Working With Paint Sticks

Paintstiks^©, pigment sticks, oil sticks--all names for the same type of product--are actually oil paint in easy to use stick form. Formulated from a combination of highly refined pigments and linseed oil in a pure wax, they do not emit offensive odors nor do they require long drying times. Most colors dry in approximately 72 hours and attain a non-smudge stage after an uncovered, overnight cure. The sticks are covered with a paper wrapper, so they are neat to use and are both non-toxic and hypoallergenic.

Before using for the first time, and after storage between uses, peel the "skin" off the top of the oil stick. This skin develops to protect the remaining paint from becoming hard and unusable. Once this layer is peeled away, the stick is ready for immediate use.

Oil sticks are remarkable in their scope of artistic application. They can be used successfully by any level of artist and are even safe for children (when supervised). Paint sticks are easily applied and can be blended with brushes, knives, and paint wedgies--virtually any tool. Immediately after application they can be scribed and etched with any pointed object. They are smooth, creamy and vibrant and have a velvety appearance when dry.

To diminish the tone of any stick, use white over or blended with the color. To darken a color, add a bit of its complement. For a smooth, blendable surface and to maintain the same texture throughout the entire work, first apply a layer of white to the selected ground material. Homogeneous blending is achieved with the use of turpentine. Apply the turpentine a drop at a time to the surface as you work, or use a turp-dampened brush to blend an applied surface.

Speaking of surface, nearly any will accept oil stick decoration. Cardboard, mat board, canvas, painting papers and illustration board are perfect ground surfaces for oil sticks. Absorbent surfaces help hold the paint in place, but you can use acrylic sheeting or glass for a base if it will be sheltered after completion. (The lack of absorbency offers less "grip" for the oil sticks.) Metal such as copper or aluminum is a great substrate for oil sticks as are sculptural supports, Masonite panels and all wood surfaces.

Never hesitate to paint directly into a color layer with a brush or to draw in the material to achieve highlights. When used like a pen, you can create details where none existed or create an impasto by trying different texture applications. Because of its thick, pasty consistency, you can combine oil sticks with other oil media (like tube oil paints) to achieve a more fluid, workable compound. Dried tube oil paintings can also be enhanced with oil sticks. All oil painting mediums and solvents work with oil sticks, too. That means if you are already working in oil, you may simply add oil sticks to your paint box and use them for detail, design or drama in your work. Their rich, thick consistency will offer you new possibilities.

Oil sticks can easily be applied to lean paint. For instance, you may use them to embellish and enhance a watercolor or gouache work. Their lean surface willingly accepts the thick, opaque line of an oil stick. Color sticks are often used like pens or pencils to add surface embellishment to other art media. They can also be used to add detail to a monoprint or photo reproduced print.

Acrylic surfaces can be enhanced by using oil stick diluted with baby oil. The oil takes time to dry, but the resulting stain is unique. The surface can be blotted with paper towels or rags, can be scraped with tools and can be rubbed to soften the look and blend with the surrounding areas. Thick applications are sometimes desirable. Apply carefully and allow to dry thoroughly before exhibit.

Many artists dip the oil sticks directly into a medium or solvent to achieve a quick and smooth stroke. Alkyd dryers can also be used and dry faster than the oil mediums. The sticks can be used by oil painters to establish an initial sketch and then be worked right into the subsequently applied oil paints. The wax content of the sticks allows rich buildup of texture.

Oil sticks may be purchased in sets that contain primary colors or sets that have special applications such as landscape. Perhaps the best way to buy them, however, is individually. This allows the artist to select and use the tones best suited to his/her work. Individual metallic colors are especially useful for highlights and enhancement of nearly any style of work. When pre-thinned with turpentine or medium, oil stick pigments can be stamped onto paper art for added texture and appeal.

With all the positive and exciting qualities of oil sticks, it is surprising that more artists don't use them. And once an artist does experiment with them, oil sticks become a part of his or her permanently maintained materials. They are not costly, are easy to transport and can be used almost anywhere. See www.richesonart.com.

Valentine's Day Projects

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to create some simple and dramatic gifts for the special people in your life. Most of the projects below can be made from things you already have on hand. We will be creating neat book covers, decorator bulletin boards, candy canisters and insect collection jars - insuring a gift for everyone you have on your Valentine list.

Our first project is the creation of neat book covers. You will need a roll of paper, either banner paper if you want a white base or Kraft paper if you want a natural colored background. (Grocery bags or sacks do well, too). Using stamps or paint, create a great border design of hearts - solid shapes or just the outlines. Write a special message inside the border. Bold letters that spread across the full sheet make interesting designs when wrapped around the book and can be read when the book is open. Try mirror writing (writing that can only be read by holding the cover up to a mirror) for a "secret" message. Leonardo da Vinci used this secret writing in many of his manuscripts and sketches, so you would be practicing a very special method of communication.

Bulletin boards are a great way to show off your creative talents. You can easily transform a plain board with neat ideas for decoration. One easy way to make your bulletin board look like a million is to paint the cork area with white. Paint the frame red and just inside the frame glue on paper cutouts of hearts or other valentine images. Old valentines are great to use in the border, too. Just glue them down in a slightly overlapped pattern. When they are dry, you can paint a coating of acrylic medium over them. That will seal their surface and make them tough enough to withstand years of use.

Decorative canisters are easy to make from any clear, lidded jar. Recycled canning jars are perfect. Wash the jar well and allow it to dry. Apply paint to the inside or outside of the jar (outside if you want to store candy or food items in the container). Add stickers or original painted designs and add a bit of glitter for a very festive look. Paint pens are great for lettering and drawing detailed features. Feathers, colored paper, faux gemstones and buttons add texture and personality to the finished look, too.

Insect collection jars are neat presents for the naturalists you know. They start with any empty glass jar, even those recycled from the kitchen. The lid will need air holes so that the insects will live. Using caution and with parental supervision, punch the holes with a nail and hammer or with an ice pick or awl. Once the holes are created, paint the lid a bright color. With paint pens, draw grass that looks like it is growing at the bottom edge of the jar. Tie a ribbon around the lid and attach a gift tag. This is a simple, inexpensive and fun gift for younger friends.

These ideas should get you started on surprises for everyone. Have fun and Happy Valentine's Day!

ALSC Awards

The Association for Library Service to Children has announced the 2005 award winners. Winner of the Caldecott Medal, awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, is Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers. In addition, the ALSC has announced the creation of a new award for outstanding children's literature. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award will be presented annually beginning January 2006 to both the author(s) and illustrator(s) of an outstanding book for beginning readers. For a complete listing of awards, go to www.ala.org.

New Film Program

MoMA in Manhattan has introduced "Watch This! Films for Tweens," a new free film program for children ages 11 to 14 accompanied by adults. Different screenings each month will address issues that are important to older kids, and this season's films explore themes of identity and belonging. Additional Ford Family Programs at MoMA include museum tours, artist talks and workshops that are free and include admission to the Museum. For further info, visit www.moma.org or call (212) 708-9805.

Art Competitions

13th Southeast Regional Fine Arts Exhibition
Arts & Design Society
May 16 - June 9
McIlroy Gallery, Okaloosa Walton College
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Entry Deadline: March 11

The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years of age or older living in the southeastern region of the U.S. Entries must be executed in the last three years in the following media: acrylic, water media, graphics, mixed media, oil, photography, pastel, sculpture, or ceramics. Juror is Mark M. Johnson. Visit www.artsdesignsociety.com or call 850-244-1271 for info.

Colored Pencil Society of America
13th Annual International Exhibition
July 29 - Aug. 21
The Palette and Chisel Gallery
Chicago, IL
Entry Deadline: March 31

Open to all artists 18 years or older, regardless of geographic location. Entries must be 100% colored pencil. Juror is Suzanne Folds McCullagh. Visit www.cpsa.org or call 901-861-0225.

Pastel Painters of Maine
"Pastels Only"
June 2 - 30
River Tree Center for the Arts
Kennebunk, ME
Deadline: April 1

Open to all artists, and all subjects and styles are eligible. Paintings must be original soft pastels only that are two years old or less. For a prospectus, send a #10 SASE to Richmond Neuville, 11 Harris St., Springvale, ME 04083-1308; rneuvill@gwi.net; (207) 324-7150 after 6 p.m.

Various Exhibitions

The Arts Center
Old Forge, NY

The First Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, June 10 July 8. Jurors: Madlyn-Ann Woolwich and Christine Debrosky. Deadline: March 1.

2005 Adirondack Theme Exhibition: "Things with Wings" is open to all media (except photography) depicting things with wings found in the Adirondack Park and will be held May-June. Deadline: April 1.

24th Annual Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Aug. 26 Oct. 2. Jurors: Nita Engle and Dan Burt. Deadline: April 8.

For an exhibition prospectus, send a #10 SASE to Arts Center/Old Forge, P.O. Box 1144, Old Forge, NY 13420 and indicate an exhibition: ANEAW, NNPE, or ADK Theme.

American Modernism

Between the decades of 1920 and 1940 a major transformation in American Art began. During this time this country produced a body of design work remarkable for both its daring style and ingenuity.

The Wall Street crash in October 1929 serves as the great divide between the 1920's and 1930's and also between American Modernists' designs. The distinct moods of each decade dramatically affected the arts of each.

The 20's brought a style that blended two stylistic influences: the exotic materials and splendid interiors found in the "tall buildings that scraped the sky" and the functional geometry adapted from the styles created in French Cubism, Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism. The 30's, immediately preceded by the stock market crash, gave way to sleek finishes, aerodynamic forms and synthetic materials. A fascination with speed and futuristic elements came to the foreground - proving to be the advent of Streamlined Modern.

In 1925, a great exhibition in Paris, Paris L'Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs (from which Art Deco got its name) opened and exhibited for the first time the style we know as Art Deco. The styles and opulence of design viewed at this event greatly influenced American architectural designs of this period. Radio City Music Hall, designed by Donald Desky, is one fine and enduring example of Art Deco.

Along with the growing popularity of multi-story living came the demand for more and more interior design and the artist-decorators to bring them to life. Pre-World War restraints were broken by this new breed of designer. "The Cocktail Age," the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties became high points of this new morality. The stock market crash soon put a near-instant end to the "decadence."

The skyscraper had inspired an angular, stepped style, one that evolved from the fashionable Art Deco style of the 1920's, but it was unacceptable for the somber economic mood following the Crash of 1929. A completely new style evolved and helped to create another style, that of Streamlined Modern. Industrial design was at its zenith. Products were cased in sleek, streamlined, aerodynamic bodies, testimony to America's obsession with speed and efficiency. Movies of the time, such as Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" and H. G. Well's film version of "Things to Come," both made in 1936, stand as examples of this obsession.

As the cultural wave of Modernism gradually emerged in Europe and the United States in the early years of the 20th century, it expressed a sense of modern life through art as a sharp break from the past. Western civilization's classical traditions were abandoned and modern life suddenly seemed radically different from traditional life. It was more scientific, faster, more technological and more mechanized. Modern art embraced these changes.

In literature, Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) developed an analogue to modern art. She claimed that she and Picasso were doing the same thing, he in art and she in writing. The childlike quality of Stein's simple vocabulary is reminiscent of the primary colors of modern art, and her repetitions echo the repeated shapes of abstract visual components. Many of her works used words to achieve abstract meanings much like the eye viewing a cubist painting.

Henry James, William Faulkner and other American writers experimented with fictional points of view and set the stage for today's writers who still use that style.

Photography was assuming the status of a fine art with the application of scientific developments. Photographer Alfred Stieglitz (husband to Georgia O'Keeffe) opened his New York "291" gallery to help influence artists and poets by exposing them to the latest European artworks. In doing so, he helped establish the vision and viewpoint essential to the modernist's art.

United as rebels against conventional Victorian society, the artists of American Modernism created a style that was intimate in scale but distinctive in color sense and design. Challenges to ideas on content and style and the interpretation of those elements are the cornerstones of American Modernists' works. Feelings and emotions of artists of this period reflect the social landscape of the time. Sources of music, dance and, most importantly, art, brought about a new way of thinking. The great cultural shift in the 1920's and 1930's could be no more expertly depicted than by artists of the time. The mechanical age changed forever the way we lived and especially the way artists depicted that life.

Although many different artists created works, many of these works go unnoticed and unrecognized for the charm and appeal they offer. Focusing on the different yet related art of the 20's and 30's Modernism, anyone can get a general idea of what it means to be American or what it's like to live in America. The colors, symbolism and creative style of the period bring to life the everyday and present it in a style that is easily understood and recognized. Despite the fact that many of the works remain--in large-scale murals and dioramas in buildings, galleries and museums throughout the U. S.--many of the artists who created them remain unknown.

See "Artpourri-Exhibitions" below.

New Portable Photography Lighting Studio from Gagne

The new Porta~Studio from Gagne is a small, self-contained lighting environment for use in photographing small and medium-sized objects for many purposes. It uses two 10" x 12" stainless steel light boxes, each with two 5000K lamps for bright, even color-corrected lighting, and it reduces or eliminates shadows on objects being photographed. The light boxes are attached by a bracket system that allows for multiple positions to provide whatever light might be required. The Porta~Studio is lightweight, comes fully assembled, folds flat for easy storage and has a handle for ease of portability. See your retailer and visit www.gagneinc.com to see their line of Porta~Trace light boxes/tables and opaque projectors.

New Level of Professional Light Boxes from Artograph

The new ProSeries Light Boxes from Artograph are uniquely designed and crafted towards the needs of the discriminating and creative mind. Constructed of durable stainless steel and extruded aluminum, the ProSeries offers a comfortably slanted surface for more convenient viewing and tracing. The translucent surface is flush-mounted for a clean and completely unobstructed flat work surface. Accurate 90-degree edges offer precise reference for measuring and attaching T-squares. The near-perfect illumination is created by the combination of 5000K fluorescent lamps and a specially designed polyester pearlescent reflector system, resulting in a brilliant viewing window that is free of hot spots or shadows.

Another unique feature is a hidden front storage compartment for the easy access of pencils, pens, rulers and other tools. A handy finger recess and cord strap combine to make these light boxes portable and highly practical. The Artograph ProSeries Light Boxes are available in eight different sizes and lamp configurations. See your retailer and visit www.artograph.com for their full line of opaque art projectors, light boxes and spray booths.

How to Frame Antique Valentines

Old valentines are quite decorative, very special and collectible. Their designs, colors and sentiments may seem old fashioned, but many treasure them--so much so, that you might want to consider searching for one that is just right for you or a friend. Framing and presenting that treasure offers a myriad of creative opportunities. When framed, simply or elegantly, it will become a family heirloom.

After selecting an appropriate valentine (or other antique greeting), you should plan the colors you want to emphasize. Of course, reds are always a good choice, but the old printing methods and inks often suggest other choices. Violet, pink and rose are often seen in old valentine art. Once the primary color is selected, you might want to choose a subordinate as well. That gives you the chance to emphasize two tones, but one is completely sufficient.

Before any mounting is done, consider making a photocopy of the back side of the card. Whether or not the writing is by someone from your past, such as a relative, there is historic significance to the writing. It is most likely accompanied by a date of some sort and that alone will be important to know. The copy you make can be tucked into a small pocket on the back of the frame or enclosed within the frame under the dust cover or easel back.

Because there is value to the valentine or greeting card, if only because it is a revered old item, you should mount it in an archival method. That is not difficult as long as you have a few materials to make it possible. Use acid-free matting as a solid backing or as a surround for the card. To attach it in a totally archival way, use clear scrapbooking corners. That way no damage will befall the card and, should you choose to do so, you can reframe it easily in the future. Gluing prevents changes and alters value.

Glass choices should include either a UV glass (clear or non-glare) or UV Plexiglas. Either is available at any custom frame shop or from many art material retailers. Art and photo supply catalogs offer a full line of great products designed for protection and longevity. Scrapbooking suppliers also have many useful products.

Dimensional items such as 3-D cards can be mounted in shallow shadowboxes with beautiful results. If you are considering this approach, you might want to make it a real "collection" by including a photo, a fancy handkerchief or piece of jewelry. The casual look of an informal collection is visually stimulating and can offer great variety to the look of your finished presentation. Caution: Creating neat "antique" framings and collections can be habit-forming. Start today and enjoy!

Mediums for Airbrush Technique

The popularity of the airbrush is based partially on the fact that virtually all mediums used by artists and craftspersons can be sprayed. When required, the medium need only be thinned or reduced to a consistency compatible with spraying through the airbrush. As a rule of thumb, the ideal consistency is that of ink.

Airbrush Colors - These have been in existence at least since the 1920's (as they appear in a limited palette in a Wold Airbrush Co. catalog). The original airbrush colors were not much different from India ink. Today, the term "airbrush colors" refers primarily to pre-reduced water-soluble acrylic-based paints that are available either opaque or transparent and conveniently ready for spraying. These colors are low in toxicity, can be cleaned from tools and hands with soap and water and dry extremely fast. Airbrush colors are used primarily on paper surfaces, canvas and specialty acetates. When dry, they are water-resistant (not waterproof). See www.iwata-medea.com.

Ink - In its natural state, ink (drawing ink, writing ink and India ink) is ideal for airbrush technique. Good surfaces for working with ink include paper, illustration board and Claybord from Ampersand Art Supply (which markets a specialty ink; see www.ampersandart.com). The permanency, lightfastness and fugitive qualities of ink can vary from one manufacturer to another. Some are susceptible to fading and some are waterproof (which is indicated on the label).

Liquefied Watercolors and Dyes - These have been around for years and are used primarily in the commercial art field by illustrators and photo retouchers. They are similar in appearance to ink, although they usually do not come opaque. These have been known to fade from sunlight because they are not pigmented, so they should be exhibited under glass, preferably with an ultraviolet filter and not in direct sunlight. Colors are intense and well suited for work that will be reproduced in print media.

Artist Acrylic Colors - These are water-soluble, so thinning for airbrush application requires the addition of only water (no solvents), making them low in toxicity. Acrylics are the preferred medium of fine artists working on canvas with the airbrush, and they possess all the ideal attributes for airbrush technique. Acrylics dry quickly (as opposed to oil paint), allowing the artist to re-mask areas without damaging paint, which in turn enhances productivity. Even though acrylics are water-soluble, when dry they are waterproof, extremely flexible in thick or thin layers, cleanable, durable, and will adhere to any properly prepared surface.

Watercolor - Watercolor is also water-soluble, but that is where the similarity to acrylic ends. Watercolors are transparent and are suitable for working on paper surfaces and specialty watercolor canvas (Fredrix; see www.fredrixartistcanvas.com). They do not dry waterproof and, therefore, must be exhibited under glass or with a clear coat non-water-soluble varnish. Watercolors are ideal for airbrush work because they thin quickly and evenly to the right consistency, and they are easy to clean from the airbrush with airbrush cleaner.

Gouache - This is an opaque watercolor, with all the same attributes of traditional watercolor, but it can be worked opaquely. Gouache is a favorite of illustrators because of the radiant colors that thin quickly for airbrush use and clean up easily with airbrush cleaner.

Artist Oil Paints - Oil colors, as opposed to acrylics, are solvent-based and must be thinned with a solvent such as paint thinner. Therefore, when sprayed, oil paints are inherently more toxic. They also take much longer to dry, so when using stencils you can't work as quickly. But Genesis Artist Colors (oil paint, see www.genesisartistcolors.com) have the unique ability to be dried on demand with a hair dryer, thus allowing you to work with stencils, templates or tape without touching wet paint.

Fabric Paints - These were developed specifically for the T-shirt and fabric painter who requires paint that will not wash out of fabric. These come either water- or solvent-based and most are pre-reduced, but some require further reduction. However, all fabric paints must be heat-set for permanency.

Automotive Paints - There are many different types of automotive paints that can be airbrushed--acrylic lacquer, polyurethane, enamel, and specialty paints, to name just a few. Note that all these paints are toxic and some are more so than others. These are designed for spraying onto metal and plastic surfaces. Depending on the paint used, the airbrush artist must reduce these with the proper thinning and drying agents before spraying. Read the label completely and do not mix one type with another! Do not overlook special requirements, health hazards and advice on handling! For example, you cannot thin enamel paint with lacquer thinner. Health/safety caution is advised. At the very least, you should wear a respirator, and surgical gloves are recommended. Do not eat, smoke or drink in the work environment. When spraying automotive paints, use caution and common sense.

Whether you want to paint a woodcarving or a carousel horse, a motorcycle tank or a mural, there is an appropriate paint for application with the airbrush. You'll be amazed at the ease of application, the range of techniques, the professional results and your increase in productivity!

Workshops Scheduled

ARTtalk.com will present Basic Airbrush Techniques Complete with Robert Paschal, a 6-hour hands-on workshop, on February 26; and a 2-day workshop with Pamela Shanteau, Intermediate/Advanced Airbrush--Special Effects & Techniques, will be held April 23-24, both in Beacon, NY. "Art in the Adirondacks" will be held June 4-5 in Indian Lake, NY. Pam Shanteau will teach a two-day hands-on workshop entitled Automotive and Motorcycle Airbrushing. Award-winning artist Sean Dye will teach a two-day intensive Mixed Media workshop. See www.arttalk.com/workshop/workshop.htm or call (845) 831-1043.

Airbrush Newsletter

The January/February edition of AirbrushTalk.com is now available FREE online. Included are "Historic Valentine's Day Craft Ideas" by Janean S. Thompson; "Horizon Gillman Bust" by Wes Hawkins; "Some Literature on Ligature" by Glenn Hetrick; and "Velociraptor Paint-Up" by Larry Horyna.

Sign up for your FREE subscription now at www.airbrushtalk.com!

Black History Month Celebrated--During February the Brooklyn Museum will celebrate Black History Month with a variety of programs, including music in the galleries and a film on the life of artist Romare Bearden, in addition to programs coinciding with special exhibitions. (718) 638-5000.

Ruling Gives Approval--After a legal battle that began in 2002, the Barnes Foundation has received approval to allow the famed Barnes collection to be moved from the suburbs to a new facility in Center City Philadelphia. The Foundation says the approval to amend its charter and bylaws has provided it with the means to preserve the collection intact, carry out educational functions and ensure financial well-being.

Arts Leadership Acknowledged--Meridian (MS) Mayor John Robert Smith, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and legendary musician Peter Yarrow are this year's recipients of the Public Leadership in the Arts Awards. The awards honor elected officials and artists who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in advancement of the arts and were presented at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 73rd winter meeting in Washington, DC.

Project Realized--The long-awaited monumental work of art "The Gates Project for Central Park, NY 1979-2005" by New York artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude will become a reality when it officially opens on February 12 (weather permitting). The 7,500 gates will follow the edges of the walkways and be perpendicular to the selected 23 miles of footpaths in Central Park. Free-hanging saffron-colored fabric panels suspended from the top of the gates will come down to approximately 7 ft. above the ground. On February 18 disassembly will begin and the materials will be recycled. During the exhibition and weather permitting, the Metropolitan Museum is opening The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden each day from 9:30 to 3:00 so that visitors may view the project.

Art Events Scheduled

--The Arts Advocacy Day 2005 National Arts Action Summit will hold the annual conference March 14-15 at the Jurys Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C. For info on citizen or professional membership in Americans for the Arts, go to ww3.artsusa.org.

--The 19th Annual Tribal, Folk and Textile Arts Show will be held Feb. 11-13 at the Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion, in San Francisco, CA. It will benefit the galleries for Textiles and for the art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at the new de Young Museum.

--Artexpo-New York will be held March 3-6 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Open to consumers March 5-6.

--The Armory Show 2005 - The International Fair of New Art will take place March 11-14 on Piers 90 and 92 in New York City. Out of a record 522 applications, 162 international galleries were accepted that represent the very best primary dealers showing new art by living artists. See www.thearmoryshow.com.

Exhibitions

New York, NY -- New Museum of Contemporary Art -- East Village USA revisits the sprawling, renegade art scene that flourished in the East Village during the 1980's. Representing traditional media such as painting, sculpture and photography, while emphasizing the film, music and performance of the period, the exhibition contains works by more than 50 visual artists, as well as numerous films, videos, listening stations and documentary materials. Through March 19.

Columbus, OH -- Columbus Museum of Art -- Bringing Modernism Home: Ohio Decorative Arts 1890-1960 celebrates the notable contribution of Ohio artists, designers and companies in the decorative arts. It showcases more than one hundred objects--glass, ceramics, enameling, furniture design, metalwork and jewelry--embracing groundbreaking movements such as Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Art Moderne. Through April 17.

New Haven, CT -- Yale University Art Gallery -- Livable Modernism: Interior Decorating and Design During the Great Depression takes a new look at the ways modernism was introduced into the American home and includes examples of furniture, tableware and accessories by renowned designers as well as reproductions of 1930's advertisements and photographs of store displays that show how skillfully these products were marketed. Through June 5.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 15 No. 4 -- February 2005