Welcome!!!

Welcome to the Cheyenne County Art guild blog page. The CCAG has been promoting art and artists for over 40 years. We hope this blog will not only provide information, but be a center for discussion and idea sharing.

Stop back often - see what's new in the world of art in the panhandle of Nebraska and beyond.

Special Note: Please do not steal. All artwork on this blog is copyrighted and is the exclusive property of the artist. If you see something you like and would like to contact the artist, email Sheila Phelps blog-manager: sheilaphelps59@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Happy New Year!!!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  We had a super fun gathering (and fabulous food!!) in December and enjoyed viewing past and present art and sharing how we have matured as artists!
It’s time to begin the second half of our year in Art Guild and we have an awesome agenda for you for the next five months!!!!  This will be the perfect opportunity to bring people you know who want to learn more about a specific medium!  Four of our members have graciously agreed to teach us about a medium that they are familiar using.  They will each be in charge of a mini workshop and then will hold a weekend workshop in that media!!  What a gift to be given by our talented members!!

So… on January 11th at the Presbyterian Church fellowship hall  from 5:30-6:30 we will begin our exploration of watercolor, pastel, oil, and acrylics by learning more about what is needed to set oneself up to work in each media with a mini-workshop entitled:  “Where Do I Begin…and With What?!”  **Each of the members who is presenting a workshop later will bring information for us about paper, canvas, paint, pastels, brushes, easels, how to protect oneself from toxins, cost of materials,  preserving, framing, etc., etc., etc.**  Questions are encouraged!  Of course, we will also be adding our own combined knowledge to the mini-workshop because that’s how we learn and  become well-informed about  what it takes to begin to work in that art form! 

Then…on February 8th, Tish Treinen will begin with techniques in watercolor.  She will follow up the mini-workshop with a tentative Saturday workshop on February 13th from 9:00-Noon and 1:30-3:00.r
And…on March 14th, Jane Easterly will present some techniques in the field of pastel.  She will do a follow-up workshop on Saturday March 19th from 9:00-Noon and 1:30-3:00.
Before we know it…on April 11th, Chuck Borcher will teach us about some oil strategies.
And finally…on May 9th, Ron Nordyke will lead us in a better understanding of the multifaceted art of acrylics
So…SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!

This month, we will have a meeting at 7:00 and discuss any pertinent matters.

DON’T FORGET TO PAY YOUR DUES to Margie Surber THIS MONTH!!    $20 for the year.  Her address is 2658 Alvarado in Sidney, 69162.
Tentative dates for the Spring Show are somewhere within the dates of April 1st - 10th. More exact details to follow!!  But GET BUSY CREATING for the show!!!

HOSTESSES/REFRESHMENTS:  Tish Treinen and Jane Easterly

Hope to see you at the meeting!!  (Please come in the west door at the church on 14th and Linden.)

Artfully yours,
Cindi Egging

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

CCAG Historian Passing on the Torch..........

Cheyenne County Art Guild,
        A note to say I am resigning from the wonderful job of being historian for the “Art Guild”. The plan is to bring all the scrapbooks and photo albums to the spring show for display for all to enjoy. I cannot consider taking any of it home for another year. This spring I will be 85 years and someone will enjoy having this historian job for the CCAG. This has been a fun job and I will pass it on to another person.
                                                Sincerely,
                                                Hank Jessen

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Local CCAG Member's Art Featured in 2015 Mona Calendar

The Cheyenne County Art Guild received word that Paul Adkinson's painting titled "Winter's End" is one of thirteen artworks from the museum's permanent collection featured in the Museum of Nebraska Art's 2015 Calendar.  His painting is the featured artwork for the month of March.  In addition a brief biography about Mr. Adkinson was printed on the reverse side of the image.  According to Ms. Karen Humphrey, Director of Development at the Museum of Nebraska Art, MONA calendars are sent to many of their donors to thank them for their support of the Museum and are available to the public in the Weaver Museum Shop.  Mr. Adkinson is a self-taught artist who is a charter and continuous member of the Cheyenne County Art Guild.  He resides in Sidney where he continues to paint his award-winning and creative artworks.


For more on Paul Adkinson click on the link below:
"Winters End"  Museum of Nebraska Artists

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Pamela Brown: February Artist of the Month

The Cheyenne County Art Guild selected Pamela Brown as February Artist of the Month.  Brown is a CCAG member haling from Akron, Colorado.  Washington County, Colorado, has been her home for over thirty-five years.  She works primarily in watercolor and is best known for her soft and subtle paintings depicting the people and landscape of the high plains in eastern Colorado.  Her work brings life and beauty to an area often thought of as barren and desolate.

Brown and her late husband lived on the plains thirty-four miles southwest of Akron for twenty-eight years where they raised their five children.  She continued to paint and enter shows during this time.  In 2001 she opened Sand Creek Studio in Akron; a working studio and a gallery for her work.  In 2005 she remarried and moved to town where she continues to paint, enter shows, and occasionally teaches art classes.  Her husband builds custom frames and does all of the framing for her work.

Public commissioned paintings by Pamela Brown include the National Radial Engine Exhibition in Akron, CO--2004 through 2011, the 100 Year Old Washington County Courthouse in 2009, and a Commemorative Envelope for the Akron Post Office in 2007.  She has painted numerous private commissioned artworks, too.

Her award-winning artworks have been exhibited at the Western & Wildlife Show at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, the Western Spirit Show in Cheyenne, Wyo., the American Plains Artists Show in Texas, the New Mexico Small Paintings Show, the Catherine Lorillard Wolf Art Club's exhibition in New York City, NY, a Featured Artist show at the Korshare Indian Museum in La Junta, CO, as well as at the CCAG's Spring Members' Show in Sidney, NE.

Pamela Brown's limited edition print of a watercolor titled "Pink Cactus" is on display now through Sunday, March 8th at the Sidney Public Library.  Twelve other artworks of Brown's are displayed at the Cheyenne County Community Center.  The public is encouraged to view all of these fine artworks by this artist who has been called the "Chronicler of the High Plains."  As Brown once said, "People think of the mountains in the western half of Colorado, but there is the other half of Colorado and it's beautiful, too!"

Monday, February 9, 2015

February 9th Meeting

Love is in the air!!!  Or maybe it's just the aroma of coffee and turnovers at the Blue Rooster!??  Well, in any case, it's time for the February meeting of CCAG and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the changes at the gallery if you haven't been in there since our meeting!!!  Pretty exciting to see it materialize!  Our meeting will be Monday, February 9th at 7:00 p.m.  Please enter through the front door of the Art at Lodgepole Creek Gallery.  The mini workshop will begin at 5:15.  Yes, please bring a friend!!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Notes from President Egging/Upcoming Events

Cindi Egging started "Art 4 Tots" classes for 2-4 year olds on Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings for 4-5 year olds.  She is also offering an adult drawing class on Wednesday afternoons in February. 

Patrick McNabb is showing 8-12 pieces at the Indelible Creations Tatoo Parlor in Sterling.

Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance is getting ready for its 22nd Anniversary Show March 24 - 25th.  Entry date is February 20, 2015.  Copies of the brochure are available.

Holyoke, Colorado art show is March 26th - 29th.

Workshops:  Patsy Smith workshop:  Location to be determined.
  • April 11-12.  
  • Cost is $60.00
  • 9:00 - 4:00 Saturday
  • 1:00 - 4:  Sunday

Friday, January 9, 2015

Next CCAG Meeting Monday, Jan 12

Happy New Year, everyone!!  Repeat after me:  “I resolve (I resolve) to come to the art guild meeting this month (to come to the art guild meeting this month), to pay my dues (to pay my dues), and to learn and be creative with my fellow artists (and to learn and be creative with my fellow artists)!!  Now that that’s settled, here’s the agenda for our meeting for Monday, January 12th at 7:00 p.m.  Once again, please come to the front door of the Art at Lodgepole Creek gallery.  The mini-workshop will begin at 5:15, but the doors will be open at 4:30.  Yes, you can bring a friend!!

Dues:  $20 this month!!!!

Refreshments:  Nancy Dee and Ron Nordyke

Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance is getting ready for its 22nd Anniversary Show March 24-April 25.  Entry date is February 20, 2015.  Copies of the brochure are available.

I offered a ornament painting class at the Art at Lodgepole Creek Gallery on Saturday, December 13th.  Ten children participated.  It was pretty fun!  Janell Wicht had a card-making class at the same time and had a few participants.  Margaret Evans brought some photos down to display during the day.  I am planning a try a Tot-Art class (24-36 mo. with an adult) for Wednesday mornings and a class after school for elementary age students (not sure of these details yet).

Thanks go out to Nancy Dee for giving us a great workshop about pastel!!  We learned a lot about applying pastel, papers, and drew (painted) some pretty awesome green apples!!

JANUARY Mini-workshop:  Cindi Egging, yours truly, will give you some information on still-life art (history, things to consider when setting up a still-life, materials, and art elements and principles to pay attention to) and she will prepare a still-life for us to work from with a spotlight to help us see the values.  Please bring any drawing supplies you have:  pencils, erasers, colored pencils, charcoal sticks, and paper.  I have enjoyed reading several articles in art magazines while preparing for this workshop and have learned a lot!  Judy’s first mini-workshop addressed the “draw what you see” concept which is very important when doing still-life.  It’s a great way to improve skills as you really look at the items before you.

In December, 8 or 9 of us painted Christmas ornaments which were delivered to Sloan Estates, Golden Living Center, and Sidney Regional Extended Care.  They were received with gratitude—some were adding trees and were very glad to have some new ornaments to hang on them.  
COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Artist of the Month:  December/January is Judy McElroy.  January/February’s artist will be ??

Note Cards:  Pat Albers

Brochure: forward photos of your work to Tess Bagnell jpg 300 dpi (3x5 or 4x6)

Poster:  Remember to let Margaret know if you need any posters to hang up and she will print some up for you!

Workshops:  
At the last meeting, we decided to postpone the workshop with Sue Hart until next year.  We also discussed the Patsy Smith workshop in the spring.  The members at the meeting said they would be interested in learning about how to make a landscape into an abstract painting, using materials, and also to learn more about composition.  It was pretty much agreed that we would be happy to learn whatever Patsy wants to teach us!  Possible dates are March 21-22 and April 11-12. She would prefer the March date.  Any comments?

OLD BUSINESS:
Public Relations Person??

Artist of the Month Chairperson??

Galleries:

Art Tour:  At the last meeting we discussed having the tour the end of January?  Or should we have it in the summer?

Mystery Painting pieces:  Still some pieces left!  Ron Nordyke shared his ingenious idea with us!! Awesome!!

NEW BUSINESS:
Program for January 12:   Cindi Egging:  arrange a paper towel or white cloth with an egg and sketch the arrangement.

NEXT MONTH:
Date:  February 9, 2015 at 7:00 p.m./ mini-workshop at 5:15 p.m.
Place:  Art at Lodgepole Creek Gallery
Refreshments for February:  Margie Surber and Jane Easterly
Program:  Janell Wicht:  abstract collage mini-workshop and program.

FUN FACTS from the ART ARCHIVES
In CCAG’s 4th year, October of 1975, they participated in an Art in the Park for Sidney’s first Oktoberfest!!  The big tent was in Legion Park and the arts and crafts were at the Armory.  Twenty artists showed paintings that were displayed on picnic tables and table easels among the old cottonwood trees.  There was music by a Polka Band, a parade, school bands and choirs, square dancing, pancake feeds, foreign food fair, a cultural program at the Junior High School auditorium, a community sing in the old band shell, adult and children’s games, etc.