Thursday, April 30, 2015
Artisans Express Unveiling
Join us from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 9 at the Facing Hunger Food Bank at 1327 7th Avenue in Huntington. This is your chance to see the finished trains on display all together for the first and only time, before they are moved to their display locations throughout the city. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, with no charge for children under 13 accompanied by an adult. Your ticket includes:
- Light appetizers & ice cream station
- A community art project by Uncork & Create
- Entertainment for all
- The Kids’ Express Depot, with free activities and games & Pottery Place train sculptures
Tickets. Buy your tickets by visiting one of these locations:
|
Artisans Express on Display
The engines will be on display from May 9 to October 31, 2015 thoughout the downtown area. Each engine will be listed with Geocache, a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS coordinates.
Download a printable map with photographs of each location.
Rendezvous at the Rails
This special gala auction takes place Saturday, June 13, 2015 at the West Edge.The evening includes the auction of 32 engines, which will also be live worldwide via the internet, and a sit-down dinner. The dress is cocktail attire. Tickets are $125 each. Tables of eight are $1,000. Please contact Velma Workman at 304.526.6314 for tickets and/or more information.
Sponsors
We extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible.
|
|
|
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Cheryl Thaxton
My name is Cheryl
Thaxton. I have been an artist since I was in grade school. I love to paint
whimsical art.
I like to use found
objects when I create my art. My artistic name is the Altered Artist.
I can be reached at cathaxton58@frontier.com
or on Facebook as
Cheryl Thaxton, artist:
Railroad History #24
The C&O's first passenger station in the newly created town of Huntington was built in 1872, even before the rail line was completed between Huntington and Richmond, Virginia. This card, postmarked in 1911, offers a good view of the ornate structure. In 1913, the C&O erected a new Huntington station that its corporate successor CSX Transportation continues to use for offices.
http://www.huntingtonquarterly.com/articles/issue66/reflections.php
Railroad History #23
C&O Diesel Locomotives:
C&O was reluctant to dieselize because its management felt that since the principal commodity it hauled was coal, it should retain coal-fired motive power. For that reason, there was no early experimentation with diesel-electric motive power as on many other railroads. However, seeing the obvious economics of diesels, management tried to find a middle ground solution. 
The result was the huge M-1 class Steam-Turbine-Electrics of 1947-48. They incorporated the efficiency of electric drive, but instead of a diesel prime mover, standard steam locomotive power and steam turbine supplied the power for the electric generator. The M-1 class steam turbines were used briefly, but the maintenance required for its standard steam generating plant could not match the lower maintenance costs of the new diesels. More money and time was spent on research of a coal-gas turbine, without success.
The result was the huge M-1 class Steam-Turbine-Electrics of 1947-48. They incorporated the efficiency of electric drive, but instead of a diesel prime mover, standard steam locomotive power and steam turbine supplied the power for the electric generator. The M-1 class steam turbines were used briefly, but the maintenance required for its standard steam generating plant could not match the lower maintenance costs of the new diesels. More money and time was spent on research of a coal-gas turbine, without success.
Railroad History #22
C&O Passenger Cars:
Passenger cars developed on the C&O much as they did on other railroads. The first cars were short wooden boxes on 4-wheel, 2-axle trucks. By the Civil War these cars had improved to have open end platforms and clerestory roofs for ventilation and light.
By the 1870s, when C&O opened its through line to the Ohio, cars were further developed with Pintsch gas lighting.
The all-wooden designs got longer and more highly decorated and the seating capacity increased largely. Pullman sleeping cars began operating on C&O trains in the early 1880s. The first C&O-operated dining cars appeared in 1889. Railway Post Office and express cars were common from the earliest period, usually the RPO portion being less than a full car until after 1900.
Railroad History #21
C&O Freight Cars:
The post-Civil War Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company started as a general freight hauling enterprise and grew into a bulk coal-hauling business. The last references to building four- wheel open-top cars for the purpose of bulk hauling of coal and other mine products appeared in 1870-1871. The C&O also purchased 100 eight-wheel "coal cars" that year. With the completion of "the road" to Huntington, West Virginia, and their independence from C.P. Huntington's Newport News and Mississippi Valley holding corporation, the records of the C&O's Mechanical Department's freight car purchases records became more numerous and are more available for historical scrutiny. Purchase records, freight car diagrams, lettering drawings, and general arrangement drawings before the late-1 929 Van Sweringen holding company Advisory Mechanical Committee (AMC) era are incomplete. The AMC jointly supervised the C&O, PM, NKP, and Erie railroad's mechanical departments from a central office in Cleveland, Ohio, and Cleveland remained the C&O's main offices until the Chessie System was formed.Railroad History #20
Chessie The Railroad Kitten:
Chessie is probably the most endearing and certainly one of the most successful corporate symbols in American history. In 1933, L.C. Probert, a C&O official charged with public relations and advertising, saw an etching in a newspaper of a cuddly little kitten sleeping under a blanket with a paw thrust contentedly forward. At the time, he was developing an ad campaign to popularize C&O's new air-conditioned sleeping car service, and hit upon the notion of using the kitten with the slogan "Sleep Like a Kitten and Arrive Fresh as a Daisy in Air-Conditioned Comfort" for the C&O passenger ads.
Artist: Mike BradyManager, Creative Services
St. Mary’s Medical Center
Background:
Even as a young child, Mike has always had a love for the arts. But in high school, he realized he could turn what he loved into a career. After graduating from Marshall University in 1992 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design, Mike has done just that with positions at Ashland Oil, Inc., The Herald-Dispatch and the Gallaher Group. For the past 20 years, he has worked in the marketing and public relations department at St. Mary’s Medical Center, using his love and talent for the arts to help carry out St. Mary’s mission of providing quality health care to the Tri-State.
Mike also has his own professional photography business, allowing him to tell the personal stories of people in the Tri-State and beyond through his photographs.
But with all of his professional accomplishments, Mike is most proud of his family—his wife Audrey and his children Ben, Madison, Lauren and Ava.
Inspiration:
When Mike needed inspiration, he didn’t have to look any further
than inside the walls of St. Mary’s and the Pallottine Missionary Sisters who
founded the medical center and continue to oversee its mission.
Their history of sacrifice and service to provide healthcare
services to the Tri-State region has been an inspiration to thousands over 90
years. Those early sisters cared for the patients, cooked the meals and worked
late into the night cleaning, doing maintenance—whatever was necessary to keep
the hospital going, overcoming whatever obstacles stood in their way. The
sisters also founded the St. Mary’s School of Nursing, which is still thriving
today, providing quality healthcare employees in not only nursing, but also medical
imaging and respiratory care. The success and the growth of both the schools
and St. Mary’s Medical Center stand as testimonies to the Sisters and their
accomplishments.
Mike’s piece is in honor of those Sisters and the impact they have
had on our entire community. The photos on the train are just a representation,
as it would take a whole line of trains to truly show the influence they have
had, not only on our community, but on Mike personally.
Amber Marie
Amber Marie was born in Huntington,
WV in 1981. She is a graduate of Marshall University’s Visual Art Center, where
she earned her Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting and minored in both History
and Women’s Studies. Although her emphasis is oil medium, Amber Marie also
works in fabrics, illustration, and photography.
During college, she taught art classes for local community centers and at a local business called “Wine and Design”. She also taught at Goodwill KYOWVA’s Career Center, led open studios, and gave private lessons to art enthusiasts. Recently, she moved to Columbus, Ohio to teach art and creative thinking to individuals with disabilities at Goodwill Columbus.
During her career, Amber Marie has
created original designs for TOMS Shoes and been employed by Kellogg’s to
oversee art events for the company. Her most recent work is in collaboration with
Hoops Family Children’s Hospital and its “Artisans Express” project.
Phil Stanley
Background. Graphic design has been such a consuming interest for Phil
Stanley that he made it his life’s work. After graduating from Marshall
University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, he
worked for Ashland Oil for three years as a contract designer. His skills and
experience then brought him to the Creative
Services Department of The Herald-Dispatch, where he worked in positions
of increasing responsibility for 20 years. In 2012, Cabell Huntington Hospital
was able to lure him away from the newspaper to his current position as Creative
Services Manager for the Marketing Department.
Phil has been married to
his wife Jackie for 25 years. They live in Proctorville, Ohio with their twin
daughters Chelsey and Chloe, who attend Marshall University.
Inspiration. As Phil grew up in Point Pleasant, WV, Marshall University was a
common topic in the news and conversation. Although the tragic plane crash occurred
when he was just an infant, over the years, Phil learned more details about the
event and its repercussions. During his tenure at The Herald-Dispatch, Phil met many people who shared their
personal experiences of the plane crash. Through their memories and those of
his friend, sports columnist Ernie Salvatore, Phil came to more fully understand
the magnitude of the disaster, and its impact on the history and spirit of Marshall
University and on Huntington itself.
When Phil was approached
to create a concept for the Artisans Express project, he immediately wanted to
create a Marshall University memorial engine. With the help of Martin
Brescoach, Phil’s vision was brought to life. His tribute to Marshall
University encompasses not just a single tragic event, but the rippling effect
it has had on students, families, the university and the community that
continues to this day.
Jean Eglinton
B’nai Sholom
Take a congregation named Lover of Peace (Ohev Shalom in
Hebrew) and another called The Children of Israel (B’nai Yisrael in Hebrew) –
put them together and what do you get?
B’nai Sholom – Children of Peace.
There have been Jews in Huntington since its founding. We have been welcomed and accepted here. When a chance came to support the Hoops
Children’s Hospital by making a train, we jumped at the chance to illustrate a
bit of our history here and to give back to the community at the same time.
Rabbi Jean Eglinton has been our rabbi for four years. Coming from Connecticut by way of Ohio,
France, Illinois, Kentucky and Israel, she designed our train to reflect the
things that motivate and sustain us: Learning, Prayer, and Caring for each
other. Noah Compton, who wanted to do
something for the Hoops Children’s Hospital for his Bar Mitzvah project, helped
with the decoupage and painting. In
addition to the Jewish families of Huntington past and present, we included two
of our favorite Torah characters.
Driving the train are Deborah and Moses.
They remind us to stay true to our roots as we work to create a future
that is bright for us all.
Cortney Norman
My name is Cortney Norman and I am
an artist! My favorite phrase is “Earth without Art is just.. Eh.” Art has been
a very active part of my life since I could hold a pencil. I doodled constantly. I re-told and re-illustrated
my favorite fairy tales and cartoons into little stapled, neon papered booklets.
I painted decorations on various things around the house for my mom. I created
at my plastic easel in the kitchen while my mom cooked and cleaned, painting
her bright and happy reminders of our lives with glitter paint. I won art
contests all through my schooling, so it was no shock when I went into Marshall
University in 2006 to major in Fine Arts. Professor Stan Sporny, who passed
away before I graduated, was a larger-than-life mentor and opened my eyes to
see like an artist. He literally re-taught me how to see, and how to use color
the correct way. I graduated in 2010 with my Bachelors of Fine Arts, emphasis
in painting. My specialty is portrait painting. I enjoy working with faces and
all the details and unexpected color it takes to capture a likeness. Since I've
graduated, I've done several commissions for family portraits. I hope to have
my own studio and gallery in the future.
I praise God for the talent He’s given me, and I thank my parents and my
husband for being so supportive.
Okay, now about the important part!
The train! This train design I've rendered is made up of the first images that
entered my mind when my boss sent me the ‘All Aboard! Artisans Express’ flyer.
I've lived against train tracks my whole life, and I've watched coal trains
blur by at any given hour. Even given all the negative attention coal, coal
mines, and coal miners have gotten in recent years, I am supportive of coal and
what it means to West Virginia. I felt some pride in it should be shown for a
change. It is not an easy job! That formed my idea to paint a coal miner with a
caged canary on one side of the old style model, in a West Virginia state
colors pallet. Knowing the train would be displayed in Huntington, I felt some Marshall
colors and something geared toward Huntington’s history was in order. That led
to my molten steel and mold idea to come into play. Now add a pretty smoke
sculpture and an interesting base to display it on, and we've got a work of
art. All the better that the money from all of this will go to the Hoops Family
Children’s Hospital. This was totally up my alley, plus I get my name out there
in the public again. I call that a win-win! Please enjoy my train, titled “WV
Proud.”
Visit my Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/ColynoStudio
Karen Fry
Karen has always had a passion for art and anything ‘hands on’. From Kindergarten to the fifth grade, she won the homeroom art contest every year, and so began her journey into art as a hobby! Over the course of her lifetime, she has drawn many pictures, hand-painted every run-through banner for her high school football team, owned her own small business designing hand-drawn pictures on ceramic tiles using children’s hand prints and footprints, taught home school art to 5 – 15 year olds at Siskey YMCA in Matthews, NC, taught herself how to crochet using looms, designed and constructed a brick paver patio on the front of her home, and just recently bought her first sewing machine and taught her how to sew a quilt top!
Her very first quilt top will be permanently on display with her train. She was inspired by the rich Appalachian culture and her late mother-in-law’s passion for quilting, but never had a chance to learn from her how to piece one together. The chosen colors of white, Kelly green, blue, and old gold symbolize the rivalry between two in-state universities that are “United By Culture.”
Karen spends her free time with family, friends, exercising, coaching a girls’ program at a local elementary school that promotes running and physical fitness as well as building self-esteem, and volunteering at her children’s school.
Karen is originally from the small town of Denver, NC, just outside of Charlotte, and just recently moved to Huntington, WV, two years ago from Waxhaw, NC, with her husband of 11 years, Dr. Russell Fry, and her 3 beautiful children, Sophia, Silas, and Sutton.
Brianna Allen
I have taught art for 6 years and I am currently an art teacher at Huntington High School. As an artist I usually paint people and animals in all mediums, and like many artists I dabble in various types of art and crafts. I enjoy narrative art and prefer to use subjects that I know and have specific meaning to myself that I can easily create a story out of their personality or an event. I love nature, especially that of my home state of WV. I believe WV is a beautiful and strong state that finds its way into the souls of those who get to grow up and explore its beauty. I used area flowers and animals as the inspiration for my train. I combined an art nouveau style design with seasonal windows of “flora and fauna.” The base is an abstract idea of train tracks and monochromatic colors that flow into the more realistic imagery on the train.
Bailey Pfost
Bailey Pfost is a nine
year old student at Milton Elementary in Milton, West Virginia. Before age 9,
she was known for her outgoing and caring nature and would break out in song
and dance any chance she could. However, soon after turning 9 she suddenly
became consumed with fear and was often unable to leave her home and quit
finding happiness in singing and dancing. Overwhelmed with sadness and anxiety
she told her mom that she felt like something was wrong with her. She says it
was hard to admit to an adult that she didn’t feel normal anymore but she knew
she had to tell someone. Her mom took her to a therapist and she found it
really helped to have someone to talk to that understood her fears.
The therapist told her
that she had O.C.D. and at first that really hurt Bailey’s feelings because the
“D” meant disorder and she didn’t like being labeled as having a disorder.
Besides, she had seen people on TV. with O.C.D. and they were always made fun
of because they acted silly or always had to have things in a certain order and
Bailey didn’t feel like that matched her. But, the therapist explained that
O.C.D. can affect people in many different ways and it didn’t mean that there
was something wrong with her it just meant that her brain worked a little
different.
Soon Bailey began to
feel better. The therapist had taught her how to calm her fears and how to not
concentrate on her compulsions. One of the lessons she learned is that she
could calm her anxiety by drawing and painting and keeping her hands occupied.
She also learned that her cat Madison could calm her down by purring and
rubbing up against her when she was scared so she took extra care to make sure
she kept Madison happy and loved.
When Bailey learned
about the Tri-state Artisan art project she begged her mom if she could join
it. She liked that it was for sick kids and she knew what it was like to be
sick and scared. She wanted her train to be a reminder to other kids that being
sick doesn’t have to be scary. That if the kids talk openly with their parents
and doctors that the adults can help the kids stay calm. And, more importantly,
sick kids should never feel alone because all kids go through rough and scary
times. So, that means there are always other scared kids out there that can
help! Kids just have to learn to reach out to adults and other kids and not be
afraid to ask for help.
Bailey has a Facebook page called "Bailey Draws". https://www.facebook.com/Baileydraws?fref=ts
Bailey has a Facebook page called "Bailey Draws". https://www.facebook.com/Baileydraws?fref=ts
Robbie Poore Sing to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music:
Loose buttons, cd's and broken eye glasses, glued all together to sell to the masses. My old computer, can tabs, and stretched springs, these are a few of my favorite things.
Hi! My name is Robbie Poore, the guy behind BackwardsArrr. My art came from a need to decorate a blank space on my wall by using items that I had on hand. Nowadays, I use found objects and items that are donated to me to compile my assemblage pieces; or what I fondly refer to as "junk and spray paint".
The objects that you see on my train (Haberdasher) are objects from my life. Some objects were added for sentimental value, while others were affixed to add texture.
Thanks for your interest!
Sincerely, Robbie
You can find me on Facebook and Instagram. photo courtesy of my wife.
http://www.facebook.com/BackwardsArrr
http://instagram.com/backwardsarrr/
Ackenpucky
Ackenpucky is a business with the mission of “embracing Appalachian culture and developing communities through regional art.” The goal of Ackenpucky is to change the stereotype of Appalachia, and more specifically West Virginia, through the arts. Artist and designer husband and wife team, David Seth Cyfers and Jill Renee LaFear founded Ackenpucky as a creative resource firm and have artists and artisans, who work contractually with Ackenpucky on many projects. Through collaboration, Ackenpucky is able to offer a distinct and original design unlike any other, and create an experience where the variety of individual projects and challenges mutually influence every creative task.
David Seth Cyfers has been a resident of Huntington, WV for 13 years. He received his BFA from Marshall University College of Art & Design with a dual-emphasis in graphic design and printmaking. An interdisciplinary approach to creating work has given way to a variety of experiences that have allowed the artist a unique perspective. David’s primary body of work is rooted in painting and sculpture, though business interests and collaboration have allowed him to expand his design sensibility into other segments of arts and design.
Jill Renee LaFear grew up in Huntington, WV, where she spent her youth immersed in the arts and classical piano prior to attending both Marshall University and Wheeling Jesuit University, focusing on Philosophy and Business. The lessons learned from these fields have provided Jill an understanding of how significant art and design are within society, and the ability to communicate this to others. Since the inception of Ackenpucky, Jill has worked within a supportive network and community on numerous design and arts related projects.
Jointly, as Ackenpucky, David and Jill have worked within the fields of historical preservation, hotel design and décor, urban renewal and revitalization, urban design, atmospheric design, community arts, restaurant design, residential design, the furniture arts, art direction, and graphic design among others. What David and Jill create together is what has shaped Ackenpucky into the business it is today, proving that art and design are more than just a frivolous pretty thing. It is purposeful.
George Kotalic
“Huntington Then and Now” by George H. Kotalic.
George H. Kotalic is a landscape designer and owner of Kotalic
Landscaping and Design of Huntington, W.V. which has served the Tri- State area
since 1976. He also owns and operates River and Rail Micro-Nursery of Lesage,
W.V.
Kotalic has found creative outlets, not only in his design work, but also with professional sculpting companies, doing sand sculpture, as well as installing “Living Art” on walls with plants throughout the U.S. He has created unique pieces of metal sculptures and fountains and has always been involved in photography.
The history and architecture of Huntington was the inspiration for the design of this train. The old photographs of landmark buildings in Huntington exhibited on one side of the train were obtained from the city archives. The new photographs depicting the same buildings and sites were taken by Kotalic using GoPro and Drone technology, each of which he incorporates into the landscape design business, as well as real estate videos, inspection services and advertising.
Dave Thomas of Chesapeake, Ohio, was instrumental in working with Kotalic to engineer the solar-driven lighting of the train. “Pointillism,’’ using acrylic paint hand applied one dot at a time, was used to apply the color on the train.
Kotalic has admired other city projects in North America in which artists decorate prototypes of flamingos, cows, guitars, clowns and other symbols to adorn cityscapes with street art.
This is Kotalic’s first juried exhibit of street art.
Moriah Lockhart
Moriah Lockhart is a 22-year-old painter and graphic designer. She grew up in Beckley, West Virginia where she found her love for art. It happened gradually over the years starting with doodling as a first stepping stone. This origin is the root of her current passion for line art, and she thanks her Grandpa for pushing her to draw in a sketchbook from an early age. She takes inspiration from emotion and nature, as well as personal experience. “Art is an outlet that can not be expressed through the voice, just by doing it. It is about the connection between the mind and the hands creating the work.” Currently, Moriah is a junior at Marshall University in Huntington, WV where she is studying to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She recently visited New York City for the first time and wants to travel after graduation to find new inspirations and experiences that will broaden the horizon of her work.
Mikayla Miller
We Are Family by Mikayla Miller
I
was born in Richmond, Virginia, but two years later my family and I moved to
Millboro, Virginia. I attended school for preschool through 7th
grade at Millboro Elementary School, then 8th grade through my
senior year I was at Bath County High School. I am nineteen years old and I am
a student at Marshall University and part of the College of Art and Media. My
major is Public Relations because I enjoy working with people. I intend on creating
artwork for the rest of my life though, it is a part of me now.
I
grew up in a family of four, my father is a CSX engineer; so when I got the
opportunity to paint a mold of a train it was exciting. I have been seeing
trains and riding to the train station since I was born, so I am glad I got to
have this experience. My mother was always there for me, she is a special
education teacher in the county I attended school in. I feel that I inherited a
lot of my artistic abilities from her and my grandfather from my dad’s side of
the family. They both could paint very well and their work was nice for me to
see. My sister is at Marshall University with me, she is a Music Education
major, she is four years older than me, and has been there with me through
thick and thin. I designed art work for her and she surprised me by having it
tattooed onto her rib cage.
I
have enjoyed art my entire life, and really got into it when I was in 6th
grade. I had a brilliant art teacher in 6th and 7th
grade, then he retired when I was in 8th grade. I started back to
art my freshman year of high school, where I completed the next four years
creating artwork with an array of medias. I worked every year until winning the
“Best in Show” award with a pencil drawing my senior year. My junior year I
also won a prize at the state wide BETA convention in Richmond, Virginia. It
was a charcoal piece that I drew at least three times trying to make it
perfect. I had an acrylic painting sent in to the capital and it got placed on
the walls of a building in Richmond. A couple of my close friends had me draw
their tattoos that they wanted so they could get them tattooed on by a
professional.
I
have been going to church since I was born. In Virginia I attended a little
Presbyterian church and was very involved with Bible School, Youth Club,
retreats, and many services. For the Vacation Bible School in the past two
years I have painted a murals on huge canvas backdrops as decorations in the
sanctuary. The first year I created a scene that looked like a castle, also
involving painting the Bible Buddy characters. Then last year I created a wild
jungle scene with strange animals swinging from the vines. I enjoy every piece
of art I create, and hope to continue to paint and draw for the rest of my life.
Lee Ann Blevins
Lee Ann Billups Blevins (b. October 20, 1965), a native of Kenova, West Virginia couldn't help but be influenced by her hometown's history of trains. Three railways, the N&W, B&O, and C&O all intersected at Kenova in the late 1800's. Her grandfather worked as a telegraph operator for B&O and her father was an avid model railroader. These ties to trains and her love for art, led her to create her "Wild About Huntington" design for the Artisan's Express project.
A 1987 graduate of Marshall University, she earned her degree in art education. She has taught elementary art for 28 years in Cabell County in WV and also served as an instructor for the children's summer art program for the Huntington Museum of Art. She has done many pieces of commissioned artwork, illustrated a children's book, designed a cycling jersey for Ashland Cycling Enthusiasts, and most enjoys working with watercolors and pencil. The wild print design of the train was inspired by her love of nature and adventure. She has rappelled off the New River Gorge Bridge, snorkeled Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan.
Lee Ann plan to continue making art taught is both fun and meaningful. She also hopes to inspire her young students to enjoy their own creative abilities and to always live a life filled with adventure.
Charlie Barager
I graduated Marshall University with a BFA with concentrations in Painting and Ceramics. The goal I have is to make art readily accessible to everyone. It is especially important in a smaller cities and towns. We as artists have a responsibility to open the hearts and minds of others through our craft. I believe that every piece is important and should be treated as such - regardless if it is a piece for a gallery or a mural on a child's wall.
Email- cjbarager@gmail.com
Phone- (304)521-9348
Website-ArtofCharlie.com
Instagram-CharliesEmpyre
Facebook- ArtofCharlie
Debra McDanald
Trains
Trains have been a recurring theme throughout my life.
My Grandad was an Engineer for the C&O Railway for many years. He came home from work in his striped overalls and cap covered in soot, smelling of smoke from the big locomotive.
When I was a photography student at Marshall University in the 70's, my summer photography class spent five weeks in Cass, WV, living in two houses which belonged to the Mower Lumber Company.
The logging company had closed down years before, so the massive old Shay steam engine trains pulled tourists up the mountain to Bald Knob. The student photographers spent their time photographing the local folk and documenting the WV flora and fauna. We put together make-shift darkrooms in the house, blacking out the windows and printing photos into the night. It was a wonderful experience.
So now, as I paint this model steam engine, it rekindles those memories. My inspiration is the children who shall benefit, so I decided on a whimsical approach. Pop Art, Op Art, Peter Max style, retro Big Top Circus style with a twist. On the outside looking in, or is it inside looking out? You decide.
As a native Huntingtonian, I worked at WSAZ-TV in the control room after college, was a free-lance photographer for Ashland Oil, a Realtor in WV and OH, a glass bead maker/jewelry designer, and was a member of the TRiO staff at Marshall University. Now I'm enjoying retirement with my husband Bill, multi-talented daughter Alison, and three dogs who never let me out of their sight.
J. Deacon Stone
J. Deacon Stone
Deacon has participated at all levels in numerous exhibitions throughout southern Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan, at venues including Ohio University, the St. James Arcade (Huntington, WV), Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Chrysler Financial Services Collection (Farmington Hills, MI), the Forum Gallery (Bloomfield Hills, MI), the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (Birmingham, MI), Flint Institute of Art (Flint, MI), Pullman Square Ancillary Gallery (Huntington, WV), Morris Gallery (Huntington, WV), Marshall University President's Gallery (Huntington, WV).
His sculptures are in several permanent collections in and around Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, including Cranbrook Museum of Art, and in private collections in Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans, Boston; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and Huntington, Hurricane, and Charleston, in West Virginia. He has assisted in the installation and packing of world-class exhibitions from Cranbrook Museum, to the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse, Birke Art Gallery, and Huntington Museum of Art, in Huntington, West Virginia; including Willie Cole's "The Elegba Principle."
Volunteer work includes assistance with the installation of artwork through WV Community Works Projects, and for grant funded organizations including the Apalachian Women's Leadership Program, in Hamlin, WV, and the Huntington Area Food Bank, Huntington, WV.
Deacon grew up at the southernmost point of Ohio near the banks of the river; where three states meet. As an only child of a single mother, resourcefulness and resilience were instilled by practice; the all-too-often necessities for survival in Appalachia.
Resourcefulness proved adequate preparation for education as he was awarded the Freshman Excellence Scholarship from Ohio University. He later earned his BFA from Marshall University in Sculpture, and MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Sculpture.
He has taught at Detroit metro art institutions from the College for Creative Studies, to the Flint Institute of Art.
He Lives with his wife, Jessica E. Stone, a ceramicist, in Huntington, West Virginia.
Artisans Express: Concept Chrome
A submission for the upcoming fundraiser to benefit Cabell Huntington Hospital's Hoops Children's Hospital...
"CONCEPT: CHROME"
A 6' fiberglass train engine model (in either style, or both...?) will be professionally chromed with a quality mirror finish, creating a highly reflective gorgeous gem that will shine in the heart of its home city Huntington, West Virginia.
"Concept: Chrome" is about more than an object, a surface treatment, or spectacle... it is about the heart and soul of a city; its people. More importantly, it is all about enabling people to capture their city, and their vital role in it, in context. Every single photograph of this piece will capture not only the piece itself, but also the reflection of the sky, surrounding buildings and monuments, people, even the photo-taker his or her self! It is the kind of artwork that is conscious of those around it, that gives back more than it takes, that shares the stage; it will welcome all to be a part of the magic to which public art aspires, and is all too often found wanting.
Inspired by Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" at Chicago's Millennium Park, the concept has been in practice daily since 2006, and the sculpture has since become nationally and internationally renown. Why? It certainly is a phenomenon, it is strange and beautiful, it is many things... but in practice, each and every boy and girl, every man and woman who "looks at" the sculpture, sees his or her self; in the city, of the city, they are part of the slipstream. Their gaze and presence breathes life into this static object and animates it, and it in turn animates them, they reveal unknowns to one-another. Each needs the other, such a sculpture speaks to relationships, and our human longing for connection; it is poignant how with such a simple concept, our innermost desires can be laid bare. In this way, we are connected to one-another, and therefore to our city, for it is no more, or less, than us. This is the kind of art that reminds us of that very fact; "Concept: Chrome."
____________________________________________________________
"Space Shuttle Huntington" piece...
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on (the)... shoulders of giants."
- Isaac Newton, 1676
Today we don't just see further; we go farther. Further in space, technology, medical science, and the payoffs are real-world. When my daughter was diagnosed in utero with single ventricle disease in 2010 my wife and I were, of course, dumbstruck. We didn't know quite what to expect... but as time went on, the picture became more clear. She would survive, require advanced open heart surgeries which would overhaul her entire vascular system to work with a heart that could not be repaired. This would carry her into young adulthood at which point she would need a heart transplant. As I write this, (March of 2015) she is an active, healthy 4 year old who runs circles around her peers! There was a time before this, a time not so long ago, when the story of her life would have been a very short one, with a very sad end indeed. Now we face old challenges with new hope, and advancements in the technological, medical, pharmaceutical, and scientific fields create new and previously unimaginable futures; but they are futures and hopes quite often taken for granted.
The world we see around us is one ripe with potential, and the rich future we imagine is one built upon a deep history of Appalachian ingenuity, hard work, and know-how. The city we see around us, grown-up out of the commerce and trade associated with river and rail was one enabled by the coal in our hills that fueled the industrial revolution, that helped to forged the railways running from coast to coast. It is a heritage of entrepreneurship, and innovation seen in the industries that have called, and even now call our fine city home; manufacturers, textile mills, glass factories, and the like. In few areas is the spirit of furtherance so common to our area more perfectly represented, than in our nation's space program, a representation of the world's push against the edges of possibility, into the unknown beyond.
Space Shuttle Huntington injects our nation's incredible frontier-fording heritage into the Huntington scene, evoking themes of our industrious past, potential-rich present, and a previously unimaginable future, made real.
Jennifer Anderson
 |
| C. P. Huntington with Jennifer's Engine |
Jennifer Anderson has a
unique beginning to her career as an artist. She is a native of Huntington, WV
but moved to South Florida to begin art school in 1986. As life introduces us
to unexpected opportunities, Jennifer crossed paths with a NYC interior
designer at Gulfsteam Racetrack in Hollywood, Florida where Jennifer was selling her original hand
painted t shirt designs. The interior designer introduced her to the owner of a
textile art business in Davie, Florida. This began her shift from working in
classic art mediums on paper to using a variety of mediums on fabrics and on
walls.
As a textile artist at
Starshine Studios, Jennifer painted on hundreds of yards of silks, cottons, and
other fabrics that were that were made into upholstery and draperies for
clients all over the United States and overseas. She also learned the art of
faux finishes.
Jennifer moved back to
Huntington in 1995 and shortly after began painting murals and faux finishes on
walls of numerous residences and businesses in the tri state area and beyond
including New York City.
She never lost the love of
working with traditional watercolors and acrylics on papers. She has won
several awards for her work in watercolors over the years. Watercolor is her
first love.
The Artisan's Express
project was a dream for Jennifer. It would give her the chance to find local
artists that had never been recognized on a national level for their talents
and allow them to have the opportunity to show the nation their works and “why”
they create art in so many different mediums. Reading the artist bios and
hearing their personal stories has been Jennifer's favorite part about the
project.
The second goal Jennifer
had when the project began was to educate the children in Huntington about the rich
history of the railroad in Huntington. Each QR code on the trains displayed not
only give the artist of each train engine a voice about their art, but they
give short history lessons about why we are called Huntington. The railroad was
very important in establishing us as a city. We became an important
transportation hub as we filled in the gap between the James River in Richmond,
VA to the Ohio Valley. The area is named after the railroad builder, Collis
Potter Huntington.
You cannot find too many
folks in this Huntington area that do not have some sort of railroad connection
either recent or from past generations. Her Huntington Railroad train engine even
has a connection as her husband's grandparents both worked for the C&O
railroad and that is how they met. The antique metal on her sculptures base
came from their first home in Huntington.
The Train Engines
Jennifer designed two train engines for this project. The first one modeled after the #10 engine that resides at her hometown's Heritage Station. She felt compelled to create an ode to the railroad birth in Huntington. It includes a portrait of Mr. Huntington and a look at the original survey map used to connect the railroads in the area.
Jennifer has a second passion besides art, kids fitness and nutrition. She devotes and volunteers countless hours at her daughter's elementary school implementing numerous health programs such as Fuel Up to Play 60 to encourage, motivate, and educate young students to lead the way in fighting child hood obesity. She believes if the students learn these healthy habits at a young age, they will take what they learn home to their families and encourage them to make changes to live a healthy lifestyle.
When artists were submitting their designs, Jennifer noticed a hole in the wide variety of renderings. There was no design depicting the Healthy Revolution that Jamie Oliver began in 2010 which since his visit spawned numerous 5k and running events, healthier restaurant choices, and a better accountability awareness for citizens in Huntington. Jennifer felt that a Healthy Huntington train engine was needed to honor so many positive changes that have been since 2010.
The Train Engines
Jennifer designed two train engines for this project. The first one modeled after the #10 engine that resides at her hometown's Heritage Station. She felt compelled to create an ode to the railroad birth in Huntington. It includes a portrait of Mr. Huntington and a look at the original survey map used to connect the railroads in the area.
Jennifer has a second passion besides art, kids fitness and nutrition. She devotes and volunteers countless hours at her daughter's elementary school implementing numerous health programs such as Fuel Up to Play 60 to encourage, motivate, and educate young students to lead the way in fighting child hood obesity. She believes if the students learn these healthy habits at a young age, they will take what they learn home to their families and encourage them to make changes to live a healthy lifestyle.
When artists were submitting their designs, Jennifer noticed a hole in the wide variety of renderings. There was no design depicting the Healthy Revolution that Jamie Oliver began in 2010 which since his visit spawned numerous 5k and running events, healthier restaurant choices, and a better accountability awareness for citizens in Huntington. Jennifer felt that a Healthy Huntington train engine was needed to honor so many positive changes that have been since 2010.
Jennifer hopes that the
project inspires young artists to dream big and keep creating! Jennifer continues to paint murals and faux finishes and can be found on Facebook: Jake and
Jules Whimsical Kreations
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)