Chuck Olson at the Amarillo Museum

Let me start by introducing myself, I moved to Amarillo a year ago to teach photography and digital imaging at Amarillo College. One of the determining factors, besides the facilities and people that I would work with, was the art and culture available in the area. The Cadillac Ranch is world famous but what else was here? What kind of resources would be available to my students?

The first thing I discovered was the Amarillo Museum of Art. The museum is housed in a clean, contemporary, and beautifully designed space. Under the direction of Graziella Marchicelli, the museum has enjoyed steady growth while providing the community with exceptional contemporary Art. The quality of the exhibits in the last year has been astonishing.

Currently, the museum features large scale abstract paintings by Chuck Olson. He has a gestural quality to his mark making, a bold sense of color, and his paintings really pull the viewer in. Four of the paintings were made in response to the vast Amarillo sky that he experienced for the first time two years ago.

Olson gave a gallery talk at the museum last Thursday night, and played a few songs with a local band “Gravy.” Friday morning he visited with the art students at Amarillo College, and that afternoon started teaching a 3 day workshop at the museum. On Sunday night everyone met at the Sunset Center for a pot luck dinner and a song circle with local musicians. It was an amazing weekend my battery is charged, I am full of new ideas, and ready to be creative.

These types of events are so important to the culture of an area, and especially to aspiring artists growing up in this community.

This is my first post and I will be writing about being a newcomer to the area, and about the artists featured in this season of Art: 21.

Photorealism coming to Canadian, Premiere Screening of Art:21 at Amarillo Museum of Art and more...

I just returned from an extremely pleasant visit to Canadian and the newly-opened Citadelle Art Foundation. The two-hour drive couldn't be more spectacular from Amarillo, in my humble opinion. First, the oh-so-flat horizon line with little to disrupt your view, then the land opening up with all of those hills and breaks... Can you tell I've got 'landscape' on the brain?


But back to the art... I'm happy to share that photorealism is coming to The Citadelle. Check out Executive Director Liz Seliger's clip here: http://www.youtube.com/art21onkacv In addition to permanent collection artworks displayed in the 8,000 square-foot mansion (formerly Canadian's First Baptist Church and then home to Dr. and Mrs. Malouf Abramam), the Citadelle brings in special exhibitions which are displayed in a newly-built Gallery on the museum's lush grounds. Super Real: The Different Angles of Photorealism opens September 24th and closes November 29th. The nationally-known artists - Gary Godbee, Dennis Wojkiewicz, Ellen Wagener and Scott Fraser - all approach photorealism from different angles (hence the title) but all have such a WOW-factor in their work, that I'm really looking forward to it. Fall Foliage Festival, anyone?



In other Art21 on KACV news, look forward to a guest blog this week from Rene' West (artist, Art Instructor at Amarillo College, and Texas Panhandle newcomer) who will share, among other things, her thoughts about the Amarillo Museum of Art and their Third Thursdays program. Speaking of which, at THIS Thursday's Third Thursday event (9/17), there will be some really great things going on. Artist Chuck Olson is back in town for a gallery talk on his exhibition, Chuck Olson: Visual Histories, an art activity inspired by Olson's show - mixed media maps - will be available for all ages, the band Gravy will perform and last but not least, the Panhandle's Premiere Screening Event for Art:21's newest season is happening at 7:30! The first full episode of Season 5, Compassion, will be shown featuring artists William Kentridge, Carrie Mae Weems and Doris Salcedo. Visit AMOA's website for more info about their Third Thursdays event: http://www.amarilloart.org/


Also coming up, look forward to guest blogs here from artist and Chair of Amarillo College's Visual Arts Department, Victoria Taylor-Gore, KACV Production Coordinator/Web Master Dale Robinson and video clips from chats with Jason Barrett at The 806 (coffee+lounge+cafe) about art they show, photographer Jim Jordan about his new works, and more! So, become a follower of our blog tell your friends to, too!