ArtPrize 2012, Top 25 Short List

ArtPrize 2012 is in full swing, and Round 1 Voting closes this Saturday, September 29th at 11:59pm. The Top 10 finalists will be announced Sunday, 1:00pm, at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids. Round 2 Voting will then commence, and close on Thursday, October 4th.



I'm very excited to be counted among the public vote's Top 25 at this stage of the competition. My own experience of ArtPrize 2012 has been wonderful so far, and the opportunity to exhibit at the GRAM alongside so many great works has been a true honor. Seeing so many viewers visit and interact with my work up close these last few weeks has touched me on so many levels. There's no greater feeling than seeing others connect with work that you've created from your soul; not to mention, how great it is seeing people and their city, as a whole, immersing and engaging in art and culture on such a grand scale. It's an amazing thing to be part of.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out GRAM's website specifically created for our ArtPrize exhibition Transformation. There, you'll find a great series of one-minute artist movies GRAM has produced, documenting it's exhibiting ArtPrize artists.

View the list of GRAM ArtPrize artists here, click on a name, and hit the "Video" button: http://www.artmuseumgr.org/uploads/assets/artprize/index.html

Also be sure to check out Sojourn included in some recent noteworthy press:

MLive // Joseph Becherer: GRAM's ArtPrize exhibition is 'transformational'

MLive // ArtPrize 2012 public Top 25 short list

Hyperallergic // Slimming Down the Short Lists: A Look at 10 ArtPrize Finalists

ArtPrize 2012

ArtPrize 2012 opens TODAY, September 19th! I am participating in it again for the first time since 2009, and am very happy to announce that  Sojourn has been selected to be displayed at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), as part of it's ArtPrize exhibition, Transformation.  

VOTE for Sojourn -- Code: 52168
Text 52168 to 808080 or
Visit artprize.org/andrea-kowch/2012/sojourn

For those not familiar with the competition, it is the world's largest art prize, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, and is open to artists worldwide. The top award, $200,000 is decided by public vote.

Here are the official Rules via ArtPrize.org:

  

The Public Vote

Anyone over the age of 16 can register to vote. Votes are cast on artprize.org, via text message and mobile application.

• Round 1 (Sept. 19 – Sept. 29): 11 days to explore ArtPrize and vote for the entries you think should win.

• Round 2 (Sept. 30 – Oct. 4): 5 days to cast one vote for your favorite of the Top 10 entries.

The Juried Awards

New for ArtPrize 2012, is a $100,000 Juried Grand Prize, on par with the world’s major juried art competitions. ArtPrize also awards five additional $20,000 Juried Awards in the following categories: 2-D, 3-D, Urban Space, Time/Performance and Venue.

The Result

ArtPrize 2012: 162 venues will host 1517 artist entries.
Combining $360,000 awarded by Public Vote and a total of $200,000 in Juried Awards brings a new tension to ArtPrize. Will the juried awards stand apart from the public vote, or will the two cross paths to award a single artist an unprecedented $320,000?

If you plan on attending the event, please view Transformation at the GRAM, located at 101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Sojourn is located on the 2nd Floor Balcony. 

It's a wonderful exhibition, and I had the pleasure of attending the Opening Preview Party on September 13th:

Looking forward to seeing all the other great stuff ArtPrize 2012 has to offer! Be sure to check it out if you are in Michigan!

Visit GRAM's official ArtPrize Profile to see all the other great entries that are showing there as well: artprize.org/grand-rapids-art-museum

"Metamorphosis of Mood" Solo Exhibition

 

Another show, another year; my third solo exhibition, Metamorphosis of Mood, which opened on August 25th, 2012, just wrapped. As always, I had the most fabulous time, and am grateful to everyone involved who helped make it the highlight of my year once again. My heartfelt thanks goes out to my gallery, collectors, and fans. None of it would be possible without you.

 

 

The road leading up to this year's show had its challenges, and through it I feel I have grown even more as an artist. Constantly seeking to push new boundaries with each new painting, a block I experienced earlier in the year nearly cost me my show deadline, and the weeks and final days leading up to the opening became one huge frenzied, sleepless blur. The last painting I completed was The Cape, a complex 5' x 7' ft. piece that had me painting up to the last minute--literally--I had to fly to New York the next morning. 

 

The Cape. 60" x 84". Acrylic on canvas. 2012.

 

It was crated and shipped overnight, arriving in New York within minutes of my own arrival. Once there, I completed final touches, varnished it, and up it went on the wall the morning of the opening. The pressure and adrenaline surge that carried me for so many days throughout it all is something I won't forget anytime soon. But I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Everything turned out perfect in the end, and I owe it all to the incredible teamwork involved--my gallery for always being so supportive and doing their part, and my brother, Roman, who saved the day by constructing the crate and helping me get the work shipped on time:

 

 

 

It was a great show, my brief vacation is over, and I'm gearing up for the fall season, ArtPrize 2012, and new ideas for my next paintings. Be sure to check out photos from the show on RJD Gallery's website, and on Flickr. All new 2012 work can also be viewed here and on my website. More in-depth posts about the paintings and detail shots to follow shortly. 

ArtHamptons 2012

It's that summer time of year again! My newest work will be present at the 2012 ArtHamptons International Fine Art Fair this weekend in Bridgehampton, NY. Please be sure to visit RJD Fine Arts Gallery in Booth #16!

Once again, the big 3-day event will house art from over 70 US and international galleries, and this year's key events will include the honoring of Cheech Marin, and Ed Moses with the 2012 Arts Patron of the Year Award and 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively.

if you' re in the area, don't miss it! Please visit the ArtHamptons official site for a list of exhibiting galleries, special events, show and ticket information, and more:

http://www.arthamptons.com/

ArtHamptons
July 12-15, 2012
July 12, Opening Preview
Sculpture Fields of Nova's Ark, 60 Millstone Road
Bridgehampton, NY 11932

"Crow's Song" wins People's Choice Award at MMA 84th Regional Exhibition!

 

I am pleased and honored to announce that Crow's Song was selected to be part of the 84th Regional Exhibition at the Muskegon Museum of Art where it took home the People's Choice Award! Open to the entire state of Michigan for the first time, 217 out of 633 submitted works were selected for the show, which opened May 31st, and will run until August 8th.

Thank You to everyone who visited the exhibition and gave me their vote! Please visit the link below for more information, including special dates and the official list of exhibiting artists, and be sure to visit the MMA to see the show!

Muskegon Museum of Art 84th Regional Exhibition, May 31-August 8, 2012

VOTE! "Year in Review" People's Choice

My work is currently in the running for Year in Review People's Choice! Artists Wanted: A Year In Review is an "international, all-medium-encompassing open call for art with the mission of presenting a range of technique, style and narrative that captures the best emerging artists of the year". I would appreciate your votes! To participate, just follow the link, and get your vote in by Noon EST this Tuesday, February 7th. Thank you all in advance!

VOTE: http://akowch.artistswanted.org/yr2011

A Big "Thank You" to All

Another solo show has come and gone, and I wanted to give my overdue heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone who attended and were involved with my opening this past July. I loved meeting each and every one of you and couldn't have asked for a better show! It was magical. HUGE thanks once again to everyone at my gallery, RJD Fine Arts, Richard Demato and Harriet Sawyer for their amazing hospitality, support, and guidance, and my collectors and supporters. You all help keep me going in so many ways, words cannot describe. Thank YOU!

Last but not least, those near and dear to me: my parents, brother, close friends, and models/muses, Jennifer and Natalia -- for being the ones who ultimately understand and accept me and my long, broody disappearances into the studio. Thank you from the bottom of my soul.

Alas, after a short break back in July, things have been alive and well again in the studio these past several weeks, hence my absence from the virtual world, and I'm looking forward to sharing more cool news and the next series of paintings that are currently coming into progress! Autumn is in the air, and never ceases to inspire!

For those who missed it, photos from the exhibition can be viewed on Flickr: Andrea Kowch 2011 Solo Exhibition

Stay tuned, everybody :)

-AK

"The Feast" Wins 2011 Art Kudos International!

I'm extremely excited and pleased to announce that The Feast was selected as this year's top winner, Best of Show, in the 2011 Art Kudos International Juried Exhibition!

The online exhibition, unveiled on August 15th, will be on view at the Art Kudos website year-long. Please visit http://www.artkudos.com/ to take a look at this year's stunning array of works, juried by Holly Koons McCullough, former Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, GA. The show presents 157 artists from 23 countries. I am humbled and beyond honored!

Two additional works, Sojourn and Whirlwind, have also been selected for inclusion. Be sure to check out the whole show!

Newsday, Whitewall, & K+R Magazine

Some very cool NYC publications recently reviewed my Sag Harbor exhibition and showing in this year's ArtHamptons, so if you haven't seen them, please check out this past week's Newsday, Whitewall, and K+R Magazine. Big thanks to these publications for the great features, I'm honored!

If you don't receive these publications in your area, you can visit them and view the articles online:

Newsday // Art: Andrea Kowch show in Sag Harbor

Whitewall, Contemporary Art & Lifestyle Magazine // ArtHamptons 2011

Karin + Raoul // Exhibition: RJD Gallery presents Paintings by Andrea Kowch

Solo Exhibition opening this weekend!

It's time! I'm so excited to return to New York this weekend to kick off my new solo show. Hope to see everyone at the opening this Saturday! I'm very much looking forward to sharing the evening with all of you. See you there :)

Opening Reception
Saturday, July 16
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery
90 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY, 11963
631.725.1161
rjdgallery.com

ArtHamptons 2011

Some of my latest work will be shown at the 2011 ArtHamptons International Fine Art Fair this weekend in Bridgehampton, NY. Please be sure to visit RJD Fine Arts Gallery in Booth #108!



See my ad (above) in this month's issue of American Art Collector (#69). The big, 3-day event will house art from over 70 US and international galleries, and special events will include the honoring of Russell Simmons and Danny Simmons, and abstract expressionist Mary Abbot with the 2011 Arts Patron of the Year Award and 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively.

Please visit the ArtHamptons official site for a list of exhibiting galleries, special events, show and ticket information, and more:

http://www.arthamptons.com/

ArtHamptons
July 8-10, 2011
July 7, Opening Preview
Sayre Park, 154 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, NY

"Sojourn" featured on Cover of American Art Collector #69 - Out Now!

I am amazed to announce that Sojourn has been chosen to grace the cover of this month's July #69 issue of American Art Collector! Pick up a copy, available on newsstands wherever books and magazines are sold! It's a great issue that includes coverage of the upcoming 2011 ArtHamptons Fine Art Fair, which my work will be a part of, and also profiles Russell Simmons as this month's featured art collector. Be sure to check out the article previewing my new work and upcoming show!

Show work is now complete (will post soon!) and the opening is just around the corner. I can't wait, and want to give thanks to all the recent magazines and press for their support, and of course, my gallery, collectors, fans, family and friends. You all help make everything even more worthwhile.

More updates to come as I gear up for summer! Please visit American Art Collector online, http://www.americanartcollector.com/ to browse the current issue, and http://www.rjdgallery.com/ to view some of the new work! I am looking forward to meeting many of you in a few weeks!

RJD/101 Group Show II

See the ad in American Art Collector's current December issue (#62) on the upcoming group exhibition I will be a part of, along with other select artists from RJD Fine Arts Gallery and 101/exhibit. The show opens during Art Basel Miami; be sure to check it all out if you are in the area!

101/exhibit & RJD Fine Arts Gallery Present:

GROUP SHOW II - Art Basel Selections
December 2 - February 6, 2011

101/exhibit
101 NE 40th Street
Miami, FL 33137
305-573-2101
www.101exhibit.com
www.rjdgallery.com

New work featured in December's "American Art Collector"

I'm extremely pleased to inform that one of my latest paintings, Beyond Here, is featured in the current December issue of American Art Collector (#62), along with a great selection of others from RJD Fine Arts Gallery and 101/exhibit. See us in the article Art Basel Selections, and please be sure to check us out at this year's Art Basel Miami, opening December 1 - 5, as well as a second collaborative show, RJD/101 Group Show II, opening December 2, at 101/exhibit in Miami, FL. Hope to see you there!

For info visit:
http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/
http://www.101exhibit.com/

Recent feature in this month's issue of "American Art Collector"

If you haven't yet, check out the current November issue of American Art Collector for a brief follow-up feature covering my recent solo exhibition, located in the magazine's "Sold!" section!

Art Basel Miami 2010

I am excited to announce that my work will be making an appearance at this year's Art Basel Miami! As most of you may know, it's one of the world's most prominent art events and most important art show in the US, presenting leading galleries, artists, and art enthusiasts from around the globe. It all takes place December 2-5, 2010.
Don't miss it! :)

For all information, please visit http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/.

Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland's Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 41 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. . . .every year, a greater number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world participate in Art Basel Miami Beach - the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world. (artbaselmiamibeach.com)

New projects & new work

Happy Autumn, everyone! My favorite season is here and there are a lot of new, exciting things going on! Two new paintings have recently been uploaded to the gallery section of my website, www.andreakowchillustration.com, so be sure to visit. I will post and discuss them here on the blog soon, too, so stay tuned and check them out on my site in the meantime.

I'm also officially scheduled to have another solo exhibition next summer at RJD Fine Arts Gallery, which I am super-excited about, and I'm currently beginning work on a major painting for two really great clients, which I will reveal at a later date. More large-scale work to come!

I also recently collaborated on a promotional shoot (see image) with emerging photographer, Lindee Robinson, currently a third-year student at my alma mater CCS, who's work totally rocks. Check her out on ModelMayhem and Facebook. I thought I'd share the teaser preview above of my model, Jennifer, and I in character and on location. It was one cold, blustery day for a shoot, and by the end of it, I was literally numb. A great time was had by all, though; more photos to come!

"Big Art, Small Canvas" Group Show

I will be featured in a new group show at RJD Fine Arts Gallery this month - Big Art, Small Canvas - which will include some of my smaller works (see one of them on card above, third from top). Be sure to check it out if you are in the area!

Big Art, Small Canvas

Opening Reception
September 25, 2010
6:00 -8:00 pm

Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery
90 Main Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
631-725-1161
rjdgallery.com

RJD/101 Group Show

I'm excited to be part of a spectacular current group show this month at RJD Fine Arts Gallery, which features other select artists from the gallery and those of Miami-based gallery, 101/exhibit. It's the first joint show between the two galleries and runs from August 7 - August 27, 2010. I was also super-excited to see my work featured on the show posters and promos (see poster above, clockwise from upper left: David Bowers, Phillip Thomas, Jason Alexander, me!). If you haven't already, be sure to check out the show if you are in Sag Harbor!

“RJD Fine Arts Gallery & 101/Exhibit Present Their Gallery Artists" Including: David Bowers, Jason Alexander, Bo Bartlett, Michael Costello, and select RJD Gallery Artists

August 7-27, 2010

http://www.rjdgallery.com/
http://www.101exhibit.com/

Solo Show Opening & Hamptons weekend

Well it has been two weeks since my solo exhibition Andrea Kowch: American Magic Realism, opened at RJD Fine Arts Gallery in Sag Harbor and it still feels like I was only just there yesterday. I know I am a bit overdue on the updates here, but better late than never, and I have already been busy painting again since then, too. More new work coming!



It's hard to find a place to start in describing my short but extremely eventful weekend in the Hamptons. I could not have asked for a more enjoyable, memorable experience, and I thank everyone involved, from my gallery to all the great new people I had the privilege of meeting - and above all, my wonderful collectors. The show looked beautiful, and the VIP treatment I received was, simply put, AWESOME. :) Huge thanks to my gallerist Richard Demato and his wife, artist and internationally-acclaimed textile designer, Harriet Sawyer, who accommodated me at their gorgeous Long Island Sound home and showed me a great time. For a glimpse, check out the February 2010 issue of American Art Collector (#52) to see the feature on their home and art collection. Amazing stuff.

Sag Harbor is everything I expected, charming, friendly, historical, and I was stoked to spend some time exploring it before the show. A museum-goer at heart, the Custom House and Whaling Museum were some of the stops I had to visit, and they did not disappoint.



And did I mention the weather was perfect? I also got to ride in a Ferrari for the first time! It was quite the beautiful, stylish experience (to put it mildly)! Montauk Point and the legendary Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton were on the next day's agenda, courtesy of Richard and Harriet who were kind enough to shuttle me around and show me many worthwhile spots. I was able to catch a passing glimpse of the summer homes of Martha Stewart, Steven Spielberg, etc. as well as Grey Gardens, which I did not see, but I know we passed it somewhere down that road!

In between these jaunts, I also made house calls to a few of my collectors whom I thank for having me stop by. It surely was a weekend to remember, and I wish I could have shared the moments with each and every one of you. I tried to take lots of pictures, but was so involved, I had to often remind myself to do so. Be sure to visit my Flickr page to see it all. I could not have asked for a better way to kick off my first showing there on the east coast, and celebrate all the long days spent in the studio over the last few months. It was amazing.

Visit my Flickr PhotoAlbum to view all pics from the opening!

Last but not least for all you collectors and lovers of antiques out there, Leigh and Leslie Keno of Antiques Roadshow were on my flight to NY! Two nice guys who had no problem lending me a minute for a photo. I love the show, and was SO excited to meet them! This is us at La Guardia!