Abundance: Spring, Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin (Juror’s Choice)The exhibit can also be viewed online at www.fallschurcharts.org.
Forty-two artists will be featured in “Collab: Conversations in Art,” at the gallery of Falls Church Arts from July 2 to August 14.
For this exhibit, pairs of artists actively worked together to produce the thirty-eight artworks selected by the juror. These pieces were created through a unique evolution that can only come from the collaborative process. The media represented include acrylic, watercolor, oil, photography, and mixed media.
Two awards, a $150 Juror’s Choice and a $50 People’s Choice, were made possible by a donation from Cuates Grill, 502 W. Broad St., #5, Falls Church, VA 20046. The People’s Choice Award will be announced on Sunday, July 23, based on votes from visitors to the gallery.
Juror Glen Kessler selected “Abundance: Spring” as Juror’s Choice for this exhibition. Kessler remarked, “It is a playful and imaginative work of art that is both gorgeous to look at and full of potential meanings. This piece is part of a suite of works by the duo Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin which feature acrylic paint and collage elements such as books, seed pods, and cicada wings. It is dense with information and incredibly well constructed, both of which tell me, the viewer, to ‘enjoy the ride, I’m in capable hands.’ It came as no surprise to learn that these two artists have worked together collaboratively for years—an inspiration for others to perhaps embrace the collaborative nature of artmaking that this exhibition champions.”
Kessler also shared his thoughts about the show as a whole: “‘Collab: Conversations in Art’ is a thought-provoking and visually stunning exhibition that explores an intriguing question: can an artist, that creature of isolation and personal inspiration, work in collaboration with another? In our artistic practice we artists all require feedback to grow. Typically, such feedback comes at the conclusion of a work of art, but working collaboratively shortens that feedback loop tremendously, providing access to helpful critique and inspiration within the creative process itself. What’s more, welcoming in another artist’s inspirations, ideas, and hand into the process synthesizes the individual artist’s method into something entirely new. Those who have communicated well, trained hard, and committed themselves to healthy dialogue have created works that are cohesive, well-executed, and deeply meaningful. It is a joy to consider this method of working within a field that is most often built on the isolation of a solo practice.”
Glen Kessler is an internationally collected and awarded artist as well as the founder of The Compass Atelier in Rockville, MD. His work is in the public collections of Prince Charles, Amazon Web Services, Ford’s Theater, Capital One Bank, Dominion Bank, as well as hundreds of private collections around the world. As a life-long teacher, he has taught at Maryland Institute College of Art, George Washington University, George Mason University, and others. In 2013 he left academia to found The Compass Atelier in Rockville, MD, to better serve his students through an innovative curriculum that streamlines the process of becoming a professional artist. He has juried and curated dozens of shows and is sought out for his ability to educate while offering feedback to aspiring artists.
Artists selected for this exhibit include the following collaborations:
- Erin Endean and Rajendra KC
- Randa Fakes LoGerfo and Nan Morrison
- Willa Friedman and Bob Friedman
- Pamela Huffman and Cynthia Miller
- Millie Jackson Rowe and Phil Rowe
- Victoria Lakes and Pamela Lakes
- Katy Lewis and Arlene Hermansen
- Ruth Lozner and Kenzie Raulin
- Matthew Malone and Kurtis Ceppetelli
- Molly McCracken and Connie Keith
- Alice McGrorey and Rajendra KC
- Suzanne McIntire and Shannon Turkewitz
- Maureen Minard and Lisa Green
- Gini Moore and Joyce Turk
- Miki Nishida Goerdt and Justin Skolnick
- Dariam Ramos and Isabella Merlos
- Joan Slottow and Julie Krachman
- Christina Takach and Chelsea Newhall
- Bob Tiemann and Rebecca Pelzer
- Samantha Van Heest and Nicole Ziesing
- Rebecca Visger and Jasper Drilling
- Bob Wentworth and Rajendra KC
The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
The gallery of Falls Church Arts is at 700-B West Broad St. (Route 7), Falls Church.
