A Home for the Arts
in the Heart of Herndon
Newsletter

June 2014
Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings, featuring the contemporary art of Morgan Johnson Norwood, opened Tuesday, June 3. Come see the exhibit and meet Ms. Norwood at the Artist Reception on Saturday, June 7, 2014 from 7 to 9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

The series of  contemporary, nature-inspired paintings in Burnt Offerings are Ms. Norwood's exploration into the relationship of creation, destruction, and rebirth. Fueled from her own personal experiences of traumatic loss and change, she has used the metaphor fire as inspiration for this evocative series. She asks the question, how do we find the courage to grow in the face of fear? Norwood's fascination with forest renewal after destruction from natural and human-ignited accidental or purposeful burns has allowed herself to rediscover her own inner flame.
Slow Burn by Morgan Johnson Norwood
Slow Burn by Morgan Johnson Norwood

 Burnt Offerings is on exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon until June 29, 2014. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
Herndon Town Calendar Call for Photographs
We are pleased to announce that photographers Peter Toth and Lee Love are jurors for this competition.

ArtSpace Herndon and the Council for the Arts of Herndon present the fourth annual Herndon Town Calendar Photography Competition.  The call is open to professional and amateur photographers and all high school students.

There is no fee to enter and the entry deadline is June 10, 2014, at 2 p.m.  Don't wait until the last minute, register now to enter!

Get out your cameras!  Subjects for all entries must be in landscape format and located within the corporate limits of the Town of Herndon. Special consideration will be given to entries depicting people participating in seasonal or community events.

 

A select panel of jurors will evaluate photographs submitted to the competition and select the finalists. Finalists are invited to exhibit in ArtSpace Herndon's Post Gallery. From the finalist photographs, the Town of Herndon will select photographs for the 2015 Herndon Town Calendar.

 

Each year in December, more than 10,000 calendars are printed and distributed to all citizens and businesses throughout the town.  In addition to the exhibit and publication in the calendar, finalist photographs are eligible to receive the Herndon Town Calendar People's Choice Award, given to the photograph best representing Herndon.      Visit our website for more information.       

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In this Issue InThisIssue
Herndon Town Calendar Call for Photographs
2014 Classes
Towne Square Singers: The Magic of the Cinema
Paint Herndon
Design and Wine
Open Mic Night
Senior Tea
Our Gallery and Herndon Farmers' Market
2014 Herndon Festival
Summer Concerts
Reston Bike Call for Art
Pianos in the Park
2014 Classes

Children's classes have been added for the summer. A variety of classes are offered at ArtSpace Herndon throughout the year. Esteemed local artists teach classes and workshops in various mediums, including acrylics, oils, watercolors, and sketching.

  

Fall Class Registration Open


 Painting Workshop by Lois Griffel
Ms. Griffel is a new Master Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society.

Sketching classes by Martin Steinhobel
Sign up for Summer and Fall workshop and classes.
Mixed Media classes by Melanie Zucker Stanley
Sign up for a June mini-class.
Sessions in July and August
The Magic of the Cinema
 
Paint Herndon

Paint Herndon is a celebration of the arts and the anniversary of the opening of ArtSpace Herndon. The 7th Annual Paint Herndon Celebration is Saturday, September 20, 2014. The cornerstone of the event is the Painting Competition which is designed in the spirit of a "day painting" competition and challenges artists to create works of art in a short period of time. 

This year, ArtSpace Herndon would like to continue the success we had last year with introducing more educational and participatory activities for the general public and those not participating in the painting competition. Once again, we need your help and creativity. All artists and art educators, including both visual and performing arts,

are invited to offer their ideas and talents to make Paint Herndon better than ever.  The deadline to submit a proposal has been extended to Wednesday, July 23rd.  (Artists will be paid to provide activities.)

 

Art on the Lawn is back at Paint Herndon!  ArtSpace Herndon is inviting artists, arts organizations, and arts related businesses to come celebrate Paint Herndon with us. Sign up for a booth and be part of the celebration.  Offer your artwork for sale or promote your arts organization and/or business.   On-site demonstrations are encouraged.  Apply by Monday, June 23, 2014 and guarantee your priority location.

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Design and Wine
                                              

The 2013-14 monthly Design & Wine series concluded May 20, with Guest Artist Lassie Corbett and a full class of 20 participants. Under her guidance the participants created the beauty of spring flowers using watercolors on canvas while enjoying wine and the company of other artists.

 

The popular Design & Wine monthly series included eight classes each led by a different local artist. In addition to the May class in watercolors, others included various mediums such as acrylics/soft pastels, sketching, doodling, quilling, pottery, jewelry, and silk painting. The series is anticipated to resume in the fall but plans have not been finalized so please watch for further updates on our website and monthly newsletter.                                                                                       
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Open Mic Night
New Years 2014-5

On Saturday evening, May 17, the Post Gallery came alive with performers of all ages who impressed a live audience of over 90 guests. There were 22 performers, of which half were youths. Performances included singing and playing instruments such as guitar and keyboard and even a few original songs.

 

The next Open Mic event will be announced soon.

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Senior Tea

 

Each month seniors are invited to visit ArtSpace Herndon to view the current exhibit and enjoy a cup of tea.  The next Senior Tea will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday,  June 13, 2014.

 

Seniors from the Herndon Senior Center are regular visitors.  This event is FREE and open to the public.
Visit our Gallery and Herndon Farmers' Market
Artisan's Shop Jewelry

 

Stop by our gallery and enjoy the current exhibit while in downtown Herndon shopping at the Herndon Farmers' Market. Many of the exhibits have works of art for sale and our artisan shop offers beautiful jewelry, prints, wine glasses and more for sale by local artisans. Art makes a wonderful graduation, anniversary or birthday gift. Herndon Farmers' Market is located in front of the caboose in the 700 block of Lynn Street. The market is open through November 13, every Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information visit the farmers' market website.

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2014 Herndon Festival

 

The 34th Herndon festival was a big success thanks to all the visitors, volunteers and sponsors. This year's festival featured fireworks, live entertainment, children's activities, carnival rides, food, business and craft vendors, and a free shuttle bus into historic downtown Herndon.  The 2015 Herndon Festival will take place May 28-31.

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Arrowbrook Centre Park Summer Concert Series

Summer is the time for outdoor music.

In partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority, Arrowbrook Management Corporation and Arrowbrook Centre, LLC, are proud to sponsor the third year of Music at Arrowbrook Park concert series. Concerts are free and held at Arrowbrook Centre Park, 2351 Field Point Road in Herndon on Saturday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. during June and July.  The first concert on June 21 features Guy Mendilow Ensemble (world music).  Click here for a complete list of artists and more information.

 

Two other
free concert series are Friday Night Live - Friday evenings on the Town Green in downtown Herndon and  Hunter Mill Melodies - Thursday evenings at Frying Pan Farm Park.                                              
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Reston Bike - Reston Century T-Shirt Art Competition Call for Art

 

For the sixth year, ArtSpace Herndon is working with the Reston Bike Club on the t-shirt art competition for the 32nd annual Century Bike Ride, sponsored by the Reston Bike Club. Reston Bike Club and ArtSpace Herndon invite all 2D artists to enter the Reston Century T-Shirt Art Competition. All 2 dimensional media are acceptable including painting, drawing and photography and the artwork entered in the competition for this year's event must carry a theme identifying it with Purcellville, VA and road cycling.

 

Recognition will be given to first, second, and third places as determined by the Reston Bike Club Board in the following amounts. First Place: $500; Second Place $300; Third Place: $100. The winning artwork will be printed in full color on the back of the t-shirts given to approximately 1200 riders and displayed on the club website. There is a $15 fee to register.  The registration deadline is Monday, July 14, 2014.

 

The 32nd annual Century Bike Ride will take place in August 2014.  Riders receive a T-shirt at the end of the ride printed with art featuring one of the towns along the Reston Century route, such as Reston, Herndon, Ashburn, Leesburg, Waterford, Hamilton, and Purcellville.

 

Click here for complete details about the competition and to register.

 

For more information on the Century Bike Ride, visit the Reston Bike Club

                                                       

 

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Pianos in the Park Artists David Skibiak and Keith Naquin

Artists David Skibiak and Keith Naquin participated in the "Pianos in the Park"
project at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, creating this bold artistic statement which incorporated nature themes with musical imagery. The collaboration is on display at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap adjacent to the box office.  For more photos go to Facebook Spring Awakening at Wolf Trap.
 
David and Keith will be the featured artists in The Road Less Traveled, an exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon in August 2015. 
Artists David Skibiak and Keith Naquin with the piano they painted at Wolf Trap Park
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Featured Artist: Morgan Johnson Norwood (continued)Norwood
Raindrop Reflection

 

She notes that teaching affects her work as an artist, especially as she learns more about herself and making art as she works with students.  "Working with people is an interesting jumble of personalities, experiences, and moods, and how to manage all of those things while still finding a way to make quality work is the challenge every day.  Leading a 45-minute class of 2nd graders right before their lunch can be a tiny snapshot of how we all manage people in our own lives with whom we might not agree or get along all the time.  Teaching has most certainly taught me patience and empathy.  Some kids have pretty big personal struggles that keep interfering with their learning, and it's my job to find any way I can to connect to their hearts and souls in order to bring out their best art.  How to find a way to make art that satisfies personal needs to play, explore, and create and also to move forward to the finished product is always an ongoing motivator."   

 

Earlier in her career (in her 20s), she "... held a job with a lot of responsibility to constituents much older than I, and during that time I was balancing the job with figuring out social life, and a new independence as an adult in a new city.  One day I had happened upon a dimestore rag at a thrift shop that had these fantastically awful ads and articles for things like girdles and getting the Mr. Right, and it just frustrated me how we're pretty much still in that mindset.  I used pieces of that magazine, along with quotes from theatre texts about play-acting and pages from books about dating and relationships as collage material.  I also created drawings and paintings about the tree of life, finding connection with the point at which trees go into their dormant state only to bloom and grow the next season."

 

She discusses her future, "I'd like to continue to paint and show my work, and depending on the space I find, I'd like to incorporate more sculpture as well.  Original art has soul and has the power to heal and transform.  I see a great partnership between my work and the medical and mental health fields, in addition to nature centers, wineries, as well as art galleries."

 
-Joanna Simon                                                                                 top

 

Sincerely,
Brenda Page
Cathy Callahan

Newsletter Editors
ArtSpace Herndon                          

 ArtSpace Herndon Sponsor-Grantor Icon 2013
Featured Artist
Morgan Johnson Norwood

Morgan Johnson Norwood's work is displayed in Burnt Offerings, on view at ArtSpace Herndon from June 3 to June 29.  Ms. Norwood's artist statement discusses her overall fascination with nature, including controlled burns and destruction and rebirth as shown in nature. She adds, " On some level I've always felt connected to nature.  My mother knew a great deal about plants, and my dad took great pride in his garden, and we all spent lots of time planting things when I was a child.  I have had a seed pod collection since forever.  I'm always picking up interesting things off the ground."  

 

"When I was in college I attended my grandmother's funeral in Colquitt, Georgia, which is a tiny little farm town at the bottom of the state.  I hadn't been back to the town or seen some of those relatives in over a decade, and standing there in the dusty clay in my black suit, I felt like an outsider.  After the funeral we visited the house in which my great grandfather (her father) had been born.  The tin roofed shack of a house was crumbling back to the earth, pulled to the ground by a large, twisted snarl of Wisteria branches in full purple bloom.  And the cycle of life and all its beauty hit me hard. Death begets life."

 

She explains how her art has evolved through her life experiences:  "

My biggest supporters, my dad, a Southern religious man who died from cancer when I was 26 years old, and my grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who died just a year and a half ago, both had stories of childhood upheaval by which I both identified and was fascinated."  

 

 

"Connecting an object to an idea in search for the big picture has always felt natural.  While artistically I've moved from representational art to more abstract and non-objective, I still tend to favor symbolism in all of my work.  Their memory is in every painting I make; it's my way of continuing that cycle of life."

 

"Most of my life's experiences have brought inspiration to my work, but the only time my work completely stopped was after my dad died.  It was hard letting his memory go, and harder still to put those feelings into my art.  It took years before I felt that urge to create again."  

 

She notes that becoming a mother has changed her art: "My art became much quieter and more soothing in style and color after children.  Those walks we took helped me prioritize my love over the daily angst of crying and laundry, and the painting helped me process those feelings.  Even my titles became softer: Exhale, With the Breeze, Meditation..."

 

She continues about how her interest in destruction and rebirth stems from her experience becoming a new mother and, ultimately, staying at home to look after her children:  "Becoming a new mother was a huge change for me, and it took a long time to figure out how to let go of being the perfect teacher and the perfect mother at the same time.  I never did, of course.  After my second child was born I took an extended maternity leave from teaching."

 

"During this time I learned that I could not only handle the demanding schedules and needs of two small children of different developmental ages and special needs totally on my own, but it also allowed for small moments when my eldest would be at morning preschool and my youngest would sleep in the stroller while I walked off my sleep-deprived and frazzled state to get exercise and quiet my mind.  It was on those trails that I reflected on motherhood and those seed pods I'd always collected.  The pods that once held a reproductive product has been ejected out into the world, leaving behind a cavity that bears the seed's shape.  I stopped to watch shadows on the trail shifting and moving in the wind from the trees above."

 

"Everything felt new.  From that, I painted an entire body of work in only those 20 minute spurts when the baby napped, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like me."

 

"But the interest in the burn and how destruction can create something new stems from something else: the shame and silence and heartache and fear that came when I learned my marriage was over, and the chaos and destruction of a life I had invested so much of my love and energy.  This past year alone I've had to change everything from housing to family to career to income to priorities and have still managed to hold on to my sanity, and I only owe that to my kids.  I've had some pretty great support from friends and family, but the biggest challenges were met when I had no other option but to move forward.  There was a point at which I couldn't even enter my studio out of fear and avoidance, but when I finally did, I found solace in painting whenever I could find the energy.  And when my palette exploded in reds and oranges, I just let it happen.  My life was burning and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  I knew, though, that I could still find beauty in the chaos. The Forest and the Flame series began."    

  

As Morgan focuses more on creating art and teaching in the coming months, she discusses how she will incorporate her interest in nature and rebirth in her teaching.  She points out, "Children are beautifully in touch with nature, and get so much joy making art with or of natural objects.  I enjoy helping these kids add another layer of depth to their understanding of the natural world.  Right now, in fact, some of my younger students are investigating insects and all their magical parts only visible through magnification, and how pollinators and plants collaborate, if you will.  I not only want them to explore materials artistically, but also I want them to get used to making connections from the earth to their own lives.  I believe this practice makes them better artists and better citizens." 

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ArtSpace Herndon has quickly become known for outstanding exhibits and entertaining events. We are excited to share the news about our new Friends of ArtSpace Herndon program. Our vision is to grow and develop the cultural arts in Herndon. We need your help:

  Become a Friend!

About the Gallery
Visit Us
ArtSpace Located behind Herndon Library

ArtSpace Herndon

Post Gallery
Sapphire Gallery
Artisans Shop
750 Center Street
Herndon, VA 20170

703-956-6590

Tu-Th 10a.m.-2p.m.
Fri-Sat 10a.m.-5p.m.
Sun 1p.m.-5p.m. 


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Herndon Foundation For the Cultural Arts
ArtSpace Herndon
is owned and operated
by the Herndon Foundation
for the Cultural Arts,
a not-for-profit
501(c)(3) organization
 750 Center Street
Herndon, VA 20170
Volunteer
ArtSpace Herndon is in need of gallery docents, especially on weekends.  We have classes and special events plus the usual gallery visitors.  Our gallery is staffed by volunteers who like to be around the arts.

Visit our website for more information on what volunteers are needed for and when.

If you would like to
volunteer please contact
Larry Verbiest
at 703-956-6590
for more information.
 
NextStop
Theatre Company
The Elden Street Players has a new name honoring Herndon's heritage as a W&OD railroad town, our future as a "stop" on the expanded Metro system, and the belief that the company's current success is merely a "NextStop" on the journey begun as the Elden Street Players.

Don't miss the latest productions!

Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island
(Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.)
July 19 through
 Aug 10, 2014

Summer Cabaret Series
July 11 through
Aug 17, 2014