The exhibition Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color opened last month at the Renwick Gallery. Georgina Goodlander chatted with Jim Baxter, an exhibits specialist at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, who created architectural Components inspired by Day's work to complement the pieces of furniture on view.

Read more from the original source.

and tagged with Blog, VisArts At Rockville, Art, Smithsonian, Student

comments.

"Little children are fearless and passionate. They know who they are and what they like. No hesitation. Just excitement in their voices and smiles on their faces."

I spent my week in the spirited company of 12 five and six year olds and two tireless assistants. We had a full curriculum that spanned across many different artistic mediums- painting, drawing, paper mache, clay, and mixed media.

It could be said that my students gained exposure to a variety of mediums. At five years old, they started the rudimentary foundation of drawing with an introduction to shadowing, texture, and color theory. It could be said that they learned the basic techniques of still life, narrative illustration, and self-portraiture. And, most importantly, they practiced coloring neatly inside the lines.

Or it could be said; we painted cherry blossom trees to life, bowing under the weight of their flowering branches. Together, we garnished proud peacocks with jeweled plumage. We sculpted a holding place for our dreams and wishes. We were explorers, taking an imaginary trip to the far reaches of the world to find rare and mythical animal hybrids, and then documented our findings in colored pencils. We were magicians, taking newspaper, glue and some paint and creating our own rabbits rather than just pulling them from a hat. We were in advertising. We made ourselves the product with our nutrition facts, our ingredients, self- portraits, and our favorite things displayed on a box of our favorite colors. We were inventors, building time machines with wings to fly us back to the times of cavemen. Most importantly, we were artists.

My favorite quality in children has always been their confidence. Before my students scrambled into their seats on Monday morning, they were already artists. Children are artists because they want to be, because it’s fun and limitless. They have yet to be branded with the layers of doubts we carry into our adulthood. Even when faced with a challenge, as long as they were provided with the steps, they dived in headfirst. With their firm knowledge of the fact they are artists, there was only so much I could teach them.

Read more ...

and tagged with Blog, VisArts At Rockville, Young Artists, Spring Break Camp, Kids

comments.

Comedy has many faces and many voices and can be appreciated by anyone, anywhere. Last Saturday, VisArts was proud to introduce a new  Stand-Up Comedy Series to Rockville, MD with Cool Cow Comedy. The show was sold-out and everyone was falling-out-of-their seats with laughter. See what Comedian Host, Rahmein Mostafavi, had to say about the big success.

---

The turn out on Saturday was great, is Cool Cow Comedy planning to come back again to VisArts?
Yes, the crowd was great and the venue was perfect.  I and Cool Cow will be back Friday, March 15th and once a month there after for the next several months.
 
Did you feel a lot of pressure bringing stand-up comedy to the suburbs? What were your expectations in terms of the crowd? What was it like performing at VisArts? Different? Exciting? Fun?
Just the usual pre-show nerves.  I do comedy all over the place and great crowds are nurtured by great comics.  I bring very solid comedians to every show; that gives me confidence that no matter where the show is, it will be a success.  Doing a show in a new venue is always exciting, I love meeting new people and introducing high quality comedy to a new community.

VisArts is glad to have Cool Cow Comedy by apart of our Special Programs, when did you think to work with VisArts?
Karen Askins actually found me.  She was looking for new programs for VisArts and in her research found that I've produced shows at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA, the Green Room at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse and The Old Silk Mill in Fredericksburg, VA. She could see that the VisArts community and the city of Rockville would appreciate the quality level that Cool Cow brings to the stage.

Tell us more about the comedy line-up last Saturday.  What kind of programming and line-ups do you have planned for the future at VisArts?  What can our visitors look forward to?
The comedians at the first show and for all shows that I produce are just as funny as any comedian you will see at any comedy club in the nation.  Some of them have TV creds, some major club creds, but every single one of them is a hot up-and-coming comedian or a proven veteran of comedy.

What is a good closing joke that will have our readers/visitors laughing out loud and leaving with wanting to come back for more? 
Not sure if this is funny in writing, but on the comment cards one person suggested that the feature comedian, Tyler Richardson, should probably not do any Jewish jokes in Rockville.  In the same pile of comment cards, someone wrote, "You guys should do more Jewish jokes, they would do great in Rockville".  

and tagged with VisArts At Rockville, Cool Cow Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy

comments.

If you are wondering how to improve morale, encourage collaboration and limit stress in your workplace -- without spending too much money -- maybe you should consider getting an office dog. CNN London reports that research have shown that office dogs can reduce stress. Read more here.

After reading this article, we thought we should introduce everyone to VisArts' office dog, Holly. She's a hit at the office and great with all of our visitors!

and tagged with Blog, VisArts At Rockville, office dogs

comments.

Having been here since August, "Ground Cover: Roots of Liriope" by Israeli-American artist, Dalya Luttwak, has attracted many visitors as it pays tribute to the artistic values that VisArts serves. With a large crowd filling the Ground Floor Atrium of the Arts and Innovation Center in Rockville Town Square, VisArts proudly inaugurated Dalya Luttwak  last night as the first artist of the "InSight" Series.  

The InSight series at VisArts generates site-specific installations in non-traditional exhibition spaces. Placing contemporary art in public spaces usually thought of as pass-throughs (halls, atriums, and lobbies), VisArts encourages active looking, sociability, interaction, and encounters with art in architectural space. 

Co-sponsored by the Israeli Embassy, the opening reception celebrated Luttwak's work of art.  Visitors greeted and met the artist as they learned about the process and concept behind the creation of the piece.  It was an evening that was enjoyed by all.

and tagged with Blog, VisArts At Rockville, Exhibitions, Abstract

comments.