Every month, CHAW’s website presents a blog called Mind of the Artist and one of our CHAL members submits their own short bio about their artwork along with artwork images. This month, please view Anne Shields here: https://www.chaw.org/blog/chaw-mind-artist-anne-shields
As with many artists, working full time and taking care of family fills up time for creating but once one retires…boom! Artists can spend hours taking art classes, drawing, painting, taking photographs and expressing their creativity without restraints. That was the case with Anne; she even has TWO children’s books available on Amazon!!
Over 32 members and many guests attended our very first virtual reception held via Zoom for the awards and juror’s remarks re: Meltdown competition. John Coppola, juror and former exhibition director for the Smithsonian, selected 29 works of art for this exhibit and out of those 29 he awarded five finalists.
Juror John Coppola’s Statement: “Edgar Degas pointedly said, Art isn’t what you see. It’s what you make others see. In selecting works for this exhibition, I focused on submissions that made me–and I hope, those who see the exhibition online–look at our current state of affairs in all its complexity and uncertainty from differing points of view. Hats off to the CHAL artists who pushed through the pandemic and social unrest to create art. Frankly, it was better than I did: My drafting table is cluttered with notes and sketches for work I never quite got to. Thanks both to the Capitol Hill Art League for inviting me to jury “Meltdown,” and to the participating artists who got me to re-engage with art!”
NOTE: All the artwork is for sale, framed or unframed, as noted in each image. Please contact chalartists(at)gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing one of these artworks, arrangements will be made for easy credit card payment over the phone, and easy pick up in DC.
25% of the every sale go to CHAW for their children and adult programs.
First Prize: LOST by Rindi O’Brien photograph 10×15 $200 “This is such a wry visualization of the uncertainty and confusion we have all confronted during the Covid19. Who can overlook the lampshade-as-hat party gag, but there is no party, and no guests, and what should illuminate our surroundings becomes a blinder,” John Coppola, juror
Second Prize: THE LONELY MAN WAS BLESSED WITH WISDOM TO THE POINT OF DESPERATION by J Jaffery
Second Prize: THE LONELY MAN WAS BLESSED WITH WISDOM TO THE POINT OF DESPERATION by J Jeffery Digital Photography 18×12 $275 “Both the composition and colors project the contradictions and ambiguity of the moment: We’re drowning, but still reaching out. But to whom?” John Coppola, juror
Third Prize: TIDAL BASIN MORNING by Judy Searles
Third Prize: TIDAL BASIN MORNING by Judy Searles Acrylic 20×15 $200 “The cherry blossoms that used to signal the advent of Spring now figuratively, and even literally, obscure the unknown, as crowds ignoring social distance to view them proved, ” John Coppola, juror.
Honorable Mention: TARQUIN AND LUCRETIA (After Tintorreto) No. 3 by Kim DiDonato-Murrell
Honorable Mention: TARQUIN AND LUCRETIA (After Tintorreto) No. 3 by KimDiDonato-Murrell Monotype 11×8 $350 “A subtle but welcome reminder of why we need art in these trying times,” John Coppola, juror.
Honorable Mention: QUARANTINE IS CRUMBY by Linda Norton
Linda Norton Quarantine Is Crumby Multimedia 24×18 $300 “How would we persevere through the pandemic and protests without binging on junk food?” John Coppola, juror
Congratulations to ALL artists who entered! Here are the 29 selected artists featured in MELTDOWN (in no particular order) Enjoy the show!
Dee Ann Layton Global Meltdown Watercolor 18×24 $600 matted/unframed
Nan Raphael Silent Spring Digital Photograph 15×13 $150 framed
Sally Canzoneri One Thousand Dead Photograph 18×12 $325 limited edition #1 in 5 prints/signed and numbered
Victoria Lakes “Pandemonic” Acrylic 24×24 $450
Anne Albright Splashes Watercolor 11×14 $150 framed or $90 unframed
Carolyn Rondthaler In A Mood Monotype 14×11 $150
Nancy Arbuthnot “White House Meltdown” Multimedia 14 x 11 $250 framed or 11×14 Giclee Fine Art prints for $75
Meera Rao “Regret” Multimedia 12×16 $200
Mary Elizabeth Gosselink “Heatwave”, Acrylic 10×8 $150
Julie Byrne Looking Down Photograph 10 x 17.5 $50
Karen Cohen “Distancing” Photograph 16×11 $150 framed or 16 x 11 print only/signed $75
Gloria Grandolini Hanging On Photography 11.4×8 $150
Ellen Yahuda “London Pandemic” 10×8 $150 framed or $95 unframed
Elizabeth Eby “Yak,Yak,Yak” Oil 22×11 $150
Karen Zens “Eruption” Mixed Media 12×12 $125
Karen Van Allen “Groundlessness” Acrylic 20×20 $350
Karin Edgett “Capitol Police” PhotographyFramed Print 8×8 $300 Canvas 16 x 16 print $300
Hernan Murno “Anartica 2020” Acrylic 36×12 $675
Ken Bachman “Keep on Coming” oil 18 x 24 $695
Nico Gozal “Gaia” Painting on Silk 25×25 $650
Vincent Iannacchione “Burning a Hole in the Grip of the Familiar” 12 x 18 NFS
Marilyn Christiano “Mind Melt” Photograph print 12×8 $100 unframed
Tara Hamilton “Meet the Sun” multimedia 10 x 8 $150
Kate McConnell “Staying Afloat” Oil 14×11 $450
1. Tara Hamilton Meet the Sun 2. Karen Zens ERUPTION 3. Rindy O’Brien LOST 4. Elizabeth Eby Yak, Yak, Yak 5. Nancy Arbuthnot WHITE HOUSE MELTDOWN 6. Kate McConnell STAY AFLOAT 7. Judy Searles TIDAL BASIN MORNING 8. Carolyn Rondthaler IN A MOOD 9. Kenneth Bachman KEEP ON COMING 10.Karin Edgett CAPITOL POLICE 11.Sally Canzoneri ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DEAD 12.Linda Norton QUARANTINE IS CRUMBY 13.Meera Rao REGRET 14.Hernan Murno ANTARCTICA 15.Karen Van Allen GROUNDLESSNESS 16.Karen Cohen DISTANCING 17.Marilyn Christiano MIND MELT 18.Gloria Maria Grandolini HANGING ON 19.Kim DiDonato TARQUIN AND LUCRETIA 20.Nico Gozal GAIA 21.Mary Elizabeth Gosselink HEAT WAVE 22.Julie Byrne Looking Down 23.Nan Raphael SILENT SPRING 24.Jason Jaffery THE LONELY MAN WAS BLESSED WITH WISDOM TO THE POINT OF DESPERATION 25.Anne Albright SPLASHES 26.Ellen Yahuda LONDON PANDEMIC OUTREACH HEROES 27.Dee Ann Layton GLOBAL MELTDOWN 28.Victoria Lake PANDEMONIC 29.Vincent Iannacchione BURNING A HOLE IN THE GRIP OF THE FAMILIAR
Plaza Art in DC has donated one gift card for the First place winner $100.
July’s theme: CHAIRS. Members: Thank you for submitting your art/images for this challenge theme while you are sitting around indoors, hopefully drawing, sketching, sculpting, photographing, writing, knitting, napping, snacking!
Elin Whitney Smith Another Summer
Jill Finsen Yellow-Cushioned Red-Orange Studio Chair
Tuesday’s art critique peer group meets to discuss your new projects and artwork via zoom at 10:00 am- 12:00pm. Carolyn R. is our moderator, please email her to reserve your space and receive an invite to this zoom meeting. One artwork per attendee to show. Positive comments and everyone takes turns showing and telling! Email: carolynrondthaler@gmail.com.
