SUMMERTIME HAPPENINGS AT THE ART CENTER IN SEBASTIAN

Welcome to the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center Blog.  Find news about the SRAC on our website at http://www.sebastianriverartclub.org/.  This blog is for the Club's Art Center only, which is located at 1245 Main Street in Sebastian, on the City Hall campus.  Hours are Tuesday and Thursday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  A select number of artists occupy sections of a 6-room space adjacent to our meeting room.  The space features one gallery room (Picasso Gallery) exhibiting small, affordable works, another gallery room (Rosalee Hume Gallery) filled with special guest artists or Club shows and currently showing through the summer are plein air works by Club members.  The remaining 4 exhibit rooms are filled with divided sections for gallery members, who rotate their works regularly with fresh new paintings.  There are also a few spots that include pottery and sculpture. 
CLASSES
Instruction in oils and acrylics by Judy Burgarella
Even number dated Thursdays, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
$15 members, $20 non-members
Beginner-intermediate-advanced - Judy conducts demonstrations as requested, taking students through the mechanics of creating a painting; or bring your troubled or started painting and she will help you revive and correct it.  Some still life props available, or bring in a reference photo.
Instruction in watercolor by Judy McNamara
Tuesdays, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Beginner-intermediate-advanced - Judy will take you right through the complete process, guiding you along the way, step-by-step to completion.  Students paint from teacher's reference image.



Although not an Art Center show, coming this weekend Friday June 15th and Saturday June 16th, 10:00-4:00, Club members will be exhibiting works, many nauticals, at Crab-E-Bills Seafood, 1540 Indian River Drive.  Over 25 of our members will have their work displayed on racks throughout the empty space in back of Crab-E-Bills, and below is your personal invitation!

Located on the shores of the beautiful Indian River Lagoon, it's a lovely walk along the river's edge, with many sights and sounds to take in, in addition to visiting the art show.  If it's a lovely day, take a walk and enjoy the abundance of wildlife along the river and mangroves, dally at the art show, then dinner at Capn' Hirams; then saunter on down to the Tiki bar or any of the "Key West" -style ourdoor cafe's and listen to some live music or try your hand at kareoke!  This is Sebastian, we have fun here!
(Psst-If the weather's not so great, skip the walk but still come to the show--it will be indoors and we have air conditioning!  And you can still catch dinner at any of the fine restaurants along the river)


Below is a previous post, and is of a photo of one of our Plein Air painters, taken at Rock City Gardens in March.  The opening reception for the "Plein Air" Show and "Little Jewels" show was fun, although very stormy, and we greeted many new visitors and old friends. All works will be on view through the summer, with many new paintings and changeovers happening in the rest of the gallery space, so visit often and you'll see new works by our Club members year-round.

SRAC member Donna Coughlin painting "en plein air" at Rock City Gardens in March

 Beginning Tuesday, June 5th, the Sebastian River Art Club will present "Plein Air Paintings" by Art Club members on view in the Rosalie Hume gallery space.  An opening reception will be celebrated for this show and for the Little Jewels show at the Art Center on Friday, June 8th, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. 

"Plein Air" painting means creating works of art outside in true light and fresh air.  Most of the paintings in the Hume gallery space have been painted on-site, or at least started on-site.  There are exquisite advantages and challenges when painting outside, as the light is true and the colors are most vivid.  However the challenge is to chase the light as it changes, whisk the bugs away, hold down equipment in the wind, and be prepared to pack up quickly if the weather turns bad.  Ah, but the comaraderie of painting with other artists is the best.

Below is an example of a plein air painting this blogger did in the water park on Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach.  There will be many beautiful and interesting paintings in a variety of mediums to view in the Hume Gallery of the Art Center.  Tomorrow as we hang the works I will take photos of some of the entries and post them on this blog.

"Green Umbrella" oil by Judy Burgarella

Over 75 "Little Jewels" will be on display for your viewing pleasure.  These lovely little paintings are perfect for that small space under the kitchen counter, or narrow wall, and make wonderful gifts--easy to pack and ship, and prices range from $5 to $300!  Below is just a sampling, and new works will be constantly rotated into this show in the Picasso Gallery throughout the summer.

So join us on June 8th and enjoy refreshments, meet the artists, and view all the other wonderful works of art around the gallery spaces of the Art Center. 

Also in the Art Center view May's three award-winning floral entries, and vote for your favorite "Beach" painting for June's competition.

Below are May's "Floral" winners - Congratulations all!

1st Place Prize - "African Flower" oil by Patti Goins

2nd Place Prize - "Lilipads" by Maureen Fitzpatrick

3rd Place Prize - "Sunlit Rose" by Marian Alcorn

The Sebastian River Art Club organizes plein air paintouts during the year, and there are classes and workshops scheduled throughout the season.  We are a very active, friendly club, and to become a member just drop into the Clubhouse any Tuesday or Thursday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and pick up an application. 

For further information check out our website http://www.sebastianriverartclub.org/.  Read the older postings below for more interesting information.

Judy Burgarella
Blogger for the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center

Sebastian River Art Club Art Center News

Welcome to the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center News.  Watch this blog for news of upcoming events and shows in the Art Center, 1245 Main Street, Sebastian, Florida.  The Art Club's Art Center opened its doors in October 2010 under the direction of Club Member Toni Hill, who served as Art Center Chairman until February, 2012, when SRAC Recording Secretary Judy Burgarella assumed the role as Chairman.  The Art Center exhibits the work of Art Club members who wish to show their work in the spaces provided.  On view are works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, graphite, charcoal, pottery and sculpture.  The Art Center is open for viewing Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Stop by for information about Art Club membership and classes.

The small rooms in the Art Center which serve as gallery space are named after renowned artists to make the rooms easier to identify.  The Rosalee Hume Gallery, named after our most famous Club member whose bronze sculpture of Mr. Kroegel overlooks the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian's Riverview Park, is currently exhibiting the works of Dawn K. Mill, famous in the region for her oils and acrylics of Florida's tropical landscape.  The exhibit, entitled "Dawn Mill, A Retrospective," features a sampling of artwork from her days in college up to the present.  Below is shown a pen-and-ink drawing from her college days, and an acrylic painting of a tropical view of Adams Ranch which is part of her current works.

 Adjoining the Rosalee Hume gallery is the "Little Jewels" gallery, exhibiting petite works by our Member artists.  Below is a sample of a few of the "Little Jewels" on display ~

Ribbons will be awarded each month for members who wish to use part of their space to exhibit a themed work.  May's theme is "Florals," and a sampling is shown below.

Thank you for visiting the Art Center blog, and be sure to come back for more news of the Sebastian River Art Club's Art Center.

Judy Burgarella

Blogger for SRAC's Art Center