Lexington Art League Offers Opportunity for High School Students

The Lexington Art League's Master Class Program Teaches Developing Young Artists the Process of Conceptualization

The LAL announced today that it will begin its second season of Master Class on Nov. 3, 2009, giving high school students who exhibit talent in visual art but who would not normally have access to artistic extracurricular activities a chance to study with a professional artist.


Travis Townsend, art lecturer at Eastern Kentucky University and distinguished contemporary wood worker based in Lexington, Ky., will lead the 3-part intensive series, which seeks to teach students to work through the complicated process of conceptualizing creative ideas. “The hardest part of making art can be breaking an idea down into manageable, executable pieces,” said Townsend. “With Master Class, students will develop this critical skill by building sketchbooks, engaging in collaborative drawing, and creating sculpture from found objects – all techniques I use in creating artwork professionally.”

Master Class debuted last year with an intensive series led by Lexington artist Waseem Touma. Students from Fayette County public high schools participated, as well as two students from Scott Co. High School. Touma invited students into his studio for an intimate look at his workspace and to dialogue about his background and process as a professional artist. Following that insightful exposure, Touma led the students in a collaboration to create a directional mural in the entrance to LAL’s Project Space, an installation gallery at LAL @ Loudoun House.

 “Seeing how a professional artist works gave me a new perspective on art and made me realize that it is a possible career option,” said Amber Fuller, a graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School who participated in last season’s Master Class and is now pursuing a Bachelor’s in Arts Administration at the University of Kentucky. “I also enjoyed meeting students from different schools. The friends I made at Master Class are my best friends now, and we have incorporated art into our lives.”


This season, Townsend aims to give 10 high school students an essential skill sometimes overlooked in typical arts curriculums as well as the opportunity to learn the ropes from a working artist.


Space is limited, and interested students should apply by contacting Julia Curiel at jcuriel@lexingtonartleague.org or 859.254.7024.


Students must commit to attending all three mandatory sessions (Nov. 3, 10 and 17, from 5-9pm, at LAL @ Loudoun House) and parents must sign a release form and commitment agreement for students to participate. All supplies and materials will be provided for participants and there is no registration fee.

“The Lexington Art League seeks to engage artists and audiences of all ages and abilities, and Master Class provides a unique opportunity to serve our community’s talented youth and to show them that an artistic career is a real possibility,” said Paula Anderson, president of the LAL Board of Directors. “By giving them the chance to see how a professional artist works, we hope to not only expand their education but also encourage their creative pursuits.”


About the Instructor
Travis S. Townsend earned his MFA (crafts) from Virginia Commonwealth University and has recently presented solo exhibitions at the Southwest School of Art and Craft (San Antonio), Weston Gallery (Cincinnati), and the New Arts Program (PA). Images of his work have been published in The Penland Book of Woodworking, 500 Tables, New American Paintings, and the Manifest National Drawing Annual. His awards include an Emerging Artist Grant from the American Craft Council, a Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council, and two grants from the Virginia A. Groot Foundation. Townsend has been a resident artist at Penland School of Crafts and has participated in the Emma Lake Collaboration. He currently lives in Lexington, Ky., and teaches art at Eastern Kentucky University.


About the Lexington Art League
The Lexington Art League is Lexington's oldest and largest visual arts organization. LAL envisions visual art as the lens through which central Kentucky will distinguish itself as a progressive, inclusive and vibrant region. LAL presents original and creative programs, with a reputation for thought-provoking content, that illuminate the role of visual art in contemporary life.




Please visit www.lexingtonartleague.org for more information.




IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO MAY WANT TO PARTICIPATE :
WHAT: a 3-part intensive workshop that provides talented visual art students who would not normally have access to artistic extracurricular activities a chance to explore the creative process with a professional artist


WHERE: LAL @ Loudoun House


WHEN: Mandatory sessions Nov. 3, 10 and 17, from 5-9pm, with an optional fourth session on Nov. 24, from 5-9pm. Interested students are encouraged to apply asap, as space is limited and space is offered on a first come, first served basis.


WHO: Led by artist, woodworker, and lecturer of art at Eastern Kentucky University Travis Townsend, the workshop series is free and open exclusively to high school students who normally do not have access to artistic extracurricular activities.


Parents of participating students must sign a release form and a commitment agreement to guarantee their spot.


For more information please call:  859.254.7024