Ellen Wagener - Cloudscapes in Pastel - August 20-22, 2010

This three-day summer landscape workshop with Ellen Wagener is geared to both beginning artists and "seasoned masters." The workshop will cover working processes including photography, sketching, idea-generation, compositions, and color palettes.Special emphasis will be given to pastel technique in the creation of cloudscapes.

Workshop participants will also have the opportunity to join Ellen on Thursday, August 19th in Cedar Rapids for a visit to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art for the Marvin Cone exhibit, "The Sky's the Limit."

Throughout his entire career, Marvin Cone (Grant Wood colleague and Stone City member) was fascinated by clouds and he demonstrated his awe of and reverence for cloud formations in his many paintings and drawings. In some of his works, majestic clouds are so much of the subject that those paintings are more correctly called, "cloudscapes" than landscapes. This exhibition of thirty works from the 1910s to the 1940s traces the many ways and styles Cone used to capture the ethereal and transitory qualities of clouds, as well as their majesty and power.

We will also visit the studio of Grant Wood, called Turner Alley, near the Cedar Rapids Museum, and dinner in CR will follow. The fee for the workshop is $295. Visit the Maquoketa Art Experience website for more information or call 563-652-9925.


 

Also available: A Fall Landscape Workshop
Terri Ford - Landscapes in Pastel - October 8-10, 2010

Come work with Terri Ford and experience the orderly rows of pristine farmlands and hills that inspired Grant Wood's landscapes and the birthplace of Regionalist art. This will be a unique opportunity to work with a master pastel artist in an equally unique location. Space is limited, so register today!

Terri Ford, a native Californian, has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Mexico. Her pastel paintings include landscapes, portraits, the splendors of Paris, the back roads of France, and Italy Cortona, Tuscany, Florence, and Venice. Although a studio artist for many years, she now focuses on painting en plein air.
The fee for the workshop is $295. Visit the Maquoketa Art Experience website for more information or call 563-652-9925.


Friday, April 9th at 5pm
124 S. Main St. Maquoketa

This closing reception of the Spring Landscape workshop will feature completed works from the workshop attendees as well as work by:

  • Tom Metcalf
  • Arthur Geisert
  • Fred Easker
  • Chuck Morris

Wine and refreshments will be served.

There are still spots available for this workshop. Call 563-652-9925 with inquiries.

MAQUOKETA ART EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR SECOND SEASONAL LANDSCAPE PAINTING WORKSHOP

Eastern Iowa Arts organization hosts weeklong workshop with renowned artist Fred Easker,

including a visit to Grant Wood's Studio at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

http://www.maquoketa-art.org/workshops.html

Maquoketa, Iowa, February, 2010: Maquoketa Art Experience hosts the second of four seasonal landscape workshops, each featuring a noted landscape artist as the instructor.

Dates: April 5- 9, 2010

Location: Maquoketa Art Experience Studio and Gallery, 124 S. Main Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060

Cost: $395 - Space is limited, and a $200 deposit is required to reserve a space for the workshop.

For more information or to register: Call 563-652-9925

Workshop deposits can be mailed to PO Box 993, Maquoketa, IA 52060

This spring workshop is the second of four seasonal workshops focusing on the natural resources and beauty of Eastern Iowa.  This five-day spring landscape workshop with painter Fred Easker is open to all skill levels. Using the rolling and beautiful landscapes around Maquoketa as inspiration, participants in the workshop will explore historical precedents in American landscape painting and composition with a focus on new strategies for using photography as a creative tool for the development of paintings.  The workshop will include a visit to Grant Wood's studio in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art as well as interaction with other artists who use their local landscape as the foundation of their work.  Participants should bring a digital camera.

Biographic Information:
Fred Easker is a Cedar Rapids native who has been painting the Iowa landscape for more than fifteen years.  His work is included in museum, corporate and private collections throughout the Midwest and has appeared in a number of periodicals and books. Like most artists he had previously worked at other things including teacher, museum educator and director of an historic house museum which was completely renovated under his guidance. He actively participates in the life of his community working on boards and organizations involved in the arts and humanities and was awarded the Friend of the Arts Award from Marion Fine Arts Council in 1993. Easker resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was an Arts Midwest/NEA Regional Visual Arts Fellowship recipient in 1997.The artist holds a BA and MA in Art Education from the University of Iowa. More information about Fred Easker can be found on his website: www.easkerart.com.

Maquoketa, Iowa, Dec. 17, 2009: Maquoketa Art Experience presents a holiday performance by Maquoketa native, Chris Davis. Chris will play classical and holiday music on acoustic guitar. Free coffee will be served by Maquoketa native, Tony Schmidt. Christmas carols, sung by a group of Maquoketa Alum, will follow Chris' performance.

    Date: Saturday, December 26, 2009

    Location: Maquoketa Art Experience @ 124 S. Main Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060

    Time: 4:00 pm

    Cost: Free

    For more information: Call 563-652-9925.

Information about Chris Davis:

A native of Maquoketa, Iowa, Christopher began his musical career with the Clarinet. At 14 years old, inspired by Black Sabbath and Metallica, Chris took up the guitar. He began his guitar education with Scott Dalziel, and his interests soon expanded to include jazz and improvisation. As his interest in music grew, Chris became interested in classical guitar. His studies took him to Drake University. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Drake and is currently pursuing a Masters degree studying with Stanley Yates at Austin Peay State University. He has performed in masterclasses for world renowned artists such as Odair Assad and Christopher Parkening. Chris' performance experiences include solo classical guitar performances and work with rock, jazz, and Christian groups.

Information about Maquoketa Art Experience:

Maquoketa Art Experience is dedicated to bringing accomplished artists to Maquoketa, Iowa for short- and long-term residencies, workshops, and exhibitions. Springing up in one of the Grant Wood Scenic Byway communities, Maquoketa Art Experience exists to nurture artists and provide opportunities for developing art-related businesses in the area. Recognizing what Grant Wood saw in Iowa, Iowans and the surrounding landscapes, the artists and board of Maquoketa Art Experience are dedicated to creating easily accessible resources for Midwest artists. Similar to the Stone City Art Colony of the last century, Maquoketa Art Experience is committed to supporting arts and artists by creating local opportunities for artists to nurture and expand their talents and skills within the inspiring landscapes of Eastern Iowa.

For more information: www.maquoketa-art.org

Phone: 563-652-9925

###