Visual Arts Center to cap off Spirit of the America Frontier Art Festival with a Western Flare -- Chili Competition

The Visual Arts Center's Fine Arts Festival will culminate this coming Saturday, November 12 in a celebration in keeping with the spirit of the festival theme – Sprit of the American Frontier – a chili competition and potluck accompanied by the music of Annie Wenz and Michael Haymans with the Hibiscus Band.

The Chili Challenge and potluck is from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Only ten of Punta Gorda’s best chili chefs will compete for Best In Show, Most Unusual, Spicy, Best Chili Table Decoration and a People’s Choice Award. Added to these chili selections will be non-competition chilis, appetizers, salads, vegetables, and desserts from all those who attend.

In addition to the Western-style  chili experience, there will be a silent auction and last chance to view and purchase Fine Arts Festival paintings.

Annie Wenz is a singer and songwriter from Pine Island.  She will play Native American flute and guitar. Michael Haymans and the full Hibiscus Band, known for their regional music, will be featured in the Federal Gallery. They will also play music by Steve Blackwell including his ballad ―Osceola.‖

The dress for the event is your best western duds. Ticket price is $25 plus a contribution toward vittles.  Wine and beer will be available for purchase. Tickets may be purchased by phone or in person at the VAC front desk. All monies from this event go toward the support of the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center.

Harvest of Art Exhibition opens at the VAC -- Awards Reception this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Harvest of Art a new exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda opens today and runs through December 1.  The  awards reception  is this Thursday, Nov. 3, 7-8:30pm, in First Federal Gallery. While visiting the VAC, don't forget to view the Spirit of the American Frontier artwork in Goff Gallery.

Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda to hold Charlotte County's First Film Festival

The Visual Arts Center of Punta Gorda has announced that in  September 2011, the Center will hold Charlotte County’s first Film Festival, presenting both locally and nationally produced short videos. The local component will be produced by students from the VAC and other film schools in the area. The national component will be from the Black Maria Film and Video Festival, a non-profit New Jersey organization that juries films from around the world for inclusion in a nationwide tour that takes place throughout the year.

Starting in January, the VAC will be offering beginning classes in Video Movie Making. Students in this class will be encouraged to produce short movies for entry the  festival.In addition, children enrolled in the  Kids Summer Art Camp will also have the opportunity to enter films. Films will also be accepted from students in regional film schools like Edison College in Lee County and Ringling in Sarasota. "The intent is to give students from the local area the opportunity to show their films to a Charlotte County audience," the VAC noted in their recent announcement.

The local movie screenings will take place on Friday, September 9th, and the Black Maria Film and Video Festival screening will take place on Saturday, September 10th. Weather permitting, both screenings will be in the courtyard at the Visual Arts Center.To get involved with the first annual VAC Film Festival, contact Tom Hamilton at (941)639-8810.

New Classes at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda

I was just paging through the newsletter the VAC sends out each month, and was impressed to see the lineup of new classes being offered at the next session.   While at one time beginning and advanced watercolor, basic painting and studios were the main offerings,  now  the Visual Arts class lineup reads like a fine arts program at a first rate art institute or college.

One of the brand new offerings includes Ron Sanders class on  "Building Form with Lights and Darks."  As anyone who has done some drawing or painting knows, taking the flatness out of 2-dimensional art is a challenge. Ron's class is designed to teach how to use contrast of lights and darks, building stronger value patterns to create a greater illusion of form and depth.  

For prospective artists,  for those who have been dabbling in painting without taking a basic drawing class, and for anyone wanting to learn or strengthen  drawing  skills, Bill Gimbel's class in beginning drawing reads like a great foundation course in any art college.  

Three other new classes are also offered.  Ann McCarty's is teaching a unique new class on design theory and composition techniques.  Margaret Egli-Thompson's new portaits class with a live model will help artists discover easy steps to portrait painting in oil, emphasizing how to sculpture on a flat canvas with light, shadow and contrast.    And Karen Johnson is offering an Introduction to Beading to help students build a foundation for jewelry making.  

Aside from the new classes, there are over 30 more classes offered in painting and drawing, jewelry making and glass art, art and technology, art appreciation and pottery.  Check out the entire session at www.visualartcenter.org.

Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda -- Episode 1

When  deciding where we wanted to live next once my husband and I had made the decision to move from Naples, one of my concerns was finding a place where I could explore some of things I had put on hold during my years in  full-career mode.  Art was a biggie. So discovering the Visual Arts Center, a short 10-minute drive from the lot we were thinking of building on in Punta Gorda,was part of what sealed my decision.  

Almost seven years later, I walk  into the center on Maud to start a new class with Ron Sanders in portrait painting.  The building is bustling with activity.  People are touring the galleries or heading off to various classes in drawing, painting, pottery, stained-glass and jewelry making, art appreciation and more.  The halls are teaming with energy and excitement.  

"We are seeing more people taking classes and coming in to view our exhibits this year," Michele Valencourt, the Executive Director of the VAC tells me.  "We do need more volunteers and donners to help with this growing demand."   While the economic downturn and the stress it has brought may be one of the reasons more people are flocking to places like the VAC, Ms. Valencourt  attributes the increase to awareness of the VAC and growth of the community as well.  

While waiting for my class to start I wander around the center, visit the relocated and expanded Pottery Studio (more on that to come) and check out a portrait studio, which runs from 9 to noon on Thursdays and is open to anyone wishing to improve their skills for an artist fee which varies.  About  10 artists sketch or compose in a variety of media -- oil, watercolor, pastel.  The participants are very friendly and invite me to come join the group--I just may do that.  

There's lots coming up at the VAC in coming weeks, and new classes start about every seven weeks.  For more information, go to http://www.visualartcenter.org.  And watch for my future Blogs about the Visual Arts Center and its artists.   

Punta Gorda -- an artist's parardise

There is something about small towns with rivers running through them that attract artists --- add spectacular sunsets, palm trees , year-round warm weather and historical charm and you magnetize them.  While I painted and drew in my earlier years, life and career pointed me in a different direction.  But once relocated to Punta Gorda,  I found myself  easily reconnecting  to these early interests especially because of the accessibility of artist resources and subjects. 

 

I started taking painting classes at the Visual Art center Punta Gorda first in watercolor, then drawing with Bob Cassell, and later oil painting.  While in California for nearly a year I studied painting and drawing with several artists there as well.   But it was truly Punta Gorda that brought back the artist in me, and if you just wander around you would see why.

Tomorrow, for instance, the third annual Peace River Arts Festival, one of many art events will take place in Laishley Park.  Many of Punta Gorda's local artists will be displaying there--more on that following the festival. Then,  there are  the murals scattered about town noted in an earlier posting and the galleries.   In addition, to three galleries at the Visual Art Center, there is the Joe Matthis Gallery in the Swiss Connection building on Olympia, the Sea Grape Gallery-- a cooperative of 25 working artists, with work in all art media, Vicki Glynn's Gallery-featuring her own work as well as several other artists, Pressellers- a favorite lunch restaurant of mine as well- and many more.   Punta Gorda is also the home of many artist studios including the Red Hat Studio run by Liz Hutchinson, offering art classes.