Introduction

The Spectacular Seasonal Celebrations Gallery

Located at Crafton Hills College

We will show you a series of seasonal pictures having to do with holidays around the globe.

Presented by the Outrageous Eight:
Cesar Lasagna

Ethan Bread
Jake Ragan

Wesley Avacado

Ciara Bubblegum
Logan Mmmm... Mro... uh...

Kaylie Gnu brand fiber bars

Alejandro Corona

Art and Holidays

Our exhibition shows the variety of artwork that displays an international holiday related theme. The works of art that are displayed in the exhibition are all related by the fact that they are celebrated by a certain culture within a certain time period. Each piece has its own style due to the individual artists; however, all pieces are connected because a many cultures celebrate that particular holiday not just one holiday. In order to divide the work evenly, we separated into four groups and were assigned one of the four seasons of the calendar year. We hope you enjoy the pieces of art we all found and find the next piece just as (if not more) interesting than the last.

Artists Featured:

Ray Villafane, José Guadalupe Posada, Susie Lubell, Konstantin Makovsky, Henryk Hector Siemiradzkm, Lilly Martin Spencer, Diane Millsap, Glenn Cotler, Norman Rockwell

Mardi Gras

“Mardi Gras Magic”

Acrylic painting

Completed: March, 2012

20x24in

by Laura Barbosa

Laura Barbosa was born in Belleville, NJ 1967 

Currently resides in Tomas River NJ 

Education- Self taught

Artist Statement: “My Artwork does not describe any one particular style, but rather my general attitude towards certain subjects or topics of our world. My Paintings contain moral themes and convey my individuality and spontaneous thoughts and ideas.”

By Alejandro Corona

Passover

“Seven Species Hamsa” Susie Lubell. 8.5”x11”. Painting. Watercolor on paper.

Susie Lubell Biographical: “Before I was a painter I was a lot of other things. A teacher. A waitress. A grant writer. A backpacker. A student. A marketer. A copywriter. A mommy.”

Discovered her interest in creating Jewish holiday related art when creating ceremonial certificates for her close friend.

In 2011, her and her family moved outside Jerusalem. She continuously chronicles Jewish holidays, life, parenting, etc.

“Seven Species Hamsa” Susie Lubell. 8.5”x11”. Painting. Watercolor on paper. 2012.The Hamsa is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa in defense against the evil eye. This particular Hamsa incorporates the seven native species of Israel as mentioned in the Bible: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives, and Dates.

I chose this piece because it directly relates to Jewish Passover in which Jewish people celebrate their liberation over 3,300 years ago by God from slavery in Ancient Egypt; when ruled by Pharaoh. The color composition instantly attracted me to this; as well as my overall fascination with Jewish culture.

Passover is celebrated annually during the month of April.

By Jake Ragan

Easter

Easter Mass, Vladimir Makovsky, oil on canvas, 192 x 119 cm, 1888.

Born on January 26, 1846 and died February 21, 1920

Studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, And Architecture. 

Was a founding member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.

In 1882, was made a professor at the Moscow Art School.

The painting is painted in a realism style. 

The painting depicts an easter mass of a community together.

By Logan Mrotek

Ivan Kupala (Midsummer night)

Night on the Eve of Ivan Kupala by Henryk Hector Siemiradzki

Born October 24, 1843, Henryk received his first art lessons from the Ukrainian painter Dmitry Besperchy, a pupil of Karl Brulloff whom he referred to as his only teacher. In 1860, under pressure from his family, he entered the Kharkov University, graduating years later with a BA in science. After graduating he left for St. Petersburg where, despite the age limits, he was accepted into the Academy of arts. During his years there he earned 6 silver and 3 gold medals. In Munich, Siemiradzki painted his first big work Roman Orgy in the Time of the Caesars (1872). The picture was bought by the St. Petersburg Academy, and the money helped the artist move to Italy. In Rome, where everything lives and breathes with art, he remained for the rest of his life, visiting Russia only from time to time.

"The accessories in this picture are painted with wonderful skill, but the figures are rather lacking in expression and movement" -Theodore Emu, Harper's

Ivan Kupala holiday is an ancient pre-Christian holiday of Slavs. It is still widely celebrated in the countries of Ukraine and Byelorussia. The holiday corresponds to the Midsummer holiday, celebrated in many western countries.

By Wesley Apodaca

Fourth of July

Lilly Martin Spencer

Born 1822 in Exeter, England

Died 1902 in New York City

Oil on canvas

49 1/2x63in 

Nationality- American

“The artist and her family at a Fourth of July picnic”

Training- National Academy of Design Cincinnati, Ohio. Attended private lessons from 1848-1850

Artist statement- “Lilly Martin Spencer, “The Artist and her family at a Fourth of July picnic”depicts an idyllic genre scene in which well dressed, middle-classed Americans celebrate their country's’ independence by eating, drinking, and entertaining one another.” -artist statement given by National Museum of Women in the Arts.

By Alejandro Corona

Halloween

3D face pumpkin carving

Ray Villafane

Born in Queens, New York. March 5, 1969.
Graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1991.
From 1993 to 2006 Ray taught Art for students grade K-12 in Bellaire, Michigan
Ray’s first “practice” sculpture actually became his first professional sculpture.
In 2004, He was sculpting a Logan version of the X-Men character, Wolverine.
He began carving pumpkins without any training and only discovered his talent after offering to shape a pumpkin for one of his students.
Pumpkin sculpting was brought to an entirely new level in 2007 when he was contacted by High Noon Entertainment and asked to participate in the Food Network’s Challenge Show where he won.

By Cesar Laguna

Dia de los Muertos

La catrina garbancera (the skeleton lady ) created around 1910 became an iconic figure in Mexican culture representing death and the way Mexicans face it. It is also describing a person who was ashamed of his Indians origins and dressed imitating the French style while wearing lots of makeup to make his skin look whiter.

José Guadalupe Posada

February 2, 1852 – January 20, 1913

Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico

His career began with a job as the political cartoonist for a local newspaper. 

He then moved to the nearby city of León, Guanajuato commercial and advertising work, book illustrations, and the printing of posters and other representations of historical and religious figures. 

His expressionistic in content and style, were influential in the development of 20th-century Mexican art.

By Cesar Laguna

Thanksgiving

Freedom of Want(1943)

Norman Rockwell Medium

Oil on canvas Dimensions

116.2 cm x 90 cm

This painting was meant to produce a sense of patriotism in a time of war. It idealized the american characteristic of celebrating traditional holidays and promoted family unity, peace, and plentifulness. 

“I paint life how I would like it to be.” Norman Rockwell.

Norman Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. He is best known for his cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for more than forty years. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, Saying Grace , The Problem We All Live With, and the Four Freedoms series. He died November 8, 1978

I chose this work because this picture resembles the image that comes to my mind whenever I think of the perfect family thanksgiving. It embodies the soul of the traditional american thanksgiving.

By Ethan Bratt

Hanukkah

The name of the painting is “Burning Menorah,” painted by Glenn Cotler. The painting is acrylic on canvas in post-impressionist style. I chose this painting because it represents the holiday of Hanukkah the best.

The artist, Glenn Cotler, was born in Miami Beach Florida in 1962, raised in Rockland County New York. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising and Graphic Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After working as an Art Director for two years decided to change his career to education. Glenn received his Teachers Certification and Masters in Special Education, and has been teaching Art to emotionally disabled children at a residential school in Dobbs Ferry, New York since 1994. He now creates his own art ranging from acrylic paintings with post impressionist influences to Pop Art inspired computer art.

Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees victory over King Antiochus, who forbid Jews to practice their religion. For eight nights, Hanukkah is celebrated with prayer, the lighting of the menorah, and food. A menorah has nine candles, a candle for every night, plus a helper candle. Children play games, sing songs, and exchange gifts.

By Kaylie Gnuschke

Christmas Fortune Telling

Konstantin Makovsky (Russian Artist)

Christmas Fortune Telling, 1910

Oil on canvas

10.5 x 16in.

Konstantin Makovsky, born June 2, 1839. He attended the Moscow School of Painting, Sculptor, and Architecture (1851). His specialty was Realism, Romanticism. and Academism. In 1858 Makovsky entered the Imperial Academy of Art in Saint Petersburg. From 1860 he participated in the exhibitions of Academia with paintings such as Curing of the Blind (1860) and Agents of the False Dmitry kill the son of Boris Godunovs (1862). From 1870 he was a founding member of the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions and continued to work on paintings devoted to everyday life. He exhibited his works on both the Academia exhibitions and the Traveling Art Exhibitions of the Wanderers. In 1915 he died in Saint Petersburg at age 76.

He had once said, ”Best beauties posed to me vying with each other…I was making nice money lived with regal splendor and made a lot of paintings, decorative panels, portraits, sketches, and watercolors.”

By Ciara Bubnow

Conclusion

We learned that artists from different backgrounds and time periods interpret and portray holidays uniquely. Our overall theme, “international holidays”, showed us that various artists had a variety of intentions and used multiple mediums to create their works. Finding artworks that depict seasonal international holidays came naturally. One part of this process that was challenging was finding artists who have artwork that properly relate to our theme. Putting all of this together to create an exhibition was challenging because meeting all requirements was difficult at times. And while finding and putting together the images for this blog was a great experience, being a curator isn't exactly what any of us are looking to pursue.