Gainesville, Florida – NAWA Member and NAWA NOW Co-Editor, Patrice Boyes’ painting, “Naked Springs Reverie,” is the featured 2023-24 image for NPR-affiliate WUFT-FM’s 42nd Anniversary Poster. Boyes appeared on the station’s podcast, “Tell Me About It,” to discuss the painting and her strong support for public radio (link below) and also appeared at a poster signing at The Harm Museum on November 15, 2023. The poster is a thank-you gift this year for supporters of the station, which serves all of North Florida.

Boyes said about the painting, “It was a crisp spring day, the kind that keeps the mosquitoes away – for a time. Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park had recently been purchased by the State of Florida, and Naked Springs, one of the natural springs within the park, was still accessible within a 2-minute walk from the main spring vent at Blue Springs. The clear water, sandy bottom and cave openings of Naked Springs reflected the deepest teals and most intense turquoises and indigos that an artist can fathom. The primordial backdrop of the cypress trees stood sentry to the mysteries in the deep blue, naked pools below. The play of light simply dazzled and compelled me to paint it, to try to understand it.”

At the November 15, 2023, artist poster signing, NAWA Member Patrice Boyes with Dr. Lee Anne Chesterfield, Director of the University of Florida Harn Museum, Gainesville, Florida, with Boyes’ painting, “Naked Springs Reverie,” the featured image on WUFT-FM public radio’s 42nd Anniversary Poster (see below).

Micheline Klagsburn at the American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center.

Passage. Mixed media sculpture, 2023 (detail of larger piece)

We hope you can join us for these programs organized in conjunction with
Art and the Demands of Memory: Works by Second Generation Holocaust Survivors,
American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, (February 7 – May 19, 2024).
The programs are free but require registration.

A POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES
Film screening on March 3, 4 p.m.,

followed by a discussion between Dr. Eva Fogelman, consulting producer and the director Aviva Kempner
with artists Micheline Klagsbrun, Dalya Luttwak, and Miriam Mörsel Nathan.

“One of the Best Films of 2023”
–The Washington Post

Washington Post Article about the film, written by John Kelly
Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center
Massachusetts and Nebraska Aves. NW
Free Parking in the Katzen Arts Center Garage
Free tickets, but registration required

Click HERE to watch the Theatrical Trailer.
Click HERE to purchase tickets

ART AND THE DEMANDS OF MEMORY: A CONVERSATION

The exhibition Art and the Demands of Memory: Works by Second Generation Holocaust Survivors opened with a panel discussion on February 7 at the American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, in Washington DC. Since many people could not attend in person, we are organizing an online conversation between the curator and the artists
Sunday, March 10, at 12 p.m. EST. Online only
Click HERE to register – the zoom link will be sent a day before the event.

Images at top and above: PASSAGE, mixed-media sculpture, approx. 6 ft x 25 ft, 2023-4: Micheline Klagsbrun

www.michelineklagsbrun.com
http://www.instagram.com/mklagsbrun

Four Seasons Playground

by Elena Zelenina

In the vibrant realm of artistic expression, the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) has been a beacon of innovation, empowering and promoting women artists for 135 years. This year, a team of Signature members pushes the boundaries between different ages, artistic skill levels, and communities, uniting them all in a positive conversation about possibilities and collaboration through the “Imaginary Playground” community outreach project.

We successfully conducted workshops with Leah Tomaino, Marina Duvidzon, Jill Law, and Tamara Zaliznyak where the Imaginary Playground project transcended its initial concept, evolving into a catalyst for team building and collective artistic expression.
I, myself wanted to bring the spirit of art collaboration to the Hilltop Country Day School. Students from various grades embarked on a journey of artistic exploration together. Their Imaginary Playground projects, subtitled “Inclusive Wonderland” and “Four Seasons,” served as a testament to the transformative power of creativity. As students exchanged ideas, navigated differences, and discovered common ground, they created Art and cultivated empathy, communication, and teamwork. The art room became a microcosm of mutual understanding, where every voice was valued and every contribution celebrated.

I recorded their thoughts for you to see how wonderful the conversation about this project is: https://youtu.be/Oo2v6mhkT34?si=9J-bQnS7lXG9qun3

Amidst the collective endeavors of the Imaginary Playground project, one individual’s artistic vision shone brightly. Colby Wood, a third-grader at Hilltop School, embarked on a quest to explore the realms of three-dimensional Art. Inspired by the project’s boundless creativity, Colby’s “Four Seasons” became a testament to his imagination and craftsmanship.

https://youtu.be/GNj_oOpIZ9k?si=-PfZ4xl1vuJ9oZ5u
NAWA’s Community Outreach project promotes the idea that Art helps make us whole, invoking a broader perspective on life. Students of all ages become creative and innovative. For childhood education, it’s vital to have an arts-rich curriculum because learning with Art becomes fun, engaging, and often effortless, and even if there is an effort, it’s not a struggle. NAWA’s project inspired so much conversation in the art studio that I can’t promote it enough. For adults, engagement into creative art activities brings joy and makes life better, more exciting.

https://thenawa.org/the-imaginary-playground-2024/

by Jen Haefeli

Photo: Jen Haefeli, Lady Pink, by Arezoo Khanzadeh
North of New York City, October 2018

The muralist Sandra Fabara, known as “Lady Pink” or “Pink” stays true to herself despite global recognition as a founder of the art form of graffiti and a massive following. Although she is often known by such monikers as “The First Lady of New York Graffiti,” “God of Graffiti,” “Queen of Graffiti,” and “A Pioneer of Graffiti,” there is more to the “Lady Pink” story and the person.

Regardless of who she creates for, what she has painted, and where she travels, Lady Pink maintains a relaxed, calm demeanor. While she is understandably guarded and keeps her private life to herself, she is warm. An afternoon spent discussing inspiration, creativity, travel, and experiences throughout her career passed quickly as we enjoyed a large plate of nachos with members of her family and mine. Seemingly trivial questions came up, such as favorite colors, and elements repeatedly used. The woman behind the creative powerhouse team that is Lady Pink is more impressive than her work, which should speak volumes.

Pink, constantly referred to as a “graffiti artist,” describes herself as a muralist. She works exclusively on projects that are permitted these days, and many are large-scale. Some require the use of a cherry-picker and harness. Pink is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City, where she majored in architecture. This background comes through in the clean lines and re-creation of many buildings, as well as the skillful use of hand-drawn and painted bricks within her pieces to strategically create texture on the soft and curved female forms. Whether Pink utilizes the shape of bricks to create female forms, plants, and even cats, her application of the imagery on canvas before large-scale application on substrates like cinderblock, poured cement and actual brick is rather convincing. Her line quality is precise and impressive in every piece, and she works quickly. Her large-scale pieces require planning, and that provides her an opportunity to illustrate fine art pieces. In addition to murals and illustrations, Pink has launched her work into a new realm, as she has become a multi-faceted artist with serious brand power.

Pink made an unprecedented, highly successful pivot to fine art from the gritty hip-hop street art culture she was defined by after participating in the docudrama-style film, “Wild Style” early in her career. Though the film jettisoned her to recognition, she has worked hard to be seen as more than a graffiti or Hip-hop artist. Lady Pink began by showing her work in galleries before she completed her education. She crafted her tag sign while cementing her position as a leader in the street art scene, and proved that women deserve not just a seat at the table, but a position leading the pack. While graffiti-based artwork became gradually more well-known, Lady Pink began exhibiting her fine art at museums including the Whitney, Metropolitan Museum in New York City, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and Museum of Modern Art. A clear distinction was drawn and she gained a following, placing her work in private collections worldwide. She accomplished all of this while mentoring students at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts for more than 12 years. Pink is a dedicated advocate for educating and mentoring young minds and has helped students secure college scholarships by helping them build portfolios for submission to colleges.

Pink believes in community and isn’t competitive when it comes to other women. She is known for her collaborative work. One of the best-known images of Lady Pink was taken of her by photographer, Lisa Kahane. Wearing a simple white t-shirt bearing the Jenny Holzer slogan, “Abuse Of Power Comes As No Surprise,” Pink was photographed amid a chaotic crowd outside of a Diana Ross concert in Times Square in New York. That image and a few others were taken shortly before Pink recognized the crowd was getting too hot. She signaled Kahane that they needed to leave immediately, narrowly avoiding a robbery. Holzer and Pink recently produced a gallery exhibition of Holzer’s work in March 2023 at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf.

Illustration: Lady Pink, watercolor with digital overlay; 9” x 12”, contains replications from a photo by Photographer Lisa Kahane with artwork created by Jenny Holzer worn by Lady Pink; with permission from the artists.

As Lady Pink’s notoriety has grown, demand for her murals increased, including partnership opportunities for her designs. Pink has participated in the creation of mini train cars bearing her signature and signed “Canbots,” and limited-edition rugs. She has created limited-edition apparel for Supreme, Shop Vida, and Alice Riots, limited-edition embroidered prints, hand-signed spray paint cans, and the design for the BMR1959 box for Barbie. Pink has secured exclusives with companies like Chronicle Wines, which offers “Social Club Pink”, a compliment of wines sold with her work on the label. She also designed an exclusive collection for Lancôme, their La Vie est Belle Artist Edition. In 2023, Lady Pink collaborated with fellow Subway Street Artist, Lee Quiñones, and the Estate of the late artist Rammellzee, who was known for adding elements of avant-garde to his work, on a design for Louis Vuitton. The White Canvas: LV Trainer, a limited-edition design with a brick embellishment, a nod to the three artist’s origins in brick wall substrate, was released on March 16, 2023, in Milan.

Lady Pink regularly travels internationally with murals popping up around the world. With her presence in biennials, Art Basel Miami and the Museum of Graffiti, she proves her energy is growing, rather than tapering. Lady Pink is well-seated as a Queen, a leader, a pioneer, and a First Lady. Of what? She can make the choice, and we should all listen and respond accordingly. She has earned it.