Ann Long Fine Art Presents “Five Stellar Still Lifes” by Jill Hooper, December 4

Opening Friday December 4^th, Ann Long Fine Art will exhibit Five Stellar Still Lifes by Jill Hooper.  Collected at the Gibbes Museum of Art and approaching her first solo museum show at the Greenville Country Museum of Art, Jill Hooper will exhibit simply five extraordinary paintings of the subject for which she is most well known.   Five Stellar Still Lifes opens on Friday December 4^th with a reception from 5 to 8 pm in the gallery at 54 Broad Street and will show through December.  Artist will be present.

Jill Hooper, realist painter, was born in upstate New York in 1970, and was also raised in North Carolina. Hooper remembers the beginning of her love for drawing at an early age. During the pursuit of her undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, Hooper spent time abroad in a summer program in Florence, Italy, studying under D. Jeffrey Mims in 1992 and continuing to do so over various periods until 1999. From 1992 to 1993, Hooper studied at the Université de Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France, and at L’Atelier du Thabor, also in Rennes. In 1994, the artist graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in political science.

The classical training Hooper began in Florence led to further study of still-life composition, portraiture, and finally figurework under Mims. She returned to Florence, where she was under the tutelage of renowned Realist painter Charles Cecil at his Florence-based Charles H. Cecil Studios. Most recently she has studied with Ben Long at the Fine Arts League of Asheville and assisted on his fresco project in Crossnore, NC. Various study sojourns to museums of London have helped her training, having been especially inspired by the desert’s colorful palette and the perfection of the Greek antiquities in the British and Victoria & Albert Museums. Her aspiration is to paint figural pieces exemplifying the passages of life in singular moments of solitude, joy, pain, etc.

Hooper has exhibited in North and South Carolina and France. Her work is collected by museums, including the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, where she is the youngest living artist ever to be collected. In 2007, she was shortlisted for the BP National Portrait Award with her self portrait, Pugnis et Calcibus, which hung in the National Portrait Gallery, London, before touring the UK. She will present a show of new work at the Greenville (SC) County Museum of Art in 2010. Currently, she lives and works in Charleston and Europe.

Established in Charleston, SC in 1997, Ann Long Fine Art is celebrating 12 years as one of the country’s leading galleries specializing in classical realist paintings, drawings, and sculpture by contemporary artists.

An Extaordinary Life featuring Aleksander and Lyuba Titovets at Ella W. Richardson Fine Art on November 6

Lyuba Titovets painting at Washington Park

Returning for their 8th exhibition, Ella W. Richardson Fine Art is extremely honored to present the newest collection of works by Aleksander and Lyuba Titovets on November 6 with a reception from 5-8pm. The show opens as part of the CFADA’s Charleston Fine Art Annual, celebrating CFADA’s 10th anniversary. The gallery is located at 58 Broad Street in downtown Charleston, SC. Lyuba Titovets will be also painting in Washington Park on November 7 during the ever-popular CFADA’s Painting in the Park from 9am till noon.

The Titovets moved from Russia to America seventeen years ago and have been making history ever since. One example was on December 19th, 2008 when Aleksander’s portrait of First Lady, Laura Bush was unveiled to the world to hang in the National Portrait Gallery. It was an awesome honor to be chosen to do this portrait that has now become a part of our American history.

Lyuba and Aleksander are now considered two of the top Russian born Impressionists in America. Lyuba’s still lifes and Aleksander’s landscapes speak volumes of their Russian training. Lyuba’s works come to life with her passionate brush strokes and vivid sense of colors. Her compositions are always thought provoking with something unexpected on every canvas.

Time of Long Shadows by Aleksander Titovets

Aleksander’s landscapes are simply unforgettable. He draws in the viewer and won’t let them go. His scenes are rich and his sense of light will dazzle you. When you gaze at one of his snow seens you immediately start to cool off. He is able to bring you right into the canvas and you feel as though you could just amble through one of his forests.

Siberian born artist Aleksander Titovets received his Masters in Fine Arts from St. Petersburg University College of Fine Arts. His classical art skills reflect the Russian School of Oil Painting, a style that combines a powerful realistic involvement with the soft, lyrical looseness of impressionism.

Although some of Aleksander’s recent work has begun to be influenced by his surroundings in the desert southwest, the majority of his images are still inspired by his Russian homeland. His reserve of some 100 sketches, precious documents of earlier travels, is the basis for these nostalgic creations. “Like all artists, I am more comfortable painting what I know,” explains Aleksander.

Aleksander has participated in competitions with the National Academy of Design, in New York and the Oil Painters of America. He won Best of Show in the International Fine Art Competition four years in a row among competitors in his region. For many years running, he has been selected as a guest artist for Great American Artists and Artists of America that honored him in 1998 with the Artist’s Choice Award. His work is included in public and private collections worldwide, including those of Sophia Loren and the King of Spain, His Majesty Juan Carlos.

Harmony with Purple by Lyuba Titovets

Lyuba grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia. She started her private painting lessons at the age of five and at seven she was selected for the Children’s Art Club in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. She went on to the State University in St. Petersburg and received a BA and MFA in the College of Fine Arts.

Lyuba’s colorful still lifes are based on intricate settings she arranges in her studio which create an appreciation of color harmony translating into imaginative figurative works. Lyuba’s style is reminiscent of her country’s charming folk traditions. Her subject matter is primarily drawn from her vivid imagination, although she often makes use of old books and photographs to enhance her ideas. She describes her paintings as “too symbolic to be realistic and too realistic to be symbolic.”

Lyuba has received numerous awards and honors including the National Oil Painters of America competition, Great American Artists exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Westminster Abbey show in London. Her name is included in the Archive of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Additionally, Lyuba’s work is in public and private collections in the United States and seven other countries and she has illustrated several books.

Robert Lange Studios Features Amy Lind’s new series titled “Profile” November 6

Amy Lind’s new series of Profile paintings will be on view through the month of November and will open on November 6 starting at 5:30 at Robert Lange Studios during the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association’s (CFADA) Fine Art Weekend. Amy Lind and Robert Lange will be painting in Washington Park on November 7 at the CFADA’s Painting in the Park from 9am till noon.

Artist Amy Lind, who studied at the Florence Academy of Art under “living master” Maureen Hyde and with Michael Grimaldi at the Bay Area Classical Artist Atelier, has created this series of fifteen works to illustrate the subtle beauty of the moment; the detail of lace, the creases of a hand, or the light dancing in a reflection.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

This classically trained contemporary painter’s exploration of the human profile was inspired by a drawing she recently discovered.

“It’s line drawing by John Singer Sargent of Mme. Pierre Gautreax, the same model as in his famous Madame X,” says Lind, “I was amazed by how just one line, a simple profile shape, so eloquently describes her form, emotion, likeness and attitude.”

Lind’s desire to capture simplicity translates within each piece.  “Upon closer inspection patrons discover tiny nuances within Amy’s paintings,” said gallery owner Robert Lange of this new series. “She captures the overall essence of a person by building each piece of the painting as an individual moment.”

Lind’s show is part of the CFADA Fine Art weekend, with events including exhibits on Friday, plein air demonstrations in Washington Park during the day on Saturday with the Charleston Art Auction to follow Saturday night. This year in addition to Lind, patrons can visit with Fred Jamar, Nathan Durfee and Robert Lange all painting in the park on Saturday.

CFADA is a non-profit organization and the Fine Art Weekend is designed to raise money for art programs for local schools.  For eleven years the organization has been donating money and this year CFADA’s goal is to hit $150,000 in cumulative donations.

“Lind’s show is a perfect match for the CFADA weekend.  Her inspiring works will hopefully inspire patrons to buy the auction items and attend the auction, both of which have proceeds going to schools,” said Lange.

Digital images are available upon request.  Contact Megan Lange at (843) 805-8052 or info@robertlangestudios.com.

Robert Lange Studios is located at 2 Queen Street in the historic French Quarter district in Charleston, SC.

Southwest Art Magazine features Charleston in its November issue

Southwest Art Magazine features Charleston’s art world, CFADA’s Charleston Fine Art Annual and CFADA galleries in its November 2009 issue. The article presents Charleston as one of the premier art market destinations in the country.

“Chestee Harrington: Workings in Wood” Opens at Carolina Galleries on November 6

Carolina Galleries is pleased to present Chestee Harrington’s work titled “Working in Wood” inspired by the South Carolina Lowcountry as a part of the 2009 CFADA Fine Art Annual, a highly anticipated weekend of fine art in Charleston. The reception takes place on Friday, November 6 from 5 to 8pm. Please visit the website to view all of Harrington’s work available at Carolina Galleries. The gallery is located at 106 A Church Street, Charleston SC 29401.

Chestee Harrington grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana, along the beautiful and historic Bayou Teche. Her now-famous use of wood as an artistic medium originated in her father’s cabinet shop, where she developed an affinity for the fragrance and feel of various woods. As a child, the materials simply seemed in harmony with the scenes of weathered cabins and mossy oaks that surrounded her. Decades later, Chestee’s polychromatic bas reliefs – carved and painted works in wood – have been shown across the United States and abroad.

Her original works, capturing Louisiana life, moods and settings, have been universal favorites and are particularly cherished by serious collectors. Chestee’s creation of a polychromatic bas relief begins with a delicate, low-relief carving of a sketch into a wood panel, which is given a stain underpainting. Oil paints are applied, along with layers of glazing, to produce a three-dimensional effect. Although she has made the relief her signature medium, Chestee is equally adept at painting, sculpture and printmaking.

Ann Long Fine Art Features Recent Drawings by Ben Long, November 6

Opening Friday November 6^th, Ann Long Fine Art will present recent drawings by Ben Long.  Exhibited will be figure sketches, studies done in preparation for fresco, and large scale drawings for fresco called cartoons.  Drawings by Ben Long opens on Friday November 6^th with a reception from 5 to 8 pm in the gallery at 54 Broad Street and will show through November 30^th.  Artist will be present.

Ben Long, the grandson of the artist McKendree Robbins Long, was raised in North Carolina.  At the age of eighteen, Long enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied creative writing with the novelist and poet Reynolds Price.  He then moved to New York City to join the Art Students League where he studied with the master drawing instructor Robert Beverly Hale and painting teacher Frank Herbert Mason.  In 1969, Long confronted the situation of many young men during the Vietnam conflict.  Rather than be drafted into the United States Army, Long enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.  He then served two tours of duty in Vietnam.  During his second tour he commanded the Marine Corps Combat Art Team, artists in uniform who depict the Marine Corps role during conflict.  The Smithsonian Institution and US Marine Corps Museum of Washington, D.C., house much of Long’s combat art.

After military service, Long moved to Florence, Italy, to serve as apprentice to the master painter and fresco artist Pietro Annigoni.  For nearly eight years, Long studied not only portraiture and painting but also the distinctive and difficult art of fresco painting.   Under Annigoni’s tutelage, Long created several frescoes in Italy, including the only fresco by a non-Italian at the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino.  These works set the stage for several major fresco projects in the U.S. (14 to this day), including a dome and the largest secular fresco in the United States, located in the lobby of the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, NC.

In 2001, Long was awarded the coveted Arthur Ross Award for Excellence in the Classical Tradition (Classical America, New York, New York) by Philippe de Montebello, the current and longest-serving Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  In 2002, Long received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  His work is also included in the Art Renewal Center’s exclusive list of “Living Masters.”

Today Long divides his time between his homes in Italy, Charleston, South Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina.  In 2002, he established the Fine Arts League of the Carolinas to instruct select students in a multi-year atelier tradition.  Long and his faculty teach their students to create works by direct observation of the human figure, knowledge of human anatomy, and appreciation of the emotional elements of composition, atmosphere, and color.  Long also uses his fresco commissions as teaching opportunities.  His teams of students and experienced artists work together to learn by surmounting the challenges of one of the most difficult artistic media, large-scale fresco painting.  Long’s early accomplishments as a fresco painter are chronicled in Wet-Wall Tattoos:  Ben Long and the Art of Fresco by Richard Maschal (1993).

Opening November 11^th, the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, SC will honor Ben Long with a large scale exhibition of his work.  The museum show runs through February 7, 2010.

Established in Charleston, SC in 1997, Ann Long Fine Art is celebrating 12 years as one of the country’s leading galleries specializing in classical realist paintings, drawings, and sculpture by contemporary artists.

Gallery hours:  Tuesday – Saturday 11-5pm and by appointment. Contact: 843.577.0447 or ann@annlongfineart.com

Save the Date for the Charleston Fine Art Annual, November 4, 6, 7, 2009

Over the past ten years, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association (CFADA) has grown from just a handful of founding members to 13 member galleries that continue to help transform Charleston’s art market and to set standards of professionalism.  This November, CFADA welcomes avid art collectors and nationally renowned artists to celebrate its 10th anniversary and continue the tradition at the Eleventh Charleston Fine Art Annual.  As Charleston’s premier weekend dedicated to the visual arts, the Charleston Fine Art Annual features more than 25 leading artists, exhibiting at CFADA member galleries and painting in Washington Park. The event takes place on November 4, 6, 7, 2009.  Proceeds will benefit Charleston County High Schools’ fine art programs.

The fine art weekend kicks off on Wednesday, November 4 with the first of a new three part lecture series on Women in Art, organized by the Gibbes Museum of Art.  For ticket information on the lecture series, please visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.   The next event takes place on Friday, November 6 at 5:00 p.m., featuring an art stroll and gallery openings at CFADA member galleries. Each gallery will present works by prominent local and visiting artists who travel to Charleston every year to participate in this prestigious event. This free event is open to public.

On Saturday morning, November 7 starting at 9:00 a.m., locals and visitors alike will once again mingle and watch artists at work as they donate their time and talent to creating masterpieces that will be later auctioned off at the Charleston Art Auction to benefit the Charleston County High Schools’ art programs. The ever-popular plein air event, Painting in the Park, takes place at Washington Park from 9:00 a.m. till noon.

The Sixth Annual High School Art Competition, a platform for young talented artists to showcase their unique works, is part of the plein air event and will start at 11:00 a.m. at Washington Park. The finest student works will be on display and judged by a panel of celebrity judges. The winners will be announced at 11:30 a.m.

Saturday evening will be dedicated to auctioning fine works of art, featuring historically significant paintings and drawings together with contemporary works by recognized American artists.   The creations from Painting in the Park will be auctioned interspersed between other works.  The Charleston Art Auction will start at 7:15 p.m. at the Renaissance Charleston Hotel, 68 Wentworth Street, downtown Charleston. Reservations are highly recommended as seating is limited. Ticket are $50.00 (contributed to the Charleston County High School Art Programs, this includes a fully illustrated sales catalogue) per person.

Founded in 1999, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association is the source of fine art in the South and consists of the city’s prominent galleries. The association promotes Charleston as a fine art destination for avid collectors and passionate art enthusiasts and supports the artists of the future. CFADA has donated more than $140,000 to local high schools, the Gibbes Museum of Art, Redux Art Center and the Studio Art Department at the College of Charleston. For more information on CFADA, please visit www.cfada.com and for ticket reservations for the auction call 843-722-0128.

American Art Collector Magazine features Charleston Fine Art Annual in its October issue

In the October issue, American Art Collector Magazine covers Charleston, South Carolina, one of America’s most beautifully preserved historical treasures with a contemporary flair. The article features the CFADA’s Charleston Fine Art Annual that will take place on November 4,6,7, 2009 in the historic downtown.

CFADA Donates Funds to Local Art Programs

The Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association (CFADA), devoted to supporting Charleston’s visual art world, donates money from its CFADA Scholarship Fund to the Gibbes Museum of Art, Redux Contemporary Art Center and the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston. CFADA will distribute funds to support art programs and scholarships for talented young artists, striving to improve their skills and hopefully choose a career in fine arts.

“Supporting art scholarship and education is of primary importance to the CFADA galleries and the community as these affect the quality of future thought and open-mindedness as well as the continued growth of Charleston as the cultural center it has been since Colonial times,” says Lese Corrigan, president of CFADA.

The College of Charleston’s School of the Arts used the 2008 CFADA donation to create a CFADA Studio Art Scholarship fund last year. The scholarship was $1000 per semester, for a total of $2000, and is applied toward tuition for an incoming freshman each year. The first scholarship was awarded this summer to a Charleston native, Anastasia Timina. This year CFADA doubled the scholarship amount to $2000 per semester, totaling $4000.

According to Angela D. Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art, “the generous donation from CFADA will be used to support our November “Women in Art” lecture series as well as other arts education programs that contribute to greater arts scholarship within the community.”

CFADA’s donation will help Redux continue to develop its diverse programming, while introducing and educating the public to the contemporary visual arts. Support from the community allows Redux to continue to exhibit artwork by national and international artists, support local artists, and enrich the Charleston community through adult and youth education programs. “CFADA’s donation will assist our organization in maintaining an ambitious schedule of exhibition, outreach, and studio programs to accomplish our goals,” says executive director of Redux, Karen Ann Myers.

Corrigan Gallery Presents Blue. as its Charleston Fine Art Annual show on November 6

Corrigan Gallery at 62 Queen Streetin downtown Charleston, SC, is pleased to present BLUE . as its Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association (CFADA) Charleston Fine Art Annual show.  The opening reception will be on November 6 from 5:00 to 8:30 displaying works by gallery artists John Hull, Duke Hagerty, Lynne Riding, Mary Walker, Kristi Ryba, Paul Mardikian, John Moore, Gordon Nicholson, Sue Simons Wallace, Lese Corrigan and Manning Williams among others. Corrigan will be painting in Washington Park Saturday morning with the other CFADA gallery members’ artists creating work that will be auctioned to raise funds for art supplies for the Charleston County Public schools.  (Bids will be accepted in the park and the CAA will be handling live bidding that evening – www.charlestonartauction.com for tickets. The ticket price also goes to the art supply fund.)

The color blue conjures up many thoughts – sky, eyes, water, music and of course, the blues, blue Monday, and Picasso’s blue period.  Oh yes, then one could say the economy has the blues. The artists of Corrigan Gallery have been tasked with only BLUE ..  It is totally open to their individual interpretation.  So we shall see what we shall see!

Talent artists, with varied backgrounds and reputations growing in leaps and bounds make up the group for this show. These artists are driven to create and make works of thoughtful and often humorous approaches. They are masters, doctor and doctor of philosophy putting their life observations on canvas and paper out of a need to express themselves.

Please join us at Corrigan Gallery for this weekend of celebrating the visual arts for the 11th year and begin with the Wednesday night lecture on Women in Art at the Gibbes Museum – a subject close to our blue hearts.

The Corrigan Gallery presents art with a future instilled with intellect. The gallery is open six days a week from 10am to 5pm (11am on Monday and Thursday).  Paintings, drawings, fine art prints, photography and sculpture are readily available for the discriminating collector. The gallery can be reached at 843 722 9868, art@lesecorrigan.com or www.corrigangallery.com .