24th West Michigan Regional Competition in Lowell, MI
The new painting, “Twilight in the Wood”, is on display at the Lowell Area Arts Council as part of the 24th West Michigan Regional Competition. This year’s juror was artist Armin Mersmann who is known for his masterfully rendered, highly detailed large-scale drawings. He chose an excellent selection of representational works for the exhibition.
Twilight in the Wood, 2010, painting by David Jay Spyker,acrylics on canvas, 14"x18"
Twilight in the Wood, painting by David Jay Spykeron display at Lowell Area Arts Council, MI
The show runs through April 10, 2010, and is worth the trip to go see it.
Three Paintings at Carnegie Center for the Arts
"Vessels", 2008, by David Jay Spyker, Acrylics on Canvas, 30" x 42"
It’s that time of year again, and each year I express my fondness for the Carnegie Center for the Arts and the annual regional art competition held there.
This year I am pleased to show three paintings at the competition, and I do hope you will visit the exhibition.
The opening reception is always well attended by the artists and by a very supportive regional community of art lovers.
"The Journey", 2009, by David Jay Spyker, Acrylics on Canvas, 24" x 36"
Both of my larger paintings, “Vessels” and “The Journey”, should be fairly easy to spot right away.
You can read more about “Vessels” in a previous article.
“The Journey” was also exhibited last Autumn at the Art Center of Battle Creek’s 28th Michigan Artist’s Competition.
~~
~~
My third piece on display will be the small painting “Water Study”, which was done in 2008.
"Water Study", 2008, by David Jay Spyker, Acrylics on Canvas, 5" x 7"
The 2010 Regional Art Competition runs from January 17 through February 20; the opening reception and awards ceremony takes place on Sunday, January 17 from 2-4 pm. You’ll find the museum in Three Rivers, Michigan. Please visit their website for directions and additonal information.
28th Michigan Artists Competiton at the Art Center of Battle Creek
My recent painting, “The Journey” will be displayed at this year’s Michigan Artists Competition at the Art Center of Battle Creek.
"The Journey", 2009, by David Jay Spyker, Acrylics on Canvas, 24 x 36 in.
Should you wish to attend, the group exhibition opens with a reception on October 4 from 2-4 p.m., and remains open to the public through October 24.
For directions and contact information, please visit the Art Center’s website here: www.artcenterofbattlecreek.org
Carnegie Center for the Arts Competition, 2009
I have a small piece titled “Wave Study” in the 2009 regional competition at the CCA in Three Rivers, Michigan. The Carnegie show is always one of my favorites; it’s such a wonderful old building, they always put on a very nice opening, and there is typically a great selection of art to be seen.
Wave Study, 2008, 5" x 7", Acrylics on Canvas by David Jay Spyker
The Carnegie Center for the Arts/W.R. Monroe Museum utilizes all available exhibition space for a generous showing each year. It also happens that the Carnegie is where I had my first full solo show – at the time, Tom Lowry was the director – so it definitely holds a special spot in my personal artistic history.
The 2009 Regional Juried Arts Show runs January 18 – February 22, and the opening reception and awards ceremony is on Sunday, January 18 from 2-4 pm.
The Figure Revealed
Where do I even begin? This is simply one of the finest shows to come to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in a very long time. I will admit to a bit of stylistic bias in that statement, but I still stand by it. Seeing such fine examples from this selection of superbly talented artists is indeed a treat.
Kent Bellows stares back at the viewer from behind a table choked with food – greasy and sweet – drink, strands of pearls, an overturned human skull, and a very creepy baby doll with all of its hair pulled out. In his self-portrait, he almost dares us to challenge him at his Gluttony. The detail and craftsmanship in the painting is impeccable, and it begs to be inspected up close.
"Gluttony", 2000, by Kent Bellows (copyright the Kent Bellows estate)
Steven Assael challenges us again with his life size portraits of New York counter-culture club goers. In his huge, modern altarpiece, “At Mother”, figures adorned in leather, spikes, piercings and techno-punk-pagan-goth clothing are shown in scene, and, in an inset central section at home watching television.
"At Mother", 2001, by Steven Assael (copyright Steven Assael)
Julie Heffernan treats us to lavish, fanciful scenes in which she is transformed into women of mythical, mystical stature. Her use of color is glowing, and in each of her two representative pieces, flights of birds cleverly lead the eye through the paintings.
Tim Lowly’s autobiographical work, as always, leads us to contemplate our own lives by extension. His two atmospheric pieces are earlier works in egg tempera, and excellent examples of his oeuvre.
Martha Mayer Erlebacher brings the Renaissance to us in modern sensibilities with her richly dark painting style and allegorical figurative subject matter.
Other particular favorites include Richard Maury, Christian Vincent, Stone Roberts, Holly Lane, and Manon Cleary.
In all, the exhibition features fifty pieces by twenty-five prominent contemporary, figurative artists. Don’t miss it.
The Figure Revealed: Contemporary Figurative Paintings and Drawings runs May 3 – June 29, 2008 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“Flow” Wins Award
"Flow", 2006, Acrylics on Canvas, 20" x 24", by David Jay Spyker
David Jay Spyker has been awarded The Martin Maddox Prize for Imaginative Realist Painting at the Kalamazoo Area Show for “Flow”, a painting in acrylics on canvas. The prize is named after the artist Martin Maddox – who was a friend of Mr. Spyker – and it has been awarded at the show each year since Maddox’s death in 1997. Martin Maddox was known for the emotive, evocative, and imaginative style of his figurative paintings in oils and pastels.
The Kalamazoo Area Show is an annual regional art competition held at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. This year’s installment runs from July 1 – August 26, 2006; the show drew 718 entries (a record number), of which only 158 were accepted for exhibition by juror Tim Lowly. It is a very strong show this year, and is well worth the visit.
The Painting “Someday” in Battle Creek Competition
"Someday", by David Jay Spyker, (2005, Acrylics on Board, 4 x 6 in.)
The small painting, “Someday”, is currently on display as part of the 27th Annual Michigan Artists’ Competition at the Art Center of Battle Creek in Battle Creek, Michigan. The show, which includes 55 works by 43 regional artists, was judged by Jane Connell, Director of Collections and Exhibitions/Senior Curator of the Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan. It runs from June 2 through July 1, 2006.