ART NEWS

Today, I won 2nd Place in the Haddon Fortnightly/5050 Club 5th Annual Through a Woman's Eyes ART SHOW. The 5050 Club is a high school group which works in conjunction with the Women's Club Haddon Fortnightly to raise money for international scholarships through this annual show. The theme this year was S.T.E.A.M. (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). The winner was a monumentally ambitious and gorgeous full size hand-sewn quilt called Flower Pots. It was incredibly intricate and an original design. My piece was 5 fabric panels, onto which were sewn 5 portraits of women scientists: Patricia Bath who invented the laserprobe for cataract removal (first African American woman on the Stanford Medical University faculty, Rachel Carson, author of Since Silent Spring, Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper who created Cobol, the computer language, and Rosalind Franklin, whose electronmicroscopic photo of dna was used by Watson and Crick to create the 3d model of DNA.

The five panels wer sewn together like a 14 x 14 book, with a strap on the spine so it could be carried like a handbag. Each portrait was sewn onto printed fabric with a desitn to match the scientists' area such as a sea motif for Rachel Carson, who also authored The Sea Around Us. I was given a check, a book with apeach ribbon, a framed award, and a flower - all together in a very pretty package. I was overjoyed to be recognized, especially in the context of 75 really excellent works of Art, and I was doubly honored to be part of such a noble enterprise. Also, you know I love historic buildings and the Haddon Fortnightly is on the American Register of Historic Buildings, having been built in 1857, first as a church. It is a beautiful building. The whole day was a sheer delight. >p/> I still have two paintings up at THE STATION (Eiland Arts Center) the repurposed train depot turned Art Gallery and cafe' on Chestnut in Merchantville, and one of those two paintings has sold! This year is off to a very auspicious start!

If you have work to enter into a show, it isn't too late - Here is info on the upcoming Cherry Hill show which I won't be entering becauae I am tired.

The ‘Art Blooms’ festival will run for two weeks in Cherry Hill, beginning in late April. The festival will consist of a variety of events, including a coffee house, concerts, fashion shows, and art exhibits. The first event of Art Blooms will be the Earth Festival, presented by Sustainable Cherry Hill. It will feature artists and crafters selling their original handicrafts, environmental displays, and family activities such as a family bike ride. All art works submitted in the Art Blooms festival must be art on canvas or paper; this will include watercolors, oils, and prints. Each artist can submit up to three pieces of artwork until April 24, and a submission fee of $10 per piece applies. Artists then compete for various cash prizes, with the winners being announced at the festival's opening reception. Those taking part in the Earth Festival will likely want to work with Cherry Hill printing companies to prepare. Artists and crafters might want to invest in a colorful sign or banner that will draw attention to their booth. Those providing environmental displays might also want to distribute literature to those who are interested in the work they do. Art Blooms will run at the Croft Farm Arts Center from April 27 until May 11, with Earth Festival 2013 taking place on the opening day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Admission is free and the opening reception for Art Blooms will take place on April 27 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. For more information, call 856-488-7868.

Happy Trails, my friends! I think my next work will be a piece dedicated to Lady Gregory, for St. Patrick's Day. More on that when March arrives!

wrightj45@yahoo.com