Artists on Artists Lecture Series

Today John Morra gave a wonderful lecture and slide show about Chardin and his influence on 18th century painting. This was the fourth lecture in the Artists on Artists Lecture Series, in which real contemporary artists come talk to us about their favorite historical artists. The lectures are open to the public, and we have cookies! The next one is TBA but I'll let you know ahead of time as soon as we find out.

In September, Sean Forester gave two lectures, the first was about Greek sculpture and it's influence on painting. The second was about 19th century Russian painters. Sean is Director of Art History and Humanities at The Florence Academy of Art.













Laocoön and his sons, also known as the Laocoön Group. Marble, copy after an Hellenistic original from ca. 200 BC.

Both lectures were very interesting and I especially enjoyed the Russians because Sean had these obscure academic drawings and paintings that are nearly impossible to find unless you go to Russia yourself. I have emailed him to see if I can get some of those images for this blog.

Portrait of the painter Ivan Shishkin, by Ivan Kramskoy

Last week, Leonard Porter gave a lecture and slide show about French painter Nicholas Poussin.

Self-Portrait by Nicolas Poussin, 1650, oil on canvas, 98 x 74 cm, Louvre

Night Classes for Figure Sculpture

Night & weekend classes are offered for drawing, painting and sculpture. For more information, click HERE. To sign up, contact Justine at grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

Sarah Lamb at the Spanierman Gallery

Sarah Lamb currently has a solo exhibition at the Spanierman Gallery in New York City. Her paintings will be up from October 10 - November 8. Sarah moved to New York in 1996 in order to study with Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier and has also taught workshops at the Grand Central Academy of Art.*
A painter primarily of still lifes, Lamb works in the tradition of the French eighteenth-century painter Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, conveying the sensuous beauty of familiar, everyday objects. Her images counter the glossy seductiveness of today’s sales’ catalogues, in which there is a constant pressure to stress the fresher, more fashionable, and unfamiliar in items offered for sale, with the result that our eyes become trained to consider the known to be ugly while the new is preferred. By contrast, Lamb’s images of glossy mussels, cut prosciutto, gleaming old bottles, cream puffs, and sliced watermelon, and her attention to subtleties of light and texture, allow us to see the beauty in the mundane and relax in an enjoyment of our everyday surroundings, both natural and manufactured, appreciating their rich experiences of form and color in quiet measure.

Sarah Lamb will be teaching a 3 day still life workshop this summer from June 29-July 1. To register, email grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

*In September 2008 Grand Central Academy & The Water Street Atelier merged to create one school.

The Grand Central Academy of Art at the Institute is proud to announce a new figure modeling competition for artists from across the world leading the way today in the growing renewal of classical figurative sculpture. A distinguished international jury will award three prizes from among the twelve finalists: $10,000 for first place; $3000 for second; and $2,000 for third. The competition is open to all figurative sculptors. Applicants at the advanced student and professional level will be considered. Finalist participants will be selected on the basis of their modeling ability and demonstrated aspiration to make beautiful, excellent classical sculpture. The twelve finalists will be selected from the online applicants to participate in a 40-hour concurs held at the GCA Sculpture Studio at 20 West 44th Street in Manhattan from Monday, June 2 until Friday, June 6, 2008, when the winners will be selected by the attending jury. Those competing will each model a 32" figure from life. A model will pose accordingly for eight hours a day. The prize ceremony will follow immediately at a special event held Friday evening. The general public will be invited to view the competition after 5:00pm all week.
Application deadline April 1, 2008
Finalist Notification by April 15, 2008
To be emailed the application, write to: grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

Announcing GCA Student ID Cards

This January, GCA will be providing our part time and workshop students with students ID cards. Inquire in the office during the week of January 7, 2008.

Art of Devotion: The Career Works of Ecclesiastical Artist Anthony Visco

Tuesday, November 27: 6:30 – 8:30pm

Free to GCA students and faculty -- RSVP to: grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

Instructor: Anthony Visco, painter, sculptor, and church artist

“The Art of Devotion” invites us into the world of church artist, Anthony Visco, as he presents his career works of murals, statues, and reliefs made for use in devotion.

Mr. Visco provides us with insights into this world of content and context, and form and faith. As a two time recipient of the Arthur Ross Award for Sculpture, Anthony Visco was given both awards for his relief work in American churches. We listen as he describes the mind and method behind what he calls “disegno” and its role in art and architecture. He further explains the dependence of sacred art on sacred architecture and why we see the return of both to the classical form. As Mr. Visco describes his role in the realm of sacred art he will provide examples of works in situ and those still in progress for newly constructed churches.

ICA/GCA Lecture: Tuesday, 11/13 The Lost Painting of Antiquity

Instructor: Leonard Porter, classical painter, muralist and ICA&CA Fellow

Tuesday, November 13
6:30 – 8:30 pm at ICA (on the 3rd floor)

Free to GCA Students and Faculty

RSVP: 212-730-9025, or grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

While brilliant works of sculpture and architecture have survived since antiquity, nothing close to the masterpieces of painting described by ancient authors has ever been found. Despite the lack of a single worthy example, the lost painting of classical antiquity has held an enduring fascination for artists and collectors alike. Mr. Porter will discuss the changing notion of ancient painting and how attempts to reconstruct it have shaped art since the Renaissance.

Join Us for ICA/GCA Academic Lectures!

Free to GCA students
rsvp to grandcentralacademy@gmail.com

Next Lecture: Tuesday, October 23; 6:30 pm – 8:30pm

Projects of Andrea Palladio and Paolo Veronese

Instructor: Diana Gisolfi, Professor, Pratt Institute, Department of Art History

Diana Gisolfi, Professor of Art History and Director of Pratt in Venice, will offer a prelude to the 500th year since the birth of Palladio in 1508. Her lecture will look at cases where a variety of patrons employed Veronese and Palladio on the same project. Gisolfi is author of many articles on Veronese and his collaborators as well as co-author with S. Sinding-Larsen of the book The Rule, the Bible, and the Council: The Library of the Benedictine Abbey at Praglia. She has given papers at international congresses on Veronese and Tintoretto in Venice, while her invited lectures in the United States at universities and at College Art Meetings have centered on drawing and painting patronage and practice in late sixteenth century Venice and the Veneto. At the Renaissance Society of America in March she spoke on free re-uses of antique imagery in Renaissance examples from Verona and Venice. Her current book manuscript is titled Paolo Veronese and the Practice of Painting in late Renaissance Venice, and she is organizing a session for the Italian Art society at CAA in February on Art by Italian Women.

Upcoming Lectures:

Tuesday, Nov. 13; The Lost Painting of Classical Antiquity
Instructor: Leonard Porter

Tuesday, Nov. 27; Art of Devotion: The Career Works of Ecclesiastical Artist Anthony Visco
Instructor: Anthony Visco

Derriere Guard Festival Oct. 13 & 14

Dear students, faculty, friends of the GCA and ICA&CA:

Stefania de Kenessey, composer, member of the ICA&CA Council of Advisors, and director of the Derriere Guard invites you to the upcoming 10th anniversary celebration of the Derriere Guard Festival, which takes place during the weekend of October 13 - 14 at the Grand Central Academy of Art. Below you will find a detailed list of activities including the opening talk by Frederick Turner and the closing keynote by Tom Wolfe.

All events are free, but space is limited so please RSVP directly to Stefania or her assistant: dekenessey@gmail.com or shannoncalandrillo@gmail.com

Derriere Guard 10th Anniversary Festival:

Saturday, October 13, 6:00 - 9:30pm
Sunday, October 14, 2:00 - 7:00pm

All events take place at 20 West 44th Street (The General Society for Tradesmen & Mechanics Building) at various locations in the building.

No admissions fee, but please RSVP as space is limited.

Featured Guests: Tom Wolfe (American Novelist), Jacob Collins (founder of the GCA and the Hudson River School for Landscape), Anne Fairfax (Chair of ICA&CA board of directors), Frederick Turner (author of Natural Classicism), David Homan (Live Arts Collaboration) and Stefania de Kenessey (American composer)

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, October 13, 6:00 - 9:30pm
General Society of Tradesmen & Mechanics, The Library, Mezzanine

• 6:00pm, Opening keynote speech by Frederick Turner
• 7:00pm, Opening Reception
• 7:00pm, Grand Central Academy of Art Studios, 6th floor, Galleries Open: Exhibits of contemporary painting, sculpture and architectural drawings

Sunday, October 14, 2:00 - 7:00pm
The Grand Central Academy of Art Studios, 6th floor

• 2:00pm - poetry, dance
• 2:30pm - music, drawing
• 3:00pm - more poetry, dance
• 3:30pm - more music, drawing
• 4:00pm - Roundtable Discussion, "Back to the Future" with Jacob Collins, painting; Anne Fairfax, architecture; Frederick Turner, poetry; David Homan, dance; Stefania de Kenessey, music.
• 5:00pm - The General Society Library, Mezzanine, Closing Reception
• 5:30pm - Opera excerpts from "The Bonfire of the Vanities,"
• 6:00pm - Closing Speech by Tom Wolfe