The Darien Arts Center is seeking entries from local artists of all ages for its Annual Art Show & Sale. The show, which has been tremendously popular and a Darien tradition for 55 years, will be held Saturday, June 1, through Saturday, June 8, at the Darien Arts Center Weatherstone Studio. The juried show, which offers cash awards, is open to DAC students and children and adults who live or work in Darien. Nonresidents may also enter the show with a donation to the organization. Entries are welcome in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing/pastel, mixed media/printmaking, sculpture, color photography and black & white photography.
A new draw for artists this year is that the winner of Best in Show will be given a solo exhibit in the Town Hall in the spring of 2014. Also, adult prizewinners will be invited to meet art collectors, gallery owners and DAC patrons and board members during a private party featuring their work on June 4.
Another exciting element is that Joseph Fucigna, internationally recognized artist, whose work is included in exhibitions at the United Nations and Kyoto Gallery in Japan, will judge the 55th Annual Art Show and Sale at the Darien Arts Center.
Fucigna, who grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, received his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Alfred University School of Art and Design in New York and Masters of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Fucigna has taught in the Art Department at the State University of New York, Stony Brook and has been a full-time Professor of Art at Norwalk Community College since 1993. At NCC he served as the Chair of the Humanities Department and has overseen the Studio Arts Program for over 15 years.
Fucigna’s work has been included in Grounds for Sculpture, the Katonah Museum, the National Academy of Design, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, the New York State Museum in Albany, NY, and the Burchfield Art Center in Buffalo, NY. He has had one-person exhibitions at the Sculpture Barn, Norwalk Community College Art Gallery, Artist Space and the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College. Fucigna also completed a large scale commission titled “Double Jack” for Cingular Wireless in their promotional space in Rockefeller Plaza and was a recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.
Registration is now open online at arts.darien.org. Artists may enter up to two pieces of artwork, with an entry fee of $20 per submission for adults and $10 per piece for children. Adults submitting two pieces must designate at least one for sale. A 25% commission on each sale will benefit the DAC. All interested artists are encouraged to pre-register online.
Artists may bring their work to the DAC Weatherstone Studio, behind Town Hall at 2 Renshaw Rd. in Darien, on Sunday, May 26, from noon to 4pm, and on Tuesday, May 28, from 4 to 8pm. All pieces must be ready to hang with a wire on the back, or, if needed, the DAC will provide assistance with wiring at the drop-off site for a small fee. The awards reception will be held Friday, May 31, from 7 to 9pm. The show will be open for public viewing every day from Saturday, June 1, through Saturday, June 8, from noon to 5pm.
Official sponsors of the Art Show and Sale are: Baywater Properties, Ben Larrabee Photography, Bling, Darien Sport Shop, Everything is Rosey, Flowers & Flowers, Four Forks, LLC, Grove Street Plaza, Halstead Property, Dr. David Osherow, Orthodontist, Palmer’s Market, SBD Kitchens, LLC, Severed Ties, The Sugar Bowl, William Taufic Photography and Wilson Avenue Loft Artists.
Founded in 1975, the Darien Arts Center (DAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The DAC offers educational programs in Dance, Visual Arts, Music & Theatre, & special events & live theatre performances by DAC Stage. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the DAC. For further information, call (203) 655-8683 or visit arts.darien.org.
Media Contact: Diane Farrell
Farrell Marketing and Media for Darien Arts Center
Farrellmarketingandmedia@gmail.com
(203) 984-0644