Bonnie Hartenstein, a nationally noted artist, lecturer, and teacher, will present a lively public lecture and discussion in Tlaquepaque's Sala de Milagro ballroom at 3:00 PM on Sunday, Nov. 15. Her free presentation will be given in conjunction with the Sedona Visual Artists Coalition annual art exhibit currently on display in the same venue (Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village , 336 Hwy 179 at the Oak Creek Bridge, Sedona, AZ).
Hartenstein's talk will be an interactive discussion of the theme of the exhibit, "Beneath the Surface". She will consider how various art works in the exhibit reflect the depth and meaning of that theme. How do artists create a "surface", thick or thin, built up or scraped off, transparent or opaque that either reveals or hides the layers underneath? What meaning is revealed by how that surface is created? How does the viewer spend time looking at art to get beneath the surface and see the process the artist goes through to create a work of art? Hartenstein will discuss both the viewer's and the artist's willingness to consider "themes" in art and how far each is willing to go to connect to meaning and understand how "form is function".
SVAC's annual show draws participation from famous professionals as well as steadily working artists and emerging artists whose talent is still being discovered. "Beneath the Surface" includes works that take the theme literally, with experiments in broken surfaces, plus works that treat the theme with metaphorical plays on words, techniques, or states of mind. Some of the intriguing titles are "Subterranean Vision", a painting by Norma Holden, "Underseascape", an acrylic by Jeri Castronova, "Surfing", an acrylic on aluminum by Barbara Mallek, "Blaze of Glory", a watercolor by Mary Dove, and "A Rhythm of Trees", Jim Peterson's blend of images transformed by a surface of rusted metal, and "Under The Silver Lining", an acrylic by Mariann Leahy.
Bonnie Hartenstein, originally from Chicago, is an award-winning professional artist (NEA & Illinois Arts Council Grants; Ryerson Traveling Fellowship). She has been exhibiting her paintings and mixed media work nationally for almost 30 years. She holds an MFA in Mixed Media Arts & an MA in 20th Century Art History, Theory & Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she has taught for 22 years. In Sedona, she also teaches art privately and is a tai chi/qi gong instructor at Enchantment Resort's Mii Amo Spa and at the Hilton's Ridge Spa.
This year's SVAC show is made possible by the generous sponsorship of two local businesses: Paul the Computer Guy and the Coffee Pot Restaurant. It is partially funded by a grant from the Sedona Arts and Culture Commission, and is also made possible through the generosity of Tlaquepaque Village of Arts and Crafts. It would not be possible without many volunteer hours by the members of the Sedona Visual Artists' Coalition, a non-profit network devoted to art education, art community, and the belief that artists make an important difference in the world.
