2013 Annual Rio Rancho Event: Sunday is Funday™!

Come on out on August 18th, 2013 to the athletic field at Rio Rancho High School for all the super hero fun at the annual "Sunday is Funday™"!  The Rio Rancho Art Association (RRAA) will be number 55 on the map. Stop by and say hello, find out more about what we do, and become a member of RRAA!

     "The 8th Annual Tony Popper Memorial, Mayor’s Sunday is Funday™, on Sunday, August 18, 2013, from Noon to 4:30PM at the Rio Rancho High School field near the corner of Loma Colorado and Broadmoor.
This year’s theme is Super Heros, bullying stops here! Attendees will be treated to live music and entertainment, fun activities for kids of all ages, informative vendor booths, and lots of family budget friendly food. A highlight of the day will be the Mayor’s challenging, relay-style Pentathlon, pitting teams comprised of Rio Rancho community members against one another in a friendly competition.
Mayor Tom Swisstack is once again challenging the community - businesses, nonprofits, kids and seniors - to a fun pentathlon challenge consisting of athletic, relay-style events where teams will compete against one another. For information contact the Rio Rancho Kiwanis Club, Dave Heil at (505) 228-7189 or daveheil16@msn.com; Tim Sheahan 881-0777; or visit www.rioranchokiwanis.com or www.bgccnm.org.
Sunday is Funday is sponsored and coordinated by the Rio Rancho Kiwanis Club, the city of Rio Rancho Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, the Rio Rancho Boys & Girls Club and other community organizations. Proceeds, after paying event expenses, will benefit youth programs in Rio Rancho such as scholarships for parks and recreation programs, the Rio Rancho Boys & Girls Club, the Sandoval County Juvenile Justice Program, and the Boy Scouts.
Come and join the fun and have a great time participating in this funnest Rio Rancho family event."

Rio Rancho 2103 "Sunday is Funday™" Events Map

Here is the vendor list (sorry we can't make it any bigger!):

Rio Rancho 2013 "Sunday is Funday™" Vendor listing

Tree-Less Paper?? How Does That Work?

This is an excerpt from the Artisan's Art Spot Newsletter. I thought that it would be great to share it with you all in case you don't know what an extensive paper selection Artisan has (especially their Santa Fe store), not to mention a great in-house expert (T.Bird)!

We're often asked,

"What's up with tree-less paper?" 

 
"T.Bird here! You will most often find me prowling around the paper department at the back of Artisan's main store in Santa Fe.
  

The word 'paper' has recently been bent, folded and stretched almost beyond recognition! Gone are the days of paper-like products being manufactured solely from tree and plant materials. Traditional paper has been made from tree pulp and bark, mulberry fibers, linen, cotton and papyrus reeds for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. But today's new "treeless papers" are making a big impression in the art supply market.

 

With literally hundreds of Art supports available to today's artists, it can be confusing to locate the exact product you need to create your next masterpiece.
 

I am going to introduce you to three new paper-like products which are relatively new to the market; TerraSkin, Yupo, and two types of Mylar (Duralar)
 

TerraSkin is the newest product on the market. It is made out of rock! No really! TerraSkin is made out of a combination of calcium carbonate (marble dust) and a small amount of polyethylene (a degradable plastic) as a binder. The surface of TerraSkin is smooth and has a satiny feel. It is a remarkable surface for mixed media, including graphite, charcoal, watercolor, oil, resin, encaustic, acrylic, inks and silverpoint. And since it has no grain, it cuts like butter.
 

The paper can literally be immersed in water for weeks or months with no ill effects (we actually tried this out at Artisan, immersing a pad of TerraSkin in a pitcher of water for two months!).
 

It is acid free, archival and degradable. No water or tree products are used in its manufacture. It is available in white or translucent in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. Single sheets and pads are available at Artisan, and rolls can be special ordered.
 

Yupo has been on the market for a few years now. It is made of polypropylene, a very stable plastic like product which is also acid free and archival. It has the ability to seek its own level meaning that it will not buckle or crinkle with use. Watercolorists love this product. Its nonabsorbent, ultra smooth surface allows watercolor and inks to lay on the surface but also allows them to be easily "lifted" back off for gorgeous watery effects. You can even erase watercolors from the surface by simply rinsing it off in water.  Yupo is also available at Artisan in translucent or white, single sheets, pads and rolls by special order.
 

Duralar (Mylar) has been available for many years. It was originally used by the graphics and engineering industries, but has more recently been found to be excellent for Fine Art applications. I would recommend 2 side matte Mylar for pencil, marker, ink, charcoal, paint and colored pencil. The matte Duralar is translucent and works well for layering effects. Wet Media Duralar is a clear version which is treated on both sides to accept any wet media. Duralar is available at Artisan in single sheets, rolls and pads.

Explore the possibilities. We are learning new applications for all of these products everyday! And give me a call at Artisan if you have any questions! (505) 954-4179

 

T-Bird"

Using LinkedIn To Your Advantage

"ArtSpark is a social experiment to discover how artists and arts organizations can fund their projects and engage their audience, fans and communities using social media + face2face buzz." 

I subscribe to their feed as much of what they post is oh so valuable by way of sharing information as to what works well by way of social media-particularly in the context of being an artist. I also have a LinkedIn account (the free version) and am in several art groups in LinkedIn. The dialogue and sharing of information is priceless as no one can be an expert on any of this social media stuff at any given point in time. Not to mention the tips and tricks shared by way of the medium that we love to work in.

ArtSpark posts a (usually) weekly article called, "Resource ThuRsday"-which is a way to share resources out there at our fingertips that we might not be aware of, or how to better use something that we are aware of. Such as today's post in regards to, LinkedIn. Beside's having an on-line resume, LinkedIn is a great way to promote yourself, meet other artists and discuss and share topics that you have the same concerns about. And, yes, I know of others who have picked up art commission jobs as a result of their LinkedIn account (it was a corporate art commission, so how sweet is that?).

You can find out how to create an attractive LinkedIn profile and how to best utilize other links to your LinkedIn account: READ MORE...

RRAA's July Program Guest Speaker: Ulysses Reid

© Ulysses Reid: Large Olla Water jar 

Rio Rancho Art Association's guest speaker for the July program will be Ulysses Reid. He will be speaking about his process and work immediately after the business portion of the RRAA monthly membership meeting.

Ulysses Reid is from the Zia Pueblo and was a hit at 2012 Indian Market. Buyers were lined up in front of his booth at 7:00 AM that first morning of market and he sold out! Ulysses is proving to be one of the best potters in New Mexico and is well respected for fine craftsmanship and also for his knowledge of Zia pottery. 

It takes about 30 hours to make a pot. The clay is gathered, sifted, mixed with water, coiled and and shaped by hand. Then it is painted with all natural mineral or plant pigments which have been gathered from the land. As the potter paints, he uses Zia symbols and designs dating back hundreds of years and also incorporates his own touch that makes it uniquely his. After the pot is formed and painted, Ulysses chooses to either fire the pot in a kiln or he uses an outdoor fire pit which is traditional. 

Ulysses Reid spent many years dedicating himself to his tribe by working for the Pueblo of Zia language and cultural preservation program. While working for the Pueblo, Ulysses coordinated several community pottery projects with expert potter Lois Medina. It was during these programs that he learned the locations of mineral paints and clays.

His formal training started in 2004 when he was awarded a Folk Art Apprenticeship Grant from the New Mexico Arts to work with his mentor Rufina Panana. In a very short amount of time, Ulysses became known for his work with Zia and Mesa Verde pottery designs.

Ulysses has shown at several art shows such as the Santa Fe Indian Market and Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival.

ART Can Changes Lives!

Art program transforms failing school

Orchard Gardens, a school in Roxbury, Mass., had been plagued by bad test scores and violence -- but one principal’s idea to fire the security guards and hire art teachers is helping turn it around. NBC’s Katy Tur reports. 

 

May 2013 Program Speaker: Howard Wexler

Howard Wexler will be our guest speaker at our May 2013 program. Wexler studied at the Corcoran Art School and the Abbott Academy of Art, had graduated from Pratt Institute in New York, served in the army in Europe, and was in Paris studying further at the Academie Andre Lhote and exhibiting his contemporary work. Wexler has worked with his longtime colleague Siegfried Hahn since 1961. Hahn and Wexler were teaching painting, drawing and watercolor to mostly U.S Air Force family members stationed in Evreux, Normandy, during the 1950s and 1960s (which is how RRAA member, Joe McDonnell came to be his student). 

When French President Charles de Gaulle asked the Air Force to leave France in 1967, Hahn, a South African by birth, and Wexler, an American answered an invitation from a retired Air Force colonel and his wife to move to Albuquerque, where they set up their own art school that is now under Wexler's direction since Hahn’s passing in 2008.
Wexler continues to teach classes in drawing, watercolor and oil painting using the Maroger medium in their home's adjacent studio. The medium is a resin derived from the mastic tree. "I was in a transition between cubist-style abstract works and realism back then. I later became known for my flower paintings, but they almost took over all of my painting time so I branched out with landscape, figures and architectural subjects," Wexler said. His work has been exhibited widely in Europe and the USA over the past 6 decades.

Several of Wexler's students will also attend with some examples of their work as a result of Wexler's tutelage.

Below are some images that exemplify (oh, so briefly) Wexler's process:

A sketch done on site

A studio version based on the on site sketch

The painting begins based on the previous sketches

Going through many phases, this one gets closer to completion

I will say, that after having visited Howard's studio with Joe McDonnell, the end result of Howard's technique is not something one sees today, but certainly is of the style of the Old Masters. Joe, having studied under Howard, is a perfect example of what can be attained by learning this technique called, Maroger, where the mastic resin is used as a 'blending and mixing' medium for the oil paint.

Painting done by Joe McDonnell using the 
Maroger technique taught to him by Wexler

This program is open and free to the public-you need not be a member to attend! Find out more about the dates and location of upcoming RRAA meetings at our monthly membership meetings page.

City Hall Hosting Rio Rancho Public Schools Senior Art Show ‘Rising Stars’

2012 Rio Rancho Public School Senior Art Show, 'Rising Stars' (photo by Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio)

RIO RANCHO, N.M. - The annual Rio Rancho Public Schools Senior Art Show ‘Rising Stars’ is taking place on the third and fourth floors of Rio Rancho City Hall from April 18-30, 2013. Normal viewing hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Artwork from seniors from Rio Rancho and Cleveland high schools and the Cyber Academy will be on exhibit as part of the show.

Please join them at the reception and award ceremony on Friday, April 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend, free of charge. At this reception at 6 p.m., Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack will present awards to the students featured in the exhibit.

Participation for this show was open to all students of the class of 2013 at Rio Rancho Public Schools’ high schools. The show will be judged by Rio Rancho and Cleveland high school art student alumni. The awards are sponsored by the Rio Rancho Art Association and the New Mexico Art Education Association.

The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) students will also be exhibiting their work at the same time, on the fourth floor of City Hall, as part of their membership requirement. The induction ceremony for these students will take place on April 26 as well, at approximately 6:30 p.m. (after the awards ceremony for the senior art show). Seniors who earn membership receive an honor cord that will be worn at graduation to distinguish them as an NAHS student. The NAHS is a local chapter of the national organization that recognizes excellence in achievement and community service in the arts by junior high and high school students.

Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle.

               2012 Rio Rancho Public School Senior Art Show, 'Rising Stars' (photo by Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio)