Berkeley Arts Council Showcases Student Artwork

A selection of student artwork from the Berkeley Arts Council January-February art classes is on display at the Martinsburg Berkeley County Library.

The artwork was created during the classes in oil and watercolor painting, pottery, and the “Art Exploration” class for home school students.

Most of the participants were beginners and Jane Horst, Arts Council Vice President and coordinator for the Art Instruction Program says that “It’s amazing how much creativity there is in our community. All it takes is a little encouragement to bring it out.”

The Art Instruction Program is part of the Berkeley Arts Council’s mission to “Amplify the Arts” for local residents. The program presented with cooperation from the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Department and is supported in part by a grant from Ecolab. More information is available on the Berkeley Arts Council web site at www.berkeleyartswv.org/instruction/

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New Workshops for Artists

The Berkeley Arts Council is offering three new workshops for artists and artisans.

“How to Write an Artist Statement” taught by Nancy McKeithen

Do you know how to write an effective artist statement? Artists frequently must provide artist statements for all kinds of exhibits, whether they are major juried or solo opportunities or showing a few pieces in a local gallery.

Saturday, March 9 from 9am to 12noon ($35 BAC members $45 non-members.)
Registration Required; Deadline Tuesday, March 5.

“How to Photograph Your Artwork” taught by Rip Smith

Unless you are content to do your art and just let it sit in your home or studio, you want to get your work out where it can be enjoyed and possibly even purchased by others. Accomplishing this has become more and more dependent on your being able to provide high quality photographs of your work

Saturday, March 23 from 9am to 1pm ($40 BAC members $50 non-members.)
Registration Required; Deadline Tuesday, March 19.

“How to Write an Artist’s Resume” taught by Nancy McKeithen

Some opportunities for artists require an artist’s resume. These include certain teaching opportunities, grant applications, and even job applications under some circumstances.

Saturday, April 6 from 9am to 12noon ($35 BAC members $45 non-members.)
Registration Required; Deadline Tuesday, April 2.

Details and registration forms are available at www.berkeleyartswv.org/workshops/

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Third Annual Art and Earth Exhibit Dates Announced

The Berkeley Arts Council and The Redbrick Gallery in Martinsburg, West Virginia announce the Third Annual Art and Earth Juried Exhibit in Martinsburg. The exhibit will be on display at the Redbrick Gallery, 404 West King Street, Martinsburg, West Virginia from April 21 – May 11, 2013.

The exhibit, which will be produced by the Berkeley Arts Council, will have the theme “Art and Earth: My Art – My World” and entries should reflect the artist’s view of nature, the environment, or reflect an Earth Day related theme.

The exhibition is open to all visual artists over the age of 18 in all media. Entries must be original works of art that have been completed within the last three (3) years, and have not been previously exhibited in The Redbrick Gallery.

2012 Merit Award Winner: “Peaceful” by Teddy Brown

The Juror for the exhibit will be Dr. Geraldine Kiefer, Associate Professor of Art History at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.

The full prospectus and entry form will be available for download from the Berkeley Arts Council web site, on or about January 1, 2013.

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Just 2 slots left for Tom Lynch Watercolor Workshop (Update)

“Venice Glow” by Tom Lynch

Tom Lynch, nationally known watercolor instructor of PBS fame will be teaching watercolor techniques in Martinsburg for four days — July 10 – 13 . Conveniently offered at the Holiday Inn, what a great way to enrich your personal art experience. Details and enrollment information are available here.

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Art and Earth 1 Day Deadline Extension

The deadline for submissions to be postmarked for the Art and Earth Juried Exhibit has been extended one day, from February 20 to February 21. This is because when we set the deadline, we did not realize that next Monday, February 20 was the Presidents’ Day holiday and post offices will be closed.

Now we know that all of you artists never wait until the last minute, but just in case, you have one more day to get your entries together and in the mail.

All the details and downloadable entry forms are on the web at http://www.berkeleyartswv.org/juried_exhibit.php.

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Helping us bring arts to the forefront, we hope this article in the Journal will elicit some ideas that will show how state grant money can advance arts activity and opportunity in our community.  Think creatively: How can we support new arts programming by schools or community groups or help individuals reach new audiences within Berkeley County?

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Art Market Plans Moving Forward

The Holiday Arts and Craft Market for downtown Martinsburg is coming together.

DECEMBER 3–19

116 North Queen Street
Downtown Martinsburg, WV
(I-81 to King St exit, N on Queen St, 1-1/2 blocks on left)

Friday/Saturday 11:00 am–8:00 pm
Sundays 12:00–4:00 pm
Wednesday/Thursday 11:00 am–6:00 pm

Space is still available for interested artists.
Contact Leia Wood at leia.wood@gmail.com or call 304-283.1326.

We’re letting everyone know that we’re coming, starting with a sign in the window. By opening day we’ll have a wonderful array of original fine art and crafts created by some of our finest local artists and artisans, including potters, glass artists, photographers and painters, such as Mary Jo Bennett, Paul Berryhill, S.J. Brown, Hilda Eiber, Terry Harden, Judy Jeffares, Patricia Kinzie, Michael Pulsifer, Matt Sechler, Gail Siano, Carol Slovikosky, Sterling “Rip” Smith, and Leia Wood.

The market will open Friday, December 3 at 3pm just in time for the Holiday festivities in downtown Martinsburg. Join us December 3 for a reception from 5-8pm and meet out artists and artisans. Watch the Main Street Martinsburg site for details on the other activities.

The Holiday Market is a collaboration by the Berkeley Arts Council in association with ArtBerkeley, Inc. and the Heritage Craft Center of the Eastern Panhandle. A portion of all sales will be donated to the organizations.

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Artist Directory is Live

The Berkeley Arts Council announced today the posting of the new Berkeley County Artist Directory on its web site at http://www.berkeleyartswv.org/directory/ . The Directory is a listing of visual artists, artisans, performing artists, writers and other members of the creative community.

The directory is a resource for businesses and organizations wishing to exhibit and display local art, to commission artwork for a specific purpose, or to identify artists and artisans who can provide instruction in their medium.

Berkeley County artists are encouraged to create their own free listings in the Directory by submitting their information on the Berkeley Arts Council website at www.berkeleyartswv.org/directory/register.php. Forms will also be available at Berkeley Arts Council events, including exhibits and workshops. Enrollment is open to those living or creating their art in Berkeley County. Forms will also be available at Berkeley Arts Council events, including exhibits and workshops.

Arts Council Board Member and Webmaster Rip Smith explained “We know that there is a wealth of creative talent here in Berkeley County but until now nobody has attempted to develop a comprehensive listing of that talent. We hope that this Directory will open new opportunities for our artists in Berkeley County as well as serve as a resource for the larger community.”

Arts Council President Malinda Shaver adds “Compiling the directory will help us to represent the interest of the artists while we work to develop additional resources for the arts in our county.”

The current listing includes artists who registered since the Directory was announced in July. The Directory will be updated periodically as new listings are submitted.

The Berkeley Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization incorporated in West Virginia working to ensure that Berkeley County has a vibrant, vital arts environment. Our mission is to promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of the literary, visual and performing arts in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, in order to enhance the quality of life in our area. More information about the Berkeley Arts Council is on the web at http://www.berkeleyartwv.org.

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New Artisan Workshops Scheduled

As part of The Arts Council’s commitment to supporting local artists and artisans, we are offering workshops in various areas such as the use of technology, business practices, promotion and marketing, web sites for artists, presentation of artwork, photographing artwork, preparation of submissions to juried exhibits or other competitions, and other areas that may be identified.

Currently scheduled workshops:

Photography for Artists:
How to photograph artwork and prepare images for presentation

Saturday, August 28, 9am – 4pm
Comfort Inn, 1872 Edwin Miller Blvd. Martinsburg, WV

Instructor: Rip Smith

Berkeley Arts Council Members $55, Non-Members $75

Find out more

Building a free web site on WordPress.com

Saturday, September 11, 9am – 1pm
Comfort Inn, 1872 Edwin Miller Blvd. Martinsburg, WV
Instructor: Rip Smith

Members: $35, Non-Members $45

Find out more

Matting and Framing

Saturday, September 25, 9am – 1pm
Location TBA
Instructor: Leia Wood

Members: $35, Non-Members $45 + Materials Fee $10

Find out more.

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Call for Artists Berkeley County Scenes

Call for Artists:

Berkeley County Scenes Exhibit
Martinsburg Library,
August July 31 – August 29

The Berkeley Arts Council in association with the Martinsburg Public Library is sponsoring an exhibit of artwork that depicts scenes of or that otherwise represent Berkeley County.

We invite any artist to submit one or two pieces for this exhibit.

There is no entry fee but we will ask for a donation for the Arts Council if any of the work is sold.

If you wish to participate in this exhibit, use the form at:

http://www.berkeleyartswv.org/exhibits/

The deadline for submissions is July 26.

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