Ani Art Academy Waichulis

Late yesterday, The Art Renewal Center announced the winners of the 9th Annual Art Renewal Center’s International Salon Competition. For this year’s competition, there were approximately 2,000 entries and 850 artists that entered.  The ARC’s 2012/2013 International Salon Competition showcases some of the best realist endeavors being created today.

We are extremely proud to share that 13 Ani Art Academy Apprentices and Alumni were included in this renowned International Salon.  This will be the second consecutive year that an Ani apprentice received a first place in the drawing category.  Congratulations to Jason Brady on his winning drawing!  Apprentice Kierstin Young also received third place in the same category for her drawing, “Necrosis”.

Everyone at the Ani Art Academies would like to congratulate all of our artists who received honors, awards, and much deserved recognition.  We are all so extremely proud.  For a full listing of winner of this year’s salon competition, visit:  https://www.artrenewal.org/pages/salon_winners.php?contest=2012-2013%20Salon&page=Main.  Below is a list of Ani Art Academy Apprentices and Alumni who received honors this year:

Best in Show: Drawing Category
First Place:
Jason Brady
“Just a Game”
21×13 inches

Third Place:
Kierstin Young
“Necrosis”
15.5×23 inches

Purchase Prize:
Rodney O’Dell Davis
“The Last Dance”
27×36 inches

Jason Brady
“Just a Game”
21×13 inches

Erin Anderson
“See Through You”
40×29 inches

Honorable Mention in Drawing:
Erika Baez
“Grow”
11×20 inches

Finalist in the Figurative Category:
Timothy Jahn
“Good Help”
36×24 inches

Kate Sammons
“Dear Heather”
16x 20 inches

“Moondreams”
22×30 inches

Finalist in the Still Life Category:
Kate Sammons
“A Place in the Sun”
20×25 inches

Finalist in the Drawing Category:
Kevin Moore
“Chronologic”
12×11 inches

Brandon D. Drake
“Strategic Ambition”
14×23 inches

Alicia L. Lang
“Deliverance”
23×8 inches

Leah Waichulis
“Venture”
6 1/2×10 3/4 inches

Sharon Hourigan
“Veiled Fortuna”
20×14 inches

Finalist in the Animal Category:
Emma Hirst
“High Steaks”
8×10 inches

“Insomnia”
7x 5.5inches

Its been almost one week since Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc. opened their doors for The Big Gamble exhibit, and since that day the highly anticipated show has been receiving a remarkable amount of coverage.

Bloginity, an independent online forum dedicated to individuals who are shaping the cultural footprint of our generation, released an impressive review of opening day of the exhibit which featured works from Ani Art Academies artists. The article discusses the nine pieces of art that found a home by the end of the day, and the high volume of traffic in and out of the gallery (estimated at over 700) caused the elevators to malfunction. Old and young alike, guests climbed up eight flights of stairs throughout the day to catch a glimpse of The Big Gamble.

Throughout the month, Bloginity will be posting articles to learn more about the Ani artists. Be sure to check their website at: http://www.bloginity.com/

Ani Art Academies would like to thank Bloginity for a wonderful article about the show. To read the full article, please follow the link: http://www.bloginity.com/2013/04/big-gamble-estimate-700-people-attended-opening-exhibition/

The Big Gamble at Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc. runs till May 3rd. The gallery is located in 5 East 57th Street, New York NY. Please visit their website at: http://www.rehscgi.com/ for more information and the virtual online exhibit of The Big Gamble.

We are very proud to announce the success of last night’s open house at the Ani Art Academy Anguilla! The open house served as the first major event for Academy apprentices to show off their artwork to over 250 people of the local community. It also served as an informational event for students who want to learn more about the Ani Art Academies program.

We would like to congratulate all the apprentices for a job well done and give a huge thank you to everyone who helped put on this successful event!

If you would like to find out more about the Ani Art Academies, please visit our website at: www.aniartacademies.org.

Ani Art Academies artist Kierstin Young is currently being featured in the April/May 2013 issue of International Artist magazine as a Finalist for the People & Figures competition.  In the article, Young tells the audience about the many diverse subjects that inspire her work.  The inspiration behind “Necrosis” “…is a modern interpretation of the classical Vanitas.  I wanted to explore the idea of how so many people walk through life, blind to the fact that so many treasured tangibles are meaningless”.  She describes her design strategy behind the drawing by beginning with the concept of a dark, ominous void that would surround a young girls silhouette.  The article closes with her talking about her working process from references and line work, to her choice of medium.

To read the full article about Kierstin Young’s “Necrosis”, pick up the latest issue of International Artists in your local bookstore today!

We would like to Congratulate Justin Gu for his recent Gold medal in the 90th Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.  Justin is one of the youngest artists to be immersed in our curriculum and a former student of Ani Art Academy Anguilla instructor Timothy Jahn.  We are so very proud of him!

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7th to 12th from public, private, or home schools in the U.S.  It is also the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.

For more information on the 90th Scholastic Art and Writing Awards please visit their website at: http://www.artandwriting.org

Artist Emma Hirst will have her drawing, “The Four Basic Food Groups” on display in the show entitled “Delicious” at Studio Gallery in San Francisco CA.  “Delicious” is an annual exhibit filled with works inspired by food and drink from over 100 local artists.  The show will be open March 13th to April 14th with an opening reception on Sunday, March 17th from 2:00-6:00 pm.

For more information about Studio Gallery, you can visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/STUDIOGallerySF

Make sure to check out Emma’s work in the “Delicious” exhibit if you are in the San Francisco area this spring!

Studio Gallery is located at 1815 Polk St. San Francisco CA, (between Washington and Jackson).