The premier center for art, art education and unique gifts in Manatee County
Sep 5-Oct 4
Reid Hodges Gallery
An invitational exhibit of work by our instructors.
Opening Reception Sep 12, 5:00-7:00
featuring demos by instructors James Griffin, Libit Jones, Victoria Mayol, Lolly Owens, and Sheryl Unwin.
Pictured below: Votive Holder by Seth Barendse, Storm in the Canyon by Graciela Giles, Featured: Red by Elena De La Ville, Banner Image: Building the Wall by Kerry Didday.
Sep 5-Oct 4
Kellogg & Searle Galleries
An open, all media, juried exhibit
Something Tasty permits a variety of ways to interpret food or drink – from the colorful bounty of the market to the balanced beauty of a still life; from scenes that evoke memories of everyday experiences to unexpected juxtapositions and whimsy. Image: Donuts by William Perry.
Our Instructor’s Showcase exhibit will be displayed in the Reid Hodges Gallery.
Juror: Christine Renc-Carter
Curator for the Leepa-Rattner Museum
Born in 1975 into an artistic family in Florida, Christine Renc-Carter has spent a lifetime deeply rooted in the pursuit of art. As a child, she traveled the country with her artist parents and started drawing as soon as she could hold a pencil. Christine earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland in 1997 and has studied paper preservation at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Working for galleries and museums in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area and in Florida for 20 years, Christine has cultivated a unique artistic career as a fine artist and museum professional and has worked with the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Florida International Museum and the St. Petersburg College Foundation. Formerly the Director of Adult Education at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, she oversaw the art center’s expansion of studios and programs. Christine became the Curator for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in 2016.
As an accomplished artist, Christine shows her work throughout the United States and Japan. Her work is included in collections such as the Marriott Corporation and NBC, as well as private collections worldwide, including the Curator of the Fogg Museum at Harvard University.
Art WorksArt Works is an open, all media, juried exhibit.
The artwork in this exhibit is a fabulous testament to the breadth of talent in the Tampa Bay region. I was delighted by the diversity of media and subject matter presented here, even if it did make the award selection very difficult. As a juror, there are many things I look for in great artwork, including emotional presence, technical skill and innovation, and content or narrative. The best artworks will have all of those in excessive measure, creating both immediate and lasting impact. I could get lost for hours in the award-winning pieces, for their complex formal relationships, intricate mark-making, and powerful expression. I am very grateful for the opportunity to sit with each and every artwork here and want to congratulate every artist for having the courage to create your work and to share it with our community.
Juror: Nathan Beard
Pick up Date: Jul 27, 9:00am – 1:00pm
Call Heather at 941-746-2862 or email her: Heather@artcentermanatee.org
Photography Open Exhibition
May 21 – Jun 21
Photography is an open, photography only, juried exhibit.
Pick up Jun 22, 9am – 1pm
Juror: Angel Navarro. Angel owns and operates Angel Navarro Photography, Inc., a photography and digital design company, in Bradenton. The rewarding opportunity to provide photography education began when he joined Johnson Photo Imaging as their director of education. He soon discovered that what he understood needed to find its expression to teaching. As both an instructor and a full-time photographer, Angel discovered the rewards of teaching others photography. With each passing year comes the opportunity to meet new challenges and serve new clients. As one who has benefited from photography, I also feel a responsibility to pass on the skills which have served me so richly.
Fur, Feathers, Flora & Fauna Open Exhibition
May 21 – Jun 21
Opening Reception:
Thursday, May 23, 5:00-7:00pm
Pick up Jun 22, 9am – 1pm
Fur, Feathers, Flora & Fauna is an open, all media, juried exhibit.
Juror: Stephanie Chill. Stephanie is Curatorial Assistant at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, which is an encyclopedic institution. Her scope of work includes working closely with the Asian art collection—historic to contemporary. Through her work in the museum field, Chill aims to integrate art appreciation with cultural understanding. At the MFA, she curated Dorothy Height’s Hats and We Do Not Work Alone: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics. Chill is the in-house curator of the upcoming Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami, which will open on June 22, 2019.
An all media, juried exhibit.
ArtCenter Manatee once again joins with the School District of Manatee County to showcase the work of over 210 K-12 visual arts students.
According to the National Arts in Education Association, learning to paint, create a website or design an energy-efficient home requires mastering skills which are often invisible to the naked eye, but are developed through a strong visual arts education. In Manatee County, we’re fortunate to have a Board of Education that has made a continued commitment to teaching the visual arts in its elementary, middle and high schools. By partnering with ArtCenter Manatee, that commitment is furthered by giving these young artists a ‘voice’ – three museum-quality galleries – where their work can be professionally displayed and where the artists can receive positive recognition by a wider audience.
ArtCenter Manatee offers the gallery space, marketing and as many frames and mattes that can be found to help these budding artists get their due. The ArtCenter will also award scholarships to art classes to students whose work is judged to be among the best in each of four grade ranges: K-2, 3-6, 5-8 and 9-12.
For many students, it will be their first experience in preparing their work for display. And certainly for pricing their work with an eye to selling it. For most students it will also the first time they have ever been to an art gallery. The experience will give students real world experience in the process of preparing artwork for exhibit, and the lessons they learn will stay with them throughout their lives.
April 2-April 26
Opening Reception, April 4, 5:00-7:00
Kellogg Gallery
The Petticoat Painters, formed in 1953, is one of the oldest continuously exhibiting women’s art groups in the U.S.
While we revere our history, each generation of members evolves its own identity framed by contemporary thinking. As we continue to engage new members, we actively move into the twenty first century in concert with the dynamic metamorphosis in art philosophy and aesthetics.
The Petticoat Painters are motivated by their individual process of making art. Each artist has a firm commitment to moving beyond the boundaries of materials, of techniques, of standard images and preconceived notions.
All the members of the group are inspired by the camaraderie and vibrant association with each other. Each person is encouraged to continue her journey of exploration and the development of artistic endeavors.
The group of work on display from our members is a tribute to our member Eleanor Merritt who has recently passed away. Her energy and passion for our work will be sorely missed.
An all media, juried exhibit.
They come from as far away as Quebec and as close as next door. Some are painters, some are sculptors, some are potters, some are jewelers, and some are wood workers. Though their tools vary, they share a talent and passion for creating something from nothing, for seeing the world from a different perspective. Every year, we celebrate them and their work in our Members Exhibit.
Cash Awards. Artists may enter up to three pieces.
Juror: Joanna Robotham joined the staff of the Tampa Museum of Art as the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art in 2016. She previously held the Neubauer Family Foundation Assistant Curator position at the Jewish Museum in New York City, where she worked for over 10 years. Robotham recently curated the exhibition Vapor and Vibration: The Art of Larry Bell and Jesús Rafael Soto and organized Mernet Larsen: Getting Measured, 1957-2017, a retrospective of Mernet Larsen’s paintings. In 2017, she was part of the curatorial team for Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration. At the Jewish Museum, she curated Becoming Jewish: Warhol’s Liz and Marilyn (2015) and organized the exhibition Masterpieces & Curiosities: Nicole Eisenman’s Seder (2015). She received her M.A. in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and earned a B.A. in Art History and Political Science from the University of Washington.
Feb 26-Mar 29
Kellogg Gallery
Opening Reception Thursday Feb 28, 5:00-7:00
The Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), Florida, will hold their “It’s Colored Pencil 2019” exhibit at ArtCenter Manatee in the Kellogg Gallery, February 26 through March 29. The show will feature the work of 27 colored pencil artists from Florida. Juror for the show, Erin Wilson, is from the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg. CPSA strives to bring awareness to the beauty and richness of colored pencil as a medium for creating fine art.
Image: Splash-with-Dad by Mellissa Miller-Nece
The APUSA 13th Annual Juried Show will be held at ArtCenter Manatee in the Searle Gallery.
Founded in 2006, APUSA’s mission is to further the interests of artists in the use of acrylic/water-media by providing competitive exhibits, encouraging the study of the acrylic medium, and educating artists and the public on the significance of acrylics as an important painting medium. They represent some of the finest acrylic painters in the region.
Image: Coffee Shop by Carla Rudolph
The juror for this show is William “Skip” Lawrence, a well-known artist and Editor-in-Chief of Palette Magazine.
Opening Reception Thurs, Feb 28, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Pick up – Mar 30, 2019
This all media annual shows highlights the work of our students, who are challenged to improve their skills and express their vision in our classes. While many of our students are professional artists, this exhibit speaks to their desire to continue to learn and explore. ArtCenter Manatee is committed to providing our students the opportunity to display their work professionally and to a broader audience.
Image: My Sweet Elsa by Karin Lind, 1st Place Winner
The Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society (FSWS) was formed in 1983 and has more than 200 members, many of whom have achieved statewide and national recognition for their work; it serves members who live along the Florida Gulf Coast. FSWS was formed in 1983 to foster the advancement of and promote excellence in the art of watercolor painting. Their intent is to inform and educate through exhibitions, lectures and painting demonstrations as to the best work currently being done in watercolor.
Celebrating its 36th Anniversary in 2019
Meditation in Blue 1 by Mary Lou Ringers
Nesting Osprey by Kris Parins
ArtCenter Manatee is honored to host the pre-eminent 151st Traveling Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society International Exhibition. Chosen from a field of 150 water media masterpieces selected into the International Exhibition (from more than 1100 entries), the traveling show features the work of 40 artists. This year’s show is sure to inspire both artists and art lovers.
As one of only six venues in the country and the only in Florida to host this show, ArtCenter Manatee will display the amazingly diverse water media work in the Kellogg Gallery from January 15 through February 22, 2019. Admission is $5, which assists in covering the cost of bringing such a prestigious exhibition to the ArtCenter and Bradenton. The Opening Reception will be on Thursday, January 17 from 5:00-7:00pm and is free and open to the public
While inclusion in this exhibition is itself an honor, participants also compete for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals of Honor, and 29 other awards and medals totaling more than $50,000 in prize money.
Docent tours will be available by appointment. Please contact Angie at the ArtCenter at 941-746-2862 to make arrangements.
We hope you’ll join us for our Opening Reception on Thursday, January 17, 5:00 to 7:00pm. Meet the artists, discover the amazing talent of these local as well as international water media artists, and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere in our galleries. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages available.
Kellogg Gallery
Dec 4-Jan 11
Opening Reception Dec 6
5:00-7:00
In this annual exhibit, we feature the work of Women Contemporary Artists (WCA). WCA is a strong, regional organization of over 100 vibrant, professional women actively engaged in the visual fine arts, based in Sarasota. Their mission is to provide visibility, encouragement and inspiration to women artists. WCA seeks to educate the general public about past and present contributions of women artists and to insure the inclusion of women in the history of art.
Inspirations is an open, all media, juried exhibit. Each artist may enter up to 3 pieces. Please review exhibition requirements before entering.
Pick up 1/12/2019, 9:00am – 1:00pm
Juror: John Bayalis has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout the United States and has painted abroad in Ireland, England and France. Noted for his distinct, realist style, the artist’s skill at handling contemporary themes and subject matter has earned him acclaim from art critics and collectors throughout the United States. John’s vibrant watercolors reflect a specific clarity of light and form, while dealing with unique viewpoints in portraying popular culture and the vernacular landscape. The artist has also embraced still life as a format, and sought to show a personal vision in both content and composition. Intricate set ups include man-made and natural elements as well as printed backdrops, vintage postcards and periodicals. The carefully selected viewpoints depict compositions meticulously rendered on the watercolor paper, that glow in subtly balanced color palettes. Among his honors are an award of an individual artist’s fellowship grant and the selection for The Watercolor Page in AMERICAN ARTIST magazine where one of his works graced the cover. The artist’s works are included in private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
All Galleries
On October 30th, ArtCenter Manatee welcomes the Sumi-e Society of America to their galleries.
SUMI-E is the Japanese word for Black Ink Painting. East Asian Painting and writing developed together in ancient China using the same materials —brush and ink on paper. Emphasis is placed on the beauty of each individual stroke of the brush. The Chinese speak of “writing a painting” and “painting a poem.” A great painting was judged on three elements: the calligraphy strokes, the words of the poetry (often with double meanings and subtle puns) and the ability of the painting strokes to capture the spirit (Ch’i) of nature rather than a photographic likeness. The artists of Japan, Korea and Malaysia learned from the Chinese and then developed their own versions of East Asian brush painting.
The Society was created in New York in 1963 by Professor Motoi Oi to foster and encourage an appreciation of East Asian brush painting. Until 1978, its annual exhibitions were held in New York City. When asked why he had started the Sumi-e Society, Mr. Oi answered, in part, “In the East, paintings reflect the great joy of culture. They are a reflection of an intense personal idiom. My idea was to provide a means through which the fresh, new spirit of American culture could be viewed in Sumi-e.”
Over the years, the Society as grown and there are many chapters in the United States. The Sarasota Chapter is sponsoring this 55th Annual Juried Exhibit, along with the National Chapter. The exhibit includes 112 paintings by artists from 18 states and Germany. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. The reception will be Friday, Nov 2, 4-6pm.
The juror for the exhibit will be Professor Yifei Gan. Professor Gan is an internationally recognized artist and curator whose drawings, paintings, digital media and traditional Chinese brush paintings have been exhibited in solo and invitational exhibitions throughout the US, Europe, and China. Professor Gan will also be conducting workshops at the ArtCenter. While the first workshop is full, there are a few seats remaining in the one on November 5-6, Monday & Tuesday, 9-4. Call the ArtCenter to reserve your seat: 941-746-2862.
The exhibit is sponsored by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Landscape with Gazebo by Keiko Romerstein
Life Plan by Aiko Anderson
The exhibit is sponsored by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Jun 26 – Jul 27
Exhibit Here is an open, all media, juried exhibit.
Juror: Linda Lucas
Linda Lucas graduated with Fine Arts degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and also attended Buffalo State College University of New York@ Elmwood for Fiber Arts & Surface Design. She has taught at ArtCenter Manatee, Ringling School of Art, and Keetons. Linda also taught at Chautauqua Institute in New York. Linda also participates in juried Fine Art outdoor shows in Florida & New York.
1st place: Water Dancing I by Susanna Spann
Jenny Medved, a representational figurative artist & illustrator working in watercolor, immerses herself in the culture of the people she paints, not just history, but family and community. She shares her insights with us in her exhibit of about 30 pieces, Jenny Medved: Indigenous People, Portraits of Heritage and Descent, on display in the Kellogg Gallery at ArtCenter Manatee, June 26 – July 27. We invite you to meet Jenny and see her work at an Opening Reception on Thursday, June 28th 5-7 pm
Jenny was featured as one of the ten artists in the ‘Ones to Watch’ feature of Watercolor Artist Magazine, December 2015 edition. She is a member of local artist group SartQ, as well as the American Watercolor Society, the Hawaii Watercolor Society, the Florida Watercolor Society, and a signature member of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jenny moved to Florida in 2000 to attend Ringling College of Art & Design, where she obtained her BFA in Illustration. Jenny holds a MFA in Figurative Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, where she studied under mentor’s Zack Zdrale, William Whitaker and Warren Chang. She has also studied traditional portraiture at the Florence Academy of Art, in Florence, Italy.
