Noguchi Playscapes Restoration Unveiling and Rededication

The City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites the public to join in the unveiling of the newly restored Noguchi Playscapes, located in Piedmont Park. The unveiling will take place Monday, June 1, 2009 at 11:00 am. Mayor Franklin will address the attendees, sharing the City’s progress in public art funding and dedication to its parks. The Playscapes was designed by world-renowned artist and sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). Completed in 1976, Playscapes is the only play environment of its kind by Noguchi in the continental United States.

The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum is very pleased at the hard work and dedication that the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs put into this important restoration. We are honored that they recognized the importance of Isamu Noguchi and his contribution to Atlanta in the form of the Playscapes.

Jenny Dixon
Director, Noguchi Foundation

Playscapes is located at the western edge of Piedmont Park, near Piedmont Avenue, just north of the 12th Street entrance. The unveiling ceremony will recognize the completion of the restoration that began in the fall of 2007 and has been managed by the office of Cultural Affairs/ Public Art Program (OCA/PAP). The OCA/PAP hired the conservation teams of Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. and Williams Art Conservation, Inc. to restore the Playscapes.

This is an exciting project that took years of planning to complete. Through Opportunity Bond funding we were able to see this project to fruition. It’s good to know that generations of children will be able to enjoy interacting with the Noguchi Playscapes again.

Dianne Harnell Cohen
Commissioner, Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs

On May 1, 1976, Playscapes was officially opened in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by then Atlanta Mayor, Maynard Jackson. The High Museum raised funds to commission the project and donated the Playscapes to the City of Atlanta once completed. The museum maintained a presence at the site through its Department of Education which conducted classes at the site. The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program has provided stewardship over the Playscapes since the work was gifted. The city of Atlanta is fortunate to have an artwork from such a prominent internationally acclaimed contemporary artist.
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Fayette: Artsworks on the Square Pre-Grand Opening

May 15th & 16th the new Artworks on the Square is opening its doors for a Pre-Grand Opening from 10:00 am-6:00 pm on Saturday and 12:00 – 5:00 pm on Sunday. The address is 107 Stonewall Ave (Hwy 54 East) located on the Courthouse Square.

The public is invited to walk along the “Rue de Art” and visit the studios of a wide range of photographers (commercial product, fashion, family, portrait and nature) plus mini-galleries of several artists, web and graphic designers and a videographer. There is also the ArtWorks main Fine Art Gallery featuring award winning art and a wonderful north-lit art classroom with sign-up sheets.

Randy Drake will be shooting fashion models in the central photo shooting studio -which will be open to the public - while Gulli Giclee & Fine Art Printing will be exhibiting work and explaining her specialty services for artists and photographers.

All resident ArtWorks' professionals will soon be teaching classes and workshops as well as serving the public, so feel free to ask questions. It is truly a unique and wonderful place for creative minds.

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Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Presents Art Exhibit from Georgia Students

The Marcus Jewish Community Center is exhibiting the artwork of the Holocaust Art and Writing contest on the theme of “What Are the Lessons of the Holocaust?” The exhibit runs through May in the Fine Family Art Gallery.

This year marks the fourteenth year for the contest, held in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Education. The contest encouraged Georgia’s middle and high school students may submit artwork and writing entries about the lessons of the Holocaust.

The Marcus Jewish Community Center is located at 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338.

The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust is administratively attached to the Secretary of State’s Office. The Commission uses the lessons of the Holocaust to raise cultural awareness, promote acceptance of diversity in hope to eradicate hatred and prejudice, and provide quality Holocaust and Diversity Education programs for teachers and students of Georgia’s schools as well as for the general public throughout the State of Georgia.
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High to Present Exhibition on Work and Design Process of Atlanta Architect John Portman

“John Portman: Art & Architecture” October 17, 2009 through January 3, 2010

The High Museum of Art will be the sole venue for “John Portman: Art & Architecture,” an exhibition featuring architectural projects, furniture, paintings, and sculpture by Atlanta-based architect and artist John Portman. The fifteen completed and current architectural projects that will be featured span five decades of national and international developments, including the Hyatt Regency Atlanta (1967) that is globally renowned as the first modern atrium hotel. The projects will be presented with large-scale photographs, design plans, elevations, text, articles, and in some cases, architectural models. The exhibition will also feature furniture, paintings and sculpture by Portman—most never before publicly exhibited.

“John Portman: Art & Architecture” is organized by the High Museum of Art, and is curated by Jeffrey Grove, the High’s Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue with a major essay by Paul Goldberger, noted historian and Architecture Critic for The New Yorker since 1997. The catalogue will be distributed by the University of Georgia Press and includes a Preface by Grove and contributions from other writers. “John Portman: Art & Architecture” will be on view in the Anne Cox Chambers Wing of the High from October 17, 2009 through January 3, 2010.

“John Portman has not only radically altered the skyline of his home city, Atlanta, but cities throughout the world,” stated Jeffrey Grove, the High’s Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. “His reconsideration of how architecture should function and the experience it should offer visitors completely changed the industry. Early in his career, Portman understood that to realize his vision completely, he must add “Developer” to his role as Architect. All these themes will be addressed in the exhibition.”

“Art and Architecture” will highlight fifteen of John Portman & Associates projects. Atlanta and other U.S.-based projects include: Entelechy I, his Atlanta home, 1964; Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1967; Peachtree Center, Atlanta, 1976; The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, 1976; Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta, 1985; SunTrust Plaza, Atlanta, 1993; Entelechy II, his Sea Island, Georgia home, 1986; The Embarcadero Center and Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, CA, 1971-1988; Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan, 1976; and The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1977.

International projects will include: Marina Square, Singapore, 1987; a proposal for Il Porto Vecchio, Genoa, Italy, 1988; Tomorrow Square, Shanghai, China, 2003; Beijing Yintai Centre, Beijing, China, 2008; and current projects including Jin Hongqiao International Center, Shanghai, China; Zhe Jiang Fortune Finance Center, Hangzhou, China; Wenzhou Zhixin Plaza, Wenzhou, China; Songdo Landmark City Master Plan, Incheon, Korea; and the Incheon 151 Tower at Songdo Landmark City, Incheon, Korea.
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YOUNG ARTISTS Competition: Beginning May 7th, World AIDS Orphans Day

/PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide Orphans Foundation invites young artists from across the country to submit creative works that raise awareness of the thousands of children who are orphaned by HIV/AIDS around the world each day. The grand-prize winner will have the opportunity to exhibit his or her art during the WWO 2009 Gala in New York City on October 26, 2009, and receive two tickets to attend the annual gala. The three runners-up will receive $50 gift certificates from Blick Art Materials, and all winners will have the opportunity to have their art displayed at a NYC gallery and made into WWO greeting cards for the 2009 holiday season. Entry is open to young artists ages 15 to 21 who are US residents. Artists can enter their work through July 15, 2009.

The mission of WWO is to transform the lives of orphaned children by taking them out of anonymity and helping them become healthy, independent, productive members of their communities. With over 15 million children worldwide orphaned due to the loss of one or both parents to AIDS, our focus on this group of orphans is critical. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 12 million children have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic and experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia. By 2010, the number of AIDS orphans worldwide is expected to reach at least 20 million. Through the transformative power of visual arts, WWO extends this creative arts opportunity to youth across America to help raise awareness of AIDS orphans around the world. WWO has a commitment to helping all orphans around the world overcome overwhelming obstacles, and give them back the most precious gift in the world -- their childhoods.

-- All candidates must submit their entry online between May 7 and July
15, 2009 and mail their original artwork by the end of July.
-- An online contest registration will be available on the WWO website
www.wwo.org/support/events.php
-- Entries can be a sketch, drawing or painting that brings awareness to
AIDS orphans around the world.
-- Winners will be announced the week of September 7th, 2009 and
contacted by email. The results will be posted at www.wwo.org.
-- An on-line gallery on the WWO website is planned for public viewing of
the artwork and will be posted after the announcement of the winners.

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National Art Contest Shares A Very Personal Experience

(NAPSI)-For people living with epilepsy, art can be a means to communicate innermost feelings about how this serious neurological condition affects their daily lives. Now in its seventh year, Expressions of Courage® is a national contest that showcases such inspiration.

"Every piece submitted to Expressions of Courage® tells a different story, one may feature images to describe what it feels like to have a seizure, while another demonstrates hope for a cure," said Eric R. Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. "Creating these entries is a very personal experience for participants, providing a personal platform for them to share what they go through every day."

The contest will be run from May 11, 2009 through August 28, 2009. Winning entries will be selected based on creativity and the ability to bring to life the experiences of living with epilepsy. Winners will be highlighted on the Expressions of Courage® Web site. A few winning pieces will also be chosen by curators from the Society for the Arts in Healthcare for display in a traveling art exhibition.

For entry rules and regulations, you can visit expressionsofcourage.com/rules/rules.html or call the Contest Help Line at (800) 224-4935.

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“I Dream of Trains” Art Show at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse

Photographs by local artist, Stan Susky, are featured in the Spring/Summer Art Show at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse through July 29. The photography exhibit is entitled “I Dream of Trains.”

“I have always been attracted to the ironies and simple beauty of manmade environments. I try to create order out of chaos and capture hidden elements in objects and everyday places. “, said Susky.

The series of photographs, “I Dream of Trains” is an example of the artists’ sensory interpretation while walking around and through train cars at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia. Each visit for him evoked different memories and sensory perceptions that he has captured in photographs.

Stan is an amateur photographer, but has been pursuing the craft of photography for almost 30 years. Primarily he is self-taught, but has attended and continues to attend various workshops and classes to continually learn both technique and creative visualization.

“I Dream of Trains” will be having an opening with refreshments on Thursday, May 7, 2009 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Gwinnett Historic Courthouse is located at 185 Crogan St., in downtown Lawrenceville. For more information, call 770-822-5450. Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.

For people interested in railroads, Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation is also celebrating the railroad for National Train Day at Vines Gardens in Loganville on Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors will enjoy touring the beautiful gardens with boardwalks over the lake, gazebos, statuaries and oriental garden. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the grounds.

Volunteer engineers will be holding information sessions on trains and the model train hobby as well as demonstrating the outdoor garden railroad on display at Vines Gardens. The Vines Garden Railroad features a “G” scale model railroad featuring over 1,000 feet of track, 25 foot suspension bridge, tunnels and viaduct, airport, towns and villages.

Vines Gardens is located at 3500 Oak Grove Rd. in Loganville. For more information on the event, visit www.gwinnettparks.com or call 770-822-5150. For additional information on the Vines Garden Railroad, visit www.vinesgardenrailroad.com.
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New Photo Contest Focuses on Georgia Wildlife, Action Plan

The Great Georgia Photo SWAP, a new project sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, was announced Monday at Panola Mountain State Park as a way to better engage Georgians in conservation efforts around the state.

The photo contest highlights nearly 30 high-priority species in all eco-regions of the state as listed in the State Wildlife Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy guiding efforts to conserve Georgia’s biological diversity.

Original, unaltered photos of those species submitted by citizens to swap@gaconservancy.org will be posted on the Georgia Conservancy’s Web site every two weeks (www.georgiaconservancy.org). Participants can win prizes each month. The person who submits the most photos during the one-year project will win the grand prize, a digital camera. “Species of the Week” include animals such as the painted bunting, gopher tortoise and bottle-nosed dolphin.

“Nature photography is a passion of mine, and I believe the Great Georgia Photo SWAP will help Georgians become more engaged in the diverse array of wildlife we enjoy in this state,” said Pierre Howard, interim director of the Georgia Conservancy. “Georgia is blessed with an abundance of wildlife from the mountains to the Piedmont to the coast, and it is our duty to protect this legacy for future generations. It is my hope that this project will instill in others the importance of our natural areas and the need for implementing a well-designed wildlife action plan.”

The Great Georgia Photo SWAP is a tool for educating Georgians of all ages about the importance of the SWAP, which was created to conserve the rich biological diversity of the state. By learning more about the high-priority species included in the plan, citizens will better understand the need to protect these plants and animals before expensive and restrictive measures become necessary.

Georgia is the nation's fifth-most diverse state in vertebrate animals and vascular plants. But to maintain that diversity, the state has to plan and manage it into the future, said Mike Harris, Nongame Conservation Section chief with the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division.

“The more Georgians become familiar with wildlife and habitats in the places they know, the better conservationists they will be,” Harris said. “The Great Georgia Photo SWAP is a great opportunity for people to learn about some of the state's high-priority species in the animal or plant's native habitat.”

Harris urged participants to treat all wildlife with respect and to photograph them only from a safe distance.

Rex Boner, vice president and southeast representative of The Conservation Fund, said he “cannot wait to see the entries,” calling the contest an excellent way to involve the community and educate citizens on the importance of wildlife.

“In partnership with the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, we applaud the Georgia Conservancy and DNR for creatively promoting awareness of Georgia’s SWAP,” Boner said. “… We also are grateful to the Georgia Wildlife Federation for their efforts to promote the SWAP in other ways.”

With funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Conservation Fund provided support for the Georgia Conservancy and the Georgia Wildlife Federation to help implement the SWAP, which resulted from a request by Congress to create a comprehensive, proactive strategy to assess the health of wildlife and habitats in Georgia. The SWAP lists 296 high-priority animals and 323 high-priority plants as well as high-priority habitats from each of the five ecological regions of the state. The plan also outlines actions and programs to guide the conservation of these animals, plants and habitats at the local and state levels.

Founded in 1967, the Georgia Conservancy collaborates, advocates and educates to protect Georgia's natural environment. Through its focus on clean air and water, land conservation, coastal protection, growth management and education, the Georgia Conservancy works to develop solutions to protect Georgia’s environment and promote the stewardship of the state’s vital natural resources.

The mission of the Georgia DNR is to sustain, enhance, protect and conserve the state’s natural, historic and cultural resources. The DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division regulates hunting, fishing and the operation of watercraft, protects nongame and endangered wildlife, and maintains public education and law enforcement programs to ensure conservation of natural resources.

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Gillian Parke and Ronan Peterson exhibit at MudFire Gallery

"Chemistry, anthropology and lots and lots of fire..."

MudFire Gallery welcomes two fantastically-talented ceramicists from the Durham/Chapel Hill area for a deep look into their latest work. Gillian Parke and Ronan Peterson studied chemistry and anthropology respectively, then veered quickly into the world of studio pottery with graduate studies and residencies. They share an almost obsessive interest in building texture and layers of surface treatment to convey content on vessel forms. However, the two use different materials, firing processes, and decorative techniques to achieve their ends.

The Parke-Peterson exhibit promises to take viewers on a fascinating journey, with exceptional depth in which to explore context, innovative technical achievements, and an intriguing pair of aesthetics.

The artist reception and exhibit opening will be held just in time for Mother's Day gift shopping on Saturday, May 9, from 5-9 pm. The exhibit and sale will be on display through May 30, 2009.

ABOUT GILLIAN PARKE

Gillian recently received a 2008 Emerging Artist Award from Ceramics Monthly magazine, and was further selected as the cover artist for her associated profile article. Her work is a study in contrasts, combining the purity of fine porcelain with Shigaraki style feldspar inclusions, stock decals, metallic lusters, and visceral surface treatments. By managing the interaction of these conflicting elements carefully, she unconventionally achieves ceramic surfaces that warrant careful study and ongoing reflection.

ABOUT RONAN PETERSON

Ronan is also a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist Award recipient, dating to 2004. He maintains a busy schedule teaching and exhibiting in juried and invitational shows nationwide. He is interested in natural cycles of growth and decay, and strives to present an intensity of tactile and visual stimulation that rivals a lush mountain forest. His earthenware pottery also reflects a love of comic books, and can be viewed as a comic book interpretation of natural phenomena replete with bold color and vivid fantasy.

Detailed information about each artist, including artist statement, resumes, and images of representative works, are available at: http://www.mudfire.com/parke-peterson.htm

ABOUT MUDFIRE CLAYWORKS AND GALLERY

MudFire Clayworks and Gallery is a unique community art center dedicated to clay arts. Celebrating its 7th anniversary this year, MudFire Clayworks is home to over 150 artists, and is equipped with pottery wheels, sculpting equipment, communal tools, glazes, kilns and plenty of inspiration. Artists in residence and "free range" instructors make it a perfect place for beginners as well as seasoned ceramicists. MudFire also brings high profile artists from around the world to Atlanta for lectures, slide presentations, demonstration workshops, and intensive hands-on classes.

MudFire Gallery is Atlanta's clay-only gallery, providing representation for some of the Southeast's top potters and sculptors. MudFire also celebrates this diverse and accessible medium with monthly exhibits of functional and decorative works including solo, group and themed exhibits.

The studio is open Weekdays from Noon to 10pm, and Saturday- Sunday from Noon to 8pm, but closed Wednesdays. The gallery is open Thursday - Sunday from Noon to 8pm and by appointment.
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The Seen Gallery Presents Ceramacist Kimberly Dean: "Figuratively Speaking"

On Display May 16 through June 24, 2009

Opening Night Reception on Saturday, May 16 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Featuring Complimentary Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres

The Seen Gallery is proud to present “Figuratively Speaking,” the newest works of renowned mixed-media artist Kimberly Dean, on display from Saturday, May 16 through Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Co-owners of The Seen Gallery, Bill Bibb and Amy Bradford, will host an opening night reception for the exhibit on Saturday, May 16 from 7 to 10 p.m., featuring complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. This event is open to the public and is the perfect opportunity to meet the artist and experience The Seen Gallery at its new location in Downtown Decatur.

"Kimberly Dean’s work is cerebral yet funny at times, poignant and with layers of creativity," says The Seen Gallery co-owner Amy Bradford. “Her mixed-media pieces incorporate hand-built clay with recycled materials and found objects.”

"I attempt to create honest and inquisitive visual speed bumps - pieces that pose questions but don't quite answer them, says Dean. “By combining my sculpted clay figures with surviving parts of discarded and forgotten objects like tools, boxes, architectural elements, I attempt to express those universal human qualities that reveal our own vulnerability and emotions.” Dean’s work has become highly collectible and in addition to The Seen Gallery, she is represented in Birmingham (AL), Charlotte (NC), and Savannah (GA). View her work online at www.kimberlydeanart.com.

WHEN: Opening night reception on Saturday, May 16, 2009

TIME: 7 to 10 p.m.

WHERE: The Seen Gallery
415 Church Street
Suites A & B
Decatur, GA 30030

(404) 377-0733

COST: Free

WEB SITE: www.theseengallery.com
HOURS:
Tuesdays – Thursdays: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. 

Friday – Saturday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: Noon - 5pm

Also by appointment.