Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Urban Landscapes in the Gardiner Gallery


Bricklayers on Market Square an oil painting featured in the Urban Landscape exhibit in the Gardiner Gallery.

Stephen Hay has been drawing as long as he can remember; by age twelve drawing likenesses of his classmates and teachers from observation and memory. In 1978 he had the good fortune of becoming a student of Walter Bartman at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD. With Bartman he became immersed in the plein-air tradition of painting and drawing from life. After high school Stephen studied briefly with Ben Summerford, one of Bartman’s mentors, at the American University, then briefly at the University of Maryland with Bill Willis and Ann Truitt. Finally, Stephen returned to Montreal in 1984 and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University. In 1990 he lived and painted in Barcelona, Spain for one year and considers this period the beginning of his career as a professional artist. In 2002, Stephen opened Gallery 141 in Lancaster, PA with fellow artist Alana Hunter, and since 2006 he has maintained a studio in Frederick on 10 North Market Street. He is presently available to do commissions: www.stevehay.net and stephencoulterhay.blogspot.com.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Teacher Kristen Bohlander and Ann Vallandingham of Arc pose with some student/artists in front of the Community Art Wall during the Saturday 7/11 reception.

The Community Art Wall is a gallery at the Center that gets a lot of attention. Located just outside the main galleries on the first floor, it is the first thing one sees when entering the mill building. Changing monthly, July's offering Exploring Art, was created by adults with developmental disabilities. This program, conducted at DVAEC with students from the Arc of Frederick County, provides art classes and education for adults with developmental disabilities. Exploring Art provides not only art education and an appreciation of art, but builds confidence, self-esteem and socialization skills. The Center, fulfilling its role as a community-based organization, encourages these same individuals to pursue other classes offered at the Delaplaine Center. This class, taught by Kristin Bohlander, was made partially possible by a grant from Monocacy Foundation.


Drive-by Shootings and Other Related Events--It opened last Saturday and it was a big hit, lots of photographers and friends of photographers attended the reception on the second floor. Although the exhibit speaks for itself, FAPR member Richard Schlecht added some of his thoughts about the process and the outcome.

"This show--or the idea for it--was born at a monthly luncheon attended by various members of the quasi-organization Frederick Area Photographers Roundtable, a group of professional photographers from in and around Frederick.

The subject of cell phone cameras came up and someone observed that they had never seen an organized group of photos taken with cell phone cameras. Later the idea morphed into pictures, not necessarily cell phone ones, taken in circumstances that would be ripe for whipping out a cell phone and "grabbing" a shot. Unplanned, dependent entirely on the circumstances of the moment--Targets of opportunity. "Drive-by shooting", so to speak.

Not all of the pictures you see here were cell phone camera pictures, but they all do fall into the realm of "grab shots" made on the spur of the moment, with little or no pre-planning or setup.
Many of us these days are packing cell phone cameras, and those of you who feel like it are free to participate by informally "posting" your pictures on the refrigerator door. (Do not try to open that door; there is no refrigerator behind it!)" RS