SPOTLIGHT

Get Sparked! Opening Reception - Friday, October 7, 7-10pm

DRA and SPARK (getsparked.org) embark on an artistic journey that pushes boundaries. Experience a unique showcase of writing as inspiration, and artistic interpretations. Each participating artist received one written inspiration piece, then created new art using the assigned story or poem as a jumping off point. Show runs through October 30. Details at: DelRayArtisans.org

Exploring Watercolor and the Figure

Workshop on October 19, 2-5pm. Join local artist Diana Gamerman as she demonstrates painting the figure in watercolor. A short talk on different types of watercolor paint, mediums, paper and brushes will be followed by a chance for participants to experiment with these different materials as we paint from a nude model. Ideal for beginners and those who want a refresher on using watercolor. All supplies provided. $18 for DRA members; $20 for non-members. Register in advance: DelRayArtisans.org/watercolor

When Art meets Science: A private tour at the Museum of Natural History

Tour on Monday, October 24 from 2-4pm. Sign up for this Partners in Art off-site event: a private tour of "The Bright Beneath" a solo exhibition which merges science and art in a bold new way. Artist Shih Chieh Huang a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow was inspired through investigation of the unusual evolutionary adaptations that allow creatures to live in environments unthinkable to humans to create haunting installations. Learn more about the exhibit at ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/. For tour details, contact Millie at milaenartes@gmail.com and RSVP by October 20 at calendar.DelRayArtisans.org

Collage with Lori K. Gordon

Workshop on October 29-30, 9-4pm at Del Ray Artisans by nationally recognized, Mississippi Gulf Coast artist Lori K. Gordon. Register for one or both days. Day one: Small-scale organic collages. Day 2: Larger scale collage. Registration required. Including supplies, DRA members pay $130 (1 day) or $235 (both days); non-members pay $145 or $265. For details or to register, visit DelRayArtisans.org/collage or contact Linda Hill at 703-521-7623 or Programs@DelRayArtisans.org

Partners in Art Group

• Monday, October 10 (2-4pm)
• Monday, October 24 (2pm; A private tour at the National Museum of Natural History)

Looking for a chance to get together with other creative people to discuss art and exchange ideas? Then come to a meeting of our cooperatively led Partners in Art group. You may find us engaged in a creativity exercise, enjoying a short demonstration or having in a lively art-related discussion. This program is free of charge and open to all. Visit the DRA website for details and upcoming dates. Contact Millie Mateu (milaenartes@gmail.com) or Katherine Rand (katherine@katherinerand.com) with questions.

Bring Your Scraps and Come Have Fun with Collage Cut Ups

• Tuesday, October 11 (1-4pm) (RSVP to Liz catniphaze@gmail.com for this day only)
• Tuesday, October 25 (1-4pm)

Come play with the Collage Cut Ups group in a supportive environment that promotes an exchange of ideas, creativity and networking with beginner and experienced collage artists. For more information and to RSVP by 9:00 AM on the date that you want to attend contact Millie Mateu (milaenartes@gmail.com)

Open Life Drawing Sessions

• Wednesday, October 12 (11am-1pm Gestures; 2-5pm Poses)
• Wednesday, October 19 (6:30pm-9:30pm Long Pose)
• Wednesday, October 26 (11am-1pm Gestures; 2-5pm Poses)

These sessions operate on a drop-in basis so there is no need to register in advance. Bring your supplies and join us at the gallery to draw or paint our live models. The fee for each three-hour session is $8 for DRA members and $10 for non-members. Two-hour sessions are $6 for members and $8 for non-members. For questions, please contact Katherine Rand at LifeDrawing@DelRayArtisans.org

Get Sparked! Reading: Friday, October 14th from 7 – 9pm

Join Del Ray Artisans for a reading. SPARK writers share aloud the inspiration pieces that prompted the visual art on display. Light snacks and refreshments, open to the public. Donations accepted.

Annual Member Meeting: October 16th from 6 – 8pm

DRA's Annual Member Meeting and Elections, to be held on Sunday, October 16th from 6 – 8 pm, is just 9 days away! Join fellow members for the latest DRA news, networking, and the election of next year's Board Members! Even if you are not able to consider being ON our DRA Board, we still need you to help elect our willing members! DRA will supply pizza, so please do us the great favor of RSVPing (only if you plan to attend), so that we will have a better idea when ordering this meeting's pies! RSVP to Kathryn Brown, Director of Membership: Membership@DelRayArtisans.org

PS: If you decide to come at the last minute, please do! You will still be welcome!

Get Sparked! Kid-friendly Reception

Attention families and students! Join us Friday, October 21 from 7-9 pm for a Kid-Friendly (6 – 12 years of age) Art and Writing celebration! Come compose, display and create drawings and poems based on artwork and writings by children and DRA artists. Make a take away art project that can be enjoyed by the whole family! Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Join the 2012 Board

As we approach fall, your DRA Board is already thinking of 2012. We'll be developing next year's lineup of exhibits, programs and events, and our Nominating Committee is looking for a few good men and women to fill open Board positions. They may be contacting you to ask if you'll join us in guiding DRA in 2012 and beyond. To learn more, contact Ellyn Ferguson (elferguson@netzero.net), Charlotte Landis (landiscf@comcast.net), or Paula Wulff (paula@wulffmedia.com).

— Michele Reday Cook, President, Del Ray Artisans

Seeking DRA Members for...

• Gardening Committee: Have you got a green thumb? Are you interested in using it to fulfill your volunteer hours? Join Garden Committee Chair Pam Underhill in the garden.
• Fundraising Committee: Help organize or assist with fundraising activities. We have a few goals to meet including new gallery lighting.
• Program Workshops: Help the Program Committee set up workshops. It takes less than 1/2 hour per workshop. Duties include taking roll, collecting fees, and placing fees in a lockbox.
• Facilities Committee: Interested in helping around the gallery? The Facility Committee is looking for committee members.

Interested members should contact Lesley Hall at Volunteers@DelRayArtisans.org for details. There are many fun ways to meet the 10 volunteer hours per year minimum!

Call for Entry: Real Art D.C.

This project launched to showcase the creativity of local artists – both professional and amateur – on The Washington Post site. Selected entries will be featured in the Style section of the paper, and some will be chosen for a profile by a Washington Post critic. Post photos of your work in Real Art. The gallery can be found at this address (washingtonpost.com/realart2011), and also at washingtonpost.com/museums

Workshop: City of Alexandria Commission for the Arts Schedules Grants Program Workshops (NEW)

The Alexandria Commission for the Arts will conduct four grant program workshops to provide information about the Commission's annual grant program, which provides funding to non-profit arts organizations for various arts programs, and instructions for the on-line application process. All applicants are encouraged to attend one of the grant workshops. Workshops are held at the Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron Street in Alexandria and are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, October 26, 2 pm

The goals of the Commission's grant program are to encourage artistic excellence in the City; assist Alexandria-based arts organizations in improving their financial, administrative, and management capabilities; and provide individual artists with opportunities to create, perform, and present their works. Completed online grant applications must be submitted by Friday, November 18, 2011 at midnight. In addition, one hard copy of the application should be delivered by 5 p.m. Monday, November 21, 2011 at the Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron Street in Alexandria. For additional information, call the Durant Arts Center at 703.746.5565 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/arts. To request a reasonable accommodation or materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Anne Colton of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.746.5565 (TTY 703.838.4902) or cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov.

Free Event: Alexandria Arts Safari – Saturday, October 8, 12-4pm

The Torpedo Factory Art Center hosts the sixteenth annual Alexandria Arts Safari, a festival of hands-on arts and crafts activities for kids and their families. Children will enjoy Arts Safari Painting, Origami Art, Fabric Collage, Giant Paper-Mache Animal, and much more! The Alexandria Archaeology Museum and The Art League Gallery will also present their own special activities. For more information visit: torpedofactory.org/images/whatsnew/Arts_Safari-08/arts_safari.htm

Call for Entry: FotoDC Youth Photo Contest

Deadline Sunday, October 9. Any student K – 12 who attends school in DC, Virginia and Maryland may submit their best pictures to the 4th annual Fotoweek DC youth photo contest sponsored by the Washington Post. Categories: People, Animals, Landscape, School Life and Social Change. Cash prizes for 1st and 2nd Place winners. Also, get your photo displayed for everyone to see. For details visit www.FOTODC.org

Workshops: The Foundation Center in Washington, D.C. (NEW)

The Foundation Center in Washington, D.C. is offering special free programs for the Funding for the Arts Month. Calendar of Events with location, details and link to registration is grantspace.org/Classroom/Training-Calendar/Washington-DC/%28month%29/10/%28year%29/2011

• Wednesday, October 12 – 11am-12:30pm Secrets, Lies and Truths About Marketing Oneself as an Artist with E. Ethelbert Miller
• Tuesday, October 18 – 11:30am-12:30pm Best Practices in Arts & Culture Fundraising presented by WealthEngine
• Wednesday, October 26 – 6:30-8:00pm Grant seeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts

Workshop: Natural Impressions: Surface Texture & Design with Christy Knox

Saturday & Sunday, October 15-16, 2011 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Fee: $190 non-members, $180 LAC members. Join us as we learn to create dynamic surface decoration by incorporating three-dimensional surfaces. In this two-day hands on workshop we will explore form as Christy shares her methods and techniques using patterned and textured slabs of clay. A variety of found and handmade tools will be incorporated to create these surfaces. Learn how to form slabs of clay into mugs, pitchers and vases using a variety of hand building techniques. For more details: www.leeartscenter.org, 703-228-0560/0558, smunoz@arlingtonva.us

Artist Proposals: Create Arlington Green Games Awards (NEW)

Proposals due: October 28, 2011. Arlington County Department of Environmental Services seeks qualified local artists (solo or teams) to generate artwork that will be awarded to successful participants in the Inaugural Season of the Arlington Green Games that achieve environmental goals eligible for the top tier award (Gold Award) and second tier award (Silver Award). The artwork is intended to: (1) serve as a permanent award suitable for display in recipients' place of work; (2) source materials that inspire resource conservation, reuse and recycling; and (3) be created by local artists or artist teams. Details available at: DelRayArtisans.org/shows/calls/

Workshop: Glaze Inspirations with Lynn Smiser Bowers

Saturday & Sunday, October 29-30, 2011, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Fee: $190 non-members, $180 LAC members. Experience a new perspective on glazing as Lynn leads this action-packed workshop by exploring new ways to express your individuality through the glaze process. She will demonstrate the process of using layered glazes, resist methods and oxide brushwork to energize the surface of a piece. Lynn will also go step by step showing participants how images, dreams and ideas are captured and translated to the surface of a pot. Participants will have the opportunity to try some of her methods of glaze application on their own pots; however most of the workshop will focus on demonstrations of her glaze techniques and methods of working and developing new form ideas in wet clay. For more details: www.leeartscenter.org, 703-228-0560/0558, smunoz@arlingtonva.us

Call for Entry: for 2012-2014 City of Alexandria Gallery Program Deadline November 1 (New)

The Alexandria Office of the Arts and Alexandria Commission for the Arts invite artists to submit proposals for two and three dimensional, original exhibits to be shown in one of fifteen gallery spaces during 2012-2014. Individual artists or consortia of artists, who work, study or live in the City of Alexandria are eligible. There is no entry fee to apply but a 10 percent commission will apply to all artwork sold. Each of the exhibitions will run for six months. To be considered, each proposal must consist of:

• Completed application form; a resume;
• PC-compatible CD or a DVD with a maximum of 12 number images representing the work, each labeled with artist's name and the title of the work; and
• An artist's statement of no more than one page containing a description of the artist(s), consortium, or organizations involved in the exhibition.

Proposals (solo exhibition, consortium, or organization) must be received by Wednesday, November 1, 2011 at 5 p.m by the Durant Arts Center at 1605 Cameron Street in Alexandria, VA 22314, with attention to: Call for Entries 2012-2014. Download the Call for Entry at: www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/recreation/arts/callforartists20122014.pdf

Call For Entry: Mixed Up – Juried Mixed Media Show – November 3 – 14 (NEW)

Falls Church Arts invites all artists to submit work (new entry forms are being developed and will be available on www.fallschurcharts.org and will be sent by email) for this juried mixed media show at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church.

Call for Entry: Gallery West 15th Annual National Juried Show

Entry deadline: November 11, 2011. Gallery West is pleased to announce a call for entries for its 15th annual national juried show. The all media show will be juried by CD, awards to total $1000. It will be juried by Edward J. Reed. Exhibit Dates: February 8, 2012 – March 4, 2012. For more details, review the prospectus and entry form at www.gallery-west.com

Call For Entry: Functional Arts – Juried Functional Handcrafts Show – November 17 – December 23 (NEW)

Falls Church Arts invites all artists to submit work (new entry forms are being developed and will be available on www.fallschurcharts.org and will be sent by email) for this juried functional crafts show and sale at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church. All items must be for sale. This show is open to handmade functional crafts artists only and not for resellers.

Call for Artist Vendors: Etz Hayim's Artist Expo

Sunday, December 4, from 11:30 to 4 pm. We are holding a crafts fair/artist expo and are in search of local artists, particularly those working in wood, fabrics (silks, cottons, wools, other), pottery/ceramics, paper, soaps/body lotions, glass, or other unusual media. The event will be held at Congregation Etz Hayim, a synagogue at 2920 Arlington Blvd, which is Route 50, in Arlington, VA. The participation fee is $60 for a 9' x 6' space (depending on the number of artists, the space may be a little bigger). We can provide electricity if needed, and will also provide all the artists with a nice lunch! We typically have between 25 and 30 artists participating. For more information, contact leffron@gmail.com or 703-307-3205.

All DRA events, unless otherwise noted, are held at the DRA gallery:

Del Ray Artisans gallery at the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center
2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301-1124 | Directions
Phone: 703-838-4827 | DelRayArtisans.org

©2011 Arts Resource Foundation. Special thanks to the City of Alexandria, Alexandria Commission for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts for their continued support of Del Ray Artisans, a 501(c)(3) organization.

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