Monday, October 30, 2023

Fabulous Fun at SAA's 63rd Annual Exhibition Weekend

 

Lots of chatting, laughing and crunching going on at the Mexican restaurant

What a fabulous time everyone had during the opening weekend festivities for the SAA's 63rd Annual Exhibition at the beautiful Stifel Fine Arts Center. Our group hotel for the weekend, sat perched atop a big hill, affording lovely views of the picturesque town of Wheeling, West Virginia. Moreover, it was surrounded by trees filled with crickets that serenaded us each time we walked through the parking lot, a most enjoyable symphony to wildlife artists. The first evening, a couple dozen SAA members enjoyed a delicious supper at a Mexican restaurant nearby, and hanging out together afterwards, during our “Meet and Greet” party at the hotel. Several of us spent part of the evening playing an easy, simple game, involving flipping cups and tick tack toe, providing an abundance of laughter for everyone.

Just having fun
After a nice breakfast the next morning, several memebers went to nearby Oglebay Park, where a wonderful surprise awaited. It was absolutely stunning, with lovely views and an abundance of profusely blooming flowers seemingly everywhere! And if that wasn’t enough, a herd of about a dozen deer walked into view, followed by a few dozen Canada Geese flying in and landing right by the deer. Another group of artists enjoyed watching lots of squirrels running about and entertaining with their funny antics.

The sign said "Do not sit on..." not "do not play with"...LOL
Our group spent quite awhile just watching and enjoying the picturesque setting, before starting out along one of the many trails there. The deer are obviously accustomed to people and let us get close enough to get some photos. Of course the flame-colored leaves on many of the deciduous trees and early morning light added to the beauty of it all! The gardens with its Mediterranean style architecture and plantings, perfectly arranged along the gentle sloping hill, gave the feeling of walking somewhere in the Italian countryside. It was a most relaxing and enjoyable morning, and everyone could’ve easily spent the day walking about the park, beneath the brilliant blue sky!

Getting some white-tail deer reference photos
That afternoon back at the hotel, a group of artists gathered for a very fun and lively game of Pictionary! As you can imagine it’s a bit tricky for an artist to play this game, since it’s all about speed and conveying the idea, not about correct anatomy and a nice composition. 


There was a little drawing, and a lot of laughing as the afternoon went on, and the winning team were given $50 by SAA artist Diane Mason. So as you can imagine, competition was fierce! We all had so much fun and did so much laughing, that even after the winning team was announced, we decided to keep on playing for another hour or more just for the fun of it!


The next day was filled with a members’ meeting that morning and after lunch, SAA artist and sculptor, Walt Matia was interviewed by SAA member Terry Miller, granting those in attendance a glimpse into his successful career over the years, as well as other interesting topics, such as what inspires him. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m sure took away bits of wisdom. 

SAA artist Walt Matia being interviewed 
His interview was followed by a fun and enlightening trivia game, in which each artist took turns selecting a card with a question on it, only revealed when turned over. Highs and lows and funny stories of each of the lives and careers as artists were shared, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

As usual, there was a lot of laughter!

That evening was the artist dinner party, and as you can see from the photos below, lots of delicious food and fun conversation were enjoyed!

Wes made sure no one walked off with one of the entire containers...LOL!
Following the dinner, the various awards for this year’s exhibition were announced, bringing BIG smiles to several SAA artists in attendance! Everyone stayed on until later that night, while enjoying just hanging out together. Later that evening lots of hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, since most artists would be heading out early that next morning.


For those board members remaining, the first part of Sunday was spent at the SAA Board meeting, and somehow we actually managed to get done early enough to be able to spend a couple of hours at Oglebay's Good Zoo afterwards. It was Boo at the Zoo, and there were fun decorations scattered throughout adding to the excitement of just getting to go to the zoo. 


We spent time hanging out with the wallabies, lemurs, and many other adorable critters that live in this charming zoo.

This little cutie thought the papparzi was there!
The group slowly made our way around, stopping to check out each and every enclosure
These critters had to be some of the weirdest ones there!
After the board dinner that evening,  the remaining artists said our goodbyes, amazed at how quickly time had passed. It was truly a fabulous weekend and I don’t think any of us were ready to leave!



























Friday, October 20, 2023

SAA 63rd Annual Exhibition at The Stifel Fine Arts Center

 


WOW!... That was the first word from the mouths of attending SAA Artists upon entering the Society of Animal Artists 63rd Annual Exhibition at the Stifel Fine Arts Center. Nestled in the picturesque town of Wheeling, West Virginia, it was truly a stunning venue for this year's Annual Exhibition. From the way the art was hung and arranged to the perfect lighting projected on everything, I must congratulate the friendly staff at the Stifel, for a job well done. And a big congratulations to all participating SAA members whose work was included to produce this year's outstanding show! 

Attending SAA Members

The charming, architectural elements in this stately, historic mansion, lended a feeling of elegance to the atmosphere. As we walked about viewing the exhibit, the building itself was a large piece of art. Here are several photos for you to enjoy as you take a "virtual tour" of the exhibition. 

*Many thanks to Frank Soos for taking several of these photos 









The air was lively and filled with excitement during the opening reception, which was well attended by guests and patrons, and we were delighted to see numerous red dots scattered about, denoting purchases which had been made. The food was most enjoyable as well, with several large, wooden charcuterie boards laden with delectable treats artfully arranged, and tempting all to partake and enjoy!


Those attending were given a warm welcome by the president of Oglebay Institute, Danielle McCracken, followed by a few words from the SAA Executive Director, Wes Siegrist.





A BIG congratulations our Award Winners at the 63rd Annual Exhibition!


Next week I'll be sharing photos and stories of our artists' dinner, games, adventures in Oglebay Park, and of all of the fun everyone had during the weekend in Wheeling. 
You can see the entire exhibition online HERE









Tuesday, February 28, 2023

SAA's Encounters with the Animal Kingdom Exhibition

 


What do you get when you mix some of the world's best animal art with a beautiful setting... Pure elegance! What a delight it was recently attending the opening for the Society of Animal Artists exhibition "Encounters With the Animal Kingdom" at the lovely Janice Mason Art Museum. Located in the picturesque community of Cadiz, Kentucky, we were welcomed with friendly smiles and open arms by the museum staff, making us feel instantly at home. 


"Wow... it's so beautiful!" were the first words out of our mouths as soon as we entered the exhibition space. The artworks were hung and arranged to create a nice flow as you walked throughout the exhibit. Everything was beautifully illuminated in the pleasant, bright space. Having your artwork well lit is always a big plus as an artist.


 SAA attending artists: Wes Siegrist, Rachelle Siegrist, Leslie Hutto, and Jennifer L. Cook


We were impressed with the attendance at the opening and received constant compliments on the quality of the artwork in the show. One gracious lady said "She absolutely loved the variety in the styles and different types of work, and felt it was the best exhibit she had seen at the museum." A high compliment for the participating SAA members indeed!



The gorgeous, long, antique table was adorned with a stunning collection of fresh daffodils that had been handpicked that morning for the important occasion. Numerous edible treats covered the table as well and  were all totally delicious, especially the margarita cups, which were a creamy margarita flavored filling inside a white chocolate cup, topped with bits of fresh lime zest, tasting like a scrumptious wee key lime pie! Can you say YUM!



It was truly a wonderful afternoon spent enjoying great art, conversation and delicious food!



Many thanks again to The Janice Mason Art Museum and their delightful staff for such a stunning show and a truly wonderful time during the opening. The exhibition will be on display at the museum through April 8th, 2023. So if you or someone you know is near Cadiz or will be visiting the area, I highly recommend a visit to the museum, to see the show!


You can view the show online BY CLICKING HERE

Enjoy this short video with an exciting overview of the well attended and fun opening on the SAA's YouTube channel! Remember if you enjoy this and other SAA related videos, please "Like" and "Subscribe" to the channel, as it really helps us as a Society to reach a wider audience. 




Until next time ~ SAA member Rachelle Siegrist :)




Sunday, May 1, 2022

The Society of Animal Artist's 62nd Annual Art and the Animal Exhibition


The jury was recently held for the Society of Animal Artist's 62nd Art and the Animal Exhibition, and excitedly 125 SAA artists had their artwork juried into the show. The Annual Exhibition for 2022 will be held at the beautiful Turtle Bay Exploration Park located in Redding, CA. The exhibition will be on display September 24, 2022 – January 1, 2023, with the opening weekend taking place October 7-8th.


During this recent jury for the annual exhibition, two SAA long-time members achieved Distinguished Signature Member status. This happens once a member has had their work juried into at least 15 annual exhibitions. We want to congratulate Linda Rossin and Sean Murtha for achieving this milestone in the world of art! 


There is more great news for six other SAA members. These members were promoted from Associate membership to Signature level, as each had attained that promotion through earning points in SAA exhibitions. We want to congratulate these six artists: Mans Bergendal, Mark Dedrie, Sharon Hester, Michael Pape, Tamara Pokorny, and Amy Bartlett Wright!


Click HERE to see a list of the Featured Artists and Artworks in the 62nd Annual Exhibition.

The 62nd Tour Venues

Works featured on the tour below will leave the exhibition on October 30, 2022. 

The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum

November 19, 2022 – January 15, 2023
Oradell, NJ


Ella Carothers Dunnegan Gallery of Art

February 11 – April 2, 2023

Bolivar, Missouri 


Click HERE to see a list of the Artists and artwork in the tour.

 Visit the SAA website for more information about this exciting exhibit, and to view the featured artwork in the exhibition HERE.






Special thanks to the SAA's Terry Miller for the graphics on the blog which he created for the Society's Facebook page!
 Until next time ~ SAA Artist Rachelle Siegrist


Sunday, December 12, 2021

Highlights From SAA's THE KINGDOM Opening Reception

 

SAA Members Michael, Rusty, Deborah, Kim, John, Justin and MCFTA Curator of Visual Arts, Regina Schreck 

Several Society of Animal Artists members recently attended the opening of the SAA's Special Show "The Kingdom" at the beautiful Midland Center For The Arts in Midland, MI. As with all of our SAA shows or exhibitions, this current show is comprised of a group of strong, well rendered artworks, that delight and at times emotionaly move the viewers. 

"This selection of artworks comes from members of the world’s oldest and most prestigious international animal art organization. These juried works feature diverse species and habitats from artists around the globe. From the commonplace to the rarely seen, from the abundant to the endangered, the artwork depicted will engage and bestow upon the audience a greater appreciation and awareness of the species with whom we share our planet." ~Midland Center For The Arts

Attendees admiring the artwork

Although there was only a small group in attendance for the opening, due to current situations with COVID, it was a lovely one with culinary delights, and an entertaining talk given by SAA artist Kim Diment, as well as a chance to enjoy seeing the artwork in person. 



Six of the SAA artists that were in attendance and had works in The Kingdom are shown below with their artwork. You can view the entire show online HERE

Kim Diment ~ "Sundowner"

Justin Kellner ~ "Listen for the Prothonotary at Maple River"
Deborah LaFogg Docherty ~ "Patio Princess"

Rusty Frentner ~ "Peaceful AM"

Michael Todoroff ~ "Grey Day Nuthatch"

John Plishka "Dreamer"

The Society wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Midland Center For The Arts and Regina for hosting this exhibition, which can be seen now through January 16th 2022.