Alexandra Tyng, (b. 1954), "Worlds Within Worlds," 2023, oil on linen, 48 x 48 in., Grand Prize Winner
Founded in 1914, the nonprofit organization Allied Artists of America (AAA) is presenting its 111th Annual Juried Exhibition in two different formats. On view at the Butler Institute of American Art are 100 works selected from the larger number of (256) works that were juried in by panelists Arturo Garcia, Annie Patt, and Mike Rohner. The remaining 156 pieces can be enjoyed on AAA’s attractive website.
The competition was open to all artists, 18 years or older, whether or not they are AAA members. The selected works are diverse, including oils, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, graphics, mixed media, water media, and sculpture.
This summer, judges Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso (AAA’s president) and Fine Art Connoisseur editor Peter Trippi collaborated to choose the winners of more than $45,000 in cash prizes.
At a Glance:
111th Annual Juried Exhibition
Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, Ohio alliedartistsofamerica.org butlerart.com
Through November 10, 2024
The American Impressionist Society (AIS) has opened its 25th Annual National Juried Exhibition at the Rockport Art Association and Museum. On view are 200 paintings, including 25 created by AIS “Masters,” officers, and founders.
Most have been executed in oils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, or gouaches. A seven-member jury reviewed 1,601 entries, and a printed catalogue illustrating all the works they selected will be available for purchase.
AIS Master Carolyn Anderson will serve as awards judge, distributing more than $85,000 in cash and merchandise, including $12,000 for Best of Show. Among opening-week activities will be opportunities to paint outdoors, workshops, demos, a panel discussion, talks by artist Mark Daly and museum curator Amy Kurtz Lansing, and a tour of the Cape Ann Museum and the world of Edward Hopper, who summered on this scenic peninsula for decades.
Founded in 1998, AIS is a nonprofit organization with more than 2,100 U.S.-based members who promote impressionist painting through exhibitions, workshops, and other educational programs.
David Ligare, "A Specific View (Scientia, Arte, Venustas) (Knowledge, Skill, Beauty)," 2024, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 in.
David Ligare’s commitment to history painting presents something of a paradox: a contemporary artist devoted to the past, seeking ancient solutions to present-day problems, defying the status quo by embracing tradition. For over 40 years, he has embraced classicism as a means of renewing humanity’s passion for knowledge, frontrunning a new kind of renaissance.
In “A Specific View,” his fourth solo exhibition at Hirschl & Adler Modern, David Ligare presents nine new paintings that build upon his resolve to follow his own set of rules. The exhibition is on view through October 4, 2024.
David Ligare, “Discere (To Learn),” 2024, Oil on canvas, 14 x 10 in.
More from the gallery:
Ligare’s artistic practice is guided by a tripartite criterion of his own making: carefully devised compositions, a representational aesthetic defined by reverence, and subject matter grounded in secular humanism. Informed by the teachings of the Greek philosopher Plato, Ligare aims to combat what he deems “the current decline of rational thinking, a lack of desire for knowledge in general, and the loss of the perspective of history in particular.”
David Ligare, “Permetto (To Allow),” 2024, Oil on canvas, 14 x 10 in.
David Ligare (born 1945, Oak Park, IL) studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. He has shown his paintings in many solo exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, London, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle and elsewhere. His work can be found in numerous permanent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco; the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT; the Frye Art Museum, Seattle; and the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. The artist’s recent solo exhibitions include David Ligare: Spheres of Influence at the Monterey Museum of Art, and David Ligare: Forms of Influence at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. In 2015–16, Ligare was the subject of a major museum retrospective, David Ligare: California Classicist, which traveled from the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA to the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna, CA; Georgia Art Museum, Athens, GA; and Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA. This exhibition was accompanied by a monograph on the artist. Ligare lives and works in Carmel Valley, CA.
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.
Discovery, Pacific Grove Lovers Point, Larry Cannon, watercolor, 10 x 14 in; Larry Cannon
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Herd Rhythm, 2021, Emma Kalff, oil on panel, 15 x 24 x 0.50 in, Framed 15.30 x 24.30 in; Abend Gallery
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Rhythm of the River, Dawn Sutherland, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in; Grand Canyon Celebration of Art; 2023 Celebration of Art Best of Show
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Little Cottonwood Canyon, c. 1870, Albert Bierstadt (German/American, 1830-1902), oil on canvas, 37 x 29 in; “Newly discovered paintings of Utah by America’s greatest landscape artist—Albert Bierstadt”; Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiques
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 Farnsworth Art Museum proudly presents “Andrew Wyeth: 1982,” an exhibition showcasing a pivotal year in the artist’s life and work. This particular year marked a transition to his later period as the artist turned the legal age of retirement, embraced new subjects, dealt with significant loss, and experienced a traumatic theft of his works. The exhibition is on view through March 23, 2025.
For Wyeth, 1982 was a time of transition. He increasingly moved away from his longtime model and inspiration, Helga Testorf, embraced a new regular model, Ann Call, and confronted the imminent loss of his lifelong friend and subject, Walt Anderson, in making the major tempera Adrift. Other events of the year included the theft of artworks from his home in Pennsylvania, high-profile sales in the art market, and the development of a sophisticated art reproduction enterprise to meet the strong demand for his work. Despite this demand, not all art critics were supportive of his work.
“We get a rare opportunity to zero in on one transformative year of Andrew Wyeth, which marked a significant shift in his artistic focus and personal challenges,” said Christopher Brownawell, Executive Director of the Farnsworth Art Museum. “Visitors will gain deeper insights into Wyeth’s evolving focus and the profound influence of his surroundings.”
During this year, Andrew Wyeth created just three easel paintings using the meticulous and
time-intensive medium of egg tempera. Among these, “Adrift” stands out for its profound significance, capturing the declining health and impending death of his lifelong friend and model, Walt Anderson, in a composition that eerily evokes a mythical Viking ship burial.
Never sold and kept within the family, the making of this painting was the result of thirty-one detailed studies, a selection of which will be presented in this exhibition for the first time. “Adrift” showcases Wyeth’s dedication to portraying Anderson’s vulnerability at sea alongside the mysterious absence of the tempera “Moon Madness,” which Imelda Marcos acquired during the dictatorship of her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, in the Philippines and remains missing despite considerable repatriation efforts since the end of that regime, highlighting the unexpected connections with national and global events that surround the creative work of 1982.
1982 was a challenging year for the American art market. Still, Wyeth’s work remained consistently in demand, including the sale of “Marsh Hawk” (1964) at the end of 1981, receiving the highest price ever paid for a living American artist at auction. This phenomenon was fairly consistent throughout his life and, in no small part, the product of Betsy James Wyeth’s careful management of his public perception and market value. This management is evident from the surviving copies of auction catalogues of 1982 that were extensively annotated in her hand, of which a selection will be presented in the exhibition.
“We’re delighted to partner with the Wyeth Foundation for American Art and collaborate with Wyeth Curator William Coleman, PhD,” says Chief Curator Jaime DeSimone. ”This partnership allows us to tell untold stories that widen our perspective of Andrew Wyeth’s career and his working relationship with his wife, Betsy.”
The project explores what one can learn from focusing on a particular year in an artist’s life. Visitors are invited to reflect on the cultural and global events that took place during the creation of these artworks, as well as events in their own lives during that period. The presentation also examines how an artist’s practice changes when facing mortality and enduring creativity across the seasons and sites of a climactic but representative year at work.
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.
Artist’s coffee table, 2024, Taehyub Lee, oil on panel, 12 x 16 in; 33 Contemporary
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Sunset Pasture, Larry Cannon, watercolor, 10 x 14 in; Larry Cannon
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Herd Rhythm, 2021, Emma Kalff, oil on panel, 15 x 24 x 0.50 in, Framed 15.30 x 24.30 in; Abend Gallery
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Trees of Grandeur, Shanna Kunz, framed oil on linen, 18 x 24 in; Turner Fine Art
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.
How did Impressionism begin? Discover the origins of the French art movement in a new look at the radical 1874 exhibition considered the birth of modern painting.
“Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C. www.nga.gov
Through January 19, 2025
A remarkable presentation of 130 works includes a rare reunion of many of the paintings first featured in that now-legendary exhibition. Revisit beloved paintings by Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro and meet their lesser-known contemporaries. See the art norms they were rebelling against and learn what political and social shifts sparked their new approach to art.
Zacharie Astruc, “Scène de somnambulisme,” 1871, watercolor, Collection Musée de l’Opéra de Vichy
Impressionism is one of the most recognizable art movements in the world today, but it was revolutionary in its time. Originating in France in 1874, it was rejected by critics at first—only later embraced as a national symbol.
In the mid-19th century, France saw rapid technological and social changes. Gathering in cafés to discuss these societal transformations, the impressionists found opportunities for liberation. They changed the way they painted, in both subject matter and technique. They also met to discuss how, when, and where to exhibit their art.
Brett Allen Johnson, “Pueblo Shapes,” 2024, Oil, 38 x 30 inches
More than $1 million in exceptional Western art was sold at the Eiteljorg Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale, held September 6-7, 2024, at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in downtown Indianapolis.
The opening weekend included two fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw sales and an awards banquet. So far, the amount of art sold to buyers totals $1,034,405 and counting. While Quest for the West is a museum fundraising event, 75 percent of sales proceeds go directly to artists, with remaining proceeds benefiting the Eiteljorg. Any artworks not sold during Quest weekend – including paintings as well as additional casts of bronze sculptures – can be purchased through October 6.
Quest Art Awards
Brett Allen Johnson of Lehi, Utah, received the Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award for his painting “Pueblo Shapes” (shown at top). The Western Art Society, a group of enthusiastic museum supporters, purchased the painting to add to the Eiteljorg’s collections and sponsored the award.
An oil painting by Dean Mitchell of Tampa, Florida, “Below the Mountain,” won the Henry Farny Award for Best Painting, sponsored by Steve and Jane Marmon.
Dean Mitchell (b. 1957), “Below the Mountain,” 2024, Acrylic, 28 x 38 inches
A bronze sculpture of a raven by Dave LaMure, Jr. of Kimberly, Idaho, “The Seeker,” received the Cyrus Dallin Award for Best Sculpture, sponsored by Michael and Carla Leppert.
Dave LaMure, Jr., “The Speaker,” 2024, Bronze, 20 1/2 x 18 x 19 inches
Artist David Griffin of Dallas, Texas, received the Victor Higgins Award of Distinction, sponsored by Catherine Turner, for the best overall body of work presented at the show.
Quest artists voted to select the recipient of the Artists’ Choice Award, sponsored by Phyllis Cockerill. The award went to artist Dave Santillanes of Fort Collins, Colorado, for his painting, “The Cache La Poudre River.”
In a vote by attendees, a painting by Bruce Lawes of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Her “Frozen Fortress” won the Patrons’ Choice Award, sponsored by Tom and Patty Gibbs.
Lawes also won a second award, in the brand-new category of the Miniature Art Show Patrons’ Choice Award, for his smaller painting, “On Golden Pond.” That award is sponsored by David and Giselle Found.
Paintings by Thomas Blackshear, who is known for his dramatic lighting and sensitivity to mood
American Art on View > A new national art show featuring 100 works of art created by Glenn Beck and 30 elite artists.
From the organizers:
In addition to being a radio host, Glenn Beck is a self-taught historian, an avid collector of national and international historic artifacts, and founder of “The American Journey Experience,” an interactive display of his vast artifact collection. A collector of art as well, Glenn has a personal collection including the works of Homer, Maynard Dixon, Rembrandt Peale, J.C. Leyendecker, and works of many contemporary artists.
Glenn developed his own artistic skills during the 2020 pandemic quarantine. Park City Fine Art Gallery in Utah hosted his first one-man show in June 2022, featuring a large collection of Glenn’s paintings that portray some of his favorite historic stories. The nearly sold-out show proved Beck’s storytelling is as compelling in paint as in words. Glenn has done commissions for prestigious clients and has paintings held in private collections around the world.
Heide Presse, “Along the Sweetwater,” oil on Belgian linen, 40 x 30 in.
The success of Glenn’s first solo art show further ignited his passion and he began collaborating with other artists. The vision for an expansive art exhibition was initiated at Glenn’s Idaho ranch in July 2022, when he and a select group of artists gathered to create and confer about composing art with pure motive to inspire. They also discussed how to make art more inclusive and accessible with an event that welcomes newcomers to the art market as well as seasoned patrons and collectors. The inspiration for “American Narratives in Fine Art” was born and comes to fruition with this 2024 event.
At a time of national turmoil and divisiveness, Glenn and the participating artists of this exhibition aspire to utilize art to unite people and celebrate cherished American values. “It is a new concept for an art show,” says artist Josh Clare. “We are exercising faith to participate, but nothing beautiful happens without a leap of faith.”
Josh Clare, “Abe was forged right then into a sword to be wielded by the Almighty,” oil on board, 24 x 20 in.
As a self-taught historian, Glenn has amassed a valuable and vast collection of national historic artifacts, and he offered this collection to the artists to use as inspiration to create art for this show. Artifacts used by the artists will be displayed with the art to create an interactive and unique presentation of illustrative American storytelling.
Charlie Hunter (b. 1960), "Headframe," 2024, oil on canvas, 20 x 20 in.
EXHIBITION > Charlie Hunter: Montana Songs
Old Main Gallery
Bozeman, Montana oldmaingallery.com
September 13–October 3, 2024
Charlie Hunter’s solo show at Old Main Gallery this season is titled “Montana Songs,” which may come as a surprise to some of his fans. “Montana is not my home,” he admits. “I am from Vermont, where a great 19th-century exodus westward did occur, but to Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Still, Montana’s Big Sky landscape thrills me, and the struggle written upon it nevertheless rings true. My work uses the hollowing-out of small-town and rural America as the stepping-off point for explorations of form and texture, and goodness knows there is plenty of that in Montana as well as Vermont.”
Hunter is renowned for near-monochromatic scenes in which the thin, semi-transparent paint film allows his quasi-random mark-making to appear almost photographic in detail. “I strive for my paintings to reside in an uneasy calm, halfway between a photograph and a dream,” he explains. This is achieved through a variety of unorthodox materials and techniques, including water-miscible oils, which allow for certain watercolor techniques, as well as traditional oils.
He uses a window-washer’s squeegee to manipulate paint and provide extremely sharp edges; their juxtaposition with lost and softened ones, combined with careful drawing and attention to value differentials, allows for multiple narrative illusions. Hunter is also known for impressing the pattern of paper towels into a painted surface in order to evoke the halftone screens and Ben-Day dots of photographic reproduction.
The artist was raised in rural Vermont and studied art at Yale University before diving into the music industry, where he created tour posters for such acts as Bob Dylan and the Jerry Garcia Band and managed acoustic artists. Since 2003, his company, Roots on the Rails, has organized music trains across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, which Hunter juggles alongside his full-time painting career.
Hunter will lead a plein air painting workshop at Old Main Gallery on September 14.
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In the instructional video “Breakthrough Designs for Landscapes with Charlie Hunter,” see how to make paintings that tell stories, create excitement, and are packed with drama.
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