The Sculptors' Group consists of professional and amateur sculptors working in a variety of media. The Group serves as a forum for sculptors to exchange ideas and technical information about 3-dimensional art. All AAG members are welcome to participate if you are interested in sculpture; whether it is your primary art interest or not.
The Sculptors’ Group has been meeting for 20 years and is a vital adjunct of AAG. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month from September through May. We hold many of our meetings in the AAG Building but from time to time, we enjoy visiting artist’s studios in and around the valley. Please check the agenda below often for a schedule of dates, times and locations of meetings, since they will be changing as our agenda evolves.
We also have a blog at sculptorsgroup.blogspot.com. Please visit it for information about upcoming events, for photos of our past activities and for other articles of interest.
3D Open Studio is on hold until further notice.
Once we have a solid plan in place, more information will be provided here and via eblasts. Please stay tuned.... For more details about the AAG Sculptors’ Group, contact Constance McBride at constance.mcbride.artist@gmail.com or 623-516-7938 or Betsy Aguirre at sienastudios@cox.net or 480-538-5654.
The Sculptors’ Group 2012-2013 Schedule:
September 4th, 2012:
The 2nd Annual Merkel Fish Competition at the Guild Building & a presentation from David L. Bradley.
Last year’s competition was such a success that we’ve decided to make it an annual event! All AAG members are eligible to participate. Work will be judged so put forth your creative best! (For more info about this event, contact Constance McBride (connie_mcbride@msn.com) or Betsy Aguirre (sienastudios@cox.net). Please bring a found object fish piece you worked on over the summer. David L. Bradley will be presenting on his recent art related trip to Vietnam (two villages devoted to sculpting; one devoted to clay and the other wood). David will be sharing photos and videos and will also let the group know about another trip there in June 2013.
October 2nd 2012: Guest Artist & Peer Critique
Speaker: Carole Perry – Glass Artist http://www.laughingglass.com/
Carole will be joining us at the guild building and will talk about her process. Carole will also share with us her work as well as some other artists work. Discussion topic: How do folks work differently in the summer months given the hot weather in AZ?
November 6th, 2012: Studio Visit with Artist William Barnhart; http://fineartist.com/William_Barnhart_Studio.html
506 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ. 480-844-4004. Please be sure to wear close toed shoes. Bill works in bronze and is also a painter and spent over two years creating a “feast for the eyes” studio. You will be impressed!
December 4th 2012: Guest Artist & Peer Critique
Speaker: Cheryl Brandon - Ceramic Artist http://cherylbrandon.com/portfolio/news/
If you haven’t seen Cheryl’s work yet, you are in for a treat. Cheryl’s art is complex, sometimes playful and always colorful. She focuses primarily on the figure and enjoys using found objects in her work. She is also known for her large scale totem poles. Cheryl will talk about her process and will bring some of her smaller works to share with us.
Jan 1st, 2013: HOLIDAY – No meeting. We will meet the following Tuesday; Jan 8th.
Jan 8th, 2013:
Guest Artist & Peer Critique. Speaker: Kerry Vesper – Wood Artist http://www.kerryvesper.com/ Location: AAG Building. All of Kerry’s work is sculpture, be it a bowl, a chair or forms that are non-functional. The technique of gluing layers of wood together and carving it into forms has captivated him and is central to most all his work. Kerry works in his studio in Scottsdale, AZ. He is a member of The Furniture Society, American Craft Association and Arizona Designer Craftsmen. He received his training at ASU (where he received a BA and MSW), Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee, where he was also an instructor.
Feb 5th, 2013:
Guest Artist & Peer Critique. Speaker: Vala Ola – Sculptor (Bronze). Location: AAG Building. Please stay tuned for more information on this as we get closer to Feb. - visit Vala Ola - http://www.valaola.com/. Vala Ola is a Professional member of the National Sculpture Society. Vala is an artist who passionately and relentlessly seeks to create artworks that show her dedication to excellence. Her classical training in Europe is reflected in her art. Her figurative bronze sculptures and oil paintings are noted for their depth of expression and emotion. The high quality of her art has earned her great respect among art appreciators. In 2001, Vala rekindled her interest in sculpting with clay after solely painting with oil for seven years. Her inspiration derives from her observation of life. She sculpts and paints in her studio in Cave Creek, AZ. All her sculptures are cast in bronze.
Mar 5th, 2013:
Guest Speaker Robrt Pela & Peer Critique. Location: AAG Building. Robrt Pela is known primarily as an arts critic for Phoenix New Times, where he has written a weekly column these past 20 years. His radio essays air each week on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” and he’s worked as a writer and editor for national and local magazines including Psychology Today, The Advocate, Phoenix Home and Garden, and Men’s Fitness. His last published book was Filthy, a biography of the film director John Waters. As a curator, Pela presents a new exhibit each month at Willo North Gallery in Phoenix. Last year he curated shows by, among others, Annie Lopez, Jeff Falk, Jason Hill, Janet de Berge Lange, Lawrence McLaughlin, Christy Puetz, and Steve Gompf. He and his spouse, Todd Grossman, divide their time among their homes in Phoenix, Arizona; Niles, Ohio; and Bargemon, France.
April 7, 2013: SUNDAY meeting 2PM - 5PM (no meeting on Tues Apr 2) Guest Speaker Agnese Udinotti - Site Visit to the Udinotti Museum of Figurative Art. udinottimuseumoffigurativeart.org.
The Udinotti Museum of Figurative Art is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to the study of, and public appreciation for, the symbolic treatment of the human form throughout the ages. Special emphasis is focused on the period from 1500 B.C. to the present. Today, the Museum is housed in two impressive, contemporary concrete and glass buildings in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The primary goal of the Museum is to educate the public as to the historic evolution and importance of figurative art. One can wander throughout the halls of the Museum finding homage paid to rare human, spiritual, historical and animal forms.
May 7, 2013: Guest Artist & Peer Critique. Speaker: Heidi Uotila – Bronze & Clay Sculptor (http://www.natureartists.com/heidi_uotila.asp). Location: AAG Building; 7-9PM. Heidi Uotila sculpted her first bronzes, an elk and white rhino, from life. Upon completion of these two bronzes in 1980, she was accepted into the prestigious Society of Animal Artists. Heidi's pursuit for realism has taken her from the Alaska wilderness to zoos across the country. She has also experienced Africa on safari and on a five day canoe trip down the Zambezi in Zimbabwe with wildlife painter Linda Besse. Heidi holds a BFA from Ohio State University and a Masters in Education. Her client list includes President George Bush Sr., and her work is a part of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Permanent Ceramic Collection.
