Input/Output: The Art of Visual Data Making

AAWS & Forsyth Futures team up to present an innovative exhibition!


Associated Artists and Forsyth Futures have received an Innovative Project Grant from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County to present Input/Output: The Art of Visual Data Making. Forsyth County artists will use creative data visualization to illuminate significant issues facing Winston-Salem/Forsyth County residents. The resulting juried exhibition will be on view in the AAWS Gallery in June and July 2012, and will then travel to two other venues.

Creative data visualization is the use of creative means, such as drawing, to explain data in a way that is easy to understand. Increasingly, creative data visualization is used to convey statistics and analysis. Artistic images can make data more accessible to the public, show that it is more than just numbers, and fuel community conversations.

Forsyth County artists are invited to submit artwork interpreting one or more of the top 10 issues residents face, according to Forsyth Futures’ recent Making Progress Report. This report addresses Forsyth County residents’ economic self-sufficiency, engagement in their community, educational success, mental and physical health, and safety. Artists are invited to attend one of two Community Conversations in the AAWS Gallery (Tuesday, February 7, 5:30 – 6:30 pm and Saturday, February 11, 11am - 12 pm), during which Forsyth Futures staff will distribute and discuss the Making Progress Report and AAWS staff will describe the artistic data visualization process and answer questions about the competition and exhibition opportunity. The prospectus will be posted soon on the AAWS website.

This project was made possible, in part, with funding by The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Now Showing in the AAWS Gallery: "Winter Showcase"

This festive exhibition, on view through January 6, features beautiful artwork perfect for holiday giving! The AAWS Gift Shop showcases a variety of unique arts and crafts by AAWS members. Both the exhibition and Gift Shop offer works that fit every budget!

Be sure to tell your friends and family members that they can find beautiful and unique gifts handcrafted by local artists at AAWS.

Nick Bragg Discusses Upcoming AAWS Trip to Santa Fe tonight , 6 - 8 pm!

AAWS is planning a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 21-25, 2012! Nick Bragg, former Executive Director of Reynolda House Museum of American Art, and expert on all things Santa Fe, will give a free talk at the AAWS Gallery on this delightful arts mecca. Please join us to learn more about the city and the details of the trip. Festive beverages will be served.

Winter Showcase Opening Reception Friday!

Join us for the opening reception, Friday, December 2, 5 - 8 pm. Kent Dunn will perform acoustic folk music, 6 - 8 pm.


This festive exhibition features beautiful artwork perfect for holiday giving. Be sure to tell your friends and family members that they can find beautiful and unique gifts handcrafted by local artists at AAWS. The exhibition is on view through January 6.

Travel to Santa Fe with AAWS!

AAWS is planning a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 21 - 25, 2012!

Nick Bragg, former Executive Director of Reynolda House Museum of American Art, and expert on all things Santa Fe, will give a free talk at the AAWS Gallery on this delightful arts mecca. Please join us on Tuesday, December 6, 6 - 8 pm, to learn more about the city and the details of the trip. Festive beverages will be served.

Twelve Years of Travels to the High Sierra of Ecuador by Ramelle Pulitzer

Thursday, November 17 at 6 PM in the Associated Artists Gallery.
Ramelle Pulitzer has followed many footsteps on multiple tours of Ecuador: from Frederic Church to Charles Darwin; and from Alexander von Humboldt to Simon Bolivar. "Following Footsteps: Twelve Years of Travel to the High Sierra of Ecuador" will highlight her travels among the dramatic South American vistas immortalized on canvas by such art historical luminaries as Frederic Church. Pulitzer is the Director of New View Tours, and is a past Executive Director of AAWS.


Join us for this lively discourse on travel, art and history! The event is part of Six Days in November.

Check out our new signage!

Thanks to the expert guidance of AAWS board member Maria Brockhaus, we have two beautiful new canvas signs promoting current exhibitions, programs and the Juried Member Artist of the Month! The canvases were designed by Marg Bleggi Doran, printed by Sharpe Images, and stretched/reinforced by Village Frame Shop.


There are two signs: one at our main Fourth Street entrance and one inside the Chatham Building Atrium.

AAWS Chosen for Action Learning Project

An Associated Artists initiative will be the focus of a Leadership Winston-Salem Action Learning Team!
A group of 6 to 7 members of Leadership Winston-Salem’s Class of 2011-2012 will partner with AAWS to suggest ways to grow and diversify our membership as we head into our 56th year of existence. Our Action Learning Team will study this issue, generate ideas and solutions, and make a formal presentation in June 2012.
We are honored that our project is one of 8 chosen from a total field of 26 applicants.

Now on View in the Gallery

Cultural Crossroads national juried show is now on view in the AAWS gallery until November 22. Check out the award winners on the AAWS website: Cultural Crossroads Winners

Painting Workshop with Judi Russell

Painting Workshop with Judi Russell. Work with wax, crayons, black gesso, transparent and opaque acrylic paint. All materials supplied. $20 AAWS members, $25 non-members. Saturday, October 15, 1 - 3 pm. Contact the AAWS office to sign up: info@associatedartists.org

"Location, Location, Location" Opens September 1

Join us Thursday, September 1, 5 - 7 pm for the opening reception for "Location, Location, Location" featuring landscapes – from near and far, realistic or abstract, urban or rural, majestic or diminutive. This All-Member Juried Exhibition is sponsored by Prudential Carolinas Realty. The show runs through October 7.

All About Art-o-mat® with Clark Whittington

On Tuesday, August 30, 3:30 - 5:30 pm, Art-o-mat® founder and artist Clark Whittington will present a lecture and workshop on creating prototypes for diminutive artworks to be dispensed from Art-o-mats®. Participants are encouraged to bring prototypes to share; see http://www.artomat.org/guidelines.html for details.


Born from the belief that art should be progressive, yet personal and approachable, Art-o-mat® originated in Winston-Salem in 1997. Today there are approximately 100 of these quirky art-vending machines (formerly purveyors of cigarettes) around the U.S. and beyond.


Associated Artists Gallery, 301 W. 4th St.
Fee: $20 AAWS members; $25 non-members
To reserve your place email membership@associatedartists.org or call 336-722-0340

Call for Artists: "Cultural Crossroads" Deadline August 19!

"I can't think of a more relevant theme than 'Cultural Crossroads' with its inclusive connotations and connections. Its open-ended in approach, allowing for a wide variety of opinions, expressions, and media--a perfect mix for a juried show. I am looking forward to a wide variety of responses. I challenge all of the artists to feel free to even step outside their level of comfort in considering their submissions this year. "      David J. Brown

For details on how YOU can enter Cultural Crossroads national juried exhibition see: http://files.changemywebsite.com/746562/doc/Cultural_Crossroads_prospectus_2011.pdf

Marvtastic Happenings Downtown

Downtown is abuzz with the “marvtastic” National Black Theatre Festival, and the Associated Artists Gallery at Fourth and Cherry Streets is right in the center of the action!

AAWS is proud to host a special exhibition of photographs from the NBTF. All of the images date from 1989, the first year of this landmark Winston-Salem event. Many of the photos include the festival’s peerless founder, the late Larry Leon Hamlin. Other luminaries pictured include Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Maya Angelou, Lou Gossett Jr., Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. These photos will be on view through Saturday, August 5.

Also, stop by the gallery to see the remaining demos by AAWS member artist Leo Rucker! He’ll be doing caricatures for a small fee on Wednesday, August 3, 12-6 pm. Then on Thursday, August 4, check out his body painting demo with a bodysuit-clad model, 12-7 pm. Thursday will also feature a reception with music by Shakara Byrd, 5-7 pm.

National Black Theatre Festival Events in the AAWS Gallery

Associated Artists will be celebrating the National Black Theatre Festival with special events in the gallery, August 1 - 6. Photographs of actors and other luminaries from past festivals will be displayed for their first-ever public viewing.

AAWS member artist Leo Rucker will conduct a variety of demonstrations:
Monday, August 1, 12 - 6 PM: Oil Painting Demonstration
Tuesday, August 2, 12 - 6 PM: Caricatures
Wednesday, August 3, 12 - 6 PM: Face Painting
Thursday, August 4, 10 AM - 5 PM: Full Body Painting

Finally, the AAWS gallery will host a special reception on August 4, 5 - 7 PM with live jazz by Shakara Byrd on guitar and piano and more art demos by Leo Rucker!

Summer in the City!

Join us Thursday, July 14, 5 - 7 pm for the free opening reception for the Summer in the City exhibition. Escape the hot, hot summer in the cool, cool AAWS Gallery and expreience the energy and color the summertime brings to the city. The exhibition is on view through August 26.

Lee Hansley to discuss "Pricing Your Art To Sell"

Lee Hansley of Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh will present a talk about pricing your artwork to sell. As a gallery owner who works with both artists and collectors, and as a former curator at SECCA, Hansley brings a knowledgeable perspective to this important topic. Please come hear what he has to say on Thursday, July 21, 5:00-6:00 p.m., at the AAWS Gallery. Fee: $10 for AAWS members; $15 for non-members. Spaces will fill quickly for this workshop, please reserve your spot early! Click HERE for details.

Getting Ready for Opening on Thursday!

Phase 1 of the renovations are almost complete  http://www.associatedartists.org/news-details?article-id=211356918  just in time for the Opening Reception for Red, White OR Blue, Thursday, June 9, 5 - 7 pm. Looking forward to seeing YOU there!

Renovations continue apace!

Stay tuned to the AAWS website and Facebook page for more pictures and work continues!
http://www.associatedartists.org/news-details?article-id=211356918

The Walls are Tumbling Down!

In the words of great American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, the AAWS Gallery walls have come tumbling down!
Our tireless contractor, Keith Maness, spent part of his Memorial Day weekend working on the wall reconfiguration. As you can see from the photos (http://www.associatedartists.org/news-details?article-id=211356918), so far he has cut a large center opening in the wall separating the front and back galleries, and removed the wall dividing the small side gallery from the back gallery. The space already feels much more open, and is both more art-friendly and visitor-friendly!

Join us on June 9!

The AAWS Gallery is currently closed for renovations. Please join us on Thursday, June 9, 5 - 7 pm for the Opening Reception for the Red, White OR Blue exhibition and to see the exciting first phase of the Gallery Transofrmation Plan! As always, the opening is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and enjoy snacks and a fabulous new exhibition of fine art.

Preparing for Spring for Art 2011!

It’s the morning of Spring for Art, and from my perch upstairs I can see the AAWS Gallery filled with volunteers readying the space for the festivities. Dimensions has been taken down and a wide variety of impressive artwork by our members is being installed in its place, gorgeous flowers have been arranged, nametags are getting finalized, and silent auction items are being readied. Please join in the celebration tonight at 7:00! – Rosemary Martin

You're Invited to Spring for Art!

Join this year's Honorary Host Patrons Bill and Sandra Gramley and new Executive Director Rosemary Martin for a gala celebration featuring live music, fine foods and wines and the very best artwork! May 20, 7 - 9 pm. Click  http://bit.ly/jp8sjI for details and your personal invitation!

Greetings from New Executive Director Rosemary Martin

May 2 was my first day back at Associated Artists after being away for more than 15 years. Between our new and much more visible location on Fourth Street in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, the giant leap forward in technology, and the advent of social media, things have changed quite a bit since my original tenure at the Sawtooth Building in the 1990s!


Regardless, I welcome the challenge and the opportunity to see old and new faces alike in the very near future - perhaps at Spring for Art on May 20? Click here http://bit.ly/jp8sjI for details!

In the meantime, I greatly appreciate the notes, emails and kind words from members that have come my way in the past week. See you soon!