|
|
Hello, art lovers!
Summer’s here. Summer clothes, summer fun and lots of great new summer art and hot happenings at art251. Summer means our second location is now open at the beautiful Trinity River Audubon Center. Summer means even more artistically oriented events: a book release party, two new artist exhibits, late nights with Jazz in June. Pinch yourself now, all this summer fun is happening right here, in Keller! And, finally, summer means apologies for this delayed edition of our newsletter – even small business owners need to take a summer break.
|
|
|
Vote: Best Art Gallery of 2009
|
|
Local news and information source WFAA is running its annual "Best Of" survey, WFAA-List. The survey profiles local businesses and allows consumers to vote for their favorite local businesses in a variety of categories, including ART GALLERIES.
Voting ends July 2. So, be sure to cast your vote for art251, right here — you’ll find art251 about 5 rows down the page.
|
|
Jazz in June
|
|
Free live jazz takes to the air every Thursday in June, starting at 7pm, on the lawn at Keller City Hall. In conjunction, art251 will be open each Thursday until 9pm.
Open-air jazz concerts featuring Adonis Rose and the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra beginning June 4. Enjoy a special tribute to Duke Ellington (June 11), a tribute to Ray Charles (June 18) and a tribute to Louis Armstrong (June 25). More details, here.
The concerts are sponsored by the Keller Public Arts Program, Keller Parks and Recreation, Arthouse at Keller Town Center, Chesapeake Energy and Harbor House Studios.
|
|
2009 Show Calendar
|
We have 6 artist shows scheduled this year. Our second for this year featuring dramatic landscapes by Denton artist Faith Scott Jessup just ended in June. Next up, in July, we’ll be featuring original and limited edition works by Trish Biddle.
She was invited to be the Official Artist of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, and the Official Artist of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show. Trish currently lives in Westlake, TX.
For more details on this show and all other events check out the calendar on the art251 website.
|
|
June Feature:
How does art251 find its artists? |
|
We often get asked this question by both customers and artists. Well, we find artists in a couple of ways: we discover them, and they discover us.
Before we opened art251, Kim and I spend about 6 months looking for artists. We visited galleries, artist studios and art shows. We read art magazines. We looked at artists’ websites. We listened to friends. We used the great tubes of the internet, we used "the" Google.
So, here’s a quick summary of the process.
- Search for local artists in local galleries, local artist directories and event / listings services.
- Search online, search online, and search online.
- Collect detailed information (no snooping in artist’s trash) about all artists and their art.
- Categorize by media type.
- Group in order of priority (based on our top secret art251 formula).
- Invite first, then next, group of artists.
- Go back to #1, and repeat.
Our searching lead us to around 400-500 local artists. We were, and continue to be, amazed at the breadth and depth of local artistic talent.
Recently, artists have begun to find us. They find us through friends and other artists. They find us via other galleries. They find us through the vastness of cyberspace and, of course, the Google
So, if you’re an artist, especially an emerging one and have yet to expose your work to the world, or the neighborhood for that matter, here’s what to do. Follow our artist submission guidelines, and then take the next step towards finding us and letting others discover you and your art.
|
|
| Book Release Party – Local Author, Allison Bottke in the (Art)House, June 27 |
|
Keller resident, best-selling author, Allison Bottke releases her new novel "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing". art251 is delighted to host the offical book release party on June 27, 6-8pm. Allison will be with us at art251 throughout the evening to sign copies.
So we’re not a bookstore. But, this is within our mission — to support great local talent covering all artistic media, politics and religious beliefs.
Join us for a night of Disco dance music and fun, as we host the release of Allison’s newest novel in the Va-Va-Va Boom series from David C. Cook Publishers.
"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" is centered around the Disco Diva Salon in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is rife with classic references to “all-things-Disco” and “all-things-boomer!” A great summer read!
“My boomer babe characters are fun, fashionable, funky, and faithful women who are following the dreams of their hearts,” Allison says. “I want to provide readers with enjoyable fiction about sassy and seasoned women achieving dreams, not complaining about their aches and pains. I also want to provide an honest but positive look at long-term marriage.”
Allison Bottke spent 17 years as a professional fund-raiser before her personal journey prompted her to create the best-selling God Allows U-Turns anthologies. Now, with over 24 published non-fiction and fiction books, she has created a place where fun, fashion, food, family, and faith merge to empower and inspire boomer women all around the world.
|
| Featured Artist: Diana Casabar |
|
As a kid, Diana Casabar watched her father create pendants and rings for their family in his spare time. Wow, the flame! The tools! The flame! But, it wasn’t just the love for her father that kindled her desire to learn to work metal. It was also the fun, creative side of her mother who could make anything out of anything when asked “please”. Fourteen years ago she took the first of many jewelry making classes at the Craft Guild of Dallas. It was then that she realized that working metal was the gift she had to share. As a result she has created works for private collections from California to Maine, and is one of art251’s signature jewelry artists.
Diana Casabar specializes in chasing and repoussé, the ancient art form of sculpting metal with hammers, tools, and flame. She draws her design on a flat piece of metal, positions it in a pot of pitch, and then outlines the design with tools and a hammer. After the outline is complete, she takes it out of the pitch, turns it over and replaces it to push the design out with different tools. She’ll work the metal this way three or four times, giving it depth and soul. It’s then finished by polishing it or applying a patina, whichever is required for the design.
She believes that jewelry should reflect a person’s essence, subtly embellish that person, yet compliment their being. Jewelry should be worn everyday, by everybody. And she thinks that she can create anything you desire. Your whim, Diana’s mettle.
|
|
| art251 Trinity River – Now Open |
|
|
|
Dallas, we’re open! art251 has expanded eastwards to the Trinity River basin in Dallas.
Trinity River Audubon Center, Dallas.
Our new location is in the gorgeous Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas. Need directions? Click here. The store is operated by our good friend and partner, T Hanson.
The mission of the Audubon Center is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. Audubon’s national network of community-based nature centers, scientific, educational and advocacy programs engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences. art251 Trinity River in the Audubon Center offers a range of age-appropriate gifts, fine art and souvenirs for kids and adults. We emphasize local, green products in concert with Audubon’s educational strategy, and at an affordable price point. art251 Trinity River features roughly 25% fine art and 75% unique gifts. A number of art251’s artists have their works featured at this new location, including Brian Davis, Sean Fitzgerald, Ashley Akers, Marnie Vollenhals, Katy Fenley, Faith Scott Jessup, Jean Storm, Kim Norris and Aditi Samarth and others to come. We’re excited by the opportunity to expose our talented local artists to a broader audience in the Big D. |
|
|
| Father’s Day is Around the Corner |
|
 This is not your father’s Ferrari! But, wouldn’t it make a great gift? A gentle reminder to daughters and son of all ages – there’s an important date on the horizon that you should not forget: Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21, 2009.
|
|
| "We believe great art is often accompanied by a great story." To check out more of our beliefs, click here. |
| We like feedback of any kind – good, bad and ugly. It helps us improve. So, if you have any comments about this newsletter, or art251 in general, drop us a line. You can email us at info [at] art251 [dot] com or visit our website feedback page. |
|
Warm Regards,
Your friends and neighbors at art251
|
|
|
|
|
|
