Opening Celebration for the New Home of the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art
You are invited to an Opening Reception to celebrate
our new facility Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 5-9pm.
77 Steele St, Algoma, Wisconsin.
“The Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art is dedicated to providing Artists of all abilities the opportunity to improve their painting, drawing, and sculpting skills through time tested exercises with a professional faculty.”
August 15, 2010
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Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art Moves to New Location
After six years of operating The Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art in
Kewaunee, Wisconsin, Norma Bell is moving the school to a new facility
and location. The Lake Michigan shoreline town of Algoma, located 12
miles north of Kewaunee, will become the Academy’s new home. The move
will be completed in time for the commencement of the 2010-2011 School
Year which begins August 31st.
Previous to this move the Academy had been located in a grand old
dairy barn in Kewaunee. “We have all cherished and enjoyed our
residence at the ‘Big Barn’. However, it is time to open the second
chapter of the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art and this move will
facilitate this new era.” said Norma Bell, Owner, Manager, and
Executive Director. The new location will be at 316-318 Steele
Street, Algoma, in a vintage 1905 brick building. The space will
provide 3000 square feet in an open floor plan, 13 foot tall ceilings
that have decorative tin tiles and cornice, hardwood floors, and many
other vintage appointments. Craig Blietz, Artistic Director of the
Academy, said “Each day we strive to improve upon what we provide to
our students and this new facility presents us with another
opportunity to do so. The authentic early 20th Century character
inherent in the architecture of this building will infuse our
curriculum, and the educational experience, with the atmosphere and
quality of the 19th century art schools in Paris and Munich.”
With Dick Bell’s departure Norma Bell becomes the sole proprietor and
administrator of the Academy. Craig Blietz will remain the Artistic
Director. The school will retain the name “Kewaunee Academy of Fine
Art”.
The Academy will host a Grand Opening Celebration. Details will be
made available soon. More information on the Kewaunee Academy of Fine
Art can be found at www.kewauneeacademy.com or by calling 920-388-4391
or 925-963-7023.
–
Norma Bell
Executive Director
Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art &
Barnsite Gallery
109 Duvall Street, Kewaunee, WI 54216
920-388-4391
July 7, 2010
Posted in: Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art One Comment
Portrait Head Study Workshop in July at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art
July 1, 2010
Posted in: Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, Learning Opportunities No Comments
Ilya Repin – Itinerant Wanderer, Progressive Realist
Ilya Repin, the famous Russian painter of the late 19th-early 20th centuries of the realist school, once said, speaking about the Impressionists: “Having done their thing, having refreshed art and having freed it from the conservative academic trend … they have become conservative themselves, limiting their art to just toying with purple, blue and orange colors.” The visual arts of the 20th century tended to do away with representing the material world realistically, but the material world persistently continued to exist in all of its complex variety. This complex world is where Repin’s work thrives.
Repin Self-Portrait
Ilya Efimovich Repin was born in 1844 in a small Ukrainian town in a family of a military settler. As a young boy, he received his first lessons in art, when he worked for a talented icon painter I. M. Bunakov. At the age of 19, he entered St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. His arrival at the Academy coincides with a significant event in artistic thought of that time and place, the so called ‘Riot of the Fourteen’. Fourteen young artists left the Academy having refused to use mythological subject matter for their final graduation works. They reasoned that art should be close to real life. Later Repin becomes closely connected with some of them and their organization, the members of the Society of Peredvizhinsky.
After the Academy, Repin went abroad. He traveled around Italy for several months until finally finding himself settled in and working in Paris. This was where he witnessed the first exhibition of the Impressionists. He did not become a follower of this new school, judging by the works created then and his letters home, yet he didn’t share the pessimistic opinions of some others, including his own countrymen, that Impressionism was a dangerous departure from “the truth of life.”
Krestniy Khod in Kursk Gubernia
Later Repin returns to Russia and settles in Moscow. He frequently visited Abramtsevo, the country estate of Savva Mamontov, one of the famous Russian patrons of art during that time. This was a very fruitful period for Repin and throughout the next decade he created the majority of his more well known paintings. During this time he painted “Krestniy Khod in Kursk Gubernia” (1880-1883). It depicts a crucession, an Easter Orthodox religious procession headed by a cross, or krestniy khod. The composition was based on the dramatic effect on the participants of the procession, which had representatives from each strata of the social hierarchy, to the iconic symbol carried at the head of the procession. At first glance the spectator discovers in the crowd the abundance of social types and human characters.
Unexpected Return
Repin created a series of paintings devoted to the revolution theme. The artist was no doubt interested in creating the character of a fighter for social justice. The range of social, spiritual, and psychological problems, which attracted Repin, is revealed in his works “Unexpected Return” (1884) and “Refusal from the Confession” (1879-1885).
Portrait of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev wearing the Edinburgh University professor robe
Repin is the author of many portraits, which are an essential part of his artistic heritage. Repin never painted faces, he painted real people, managing to show his models in their natural state, to reveal their way of communicating with the world. Many of Repin’s portrait paintings are distinguished by the power of visual characteristic and the economy and sharpness of execution.
Order our NEW Repin book HERE!
Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan
Repin rarely painted historical paintings but when he did, the imagery carried great impact. The most popular in this genre is “Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan” (1895). The expressive, intense composition and psychological insight in rendering the characters produced an unforgettable impression on the spectators. Another popular painting in this genre is “The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mahmoud IV” (1880-1891). The faithfully rendered spirit of the Zaporozhian freemen, who, according to the artist, had a particularly strong sense of “liberty, equality and fraternity” and undoubtedly gives the picture its significance. Repin’s contemporaries saw it as a symbol of the Russian people throwing off their chains.
The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mahmoud IV
Repin taught at St. Petersburg’s Academy from 1894 to 1907 and was an influential member of the Wanderers. In 1900, during a trip to Paris, Repin met Natalia Nordman, “the love of his life”, and moved to her home Penaty. Together they organized the famous Wednesdays at the Penaty which attracted the creative elite of Russia. When Nordman died in 1914, she left the estate to the Academy, but Repin occupied it for the next sixteen years.
Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom
Handicapped by the atrophy of his right hand, Repin could not produce works of the same quality as those which brought him fame. Although he trained himself to paint with his left hand, he lived his last years under a constant financial strain. Since artists did not accept the Revolution of 1917, he did not want to go back to Russia, even though in 1926 a delegation sent by the Ministry of Education of the Soviet Union helped him financially and tried to entice him to return.
Order our NEW Repin book HERE!
May 20, 2010
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More Free Figure Drawing Instruction This Summer at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art
Join us for free life drawing at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art. This is a great opportunity for you and your friends to explore all the opportunities available at the Academy and enjoy a few hours working from a live professional model. If you have never worked with a model before or you want to learn more about comparative figure drawing, Mark Zelten will be available to help. Hope to see you there.
Regards,
Norma Bell
Figure drawing has been the standard measurement of an artist’s skills for hundreds of years, probably from the moment we first started capturing the living world around us.
Figure drawing is a very important aspect of todays art, because it aids the artist in that it is one of the key methods of observation and seeing is a large part of what art is about.
With all of this in mind, the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art is proud to offer FREE figure drawing instruction.
May 14, 2010
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Kewaunee Academy Students Attend the Portrait Society of America’s Annual Conference in Washington DC
As part of their commitment to educating the public about the traditions, techniques and aesthetics of fine art portraiture and figurative works, The Portrait Society of America honored the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art by awarding six scholarships to its students to attend their Annual Conference. The Conference was held in Washington, DC on April 22nd to the 25th. In addition to receiving the six scholarships from The National Portrait Society, the students also received a generous travel grant from ArtBeet, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes the arts in Kewaunee County.
The students who received the scholarships included Melanie Croke, Fish Creek, WI, David Kapszukiewicz, Appleton, WI, Mae Swagel, Kewaunee, WI, Mara Pionek, Green Bay, WI, Suzanne Barnes, De Pere, WI, and Scott Gigstead, Algoma, WI.
At the Conference these students were able to attend helpful and inspirational workshops with internationally acclaimed representational artists and watch dynamic painting demonstrations. They also were able to meet and speak with other artists from around the nation and the world. These students have brought back their experiences and have shared them with their fellow students at the Kewaunee Academy. They will be giving a presentation at Art Beet’s monthly meeting to be held on Monday, June 14th at 7pm. The meeting will be held at Barnsite, 109 Duvall Street, Kewaunee, Wisconsin. The public is invited to attend.
Scholarship Students
(Left to Right) Scott Gigstead, Suzanne Barnes, David Kapszukiewicz, Mara Pionek, Melanie Croke, Mae Swagel.
ArtBeet Board Presenting Check
(Left to Right) Joy Kruse, Norma Bell, Suzanne Connor (President), Pat Rye, Kim Lyon.
May 14, 2010
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China’s Contemporary Exceptional Oil Painters Series – Hu Jian Chen and Cai Chu Fu
Thank you very much for all of the interest in this series of books! Because of the demand for this new series of books, we will be showcasing two per week for the next few weeks. Once again, thank you for interest in these books and thank you for your patronage to the Barnsite!
We have in stock a new series of books, fresh off the boat from China. These series of books showcase many of China’s contemporary oil painters. They are Large Format (10.25” W x 15” H) with beautiful full color high quality printing on 36 pages. The books are almost entirely consisting of full page images. These books would be an invaluable student aid in practicing your craft or they would make excellent coffee table books, either way for $20 (not including shipping and handling) it is easy to collect them all!
ORDER THIS BOOK HERE.
ORDER THIS BOOK HERE.
May 7, 2010
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20% Off Celebration Sale!
So, all in all, we have a lot to celebrate and I would like to invite you to join in the celebration. I am offering 20% off our entire selection of fine art books from now through May 7th (educational books excluded). Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.
The success of our Fine Art book venture has been overwhelming, we know this because of all the copycat book mavens that have emerged, and all because of your patronage! I want to personally thank you for your support of Barnsite Gallery, the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art and our growing book business!
Norma Bell, Owner, Executive Director
Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art and Barnsite Gallery
To receive the discount, select one of the Fine Art Books from our website and on checkout enter CELEBRATE20 in the gift voucher/coupon code area of
the shopping cart to get 20% off of your order! Take advantage of this special offer before May 7th!
A selection of some of the books on SALE for a Limited Time Only:
 NEW: Repin: The History of Life’s Journey
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 Nikolai Feshin (Russian Text)
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 NEW: Isaak Levitan: Great Collection
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 Joaquin Sorolla by Blanca Pons-Sorolla
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April 30, 2010
Posted in: Books, Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, Travel Opportunities No Comments
FREE Figure Drawing Instruction This Saturday at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art!
Join us for free life drawing at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art this Saturday, May 1 from 10:00am to 1:00pm. This is a great opportunity for you and your friends to explore all the opportunities available at the Academy and enjoy a few hours working from a live professional model. If you have never worked with a model before or you want to learn more about comparative figure drawing, Mark Zelten will be available to help. Hope to see you Saturday.
Regards,
Norma Bell
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Figure drawing has been the standard measurement of an artist’s skills for hundreds of years, probably from the moment we first started capturing the living world around us.
Figure drawing is a very important aspect of todays art, because it aids the artist in that it is one of the key methods of observation and seeing is a large part of what art is about.
With all of this in mind, the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art is proud to offer FREE figure drawing instruction.
To learn more about the classes we offer, please visit our website.
April 28, 2010
Posted in: Learning Opportunities No Comments
Sorolla’s Visions of Spain Returning to Hispanic Society May 7, 2010
From the Hispanic Society of America:
The Return of Sorolla’s Vision of Spain
After an absence of three years, Sorolla’s Vision of Spain will return to exhibition on May 7, 2010, in The Hispanic Society of America, following a record-breaking tour of Spain. Over the past century no other artist has been more closely associated with The Hispanic Society of America than the Valencian painter JoaquĂn Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923). With the finest collection of works by Sorolla outside of Spain, the Hispanic Society through most of its history has been a required visit, if not a pilgrimage, for all who admire the “painter of light.” Sorolla’s masterwork Vision of Spain, comprised of fourteen monumental oil paintings on canvas depicting the peoples and regions of Spain, has served as a highlight of the Hispanic Society’s museum since it was first exhibited in 1926. Having received the commission for the Hispanic Society in 1911 from its founder, Archer Milton Huntington, over the next eight years Sorolla traveled throughout the regions of Spain, producing hundreds of preparatory sketches before completing Vision of Spain in 1919.
During the artist’s final years, and prior to the shipment of the monumental paintings to the Hispanic Society in December 1922, a noble effort was made to arrange for the exhibition of Vision of Spain at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid in 1921. The urgency of this endeavor was clear to everyone, not only because of the artist’s failing health, but by the common awareness that this was the only opportunity for exhibiting the paintings in Spain, since once they were installed in New York City they would never return. Ultimately it proved impossible to organize such an ambitious exhibition within the imposed time limitations.
Eight decades later this unfulfilled dream became a reality as Sorolla’s Vision of Spain triumphantly toured Spain through the generous sponsorship of the Bancaja Foundation. Over the past two years the paintings have been exhibited at the Centro Cultural Bancaja in Valencia, the Museo de Bellas Artes of Seville, the Museo Municipal of Malaga, the Museo de Bellas Artes of Bilbao, the Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, and the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. At each venue Sorolla’s Vision of Spain broke all attendance records, making it the most successful exhibition in Spanish history with a total of over two million visitors.
The Hispanic Society has taken the unique opportunity provided by this exhibition tour to renovate the Sorolla Gallery for the first time since Vision of Spain first went on exhibition in 1926. Renovations have included a new roof, skylights, lighting, as well as an additional entrance to the gallery. The counters that served as a barrier separating visitors from the paintings have been removed, and upon their return the monumental canvases will be hung lower in order to maximize the viewing experience of visitors. Beginning on May 7, 2010, we encourage everyone to visit the Hispanic Society, located on Audubon Terrace at Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets, to experience like never before Sorolla’s Vision of Spain in its renewed splendor.
Books about Sorolla in our online book store:
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April 16, 2010
Posted in: Exhibitions No Comments