New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, New York City nyhistory.org
through October 27, 2024
On view at the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library is the exhibition “From Paul Revere to Edward Hopper: Treasures from the Leonard L. Milberg Collection of American Prints, Drawings, and Watercolors.”
Accompanied by an illustrated catalogue, it has been co-curated by Linda S. Ferber and Marilyn S. Kushner, who describe its more than 140 works as a “visual journey” through American history. Among the artists represented are George Caleb Bingham, Mary Cassatt, John Sloan, George Bellows, and Maurice Prendergast.
Leonard Milberg recalls, “I never took an art course, but Miss Behan, my eighth-grade teacher at PS 197 in Brooklyn, would often have us write about 10 cent postcard-size reproductions of famous paintings. During the Korean War, I was stationed in Alaska. One day, tired of watching herds of moose go by, I found a small bookstore in neighboring Anchorage that sold art books. My eyes had been opened. After coming home from Alaska, I began visiting art museums and buying more art books.”
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
The Letter, 2020, Leo Rebolledo, oil pastel on panel, 38 × 24 in; 33 Contemporary
Odd Barn, Sierra Valley, Inga Poslitur, oil on board, 12 x 9 in; Holton Studio Gallery; Inga Poslitur
Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today. Don’t delay, as spaces are first come, first served, and availability is limited.
Kevin A. Short, "The Light Boys," Oil on canvas, 20 x 36 inches
The California Art Club (CAC) will join forces with the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University to present the 113th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition in the museum’s recently expanded galleries from August 20 to October 26, 2024.
The nationally prominent showcase of contemporary-traditional fine art features newly created artwork being exhibited for the first time, ranging from pristine landscapes and grittier urban scenes to novel still lifes and evocative figurative paintings and sculptures. Nearly 180 works will be featured, created using time-honored art techniques employed by the pioneering artists who founded the California Art Club in 1909. Those early artists were instrumental in influencing California Impressionism – the first artistic movement defined as purely Californian.
John Kosta, “LA River Painting 81 – Arrival,” Oil on canvas, 30 x 48 inches
To encourage the 163 exhibiting artists to create their most important works, the Annual Gold Medal Exhibition is unthemed, providing creative freedom to select subject matters that personally resonate with them. The exhibition includes imagery that may be found beyond the borders of the Golden State and provides a revealing exploration of issues facing the global community, from environmental preservation to social interests and cultural perspectives.
“The California Art Club is the nucleus of traditional fine art in the United States, and the celebrated group of painters and sculptors selected for the 113th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition spend most of the year working in anticipation of this event,” said art historian Jean Stern, the nation’s foremost authority on California Impressionism.
“The jurying process for the Gold Medal Exhibition is rigorous and only the very best works are accepted, making this exhibition at the Hilbert Museum an opportunity to view the most exceptional representational works of art being produced today,” added Stern, who served as one of the jurors who reviewed more than 500 submissions for inclusion in the display.
Mary Kay West, “Roses and Bluebirds,” Oil on panel, 24 x 18
This year’s Gold Medal Exhibition will mark the third time that the California Art Club and the Hilbert Museum have collaborated to mount this hallmark event. The two previous exhibitions – the 109th and 110th installments – were held during the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many art enthusiasts to view those exhibitions virtually.
“The California Art Club is honored that our signature exhibition will be on display at the Hilbert Museum as it celebrates its major expansion, as both organizations share a commitment to shining the spotlight on the rich history of California art,” said CAC president and Gold Medal artist Michael Obermeyer.
The only museum in the world committed to tracing the history of the Golden State from the late 1800s to the present through works by leading California artists and Hollywood studio artists and animators, the Hilbert Museum reopened in February 2024 following a three-year expansion from 7,500 to 22,000 square feet. With the additional galleries and gallery space, visitors to the Gold Medal Exhibition will also be able to view works of historic CAC artists in the museum’s permanent collection, including those of Millard Sheets, whose 1969 mosaic mural titled Pleasures Along the Beach graces the entrance to the building.
“We’re delighted to host the California Art Club’s Gold Medal Exhibition at the expanded Hilbert Museum,” said Mary Platt, who helped guide the expansion project as director. “Our beautifully reimagined galleries provide the perfect setting to show off the work of these extraordinary artists. When combined with the oils, watercolors, illustrations, drawings and other world-class works on view from the 5,000-piece permanent Hilbert Collection, the result is a rare visual treat for the California art connoisseur.”
Michael Situ, “Victoria Beach Sunset,” Oil on linen, 30 x 40 inches
Educational programs and events offered in conjunction with the exhibition will allow art enthusiasts to meet the participating artists and learn more about traditional art forms. These activities will include the Collectors Preview and Artists Reception on Sunday, August 18; a lecture on California Impressionism by Jean Stern on Saturday, August 24; “Artists in the Gallery” Meet & Greets every Saturday during the exhibition run; and a fun-for-the-family “Paint/Sculpt-Out” on closing day.
Walton Ford, (b. 1960), "Zürichsee," 2015, watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper, 41 1/2 x 59 3/4 in., private collection; photo: Christopher Burke
On View at the Morgan Library & Museum
New York City themorgan.org
through October 20, 2024
The Morgan Library & Museum is presenting an exhibition that could only happen there. Titled “Walton Ford: Birds and Beasts of the Studio,” it celebrates this American master’s 2019 gift to the Morgan of 63 studies and sketches, now shown publicly for the first time.
Ford is renowned for monumental watercolors that reflect his fascination with how we imagine wild animals, often subverting the historical conventions of animal painting in unforgettable ways.
Organized by Morgan curator emerita Isabelle Dervaux and current curator Jennifer Tonkovich, the show opens with drawings inspired by Ford’s decades of visits to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. To this day, Ford explores that institution’s rich archives, field studies, documents, and taxidermy specimens. The drawings confirm that his artistry is rooted in scientific research and an attention to detail.
Particularly compelling are the sections of the show devoted to Ford’s studies and watercolors that imagine encounters between big cats and humans, largely based on true stories. Illustrated here is one in a series about a black panther that escaped Zurich’s zoo and spent weeks alone in the countryside before being caught and eaten by a farmer.
Also on view are books Ford has loaned, from travel diaries to volumes of natural history, folktales, and fables. The exhibition closes with a display of relevant pieces selected by Ford from the Morgan’s holdings, accompanied by wall texts he has written. It includes memorable images of animals created by such masters as Rembrandt, Audubon, and Delacroix.
Nathan Bertling, "1. The Librarian," 2020, oil on linen, 24x30” – Private Collection
There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
“Convinced that beauty stubbornly persists, I salvage it wherever I find it — and follow it through.” This declaration by Nathan Bertling (b. 1974) aptly summarizes his motivation for being a painter. Fascinated by the often-overlooked nuances of people, places, and things, he combines a commitment to traditional methods and materials with an active imagination and acute observation to make statements about everyday life.
Bertling studied visual arts and communications at Furman University in South
Carolina, followed by six years of intensive training at Ben Long’s atelier in Asheville, North Carolina. In Florence during the 1970s, Long had apprenticed with Pietro Annigoni (1910–1988), sometimes called the Patriarch of Realism and one of the last living links to the Italian Renaissance. Since completing his formal training, Bertling has deployed both this Old Master lineage and various contemporary innovations to shape his own style and approach.
Today, the subjects of this Greenville, South Carolina-based artist’s paintings and drawings include people intriguing to him, sentimental objects, and scenes that conjure memories or forgotten moments. The Librarian (shown at top), a portrait of Bertling’s wife seated in front of a shelf of colorful books, is an apropos way to portray a bibliophile, aspiring author, and illustrator.
Nathan Bertling (b. 1974), “Present Imperfect,” 2021, oil on linen, 16 x 12 in., private collection
Present Imperfect, illustrated above, tells a story of the passage of time and daily practice. “The watch was a gift from my wife and is a meditation on the necessity of perseverance,” the artist explains. “The worn wristband and paint-stained wood signify the lessons that can only be learned through patient plodding. In juxtaposing the nostalgia of a timepiece with an artist’s easel, I was able to reflect the weathered beauty and scarred effects of real labor.”
As for his career path and future plans, Bertling states, “I’m looking and laboring down the long road — to see my life and art deepen together.” He is now a member of New York City’s Salmagundi Club, where his self-portrait Quick to Listen was awarded Best in Show at the 2022 Open Painting, Sculpture & Graphics exhibition.
Nathan Bertling, “Quick to Listen,” 2020, oil on linen, 24×30”Nathan Bertling, “Marinelli’s Door,” 2022, oil on canvas, 30×48”
Coming in Fall 2024, Bertling will have an exhibition tentatively titled “All of the Above” at Dacia Gallery in the East Village, NYC, New York. Visit DaciaGallery.com for updates on the exhibition details.
Nathan Bertling, “Both/And,” 2024, oil on panel, 35×56” – Currently NFS: To Be Priced at Dacia
“My painting ‘Both/And’ (above) is an homage to two living American masters under whom I have been privileged to study: Benjamin F. Long, IV and Bo Bartlett,” said Bertling. “Each of these artists has painted floating figures, coupling commanding portrayals of the human figure with conceptual inventiveness. Alongside the contributions from these two prolific painters, the list of my influences runs deep: from Titian and Velazquez to Degas and Fantin-Latour; from Sargent and Sorolla to Hopper and Annigoni. Last but certainly not least, my wife Hallie’s work as a writer and illustrator gave me the initial impulse that inspired this piece. Her love for the fantastic and whimsical is reflected in the children’s books and classic literature that lift her heart and fire her imagination. This double-portrait of the two of us plays between a number of tensions, felt all at once: time & space, matter & spirit, obscurity & illumination, history & memory & revelation – movements powerfully induced by word and image.”
Michael Naranjo, “Fountain of Youth Monument,” 2009, Ed. of 3, bronze, 39 x 30 x 20 in.
Nedra Matteucci Galleries is proud to announce “Reflections of a Sculptor: The Life and Work of Michael Naranjo.” It will serve as a celebration of the artist’s many influential decades as a sculptor and will also mark his 80th birthday. The show will feature works from all phases of Naranjo’s career, including all sizes and subject matter.
Michael Naranjo, “Justice,” 1994, Ed. of 10, bronze, 33 ¼ x 10 x 11 in.
Michael Naranjo was born in Santa Clara Pueblo in 1944 and grew up in Taos, New Mexico. His mother, Rose Naranjo, who was a notable potter herself, noticed his early talent and fostered in him a love and ambition for art. However, while serving in Vietnam, Naranjo was the victim of a grenade attack that stole his sight and much of his right hand—but it did not steal his determination.
Michael Naranjo, “The Prayer,” 1997, Ed. of 10, bronze, 17 x 13 x 12 in.
For over 50 years, Naranjo has taught people to see art in a new way, inviting viewers to touch his work and experience it as he does. His work and story have also inspired world leaders and dignitaries. Twice invited to the White House, first by President Nixon and later President Clinton, Naranjo also had the honor of gifting a cross to Pope John Paul II in Rome. On this visit, a scaffold was erected around Michelangelo’s “David,” allowing Naranjo to “see” it through touch.
Michael Naranjo, “Tranquility,” 1987, Ed. of 7, bronze, 23 x 9 x 9 ½ in.
Created from memory without use of his right hand or any tools, Naranjo’s subjects vary from hunting scenes and maidens to animals and mythological creatures. His works are displayed in the Vatican, the White House, the Heard Museum, and more. Naranjo also received the LIFE Foundation’s Presidential Unsung Hero Award and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Michael Naranjo, “Devil Dancer,” 1975, Ed. of 12, bronze, 23 x 14 x 10 in.
“Reflections of a Sculptor” is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view Michael Naranjo’s masterpieces and to honor his contributions to the art world. The show opens August 10 and runs through August 30, 2024 at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe.
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
Study for the 113th CAC Gold Medal Show, Karl Dempwolf, oil, 18 x 21 in; Huse Skelly Gallery
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Return to Ruby Creek, Tom Christopher, pastel, 24×18 in; Tom Christopher
Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today. Don’t delay, as spaces are first come, first served, and availability is limited.
The Toledo Museum of Art has taken a fresh look at its co-founders, Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife, Florence Scott Libbey, through a site-specific installation it commissioned from the Wisconsin-based artist Beth Lipman, who is best known for her work in colorless glass.
A partial view of “ReGift,” created in wood, glass, and metal by Beth Lipman (b. 1971)
In 1888 Edward moved his father’s New England Glass Company to Toledo — which is still known as Glass City — and in 1901 the couple established the museum. As artist-in-residence, Lipman decided to honor Florence’s comparatively overlooked role in the museum’s evolution by creating a three-quarter diorama of the parlor inside the Libbeys’ mansion.
The appearance of this long-lost space is known only through a bookplate. To create the architectural details, Lipman used historic glass presses that the Libbey Glass Company had donated long ago. The resulting space underscores the museum’s ongoing commitment to experimentations in glass and to connecting history with creativity today.
We’d like to congratulate Annie Murphy-Robinson for winning Overall First Place in the June 2024 PleinAir® Salon, judged by artist Kathleen Dunphy.
Annie Murphy-Robinson, “Emily ‘Inchoate’,” Charcoal, 42×32 in.
This drawing showed “beautiful execution and understanding of the medium, coupled with accurate drawing and a big emotional impact makes for a masterful work of art,” said Dunphy. “What’s left unsaid in this drawing is what elevates it: the half-shadowed face, the moody background, the dream-like quality. Striking, unique, and unforgettable.”
Murphy-Robinson also won the May 2024 PleinAir Salon with her charcoal drawing “Casey, ‘Waiting’.”
Annie Murphy-Robinson (California), “Casey ‘Waiting’,” Charcoal, 26 x 42 in.
“Drawings can show you the skill of the artist technically, but this one also shows the artist’s skills in terms of trying to elicit a viewer’s response,” said D. Eleinne Basa, who judged the May round. I see a beautifully rendered drawing of a young woman in thought, and this conveys good lighting and mood. For the top three, I tried to imagine if I saw them in person, in a room with the other pieces that I chose, which one would stand out and jump out at me.”
About the PleinAir Salon:
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online art competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the annual Salon Grand Prize winners, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition. The competition rewards artists with $50,000 in cash prizes and exposure of their work, with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine.
Winners in each monthly competition may receive recognition and exposure through PleinAir Magazine’s print magazine, e-newsletters, websites, and social media. Winners of each competition will also be entered into the annual competition. The Annual Awards will be presented live at the next Plein Air Convention & Expo.
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. Enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
Jill Stefani Wagner, PSA-MP IAPS/MC painting en plein air at her Tuscany workshop this June
How do you find inspiration? Jill Stefani Wagner: I’m lucky that inspiration comes easily to me. There are so many things I love to paint, and never enough time to do them all! Though I paint some portraits, I consider myself an oil and pastel landscape painter, both plein air and in studio. The subject that really flips my switch is Italy! I’m half Italian, and when I visit the country of my ancestors the juices begin to flow. The colors, shapes, atmosphere and gorgeous light seem to be embedded in my soul and flow easily from my brush. I just returned from giving a workshop in Tuscany and now have hundreds more Italian photos to inspire me!
How do you describe success? Jill Stefani Wagner: When I started painting professionally 12 years ago, I thought success would be winning major awards and selling everything I created. But as I’ve matured as an artist I’ve realized that sales and accolades are fleeting. At this point in my career, I’ve come to understand that success (for me) is continuing to learn and improve my work. When I tackle a difficult subject and am happy with the results, I feel a deep feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for my art life.
Jill Stefani Wagner, “From the Olive Orchard”, pastel, 16 x 12 in; 2020, Private collection; painting en plein air at her Tuscany workshop this June Villa nestled in Italian countrysideJill Stefani Wagner, “Chianti Classico,” oil, 12×16 in; Available through artist, 2024; Long view of Tuscan farm and landscape
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