BLOG
Artists for the New Century Exhibit
Every five years The Bennington Center for the Arts hosts the Artists for the New Century exhibit at its beautiful facility in Bennington, VT. Instead of choosing pieces for the show by juried selection, the the artists are invited by the editors of the major representational fine art magazines and asked to enter a piece. Over forty artists are participating and I am honored to be included. The painting I have entered is an egg tempera piece entitled, "Leaving Home".
NEW EGG TEMPERA OFFERED
E
very five years The Bennington Center for the Arts hosts the Artists for the New Century exhibit at its beautiful facility in Bennington, VT. Instead of choosing pieces for the show by juried selection, the artists are invited by the editors of the major representational fine art magazines and asked to enter a piece. Over forty artists are participating and I am honored to be included.
The magazines that selected the artists include Art of the West, Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art and in years past this has proven to be a very impressive exhibition. The works are representational paintings offered for sale and the exhibit will be on display from September 9 through December 23, 2017 at the Bennington Center in Bennington, VT.
The painting I have entered is an egg tempera piece entitled, "Leaving Home" measuring 30 x 24 inches.
In this painting, a young woman is leaving her home and family, the surroundings where she has found security and comfort, to venture out and explore new possibilities for her future. She is hesitant yet confident, anxious yet excited. Ultimately she knows it is time.
Egg tempera is a delicate medium made from egg yolks and powdered pigments. It is a water soluble mixture that builds form through layers and layers of thin paint strokes that have an intrinsically transparent nature. Light penetrates down and bounces back up capturing color in a way that is unlike any other medium.
For more information or to inquire about purchase of this painting, please contact the Bennington Center for the Arts or visit their website (thebennington.org).
RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES
To receive regular email updates on artwork by Jason Drake, please complete the form below.
Great Art Weekend in Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana is one of those cities you hear about when you are studying the Lewis & Clark expedition and the many travails they experienced along the Missouri River, but you probably would never go there for the weekend. However, it happens to be the final resting place of the great 19th century cowboy painter, Charles Russell and is now the home of the museum bearing his name. The museum invited me to come last weekend to their annual art auction where one of my recent paintings was exhibited and was to be sold.
The End of Summer is Sold at Auction
The End of Summer - egg tempera on panel, 20 x 30", SOLD
G
reat Falls, Montana is one of those cities you hear about when you are studying the Lewis & Clark expedition and the many travails they experienced along the Missouri River, but you would probably never go there for the weekend. But it happens to be the final resting place of the great 19th century cowboy painter, Charles Russell and is now the home of the museum bearing his name. I was invited me to come last weekend to their annual art auction where one of my recent paintings was exhibited and was to be sold.
I have been in 47 of the states in the U.S. and Montana is one of the three remaining, so this was a marked occasion for me. Checking this one off my list turned out to be a very enjoyable trip I will never forget.
Last September I was encouraged to enter a painting in the annual show that is held to raise funds for the C.M. Russell Museum. I was quite pleased when my egg tempera piece, The End of Summer, was accepted. After flying out last Thursday, I mingled with the hundreds of artists and guests to preview the show and was overwhelmed at the number of paintings hanging in the museum that represents the tremendous quality of realistic work available from some of the top western artists in the country today. I was humbled to be showing my work among this esteemed group.
Dedicated to Charles M. Russell and other significant Western artists, the museum holds over 3,000 pieces of fine art in its permanent collection in addition to documents, photographs, books, firearms, and collected pieces that represent the old west and Western art. It also includes the artist’s log cabin studio and gallery addition and encompasses 65,000 square feet of space for exhibition and education.
The auction took place Friday and Saturday nights and was well attended with over 500 art collectors ready to buy. I have to admit, I got a rush of nerves when my painting was announced and the young lady walked out on stage holding it up for all to see. The bidding was brisk and the auctioneer was animated. The price kept going up, and before the auctioneer yelled “sold”, it had reached $5,000. By the time the weekend was over, the museum took in over $6.3 million in sales.
“While selling my painting was my primary purpose for participating in The Russell, I was also there to meet people closely involved in the art world and especially artists whose work is highly valued. ”
Artist Chad Poppleton finishes a painting to be auctioned while interested buyers eagerly watch.
While selling my painting was my primary purpose for participating in The Russell, I was also there to meet many people involved in the world of art and especially artists whose work is highly valued. The city of Great Falls has hosted art shows on this weekend for over 45 years and for this short time, the city seems caught up in western art. Several local hotels empty out guest rooms so that artists can set up and show and buyers come from all over to see and buy great paintings and sculptures. Galleries take over the larger spaces and also display works for sale while cowboy bands blare out the tunes for the many patrons who love the music.
The Russell also hosted an event called "Artists in Action" where potential buyers could watch selected artists finish up a painting, frame it, then offer it in a private auction where 100% of the proceeds would benefit the museum. Famed artist/illustrator C. Michael Dudash, Joe Kronenberg, Jill Soukup, and the very popular Andy Thomas where among the painters who set up easels and chatted while guests sipped complementary beverages at the Meadow Lark Country Club.
C. Michael Dudash
Joe Kronenberg
Jill Soukup
There is no shortage of cowboy boots and hats in Great Falls on a weekend like this. This is western art in its prime. The very affable Chairman of the Board, Christina Blackwell suggested to me however, that the genre should accept a name change to more ably reflect why so many people are attracted to it. “Western Art is not the right name for it,” she said. “Instead it should be called, ‘The Art of Western Living.’”
I really enjoyed being in Great Falls this weekend and even if I do not own a cowboy hat, I think she is right.
To learn more about the C.M. Russell Museum, go to their website. For more about the auction, and to view video by local television station, KRTV go to their website.
Artists for the New Century
The Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT
Every five years The Bennington Center for the Arts exhibits a show called Artists for the New Century with the artists invited by the editors of the major representational fine art magazines. Over eighty artists have been invited to participate and I am honored to be included.
The works are representational paintings and are offered for sale. The exhibit will be on display from September 9 through December 23, 2017 at the Bennington Center in Bennington, VT.