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Explore the Art of
Watercolor!
Elmhurst Art Museum Programs
Highlight the Best in Transparent Watercolor March 10 through July
29, 2006
In celebration of an exhibition that
highlights more than 75 of the top transparent watercolor works in
the nation, the Elmhurst Art Museum will offer the following
programs to recognize the distinction between the terms “transparent
watercolor” and the broader designation of “water-based media,”
which refers to any medium that is resoluble in water. There are
innumerable watercolor societies that provide opportunities to
exhibit water-based mediums in all their diversity; yet there exist
only a few whose unique purpose is to preserve and present
transparent watercolor as a major medium. To that end, certain
guidelines must be followed. No use of white paint is accepted. This
requires the artist to preserve the white of the paper’s surface
wherever a white statement is intended in the painting. Watercolor
paint must be applied in a manner that does not contribute to a
heavy or opaque quality in the painting and the painting should
exhibit an overall transparent appearance. The Transparent
Watercolor Society of America’s (TWSA) 31st Annual Exhibition
showcases this technique in the very best way. The Society receives
900 entrants throughout the United States and Canada for this
exhibition and fosters appreciation of transparent watercolor as a
major medium. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Suburban
Bank & Trust Co. Programs include:
Programs for Adults
Gallery Talks Sunday, April 1, May 6,
June 3 and July 1 at 2:00 p.m. Tour the galleries with EAM Docent,
Ida Kotyuk, to learn more about TWSA and the medium of transparent
watercolor, as well as the McCormick House designed by Mies van der
Rohe.
Juror Gallery Tour Sunday, April 29
at 2:00 p.m.
Tom Francesconi, Transparent
Watercolor Society of America Exhibition Juror, will lead visitors
through the galleries giving insight on how he selected
approximately eighty of the best transparent watercolors in the
nation. This program is FREE with the price of admission.
Curator Tour: Watercolor through the
Ages Wednesday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. Join Elmhurst Art Museum
Curator Melissa Dahlquist and exhibition Co-Curator Mary Savaiano,
as they explore how watercolor and other water-based media were used
in the history of art. In addition, learn the basics of how a
watercolor artist creates a painting including decisions they make
from subject to color to design. Tours are open to all ages and FREE
with the price of Museum admission.
Activities for Kids
Kids Open Studio Sunday, March 25,
April 29, May 27, June 24 and July 29 from 1:00– 4:00 p.m. Children
of all ages are welcome to drop in and try their hand at the art of
watercolor. Paint a picture of the beautiful view, yourself or just
experiment with blending colors! Be sure to bring a smock if you
like to get messy!
Watercolor Wonders with Artist
Suzanne Hetzel Monday, March 26, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Bring your teddy
bear!) Wednesday, March 28, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
These programs are designed for
children in grades 1-5 who are interested in learning about
watercolors and how to paint with them. Participants will tour the
current watercolor exhibition with a museum docent, and then join
Suzanne Hetzel, Vice President and Exhibition Chair of the
Transparent Watercolor Society of America, for a lesson in how to
work with watercolor as a medium. Cost is $10/participant or $8 for
museum members. Call (630) 834-0202 x16 to register for one or both
programs now!
Elmhurst Museum Day Sunday, May 20
from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Families are invited to view the Transparent
Watercolor Society of America Exhibition and then stop by the
Education Center to work on your own watercolor painting to take
home. Admission and activity are FREE on Elmhurst Museum Day.
The Elmhurst Art Museum’s
award-winning modern museum structure incorporates the Ludwig Mies
van der Rohe-designed McCormick House, one of three such residences
designed by the internationally known architect, and contains museum
galleries, an education center and a variety of outdoor sculpture.
Located only 15 miles west of Chicago and adjacent to the Metra West
train line, the Museum offers public tours and programs, guest
lectures and art classes on a regular basis. Its mission is to
enrich the lives of its visitors by broadening their knowledge,
increasing their sensitivity to the fine arts and sparking the
development of their own creative talents.
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