Spring Art Exhibit
The Bethlehem Art Association was formed in 1966 to serve as a focal point for all kinds of visual art activities; and to provide contacts among artists, and between artists and the public.
Spring Art Exhibit
The Bethlehem Art Association was formed in 1966 to serve as a focal point for all kinds of visual art activities; and to provide contacts among artists, and between artists and the public.
View the full 2023-24 Program Calendar:
The BAA Online Salon is Now Open
The BAA Website now includes an Online Salon in which members can submit images of artwork that they would like to share with others. (See banner above)The artwork can be any style, new or old, finished or in process. Along with an image, artists can supply narrative and a contact link. There is an opportunity to talk about the process that was used, the inspiration behind the piece, the materials used, advice that could be used to help complete it, etc. The email link will make it easy for viewers to send comments. The goal is to provide much more flexibility and variety in the works that are on exhibit on the website and to foster more communication among our artists and the public.
September Meeting - Peter Keitel on the Uses of Photography in Painting
BAA member Peter Keitel will do a presentation on how photography is used in the creation of paintings as well as other technical or optical devices that artists have used since well before the invention of modern photography. Peter will offer a little history of these means used in painting. He will show slides that illustrate many of the ways in which modern photographic methods can be used in various styles of painting, in addition to photorealism. The presentation will review how to capture images in preparation for a painting and how those images can be transferred to a painting surface. Instruction on how to paint will not be included, but ideas on how photography can be used in the development of a painting will be emphasized. This will include tips for people who do not want to “paint from a photograph”.
BAA June Picnic
The weather was wonderful for the June 15 Bethlehem Art Association picnic at Five Rivers Environmental Center. Thank you to Susan Nye and Ellie Prakken for organizing the event and Pete Nye and John Smolinsky for helping set up. Thanks also to the members who brought what was needed to make a pot luck event a success. This year we are providing links for recipe requests:
Spring 2023 Member Show
Although the Spring Show is over, thanks to Mike Joyce, you can still see photo galleries of the show and the reception.
The judge for the Show, Anne Manzella has been the District Supervisor of Visual & Media Arts for the North Colonie Central School District for 20 years, where she oversees an award winning department from which many advanced high school students graduate on to college art & design degrees and careers in the creative economy. She is co-chair of region 6 for the New York State Art Teachers Association, and has served on the Visual Arts standards writing team at the NYS Education Department. Anne has adjudicated members' exhibits of the Colonie Art League, and recently has partnered with the faculty of the Visual and Performing Arts department at Russell Sage College and the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy to facilitate a Creative Career Expo for area high school students and parents. As she can carve the time, she enjoys visual journaling and working in mixed media, collage and exploring encaustics.
BAA Member Show and Sale,
Delmar Reformed Church, May 20
The BAA held another successful Show and Sale event at the Delmar Reformed Church on Saturday, May 20. Participating members can set up an area to display and sell their artwork. Members of the community are invited and this is an excellent way to make connections between the residents of the area and local artists. The popular event also includes music and demonstrations by artists. Thank you to Peggy Becker for this photo gallery of the event.
BAA April Meeting, Printmaking with Billy Fillmore
Billy Fillmore, who teaches in the Art and Design Department at Russell Sage College, began his presentation with a slide show of his extensive collection of work done in his career.
He participated in numerous Artist in Residence programs. Billy teaches drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, which he enjoys and he likes to challenge his students to do what they want to do, not what is expected of them. With his artwork he likes to make people stop and wonder, he shows pain and beauty and likes grotesque surrealism. His latest series is of clowns, some of which evoke his childhood memories. Click here to see the wide range of his work: FILLMORE WEBSITE
Billy also gave a demonstration of printmaking, making stamps by carving rubber stamp blocks. This is a form of relief printmaking in that he takes away what he doesn’t want to print. He also showed us that if printing words or numbers, you have to carve those backwards.
BAA March Meeting and Spring Workshop with
Ritvik Sharma
BAA member Ritvik Sharma did a watercolor demonstration at the March 16 Monthly meeting and conducted the Spring Workshop in April. Here are Ritvik's words about his art: "I am a self taught artist based in Schenectady NY. I was drawn to sketching and painting very early on as a kid and loved creating watercolor paintings and pencil sketches. As a kid I took refuge in painting. I had an off and on relationship with art during college. I did art whenever time permitted. For the last several years I have devoted my time learning watercolor techniques and painting subjects that interest me. I enjoy painting city scenes, floral and seascapes the most. I continue to learn by taking workshops with artists I admire. I have recently started working with oils and have been enjoying the process of learning a new medium. I regularly participate in art shows around the capital region and show my works through local galleries."
Spring Workshop Photos
BAA February Meeting. Annual Member Critique with Oscar-Alberto Bográn
At this annual event, members are invited to bring in a piece and have it evaluated by a professional artist. The guest artist this year was Oscar Alberto Bográn. Oscar's comments, in addition to focusing on technical issues, provided lots of encouragement to artists to be bold and try new things. The result was an evening that was exiting, informative, and entertaining. We look forward Oscar's return at future BAA events.
Oscar was born In Honduras, Central America and raised in NYC. He obtained a MFA in Studio Arts From Tufts University and The School Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at Schenectady County Community College. Mr. Bográn is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on the social: the state of contemporary religion, American capitalism and the disparity of communities of color.
BAA January 2022 Meeting
Color Theory and Practice by Eden Compton
It's a good thing this meeting was scheduled via Zoom! The library closed early due to the inclement weather, but we all enjoyed a highly informative presentation on color theory by Saratoga artist, Eden Compton, without having to change our travel plans in the least. Eden started with a review on basic color theory, then moved into an inspirational demonstration of practical strategies for improving our vision, competence and confidence in the color choices we use in our own work.
Specific topics included various limited palettes, making useful color charts, studies of master painters and using sketchbooks to record it all. Eden shared many examples from her own working method. In the end, her message was to encourage us to freely, and regularly, experiment and challenge ourselves. For those who might be interesed in furthering their study of color, Eden is offering a halfday workshop titled "The Essential Sketchbook: Exploring Color" on March 11. To read about Eden as an artist and view more examples of her work, please visit edencompton.com.
BAA December 2022 Holiday Meeting
Presentation by Member Artist Cheryl Wickstrom
Cheryl Wickstrom gave a wonderful presentation at the 2022 Holiday Meeting. Cheryl’s interest in art started when her parents signed her up for a summer oil painting class. Oil painting is her true passion. Cheryl demonstrated how she sets up a painting and then worked on the latter stages of a full size version. She demonstrated an oil glazing technique, applying thin coats, utilizing various pigments’ natural opacities. Cheryl also spoke about other paintings that he had brought to the meeting. She prefers large formats that allow her to give full expression to the detail of her subject. She considers herself a macro painter, revealing the depth and detail of the everyday. To see more of Cheryl's work go to www.cherylwikstrom.art
2022 BAA Annual Fall Show
Bethlehem Public Library for the month of November
A reception at the Library was held on November 17. The juror for the show, local artist Gary Shankman, was on hand to talk about the show and the awards that were granted. We have enjoyed Gary's presence at BAA events many times and were delighted to have him back. Gary's presentation about the artwork in the show was both informative and entertaining. Gary has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Boston University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from American University. Gary has retired as a full professor at Sage College of Albany. His oil paintings have been on display internationally.
If you were unable to make it to the library, or would like to review the show again from the comfort of your home, please enjoy our Online Show!
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BAA October Monthly Meeting and November Workshop
Prosaic Realism with Matt Chinian
Matt Chinian presented at the October meeting, describing his working method and sharing a demonstration of his style.
Matt also conducted the BAA Fall Workshop in November for a group of enthusiastic artists.
To learn more about his work, visit Matt's Website or take a moment to read an interview with Matt Chinian.
2022 Bethlehem Town Hall Exhibition
Depicting scenes of the Town of Bethlehem and adjacent areas
