Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Don Smith—a new FAS alumnus on our website
We’re delighted to have Don Smith join the FAS website. Don’s story of how he became a student of Famous Artists School is memorable; the artwork he’s been producing over a long career in art is even more so. And the icing on the cake is that Famous Artists School is becoming a Smith family tradition, as Don’s son and granddaughter have also taken a Course with us. Take a look at Don’s page to read his story and browse his art.
Welcome, Don!
Friday, November 19, 2010
New wing opens at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has just opened its new wing dedicated to the Art of the Americas. It’s four floors, with 53 galleries, providing space for 5000 objects, more than twice the number of Americas material that was previously on display. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the new installation is that it throws a wide net around the meaning of “the Americas”, so the works on display include not only Euro-American, but also Native American, Mesoamerican, and South American.
The collection is organized chronologically on the four floors, with pre-Columbian at the bottom and modern art at the top. Moving through the installations gives a historical perspective on cultural interchange and the development of different societies through the ages. Highlights include vintage ship models, 17th century Puritan domestic artifacts, embroidered samplers, the portraits of John Singleton Copley, and liturgical objects from multiethnic Central and South America. The experience of visiting these new galleries is an exciting adventure, both visual and intellectual.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Art That is Truly Underground
Just read a fascinating article in the New York Times about the “Underbelly Project.” 103 street artists from around the world painted murals onto the walls of a abandoned NYC subway station and they are not divulging the whereabouts of the station. Only the artists themselves have ever seen the show (save one or two reporters who were allowed to visit, though not allowed to give out names of the curators nor any identifying characteristics of the location.) As the article states, “The only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.” With the rise in popularity of street artists such as Banksy, one of the goals of the project was to return street art to its roots, a place of rebellion unattached to commerce. It’s mind boggling to contemplate the lengths at which these artists went to create the work, from dodging subway trains and subway workers to risking arrest and more. As one of the curators points out, “There is a certain type of person that the urban art movement has bred that enjoys the adventure as much as the art. Where else do you see a creative person risking themselves legally, financially, physically and creatively?” To read the whole article and see a video of the space, click here.
Friday, November 05, 2010
2010 Winner of Trip to United States
We just returned from our annual visit with our Japanese licensee, Kodansha Famous Schools. Each year, over 1600 of their students and alumni submit their artwork to the KFS Art Contest. One of the two top prizes is the Cortina International Prize. This prize brings the winner to the United States on an all-expense paid tour, complete with bilingual guide, museum and artist studio visits, and sightseeing, usually in New York and Boston.
This year’s winner is Toshiyuki Watanabe, in the photo with Cortina Famous Schools president Robert Livesey. Mr. Watanabe was trained as an architect, and has just recently begun to develop his artistic skills with a Famous Artists Course. His painting, “Anger”, is at left in the photo. Because of his interest in architecture, Mr. Watanabe is hoping to include visits to notable buildings in his itinerary. We’re looking forward to welcoming him next spring!
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