West Michigan Glass Art Center to get fired up for 10th anniversary with big party

Glass Art Center will be looking to celebrate, show off its new furnace and have a little fun on Wednesday.

The WMGAC will hold a party from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the studio space on the first floor of the Park Trades Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 100, to toast its 10th year anniversary.

The event will feature live glassblowing, food, drinks, a silent auction and the classic rock band, Bambi & the Matrix.

"We wanted to celebrate ... We are a thriving non-profit. We've grown a lot since the economy fell. We've gotten so much community support from foundations and guests. We've been growing and moved down to this bigger space," executive director Rebecca Boase said.

In 2010, the WMGAC went from four studios in the Park Trades Center to one massive studio space on the first floor that houses several furnaces, studio space and rooms for the variety of classes it offers.

The new furnace, installed in July, holds 385 pounds of molten glass. It more than doubles the capacity of the furnace it replaced (175 pounds).

The new furnace, made possible by a pair of grants, allows the WMGAC to offer more classes and requires far less maintenance from studio manager Mike Fortin. Boase said the interest in glassblowing -- either taking classes or observing demonstrations -- makes up about 50 percent of what the WMGAC does.

Part of Wednesday's event will be a fundraiser to help to repay remaining costs of installing the furnace, Boase said.
 
People who attend Wednesday's event will be able to see the new furnace in action, as there will be a live-action glassblowing auction, where people can bid on objects as they're being formed from a "glob o' glass" to a bowl or vase, said Sherry Trautman, marketing coordinator for the WMGAC. She said the artists will create works based on audience reaction, feedback. If someone yells out they want a glass goblet, chances are the glassblowers will cater to the request, Trautman said.

"I think that's going to be a lot of fun," she said.

Trautman said she expects seven pieces to be created for the live auction. There will also be a silent auction of pieces made by the WMGAC instructors during previous demonstrations. Trautman said there will be "quite a few" items in a variety of forms.

The WMGAC will utilize the space behind the building for food and beverages. The back door will be open, so people can easily move between the two spaces, Trautman said.

Visitor creates art with local influences

International artist makes foray into local art

Dubai: An artist who has never visited the UAE until this week or known much about its architecture and culture has created 30 large-scale canvases delineating the country, using 24-carat gold leaf, minerals, precious stones and natural pigments, among others, for an exhibition that opened at the Funoon Rotating Gallery, Dubai Ladies Club on October 1, 2012.

Titled Arabian Nights, Eastern Lights, the exhibition is a result of an invitation extended to the Swiss-Irish painter Claudio Viscardi, who lives and works on the Beara Peninsula in Ireland, by a client in the UAE. He told Gulf News that though he hadn’t seen the country for himself, he has been fascinated with the Middle East and its influences. As a young boy, he conjured images of the region’s many facets while reading Arabian fables from One Thousand and One Nights.

He said, “Many visitors were surprised how my works reflect the architecture and culture of this place… Some of the visitors couldn’t understand how I have been able to capture even the ambience without being here. While these paintings do not reflect reality, they are my artistic interpretation,” he said.

He described his style as one that uses the old masters’ techniques and elements of the Renaissance period that have been developed in a contemporary context. He experiments with landscape, architecture and geometry, juxtaposing light and shade in his 3D canvases.

The uniqueness of his works he said was in the way the beauty of the natural pigments - Lapis Lazuli, Carrara marble, Malachite, Pompei Red, Chinese Vermillion, etc - are showcased, without gloss finish.

Muna Bin Kalli, executive director of the Dubai Ladies Club said, “We are delighted to host this solo exhibition for Claudio Viscardi, which also marks his introduction to the local art community. The exhibition reflects our mission for the Gallery as a tool to forge a dynamic exchange of art and ideals through linkages with artists and art institutions, locally and abroad.”

Walsall's New Art Gallery hosting Damien Hirst exhibition

It’s his most iconic work. And now Damien Hirst’s infamous lamb suspended in formaldehyde has arrived in the Black Country.

The controversial artwork is one of 13 pieces in an exhibition expected to bring record crowds to The New Art Gallery Walsall.

The collection goes on show tomorrow – the first year-long display of work by Hirst outside of London.
Gallery bosses today said it was “a very big deal” for the venue.

Director Stephen Snoddy said: “Damien Hirst is one of the best living artists in the world, he is a brand name. He’s the David Beckham of the art world.

“It is brilliant for us to have this and it was a competitive bid to the Tate to get it.

“Hirst is such a brand name and a big name and we know our attendance figures are going to go up.”

The Hirst collection, part of the Artist Rooms tour, is at the Gallery Square venue until October 27, 2013 with 11 artworks by the artist and two special wallpapers.

Mr Snoddy said: “I think what will happen is there will be a lot of people from a 40-mile radius of Walsall and beyond who will come here.

“For many, if will be their first visit and we know there’s a good chance if they come a first time, they’ll come back.

“We normally get an average of 3,300 visitors here a week. It will be interesting to see what the figure is for the first full week.
“We’re expecting the footfall to be very good so it will be good for the gallery and good for the town.”
It has taken 18 months of planning to bring the artwork to the £21 million gallery, starting with a competitive bidding process to bosses at the Tate Modern in London.

Now, after the logistics of getting the art in place, building new walls and incorporating it with the existing artwork, the wraps are poised to come off.

Away from the Flock, Hirst’s 1994 work of a sheep suspended in formaldehyde, is centrepiece of the display on floor one.

One of Hirst’s most recognisable and influential works, it is expected to be the one people come and stand and look at the most.

For Mr Snoddy, the more people that come, the better. “Away From the Flock will probably be on the one people will stand and look at the most,” he said. “But I think everyone needs to come and see them in real life before giving their opinion on them.

“People will really begin to see the beauty in the work. For example, Damien Hirst’s butterflies paintings are so amazingly beautiful. When these pieces are reproduced in magazines and books and catalogues there can be critics but it doesn’t really look as it does in the flesh.

“Many people will be seeing the work for the first time in the flesh and I think they’ll be surprised at how real and beautiful it all is.” Hirst’s work has been interwoven with that of Jacob Epstein, whose work the gallery holds a large collection of.

Both artists share similar themes of religion, science, love and death.

London’s Tate Modern recently hosted Hirst’s work and had their most visited solo show – attracting 3,000 visitors a day.

Walsall Council leisure chief Anthony Harris said: “It really is an opportunity to put the New Art Gallery and Walsall on the map- both nationally and internationally.

“We expect art enthusiasts from across the globe to visit the exhibition here in Walsall but it also presents a chance for local people here in Walsall to view art which is normally only on display in London.

“We want local residents to come and take a look for themselves and to see what else the Art Gallery has to offer.”

ASG opens season with exhibition on art, embroidery from Balochistan

The Asian Study Group (ASG) in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), held its opening of the season event, which saw a sizeable number of old members and those aspiring to join this very informative and entertaining group turn up for the occasion.

Apart from signing up for membership, there was an exhibition of art and embroidery from Balochistan; the sale of limited edition calendars composed of prize-winning photographs taken by members; ASG publications and information about the sub-groups of which there are over a dozen. The main attraction was a multi-media presentation by Naheed Jafri Azfar, titled ‘Balochistan: The Other Side,’ a personal narrative of history, culture, costumes and travel.

The proceeding began on time with president ASG welcoming everyone and thanking them for their support to the organisation. She then introduced the Ambassador of Turkey, Babur Hizlan as the patron for the year 2012-13 and thanked him for accepting the position; announced that ASG was thirty nine years old and run entirely by dedicated volunteers — whom she thanked profusely for the wonderful job they were doing — and enumerated the various sub-groups that members can join to actively participate in its programmes.

She concluded by thanking the secretary, Ministry of Culture, Araf Ghafoor and DG, PNCA Tauqir Nasir, as well as all other officials and staff members for their help and cooperation and hoped it would continue in the years to come.

She then requested the patron to introduce the speaker Ambassador Hizlan said it was an honour to be the patron of ‘this prestigious organisation;’ of which he had come to know when his predecessor, Ambassador of Belgium, Hans Cristian Kint introduced him to it. He then gave a brief introduction of the speaker. Naheed’s presentation was based on her extensively researched, yet to be published book that promises ‘a profound, powerful visual presence and sensitive documentation. All political references end in 1947.’ It was well presented, with Naheed explaining why she became interested in Baluchistan and reading out the interesting experiences she has had while researching her subject matter, meeting collectors and travelling to the interior of the province - turning out to be a natural story teller who put the narrative in words that could be understood by listeners. In the second half of her presentation she screened old maps and photographs that made for a fascinating journey into the past. As per tradition, the patron and his wife Emel graciously hosted a dinner at the residence for ASG committee members and the guest speaker. It was an enjoyable way to end an evening, relaxing in the beautiful surroundings of their residence and having the rare treat of savouring a meal of Turkish cuisine, which is not found in any restaurant in the capital.

Naheed Jafri-Azfar is an internationally recognized art historian. She has co-authored (with Sherry Rehman) the prize winning book ‘The Kashmiri Shawl from Jamawar to Paisley’, published by Mapin India and The Antique Collectors’ Club, UK 2006. Dynamic and multi- facetted, she is considered a pioneer in fashion and design in Pakistan.

The ASG was formed in Islamabad in 1973 as a non-profit body to allow members of the community, especially the expatriates, to get to know about the culture; geography; history; religion; environment; crafts and customs of the region in general and Pakistan in particular.

DPS art teacher wins Milken Award at surprise

Barth Quenzer high-fives students and fellow teachers during an assembly at Brown International Academy to present the visual-arts teacher with a $25,000 Milken Award on Thursday.

He didn't envision his school day ending quite like this.
Barth Quenzer, a 33-year-old visual-arts teacher at Brown International Academy in Denver, held his hand to his forehead — utterly stunned — as an auditorium full of students cheered and chanted, "Mis-ter Q! Mis-ter Q!"

Amid state and local education dignitaries gathered on stage, Quenzer heard the surprise announcement that he had won a 2012 Milken Educator Award as one of 40 educators nationwide to be recognized with a $25,000 prize.

"I did not see this coming," he said.

The Milken Family Foundation, which sponsors the awards, refers to them as the "Oscars of teaching" and bestows them on exceptional educators nominated and vetted through state

departments of education."It's not a lifetime-achievement award," said foundation representative Jane Foley, who announced the honor to a delighted gathering. "We look for candidates who are still early in their careers. Our hope is that this will inspire them to continue to do great things."

Quenzer, in his seventh year of teaching in Denver Public Schools, described what he tries to impart to the 550 Brown students from kindergarten to fifth grade: "It's a basic love of learning, curiosity, asking questions, taking risks, working with each other in collaboration, exploring, experimenting and sharing great ideas with others."

And he credited school leaders for putting faith in teachers.

"Every day, I come in and know the work I get to do with my students is exactly what I want to be doing," Quenzer said. "It's my passion. When students feel and understand that, it becomes more real to them. Passion transfers."

The woman who nominated him described a self-motivated, caring and humble man with a knack for reaching his students and making them care deeply about the arts. Quenzer won a 2009 Mile High Teacher of the Year Award and last summer was named 2012 Colorado Arts Education Association elementary

art teacher of the year."From the first time I observed him in class, I saw he had a way of understanding universal principles that go way beyond classroom instruction," said C. Capucine Chapman, the fine-arts program manager for DPS. "He plans, he cares, and he listens, then applies what he learns."

Another colleague wrote on his nomination: "Barth sees farther than most of us see. ... He understands both art and education. Second-graders have art critiques in their classroom, really talking about artwork in a way that you can't even get museum curators to talk about art."

Among the 40 honorees this year, Quenzer is the only one from Colorado — though 11 previous Colorado winners were assembled on stage to welcome him to what one called "membership in a transformative and life-changing club."

Eighty-four Colorado recipients since 1989 have been awarded $2.1 million.

"I have to put it back on the students and fellow teachers," Quenzer said as the cheers quieted. "I love you guys, and I love Brown. And we're going to do great things to come."

Foley, who travels the country delivering the awards at surprise assemblies, playfully toyed with her mostly young audience while she unraveled her "secret."

A handful of fifth-graders helped her by holding up numbered placards, one by one, to illustrate the financial award. After the 2 and the 5, students gasped and cheered as, zero by zero, the figure grew to $25,000 — an award that comes with no strings attached.
Quenzer said some of the money will be earmarked for "something related to Brown."

Still standing on stage, he called his wife and asked her to guess why he was calling. Sensing something big, she guessed he had won something.
"A trip to Hawaii?" she asked.
"We can go to Hawaii," Quenzer grinned. "For sure."

China art auctions: feeling the chill

There is a chill in the air as Sotheby’s opens its Hong Kong autumn sales on Friday, and it’s not because the worst of the summer heat is over. This week is China’s “Golden Week”, traditionally the public holiday when the world’s most populous country goes on holiday and spends a lot of money abroad. But retailers in Hong Kong – the most popular destination for mainland tourists – have noticed a sharp fall off in sales growth this year.


This could be the worst Golden Week since 2003, when Hong Kong started allowing in independent mainland Chinese tourists, said Caroline Mak of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.

Retail sales could have fallen compared with last year’s holiday, she said. At best, the industry was expecting mid-to-high single digit growth.

Nor is the gloom just in Hong Kong. In nearby Macau, casinos reported a 9 per cent fall in September revenue compared with August, or a year-on-year 12.3 per cent increase (which may sound healthy but is a far cry from last year’s 42 per cent growth). The latest figures further confirmed that mainland Chinese gamblers – responsible for the bulk of the city’s annual casino revenue – are not as free with their money as before.

None of this bodes well for this week’s auctions or Christie’s sales in November. Wealthy mainland Chinese who used to frequent Hong Kong’s luxury retailers are also the ones who have helped turn the city into a major art hub.

Sotheby’s total estimate for the October 5-9 series of auctions is HK$1.6bn ($200m), compared with HK$2.4bn for last year’s Autumn sales, even though the number of lots for sale has gone up 6 per cent this year to 3,600.

Competition among auction houses is also stepping up, with China Guardian Auctions holding its first sales outside the mainland in Hong Kong on Sunday. It is focusing on traditional Chinese ink paintings and calligraphy, as well as classical Chinese furniture, and the total estimate is around $26m. It is a small sum compared with Sotheby’s sales but as China’s second-largest auction house (and fourth in the world), Guardian is a force to be reckoned with.

China’s growth slowdown has also been blamed for the lacklustre performance of Sotheby’s and close rival Christie’s auctions in New York and in London recently, but the two houses remain bullish about the long-term demand for art in China.

Sotheby’s has just set up a joint venture with state-owned Beijing GeHua Art Company, becoming the first western auction house allowed to sell art in mainland China. Christie’s, no doubt, hopes to expand its relationship with Forever, its mainland licensee.

Speculators may have left the market but serious collectors see this as a good time to snap up quality items, says Jiang Luyang, Christie’s Asian spokesperson.