Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ArtScape in Winchester


"Yellow Wings" - 14"x11"
Continuing with updates (I've not done a good job of posting in quite a while), my "Yellow Wings" painting was accepted in the 2013 ArtScape program in Winchester, Va. This is the first year that I have entered a painting for review.

Now in its fifth year, ArtScape is a collaborative effort between the Shenandoah Arts Council (www.shenarts.org) and the Old Town Development Board/City of Winchester (www.oldtownwinchesterva.com). Artists submit images, and jurors choose the winning submissions. Entries include paintings, photographs and images of 3-dimensional pieces.

The winning pieces are then delivered to the arts council, where they are photographed by a professional photographer. In the meantime, local organizations and businesses are invited to view the original artwork, and they select which pieces they would like to sponsor.

All of this comes together with the creation of banners that include the artwork, the artist's name, and the sponsor -- and then these banners are displayed from light posts in the Old Town area of Winchester, mostly  on the pedestrian mall at the heart of the downtown. The idea is to create an outdoor gallery for the public to enjoy.

Later in the summer, the original artwork will be auctioned off at a fundraising event for the arts council, with  proceeds divided between the artist and the arts council.

So, with all that said, here are images of my banner, sponsored by Blue Ridge Hospice (http://www.blueridgehospice.org). Blue Ridge Hospice uses a butterfly as part of their corporate imagery, which is why they were interested in my painting.




I took these photos right after the banners went up along the mall. The workers have since straightened the banners so they don't tilt at the awkward angle you see in the lower image.

The ArtScape program went through a host of difficulties this year with the extensive renovations to the Loudoun Street Mall earlier this year. There were many unknowns when they released the call for entry. As it turns out, the new light posts are shorter than the old light posts, so that required a redesign of the banner sizes and orientation. They are much smaller than they had been in previous years, but I hope that things can be worked on next year to make them larger.

If you are traveling through Winchester, stop downtown and take a stroll along the pedestrian mall. My banner is on the south end of the mall, near the Godfrey Miller Home.

No comments:

Post a Comment