Lots of special events are slated for Friday, Dec. 5, at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts to kick off the holiday season and to engage the public in learning more about what the art school has to offer.
The day will begin with an admissions open house and tour of the studio facilities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested in applying to the college are invited to bring their portfolios, and faculty and admissions representatives will be available to answer questions.
A community reception for Debra Petke, the newly appointed third president of the college will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby, concurrently with the dedication of the administration building in honor of the college’s founder, Elisabeth Gordon Chandler.
The day will culminate with the opening receptions (from 5 to 7 p.m.) of two art shows: the Alumni Exhibition in the Chauncey Stillman Gallery and Student Holiday Art Sale in the Sill House.
Alumni Exhibit Fine Arts
For the seventh year, alumni works will be exhibited in this juried show. The jurors for this year’s exhibition were Randy Melick, the college’s associate professor of drawing and anatomy, whose work has been exhibited internationally; Lisa Simonds, an alumna of the college, who received a BFA in sculpture in 2007; and Dr. Eric M. Zafran, curator of European painting and sculpture at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford.
The judges reviewed 140 entries and chose 31 works from 22 artists from the Northeast and as far as Georgia, in a wide range of media, including oils, graphite, acrylic, prints, and sculpture.
“We looked at a lot of work, and all three judges were quite happy with the final selections,” says Melick. “The [exhibit] broadly represents work done by students who’ve been here over the past 15 years.”
Melick observes that the very recent work in the show reflects what’s happening right now in the college’s classrooms.
“In sculpture, there’s an emphasis on multi-dimensional work that includes not only the figure, but [puts it] in a context with various other elements.”
For example, a sculpture by Bonnie Allen of Waterford (Class of 2006), places a human figure within an intricately designed wheel perched on an elaborate base.
In painting, Melick says, the human figure is the constant, but the artists are concerned with making all the elements of the painting as interesting as the human figure. He cites a work by Elvira Ormaechea of New London (Class of 2007) for “creating a striking and unifying effect” by attempting to paint the figure and the interior surrounding her in the same way.
Other new works in the show that Melick finds exceptional are several silver point drawings by Ellen Gaube of Woodstock (Class of 2007).
“She has some beautifully observed, very well-composed drawings of tree branches, and the design behind the image is a very subtle but striking configuration.”
The works by older graduates, Melick notes, reflect a decades-long involvement in oil painting—especially in plein air painting and the tradition of the American Impressionists.
“There’s a real kind of freshness, a bravura execution,” he says. “I think we selected some very nice examples in these swift, unstudied pictures.”
The artwork in the show is for sale and starts at about $1,000.
“These are professional working artists in a juried show,” Melick points out. “It’s not an amateur crew. The level of work is commiserate with gallery work.”
The show runs through Jan. 17. The gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Student Show and Sale
Every year in December, the Student Holiday Art Sale gives the public the opportunity to invest in affordable art from emerging artists, buy unique holiday gifts, and directly support the students, who receive all proceeds from sales of their work.
The art sale is entirely run by Lyme Academy College students. As a result, they experience all aspects of managing an exhibit, from the installation of artwork to the sale of the pieces.
This year’s sale includes about 150 works including sculpture and paintings in various media, drawings, and prints. Prices range from $20 to $1,000.
One or two students from each class helps to coordinate the event. Katie Fogg of Waterford, a junior at the college, is representing her class this year. A figure and landscape painter, her work is in the show.
“It’s a way for the students to be able to make some money and buy more art supplies or gifts for their families at the holidays,” Fogg says. “The students can [submit] as many pieces as they want—we hang as many as we can. Paintings are all framed; prints are matted.”
New to this year’s art sale are original, collectible, Artist Trading Cards. The cards represent a new national and international trend—artists creating miniature works of art on cards the same size as a typical baseball trading card, and collecting and trading them.
“The students buy these little packets of cards and do all different drawings on them. Students are having a lot of fun—it enables them to express themselves in a smaller way,” Fogg explains. “People who can’t afford much can buy these little cards [which will sell for $5 each]. It’s become a popular way to trade artwork among students.
“They also make cute little stocking stuffers,” she adds.
By Amy J. Barry
Special to the Times
The Student Holiday Art Show and Sale runs Dec. 5 to 13. The Lyme Academy College of Fine Art is at 84 Lyme Street in Old Lyme. For more information about these special events, call 860-434-5232 or visit www.lymeacademy.edu.