The 12th Annual Alexandria King Street Art Festival was held on September 13th and 14th. While checking out the wide variety of art, we came across a number of artists who use cast off goods in their art. 

Meeting Patti and Bob Stern was a lot of fun. They put a lot of their personality into the art they create. Patti points out "we transform wonderfully old architectural artifacts into truly one-of-a-kind art pieces." You can find Patti and Bob at http://www.theperfectview.com .

Sarah Bean creates custom carved books. Using books as her media, she creates a three dimensional, hand carved and illustrated work of art. Sara and her work can be found at www.artandpoems.com .

Above are some of the pieces made by Tiffany Ownbey. She says, "My work is a study of human interactions, relationships and memories...sometimes humorous and sometimes tart. Scale and proportion are intentionally manipulated for emphasis. Using paper-mache I make figurative sculpture out of antique sewing patterns, vintage books and found objects."  She can be found at www.tiffanyownbey.com .

Sandhi makes paper mosaic portraits. She makes amazing images with advertisements, junk mail and message that she receives. Sandhi says, "I express my vision through a variety of images - mostly portraits - and have changed the way I make art and the way I see the world around me...for good." Sandhi and her art can be found at www.schimmelart.com .  Look for Sandhi inspired art our Art on the Avenue Kids Korner booth!  October 4th from 10 am - 4 pm on the Mt. Vernon Field in Del Ray.
 

We welcomed a new bunch of kids to our Kids Workshop today.  We gathered around clay, which was a new experience for some.  It was nice to hear children offering one another feedback about what they were working on.  Working with clay was quite a social experience today.

In one small group we talked about upcycling and using materials in new ways.  Sometimes we alter a material to use it to create, and today we deconstructed damaged books so we can use the pages for our project work this session.  In our other small group, we worked on a large, five dog mosaic.  One group took some pieces off of the mosaic that were not functioning right in terms of the overall aesthetic of the piece.  We talked about how artists often create, assess their work and make adjustments.  After we removed the pieces that weren't working, we painted a back ground for the mosaic.  We had to work carefully to paint the background and not inside the dogs.

We did not have time for free exploration today, so we will be sure to include it next week!  

Dogs have an undeniable presence in the City of Alexandria.  They are frequently seen walking with their owners, playing in one of our city’s many dog parks, drinking from bowls outside businesses, and enjoying treats from shop counters. Numerous businesses in Alexandria cater to the needs of dogs and their owners, and it’s unlikely a day will pass without a resident encountering a dog. Our project explores the roles that dogs play in the City of Alexandria and how they fit into our community. 

Fur-Vor will encourage and enhance artistic engagement with businesses, students, local artists, and the Alexandria community throughout the phases of the project. The project will engage over 500 students enrolled in Alexandria City’s out-of-school programs to introduce them to new artistic media. The project will also engage businesses in Alexandria in a competition to create Fur-Vor art using their own upcycled material. We intend to enlist the assistance from Alexandria-based Torpedo factory artists to create a dog-themed float and costumes for the Scottish Walk, which draws 30,000 visitors to the city each December. Finally, at several community events, including Del Ray's First Thursday, Art on the Avenue, the AWLA Shelter Walk, and Alexandria's Earth Day Celebration, Fur-Vor will engage the public in and provide opportunities for the community to create upcycled art.

This project is funded by generous support from the Alexandria City Commission for the Arts, 2015 Arts Grant program.  As well as the following individuals, businesses and organizations:

TOP DOG
Animal Welfare League of Alexandria


FIDO'S FRIENDS
Baylor Solutions

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS WELCOME AND YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!  
FUR-VOR PROJECT PAGE