And the Clouds Cleared

by Melissa Black

Friday October 24, 2008, 4:21 PM

The exhibit "Spared from the Storm," featuring masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art, is something you must see if...

...you weren't aware that the New Orleans Museum of Art's collection of 40,000 artworks survived Hurricane Katrina largely unharmed. Damage details? "In the sculpture garden, a sculpture by Kenneth Snelson was damaged," said E. John Bullard, director of the New Orleans Museum of Art. "The wind twisted it causing some of the steel cables to break and collapse. The artist repaired it, and it was the only piece that was seriously damaged. Dirty water left residue on sculptures...but fortunately, by blind luck or knowledge by early trustees, the museum is lifted above like an island and we were surrounded by flood waters." Continue reading "And the Clouds Cleared" »

Photographic Memory

by Melissa Black

Thursday October 02, 2008, 9:28 AM

The Grand Rapids Art Museum's newest exhibition will be the toast of the town, and photographer Nigel Barker has a lot to say about the man behind it all.

Nigel Barker, renowned photographer and judge on the celebrated television show America's Next Top Model is the guest speaker for the "Richard Avedon: Larger Than Life" exhibit preview on October 2 at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Barker discusses how Avedon's work influenced his own and On-the-Town got a chance to chat with him.

OTT: How has Richard Avedon's work influenced you?

Barker: [It has] very much so. Avedon, I personally think, is the most influential portrait photographer in recent times. As a studio photographer, even though his studio was often on location, he managed to epitomize that white background. It was all about the subject. The location was the person. No matter where he went. He took that white background with him out into the fields and cornfields, and he would shoot. That's really how I've approached my photography. I'm rarely about the location. What really sends a message, what really makes it timeless and classic is the expression in that person's face.

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In Living Color

by Joanne N. Bailey

Wednesday September 03, 2008, 2:17 PM

Latino artist Erick Pichardo looks to reach beyond painting in hopes of making the world a better place.

Unique, sensual, figurative, expressive, colorful, vibrant, relaxing, and representational--all words used to describe the work of artist Erick Pichardo. His work bathes you in a kaleidoscope of color that takes your breath away, but at the same time gives you a sense there is so much more between the lines with each person bringing his or her own interpretation to Pichardo's work. This month, the artist has double duty, opening the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center's Artist-in-Residence series with an exhibition September 2--25 and presenting new work at the Holland Area Arts Council September 4--October 30. Having just wrapped up the Caribbean Art Festival in August and with plans to head to Australia this November, catching up with this local artist isn't easy, but we finally did.

OTT: How would you describe your artistic style to someone unfamiliar with it?

Pichardo: I used to work in certain symbols and figures and place them out of the natural context. My paintings are rich in colors and textures and are executed in a mix of techniques. Since 1999, a lot of my artwork is derived from everyday experiences. I have been working with abstraction for the foundation; I then turn to expressionism. Even though various stages can be distinguished in my own works, you can see nevertheless an ongoing effort in constant creativity and a profound examination of my roots and my own human condition. As long as you understand my work, you will understand who I am.

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Rothbury Through an Artist's Eye

by Joanne Bailey

Sunday July 27, 2008, 5:26 PM

Of the 45,000 people who attended Rothbury last month, only artist Cynthia Hagedorn journalled the experience through paint. "I can feel the great energy in the air with the audience, and it inspires me to paint, throwing caution to the wind," said Hagedorn, who added her "favorite thing in the world to do is paint to live music." She created pieces while listening to Wide Spread Panic, Primus, 311, Modest Mouse, Jakob Dylan, Snoop Dog, and Gomez. "So many times at Rothbury people would stop and then say, 'I can't wait to see what it looks like when you finish,'" Hagedorn said. "My response was always the same, 'Neither can I.'" You can check out the results this month as Hagedorn's Rothbury experience is on display at Holland's Lemonjello's, 61 E. 9th St., or watch Hagedorn in action from 5 to 8 p.m. every Thursday in August at Globe Design & Vision, 49 E. 8th St., Holland. For more about the artist, visit www.cynthiahagedorn.com

Making a Good Impression

by Katerie Prior

Sunday July 27, 2008, 4:41 PM

Of all of the major movements in art history, Impressionism is perhaps the most well-known. Even if you can't identify a painting by artist or name, Impressionist works like Van Gogh's self-portraits, Monet's gardens, and Degas' dancers are bound to be familiar on sight because they are so popular.

While these artists and their works largely represent what we know of the movement, there is a wide variety of other Impressionist artists. After the works of Monet and Degas became celebrated in Europe, American artists took up the Impressionist style while bringing their own influences to the movement. Their works are simply stunning, as you can see at the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) exhibit, "Sunlight in a Paintbrush: American Impressionism from Regional Collections."

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