Fine Arts

BOSTON, Mass. -- Out of 200 entries submitted by 70 artists from around New England working in the realist tradition, 35 paintings were selected...

DUXBURY, Mass. -- In 2003, Passages 2 received "Directors' Choice of Outstanding Painting" at the Cambridge Art Association. Passages, Ocean to Bay 1 won "Artist of the Year, Painting" at the Cambridge Art Association Members' Prize Show in 2005 and was selected "Best Cape Cod Landscape" at the Cape Cod Art Association in 2007.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- With her endorsement of presidential candidate Barack Obama, Oprah is making known her views on the need for healthcare reform. But controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards is urging talk show host Oprah Winfrey to do more by taking the time on her show to reach out to the recently retired baby boomers for whom healthcare reform will come too late. Edwards is offering his latest creation to Oprah, to assist the television icon in breaking the ice with baby boomers to encourage them to prepare for their own funerals.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- On the heels of last year's farewell tour of the King Tut exhibit starts this year's tour of the gilded likeness of talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. "The Oprah Burial Mask" will debut in Chicago April 24th, near Oprah's Harpo Studios at GARDENfresh Gallery, courtesy of NYC's Leo Kesting Gallery.

SUMMIT, N.J. -- Internationally acclaimed Spanish Master Painter Ramon Vilanova is coming to Summit, New Jersey. He will be in Summit on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9 to unveil a new collection of Plein-Air paintings. The masterworks collection is featured in the new book of his paintings entitled "Miradas"; the third monograph published featuring the works of this phenomenal artist.

DUXBURY, Mass. -- One informs the other; the other informs the one. "As an abstract painter, I am very influenced by my life's work as a graphic designer. Alternatively, my approach to painting impacts my design work in a way that makes it richer and more interesting," explains artist Robert Cipriani, whose abstract painting, Red 2, received an honorable mention award at the Cambridge Art Association's "Red" show.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Barbaro, the euthanized champion racehorse, is an emblem for the Right To Die and Death With Dignity movements in a monument to be unveiled in Central Park this April, before the 134th Kentucky Derby. "The Barbaro Memorial for the Right to Die" by controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards is a tribute to the late Triple Crown contender and is dedicated to the institution of euthanasia, announced Manhattan's Leo Kesting Gallery.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- A statue of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro will be unveiled at the Central Park South location where a carriage horse was tragically killed last year. The unveiling will correspond with the introduction of a proposal titled Barbaro's Law, urging the mandatory disclosure of race-related horse injuries and fatalities. "The Barbaro Memorial" by controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards, courtesy of Manhattan's Leo Kesting Gallery, will be unveiled April 30th.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- This fall artist Damaris Pierce launches her new, national postcard art project just in time to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. The project, entitled "I Am Thankful," encourages individuals of all ages and organizations such as craft guilds, public schools and counseling centers to create original postcard artwork expressing gratitude.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- With the 2008 presidential election closing in, Canalis International Corporation has designed a unique and limited collection of ornamental presidential portrait bottles. This breathtaking collection is sure to satisfy presidential voters looking forward to a historical election, as well as anyone interested in giving an impressive gift this holiday season.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Gallery of Historical Figures announces "The Holocaust," a realistic sculpture by artist G. S. Stuart pays homage to the millions of victims slain in the death camps of World War II. After extensive research, Stuart set a working prisoner in Auschwitz and then carefully modeled the tableau in quarter life size.

NEW YORK and LONDON, England -- Prince Harry is the symbolic hero of a monument encouraging empathy for the Iraq War in the latest work by controversial New York sculptor, Daniel Edwards. The statue featuring Prince Harry will be unveiled at London's Trafalgar Hotel October 11th during the Bridge Art Fair, courtesy of Capla Kesting Fine Art of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

LONDON, England -- A war-mutilated Prince Harry is the symbolic fallen hero in a memorial honoring those willing but unable to serve in the occupied Iraq conflict. Harry, the youthful brother to Britain's future king, was poised to be the most celebrated soldier of the Coalition forces, but due to the "specific threats to kill or kidnap him," he was kept home. However, Prince Harry will be remembered for his intended tour of duty in a memorial to be unveiled at the Trafalgar Hotel October 11th courtesy of Bridge Art Fair.

JAMAICA, N.Y. -- Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) will host their Fall Open House, at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY, where families can sample for free its culturally and educationally enriching workshops offered year-round. On Saturday, September 22, 2007 from 11 am to 5pm, guests of all ages are invited to take advantage of free dance, music, theater and art workshops, speak to instructors and find out more about JCAL programs.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Jamaica Flux: Workspaces & Windows 2007 is a contemporary public art project which includes the commission, creation, and exhibition of 24 multidisciplinary, site-specific artworks. These works will be displayed at a variety of locations along Jamaica Avenue (Queens, NY) including banks, stores, restaurants, street corners, phone booths, parks, and other public spaces from September 29 - November 17, 2007.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The arts are under attack in the nation's public schools and students are being denied the arts foundation they need to succeed in life, say the educators at Renaissance Publications, Inc. In answer to monumental budget cuts and diminishing arts programs, Renaissance Publications has launched a series of home study courses that are proving to be a viable alternative.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Paris Hilton's naked "corpse" could provide an invaluable service to students preparing for prom this season. An interactive Public Service Announcement featuring the graphic display of a tiara-wearing, autopsied Paris Hilton with removable innards is designed to warn teenagers of the hazards of underage drinking. The display also features Tinkerbell, Hilton's forlorn pet Chihuahua with matching tiara, and debuts in the trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood where prom-goers frequently dine, courtesy of Capla Kesting Fine Art.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- John Waguespack, a unique San Francisco Surreal Artist, launches his latest exhibit "REINCARNATION" at District in San Francisco on Thursday April 12th. This exhibit ties history, pop culture, and surrealism into a colorful display of American iconography. "REINCARNATION" shows the affect of a former president's "reincarnation" on the economy.

JAMAICA, N.Y. -- The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is pleased to present "A Jamaica, Queens Thing": Rap and the Crack Era in South Jamaica, organized by guest curator Herb Tam. The opening artist reception takes place Saturday, April 14, 2007, 4 - 7 pm.

QUEENS, N.Y. -- The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) has assembled a group of 18 emerging artists in a new exhibition - The Field: Selections from JCAL's Artist Registry. The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, January 27, from 4-7 p.m. with a special performance by Tattfoo Tan. The contemporary artists were selected from JCAL's artist registry; themes, styles and type of media vary.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- John Waguespack, a unique San Francisco Surreal Artist, donates a portion of the proceeds for two original paintings in honor of Larkin Street Youth Services. A private reception and art sale is being held at The Four Galleries in San Francisco today, Thursday October 12th, and Friday October 13th. Waguespack's "Landscape" was painted in 2005 and "Winter" was added to the portfolio in January 2006.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Bronzed baby shoes are out, and bronzed baby poop is in, for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ("TomKat") as they celebrate baby's "first poop." The commemoration of baby Suri Cruise's first poop strives to be the evidence of her existence for a public yet to see photos of the superstar couple's four month old infant. The sculpture "Suri Cruise's commissioned bronzed baby poop" goes on display August 30th at Capla Kesting Fine Art in Brooklyn's Williamsburg gallery district and will be offered on eBay with the proceeds to benefit the March of Dimes.

NEW YORK, NY -- The nude study of Senator Hillary Clinton used in creating her first portrait as U.S. President is featured in a documentary now viewable at YouTube.com, the net's leading video download site. "Hillary's Bust," an eight-minute short produced by Goodnight Film, reveals the sexy origins of a statue of the former First Lady planned for display at New York's Museum of Sex.