A Sneak Peek at our 2024 Shows

Here are the shows we have lined up for you in the new year! So, get started on your artwork submissions for each of the shows…it’s going to be fantastic! We can't want to see what you create.

MAA at Oasis Art Gallery: January 8 – April 19 

Registration: Open until December 13, 2023

Meet the Artists Reception: February 4

Chasing the Winter Light Art Show at Windridge Vineyard: January 17 – March 10

Part of the quarterly gallery shows with up to 23 works.

Registration: November 30 – December 14, 2023

Meet the Artists – February 8

 Paint the Joy of Life Art Show at the Benjamin Gaither Center: January 12 – April 1

Registration: December 1 - 20

Heart of the Vineyard at Windridge Vineyard: April 25 – 28

Large non-juried show of 200 artworks including 2D and 3D artworks.

Registration: March 25 – April 8

Windridge Vineyard Spring Art Show (Theme TBD): March 13 – June 9

Part of the quarterly tasting room gallery shows with up to 23 artworks.

Registration: February 2 – 16

Meet the Artists: May 9

Brookside Gardens: July 15 – August 12

Registration: June 1 – 15

Windridge Summer Art Show (Theme TBD): June 12 – September 22

Part of the quarterly tasting room gallery shows with up to 23 artworks.

Registration: May 3 – 17

Meet the Artists: August 8

Paint the Town Kensington Labor Day Weekend Show: August 31– September 2

Largest MAA judged show of up to 500 artworks including 2D and 3D works and plein air competition.

Registration: Mid-July

Windridge Fall Art Show (theme TBD): September 25 – December 29

Part of the quarterly tasting room gallery shows with up to 23 artworks.

Registration: August 17 -30

Meet the Artists: November 7

Fall Kensington Park Library: (specific dates coming soon)

MAA at the Goldman Art Gallery: November 3 – December 15

Registration: September 23 – October 7

Reception: November 10

MAA Late Fall Art Show at Glenview Mansion: (specific dates coming soon)

Member Spotlight - December - Jillian Randall

Lives in: Gaithersburg, MD

Website: www.jillianrrandall.com

Social Media: Instagram @jillianrrandall

Media and subjects: Acrylic Painting - Abstract and Photography - Landscape/Non Figurative.

Why you joined MAA: I joined MAA to join a community of artists for accountability and inspiration. I was formerly an elementary school teacher, then taught high school art.  During that time, I let my personal artmaking practices become less of a priority. I thought that joining a local artist collective would bring me some of the studio feeling I miss from my college days.

Something fun about you: I LOVE dogs! I have had two dogs named after painters, the first was Pablo (Picasso) and my current dog is Bosch after the early Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Artist Biography

Jillian R. Randall is a creative professional born, raised, and living in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.A true Jillian of All Trades, her work experience encompasses a broad range of techniques and media. She has a bachelor's in Studio Art and a master's in art education from the University of Maryland.  After several years as a community and public school arts educator, she uses the principles of photographic composition and her knowledge of digital editing software to apply her unique aesthetic perspective to her pieces. Her artwork primarily focuses on combining mundane imagery in bold color and complex layers. 

 

How to Promote Your Art Activities Through Montgomery Art Association

By Martina Sestakova

As a paid member of Montgomery Art Association (MAA), you are invited to promote your art-related efforts and achievements via MAA’s channels.

Activities we encourage you to share with us include: solo or group shows you are participating in outside of your MAA membership, winning an award, teaching a workshop, being published, joining a gallery, or participating in an event.

There are three ways you may update us so that we can support spread the word about your activities.

1. Submit to the Member Happenings newsletter

By the end of each month, go to https://montgomeryart.org/member-happenings and submit an easy form about an activity. Your write-up and photo will be included in the Member Happenings newsletter that goes out to MAA members and supporters on the 15th day of the following month. Plan your submissions ahead so that you have an ongoing coverage of your art journey.

Furthermore, all contents of the Member Happenings newsletter are turned into posts for MAA official (*public-facing) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MontgomeryArtAssociation) and Instagram accounts (https://www.instagram.com/maaartists/). Thus, your submission is shared with the public three times.

2. Post on Member Facebook page

All members in good standing may join https://www.facebook.com/groups/MAAartists. This is a private group and you can freely post to it with questions to other artists and updates about your activities. In this group, you may also coordinate drop off or pick up of your art in case you are unable to meet show deadlines.

3. Tag @maaartists on Instagram

When you share a story or a post on Instagram, tag @maaartists (must be tagged in the photo on Instagram) so that we can easily share your update with the followers of MAA’s official Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/maaartists/. We reserve the right not to share your update but are happy to do so if it matches the types of activities listed above.

We are looking forward to hearing from you and supporting you in promoting your art activities. If you have any questions, reach out to Martina Sestakova, MAA’s marketing committee chair, at connect@radostbymartinasestakova.com.

*Members are not able to post directly to public-facing Facebook and Instagram accounts. The MAA board reserves the right to manage these channels.

November's Member Spotlight: Melissa Eisen

Lives in: Gaithersburg Maryland with my husband and dog, Penelope

Website: www.meleisen.com

Social Media: instagram.com/rosetwinkletoes

Media and subjects: Marker, watercolor, acrylic paint, landscapes and abstract work, occasional figures

Why you joined MAA: I have been out of the art scene for a while, but have always followed MAA and loved the work that MAA and participating artists do. Decided it was time to start being active again.

Something fun about you: I just got married in May at VisArts, an awesome Montgomery County arts nonprofit!

Artist Biography: I received my Bachelor of Arts in fine art and art education from the University of Maryland, College Park. I then taught art in Maryland public schools for several years. I try to use accessible materials to show that fine art can be made from anything. In addition to creating from the recesses of my own mind, I like to bring other people's visions to reality through commissioned pieces, collaborative works, and education.  I have worked with individuals ranging in age from 4 to 90 on a variety of creative and professional endeavors. 

October Member's Spotlight: Jeff Weiss

photo credit: Jeff MacMillan

Lives in: Takoma Park

Website: mrjeffweiss.com

Social Media:

Facebook: Jeff Weiss and Mrjeffweiss

Instagram: @mrjeffweiss2u

Media: Digital Images are mounted Giclee prints, acrylics and oils are on wood or canvas, and pencil / pen / pastel are on rag paper.

Subjects: Landscapes

Why you joined MAA: I have been drawing and painting since 1973, and doing Computer Graphics since 1980. I have never participated in any shows of any kind. After 50 years, I would like to show what I have been working on all this time.

Something fun about you: I am a certified dog trainer and have worked with many types of dogs. I am currently owned and trained by a Jack Russell Terrier quite appropriately named Bedlam.

Biography: I started drawing and painting at the age of 19. At Temple University, I was encouraged to go to the Tyler School of Art, but decided to move to Colorado. I studied Art at the University of Colorado and graduated in 1979. Moving to San Francesco, I worked as a graphic artist for a technical book publisher. One day the owner of the firm, came to me with a large stack of papers and a prototyping breadboard. He said “The technical editor just quit, here’s the manuscript. Do all the illustrations, all the typesetting, all the layout, and test everything to make sure it is correct”. Having only 1 course in Fortran as my computer experience, I learned a lot in this baptism by fire.

That led to a career in computer graphics, in both Philadelphia and Washington, DC. This included working at Computer Aided Design Service bureaus and as the IT manager at several Architecture firms. I have also taught an Introduction to Design with Computer Graphics at a small private school.

All the while, I never stopped painting and drawing. Over the years, I have been influenced by many artists: Agam, Escher, Dali, Hopper and Calder. My current work involves the creation of 3 dimensional fractals inside photo-spheres. These are virtual environments that do not and cannot exist. I try to bridge the gap between virtual and representational imagery.

In this blog post, we'll share Paint the Town winning artworks across categories. Congratulations, all artists, for a beautiful show!

First, a note from our Judge, Sumita Kim:

Judging the Paint the Town Labor Day show and selecting prize winners for each category from among hundreds of excellent art pieces was one of the most exciting and challenging experiences that I’ve had.

I was truly impressed by the level of skill and aesthetic achievement demonstrated in each and every work submitted to the show. It was like entering a magical place where gorgeous island scenes - sometimes with ominous clouds - rush toward you, and the most delicate and soft rose petals are shimmering set against a porcelain cup. I was especially touched by how the portrait artists explored a variety of themes that included transmigration, identity, and Memento Mori. I feel honored to have been part of this amazing festival of talents and artistic devotion.

Kensington 2nd Prize: Robert LeMar, Kensington House in the Snow

Kensington 3rd Prize: Rona Siskind, Snowy Morning at the Station

Kensington Honorable Mention: Jing-Jy Chen, Winter Light

Abstract 2nd Prize: Holly Ceasar-Fox, Shooting Star

Abstract 3rd Prize: Jeanne Sullivan, Imagination Blooms

Abstract Honorable Mention: Terry Pellmar, The Orbs

Abstract Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dreyfus, Moments in Fall

Abstract Honorable Mention: Michelle Zugrav, Chromatic Poetry

Abstract Honorable Mention: Myra Ryan, Freedom

Still Life 2nd Prize: Cecile Kirkpatrick, Yellow Summer in the Caribbean

Still Life 3rd Prize: Maria Quezada, Life is Fragile

Still Life Honorable Mention: Maria Elena Lazarte, Pink Peonies

Still Life Honorable Mention: Patrick Sieg, Spring in a Bottle

Portrait 2nd Prize: Sameer Sharma, The Illusion of Both Selves

Portrait 3rd Prize: Isabella Martire, Lucy

Portrait Honorable Mention: Matthew Baker, Could It Be True?

Portrait Honorable Mention: Tamara Lewis, Pretty in Pink

Portrait Honorable Mention: Sandhya Sharma, The Street Dweller

Portrait Honorable Mention: Ally Morgan, I Feel I've Seen You, I Feel I Known You

Sculpture / 3D 2nd Prize: Tess Perez, Volumes in Silence II

Sculpture / 3D 3rd Prize: Anastasia Walsh, What I Saw in My Garden

Photography 2nd Prize: Alan Kolnik, Fading Summer

Photography 3rd Prize: Ting Wang, Blue Serenity

Landscape 2nd Prize: Jen Eidson, Chincoteague Island III

Landscape 3rd Prize: Mary Scuka, Golden Field

Landscape Honorable Mention: Matthew Baker, Sunrise After the Storm

Landscape Honorable Mention: Elisabeth Fletcher, Nicholson A Girl in Front of Her City

Landscape Honorable Mention: John Weber, Dry Dock Noturne

Landscape Honorable Mention: Cecile Kirkpatrick, Tricycles

Landscape Honorable Mention: Mark Adler, Tangier Island

Landscape Honorable Mention: Jim Klumpner, #68

Landscape Honorable Mention: Holly Buehler, Blossom Breeze

Plein Air Adult 2nd Prize: Steve Mabley, Babycat

Plein Air Adult 3rd Prize: Garine Magary, Flower's Johnson's Nursery

Plein Air Honorable Mention: An Xiao, Market Kensington

Plein Air Model Honorable Mention: Holly Beuhler, Let's Have a Beer!

Student Invitational 2nd Prize: Nicolle Corvacho, Waterfall

Student Invitational 3rd Prize: Madeline Hogentogler, Fear

Learn more about the MAA's annual Montgomery College scholarship winners in this feature written by MAA member Suzanne Papiewski.

Hedieh Anderson

Hedieh Anderson is a Graphic Design major at Montgomery College. Her lifelong dream has been to study art. She has really enjoyed her art classes at Montgomery College, “all ears, trying to absorb all the information.” The art classes taught her to think outside the box. She learned critical thinking, how to plan her artwork, and how to change her original plan. In applying these principles to her artistic process, she finds that she starts with an idea but the results are more detailed and somewhat different from her original plan.

Hedieh has created art inspired by the woman-led revolution happening in Iran, her home country. One school project required making a reliquary. A reliquary holds parts of or represents a saint. Her reliquary piece is titled "Nika, the brave daughter of Iran." Hedieh believes Nika was a saint because had a brave heart and died for her beliefs. The last photos of Nika show her standing on a dumpster in the middle of a protest, burning her head scarf. The Iranian Revolutionary forces brutally murdered her for this act, stole her body on her funeral day, and buried her miles away from where her family was planning to bury her. She was buried on her seventeenth birthday. 

Hedieh mostly uses paper clay for sculpture like the reliquary piece. She typically uses everyday items such as cardboard or foil as the base, and then creates the final shape with the paper clay. It air dries, so no oven is required, making the method practical. After it sets, she paints over it. She likes paper clay because it is soft and very easy to work with, it is easy to mold the shape and add layers. In the future, Hedieh plans to take more art classes. Although she is a Graphic Design major, she is also very interested in drawing, painting, and sculpting. She will utilize the skills learned in art classes, and continually expand her art knowledge. She hopes to create more artworks around current social events, and she really hopes to create ones with uplifting themes as well as the ones she has already made that focus on tragic events.

Sarah Meiselman

Sarah’s home life was surrounded by singing and music, and her parents fostered her exploration of the arts as a career choice. The art media she uses includes ceramics, painting, multimedia, and drawing. Ceramics particularly resonates with her because it allows her to use her hands and her mind simultaneously. She very much enjoys the serendipity in the unique variation of each of her ceramic works.

Sarah found her art history classes more interesting than traditional history classes. She enjoyed seeing world history through the lens of artists, which provided more concrete contexts to world events than other history classes she had taken in the past. She is most influenced by the art movements of Dada and Surrealism. She like to incorporate surrealism into her art by incorporating an “out of place” element. She also likes to use certain death symbols, such as skulls, in her art to remind her audience of life’s fleeting quality.

Sarah is currently applying to art galleries and is making her entry into the local "art scene." She would like to create a supportive community of artists and ultimately use a studio in her home as a gathering place for that community.

Dora Patin will give a demonstration at the Paint the Town Art Show & Sale on Saturday, September 2, from 1-3pm

Dora Patin is an oil painter who specializes in trompe l’oeil paintings, a style that gives the illusion that the painted objects are real. Her paintings are built upon several layers and can take weeks to complete.    Her close-up compositions allow for intimate and detailed exploration of her subjects. Currently she is working on a series of paintings that feature playing cards, as they have a rich history, and there are countless meanings, quotes and stories that can be used to create a narrative. 

Jennifer Lynn Beaudet will give a demonstration at the Paint the Town Art Show & Sale on Sunday, September 3, from 1-3pm

Jennifer Lynn Beaudet is an oil painter and native of the Washington, DC area. She has always been moved by art and artistic living, yet the responsibilities of family and career led her in a different direction. In 2018, when her kids were a little more independent, she embraced her love for painting. Since then, she has received numerous awards and is recognized and collected nationally.

Her training includes graduation from the three-year professional Master Artist Program led by Glen Kessler at The Compass Atelier in Rockville, MD. She has studied with varied contemporary artists such as Alyssa Monks, Gavin Glakas, Steven Assael, Teresa Oaxaca to further her knowledge of technique and painting philosophy. Jennifer has traveled to study at the Flemish Classical Atelier in Brugge, Belgium and received The Denis Diderot Grant to participate in an artist residency at Chateau Orquevaux in France.

Jennifer’s paintings are rich in color and texture as she attempts to push the boundaries of realism with varied and sometimes opposing elements of style and brushwork in a painting. "My process is exploratory, and as in life, it is not always a straightforward path. This iterative approach allows me space to play with the formal elements in an image while I follow along and respond intuitively. As the painting evolves, I am often led to a better understanding of what the painting is about. In doing so, I find an opportunity to explore my own truths and reveal stories about a broader human experience."

Jennifer teaches oil painting at The Compass Atelier and shows her work regularly.

Ella Bella will give a demonstration at the Paint the Town Art Show & Sale on Monday, September 4, from 11am-1pm.

Elaha Soroori, also known as Ella Bella, is an unconventional artist and the first female Afghan fluid artist specializing in fluid media. While her professional background lies in financial analysis, her true passion lies in the world of colors and paints, where she finds a transformative escape from the ordinary world of numbers. In the early 2020s, Ella fell in love with abstract fluid art, a relatively new style of painting that allowed her to explore her creativity and connect with her inner self. Instead of regular brushes, Ella employs water, fire, airflow, and gravity as her tools, creating the most unique effects in her art. She finds inspiration in the sheer joy of painting and embraces the artistic freedom she discovers in acrylic pouring techniques. Ella hopes to popularize this style of painting and aspires to teach, inspire, and encourage aspiring artists to express themselves freely through art. With each pour, she revels in the unpredictable and beautiful patterns that arise from the layering and mixing of colors, showing that creating art only requires a willingness to try something new and see where it takes you.

New Member Spotlight – Sheela Becton 

Lives in: Silver Spring, MD

Website: https://www.sheelacreates.com/

Social Media: @sheelabectoncreates, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheelacreates/

Media and subjects: Oil, Acrylic and Mixed media, Culture, Nature, Positive expressions, Women empowerment

Why you joined MAA:  To meet other like-minded Artists who want to see Art evolve and collaborate, to participate in art events in the county.

Have you participated in any MAA shows or events so far?  I have participated in the ongoing summer theme exhibit at Windridge Vineyards. I look forward to participating in more upcoming exhibits.

Something fun about you: I love to cook and sing, and I speak 5 languages.

Artist Biography: Sheela Becton was born and raised in India and moved to the US in 1997. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she embraces her love for painting. Sheela believes that “Art is a language that transcends boundaries and brings people together.” Her paintings draw inspiration from different themes going back to her Indian culture and roots; colors and textures of nature, and female strength and determination. Her memories, stories, and emotions come together to convey that art tells the story of many cultures and we as a human race have so much in common.

Her works capture the moments and memories she treasures from her life and travels in India. She relives these precious moments through her art showing how personal history and memory are tied to a place and how visual representation can communicate experiences.

Sheela believes in painting with a purpose; to spread positivity, encourage healing through art, and uplift others. In her efforts towards that end, she has collaborated with Hope Works of Howard County. The organization’s mission is to support and advocate for people affected by sexual and intimate partner violence. Sheela’s work has been featured in the Hope Works’ arts magazine, Dragonfly, four times since 2015. In 2021 her painting “Love” was featured on the cover of Hope Collected, an anthology celebrating the best of Dragonfly entries since its inception in 2014. 

List of juried Exhibitions, Artist talk, Artist Panel discussion and Publications:

·        “Dragonfly, poetry reading and art exhibit” 2019

·        ‘Colors of India - People, Places, Festivals and Landscapes’ at Bernice Kish Art Gallery at Slayton House September-October 2022 

·        Artist talk on ‘Color culture of India’ – October 17th, 2023 Bernice Kish Art gallery, Columbia, MD

·        ‘Colors of Nature’ at Brookside Gardens January 2023 – March 2023. 

·        ‘Soulmates’ Love themed Exhibit at ‘Girls who paint’ -February 2023

·        ‘Joy’ and ‘Spring Blooms’ Blossoms of hope Exhibit at Columbia Art Center April 2023

·        ‘Golden Forest’ won second place in people’s choice awards at the First Friday gallery, May5-June5th 2023

·        Nominated for Baltimore magazine readers poll in the Visual Arts space May 2023

·        ‘Women of Color Art Expo’ The 3rd Inc at Columbia, MD, June 23-25th 2023

·        Ongoing Exhibits – ‘Carefree sense of Summer’ at Windridge Vineyards June – October 2023

·        ‘Experiencing Freedom’ at Sebrof-Forbes cultural center for Arts, Kensington Maryland. June 17th 2023

·        ‘Expressing freedom through Art’ Participated in Panel discussion, June 17th, 2023

·        ‘Spread your wings’ painting published in Dragonfly Magazine by Hope works of Howard County – June 2023

·        ‘Blooms of Hope’ ‘Golden Forest’ and ‘The scarf’ showing at the 3rd Inc, Columbia MD, July-September 2023