Ken Aptekar -- During the four-day painting workshop, participants were encouraged to discuss the question of what paintings mean and how a painting produces a meaning. Ken explored his particular responses to these questions with the group and, through dialog, assisted participants in elucidating their own thoughts and reactions. A painting, in Aptekar’s view, produces meaning both from what the artist puts into the work and from the responses of the viewers. How can artists take this understanding into the work they produce? Ken Aptekar is a two-time National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship award winner in Painting. Other awards he has won include Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Artist-as-Catalyst award, Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, and a Rockefeller Foundation Artist Residency. Ken received his MFA in 1975 from the Pratt Institute. He has had numerous solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions in the United States and Europe. His works are held in the permanent collections of the Denver Museum of Art, The Jewish Museum, the National Museum of Art, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, as well as many private and corporate collections.
Robert Cottingham -- “Still Lifes”: In this workshop, participants concentrated on still life. The format will be simple, dealing with only two or three objects. Students decided which of the following mediums they wished to work in: pencil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic or oil. Students selected and brought objects to use as subjects, or photographs of the objects already arranged.
Lesley Dill -- Three-day hands-on workshop titled Speaking Large began Friday, January 23, 2004, and continued through Sunday, January 25, 2004. Each day the workshop started at 9 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. In this workshop participants joined together to explore the idea of the presence of language and its relationship to image. Participants contributed their own unique stories into a collaborative wall installation, 10’high x 25’long in the museum. With Ms. Dill’s coordination and unique sensibilities, the large word wall spoke for the group as well as the individual. A counterpart to “speaking large” on the wall will be “speaking small” – bookmaking. Participants engaged in both projects simultaneously, experimenting with language/image large scale and more intimately.
Diane Edison -- “The Inward and Outward Gaze: Creating a Self-Portrait”: “Critics invariably speak of the gaze in figurative imagery as a way of deciding intent. In this workshop participants examined the gaze and its function in creating resemblance. Making a self-portrait is at once a personal statement and a risk-taking venture. These are fine lines that cross back and forth through the drawing. For some, it is a liberating experience in which you find out how you truly feel about your self. For others the importance of likeness overwhelms everything. Although a photograph will be used, it is just a reminder for your beginning lines. The very strength of a portrait is often its lack of symmetry and the sense of the hand of the artist. A photograph can sometimes freeze the moment, where as a drawing can convey a period of time. I often ask the sitter how they feel about their portrait, as apposed to does it look like you. These portraits will be done in a realistic style that will be based on the decisions of each participant. There are far too many styles in realism to favor one over the other. You simply have to believe in what you are doing. I will demonstrate my style of drawing with color pencils, which is based on multiple layers of color. I have made many portraits of myself over the years and each one is profoundly different.”
Eileen Foti -- “The Art of Pulp Painting”: Participants began by creating beautiful sheets of handmade paper from different types of fibers. Demonstrations included how to make shaped sheets and watermarks. Next, the class learned to paint with finely beaten pulp on top of newly formed sheet, using brushes, squeeze bottles, and stencils. These sheets were either finished into works of art, or could be used later for drawing, printmaking, artist books, collage, etc.
Karen Kunc: “Color Woodcut Printmaking” -- The goal of this intensive, exciting workshop was to awaken the possibilities of the woodcut printing process for the beginning and advanced printmaker. This approach is not technically tradition-bound...but inventive, with contemporary, creative methods that can be spontaneous, simple and direct. This expressive medium was introduced and explored through demonstrations and discussions of cutting techniques, oil-base ink and modifiers, and printing by hand as well as using the press. Participants went from designing their images and cutting blocks, to printing several projects using a variety of methods and individual discoveries. The workshop covered hand-carving techniques, use of oil-base inks and modifiers, printing by hand as well as etching press, and safe use of tools and clean up. Clean up was done with alternative solvents - Soysolv or vegetable oil for no fumes.
Matt Metz -- “Pottery Form and Decorative Expression”: Linda Sikora and Matthew Metz are both functional potters who have shared a studio in Minnesota for more than 15 years. Linda is also an Associate Professor at Alfred University School of Art and Design in Alfred, NY. While each follows individual artistic inquiries, commonalities in their work include a dedication to the expressive potential and potency of functional pots in visual culture, a love of working with wheel thrown forms and a passion for highly decorative surfaces. Their workshop included analysis of thrown form which is finished by turning and/or constructing (pouring pots, covered jars, vases, boxes) along with a consideration of approaches to decorative surfaces.
Mary Roehm -- “Awakening the Creative Process: Working toward a Strong and Personal Expression through Clay”. During the three days together, participants discovered and investigated the creative process and how important that is to making work unique. Through studio work, slides, critiques and discussion each participant had the opportunity to share perspectives on their own work, the work of others and where they want to go with it. Participants, who are makers, were asked to bring four to six finished pieces, tools for working and a haki brush.
The emphasis of the workshop was on the creative process of making rather than on firing. What is it about clay that draws you to the material? How can you use the material as a means of personal expression? What is it that you want to say through the objects that you make? Participants worked toward achieving a clarity and confidence in the objects made which lead to original, personally expressive work.
Linda Sikora -- Pottery Form and Decorative Expression. Linda Sikora and Matthew Metz are both functional potters who have shared a studio in Minnesota for more than 15 years. Linda is also an Associate Professor at Alfred University School of Art and Design in Alfred, NY. While each follows individual artistic inquiries, commonalities in their work include a dedication to the expressive potential and potency of functional pots in visual culture, a love of working with wheel thrown forms and a passion for highly decorative surfaces. Their workshop included analysis of thrown form which is finished by turning and/or constructing (pouring pots, covered jars, vases, boxes) along with a consideration of approaches to decorative surfaces.
Nanette Carter -- “Monotype: The Painterly Print”: Over the past century painters and printmakers have enjoyed the monotype process. Edgar Degas was the greatest innovator and practitioner of this painterly technique; creating images of the theater, dancers, brothels and landscapes. The monotype is an easy and spontaneous process with elegant results. This three-day demonstration and workshop given by the New York-based artist Nanette Carter covered several techniques in monotype printing. A printing press is not needed for this class, making this process user friendly. Ms. Carter brought along some of her own monotype prints to show the group. Participants experienced the immediacy and rich textures that are unique to this form of printmaking.
Willie Cole -- “Perceptual Engineering: The Fine Art of Seeing”: In this workshop, participants worked to cultivate a keen eye for shape and form, through exploring hidden forms in everyday objects. Those in the workshop challenged their sense of patience while heightening their ability to recognize cross-cultural similarities in forms and patterns. Participants arrived at the workshop with an intricate mechanical object that can be disassembled with hand tools such as a drill, screw driver, and pliers. The object was to be non-digital and could be an appliance or musical instrument no larger than 3' x 3' x 3'.
Patrick Dougherty -- “Site-Specific Sapling Sculpture”: The result of Patrick Dougherty’s visit to the Huntington Museum of Art was this site-specific sculpture titled “The Real McCoy,” which was a very popular temporary work of art. Many people in the community worked on building the sculpture.
