Sculpture Exhibit at SMOCA

Last night my wife and I were visiting SMOCA to see a film, part of the offerings of No Festival Required. Waiting for the film to begin, we strolled the galleries. I was pleased to see an exhibit in two of the galleries of sculpture from the City of Scottsdale Permanent Collection that made me stop. The exhibit runs the gamut of 20th century artists, but is heavily weighted towards the non-objective style of sculpture.
Here is a link to the SMOCA website about the show: http://www.smoca.org/exhibit.php?id=221

Pictured is a bronze by Jacque Lipschitz.

There's quite a variety of work in a variety of media, but all non-objective, leaving the job of finding meaning to the viewer. In my hurried rush to see a film, I just skimmed the surface: smooth shiny blobs of granite, check. Cut out shapes of flat steel, check.  Maybe if I'd taken more time, I'd found more to be entranced by, but to me it was easy to skim. Even though I've been in art for many years, been to school, got the degrees, exhibited, etc. non-objective art is not nourishment for my soul, usually. I am impressed however by Anish Kapoor, Andy Goldworthy, Claes Oldenburg, among others. I think I will have to visit SMOCA again with more time available and examine the works in more detail, and so should you. Its always good to extend oneself, like going to the gym, if you don't exercise those muscles, you lose them. Extending one's idea of what is nourishing reveals new sources of nourishment. The exhibit is titled Significant Forms and runs through September 9, 2012.

Call for Artists at Paradise Valley Community College

PVCC Artist in Residency Project
Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) invites artists to submit an application for one of
two residencies: during Fall semester, 2012 (August 23, 2012-December 7, 2012), and Spring
semester, 2013 (January 21 - May 10, 2013).Each residency is an opportunity for an artist to
share with students the creative process and explore themes of education, learning and the
college experience.
Selected artists will meet a minimum of two hours per week during PVCC’s regularly
scheduled drawing or ceramics art class (16 weeks) to share with students their process
for conceptualization and creation of an original work of art inspired by the Paradise Valley
Community College campus, mission, students, etc., that will be designed and created in the
presence of the students and faculty in the art class. Number of hours artist meets with class
time is negotiable.
The purpose of this residency is to expose to the students of PVCC the artist’s creative process.
Students will observe and learn from the artist while he or she creates artwork, to give students
the opportunity to observe how a professional artist works, how they use a place or an idea as a
source of inspiration, and how they go about translating an idea into a finished work of art.
One work of art will remain in the Paradise Valley Community College’s art collection at the
end of the residency. The artist will give one presentation about their art and the residency
experience to the general population of the the campus in the PVCC library.
The selected artist will receive the sum of $2000.00, which includes all materials needed and
the artist’s time.
Artists must supply a resume, artist statement, and 10-15 digital images of artwork on a cd to
David Bradley, c/o Paradise Valley Community College, Fine & Performing Arts, 18401 N 32nd
st. Phoenix, Az, 85032. Include current email address, mailing address and phone number.
Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2012. Selected artists will be notified by email by August
10, 2012. Residency dates must fall during Fall semester, 2012 (August 23, 2012-December 7,
2012), or Spring semester, 2013 (January 21 - May 10, 2013).
There will be a dedication ceremony for both artworks created by the artists in May 2013. Date
TBD.
For more information contact David L. Bradley at david.bradley@pvmail.maricopa.edu