If you've had a chance to make it to the City Gallery at the Harrison Center this month, you've already seen my two latest pieces. I have been doing research of Hoosier women for the bicentennial. I created these two for the Herron, Sewall, and Steele exhibition that runs through the 26th. They will also be on display during the Independent Music and Art Festival at the Harrison Center on June 11th.
May Wright Sewall was an amazing woman who created a school for girls, fought for woman's suffrage, and advocated for the arts.
May Wright Sewall (19 Stars Series) Oil on canvas 12 x 12 Inches
Herron, Sewall, and Steele Harrison Center for the Arts Opening Reception June 3rd 6PM to 9PM
I will have two brand new pieces on display at the Harrison Center for the Art's City Gallery this First Friday.
"The City Gallery presents “Herron, Sewall and Steele.” This group show honors prominent culture builders who shaped the story of the arts in Indiana. This exhibit celebrates the work of May Wright Sewall, founder of the Art Association of Indianapolis; John Herron, unexpected funder of the State’s first art museum and art school; and T.C. Steele, Indiana’s foremost painter (also a founding member of the Art Association). The show will feature new commissioned works of art and spoken word ballads inspired by the stories of these cultural leaders whose lives and legacy contributed to the historic John Herron Art Institute (now Herron School of Art and Design), and whose actions advanced art, culture and social justice throughout our State. Contemporary Indiana artists were selected to create art inspired by their stories. “Herron, Sewall and Steele” is a signature project of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission and is made possible, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission."
Be sure to also check out the Independent Music + Arts Festival on June 11th at the Harrison Center. For more information check out the City Gallery.
Art From the Heartland Indianapolis Art Center Opening Reception June 10th, 6PM to 9PM
I will also be showing new work at the Art From the Heartland Exhibition at the Indianapolis art Center. The opening reception will be June 10th from 6-9PM where awards will be given out. The exhibition runs through August 6th. For more information check out theIndianapolis Art Center.
With all the Stutz Open House rush I forgot to post this piece I finished right before the big show. Most people know Hedy Lamarr for her accomplished film career. Most do not know that she was also an inventor. During WWII, she helped develop a frequency hoping system for torpedoes. This same technology is used today for Wi-fi, GPS, and Bluetooth technology.
I was one of the less than 90 artists chosen for this exhibition of current work from Indiana artists. The opening reception will be Friday May 13th from 6-8 at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette. The exhibition runs through August 31st. For more information see the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette's website.
Virginia Avenue Folk Festival
Saturday May 14th
So it begins! My first festival of the year will be at one of my favorite spots in the city, Fountain Square. This festival will have over 100 bands playing on 13 stages starting at 9AM and going until 11PM. There will also be over 50 vendors. I will be setup along Virginia Avenue. For more information check out the festival's website or this video below.
This is a set of six wonderful little art print postcards featuring women throughout history. The front has a high resolution image of artwork created by Bonnie Fillenwarth. The back has a short description of the notable woman the upper left hand corner with plenty of room left for you write a wonderful message.
They are 4 inches by 6 inches which means they will fit wonderfully in a small frame. It would be so lovely to have a small art print on your desk at work or home. They can even be used as unique thank you cards or even simply hung on your refrigerator. They can also be sent through US mail as postcards, all you need is a stamp.
They were printed on sturdy 16pt card stock with high quality inks. The front side with the image is glossy while the back side has a mat finish. Two of these cards are in horizontal format and four are vertical.
This package comes with one print each of:
Gertrude Ederle - Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. During her famous swim the water became very rough and her coach yelled at her to get out of the water. She replied, "What for?" Not only was she the first woman to swim across the English Channel, she also set the world record at the time for doing so beating the previous time by about two hours. People at that time thought no woman would ever be able to swim across the English Channel, only five men has been able to do so before her.
Hydna - Hydna was a woman who cut the mooring lines from the Persian ships at the Battle of Salamis in 480 B.C. The Battle of Salamis is a naval battle that went along with the battle of Thermopylae (the 300). That night, a storm came by and because the ships were no longer anchored, the Persians lost a great deal of their ships. This helped the Greeks claim a victory and save their homes from a Persian invasion.
Hedy Lamarr - Not only was Hedy Lamarr an accomplished actress, she was also the co-inventor of a frequency hopping torpedo guidance system. This technology is behind many of the devices we use today such as Wi-fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.
Ada Lovelace - Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer. Because of a divorce with her father Lord Byron, Ada's mother pushed her into learning about anything but poetry. She excelled in math. This piece is made up of the math formula which is considered the first computer program.
Empress Theodora - Theodora started off as an actress, a dancer, and well basically a high end prostitute. Eventually she bumped into Justinian I, who ended up changing the laws so he could marry this beautiful woman. He made her co-regent which meant that they shared the throne. One day a riot broke out and Justinian was ready to leave town in hopes of exile instead of death. At the docks Theodora put her royal foot down. She told Justinian and his crew that "purple makes a fine funeral shroud" and that she wasn't going anywhere. Her speech convinced her hubby and crew to stay.
Victoria Woodhull - Victoria Woodhull was many things. She owned a newspaper and she and her sister were the first women to become stockbrokers. What Victoria is most known for is being the first woman to run for president of the United States. This was years before women won the right to vote.
This set includes one of each of these wonderful ladies. If you would like a different combination of six please let me know.
All six prints will safely ship to you in protective archival plastic bag inside of an envelope via USPS.
I would like to invite you to the 23rd Annual 2016 Raymond James Stutz Artists Open House. Below are some questions and answers about this event. For more information please visit www.stutzartists.com.
What is the Raymond James Stutz Artists Open house?
The Stutz Open House is an annual event held every April. The open house is a fundraiser for the Stutz Artist Association Residency Program which gives free studios to a few emerging artists for an entire year. The open house started out years ago with just a few artists inviting their friends and patrons over for a small party and has now grown into a two day event with around seven thousand people attending every year. This year there will be over seventy artists participating as well as many businesses.
What are the dates and times for the open house?
This year the open house will be Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th. The doors open Friday at 5:30PM and close at 10:30PM. On Saturday, doors open at 2:00PM and close at 7:00PM.
Where and what is the Stutz Building?
The historic Stutz Building is located in downtown Indianapolis at 1060 N. Capital Ave. The building is so huge it takes up a whole city block. It is between 10th and 11th Streets and Capital and Senate Avenues.
The Stutz building is a historic car factory in downtown Indianapolis. The Stutz Motor company produced many different types of cars including racing cars at could be seen during the Indianapolis 500. Today, many businesses and artists call the building home. However, there is quite the vintage car collection that fills up a room on the second floor and also scattered throughout the building.
What all is there to see and do at the Open house?
There are over seventy artists who will have their studios all neat and tidy with artwork on display for purchase. There will also be musical entertainment throughout the building as well as many food vendors. This year there will be artist demos both days and a scavenger hunt for kids on Saturday. Wine and Canvas will also be doing special painting events.
New this year is the Grand Tour of Artisan Autos. Learn about the vintage automobile collection housed at the Stutz. Locations and descriptions will be included in the program.
In the Stutz Art Gallery on the first floor of the building, there will be “First Stop” which is an art exhibition that features a few pieces of artwork from each artist participating in the open house. This is a great way to preview which artists you would like to visit first.
What kind of artwork will there be?
The Stutz building houses the most artists in one building in the entire Midwest. This means there will be lots of art. There are painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelry makers, textile and fabric artists, artists who work with steel and other heavy duty metal, furniture makers, and many more. Prices of artwork can range from $10 to $10,000.
Where is your studio?
My studio is E-340 on the third floor right in the middle of the E building. Upon entry to the open house, you will receive a map of the entire building with the location of all the artists’ studios and businesses. It is a very big building with lots to see, and there will be many volunteers placed throughout the building to help you find what you are looking for. Many art lovers attend both days to make sure they don’t miss anything.
What will you have new this year?
I have been busy creating work inspired from women throughout history this year. Women such as Vitoria Woodhull the first woman to run for president and Ada Lovelace the first computer programmer. I also have some limited edition prints available this year. To get a preview of my work please visit my website www.bonniefillenwarth.com. You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram.
If you would like to purchase artwork prior to the open house, I still have my Etsy shop up and running. Etsy is an online marketplace for artisans selling handmade items. This is a great way to make easy purchases through Paypal. www.etsy.com/shop/bonniefillenwarth
How much does it cost?
Tickets cost $15 the day of the event. They are $12 in advance at select Old National Banking Centers or at the Stutz Business Center Office (317)488-7373. You can also purchase tickets online for $15 at www.stutzartists.com through Eventbrite. Children twelve and under will receive free admission with a paying adult. Saturday re-entry is free with the previous day’s ticket stub.
Will there be parking?
There will be plenty of parking available. There is street parking all the way around the building and parking in specially marked lots for this huge event, and best of all it is free.
I finally finished this piece the other day. It looks much better in person. I built up the form of Ada Lovelace using the formula of hers which is considered to he the first computer program. Stop by and get a closer look at her at the upcoming Stutz Artists Open House.
