Group Art Activities. Lookie what Karissa made!

Read about Karissa Rittmeyer's experience forging a glass heart paperweight at the Indianapolis Art Center here!

Karissa is the manager of communications and social media for the ICVA, the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association.

Want to make a cool glass heart paperweight like Karissa's? Then call (317) 255-2464 ext. 249 and sign your group up today for the following:

Heart Glass Paper Weight

For Valentine’s Day, a heart paperweight (standing up vs. flat). This group activity will allow time for each person to make their own glass heart and choose their colors. $29 per person. Groups can add copper accents for $39 per person. Items will need to be picked up at a later date (guaranteed by February 14^th). January 12, 2009-Februrary 12, 2009.

Glass Flowers ($28 per person)

For Mother’s Day. Choose from many different colors to create the perfect gift. Items will need to be picked up at a later date (guaranteed by May 10^th). April 2009 – May 2009.

Paper Weight for Father’s Day ($28 per person)

For Father’s Day. Create a glass paperweight. Each person will choose the shape and color of their project. Items will need to be picked up at a later date (guaranteed by June 21^st). May 2009 – June 2009.

The Art Center's own Shelly Miller Leer in the Indianapolis Star - sign -up for her class!

What a little glue can do

By Shelly Miller Leer

Posted: December 13, 2008

On my last Goodwill shopping "fix," I found a pair of coveted mid-century modern chairs covered in burgundy velvet.

The wind was taken out of my sails when I noticed a nasty break in the wood stretcher that attaches the front and back legs. My feeling of victorious smugness (due to this find) dissolved immediately.

As I often do, I went ahead and bought the slightly damaged duo. However, after examining the break, I realized that I didn't know how to fix it. This is when having a good network pays off. I called local upholsterer and friend Jeff Mattingly, and he explained how to fix this break. As you'll see, this gem is as good as new.

Materials and tools:

»TiteBond wood glue
»Small clamp
»Drill and small drill bit
»Small dowel rod
»Crescent pliers
»Sandpaper or wood file
»Wood filler
»Old English furniture oil

What you do:

1. Clean out loose particles or old glue around the break.
2. Dab the split wood break with wood glue, covering every surface inside the break.
3. Attach a small clamp to hold the wood tightly until dry.
4. Wipe off excess glue around the break.
5. Cut a length of dowel rod approximately 6 inches long.
6. Using a drill bit equal to the diameter of the dowel rod, drill a hole through the back of the chair leg, drilling all the way into the leg stretcher.
7. Blow out the wood dust.
8. Coat dowel rod with wood glue and tap dowel into drilled hole, making sure it runs approximately 1 inch past the break.
9. Clamp and let dry.
10. Snip off excess dowel rod with crescent pliers.
11. Sand or file off any protruding dowel.
12. Fill indentation with stained wood putty, making sure it's flush with the leg.
13. Wipe off repaired leg with Old English or other furniture oil.

• Shelly Miller Leer is a featured writer for www.curbly.com, www.weebabystuff.com and www.apartmenttherapy.com (Chicago). Visit her Web site at www.fliptstudio .com, or e-mail her at flipt@att.net. Shelly teaches sewing for teens at The Indianapolis Art Center.

Sign up for Shelly's spring 2009 class by calling (317) 255-2464 ext. 0, or go online to www.IndplsArtCenter.org. Here's the class she's teaching!

Youth and Teen
Beginning Sewing
Taught by Michelle Leer

Mondays 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Session I (CH135)
6 Weeks: February 2-March 9
Session II (CH156)
6 Weeks: March 23-April 27

This is not your mom's Home Ec class. These are modern, streamlined techniques to appeal to teenagers. This class will provide each student with the fundamentals necessary to build their confidence in using the sewing machine and marking and cutting out fabric from patterns. Straight, zigzag, and reverse stitching will be covered. Students will create three unique projects that will build on the basic sewing skills. There will be class discussions and instructor demonstrations. Sewing machines will be provided. Ages 13-17. Printmaking Studio.

Total
Member $140
Non-member $145

Watch our TV commercials on Channel 13, WTHR

Watch for our TV commercials on WTHR today and tomorrow.

Monday, December 8

--a News break at 6:33 a.m., 12:28 p.m. and 12:52 p.m.
--a break during Oprah at 4:21 p.m.

Tuesday, December 9

--a News break at 6:33 a.m., 12:18 p.m.
--a break during Dr. Phil at 3:14 p.m.
--a break during Oprah at 4:09 p.m.

The two commercials in rotation feature two real Art Center students; Dr. Lee McHenry and Yuri Okamoto.

Dr. Lee McHenry is a physician by day; art student by night. A physician at Indiana University, he always wanted to learn woodworking. Three years ago, he took his first class at the Art Center and now he’s not only a physician and art student, he’s an award winner (2007 Best of Beginning Student) and exhibiting artist (2008 Best of Student Show). Visit www.YouTube.com/user/IndyArtCtr to view a short video of Lee working on the mission-style bookcase he created for his 2008 exhibition.

Yuri Okamoto got married and moved from Japan to Indianapolis with her husband in 2002. Because she couldn’t speak English, she was afraid of going out. Then, she was introduced to the Glass Studio at the Indianapolis Art Center. Her husband immediately signed her up for a glass-blowing class after the visit. It was here in our Glass Studio where she learned to speak English from her glass teachers (Ed Franis, Lisa Pelo-McNiece and many more) who soon became her colleagues. After assisting Youth and Teen classes and acting as a Studio Monitor, Yuri now teaches Youth and Teen glass blowing and speaks beautiful English! The glass faculty have become best friends and family to she and her husband here in the United States.

Yuri’s glass snowmen are available in the Frank M. Basile Studio Shop from $22 to $55. They sell out every year.

December 14 and 15 we'll have two completely different ads running. Looks for those too!

Annual Student Show - Award winners!

View pictures from the Awards Ceremony and Opening reception that took place tonight on our Shutterfly page.

2008-09 Annual Student Show

AWARD WINNERS

ADULT DIVISION AWARDS

MEMORIAL AWARDS
Michael Macomber Award for Merit in Any Medium	Katey Whitham Colored Mountains
Billie Cothran Award for Merit in Portraiture	Libby Grueninger Untitled (Pastel)
John E. Owen Award for Merit in Sculpture	Alice Lee Wall Pocket 1, 2, 3
Richard Landrigan Award for Merit in Painting	David Owen Cold and Deep
Elmer Taflinger Award for Merit in Figure Drawing and The Great Frame Up Award for Picture Framing Lois Eskenazi Award for a work in pastel, oil, acrylic which shows personal expression or the interaction of people in the community Stephen Oberreich Award for Merit in Traditional Photography	Linda Bullard Seated Woman Patricia Richardson The Gentle Man Scott Forbes Untitled
NAMED FOR FACULTY/STAFF
Shirley Despot Award for Non-Objective Painting	David Montgomery Color Field #6
Farideh Peacock Award for Oil/Acrylic Painting Adult Division - Beginning Level	Marie Pugh First Portrait
Farideh Peacock Award for Oil or Acrylic Painting Adult Division – Intermediate Level Farideh Peacock Award for Oil or Acrylic Painting Adult Division – Advanced Level	Karla Becker Storm is Leaving Debbie Crowe Tea Topsy Turvy
Lisa Jackson and Tom Laird Merit Award for a 3-D Artwork	Cindy Cheikh Prosperity
Lisa Jackson and Tom Laird Award for a 3-D Artwork	Kevin Siminski Sofa Table w/ 2 Chairs
Indianapolis Art Center Staff Choice Award	Becky Heimann Bump Bump, Thump Thump
BEST OF MEDIA
Glass	Jerry Thompson Beijing 08
Sculpture or 3-D Mixed Media	Andrew Ball Twisted and Ironglass
Jewelry, Enameling or Fine Metalwork	Christina M. O’Connell Reversible Necklace
Fiber or Book Arts	Becky Heimann Bump Bump, Thump Thump
Photography or Digital Art	Scott Forbes Untitled
BEST OF ADULT DIVISIONS
Beginning Student includes a joint exhibition	Lisa VanMeter Dahlia
Intermediate Student includes a joint exhibition	Andrew Ball Twisted and Ironglass
Advanced Student includes a joint exhibition	Patricia Robertson Intensity
Professional Student includes a joint exhibition ADULT DIVISION AWARDS (Continued)	Susan Downs Arched Tube Ring and Channel Set Tube Ring
BEST OF SHOW includes a solo exhibition	David Owen East Fork
DRAWING, PAINTING and 2-D MIXED MEDIA AWARDS
The Great Frame Up Award for Picture Framing	Karli Ries View Squared
Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff Award	Saundra Koontz Repose
Prizm—The Artist’s Supply Store Award	Kim Boyer Untitled
	Brock Cagann Iron Block Building 1906
	Michael Ries Lighthouse
Createx Colors Award	Rinda Hahn Bollinger Farm
PRINTMAKING AWARDS
Graphic Chemical and Ink Printmaking Award	Maureen Harper Ashigawa Sakura I and Ashigawa Sakura II
	Becky Heimann A Series of Walls
	Carolyn Simoneaux Before the Falling and Purple Mountain
CERAMIC ARTS
Brickyard Ceramics & Crafts Award	Judith Morr Earthen Urn
	Thomas Woods Animal Caravan
PHOTOGRAPHY OR DIGITAL ARTS
Photo Venture Camera Club Award	Ann Palmer Wheat Shocks in Red Wagon
SCULPTURE
Sutton-Garten Award for Outstanding Metal Sculpture	Cindy Cheikh Prosperity
WOODWORKING
Rockler Award for Woodworking	Steve Head Mission Oak Table Claudia and Irwin Labin Iron in the Heart
JEWELRY
Rio Grande Award for Jewelry or Fine Metalwork	Karli Lindig Mother and Daughter Dusky Loebel Brooch Marie and Newell Pugh Blue Waters in the West

2007-08 Annual Student Show

Award Winners

YOUTH DIVISION AWARDS
NAMED AWARDS
Julie Elaine Rothenberg Memorial Award for a bright and colorful artwork	Audrey Elizabeth Teasley Zigzag Snail
Jennifer Sugarman Award for Creativity “a spark in art”	Gregory Dugdale All Tied up with Joy
ART CENTER STAFF CHOICE - YOUTH AWARD	Gregory Dugdale All Tied up with Joy
BEST OF YOUTH DIVISIONS
BEST IN AGE 4-8 United Art and Education Award	Katy Seiwert Desert House
BEST IN AGE 9-13 United Art and Education Award	Colin Watson POG
BEST IN AGE 14-18 United Art and Education Award	Monika Tilmans Fish
BEST OF SHOW, YOUTH DIVISION Indianapolis Art Center Award and The Great Frame Up Award	Theresa Mooney Northern Friends

*All youth entrants receive a Certificate of Participation.

Annual Student Show - December 1, 2008 – January 25, 2009

This show highlights the Indianapolis Art Center’s student talent in beginning, intermediate, advanced and professional categories. All current students were eligible and encouraged to enter this competitive juried show. Youth work, ages 4-17, was accepted into the show without being juried. Divisional and Best of Show winners exhibit in the Best of Student Show Award Winners exhibition in fall 2009. Artworks run the gamut, from printmaking to steel sculpture. The best in all media is represented.

Opening reception is this Friday, 6-8 p.m. with awards at 6:45 p.m.

“Intensity,” an oil painting by Patricia Richardson is on view through January 25, 2009, in the Annual Student Show at the Indianapolis Art Center.

“Time,” a mixed media on wood piece by Patricia Richardson is on view through January 25, 2009, in the Annual Student Show at the Indianapolis Art Center.

Made in Indianapolis: one-of-a-kind glass Christmas tree ornaments

Sharon Owens, featured on the cover of Lafayette Magazine's winter 2008 issue, creates a dazzling array of blown glass ornaments available in our Studio Shop. Prices range from $12 on up.

World AIDS Day

We've dimmed the gallery lights today in honor of World AIDS Day.