Painting exhibit from staff artist Laura McNeel…

Visit Enjoy the Arts this winter to see paintings from Laura McNeel – our Program Director for Studio E.  If you’ve attended Open Studio recently, then you’ve probably seen her at work on  some of these wonderful pieces.  Join her downtown for the opening on November 28th and see the whole collection!

To Have and to Hold: Portraits of a Collected Nature
November 28- January 23, 2009

Enjoy the Arts – 1338 Main St

An intimate grouping of paintings and collages inspired by the artist’s personal collection of found objects from nature (shells, leaves, branches). With a strong emphasis on pattern and color, contrasting organic and artificial design, McNeel’s work simultaneously celebrates and questions the practice of decoration, accumulation, and domestication.

Exhibit opening:
November 28, 2008 from 6-10pm

Gallery Show Coming Up!

In june, local photographer Michael Wilson took four students from STUDIO E in Norwood to Our
Daily Bread, an organization in the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati founded to “offer a
warm, safe place for those who live on the street or are one step from it.”  After a day spent
serving in the kitchen and the lunch line, the week was spent making photos of the many visitors.

 The week was a huge success and there were some incredible portraits taken.

Come meet the photographers, and see work from Michael and the students: Amanda, Sara, Sylvia, and Tori.

Gallery space was graciously donated to us by one of our neighbors -  just steps from our studio space, across from St.Elizabeth’s church in West Norwood.

Doors open from 6pm until 9pm.

1801 Mills Ave

This event is FREE and open to the public.

JOIN US!

Studio E: OPEN for Business!

A big Thank You to everyone who came out to celebrate the opening of studio e this past Friday!  After nearly a month of planning, shopping, and decorating the space, it was a relief and joy to finally see our new home filled with life. Even with our last minute publicity, we were pleased to host over 30 visitors throughout the course of the day, including the entire AP Studio art class from Norwood High School. As a part of the open house, all  students (young and old) were invited to create small works of art to be collaged together in a permanent wall installation for studio e.
Stop by Open Studio (Mondays and Thursdays, 3:30-6pm) anytime this month to see this work in progress and contribute some creativity of your own. Everyone is welcome!

Fall 2008 Update

howdy folk.

here’s the update…

NEWS:

after a year of experimenting with pilot programs in borrowed spaces, we’ve put down roots.  we’d like to give the many artists, students, teachers, and parents who’ve expressed interest in our programs an easier way to visit… to know us… to get involved.  we’re excited to have our very own studio space and are hard at work painting and nesting and such.  laura will be directing our STUDIO E programs, and as many of our students know, she is full of ideas and enthusiasm.  she’ll be diving right into our revived ‘open studio’ program starting monday november 10th!  currently we’re welcoming students of high-school-ish age to come and make art.  bring school projects, or independent projects, or ask for suggestions and we can get you started.  we’re looking to expand our roster of host-artists who are willing to welcome students and show them around (if needed) or give pointers (if needed).  we particularly welcome undergraduate art students to come and host!  this is a volunteer position but you will receive a small stipend to cover gas.  additionally, you can use our paint and other supplies for free while you’re here.  need studio/homework space?  need a change of scene to work on projects for school?  come host with us!  call or e-mail for more info.

we’re excited about year number two.  we learned a lot of lessons in year one and are embracing the grassrootsyness of our infancy as we move into year two.  we’ll be focused on being present.  being patient.  making friends.  as always our smallness makes us flexible.  if YOU have an idea for an arts-related event or course that you’d like to help make happen, then by all means PITCH IT to us!

EVENTS:

november 7th – open house at our new studio from 3p – 7p.  pop your head in and check it out… make a drawing… meet a staff member.  no need to RSVP – just show up.  we’re in the back of old st.elizabeth’s church in west norwood.  our studio is on the second floor of the classroom building – the entrance is at the corner of lincoln ave and carter ave.  just walk on in and come find us.  of course, you’re always welcome to stop by during scheduled open studio hours.

november 10th – open studio is back.  other than some occasional interruptions for holidays and such, we hope to make this offering an ongoing program for years to come.  we’ll be starting with a monday/thursday schedule, with plans to expand as soon as we go.   call or check the website to confirm the weekly schedule during holidays and between academic semesters.  if you are interested in attending but have extra-curricular activities that conflict, give us an idea of when you’d like to see our doors open and we’ll take that into consideration when adding shifts.

november 22nd we will be hosting an art show based on the work created by michael wilson and a quartet of our students during a week-long visit to Our Daily Bread.  all five photographers will display work, and there will be a facilitated lecture/conversation about the event, with a particular focus on the added human dimension and complexity that comes with photographing strangers.  location TBD.  another announcement will go out when the details are settled.  in the meantime, save the date!

as always – students artists seeking tutorials should contact us directly for one-on-one attention.

OPPORTUNITIES:

give stuff – now that we have our own space, we can more easily accept donations of art materials and supplies, healthful snack items and bottled water for hungry artists, etc.  donations are tax deductible.
give time – as mentioned above, we’d like to fill our roster of host artists so that we can expand our schedule.  if you’d like to host open studio or have ideas for another way you might provide educational services to our students then contact us with your ideas/interest.
give cash – it takes a remarkably small amount of money to keep our doors open.  it takes a remarkably large amount of money to engage in vigorous non-profit-style fundraising.  we’re still learning how to walk that balance and maximize each dollar in ways that make good sense.  your contributions MATTER.  they matter even more if we didn’t have to waste money begging you for them in exchange for a STUDIO E travel mug that you don’t actually want.  contributions dedicated to our tangible expenses can go a long way toward keeping our doors open.  consider sponsoring a student, sponsoring a scholarship fund, sponsoring a staff member.  consider helping with the rent, the phone bill, the cost of insurance.  help us forge a network of support so we can continue to invite art and culture into west norwood and into the hearts of its youth for years to come.

for artists – for those of you in our artist community who are not inclined to teach – consider contributing your skills to our work in a different way.  we have some opportunities brewing for artists of all sorts – including instrumentalists, painters, sculptors, writers, etc.  if you’re open to experimenting and collaborating with your art and are looking for a community with which to do so, put yourself on our non-teaching artist list and learn more about our sneaky plans by contacting douglas@stelizabetharts.com

THANKS FOR READING!

Photography Course CLOSED

Thanks to all you ambitious students who applied for the photography course.

We have accepted all who applied and its time to shut the door.  All who have been accepted in the program will get their welcome packet in the mail sometime next week.  If you don’t get one – then its VERY important that you give us a call to let us know (513.253.0301).

We will consider opening a 2nd class if there is sufficient interest, so if you missed out on this first call then let us know of your interest and we’ll put you on the waiting list.

Please call or e-mail contact@stelizabetharts.com

Puppets as Art

Jesse Mooney-Bullock has his own website at last.

And its amazing.

Go look at it.  You can find a link on here.

He’ll be hosting a puppet-making class for middle school students that we’ve entitled Puppets from Junk.  You don’t need to be a sculptor or an artist of any kind.  Just bring a willingness to experiment and a couple random objects from your basement.  A broom?  A chair?  An old sheet?  A cardboard box?  Some old plumbing bits.  Some car parts.  You’d be surprised at the things that can be brought to life under Jesse’s fun and skillful guidance.  Get more info on this class here.

getting to know our students

we met today for a private meeting with a group of students from norwood high school.

we asked them about who they were. what they liked. what sort of art they made. how we could serve them. what’s cool. what’s not cool. what its like to be a student at norwood high school. and so on. then we split into focused groups to talk more along the lines of specific interest: creative writing, music, drama, and visual arts.

the students were bright and responsive and interesting to talk to. they shared valuable information and we left with a much richer understanding of not just art and the role it plays at norwood high school, but also what the current vibe is for high school students who go to school in norwood.

we need to think about what we’ve learned… to rest on it a bit before we determine how it applies to our own efforts in the neighborhood.

but it was a fun event… very worthwhile. thanks to the norwood high school staff and administration for being so hospitable. thanks especially to melissa burns and trish duebber for helping make it happen AND for joining us. thanks to laura, justin, and thurman for your various roles in making this happen. and thanks most of all to the students who offered their time and thoughts.

Spring Break Art Intensive

THIS EVENT HAS ENDED.

Stay tuned for our summer programs, to be announced soon.

Join our mailing list to keep informed!

family portrait event follow-up.

we’ve developed our first “community action guide” – an important part of our work that is focused on developing tools that other groups can use to replicate our events.  this is absolutely a work in progress.  we haven’t settled yet on the best way to package this thing, so for now you’re looking at it in its fresh-out-of-the-brainstorm dress.  but while we fiddle about trying to make it pretty, hopefully a few of you out there will be inspired by the idea and will spend those good feelings and ideas into your own communities.

thanks again to all the volunteers who helped with this… particularly desiree for the photojournalism, tracy & renee for the cookies, david and megan for minding the door.

thanks also to juli and elizabeth for being geniuses.

am i forgetting anyone?  leave an angry message as a comment…

anyway… it was a great event… check it out here!

mailing list

we’ve added a quick and easy way to put yourself on the mailing list. if you haven’t done so already, then you can click here.