Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Interview with Ann Rowles

Comic Relief
Crocheted mixed fibers, vinyl tubing, found plastic objects
2014



1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background


I am an artist, wife, mother, grandmother and sometimes teacher. I grew up in Hickory, North

Carolina and attended both the Greensboro and the Chapel Hill branches of the University of

NC. I received my MFA in Sculpture from UNC-CH in 1990. We moved to Atlanta in 1995.


2. What's integral to your art and or art career?


I am a 70's feminist. When I was living in San Francisco I read articles and saw work by women

artists; the revelation that I could make artwork about my own life, observations, and

experiences was overwhelming. After returning to NC I found the women artists who formed

"Center/Gallery." I was allowed to exhibit work which would not have been shown otherwise.

This freedom and support allowed me to grow and develop. My "career" has been up and

down, peaking in North Carolina in the nineties, but I have continued to make art, which is what

matters to me.


3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?


My work concerns the juncture of body, psyche, history, and society. I am work in whatever

material suits the idea and my situation in life. When I was a young mother I used broken toys;

in grad school I felt the need to work big, fast, and "in your face" so I made over-life-size chicken

wire sculptures of empty clothing which retained the shape of the absent body - big, fat and

female. When my elderly mother was in decline I began to crochet my sculptures, so I could do

my work in hospital rooms and doctor's offices.


4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?


The mistreatment of people, animals, or the environment make me angry and sad. My

grandson, family and friends give me hope and make me happy. I'm crazy when I can't make

art.


5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?


My aesthetics did a flip flop when I saw the work of Egon Schiele on a high school trip to New

York. Later I was influenced by Edward Kienholz. When I began to see and read about women

artists, I found an artist soulmate in Louise Bourgeois. I love discovering women artists past

and present. Real life mentors were the women of Center/Gallery, as well as artists Scott

Burton, Kate Erickson and Mel Zeigler, and Faith Ringgold.


6. What superpower would you want?


Peacemaking.


7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?


Too many to list!


8. What advice would you give to other artists?


Listen to your gut; teachers and curators have their own agendas. Don't forget to play or be

afraid to fail. Stretch. Keep working, however slowly.


9. Contact details if any? (those you are willing to have in the newsletter and on blog)


My website is www.annrowles.com, but it is badly in need of updating!

I am on Facebook and my email is annwrowles@gmail.com

An update about WCAGA Exhibits and Drawing Marathons of 2015.

WCAGA Exhibits
WCAGA’s last exhibit of 2015 is currently showing at the Lyndon House Art Center in Athens GA. MARK is a WCAGA members exhibit, curated by Georgia Strange, a professor at UGA.

In conjunction with the MARK exhibit, Lyndon House Art Center sponsored two drawing programs; Sept 17 and Oct. 10. These ‘Draw Tables’, as they are called, are open to the public and our MARK exhibitors, in particular, have been invited to participate.

The Exhibit, MARK, is up till Oct. 10, 2015. We have 38 WCAGA members and 9 invited women artists from the Athens area in the show. The MARK exhibit is held in two gallery spaces, The Atrium and the Ronnie Lukasiewicz Gallery on the first floor. 


WCAGA Drawing Marathons
The Drawing Marathon Program is finishing it’s 4th year. Initially, this was a one year program that simply kept going almost of it’s own accord. Our last Drawing Marathon for 2015 is taking place in Helen DeRamus’s studio at the Artists Resource Center in Marietta. This session has been dubbed Figure2Days. Our focus will be the human figure and the session will last Friday and Saturday (Oct. 2,3). Fridaywe will have a live model. We’ll spend the day on short poses that are meant to inspire our second day, Saturday’s, drawings. 


2016
Exhibits
Upcoming for 2016, we have been invited back to Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkson’s Media Center’s 4th floor gallery in March. Dates to be determined.

Drawing Marathon
Our 2016 Drawing Marathon Program hopefully will continue to evolve new formats for this program to keep it challenging and inspiring.


A Note to our members: 
I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the years because you have involved yourself in WCAGA programs. I hope you will continue to seek interaction with your fellow artists. If you are new to our organization, come and share your knowledge, excitement and vision with us. 

Thank you
Barb Rehg
WCAGA Exhibits and Drawing Marathons

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Message from WCAGA Board

                                   Message from WCAGA Board

In late 2014 the WCAGA Board held some intense discussions about whether or not  to pursue the idea of obtaining our own space for meetings, programming and exhibitions.  We decided that the first step was to develop a Strategic Plan as a way to articulate and establish our common goals and to implement a process to help us reach them.  

This Strategic Plan was developed last Spring by Board members Kate Colpitts, Sally Wansboro Eppstein, Maggie Davis, Barb Rheg, Maxine Hess and WCAGA members Rita Beasley, Aviva Stern, Serey Andre and Ashley Schick.  Wendy Cardell served as our professional facilitator.  The committee met on three Sunday mornings over a six week period.

The plan is divided into four categories:  Administrative, Financial, Communication and Programs.  Within each category, short and long term goals were established.
It was our objective that this plan remain flexible.

Our guiding principles were inclusion, outreach and education.  


                                WCAGA 2015 Strategic Plan


1. ADMINISTRATIVE
     Executive Board
     Committees
     Members
Goals
     12 - 18 months
     Define roles and responsibilities of Executive Board/Committee Chairs
     Review By-Laws and make recommendations for organizational structure
     5 Year
     Develop Membership Directory
     Hire a PT Administrator

2. FINANCIALS
      Budget
      Fundraising
Goals
     12-18 months
     Develop Annual Budget for calendar year
     Identify projects and grant opportunities
     5 Year
     Seek funding for PT Administrator
     Fund an Archivist
     Conduct a feasibility study for operating a chapter office and/ or program space

3. COMMUNICATION
     Social Media
     Newsletter
     Membership
Goals
     12-18 months
     Develop a communication plan that addresses all communication opportunities
     5 Year
     Hire a PT social media person
     Put into practice a sound communication plan

4. PROGRAMS
     Exhibitions
     Lectures
     Outreach
     Collaboration
     Social Activism
     Book Club
     Art Share
     Drawing Marathons
Goals
     12-18 months
     Continue to support projects/programs that originate with our members
     Create partnerships w/organizations that share our vision
     Create Art and Ideas Discussions
     5 Year
     Create an international exchange of art/ideas with women artists from different   
     cultures

We invite you to join us as we work to implement this plan which we believe will ensure the continued viability and relevance of WCAGA .  If you are interested in being involved please contact me at klfrost@aol.com.

Thank you
Kate Colpitts
President