have not been this multi-media since the Renaissance, when artists would work as architects, furniture makers, painters, sculptors, metalworkers, etc.   During these times of cultural growth, much like the Italian Renaissance, it is foolish not to study it all, even if you have a focus.  Does not the ceramicist learn from painting about glazing?  A painter learn from sculpture about form and shape?   Does not Photography benefit them all as well?

Soak up all the artistic processes you can because they are all interconnected and can be relevant for exploring your artistic vision.

There artists that inspire me move in every which direction.  The wind is always changing and there is something new and interesting in any place you look.  Confusing, but exciting.

P.S.  Goodbye Andrew Wyeth, great American Realist Painter who died last week at 91.  Thank you for the wonderful paintings.

Andrew Wyeth

2009 Illinois Community College Juried Art Exhibition

Please submit your work...visual artists need to build their exhibition record...the best part...it is free and you can submit work on CD. I have a handful of fliers in my office.

Do you not have your work photographed, please talk to your instructor for assistance. I can help folks photograph their 3-D work and I am sure Miles will help with your 2-D work too.

Locker Lottery

Interested in using one of the brown lockers this Spring semester? The locker lottery will be held the second week of classes.

Get yourself published in the Kamelian Art/Lit Magazine!

What a great way for people to see what creative things you have accomplished! Kish's Award-winning literary/arts magazine The Kamelian is accepting submissions for inclusion in the 2009 edition, which will be published in April 2009. 

Art submissions must be made to the Kishwaukee College Art Gallery January 12- 16 and January 19 - 22. All entries must include a completed entry form, available online HERE.  Forms may also be found in the Art Wing on in folders on the Art Department Bulliten Boards.

Tina Hultgren, faculty editor for The Kamelian, encourages students to submit their original work in any of the following categories: short stories, essays, poetry, 2-D artwork, 3-D artwork, or photography.

 

Any Kishwaukee College student may submit their work to The Kamelian. The submitted works are juried and the three best works submitted in each category are recognized during Student Awards Day in early April.

For more information on submission guidelines and for a downloadable entry form, visit Tina Hultgren's faculty webpage or call her at 815-825-2086, ext. 228.