EXHIBITION OF AVIATION ART - JUNE 21 - SEPT 18, 2005
SPONSORED BY THE
American Society of
Aviation Artists
A Traveling Exhibit Appearing at
the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
22156 Three Notch Road 301-863-7418
Lexington Park, MD 20653
director@paxmuseum.com
(adjacent to the Gate One Access Road of NAS Patuxent River)
This summer, the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum has the distinct honor
of hosting the 2005 National Exhibition of Aviation Art, the 18th
annual national program by the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA).
The Society will exhibit 45 original works of art from June 21 through
September 18, 2005.
The selected artworks were juried by the ASAA from the scores of entries submitted by many of the world’s finest aviation artists. As in the ASAA’s seventeen previous national exhibitions, this summer’s event is certain to stimulate intense interest throughout the art and aerospace communities.
We are confident that the general public will find the aesthetic synergy of superb aviation art and our presentation of naval aviation science and technology to be an irresistible and exhilarating programming event.
Fact Sheet:
American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA)
2005 National
Exhibition of Aviation Art
· The ASAA was founded in 1987 to bring together artists with a deep interest in documenting aviation and aerospace history for public education and enjoyment.
· The ASAA’s primary goals are educational: to promote standards of professionalism, authenticity, and artistic quality in aviation art.
· The ASAA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) professional association.
· The founders of the ASAA are:
·
Keith Ferris – is quite possibly the most widely recognized
aviation artist in the world today. His B-17 and Jet History murals at
the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum are recognized everywhere. Many
aerospace organizations commission his works for advertisements.
·
Bob
McCall – renowned for his distinctive aerospace images, including many
for Life magazine features and NASA. He is probably best known for his
movie posters created for “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “2001: A Space
Odyssey.”
·
R.G.
Smith – was the dean of Naval Aviation art. His images
created for Douglas aircraft and as a combat artist in Vietnam are legendary.
His paintings are both artistically lush and realistically energetic at the same
time.
·
Joe Kotula
– inspired generations of aviation enthusiasts with his superb covers for Model
Airplane News magazine and box art for plastic model kits. His images were
dynamic, colorful, and imaginative.
·
Ren Wicks
– was a master of the illustrator’s art in magazines of the 1940s through the
1960s. His stylistic ad art for Lockheed during World War II are recognized
throughout aviation art circles. He also painted Jane Russell movie
posters for Howard Hughes and friendly corporate images of airline
travel during its golden years.
· The ASAA has more than 150 Artist and Artist Fellow members and more than 140 associate members.
· Although most ASAA artists are from the United States, artist members also come from Canada, England, Switzerland, Pakistan, Argentina, and South Africa.
· Aviation art by ASAA artists is displayed in museums throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, National Museum of Naval Aviation, Seattle Air Museum, San Diego Aerospace Museum, EAA AirVenture Museum, and many others.
· ASAA artists’ works appear regularly in national publications, such as Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aviation History, Naval Aviation News, Naval Institute Proceedings, and Wings/Airpower.
· Many ASAA artists have served or are serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. Others are aircraft owners and private and commercial pilots.
· A number of ASAA artists have engineering backgrounds and have helped to design and test the subjects of their art.
· A world-class juried art exhibit of aviation art accompanies each national ASAA Forum.
A panel of recognized aviation artists and art experts carefully select (jury)
45 to 60 images for exhibition each year from the several hundred, candidate
entries.
Exhibits are the single biggest ASAA expense each year. Significant funding support is needed to cover the costs of shipping and insuring the original art and printing an exhibit catalog.
· Each exhibit is opened with an evening reception, which provides the community an opportunity to view these remarkable images as well as to meet many of the artists who created them.
· Exhibits typically are displayed in an appropriate museum or gallery venue for about three months.
· Substantial cash awards and other artistic recognition are presented to exhibiting artists at the Awards Banquet that concludes each Forum.
Awards in the categories of military aircraft, general aviation, and space flight are presented by Aviation Week & Space Technology and published in a subsequent aviation art and photography issue.
· Other awards are presented by CAE Simuflite, Women in Aviation International, and the ASAA itself.
· An illustrated program describing all of the art in the exhibit is available at each Forum.
· This year’s juried exhibit will be on display for 3 months this summer (June 21 through September 18), including the weekend of the NAS Patuxent River Air Show on 3-4 September.
· The ASAA’s main function is educational: to help its members develop their professional skills as artists, researchers, and businesspersons.
· Weeklong forums are held around the country – and occasionally in England and Canada – every year.
· Forum registration is open to all aviation artists and persons interested in supporting and learning more about aviation art.
· Forum workshops focus on developing artists’ skills in the studio. Subjects include light and shadow, perspective, landscapes and cloudscapes, surface textures, aircraft structures and human anatomy.
· Whenever possible, artists are given opportunities to sketch and paint aircraft and aviation personnel at military installations and museums.
· When practical, the ASAA tries to schedule an educational session or workshop with local students interested in art.
·
The Patuxent River Naval Aviation Museum (PRNAM) is the biggest visitor
attraction in St. Mary's County. Nearly 64,000
people visited the museum in
2004. It is also an important educational resource for explaining the
significance and contributions of Naval Aviation and aerospace technology to the
community.
· The ASAA national juried exhibit will serve as a unique visitor attraction for PRNAM and therefore directly contribute to the viability and visibility of this Southern Maryland asset.
· In addition to supporting PRNAM, ASAA artists have played and will continue to play a large role in making aerospace visually exciting, technically intriguing, and accessible to the general public in ways that no other medium can do. Aviation art is a viable resource for the aerospace industry and a source of inspiration for youngsters and young adults who might consider an aerospace career.
· We sincerely believe that what the ASAA is trying to accomplish with this exhibit and its potential contribution to the Southern Maryland community, and St. Mary's County, in particular, is worthy of your support.
Hank Caruso, 8 May 2005