I have been described as a very intuitive painter.  One of the joys of oil and acrylic is that anything can be changed if I don’t like what is happening.  This piece is a study in the relationship between overlapping  pattern and color. Which works better contrast or complement?

Natalia in her studio working on the series of monotypes Bloom and Gloom. Spring 2020.

Our 2020 vision is to move forward with terrific exhibitions planned and community outreach educational workshops while increasingly expanding NAWA’s online presence.

This spring has challenged us all emotionally, mentally and physically. Collectively we are lacking our habitual ways of living, but we have unlimited means of tele communication and plenty of time to communicate with one another via zoom, phone, e-mails, Skype, FaceTime calls, websites, Instagram, FaceBook and other social media. I have never personally attended so many museums and galleries in a month, what I can do now daily, thanks to the internet and open door policies of major art institutions and many art galleries. It
is the time to feel the contemporary trend and to keep in touch with the timeless. This goes far beyond the art world.

Our very perception of the world view has been changed and will undergo a transformation, which is a little scary as we are dealing with the unknown, but also wonderful, as we are progressing into feeling more compassionate to those who are suffering from physical illness, to those who are economically deprived, for those who are space deprived, and those deprived of a liberty to act upon their will. That covers about all of us. This implies that we are all in the same boat despite the social restrictions, confinement and negative news. The pandemic is a global phenomenon with the epicenter in each of our hearts. Is it a heart full of fear and judgement or acceptance and hope?

Yes, the statistics are grim, but there is also a springtime, with the beautiful signs of Mother Nature’s re-awakening.

Here is a little poem:

Spring time is for
transformation –
nature’s awakening
people (a)re-awakening
we ‘re longing for snow
we’re welcoming blossoms
we want it all
we can hold it all

Natalia Koren Kropf
President, NAWA

Dear NAWA Community,

I hope this message finds you well and adjusting to life in these unprecedented times.

I am so proud and grateful to all of you who have reached out to ensure that NAWA’s important work continues. Thanks to your support, NAWA’s team has made a great effort to continue to work our way through this crisis.

I hope that you will enjoy this issue. NAWA Newsletter’s team continues to work hard and find ways to bring creative, innovative and interesting stories your way.

As most of you are aware, our scheduled exhibitions have found a new home, as online exhibits on our website. Please encourage your friends and family to visit our website and enjoy the outstanding work of our members.

I am pleased to announce that NAWA will host its very first online series, Art in Conversation with Farrin, which will start to air on Friday, May 8, at 3 pm EDT on NAWA’s YouTube channel. Please tune in and share this event with your community.

We have started to post some of our members’ work on our nawa news Instagram account. If you have not checked it out, please do so, and if you like it, please share it.

As always, the NAWA team appreciates all of you. We hope that you will keep creating and sharing your work.

Thank you so much. Be well.

Sincerely,

Biana Kovic
Executive Director

It is not surprising that such attention to detail led to an appreciation of early Renaissance and Medieval panel paintings and a concentrated study and application of the egg tempera medium.   Her formal art education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and Master of Fine Arts Degree from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She continued her education by attending workshops in the United States and Europe, including the techniques of Russian Icon painting and the contemplative spirit imbued within such works.

Carol A. O’Neill, Threads of Grass, Graphite on paper

Her portrayal of plant life in its natural setting is perhaps best expressed through her mastery of silverpoint drawing, which oxidizes over time to deeper hues. Utilizing such techniques helps her to bridge the gap between contemporary and historical art.  “Drawing is a passion of mine—it is the essence of my work.  I believe drawing offers a passage within‒a direct connection to the imagination, memories, dreams and underlying thoughts and emotions.”

Solo and group exhibitions of Carol’s paintings and drawings have been held here and abroad.  She is honored to have received a number of awards, including a New Jersey State Council On The Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, an artist residency at Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York and the NAWA Medal of Honor & Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation Award at NAWA’s 129th Annual Members’ Exhibition in NYC.

Readers can learn more about Carol and her work by going to www.carolaoneill.com

ANNE VANDYCKE

Anne Vandycke, a Franco-Belgian artist living in New York City, regularly exhibits in the United States and France. She is known for her arresting minimalist and abstract paintings, with her series “Horizon 2030” currently on exhibit at BelCham (Belgian Chamber of Commerce). In Anne’s words, these works “reflect a horizon which seems to be far away but with the acceleration of our societies is becoming closer: ‘Always go faster, be even more efficient at any price.’ The state of change is more than ever a constant, which is a paradox as a constant should be stable but it’s not the case.”

She likes to draw inspiration from her daily life and finds New York the ideal place for that. Many artists from different eras inspire her—Lichtenstein for his graphic style, Alberto Burri for minimalism and Renoir for the intensity of colors and textures. Her work is a free expression of the mind and the unconscious and according to her, “It is for this reason that there will never be a single meaning given to a work, but only the meaning that each puts in it. Things are never black or white. There are endless possibilities.”

Those endless possibilities are reflected in an art background as well as an MBA. Training at the National Academy and Columbia University which has allowed her to combine her arts activity and a consultancy (branding and graphic design) business.

Solo and group exhibitions have included the National Academy Museum, the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) Gallery, the showrooms of Fendi Casa, as well as being one of the artists selected by the Ad Art Show, with an exhibition at Sotheby’s, NY. Her works have also been seen on linkNYC screens at the Oculus Westfield World Trade Center.

Website: http://www.annevandycke.com
Consultant Website: http://www.annevandyckestudio.com

CAROL BRODY

I have been an active participant on the NAWA board since 2016. I joined when I moved

to New York from Baltimore. In Baltimore, I was active in the community, had a significant art practice in ceramics, and started and successfully ran a boutique store featuring wearable art, handcrafted jewelry and other works by American artists. I have also served as a board member and treasurer of Baltimore Clayworks for a number of years, as well as being active on the board of Clyburn Arboretum. My art practice was as a porcelain potter, teaching and selling my work in many galleries and local shows.

When I moved to New York I heard about NAWA from my friend Joan Lewis, who is also an active national board member. She knew about my accounting experience. Many practicing artists do not understand the importance of keeping accurate financial records. NAWA is a non-profit organization and subject to a tax audit and penalties if the record keeping is not done properly. Because I could, I said that I would. I became the treasurer of NAWA, with almost 800 members nationwide.

Being active in the organization has enabled me to meet wonderful likeminded people. It has also been a challenge to oversee the financial life of the organization. I strongly believe that good accounting practices can give an accurate picture of the wellbeing and potential of an organization.

I began “looking” from a very young age. Although there was not a very good art program at my school, art books were around my home and I spent a lot of time putting marks on paper. I was given “art” lessons at an early age. I studied art history at Goucher College, subsequently taking classes in ceramics at the Baltimore Museum of Art. This started a forty-year involvement with clay: teaching as well as exhibiting. As I got older the physical requirements of clay became difficult for me. I began investigating other media. I began taking classes in different two-dimensional media: encaustics, drawing, watercolor, collage, and photography, often combining media.

It was not particularly difficult to establish myself when I first moved to New York. I was invited to join a co-op gallery in Hudson, New York, where I exhibited six times a year. I loved the camaraderie with other artists at the 510 Warren Street Gallery and had some sales. However, after two years, the distance became a problem.

I have often been selected to participate in NAWA exhibitions. I think generally women are more sharing, and more ready to “get the job done”. The bias against women is well documented. Many studies confirm that works done by men are routinely given higher ratings than works done by women as a result of the implicit bias. While I have never thought about presenting imagery that references women’s struggles and triumphs, the point of view of women of all ages exposes me to a better understanding of the world through female eyes.

I believe the term “Fine Arts” is an artificial designation. Many, many people from different cultures have produced work of rare and exceptional quality that some would not consider “Fine Art”. Joyce Kozloff, the speaker for this year’s annual meeting and luncheon, has said “My colleagues and I were exploring the applied and decorative arts as source and inspiration, to break down the high art/low art hierarchies inherent in the West.” In most non-western cultures there is no distinction. After a lifetime quest to understand the definition of “ART”, I have come to believe that it is the intention and execution of an idea visually that defines art, not the media.

Readers are invited to visit Carol’s website for more information: www.carolbrodyart.com

Nancy Dwight, Live Oak Morning, Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

SOUTH CAROLINA

We are working together during this difficult period and having virtual meetings to put together details Exhibits, Events and Programs for Brookgreen Gardens for Fall 2020 and beyond. We have finalized the details for The Vendue Art Hotel Exhibit in Charleston, SC, October 15 to November 29th 2020 which be a Juried Exhibit open to all NAWA Artists. The theme will be “Inspirational Journey” – An exploration of the influences which have become the visual language of art. The Exhibit will be in honor of author Pat Conroy’s work and his service to the community. The exhibit venue will host a daily cocktail hour, and exhibit tour for the hotel guests and VIP’s. We have been working on developing onsite Artist Demonstrations, lecture content, and Artist panel discussions by NAWA artists for the duration of the exhibit. Author panel discussions by National Best Selling Authors whose lives and careers were influenced by Pat Conroy will also be hosted in the Gallery during the Exhibit. We are getting ready to send out the Show Submit Prospectus for this wonderful event soon. Special Artist Hotel Rates for Artist retreats are being put together by the hotel. Stayed tuned for details about this exhibit more exciting news!

FLORIDA CHAPTER

by Roberta Milman-Ide, President

I hope this newsletter finds you well and safe during such strange times.  I saw a post on FB that I thought was amusing…“I Didn’t Think That When We Changed Our Clocks Earlier This Month, We’d Go from Standard Time to Twilight Zone!”

But seriously, these have been historically defining moments.  Far from causing division and discord, this crisis and the social distancing it has required, has allowed us to witness something profound and moving about ourselves: our fond and deeply felt wish to be connected with one another.  So, in this current environment (and with the help of NAWA National’s Zoom Account & NAWA’s Executive Director Biana Kovic, who will be setting NAWAFL up, we are having ONLINE ART SALONS!

NOTE TO READERS:  Roberta will work as the mediator for the Florida members on the third Wednesday of each month.  These are informal gatherings which will enable participants to share their work and ask for feedback as desired.  As her daughter-in-law joked, being on Zoom reminds her of the beginning of the Brady Bunch TV show.  According to Roberta, “I guess in a way we are all a combined family of artists!”

NAWAFL ART EXHIBITS: 

Aug-Nov,2020 – We’re still on track for Exhibiting, at the end of the Summer at Rookery Bay Nature Center, Naples, FL.  This show can only exhibit around 25 pieces (but with a maximum size of 64″ squared). We will now be entering all our Exhibitions via ShowSubmit (and not through our Website). Please watch for the prospectus, with details, by end of April.

Dec 2020 – Art Angels of the SubTropics II Invitation Exhibition (for NAWAFL’s hardest working Volunteers.  Location: My New Studio.  And a good place to celebrate the holidays with all NAWAFL members.)

March 2021 – we have two shows:

1. A nature themed show at The Miami Botanical Gardens Art Gallery
2. A combined show with our NAWA South Carolina (Sister) Chapter at the Fish House Art Center Gallery, Port Salerno, FL

Both shows Celebrate Women’s History Month.

We will be having our Annual Luncheon/Dinner  in Miami, the same day as the Botanical Gardens Show Reception.

We are also at the beginning stage of hosting a NAWAFL Professional Development Workshop, at Rowlins College, FL (possibly set for 2022) as well as firming up other Exhibition dates.  The only thing slowing down scheduling is this Virus.  But it shouldn’t slow us Artists down. All things will pass. And, with patience and Sheltering in Place, we can still make the best of our current situation.

MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER

by Jennifer Costello, President

Well, what a difference one or two weeks makes…

The board and I are hopeful that Boston’s actions, combined with many surrounding districts, together with decisions being made at the state and federal levels, will help at least mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. But we also know that postponement and closing of shows are huge decisions and that all of us are working through changes, routines, and schedule.

First and foremost, we hope that all members of our NAWA community follow the guidance designed to keep us as healthy and safe as possible.  You can go to: https://www.covidclinical.org/

To help with those recommendations, our Mirror Image and S|HE receptions were postponed. Due to these temporary circumstances, all eyes are now on online exhibiting. This is the best method to make sure our artists don’t skip a beat and get maximum exposure during this time. We are implementing more online appearances with our current three shows ‘S|HE’ (Monday, January 20, 2020—extending to the end of April, 2020) at Atlantic Wharf Gallery Seaport; ‘Floating Dreams’ (Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – Tuesday, March 31, 2020) at Canvas Fine Art Boston, and ‘Mirror Image’ (Saturday, March 14–Sunday, April 26, 2020) will become a shop (e.g.  https://nawama.org/she-store) that will be linked to www.nawama.org  in addition to our three venue sites. We will help facilitate as the individual artists will deal with tax and shipping. We are happy to be working with Tamar Russell Brown (Sitka Creations) who updated our website beautifully. Once up, we will send an eblast for our exhibiting members to promote.

With that said, 2020 has offered 5 shows so far, along with two $1,500 scholarships to female high school students pursuing college studies in Art with selection process on the way; our Spring Soiree scheduled for June 6, 4-8 pm at District Hall, Boston, will, hopefully, take place with members to engage with one another; also upcoming is ‘Collectibles’ in association with the Rockport Art Association & Museum. The show’s exhibit dates are July 25-August 30, 2020 and it will be juried by Jennifer Liston Munson, former senior member of the Exhibitions and Design Department at the MFA and Executive Director of Armenian Museum. Please note we are hopeful during this dire situation and we will adjust dates as needed.

We also hope—perhaps even more importantly!—that these next weeks give us and our families an opportunity to do the unplanned-memory-making-adventures that can be among the most powerful parts of life! Play more in the studio, try out a new recipe in the kitchen, catch up on much needed reading, and so forth.

As for us, we hope to be able to do a lot of the above. We will be sending regular updates. It is a privilege to serve our amazing NAWAMA community. The most important: conversation–relationships, connections, love, and care!

Be well and be healthy.

By Nancy Vineburgh

THE VOTE: WOMEN’S FIERCE FIGHT

Penny Colman
Penelope M. Colman, 2019

By Nancy Vineburg

Penny Colman’s new book, The Vote: Women’s Fierce Fight, presents the riveting story of our nation’s women who struggled well over a century to ensure our equality and our enfranchisement. As NAWA pays tribute to the centennial of this milestone, Colman’s book makes us grateful for the bravery, tenacity, and genius of both the leaders of and participants in this ‘fierce fight’.

The author traces the origins of woman suffrage to the deprived status of women in 17th century America. Governed by English Common Law that was transplanted to the colonies, women had no legal or political rights. In 1648, Margaret Brent, a single woman who was a Maryland landowner and attorney, is known to be the first woman who demanded ‘vote and voyce’. There is a landmark in her honor, The Margaret Brent Garden, in Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland.

Many powerful men such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams adhered to and sustained the patriarchal mindset in which women were to be obedient, chaste, and unquestioning. That women began to have a voice occurred as a result of their involvement in the anti-slavery movement. So apparent were their organizational skills, they were asked to suspend their rights’ activities and support abolitionism. This resulted in black men achieving the vote, but not women.

A watershed moment occurred in London in 1840 when Lucretia Mott (43 years of age) met Elizabeth Cady Stanton (24 years old). They decided to join forces, hold a convention and form a society to advocate the rights of women. Eight years later the Seneca Falls Convention was held in New York. A primary call to action was to add ‘and women’, to the famous line in the Declaration of Independence, ‘all men are created equal.’ The Seneca Falls Convention was derided in newspapers as a “most insane and ludicrous farce”. Several years later Susan B. Anthony met Stanton, setting in motion a friendship of 51 years as ‘coadjutors’ and ushering in a period of intense activism to achieve the goal of women’s enfranchisement.

How women galvanized other women to achieve a common goal amidst rejection after rejection, setback after setback including imprisonment and harsh treatment, is something none of us can fathom today. Women were literally called to war! Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote about “councils of war” and the “mode of attack”; “ammunition” and “bullets” and “combat”. Susan B. Anthony evoked a “grand army of women.”

Nowhere was this warrior mentality more at work than women’s activism vis a vis President Woodrow Wilson. At his first address to the Sixty-Fourth Congress in 1916, Alice Paul, a key suffrage leader of the day, led the unfurling of a banner from the gallery, which read: MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE?

Following an unsuccessful meeting of a woman’s delegation to talk with Wilson, Paul conceived of a new, bolder tactic to picket the White House. “Teams of pickets stood in front of the White House six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in heat, rain, snow and hail for over two and a half years. These pickets included factory workers, society women, celebrities, college students and diverse, female interest groups from all over the country.”

Of note to NAWA members is “Paul’s genius for communicating with images.” Not only did these women fight a war, they waged the most amazing advertising campaigns. Paul insisted that the banners be beautiful and ever-changing. Of all shapes and sizes ranging from 6 by 6 feet to 5 by 2 feet, every design was meticulously rendered through hand painting and stenciling. “The messages were artistically lettered in easy-to-read bold type.”

Ultimately the battle for women’s rights necessitated a state by state ratification process requiring hours and hours, months and months of political maneuvering and persistence. The vote was finally won on August 26, 1920. Several months prior, the National American Woman Suffrage Association held its 51st Annual Convention, the ‘Victory Convention’. Its President, Carrie Chapman Catt sums up their amazing achievement:

“Ours has been a cause to live for, a cause to die for if need be. It has been a movement with a soul, a dauntless, unconquerable soul ever leading onward.” Her final words set off a wild celebration as she declared, “Oh, women, be glad today and let your voices ring out the gladness in your heart.” In this writer’s opinion, Penny Colman’s book documents and successfully communicates the heart and soul of this ‘fierce fight’.

By Carol Dixon

Carol Nipomnich Dixon stands in front of her oil painting,
Sunlit Leaves, Photo: Jo Ubogy

We always welcome your news and impressions of our quarterly newsletter. Remember that with 800 plus members, it’s a useful forum for your thoughts and suggestions.

From Carol Dixon:
January 16, 2020

Congratulations on a wonderful NAWA NOW (January 2020). I found the bios and new active members impressive and inspiring. So much of the artwork included was highly original and well-crafted. It made me proud to belong to such a vibrant organization.

Thank you,

Carol Dixon

Artwork by Sandy Dimke

GRAND VISION: WE ARE HERE

Gallery Grand Central Library
145 East 46th Street
New York, NY 10018

Currently Online: www.thenawa.org

Read more…

Collector and entrepreneur Marie Cuttoli. Man Ray, Marie Cuttoli, c. 1938. © Man Ray 2015
Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY / ADAGP, Paris

Marie Cuttoli: The Modern Thread from Miró to Man Ray

February 23–May 10, 2020
The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130

(NAWA member Kathleen Catanese brought this lovely exhibition of Marie Cuttoli’s to our attention. Cuttoli’s genius lay in her unique pairing of fashion and the fine arts.)

Evening dress. Embroidery designed by Natalia Goncharova (Russian, 1881–1962) for Myrbor (Paris, est. 1922), c. 1926. Silk with silk appliqué and metallic thread and wool yarn embroidery. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gift of Mrs. Richard S. Davis

Marie Cuttoli’s (French, 1879-1973) first commercial venture was in fashion. She founded Myrbor, a fashion label and boutique in 1922 in Paris, and in the same neighborhood as Chanel and Lavin. She enlisted an artist, Natalia Goncharova, to design clothing, much of which was richly embroidered. Goncharova, already famous for her set design and costumes for the Ballet Russe, designed garments inspired by modern art. “If you like to see a Léger or Lurçat or a Picasso on your walls, you will like to wear Myrbor clothes”-Thérèse and Louise Bonney, “A Shopping Guide to Paris,” 1929.

In 1930s Paris, entrepreneur Cuttoli convinced the most celebrated modern artists of her time, including Picasso, Miró, Léger, and Man Ray to create designs for the historic tapestry workshops of Aubusson, France. Marie’s venture gave new life to an artistic tradition and brought modernism to new audiences. Artist’s paintings and drawings are seen as “cartoons” or models made to produce woven works of art.

This exhibition gives insights into the exciting life of Marie Cuttoli and reveals the profound dialogue she started between the fine and decorative arts. From its origin in artist studios and galleries, Cuttoli enabled the Modern style to enter homes and offices, becoming part of fashionable life.

Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures

Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Museum is temporarily closed. Readers are encouraged to go online for further information.
www.metmuseum.org

Dorothea Lange, Self-Portrait, c. 1935

Toward the end of her life, Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) reflected, “All photographs—not only those that are so called ‘documentary’…can be fortified by words.” A committed social observer, Lange paid sharp attention to the human condition, conveying stories of everyday life through her photographs and the voices they drew in. Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures is the first major MoMA exhibition of Lange’s in 50 years, bringing iconic works from the collection together with less seen photographs—from early street photography to projects on criminal justice reform. The work’s complex relationships to words show Lange’s interest in art’s power to deliver public awareness and to connect to intimate narratives in the world. The exhibit is also a rare opportunity to enjoy the images and copy from her landmark photobook, An American Exodus.

Her devotion to the displaced families, sharecroppers and migrant workers is totally inspiring and Lange herself is one for the ages.
Organized by Sarah Meister, Curator, with River Bullock, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, assisted by Madeline Weisburg, Modern Women’s Fund 12-Month Intern, Department of Photography.

Here is an inspiring video of Dorothea Lange’s work:

Gladys Nilsson

Review by Kathleen Catanese

Gladys Nilsson makes art that is lively and exciting. In Chicago she exhibited with a group of artists called “The Hairy Who.” Now 79, she continues to make art imbued with energy. She creates colorful abstract shapes that dance across the canvas. Exuberant forms fill the space, overlapping to create a densely patterned cacophony of images that are filled with life. Sometimes, her work spills off the surface and continues onto her artist made frames. These original artworks are definitely worth a visit!

Gladys Nilsson
“Honk! Fifty Years of Painting”
Matthew Marks Gallery
523 W 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
Exhibit runs through April 17, 2020

Robin Antar
Square Mile
The Best Sculptures in the World
December 2, 2019
www.squaremile.com

Gale Madeira
International Magazine
December/January, 2019
www.internationalmagazine

NAWA, Florida Chapter
Naples Daily News
January 4, 2020
Florida Chapter, National Association of Women Artists
www.naplesnews.com

Celia Rabinovitch (Author)
Duchamp’s Pipe: A Chess Romance – Marcel Duchamp & George Koltanowski
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
www.amazon.com

I guess we’re not exaggerating when we say we have never seen an April quite like this one.  Cities and towns shut down, exhibits postponed, distancing ourselves from friends and strangers alike.  But something else has been happening—we’ve been writing more emails and making more calls to others than ever before.  We’ve felt the need to reach out and connect.

That connection for many of us has extended to making art as well.  We trust during these difficult times that all of us will find solace and inspiration in that act of creation, in being in touch with that part of ourselves that can bring us comfort.  That makes us very fortunate and nothing—not even a pandemic—can take that away from us.

Here’s some words from the wise to consider:

“Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity.  I don’t see a different purpose for it now.”  -Dorothea Tanning

“Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.” -Anni Albers

“I just decided, when someone says you can’t do something, DO MORE OF IT.” -Faith Ringgold

FOR OUR JULY ISSUE:

Thriving during crisis times is not always easy.  Please be in touch with your letters about how you are coping. Remember each issue features a Shout Out section. So we are interested in hearing anything about our members and their work you feel should be featured.  Exciting news about women artists and their exhibits, members and non-members alike we hope to include in On Your Radar. Send us news about your solo and two-person exhibits or statewide biennial or triennial shows that you feel we should publish. And don’t forget to celebrate yourselves and one another!  We deserve it!

Sandra Bertrand: mailto:sbertrand1@earthlink.net
Sarah Katz: mailto:skatz181@me.com