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Alicia Templin, class of 2009 is illustrating an e-book, written by Daniel Derasaugh, available for purchase on Amazon.com in the near future.  Additionally, Alicia is an instructor at the Art Smart Art School and is completing a number of commissioned portraits.

Christian Dyer, class of 2010 is presently the Production Manager at Symmetry Tile Works - a handmade ceramic tile shop in Epping, New Hamshire. http://www.symmetrytilenh.com

Barbara McKie (dates of study: 1996-1999) and James McKie (dates of study: 1996 – 1999) have been juried into the 68th Annual Connecticut Artists Juried Show at the Slater Memorial Museum from February 19 through March 30, 2012.  The opening reception will be held on Sunday, February 26th, from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Florence Griswold Museum Director Jeff Andersen is the juror and the exhibition will feature paintings, drawings, mixed media, sculpture, graphics and photography by resident artists of Connecticut.  The Slater is located at Norwich Free Academy, 305 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360.  For further information, contact the Museum at 860-887-2505. 

Suzanthea Michel, class of 2010 was interviewed by DoingITlocal.com through the Stratford Arts Guild, in support of her recent work.  Take a look.

Gavin T. Gardner, class of 2000 initiated “The Mad Faience Project:  Sculptures in a Lost Egyptian Material” four years ago, when he read about a medium known as ancient Egyptian faience.  Since then, he has been conducting chemical testing, recreation experiments and process experiments to duplicate this material, while consulting with museum experts world-wide.  Recently, his techniques have worked and he has created detailed figurative sculpture from this material, with the goal of creating an Egyptian and western Classical fusion.  For further information, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1093486126/mad-faience-project-sculptures-in-a-lost-egyptian

Nathan Lewis, class of 2000 has been chosen as the Goodman Banks visiting artist for 2012 at the Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford.  He has an exhibit of current work in the school gallery and recently gave a lecture on his work and career to the entire school.

Adam Peiffer, class of 2007 is painting for contemporary artist Ken Solomon, who is represented by Josee Bienvenue Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.The paintings that Adam has been working on were recently exhibited at the Los Angeles Contemporary Art Fair, selling to high end collectors.

Jeremy Wilson, class of 2009 will be exhibiting at Spectrum Live, in Kansa City, MO, May 18 – 20, 2012.  Spectrum Fantastic Art LIVE is an outgrowth of the Spectrum Art Annual.  He is also planning to exhibit at IlluxCon 5 on 11/8/12 in Altoona, PA, as he did last year at IlluxCon 4 (see image).  IlluxCon is the only convention exclusively dedicated to fantastic art.

Don Mullins (dates of study 1993) was awarded placement in the annual Member’s Only Competition of the Portrait Society of America and subsequently awarded 4th Merit place in the competition for his drawing Island Girl.  The Society feature the top winning works in the International Artist Magazine and their quarterly Journal, website and Facebook page.

Jan Lukens, dates of study 1999 – 2001 has had a painting accepted into the permanent collection of the National Sporting Library & Museum, 102 The Plains Road, Middleburg, VA 20118.  The Library & Museum is dedicated to preserving, sharing and promoting the literature, art and culture of horse and field sports and has, since opening in 1954, expanded to become a library, research facility and art museum with over 17,000 books and works of art in the collection.

Dora Atwater Millikin, class of 2002 has a solo exhibition at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740, opening on May 18, 2012 at 5:30pm.  This is Dora’s first public showing of this series of 30 paintings and the Whaling Museum is clearing out the Center Street Gallery for her – unprecedented for a contemporary artist.  The exhibition will run for most of the summer.

Elisha Schauer, class of 2010 has a solo show Slap Happy at the Spirit Gallery, 207 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320 from February 4th through March 31st.  There will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 4th from 6:00 to 8:00pm.  Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8pm.  For further information, contact the gallery at 860-443-0484. 

Thomas Caleb Goggans, class of 2007 has recently been appointed Adjunct Professor of Art at Covenant College and will be teaching Figure Drawing two nights per week during the Spring, 2012 semester. Caleb is also a faculty member of the Townsend Atelier, a teaching studio which offers classes and workshops to beginners to professional artists.  Additionally, he has had a number of painting commissions and works designing carpets.

Thurston Belmer, class of 2009 was recently a visiting artist and lecturer at Murray State University in Murray, KY.  This summer, his work will be published in INPA 2 (International Painting Annual) along with Curtis Cascagnette.  From January to March, he will have a 12 foot painting featured at Gallery 180, Illinois Institute of Art

Bob Whelan, dates of study, 1997 – 2003 has been working on portraits, including recent completion of two CEO’s for Pitney Bowes and Mother Angeline Teresa (1893 – 1984) a nun under consideration for Sainthood at the Vatican.  He is currently working on a portrait of Dr. Earl Zimmerman, one of the top 20 neurologists in the US, commissioned by the Oregon Health and Science University.

Thurston Belmer, class of 2009 has six pages and the back cover of the latest issue of Direct Art Magazine (volume 18).  Direct Art is a national publication, published annually and released in the fall of each year.  It is distributed by COMAG Marketing Group, which also distributes Art News and Art in America. The link to access this issue is http://www.slowart.com/current.htm. 

Alumnus Doug Smith has spent the past 12 years archiving the work of German artist, Winold Reiss (1886-1953). Reiss, who came to America in 1913, was known for his portraits of Blackfeet Indians, African-Americans of the Harlem Renaissance, and for numerous architectural designs in both public and residential spaces.  The archiving process has involved taking digital photographs of the artwork and upgrading the framing to archival condition.  All the information is entered onto a database and as the archiving work has progressed, a more complete comprehension of Reiss’ life and work is evolving. This work has furthered appreciation of the training I received at LACFA because Reiss’ artwork exemplifies such fine draughtsmanship and a thorough understanding of the multiple disciplines in which he excelled.

Stobart Award Winners – Recent News
Andrea Anderson – Stobart Award 2003: Andrea has been living on the island of St. John and is represented by Mango Tango Art Gallery, with an upcoming exhibition in January, 2012.  She is currently working as a photographer and touring with country music band Sugarland.
Stephan Giannini – Stobart Award 1994:  Stephan is working as an artist and muralist, usually working as a restorer of visual art in historic buildings, often old murals or trompe l’oiel decorations.  He restored a mural in the old Secretary of War Suites for the White House in Washington, DC and has recently worked on Nantucket at the Old South Church and Kentucky at the St. Francis De Sales Church.  His mural work has included a community mural with a Public Transportation Theme in Chicago, and a mural installation at the 2009 “Art Prize” event in Grand Rapids, MI.
Steve Gerhartz – Stobart Award in 1993:  This month he is in Mt. Carmel, UT as a guest artist to paint in Zion National Park
Suzanne Siegel – Stobart Award 2001:  Suzanne is represented by the following galleries: Greene Art Gallery in Guilford, CT, Charlestown Gallery in Charlestown, RI, Landing Gallery in Rockland, ME and Isalos Fine Art in Stonington, ME.  She also shows in regional exhibitions with the CT Pastel Society, Watercolor Society and River Arts in Damariscotta, ME while teaching watercolor classes, outdoor workshops and private instruction in CT and ME.
Dora Atwater Millikin – Stobart Award 2002:  Dora is teaching a group of painters at the Providence Art Club and is represented exclusively with Walker-Cunningham Fine Art, 162 Newbury St., Boston, MA, in their third floor gallery space.  She has been accepted in to both the Salmagundi and Catharine Lorilard Wolfe Art Club Annual Juried National Exhibitions.  She also organizes the South Coast Artists, Inc Open Studio Tour Group.  The new South Coast Hospital Oncology Center recently chose 16 of her paintings for their Fairhaven, MA building, with the help of the Walker-Cunningham Fine Art.
Hollis Dunlap – Stobart Award 1999:  Hollis is painting and teaching figurative and landscape painting, as well as other workshops at the Lyme Art Association.  He recently completed a solo exhibition at Axelle Fine Arts, Newbury St., Boston, MA and has another solo exhibition in February, 2012 at Axelle’s New York City venue.
Lynn Jadamec Grayson – Stobart Award 2000:  Lynn has been involved in a variety of different activities, including being awarded a Lambent fellowship through the TIDES Foundation to travel the world painting different areas of fault lines where earthquakes occur and to study at the University of Davis Geological Dept in CA.  Over the next five years, she and her sister plan to travel to India, Iceland and Indonesia to culminate her work with a book and future lectures and exhibitions at Universities which support the link between art and science.  She has started her own homegoods business, utilizing images of art work she has produced over the years, making stationary, wrapping paper, sticker, bags, clothes and other items.  Currently living in LA, she has produced storyboards for two films, which are listed on her own IMDB page.  This work led to being asked to sell her paintings to TV shows and films for their sets.

Tom and Peggy Root, dates of study 1984 to 1986 and 1984 to 1987, respectively, have opened the Root Studio School in Johnson City, Tennessee. The school is located at 318 E. Main Street in downtown Johnson City. Peggy is a landscape artist and Tom is a portraitist. Classes will be two to three hours in length, weekly for 10 weeks, include Landscape Painting, Basic Drawing/Basic Oil Painting, Portrait Painting and Drawing, Figure Drawing/Painting for those 18 and up and Drawing and Painting Natural Forms.

Linda Low Wolcott, dates of study 1988 to 1993, has illustrated a new book of recipes, stories, vignettes, wine commentary and cooking wisdom called Mariana’s Letters . The book is written by Mariana de Saint Phalle and is published by Xlibris.

LeeAnn Graham, dates of study 1995 to 2001, has published an illustrated children’s book, Jordan’s Village, written by her sister. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the Brain Injury Association of America. 

Bob Kramer, BFA Class of 2009, is working on a multi-year project painting a mural on the walls of a dining room in a 1747 private residence. Originally the Dwight Tavern located in rural Warren, MA, the structure was dismantled and moved to its current location in Guilford, CT. The mural will commemorate the storied history of the building, whose guests included George Washington in 1778. In addition to landscape gardening, Bob is also working from his studio in Higganum on a long-term project illustrating his favorite books from childhood.

Lisa Nonken, Post-Baccalaureate Class of 2006, has been appointed to the faculty of the Siena Art Institute in Siena, Italy.