ELLIPSE ARTS CENTER
Thursday, July 31, 2008
  The Story Behind the Bird...

Alex Zealand, the artist behind the lacey grapevine wonder, The Abscence of Flight, blogs about the story behind her work and her experience at the All Arlington Salon! As an installation artist, Zealand discovers the emotional side of disposable objects and brings out thier un-realized potential. Read Alex Zealand's Blog: "Install This"!

www.alexzealand.blogspot.com

 
  The All Arlington Salon Opening Night!
Yellowthroat by Western Muntain
The evening of July 31st was opening night for the All Arlington Salon 2008! The gallery was buzzing with excitement when over five hundred guests poured in, ready to share the experience of participating in the Ellipse Arts Center’s annual exhibition. Not surprising, this year’s show proved to be yet another success! By showcasing the works of two hundred and twelve Arlington affiliated artists, the All Arlington Salon represents the multitude of talented people who live, work, have a studio or study in Arlington County, Virginia.
(Photo: courtesy of Britt Conley)
The room was overflowing with artists and guests!
(Photo: courtesy of Britt Conley)

“This is the best salon show that I’ve been in and seen ever!” says Antonios Sotiros Perros, a six-time All Arlington Salon participating artist. Commenting on his tour of the Ellipse, Perros believes, “…artists should have a good solid drawing background…and this is what I’ve seen so far in this art show.”

A Good Read by Dana Saxerud.

Paintings dominated this year’s salon, seconded by photographs and finally sculptural works. Acrylic being the most popular weapon of choice, the myriad of paintings shift in focus from urban landscapes, to intimate portraits of family life. The pieces range from the oddly humorous to the mysteriously quiet, such as A Good Read by Dana Saxerud.

Little Virgin by Jeannette Herrera.


The hand-pulled prints, patchwork quilts and tile mosaics are worthy of notice, as are the two dioramas, Mail Art 2 and Little Virgin by artists Jennifer Beinhacker and Jeannette Herrera. Beinhacker’s babydolls are housed in an attic-like atmosphere filled with secret messages and personal meaning, while Herrera’s fresh look at a familiar religious icon is sprinkled in gold.

The artist and her artwork. Britt Conley and Miss. Sloan. (Photo: courtesy of Eileen Ryan)

A view of the gallery with Trepanation Blue and Foot/Ankle.

Adjacent to the larger-than-life charcoal drawing Foot/Ankle by Kevin Mellema (far right) are equally stunning digital photographs and paintings by artists who share Mellema’s eye for capturing vivid motion in two dimensions.

Crowned with antlers and tattooed with swirling birds, Lee T. Wheeler’s Trepanation Blue (far left, hanging) combines found objects and painting to create a poetic sculpture. “I awoke with birdsong in my head,” reads the first line of his poem. As a trained tattoo artist, Wheeler’s unique style certainly adds personality to the exhibition.



The terracotta bust by Liz Musil, entitled Listening, is a fine example of the extraordinary detail present in the art displayed. Attention to detail seems to be an ongoing theme in this year’s salon.



A view through The Absence of Flight by Alexandra Zealand.

The Absence of Flight by Alexandra Zealand begs you to look closely at the intricately woven grapevines and see the beauty in something ordinarily discarded.

A collection of crafts and crocheted handiwork by members of the Harvey Hall Community Center.


The flamenco guitarist serenading the crowd.

The All Arlington Salon runs from August 1st to September 13th. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11am – 7pm and Saturdays 11am – 2pm.

This is your chance to discover something new! Get inspired, don’t miss it!


 
Thursday, July 17, 2008
  Countdown to the All Arlington Salon!


There are only two weeks left before opening night of the Ellipse Arts Center’s annual exhibition, the All Arlington Salon! On July 17th, the day of the drop-off, Arlington artists came through the gallery doors with ready-to-hang photographs, paintings, mixed media collages and 3-D sculptures. By mid-morning, the walls were filling up with rows of original artworks. From graffiti inspired pieces, to charcoal drawings, to hand-pulled prints, the wide spectrum of artistic styles represent Arlington’s diversity.

Paintings by Brit Conley and other artists.

The All Arlington Salon is open to all artists who live, work, study or have a studio in Arlington, Virginia. Artists have the opportunity to submit eac
h year. Every other year a guest curator juries the show, but this year there is no juror! Regardless of style or medium, Arlington affiliated, artists 18 years and older are welcome to submit one artwork.

Artists Vicky Kirby (left) and Bev Hansen (right) previewing the show.

The opening reception will be held on the evening of July 31st, 2008 from 6:00 – 9:00pm. Parking is free and open late the night of the reception. The exhibition will be on view from August 1st to September 13th. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11am – 7pm and Saturdays 11am – 2pm.
 
Ellipse Arts Center is a 3,000 square foot visual arts facility managed by Arlington Cultural Affairs, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resourses. Our mission is to provide a diverse schedule of high quality programs in the visual arts, providing opportunities for visual artists, as well as developing an engaged and appreciative audience.

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Location: Arlington, VA
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