Newsletter – February 2024

Upper Crust Bagel Company Looking for Artwork

UCBC Owner and Treasurer of the RAC Board Charly Sahlia is interested in having an artist exhibit work at the UCBC location in Darien for a month or two. Contact him directly at charly@ucbcdarien.com.

Thanks to Charly for offering this opportunity!

RAC Happenings

From the RAC Studio: Instructors and Students Show Opening

Sunday, January 7

The From the RAC Studio Show was a huge success with artwork from over 80 students and 16 instructors. Some of the RAC Instructors in attendance at the opening (left to right): Judy Katz, John Grieco, Jill Nichols, Susan Fehlinger and Mari Gyorgyey.

Please note that the RAC gallery will be closed until February 4 to prepare for the annual Abstraction show. Visit our website to view all the artwork from the past year in the RAC online gallery at the link here and check out our 2024 Exhibition Schedule here.

RAC Education Director Suzy Aubrey (right) chats with Open Sketch Coordinator Tracey Dinkin (left) and her husband John (middle)

Eunice Roy with her painting “Granada” (middle)

Miles Johnson with his artwork depicting the “Tin Man.” (It reads his heart got broken!)

Stella Hewitt with her painting “Sunflowers” (middle, left)

Crowd in the gallery…

Jess Huse with her painting “Road to Rehobeth” (bottom left). She is a student in Anda Styler’s class – who is also her niece!

RAC Classes and Workshops

Registration is open for the next class session

Artwork here by Jill Harrington Nichols who will be teaching both a Tuesday evening and a Thursday morning online class during the month of February.

Link to adult weekly classes

Link to adult short term workshops

Link to photography classes

Link to youth classes

There will be a special Valentine card and gift making workshop on Sunday, Feb 11 (10:30am-12:30pm) called “I HEART ART SUNDAY” with RAC Instructor Nancy McTague-Stock (her artwork here). Students will have the ability to create a piece of artwork about LOVE in their favorite media with lots of guidance and shared ideas.

Fee: $60 (includes all art supplies).

More info and register online at the link here!

Upcoming Exhibitions

Now that the calendar year has begun, the Exhibitions staff would like to remind artists about these important guidelines:

• As stated in the prospectus, artwork must be wired with braided wire
• If attaching eye hooks, please attached them inside the frame, not on the back, as your piece will not hang flat on the wall
• Frames must be clean and damage free
• Mattes need to be clean, with no debris, and the glass or plexiglass clean and free of scratches
• Artwork must be completed in the past three years

All this reflects on our image at RAC and will hinder sales!

Dirt, damage and rickety framing devalues not only your work, but all the work in the gallery. Please take care with your presentation.

February 4 through March 2, 2024

All Media Exhibiting Member Show

Cash Award: The Hu Lindsay Memorial Award – $250 for the highest prize in Mixed Media.

Opening Reception: Sunday, February 4 (4-6pm)

March 10 through April 6, 2024

All Media Exhibiting Member Show

How Many Works: One work per artist

Prospectus – Deadline for online submission form is Friday, March 1

Receiving: Monday, March 4 (5-7pm) and Tuesday, March 5 (12-2pm)

Opening Reception: Sunday, March 10 (4-6pm)

Other News

RAC Artist Selection Drop Off Day February 8, 2024

Artists insterested in becoming Exhibiting Members should bring items for consideration to the gallery on Thursday, February 8 from 12 to 5 pm. The artist selection will take place on the morning of Friday, February 9 with notifications sent to accepted artists the following week. Artists should plan on picking up their artwork on Friday, February 9 from 12 to 5 pm or Saturday, February 10 from 10 am to 1 pm.

There’s a form that needs to be completed before bringing artwork to the gallery, which can be found at this link. Review the Exhibiting Member Prospectus here.

RAC Outreach with Horizons @ NCC

Horizons NCC is seeking volunteer mentors for a high school program to work with rising 9th graders. They currently have a 9th grade female student who has specifically asked that an artist be her mentor. (Mentor training and support is provided throughout match.) This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to make a difference in a child’s life by motivating, guiding and inspiring a student in the Greater Norwalk Area! For more information, contact Karen Marin, Program Coordinator at kmarin@horizonsncc.org or (203) 929-7152.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!