Category: Celebration of Artists

Patron of the Arts – A CALL TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ART COMMUNITY! Today, we will talk about the importance of recognizing the impact of supporting artists and investing in their original creations.

Original artwork represents the purest form of an artist’s vision and creativity. Their livelihood often depends on the support they receive from patrons and collectors. When you purchase original artwork, you contribute directly to the artist’s ability to sustain their practice and allowing them to continue refining their craft.

Each piece of original artwork expresses the artist’s emotions, experiences, and unique perspective. Owning an original work of art, establishes a personal connection between the collector and the artist. Art often captures moments in time; its timeless beauty can endure and be shared with future generations, ensuring its lasting influence for years to come.

Many wonder why original pieces are more costly than reproductions. The higher cost of original artwork is a reflection of the investment and time that goes into its creation. Artists invest not only in materials but also in years of education, training, and honing their skills. The endless hours dedicated to perfecting their craft, coupled with the expenses associated with quality materials, contribute to the value of each original piece. When you purchase an original artwork, you are not just buying a one of a kind physical object; you are investing in the artist’s dedication and passion to their craft.

We invite folks to visit local art galleries and support local artists. Like any small business, they need your support to survive!

Join us for the Grand Opening of the Gallery and Shop at Whitepine Studios on Friday, October 13th from 6:30-9:00 pm.

The Gallery at Whitepine Studios Grand Opening Press Release

Janet has been exhibiting her paintings for over 50 years and teaches workshops at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, in art venues throughout Michigan, and in Southern France! Her works can be found in national and international public and private collections. A member of several art societies, Janet loves to be outdoors creating en plein air. She can often be found painting in the Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden, one of the world’s premier gardens.

Bob is a native New Yorker, who calls Southeast Michigan home. He has been painting pastel landscapes for over 17 years. His award winning works have been juried into over 30 national and international exhibits. His paintings capture landscapes inspired by adventurous hikes throughout the world. He is a member of several art societies and enjoys teaching others his love of pastels.

A Detroit native, Ed is a self-taught, award winning, artist. His artistic journey began with art classes at the University of Michigan, while earning a degree in Chemical Engineering. He has attended multiple workshops given by some of today’s top painters in the country. He is a member of several art societies and enjoys teaching. Now retired, Ed enjoys spending time painting the magnificent landscapes found in America’s National Parks.

Anne is an award winning pastelist who has spent the last decade loving each moment of discovering what the medium offers in creative expression and visual appreciation. She focuses on the elements of nature and abstract realism blending the emotional response to pure color, with the unique individualism of spontaneous marks. She is a member of several art societies and enjoys teaching and sharing the journey of learning with others.

Sue is an award winning artist from Chelsea, Michigan. She is attracted to scenes that are soft but expressive. She participates in many plein air events and enjoys painting area homes, parks, and public spaces. Sue’s work has been exhibited in various venues around Michigan and she is a member of several paint guilds. Sue has exhibited and sold her original oils at Whitepines and we are excited to include three additional pastel paintings in the gallery.

Linda has won numerous awards for her work. She has studied with nationally known professional pastel artists for over two decades to perfect her craft and develop her style. She is a member of multiple guilds and her work, a collection of both city and country landscapes, can be seen in galleries and shows throughout Michigan.

Lois grew up in rural Pa, has lived on both coasts, but now calls Ann Arbor home. She is an award winning artist who uses pastels to express the color, texture, and spirit of landscapes. She is a member of several prestigious art guilds including: Chelsea Painters, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Huron River Art Collective and Michigan Watercolor Society. Her work is included in private collections and other art venues in Michigan.

Sally is an award winning Michigan impressionist, who paints in pastel. She is continually drawn to the beauty of nature and looks for the shapes, light, and shadows in the magnificence of each Michigan season and translates them into spectacular compositions. She recently donated and sold her piece titled, Flowers for Freedom, with 100% of the proceeds to the World Central Kitchen. Sally is a member of the Great Lakes Pastel Society, the Chelsea Artists Guild, and the Huron River Collective.

Women did not get the recognition they deserved until the Women’s Movement in the 1960s. Until 1860, women weren’t allowed to attend art schools or exhibit their work. Much of their work was undervalued and overlooked. 

With the beginning of the Women’s Movement in the 1960s, more and more female artists started getting the recognition they deserved.

Here are some of the most influential female artists. There are countless others and we recognize the contributions made by all female artists throughout history to the present day. (Aubrey Santana, Arteza Blog)

Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842)

To be a woman who was a professional portrait artist in the 1700s was unheard of. To be a woman who was the official portrait artist of the Queen of France was unthinkable. Yet, Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was both of these. Madame Le Brun is best known for her highly flattering portraits of the rich and elite in the Rococo and Neoclassical style. During her life, she created around 660 portraits and 220 landscapes, some of which hang in such famous museums as the Louvre, the Hermitage Museum, London’s National Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

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Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

A member of the famous group of male Impressionists, Mary Cassatt became known for her beautiful portrayals of women, children, and domestic life. An American painter who lived in France, Cassatt was inspired by the light, patterns, Japanese printmaking, and the intimacy of family, which can be seen in her paintings and prints. Her paintings are highly prized and hang in private collections as well as in the world’s greatest museums. She has been an inspiration for both male and female painters who came after her.

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Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986)

Georgia O’Keeffe’s art can be seen on everything from famous museum walls to calendars, mugs, and T-shirts. She is probably the most well-known female American artist who ever lived. Proclaimed by several art critics as the “Mother of American Modernism,” her legacy of abstract artwork continues to influence artists of our time. She is best known for her large and provocative flowers and skull paintings, but her work spans as far as American western landscapes to New York City skyscrapers.

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Alma Thomas (1891-1978)

During the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the artwork of Alma Thomas stood out as a beacon of hope and optimism. This African American artist dedicated her life to her art after retiring from teaching for 36 years. Her rise to fame skyrocketed when her colorful Expressionist paintings were exhibited at the Whitney Museum of Art and she became the first female African American to hold a solo exhibit there. Her works have hung in the White House and today can be seen at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

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Tamara De Lempicka (1898-1980)

The work of Polish artist Tamara De Lempicka stands out as the epitome of Art Deco style. Her self-portraits and women models embody the elegance of an era with a modern twist in their tubular forms. She used clear, lustrous colors in her distinctive portraiture of the wealthy French aristocrats for which she is best known. Today, her work can be seen in prestigious venues as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes in France, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

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Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Whenever we talk about famous artists, the name Frida Kahlo is always at the top of the list. Her works capture the culture of her home country, Mexico, while being thought-provoking as examinations of the important questions concerning gender, class, and race, which is just one of the many reasons she remains so popular today. With bright colors and a folk-art, surrealist style, Frida Kahlo created artwork inspired by nature and Mexican artifacts, as well as painting numerous self-portraits and portraits of others. She is considered a major influence by many of today’s contemporary female artists. 

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Yayoi Kusama (1929-  )

Considered a major influence on modern artists, including Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese avant-garde artist best known for her use of polka dots and electric colors. Her works span sculpture, installation, and paintings as well as film, fashion, and literature. A conceptual artist, she infiltrates feminism, pop art, and abstract impressionism into her work. 

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Faith Ringgold (1930-  )

Faith Ringgold isn’t afraid to address the tough subjects, including feminism, politics, and activism in her colorful abstract paintings, quilts, mixed media sculptures, and children’s books. Her brightly colored works are narrative representations of her beliefs with inspiration from past and present historical events.  

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Kara Walker (1969 –  )

Through her use of large, stark black paper-cut silhouettes and drawings, Kara Walker invites viewers of her art into the world of slavery and African history in America. Many of her works portray the brutality of slavery. Although she is best known for her paintings, she is also an influential sculpture, whose monumental work, made entirely of sugar at the old Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn, New York, depicting a black woman as a sphinx, is one of her most important works. 

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Faith Ringgold is now 91 years old and has had a long successful career as a black visual artist. Her journey was not always an easy one but she always found a way to move forward. This New York Times article by Holland Cotter, titled Faith Ringgold’s Path of Maximum Resistance is a beautiful recognition of Ringgold’s artistic journey and her legacy in the art world and beyond.