Have an Artful Year

We've rounded up things to do, places to go, and news to know in 2009.

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Green Is the New Black


	LYNDSAY MCCANDLESS BELIEVES IN THINKING GREEN

Everyone knows that black is de rigueur among the toniest of art crowds. But for Jackson Hole gallery owner Lyndsay McCandless, green is the new black. Recently, McCandless decided being green was not only hip but also vitally important to the planet. Today, her self-imposed mission is all about sustainability, from the artists she represents to the drinking cups she uses at events. “I decided to use my place of business as a potential example to the community,” she says.

With an emphasis on recycling, no cardboard box or Styrofoam peanut goes to waste at Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary (www.lmcontemporary.com). Shipping crates are used as pedestals to display art. The rest of the gallery is decorated with used furniture from a Habitat for Humanity store. At events, McCandless serves beer from the local Snake River Brewing Company and wine from eco-friendly wineries like French Rabbit, which sells its product in 100 percent recyclable packages. McCandless encourages clients to bring their own cups, and for those who don’t, she provides compostable corn-based cups. Invitations, of course, are printed on 100 percent recycled paper, and like many other gallery owners, she is currently encouraging clients to choose e-mail invitations instead.

As if that’s not enough, McCandless also offers her gallery space, located in a former engine repair shop, to non-profit organizations free of charge. Arts performances as well as meetings on everything from women’s initiatives to conservation issues take place at the gallery. For taking such a global perspective on her role in the community, McCandless won the Cultural Council of Jackson Hole’s 2008 Award for Creativity. On your next trip to Jackson, stop in and say hello.

Lyndsay McCandless believes in thinking green.

A Painting a Day
Art enthusiasts on a budget can peruse paintings by more than 140 juried artists at Daily Painters Art Gallery, an online gallery started in 2006 by Colorado artist Micah Condon. The site, www.dailypainters.com, displays the work of artists who have accepted the challenge of creating one painting every day. It offers a variety of subjects and styles, with most artwork starting at $100. Visitors to the site can purchase directly from the artists and receive images in daily by e-mails.

Spotlight on Thomas Gilcrease


	THE GILCREASE MUSEUM IN TULSA, OK

The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, presents a major new exhibition honoring founder Thomas Gilcrease, a prominent 20th-century oil man whose passion for collecting art and artifacts of the American West grew into one of the most comprehensive collections in the world. Featuring approximately 300 pieces from the museum’s vast holdings, Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure focuses on Gilcrease’s life and his desire to preserve the history of the West through its art. The exhibition is on view until January 2010. For more information visit www.gilcrease.org.

Art for People with no Monet


	CALIFORNIA BAJA 19, OIL, 49 X 71, BY SIDDHARTH PARASNIS FINDS A HOME AT THE AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

So you can’t afford a Michelangelo or a Monet. How about a Fullarton or a Parasnis? If you are planning a trip to New York City in 2009, consider scheduling your sojourn the weekend of May 7-10, when the annual Affordable Art Fair unfolds. The event, which takes place at 7 West 34th Street, presents works by hundreds of artists from more than 70 galleries around the world. Prices range from $100 to $10,000. Galleries like Hang Art, based in San Francisco, display works by talented young artists such as David Fullarton and Siddharth Parasnis. While galleries can sometimes be intimidating, the Affordable Art Fair provides a casual atmosphere where art lovers can shop on a reasonable budget.

Art Alert for My Sister’s Keeper
It makes sense that galleries in the Los Angeles area would eventually cross paths with the film industry. So it comes as no surprise that Tirage Fine Art in nearby Pasadena regularly furnishes works by its artists to film and television productions. For example, recently the gallery provided works by Greg Carter and John Brosio to the film set of My Sister’s Keeper, starring Cameron Diaz and Alec Baldwin. The film, based on a novel by Jodi Picoult, is due out later this year. Of course, there’s always a chance the paintings are in a scene that winds up on the cutting-room floor. But the risk is worth the payoff, says gallery owner Karen Hackett. “It’s just another part of the art business,” she says, explaining that the gallery and the artists receive leasing fees as well as exposure. In the 2008 movie Because I Said So, paintings by gallery artists Zolita Sverdlove, Richard Humphrey, Anna Francone, and Arthur Egeli made it to the big screen. “CELESTIAL EVENTS by Zolita Sverdlove was in almost every scene in Mandy Moore’s apartment,” Hackett says.

In Praise of Nature


	WEATHERED SPLENDOR, OIL, 60 X 48, BY CURT WALTERS

The awe-inspiring scenery of the Grand Canyon has attracted artists for centuries. This fall, top artists from throughout the West capture the beauty of this timeless landscape on canvas during the inaugural Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. Scheduled for September 14-19 in Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim Village, this weeklong celebration includes plein-air and quick-draw events, as well as the premiere of the Grand Canyon Modern Master Invitational, featuring works by Curt Walters, Ed Mell, Merrill Mahaffey, Alyce Frank, William Scott Jennings, and other noted landscape artists. All proceeds go toward the creation of a permanent art venue at the park. Visit www.grandcanyon.org/celebration.asp for more information.

Art Gadgets
Do you have a personalized Google home page? View a different work of art each time you load it by adding a “gadget.” The Art of the Day gadget, for example, displays everything from modern art to Renaissance masterpieces and includes links to books about the artist. The Museum Art Tour gadget features a rotating exhibit of paintings from the world’s top museums. Or select the art of specific painters, such as Georgia O’Keeffe or Bev Doolittle. There are hundreds of art gadgets to choose from. To add one—or several—to your personal Google page, go to www.igoogle.com, click on “Add stuff” on the right-hand side, and then type “art” into the search feature.

Move Over, Art Basel Miami
When Kim Martindale oversaw the first incarnation of the Los Angeles Art Show, it was akin to a local fair with 14 participating galleries, all of which specialized in historical art. This year, Martindale’s event features more than 200 galleries and museums, rivaling the internationally recognized Art Basel Miami Beach. The show, which takes place January 21-25, has outgrown its former digs at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and has moved to the downtown convention center. These days Martindale calls the show “encyclopedic” because there are centuries of art on view, with genres ranging from cowboy to cutting edge. The blockbuster affair draws art lovers from around the world as well as celebs such as Kevin Bacon, Owen Wilson, Warren Beatty, and Annette Benning.

Local Color
In March, the movie Local Color opens at theaters in 15 cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Austin, and Santa Fe. The heart-warming, feel-good film tells the story of a troubled young art student who at 18 is trying to find his way. He befriends an embittered master painter, and the two form a bond that allows them to see the world through each other’s eyes. The movie stars Trevor Morgan as the young man, Armin Mueller-Stahl as the master, and sports a strong supporting cast, including Ray Liotta and Charles Durning. According to Alex Kirkwood, the film’s co-producer, Local Color has received endorsements from the Oil Painters of America and the California Art Club. If you miss the movie in the theaters, it is scheduled to be released on DVD in early summer. For more information visit www.localcolormovie.com.

An Unconventional Center
If you ever attended an Indian Market preview in Santa Fe’s old Sweeney Center, you know the building left quite a bit to be desired. City planners recognized that, too. So the Sweeney Center has been demolished and the impressive new Santa Fe Convention Center built in its place. The center, which opened in September, was designed to reflect historic pueblo style, with exposed wood ceiling beams and tin light fixtures made by local artisans. It also reflects Santa Fe’s artistic community: A gallery run by the Santa Fe Arts Commission displays works by artists not currently represented in other local galleries; several public art pieces, including a clay relief by well-known sculptor Roxanne Swentzell, will be installed in the coming months. And the building is one of the most environmentally responsible in the city—occupancy lighting sensors and recycled bricks are just a few of the green elements that were incorporated. Future art events should be a joy to attend.

Watch an Artist Work


	WATCH THIS FIELD STUDY, SNOW IN NO THROUGHFARE CANYON, FROM START TO FINISH ON STEPHEN DATZ’S WEBSITE

Want to learn how landscape paintings are created? You could attend a plein-air event, or you could study the virtual demonstrations on Stephen Datz’s website. The Colorado artist has posted step-by-step images and descriptions of the process he uses for his field studies, from doing a quick sketch in graphite, to blocking in the shapes and colors, to adding a few final details. So that’s how he does it! Datz is represented by Act I Gallery, Taos, NM, where he has a show opening May 23, as well as by Wild Horse Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO, and Main Street Gallery, Carbondale, CO.

A Landmark Weekend
Showcasing modern and contemporary art from around the world, the Dallas Art Fair makes its debut the weekend of February 6-8. Thirty dealers from 12 cities—including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Chicago, and Houston—take part in the fair’s premiere. “Never before have so many prominent dealers gathered in Dallas. It will be a landmark weekend,” says John Sughrue, co-founder of the event along with art dealer Chris Byrne. The fair takes place in the Fashion Industry Gallery, adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art in the Downtown Arts District. For ticket and program information, log on to www.dallasartfair.com.

Keep In Touch
Art can be a solitary endeavor, but many young artists today to keep in touch with fellow artists and collectors by blogging. “Almost every artist I know has a blog,” says Jeremy Lipking, a 33-year-old oil painter from California. Visitors to his blog can view recent paintings, see video clips from his painting trips, and link to his galleries. Odds are good that your favorite emerging artist has a blog, too.

Art-Inspired Deals


	VISITORS AT THE PHOENIX ART MUSEUM IN PHOENIX, AZ

When booking your next travel reservation, look for hotels that partner with art museums on package deals. These often include discounted room rates along with complimentary admission to local art museums. The historic Hotel San Carlos in Phoenix, AZ, offers a Phoenix Art Museum Package that includes general admission day passes, lunch at the museum, and transportation between the hotel and museum. Similarly, the Palomar Hotel in San Francisco, CA, has a Museum Relaxation package featuring deluxe hotel accommodations and two tickets to the Legion of Honor or the de Young Museum.

Proof of Purchase
Fine Art Registry is a high-tech method of permanently tagging artworks to identify ownership. A patented, tamper-proof holographic sticker—designed with multiple layers of security—is attached to an artwork, and its unique ID number is recorded in an online database along with photos of the piece and a detailed description. Collectors, galleries, and even museums can register their entire collections and keep track of provenance and sales. Artists can document and authenticate their work as well as sell it on the registry’s site. For more information, pricing, and a complete list of services, go to www.fineartregistry.com.

American Art in Alabama


	JACK WARNER WITH PART OF HIS COLLECTION

Tuscaloosa, AL, may not be the first city that springs to mind when it comes to art destinations. But this year prominent painter Quang Ho has teamed up with Jack Warner, an Alabama art collector extraordinaire, to present Art America 2009, an exhibition guaranteed to put the city on the art map. Warner is known for quietly amassing one of the world’s largest historical American art collections, which is housed in the city’s Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art. The museum’s holdings include works by John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, and Albert Bierstadt. Not long after meeting Warner, Ho approached him with the idea for a show spotlighting 50 of today’s top living representational painters. Ho’s hand-picked roster of artists includes Richard Schmid, David Leffel, Clyde Aspevig, and Burt Silverman, among others. The exhibit takes place at the museum April 24-26. Ho says that in addition to spotlighting some of today’s top artists, he hopes to bring attention to this hidden gem of a museum.

Bridge to Somewhere
Combine four talented young artists, a warehouse in downtown Provo, UT, and a dream, and what do you get? Answer: A modern-day atelier. Last year Jeffrey Hein, Justin Taylor, Sean Diediker, and Ben Mcpherson joined forces to open Bridge Academy of Art, a school where the emphasis is on traditional drawing and painting classes reminiscent of ateliers dating back to the 15th century. Says Hein, “We want the students to know how important it is to acquire all the tools necessary to create whatever their imaginations can cook up.” The academy supplements classes with monthly visits from prominent artists such as Ron Hicks, Brian Kershisnik, and Michael Workman.

Making It
There’s nothing new about the lost-wax process; it’s been around for more than 3,000 years. This ancient method of transforming sculpted clay into cast bronze is a laborious and complex process that requires many steps and multiple molds. But you can find a relatively simple explanation of this technique on sculptor David Unger’s website, where he presents a step-by-step demonstration—from building the initial armature to applying the final patina. To view this slideshow, go to www.davidungersculptures.com and click on “Process.”

Western Art Takes Wing


	THE RENOVATED DENNEY WESTERN AMERICAN ART WING

The western American art collection at the Palm Springs Art Museum in California has long been a cornerstone of the museum’s holdings. Recently, the galleries in the Denney Western American Art Wing—home to the western collection—have been completely renovated. Interior walls were removed, revealing elegant architectural elements of the original design, and windows were uncovered, allowing natural light to flood the galleries. Some stellar pieces have been re-installed, including works by Thomas Moran, Charles Russell, and Georgia O’Keeffe. If you are in the desert, stop by and drink in the new changes. If you visit before March 1, check out a Maynard Dixon exhibition that spotlights the artist’s travels through the American West.

Autry Rounds Up Mavericks
Risk-takers, visionaries, and innovators are all eligible to win the first annual Maverick Prize, established by the Institute for the Study of the American West at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The museum is awarding $10,000 to an individual or organization that challenges conventional thinking and prompts truly novel ideas about the past, present, and future of the American West. “Maverick” nominees should stretch boundaries to spark new discussions and insights. The winner of the prize also receives an invitation to present works at the museum.

An Opinion on Piñon
When a group of Colorado artists heard that the federal government wanted to take over 100,000 acres of private ranchland to expand the Army’s Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site near Fort Carson, CO, they turned into political activists. They joined local ranchers and the Piñon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition to fight the military effort. Then they fanned out to paint the spectacular but endangered scenery. In December, the 50 artists held a show of these works at Standing Sun Fine Art Gallery in Denver, with proceeds from the sale aiding the cause. Phase two unfolds in May, when the artists launch a mobile gallery—a trailer packed with landscape paintings—that will crisscross the state to raise funds and public awareness.

SOFA Comes to Santa Fe
The annual SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functional Art) expos in Chicago and New York City have been renowned for years as the premier fairs for fine crafts, decorative arts, and design. This year SOFA WEST is coming to Santa Fe for the first time, with an elite lineup of 40 dealers exhibiting at the new convention center June 10-14. Already on board: Santa Fe’s own Jane Sauer Gallery. Look for innovative work in a wide range of media, including clay, metal, fiber, and glass. For more information visit www.sofaexpo.com.

Different Strokes from Different Folks
Atlanta-based artist Karin Jurick started the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog last year with the concept of “one photograph painted by many.” Jurick posts a new photograph every week and encourages any and all artists to join the challenge. Participating artists have one week to complete their painting; subjects have ranged from Jurick’s dog, Jack, to people on the street, the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Happy 100th Anniversary


	MUSEUM HILL IN SANTA FE

The Museum of New Mexico celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. In 1909, the New Mexico Territorial Legislature passed a law establishing the museum; a century later, it has grown into what is considered the nation’s largest system of state-run museums: the Palace of the Governors and New Mexico Museum of Art on the Santa Fe Plaza, the Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts & Culture on Santa Fe’s Museum Hill, as well as eight historic monuments around the state. For information on special exhibitions planned throughout the year, visit www.museumofnewmexico.org.

Richard Schmid’s Landscapes


	DAWES MANSION, OIL, 22 X 28, BY RICHARD SCHMID

Art collectors can look forward to a new three-volume series of books by noted painter Richard Schmid. The first volume, on landscape paintings, hits the shelves later this year and features approximately 275 full-page color plates. “Since the volumes are intended to be picture books rather than instructional, I am keeping text to a minimum and letting the paintings speak for themselves,” says Schmid. A volume of still-life paintings and another of the people he has painted over the past 60 years will complete the series. For more information visit www.richardschmid.com.