Page 16 - Texas Arts Magazine

The Hill Country Atelier
Holly White-Gehrt, Painter in Residence
Atelier is the French word for the studio or workshop of a mas- ter painter or designer where that ar st can meet with their students to focus on their art in privacy and intense study.
Painter in Residence, Holly White-Gehrt wants to raise the bar of ar s c work at the Duncan- McAshan Visual Arts Center by cre- a ng The Hill Country Atelier. Her program will consist of three ten- week terms annually that would immediately capture the a en on of serious art students from around the state and region. Curriculum would include drawing, monochro- ma c grisaille pain ng and limited pale e pain ng.
Currently, there are about a hun- dred Atelier style programs around the world that run like an art school,
where students work ve days a week, at least eight hours a day for several years with master painters and tackle visual art projects from basic charcoal sketches to photo- realis c oil pain ngs. These Ate- liers are accredited through the Art Renewal Center (ARC), a respected non-pro t, commi ed to maintain- ing the highest quality of art, art teaching, museums, and art appre- cia on worldwide.
A highly respected organiza on, ARC has scholarships available for art students and juried contests with monetary awards. Their most pres gious contest, The Salon Show, awarded the Best of Show prize to Tenaya Sims, Holly’s own teacher from the Georgetown Ate- lier in Sea le.
Of all the ARC approved interna-
onal atelier programs, The Acad- emy of Figura ve Art in Fort Worth, is the only one in the state of Texas. The Hill Country Arts Founda on is looking to change that.
Visual Arts Director Rosanne Thrall has approached the ARC for guidance as she seeks accredita on for the new program.
The Hill Country Atelier is an exci ng new program for HCAF. As pres gious and ambi ous as is sounds, it is a reasonable goal for the Arts Founda on which has seen the growth and success of many new endeavors over the last few seasons. The Atelier will join the Spare Oom Children’s Theatre, Encore Restaurant, West Kerr Visi- tor’s Center, and the improved Gi Shop as a new program worthy of interna onal a en on.
16 Hill Country Arts MAgAzine - sept2017