Summer International

It's been a somewhat perplexing time since February. The economy and the continuous onslaught of conservative social engineering have made a cold west coast summer seem even colder. Art is a luxury for many people and, it seems, is the first thing they strip out of their budgets during bad times. We continue to create with the hope that the economic downturn will upturn soon. I guess that's the "good, bad and ugly" of 2011.

Now for some of the good stuff: The results are in from the VA National Arts Competition. I received a Bronze Medal in Glass for "Warrior Moon in Red" on June 15th. I also juried into the "Arts 2011" Exhibition at the Surrey Art Gallery in Surrey B.C. The opening was last Friday, June 24th. The event was very well attended with a range of art mediums including Painting, Photography and 3-D Sculpture. The piece they selected from my three entries was "Crayola #2." Here's the link to a news article describing the show with photos of some of the works on display (including Crayola #2): http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/entertainment/124451569.html

If you happen to be in Surrey, B.C. this summer, stop by the Surrey Art Centre and check out the exhibition. The Surrey Art Gallery is the 2nd largest contemporary art museum in Vancouver and well worth the side trip.

I'll be showing in several upcoming events including the Kitsap Arts & Crafts Juried & Open Show in Kingston, WA, the Proctor Arts Festival Juried Show in Tacoma, WA, and the 8th International Acquisitions Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities at the Proctor Theater in Schenectady, NY.

That's the news for July 1st, 2011. I hope to have more good news to follow over the next couple of months. Peace! Mark W. Lubich