Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Recent Core Student Work

It's Spring Break at GCA and a good time to catch up on sharing some of the art being produced in our studios! We plan to start making this a regular feature of our blog again. Below is a collection of works selected by core program instructors Colleen Barry, Will St. John, Patrick Byrnes and Brendan Johnston. Reminder, the deadline to apply for September admission is April 15th. Get those applications together! More information is available here.


by Deborah Rodrigues, 3rd year


by Charlie Mostow, 4th year


by Diana Buitrago, 1st year


by Savannah Tate Cuff, 2nd year


by Kelly Foss, 3rd year


by Mackenzie Swenson, 2nd year


by Addison Xu, 2nd year


by John Brogie, 4th year


by Mark Popple, 4th year




By Audrey Rodriguez, 4th year


by Tsultrim Tenzin, 3rd year




by Brian West, 3rd year




by Jessica Artman, 4th year




by Louis Carr, 3rd year




by Kevin Müller Cisneros, 3rd year



by Al Costanzo, 3rd year



by Grant Perry, 4th year


by Dale Zinkowski, 3rd year



by Joe Mattus, 3rd year



by Raina Dai, 3rd year



by Katie Engberg, 4th year



by Andre Payne, 4th year

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Sandra Sanchez wins Fourth Structure Prix

Structure Prix winner, Sandra Sanchez
"Although unfinished, this drawing displays a very powerful structural presence. The modeling successfully portrays the subtlety of form and the structure of the model's arm, neck, rib cage and pelvis. The block in is accurate to the model's proportion and likeness. The portrait displays a wonderful naturalism and lively attitude. Sandra's use of compression of values in the light zones allows for a convincing light effect. A beautiful work of draftsmanship."
Critique by instructor Colleen Barry.

This is the fourth time the Structure Prix has been awarded in the spirit of inspiring healthy competition among peers as inspired by weekly cash prizes at the Academy Julien in Paris during the 19th Century. Colleen Barry was joined by Core Instructor and Resident Artist, Brendan Johnston in choosing the most recent winner.

Katie Engberg won the third prize in February 2016.
Raina Dai won the second prize in November 2015.
Kevin Müller Cisneros won the first prize in October 2015. 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Weekend Studio Sketching!

Rubin Gabeau is the newest full time core student. He joined the core full time program in February after completing the Winter Drawing Bootcamp. He was back a month later! He posed for a portrait this weekend for some core and part time students. Here are several likenesses as captured by Katie Engberg, Tsultrim Tenzin and Sandra Sanchez. Pencil, oil and Charcoal, respectively!

We are pleased to be newly offering a One Year Drawing Program within our full time, core studies. Apply to it as a year-long standalone program, or dive into longterm, four-year study. If you're not sure, step aboard and see where it leads you!

Welcome Rubin!

By Katie Engberg, 4th Year Core Student

By Tsultrim Tenzin, 3rd Year Core Student

By Sandra Sanchez, 3rd Year Core Student

Michelle Ross: Sei Solo

This Friday, March 18th, we are thrilled to welcome back Michelle Ross to Eleventh Street Arts.  Ms. Ross will be preforming the second installment of J.S. Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin. We hope you will join us for this very special event. Ms. Ross's performance in October could only be described as breathtaking as she introduced us to the world of Bach through her violin.  The beauty of the music and Ms. Ross's emotional performance could scarcely be contained in the intimate gallery setting. The audience was swept up and carried away. The final two concerts and completion of the Bach series are events not to be missed. So, join us!

"The point of art is...sharing beauty with each other." - Michelle Ross

Michelle Ross preforming Bach at Eleventh Street Arts, October 2015

Friday, March 18th
Partita No. 1 in B minor BWV 1002
Sonata No. 2 in A minor BWV 1003
6-8pm
Free and open to the public 

learn more about Michelle Ross and her Bach Project here
read our interview with Michelle Ross here

Friday, March 11, 2016

Drawing Competition Applications Due March 15

For a little inspiration, here is a drawing by Colleen Barry.

Applications for our live, five-day Figure Drawing Competition are due on Tuesday, March 15!
(Good news! We do have an artist grace period. A March 15 deadline really means March 16.)

This 40-hour competition takes place over 5 days in the same studio, from the same model. Competition dates are July 2 - 6. The judging, Awards Ceremony and Public Viewing of the final drawings will take place on the evening of July 6.

Ten finalists will be selected to participate.
Click here for an application! Click here for details on our website.

Thanks to the Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund's generosity, GCA is honored to be able to award a $10,000 Grand Prize, along with a $3,000 Second Place Prize and a $2,000 Third Place Prize to three artists for the three best drawings as selected by the 3-judge panel.


A little history...

In 2010, the year this competition debuted, Darren Kingsley won First Place and was bestowed the Title "Apelles." Will St. John won 2nd Place and the title "Protogenes."
Click here for a blog post from 2010 showing the winning drawings!

In 2011, the competition was cancelled because of Hurricane Irene.

In 2013, Joshua LaRock won the First Place and title"Apelles", Katie Whipple won 2nd Place and the title Protogenes. Adrienne Stanger won Third Place.
Click here for a 2013 blog post showing all ten final drawings!

We still need a Greek Title for THIRD PLACE! Send suggestions to: info@grandcentralatelier.org

What's the story behind the titles Apelles and Protogenes? Well, artist Scott Waddell, who initiated this competition, was inspired by the following story and we ran with it:

The Story of Apelles and Protogenes:
Apelles and Protogenes were renowned painters of Ancient Greece during the time of Alexander the Great (4th century BC). They were rivals and also advocates of each other's work. Stories tell of their daily precise practice of outlining, and the laborious fine finish they brought to their work, whether drawings or paintings.
Their rivalry tested who could draw the finest, steadiest line and has famously been recorded in an anecdote in Pliny's Natural History.
Apelles travelled to Protogenes' home in Rhodes to make the acquaintance of this painter he had heard so much about. Arriving at Protogenes' studio, he encountered an old woman who told him that Protogenes was out and asked for his name so she could report who had enquired after him.
Observing in the studio a panel Protogenes had prepared for a painting, Apelles walked over to the easel, and taking up a brush told the servant to tell Protogenes "this came from me," and drew in colour an extremely fine line across the panel.
When Protogenes returned, and the old woman explained what had taken place, he examined the line and pronounced that only Apelles could have done so perfect of work; Protogenes then dipped a brush into another colour and drew a still finer line above the first one, and asked his servant to show this to the visitor should he return.
When Apelles returned, and was shown Protogenes' response, ashamed that he might be bettered, he drew in a third colour an even finer line between the first two, leaving no room for another display of craftsmanship.
On seeing this, Protogenes admitted defeat, and went out to seek Apelles and meet him face-to-face.
(Retold by Guillaume Apollinaire)

Maybe YOU will win this year. You have to apply first!
Deadline is March 15
(March 16)

Monday, March 7, 2016

Ted Minoff Featured in Epoch Times!


By Milene Fernandez
Epoch Times

Ted makes waves at GCA too, on a weekly basis, teaching full time core students on Wednesdays and storming the ping pong table during breaks. He is a busy man. Besides teaching cast drawing at Columbia University, he co-produces and hosts the beloved podcast Suggested Donation with pal, painter and fellow GCA instructor Tony Curanaj (23 Episodes and counting!)Ted also sits on the Board of Directors at GCA.

Next week at GCA, Ted is co-teaching a five-day portrait Portrait Sketch workshop with Patrick Byrnes. There are a few seats left. March 14-18. Read more here.

Also don't miss his lecture on his process this Friday, March 11, at 5:00pm at the Florence Academy of Art at Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NY. The lecture is free and open to the public!

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Summer Boot Camp Scholarships

Announcing two new Drawing Boot Camps this Summer!


Boot Camp is ideal for artists new to the classical training of working from life or for artists looking to focus and sharpen their fundamental skills. 
Week 1: Cast Drawing with Justin Wood: June 27 - July 1
Week 2: Portrait Drawing with Anthony Baus: July 5 - 9
Week 3: Figure Drawing with Katie Engberg: July 11 - 15
Week 4: Academic Figure in Perspective with Anthony Baus: July 18 - 22


A two week drawing workshop August 1-12 
Taught by Liz Beard and Kevin Müller Cisneros 
For ages 13-18
Featuring cast drawing fundamentals in the morning and both long pose portrait and portrait sketch drawing in the afternoons.

Scholarship information:
1 Scholarship be will awarded for each Boot Camp. 
Deadline to Apply: April 5th at 5pm EST
Notification: by April 12th
The award is for 50% off the total studio fee for taking the full Boot Camp.

Requirements: 3 images sent as jpegs (72dpi & 6x8") and a letter of intent (which must answer why this scholarship and program will benefit your artistic studies at this time.) Ideally thee works are drawn from life. Please include your name and contact email and phone.
Label all attachments with your last name and title.
Send all documents in one email to: info@grandcentralatelier.org with either the subject:
2016 Summer Boot Camp scholarship application
OR
2016 Summer Teen Boot Camp scholarship application

Visit here for more information on these and all of our summer workshops.