January Featured Artists and Studio Building Exhibitions

We proudly present our Featured Artists and Studio Exhibitions for the Month of January at the Workhouse Arts Center.  Unless otherwise noted, the opening reception for all studio shows and featured artists listed below will be held campus-wide in conjunction with the 2nd Saturday Art Walk, January 14  from 6-9 pm.

Building W-6 Featured Artist: Marilyn Harrington

Building W-6 featured artist, Marilyn Harrington presents the show, Layers - an exploration of the interactions of weaving and dyeing.

Artist statement:

For me, art is about exploration. Not only exploration of new fibers, new ways of combining yarns into cloth, or new ways of combining colors, but exploration of myself and my connection to color and texture. I've never been happy confining myself to one technique or media, but rather prefer to move from one to another.

My inspiration comes from everywhere. At times I work conceptually where a word or phrase inspires me. My triaxial weaving Breathing Space and Santa Barbara are examples of this. At other times, I come across a ball of yarn and can immediately see it as part of a scarf, shawl or jacket. I've also been inspired by techniques I find in magazines articles or learn in classes. I find I'm not often inclined to follow instructions directly as I am taught, but rather wander wildly off-track into a totally new and exciting direction.

I love working with fiber because the results of a fiber project can never be truly predicted until the piece is finished. The optical color mixing found in fiber projects is different from the color mixing principles taught in painting classes and is affected by the type of fiber being used. The tactile sensation of a particular fiber can be modified by the choice of weaving or knitting structure, the fibers I chose to combine with it, and the method I use to finish it. Thus, the final results cannot be truly predicted without actually making the item in question. I love the final step where the true beauty of the design is revealed.

So, whether I'm doing my best to control the process or just letting it happen, I'm always excited to see the final project

Building W-7 Studio Exhibition: Glasshouse Artists

Building W-7 presents works created by all the artists throughout the month.

Building W-8 Studio Exhibition: Ceramics Resident Artists

A recurring exhibit of functional and sculptural works by Ceramic Resident Artists can be seen in Ceramics Building W-8 throughout the month.

Building W-9 Featured Artist: Sarah Sertic

The newest addition to building W-9, Sarah Sertic started out in the arts at an early age. She started attending classes at the Corcoran College of Art and Design at age 13 in their summer arts program for middle school and high school students. She developed her skills in the fundamentals of art, but found that she was enthralled with the photographic process from her first film camera class at the Corcoran at the age of 14. During the subsequent years she learned, composition, darkroom processing, printing and enlarging, via the use of a 35 mm film SLR. Yet, in the back of her mind there was always this needling that there could be something better, less destructive towards the environment.

She did not learn about eco-friendly photography techniques until she started to attend school once more in 2010. At the Art Institute of Washington then subsequently Northern Virginia Community College she cultivated her love for all things photographic. She found that through different printing practices especially eco-friendly printing she could attain those goals she first sought after in high school. Sarah now strives to be able to take that dedication to the environment and apply it to everyday business practices. She has created a paper free office that digitally services all customers in all aspects of her photographic business. She uses only Hahnemeule Fine Arts Prints made from Bamboo, a sustainable paper pulp source with highly renewable properties. She supports the local economy by only buying from local framers and hopes to be able to bring the importance of buying local to the Workhouse. Sarah hopes that she can help be the change that the world needs one photograph at a time.

At this present show for the 14th of January, Sarah will be displaying art from her American City Ruins. The theme of these works revolves around the beauty of America in its reclaiming of buildings back to nature. American City Ruins will highlight such places as Eastern State Penitentiary, Belle Isle in Richmond, Virginia and our very own Workhouse. Sarah hopes to display the beauty of this natural reclamation of manmade objects. Sarah is available for mentoring in photographic technique, printing and editing processes by appointment. She can be contacted at 703-380-5905 and/or sarah@tribalspiderarts.net for scheduling various types of photographic projects.

Building W-10 Studio Exhibition: Multiple Media

Building W-10 presents Multiple Media, artworks by all the artists in Building W-10, from January 11 to February 4, 2012.

Associate Artists: Karen Hutchison and Mike Minnery

Karen Hutchison and Mike Minnery are the Featured Associate Artists for the month of January. Their work can be viewed in the Vulcan Gallery, located in Gallery W-16.

Hutchison presents the exhibition, Wintry Interlude during the month of January:

"After painting with vibrant paint colors over the past year, the anticipation of the cold season leads me to paint more with neutral colors. I have winter thoughts of nesting, snow, chilly nights, renewal, and the hope of spring coming soon with the first pop of color. The paintings were created with these thoughts in mind. I hope you receive pleasure in viewing my art pieces in the gallery."

Karen Hutchison - Artist Statement:

My paintings have a contemporary style that I express through abstract art using acrylic paints and other materials to create texture. My personality continually has a desire to be creative. I have always been attracted to contemporary art and design. In my abstract art, I often use intense color and texture to capture the viewer's attention and let their imagination interact with the design. I enjoy all colors in acrylic paints, and intensely collect a variety of papers and other materials. The challenge of creating custom contemporary art pieces that express an individual's personality with their home space in mind is always a delight. I was recently flattered and honored to have one of my designs on the cover of a published book.

Previously, I experienced a long career with a health insurance company, and now my time is devoted to being creative in an art business.  I am a lifelong local to Northern Virginia and I currently live in the Town of Herndon, Virginia.

Mike Minnery was born and raised in Northern Virginia. He currently lives in Stafford, VA with his wife and two beautiful little girls. He has been creating art for his friends and family for years, but only began making it available to the public last year. He works exclusively in metal, usually aluminum or stainless steel. He takes pride in creating art that is as durable as it is beautiful.

Date(s): 1/1/2012 to 1/31/2012

Venue: Campus-wide

Ticket Required: No

Photo Gallery

"Searching" by Denise Shamoun Phalan	"Shibori Rectangles" by Marilyn Harrington	"Logical" by Bill Firestone
"It Smells Like Snow" by Karen Hutchison	"Dewdrop" by Mike Minnery