What is Abstract Art—Really? - A Virtual Program by Jill Kiefer

(LEFT) Robert Delaunay, 1885-1941) - Joie de vivre (The Joy of Life) - 1930 - Oil on canvas, 200 x 228 cm, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris - (RIGHT) Joan Miró, born April 20, 1893, Barcelona, Spain died December 25, 1983, Palma, Majorca. Women and Bird in the Moonlight - 1949 - Oil on canvas, 81.3 x 66.0 cm, Tate Gallery, London (click photo for larger image)“Dr. Jill” will continue to offer single-session art history programs online, beginning in June, on a variety of topics. Every session runs for one hour. The presentations are around 35-45 minutes long with time left over for a Q&A. Check out the program descriptions and REGISTER NOW! This is a global program—and the times noted are EDT (New York time) and GMT.

On Wednesday, 17 June, Jill will present What is Abstract Art—Really? – Abstract Art is a term which, over time, has come to be equated with Nonrepresentational Art. But are they really the same thing? A true work of abstraction is a nonobjective representation of the essence extracted from something real. Given all of these cryptic terms, it’s no wonder that people get confused! In this program, we’ll explore art that will help us to identify the differences between these terms—and lead to a deeper appreciation of both. Artists examined will include Wassily Kandinsky, Arthur Dove, Jackson Pollock, Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler, among others.

The date for this event is Wednesday, 17 June – 10:00 - 11:00 am EDT (New York Time) 14:00 - 15:00 (2:00 - 3:00 pm) GMT

The “Ninth Street Women” Series Online

Artist Joan Mitchell in her studio In an effort to support its community and artists during these unprecedented times, Bethany Arts Community will be offering new online arts programming, art classes and events to stay connected with each other.

Art is very much a part of what makes this world beautiful! During this difficult time, we need art more than ever to feed our souls and boost our spirits! We have all been looking forward to the Ninth Street Women series, led by Dr. Jill Kiefer. Since we have no idea when we can be together again—in person—we want to make this program available to you in a virtual environment. We are going to shorten each session to between 30 to 45 minutes, and extend the program to include seven sessions. Just to be on the safe side—plan on attending the class from 10:00 – 11:00 AM on the scheduled dates, to leave us some wiggle room. You can learn more about the program and Register HERE.

Online classes are fun and easy! All you have to do is click on the link you’ll receive, and make sure that the audio and video on your devices are turned ON. But, if you want to familiarize yourselves with the audio and video settings on the computer, laptop, or mobile device that you intend to use for the class, this useful video  on joining a meeting as a participant is available. (Please avoid logging on using your mobile phones, because you won’t have all of the features available to you! A laptop or desktop is best.)

Stay safe and healthy as we support each other during this journey together.

HOLIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT

The team of What About Art? will be closed for the holidays, beginning December 23rd. We will return with new posts on January 6th. We wish you all a Joyful Holiday Season

Thanksgiving Break

What About Art? Will Be Closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We’ll Begin Posting Again on December 8th. A Happy Thanksgiving to You All!

Frank Stella: Dynamism, Tactility, and Scale

Frank Stella - Chodorow II - 1971 - Felt, paper and canvas collage on canvas - overall: 274.4 x 269.3 cm (108 1/16 x 106 in.) - National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.Focusing on the formal elements of art-making, Frank Stella (born 1936) has created complicated works that embody dynamism, tactility, and scale. Though technically part of the Second Generation of abstract expressionists, Stella dramatically departed from that tradition in the late 1950s, becoming a leader and practitioner of what would become Minimalism. He became known for his irregularly shaped works and large-scale multimedia reliefs. 

Stella studied painting at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and history at Princeton University (B.A., 1958). He gained recognition for his art when he was still in his mid-20s, and has enjoyed a long and productive career. MoMA and the Whitney, in New York, have both held retrospectives of his work, and one of his freestanding public sculptures is installed in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. 

To learn more about the artists featured on What About Art? this week, register HERE for Jill Kiefer’s Post-Modern Art class, beginning shortly at the Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, New York.