What will my kids learn during the 2020 Summer Studios?
Maureen likes to tailor the summer to what the kids want to learn. When we all meet each other on our first day, we will finalize the schedule of topics for the 8 studio sessions w. We won’t get to everything on the list this summer, but if all goes well, we will have after-school studios for kids in the fall and winter, leading up to next year's 5th Annual Young Voices exhibit.
Studio Art Classes and One-on-Ones Start November 2018
My art classes are kinda un-normal:
I am offering some really fun art seshes this year. I am planning to teach teen one-on-ones; women's workshops and kids' studio seshes along with a couple of guest-artist one and two day workshops. These are not your typical "art classes" to learn a technique such as watercolor painting or drawing, although in the process of making, you will learn some great techniques!
I refer to my teaching as "studio creative seshes" and "expressive arts classes" because I go beyond technique. I encourage students of all ages to dive into a subject, explore unusual ways to express themselves and experience the delight of success no matter what you think you are capable of. I believe creativity exists in everyone and it needs to be awakened then nourished by building confidence, making stuff, playing around, contemplating the results with a critical eye, and actually getting down to it and doing. Stop thinking about making art and get doing!
Our next show opens June 29th and runs through July 28th. It’s a short exhibit but long on diversity and depth. We asked five Helena artists, as well as an artist from Wyoming and a California artist, to contribute a body of sculptural works to this show. These seven artists explore volume, space and ideas using clay, bronze, wood and mixed-media. And whoah – are we excited to see what’s been coming in!
Our 2018 Sculpture show promises to astound and delight you with pieces for your walls, floors, ceilings, shelves or tables. Whether you have a small wall space, a coffee table, hearth, mantle, side tables or shelves in need of a statement piece or a tender, quieter piece, we will have something for everyone. Paul Guillemette’s pieces are free-standing, wall-mounted or hanging from the ceiling. Nancy Goughnour again delights us with all-new wall figures of strong bold women. Trudy Skari’s latest free-standing and wall pieces take her bemusing foxes, bears and rabbits to another level of accomplishment. Mary Jane Edwards’s body of 12 “Caged Memories” provoke thought and curiosity. New polymorphic fabulism figures by Betsey Hurd join her masterful bronze equine sculptures.
Here’s where you can subscribe to our “love notes” to get updates on events and invitations to our opening receptions for new exhibits. (We promise not to spam you or share your private info with anyone — ever.)
HAND PLUCKED: an exhibit of art selected by your very own friends and neighbors, opens Friday evening, March 2, and runs through April 14, 2018.
When we began planning this exhibit last summer, we knew we wanted to continue our annual tradition which allows us to really step back, take stock, and marvel at the incredible amount of beauty and hard work that has flowed into the gallery over time. Formally referred to as “Best of the Back Room” or “All Artist Winter Review“, this year, we wanted to give it a new twist. We began with a working title– Staff Picks — borrowing from a local independent bookstore that lets staff choose their favorites and give a little explanation of their choice. It’s such a cool way of getting to know the staff on a deeper level and often highlights selections that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. In any case, it creates a cool connection and we are all about cool connections here at 1+1=1. It’s kinda’ our thing.
We didn’t want to limit the plucking to just the six of us; we wanted to include others from our community. Once we started thinking of who to ask help pluck, we became very excited about the concept of getting to know each other through the art we love. If all goes well, we hope to create a new tradition that, each year, our gallery regulars will anticipate with glee.
So, Hand-Plucked was born. Each “plucker” (as we’ve so lovingly named them) arrived on the scene with their unique taste, personality, lifestyle, decision-making approach and stylistic considerations. The pieces they’ve chosen appeal to them and speak to them in the way only art can. This exhibit will be a gathering of these selections and will, hopefully, speak to you as well about the power of art.
Among the pluckers are: our gallery “staff” Tim and Maureen; Claire who works full-time as our Assistant Gallery Manager; part-time staff Susan Mattson and Marcia Eidel, and, of course, Charlie, whose main job is greeting customers and holding down the floor.
Additionally, this year’s pluckers include those who, in their own way, have been very supportive of our gallery over the past four years. Thank you to Chelsia Rice, Laura George, Andrea Cross Guns, Terri Hamilton, Renee´Kowalski, Akilah Lane and daughters, Zahara and Imara, Tim and Jen Davis, Mike and Colleen Casey, Patty Aaberg, Guylaine Gelinas and Mary Ahmann Hibbard, and Michelle Herrington.
We have so many folks who support 1+1=1 Gallery in so many ways. You attend our receptions and events (even though you’re so busy)! You visit the gallery when it’s quiet, carving out time to deeply ponder and consider the artwork. You volunteer your time. You buy pieces you LOVE. You help us spread the word and bring new people in to see us. You donate funds to help support Sound Gallery or art student scholarships. Trust us when we say, it was not easy to pluck our pluckers. This is a huge reason we want to keep the Hand-Plucked ball rolling, so we can ask a whole new group next year!
Stay tuned and come get a taste of our fresh, hand-plucked art on March 2.
Susan Mattson is perhaps the most considerate person I have met. She deeply considers the ways in which various pieces of the world, herself included, influence and impact each other. Through her sculptures, Susan works out unresolved issues; both interior and exterior. While sculpting and carving, she allows her mind wander freely, reminiscing and following the flow of memories, regrets, projections, relationships.
Originally from Bozeman, Montana, Susan has traveled the world, taking a solo bike tour across the country at the age of 25. Every experience she has had, every place she has been, is still very alive within her. The past is carved into her psyche in a powerful way. She is a vessel of lessons.
Susan carries out her intentions through action. She remodeled a house in Butte to rescue it from demolition. She uses the pulp from her fresh juices to bake scones, because, even pulp can be useful. She works in mental health. Every decision Susan makes is preceded by the question, “what would happen if every person on the planet did this?”
She is a steady and humble activist; her art is a demonstration of her deeply held beliefs. But, she also has a goofy side. Let’s just say she’s spent a decent amount of time on testing the limits of the face-swapping app.
Driven by curiosity, Susan researches her subjects exhaustively which translates into unparalleled originality in her pieces. For example, her current piece, Nacho Scapegoat, led her on a quest to discover how goats have taken on the burdens of humans throughout history in many, many ways. Susan never just randomly selects a subject, they all have a story behind them, they are thickly layered with meaning.
Susan is pretty much the MacGyver of art galleries. She’ll improve mopping methods, solve temperature and lighting issues with nothing but a bed sheet and a clothespin and conquer mounting dilemmas in the craftiest of ways.
Something to keep in mind when experiencing Susan’s work: every face is made separately with tiny ceramic and dental tools, then pressed onto the body of the sculpture. This requires massive focus, determination, and patience; every sculpture takes many, many hours.
So, come. Plant yourself in front of one of Susan’s sculptures. Let it speak to you. Let it lead you down new path, or remind you of another time. Open up, lean in, listen.
Here is what I know of Andrea Crossguns. She is all heart. She spends her days caring for children and managing an entire staff of teachers; she inspires them, guides them and reminds them of their gifts. She is nurtures chickens, a guinea-pig named “Cutie” and a faithful canine companion named “Joey”.
Andrea prefers to eat one fresh, heavily seasoned fried egg for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, egg first, coffee later. She is easily moved to tears. She is a brave and brilliant musician, an intense and deliberate poet, an active member of her community. She needs to hike and deeply breathe mountain air often in order to feel most alive.
When Andreas paints, she lets her brush lead the way and surrenders her expectations of what will occur. The result is a collection of work that comes from the deep. Vivid colors that overlap and collide in unexpected ways. Pieces that continue to unfold the longer you view them. Each and every painting of Andrea’s includes a poem, hand-written, rolled and attached to the back of the piece, only to be opened and read by the owner.
Right now- there are 13 Andrea Crossguns paintings hanging in 1+1=1 Gallery. Stop in and feel their power. We’ll make you a cup of hot tea (or coffee) while you absorb.
M.J. Williams, founder of Sound Gallery in Helena Montana, and acclaimed jazz vocalist, trombonist and composer, is one of five distinguished Montana artists who will be honored in December, 2016, as a recipient of the Governor's Arts Award. The other honorees are Jack Gladstone, Neal and Karen Lewing, Rick Newby and Patrick Zentz.
The awards ceremony will be held on December 2nd, 2016 at 3:00 pm at the Montana State Capitol.I am so proud to say that I know and work with Willie! I'll be there!
It's that time of year when I wrap up my kids summer art classes and start our women's creativity and art sessions.
We've had such huge interest in the adult classes that I decided to offer them twice a month instead of just once monthly. So, on the first and second Sunday of each month, starting September 11, you have a fabulous opportunity to stretch your creative muscles in a small (6 student) class that's guaranteed to knock your socks off and inspire you.
This year our Sunday Art Sesh classes are in short series or two, three or four. Please sign up for all of the classes in a series to get the most out of your time. For example, the self portrait series is very in-depth (and transformative) and if you miss one, you'll miss a big chunk of the experience. Read on for the whole schedule ...
Self portraits are a form of creative, artistic expression that dates back to the first mud-paintings on cave walls, and from classical painters and sculptors to contemporary artists. Most artists don’t create self portraits to sell. But it is an incredibly useful way to practice the arts of introspection, observance, self-knowledge and self-expression. For kids ages 9 to 13, introspection isn’t something they admit to doing regularly. I expected my students to be challenged, maybe uncomfortable, certainly pushed outside their comfort zones. They did some beautiful expressive work and I am sooo proud of them. Two students who could not attend today’s sesh will do this same project in one on ones with me later.
Watch for announcements and invitations to the 2nd Annual Young Voices exhibit opening November 8th where you will be able to see their artwork in person and meet the artists.
Today in our Kds Creativity Sesh we learned about self portraits and created two types of portraits.
First we watched a slideshow/collection of self portraits by artists both well known and unknown, including some by other students. Then we looked at some of the more unusual or creative self portraits and talked about why artists make self portraits and what they might be trying to express about themselves.
I gave my students an assignment to take lots of photos of themselves ( using a digital remote and an iPad on a stand) with the end result of 8 different emotional portraits. They chose their favorites to work with.
Next, the kids used either Photoshop or a mobile app to distill the color portraits to a black and white, posterized, sketch-ized or comic-ized image. We printed those on Bristol paper, glued them to very large sketch Bristol and they added paint and papers to create self portraits.
The students used some of the remaining expressive self-portrait photos to learn about enhancing the emotion of an image by the way one chooses to process the photo. Some of their photographic results are above.
Also, please check out some of their mixed-media self portraits below and let them know through comments, how you respond to their endeavors. Thank you!
Some of the photo-enhanced selfies:
… an evening with two acclaimed Montana artists: poet Melissa Kwasny and improvising sound artist, MJ Williams
WHERE OUTSIDE THE BODY IS THE SOUL
A suite of poems by Melissa Kwasny with improvised sound by MJ Williams
