Brevard Art News - January 4, 2009

Happy New Year... The Brevard Art News is a free service for artists and art lovers. Just a reminder at the beginning of the new year that your news is welcome. If you have news about an upcoming exhibit, event, service, opportunity, or presentation feel free to let me know about it by emailing me at Lou@LouBelcher.com. Have a great new year....

In this issue:

• News for the Week
• Events and News from Artists
• Studio Times and Classes
• Opportunities, Organizations, and Services
• Books
• Artist Profile: Brett Alan Tam

News for the week:

Second Friday... January 9, 2009

Fifth Avenue Gallery (1470 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 (321) 259-8261)
The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery presents Tropical Winter, a member show brandishing the excitement, wonder and amusement of our region's tropical winter paradise. Even though Tropical Winter may sound like a contradiction, our winters are warmer and filled with more exciting events such as migrations and nestings. Birds, manatees, and snowbirds migrate toward our warmer climate and waters, rivers, and along palm-lined streets.

The public is invited to see how members of the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery interpret Tropical Winter at the opening reception on First Friday of January. That's on January 9th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Meet the artists, examine the artwork and enjoy light refreshments with wine. The reception is free and open to the public.

Art Gallery and Studio of Melbourne ( 802 East New Haven Avenue; Historic Downtown Melbourne). Award-winning photographer Lori Knerick will be the featured artist at the Art Gallery and Studio of Melbourne for the month of January. Lori's exhibit, Buildings, Bridges and Taxis shows her talent of manipulating photographic images and reveals her love of New York City through her personal images of the city. "New York City is my home. Even though I haven't lived there in a long time,"says Knerick.

There will be a reception for Lori's exhibit on Friday, January 9th, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the gallery. Buildings, Bridges and Taxis is named for the three things that capture her creative eye the most when she visits New York.

There will be refreshments, a free demo of making "Skyscraper Earrings" and entertainment. The reception is free and open to the public. Lori will donate 20% of her sales for the month to the Humane Society of Brevard and to the Florida Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary.

You can also see Lori's art on exhibit this month at a special exhibit in the Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue, and Lori regularly exhibits at the Henegar Center at 625 East New Haven Avenue in Melbourne. For more information, call 321-729-9368 or 321- 720-7532.

Other exhibits

Art and Antique Studio (1419 Highland Avenue; Melbourne, FL 32935 (321) 253-5553) The featured artist for the Art and Antique Studio and Gallery for the month of January 2009 is graphic artist Lin Sons of Merritt Island. Lin works with pencils to create detailed drawings of shells, musical instruments, still lifes and people. She is also an excellent calligraphy artist. There was a reception for her on January 2, 2009. Her work will be available all month. Be sure to stop by to see it. The Art and Antique Studio and Gallery is located at 1419 Highland Avenue in Eau Gallie.

Titusville Art League to Exhibit at the King Center for the Performing Arts.

The Titusville Art League will present their exhibit The Best of Titusville in the Harris Gallery in the King Center for the Performing Arts. This is an exhibit of all the award-winning artwork in the TAL 44th Annual Spring Show in April 2008.

The exhibit will officially open on Thursday, January 8th, 2009, during a reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This reception is free and open to the public. Be sure to mark your calendar and go to the King Center on January 8th to see the exhibit and to have an opportunity to visit with the artists.

CBAA Scholarship Fund Raiser. This event will put the "fun" back in fundraiser! On February 15th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Central Brevard Art Association will host An Evening with the Arts at the Unitarian Center, 3115 Friendship Road (just off Rt. 1 S, in Suntree). This event will be a fund raiser for CBAA's Youth Scholarship Program.

It promises to be a fun-filled gala featuring music, entertainment, refreshments, and silent auctions, raffles, and sales of donated art. Tickets are $15 each or 2 for $15. For more information or tickets, call 639-0586.

Siri German's work at the Space Coast Seashell Festival. Siri German will have a booth at the Space Coast Seashell Festival at the Melbourne Auditorium on Saturday, January 17th and Sunday, January 18th. If you love shells and shell art, be sure to stop by to see her display.

Renee Decator and son Tom created Tweeterville. Renee Decator and her son Tom participated in the Brevard Zoo's Animal Home exhibits this year. They decided to create a nesting community they called Tweeterville. She admits it was a big project but they finished in time. They created nests, including the Early Bird Cafe featuring cuisine of Chef Bobby Fly, Birdbrain "U" with Professor Whoooo-ver (the cute owl that Tom made) and Flyover Park with a working bird merry-go-round. Tweeterville is on display until January 5th (tomorrow)... so hurry out to see it at the Brevard Zoo. For more information, click on the link to Renee's blog in the right-hand column.

Opportunity for Artists and Crafters: The Floridana Beach Civic Association (FBCA) is having a Community Bazaar on Saturday, March 07, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The FBCA Community Bazaar is a fund raiser and an opportunity to promote your business or services and sell your products. The fee to participate as a vendor is a donation of $25 for a space. Electrical power is limited, so plan accordingly. Parking is also limited, so vendors should make arrangements to park off site. Vendors are responsible for the removal and clean up of their tables, tents, chairs and products. The event will be held rain or shine. For more information about how to register as a vendor, contact Beth at 321-726-0800 or beth@bethglover.com.

Art and Apples

Visit the Downtown Gallery in Titusville where artists have new artworks on display and for sale just in time for the holidays. The Downtown Gallery is in historic downtown Titusville at 335 S. Washington Avenue. Admission is free, everyone is welcome. For more information call (321) 268-0122. (photo by Jeff Thamert)

LoPressionism and Christmas Cottage Fuse. LoPressionism and the Christmas Cottage are now under the same roof in Historic Downtown Melbourne, and there is not enough room for both. So, you are invited to join them between January 2nd and January 25th as they host the biggest sale in their history as they make room for their new look and new merchandise.

They are also preparing for an opening reception on Friday, January 30th, from 6:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m., as they kick off the "Fusion" with a celebration featuring the fine art of Richard LaClaire, Robin Linsmier, Mary Ellen McLaughlin, Erich Padilla and Denette Schweikert. For more information, call 321-722-6000.

Congratulation to Viola Knudsen

Viola Knudsen's painting (pictured here) was selected to be the poster for the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition this year by the Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Association. Congratulations to Viola for having her beautiful work recognized.

To keep you up to date ... Artist Museum Partnership Act

Before congress right now is a bill known as the Artist Museum Partnership Act. If this bill passes, it will ensure that artists will receive the same tax deductions when donating their art to a nonprofit organization as a collector. As of now, when a collector donates a piece of art, they get a deduction for the fair market value of the work. An artist only gets a deduction for the cost of production like the canvas and paint. Of course this discourages artists from donating.

If this bill passes, it would increase the number of donated pieces bringing more art to museums and galleries. This is a way we can assure that American cultural assets stay in the USA. Write your congressmen and let them know that you are interested in this bill. This is the only way to get them talking about it! They need to know they have your support. Visit http://www.americansforthearts.org/ to take action. (thanks to Nancy Dillen for this update)

Call for Photographers

The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery at 1470 Highland Avenue in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne has announced a call for photographers from central Florida to participate in a juried exhibition. This exhibition is open to all photographers 18 years, living and working in central Florida. All subject matter, techniques and styles are welcome. Monetary awards will be given. Application deadline is January 22, 2009, and the show will run from March 1 through 29, 2009.

The prospectus is available at http://www.fifthavenueartgallery.com/. Click on Events and look under March to download the prospectus. If you have questions, contact the Fifth Avenue Gallery at fifthavenueartgallery@gmail.com or call 321-259-8261.

The Strawbridge Art League Vision Show

The take-in for the 2009 Vision Juried Art Show, presented by the Strawbridge Art League, will be in the Henegar Center for the Arts on New Haven Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Take-in dates:

Friday, January 23, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24th, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The grand prize of $1500 will be awarded for the Best of Show. For now, begin working on your entries for the Vision Juried Art Show.

Call for Artists for Downtown Melbourne

Downtown Melbourne is currently seeking artists and crafters to participate in Downtown Melbourne's 3rd Friday Arts and Indulgences Walk, Arts and Crafts section.

The Arts and Indulgences Walk is a self-guided tour of the Downtown area that will showcase the cultural entities. It will be held the 3rd Friday of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. In addition to the walk, there will be an Arts and Crafts booth section located in the parking lot of the Christmas Cottage where artists and crafters can sell their work during the event. There is room for fifteen 10 x 10 tents and these spaces are rented ($40.00) on a first come, first serve basis. There is no submission process.

Download the application at http://www.downtownmelbourne.com/ under Arts and Indulgences Walk.

Because this is a nighttime activity, artists will need to provide their own lighting, such as a lantern or bring a lighting source with a long extension cord. The Christmas Cottage will provide electricity; however, no heat-generating appliances can be supported. Only one electrical source per booth can be allowed.

News from the Brevard Art Museum

Museum Events at 1463 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32935 ; phone: (321) 254-7782

Annie Leibovitz: Women
The opening reception for the Annie Leibovitz: Women exhibit is Friday, January 9, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It is $35.00 per person or $50.00 per couple. The reception will take place at the Renee Foosaner Education Center and the exhibition preview will be in the galleries. Tickets are available for purchase in advance. Start the New Year with a glamorous premier at the Brevard Art Museum. Recognizable cultural icons and ordinary women will transfix audiences when the exhibition Annie Leibovitz: Women graces the galleries of the Brevard Art Museum through March 8, 2009.

ART a la carte
The Brevard Art Museum will host an art sale for all in the Front Street Park Community Center on Sunday, January 18, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. All art is priced to sell. This event is free and open to the public. For details on how to donate artwork to the Brevard Art Museum, call 321-242-0737.

Be sure to send you art news to Lou@LouBelcher.com