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Festive greetings art seekers,
How time flies. It’s officially winter in most parts of the country. Although it’s been unseasonably warm here in North Texas the holiday decorations are in full swing and there’s a festive spirit in the air. So, to add to the seasonal cheer what could be better than a big dose of heart-warming, colorful original art from our local artists!
 Our once a year Art Attack Sale is now underway and continues until the end of January. We’re offering up to 50 percent off select works on our gallery walls and website. We recommend you come in get to get more details on our discounts. We don’t negotiate on sales, so now is an ideal time to pick up that special artwork which you’ve had your eye on for yourself or as a unique gift. And, speaking of gifts: gifts under $50; gifts under $250; gifts under $500; gifts for her and him and others.
It’s been another memorable year at art251; we’ve met yet more gifted local artists with bright, bold and unique art and we’ve found more loyal and gracious customers. To all of you we like to wish a very happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season!
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2nd Thursday: Keller Gallery Walk Resumes This January
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Gallery Walk
Definition: Art, fresh air, artists, refreshments, entertainment, art, finger foods, art, friends, music. demonstrations, art, and yes, more art.
In 2011 Keller will continue its successful monthly series of Gallery Walks.
The Gallery Walks take place on the second Thursday of each month from September to May of the following year. The time is from 7pm to 9pm. The first event for 2011 will be held on January 13th, with an artist reception at Keller Town Hall.
Participating galleries and organizations include: the City of Keller – Keller Public Arts Program, art251 (that’s us), Southern Land Company (Arthouse), Art Party Boutique and Gallery, Monart School of Art, Young Artists of Texas (YAT), and Olive Street Art.
Look for dates, times and more information soon!
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Gallery Holiday Hours
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Mon, Dec 20: By Appointment
Tue, Dec 21: 10am – 6pm
Wed, Dec 22: 10am – 6pm
Thu, Dec 23: 10am – 6pm
Fri, Dec 24: Closed
Sat, Dec 25: Closed
Sun, Dec 26: Closed
Mon, Dec 27: By Appointment
Tue, Dec 28: 10am – 6pm
Wed, Dec 29: 10am – 6pm
Thu, Dec 30: 10am – 6pm
Fri, Dec 31: 10am – noon
Sat, Jan 1: Closed
Sun, Jan 2: Closed
Mon, Jan 3: By Appointment
Tue, Jan 4: 10am – 6pm
Wed, Jan 5: 10am – 6pm
Thu, Jan 6: 10am – 6pm
Fri, Jan 7: 10am – 6pm
Sat, Jan 8: 10am – 6pm
For comprehensive details on our holiday hours and upcoming events please see the calendar on the art251 website.
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December Feature: Collecting Art – It’s About Passion, not Cash
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Many collectors of art are often looked upon as belonging to a very elite group — super-wealthy, well-connected, highly successful individuals. These collectors have made their “bucks” (millions) on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley, and they have the financial means to acquire a Picasso or a Koons or a Hirst without a second thought as to their bank balance. Of course, these individuals do exist. However, they are in the minority. Like most views of our world the image of art collector as “international jet-setting fashionista, yacht-owning playboy (or girl) or geeky IPO-gazillionaire” is not the norm.
Most art is collected by ordinary people; people like you and me, with ordinary day jobs, good kids at school and not insignificant mortgages on their homes. So while you may not be able to afford the $75 million tag for a “re-discovered” Monet at auction, you may be able to find a beautiful original oil painting at a fraction of a fraction of this cost. Or, if original canvases are beyond your means, you can find affordable drawings or limited edition prints and lithographs. You can find gorgeous new work made by artists who live and work near you — what could be better than discovering real, local art.
Collecting art is much more about vision and passion than it is about wealth. Herb and Dorothy Vogel lead the way in this respect. They are the epitome of “ordinary” art collectors. I say “ordinary” because they really are far from ordinary. Over many years they built one of the world’s leading collections of contemporary conceptual and minimalist art, and all on the salary of a postal clerk and librarian. Luckily for us, they have since made most of their extraordinary collection available to all.
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Annual Art Attack Sale, Now On |
Psst! It’s that time of year again. Time for our Annual Art Attack Sale. Once a year, from mid-December to late January we slash our prices. So, you’ll find many works from our favorite artists on sale at up to 50 percent off.
This is a once a year chance to purchase great art at unbelievable prices. Remember, we don’t negotiate prices or discount at other times of the year. So, now is the time.
And, even though we’re an art gallery we have a great selection of gifts for her, him and the teacher. We have gifts in all price ranges, starting at $5 for an art-o-mat, under $25, under $250, and over. We have gifts for young and not so young, stylish and eclectic. Best of all, none of our gifts require batteries or contain toxic chemicals from elsewhere.
We have beautiful glass vases and rondels. We have glass ornaments for your Christmas tree. We have fine jewelry from wearable glass, to contemporary and colorful polymer clay. We have functional pottery and unique, museum quality decorative ceramics. We have warm sculptures in exotic woods. We have flying machines. We have fluid abstracts and luminous landscapes and soft geometrics. We have detailed, imagined landscapes and lush verdant works of insects. We have subtly soft pastels and vibrant mixed media.
We have fun paintings for children and works for grown-ups who seek sophisticated style. We have vivid photographs of our beautiful local surroundings and far-away lands. We have hard forged steel candlesticks and soft fabric art. We have fine sculpture in metal and in wood. Phew! Did I miss anything?
So, make this season special. Give the gift of art. It’s unique, it’s lasting, it’s meaningful, and it’s local. And, it’s on sale right now.
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| New Arrivals: Vibrational Art, Lee Ann Williams |
In December art251 welcomed Lee Ann Williams and a selection of her vivid "vibrational" paintings on canvas. Her works exude color and movement, capturing for our eyes what we might normally hear at a jazz or rock concert. Some might describe her works as a representation of visual or color synesthesia where music and other sounds trigger perception of color and shape. While these abstracts represent a large body of her work, Lee Ann is also an accomplished figurative painter and sculptor.
Here she describes her vibrational body work,
“This series of work is based on music and communicates the energy, vibration, and movement within the musical experience. The images illustrate vibrations of the cadence and the movement of captured light as it moves and repeats as patterns. The work is intended to be fun and whimsical: the paintings and sculptures create a dynamic atmosphere and mood. Through color and captured light, the paintings and sculptures intend to create an aesthetically pleasing experience. Like music, a communal environment is created for people to come together and reconnect with something larger than themselves.”
Leigh Ann Williams has a Masters of Fine Art (Painting) from Texas Woman’s University at Denton, Texas. She has a Lifetime Texas Secondary Teaching Certificate from Texas Christian University (TCU), Fort Worth, Texas, art residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, and Hugh O’Donnell Center Bantam, Connecticut. She gained her Bachelor of Fine Art in Printmaking from TCU in 1993.
Leigh Ann Williams is currently a graduate teaching assistant focused on fine art at the Art Institute of Fort Worth, Texas.
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| Featured Artist – Mirtha Aertker |
Mirtha Aertker’s art is a fusion of experiences from her travels abroad, and ongoing inspirations. She works primarily with ceramics and Raku firing. However, recently she has indulged in the versatility found in metal welding. Mirtha has a passion for pre-Columbian culture and other South American civilizations. Their designs often trickle into her pieces. She finds assemblage sculpture and mixed media pieces to be the easiest form of expression for her ideas. She uses the flexibility of clay, the strength of steel and luster of glass to create them.
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Mirtha Aertker was born Caracas, Venezuela and studied art at the Cristobol Rojas School of Art in Caracas. It is here where she first discovered her passion for clay. After participating in various collective expositions and discovering the wonders of fused glass, Raku and mixed media sculpture, Mirtha exhibited pieces in the store at the Sofia Imber Contemporary Art Museum in Caracas. In 1980 she came to the United States to continue her studies and master the English language at Vincennes University, while also attending numerous workshops with accomplished American ceramicists.
After marrying in 1987 Mirtha moved with her family to the Republic of Yemen where she lived for more than five years learning primitive ceramic techniques and crafting the traditional gypsum stained glass windows used in that country. In Yemen she made several expositions and was recognized for her knowledge of Raku techniques and fused glass.
In the late 1990s Mirtha and her family moved to England where she studied porcelain painting and the ancient methods of stained glass used in the early cathedrals in Britain. In 2001, the family made another move to Peru. Here, Mirtha began extensive studies of the restoration and conservation of Pre-Colombian ceramics. She also worked closely with the most acclaimed Peruvian ceramicist making Vicus pottery. After exhibiting a variety on art media alongside recognized artists at various events sponsored by museums, galleries and embassies, Mirtha undertook studies in silversmith and jewelry making. In 2004, Mirtha placed third in a national silver and silversmith exposition, with her rendition in silver of the traditional Chancay Doll.
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| "We believe in authentic and local." 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. |
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Warm Regards,
Your friends and neighbors at art251
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