O'Connor Art Studios - Blog

WE ARE BACK!

11/8/2018

December 2018 HOLIDAY EVENT coming soon.....

We are set! Our local artists are now registered and getting ready for the big show. Join us Saturday, Dec. 15 from 5-7pm. NEW: This year we'll be hosting this special event at the Historic Drish House in downtown Tuscaloosa. What a beautiful space for such a special event (and easy parking!) -- Every year we have requests for a preview of the art and pre-purchasing opportunities, but NO, we do NOT offer it. Fair chance for all. Come at 5pm that evening of the event for your best chance to purchase that special piece.

20% OFF Summer Art Camp!

7/5/2018

Just use code "ARTforKIDS" during your online registration and receive a 20% discount on our Summer Art Camp this summer. Camp starts July 23. But the discount will only work for the next two days. Offer expires Saturday, July 7th.

Cold day, Great assistants, Scaffolding ready....

1/20/2018

On the coldest Tuscaloosa morning we can remember, and after two “snow days” of cancelled school and closed businesses, these two studio assistants get a big task accomplished in just a few hours. Pick up, transport and build our scaffolding last used during the creation of the Federal Courthouse Murals.... completed over four years ago! Getting ready for another big canvas (seen in the background) and thankful for such great energy in the studio.

2017 Greenville Benchmarking Trip

7/25/2017

More than 70 Chamber members and community leaders traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, July 23-25, for the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's inaugural benchmarking trip. Click for Chamber of Commerce Article.

Details of artwork shown here are by some of Greenville's local artists: Starr Haney, Cindy Hammond, Blake Smith, Jo Carol Mitchell-Rogers, Diane Kilgore Condon and Cassia Abbott. Current display at the office of Metropolitan Arts Council where a monthly show hangs.

This year marks a special year for those of us in Tuscaloosa. A group of business leaders and elected officials, lead by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, visited a comparable community and examined its economic development successes and challenges in hopes of applying its lessons to our region. O'Connor Art Studios was able to participate on this benchmark trip and what a wonderful trip it was!
Needless to say, we saw lots of art, e v e r y w h e r e. Greenville has a wide range of public works of art in their main downtown area.... sculpture in every variety, some small (little bronze mice sculptures for you to find throughout main street) and many much larger than life, including their suspension bridge which is a work of art in itself. Hmmm..... Think art plays a big role in this whole thing? !!!! O'Connor Art Studios hopes to help the public works of art continue to grow in Tuscaloosa and beyond! #yeahTHATgreenville

Comic book artist visits

6/28/2017

Making connections

Comic book artist Elise Strong visits our Teen Drawing Camp this summer. Fantastic presentation, making connections between traditional realism and fantasy.

She won! Congressional Award given to O'Connor Art Studios student.

5/3/2017

Eva at O'Connor Art Studios, holding her award the will take her to the state capitol.

Check out Tuscaloosa News coverage on our student, Eva Hutto and her recent accomplishments. CLICK HERE for the article. But keep your eyes and ears open... there's surely more to come in her future! This is just the beginning. CONGRATS, EVA!!!!

WATCH VIDEO HERE
Eva Hutto speaks about her thoughts during the 2017 Congressional Art Competition.

Eva with her proud parents after the 2016 competition which won her 2nd place. She came back to the studio with the goal of getting 1st place the following year. And she did!

2016 Congressional Art Competition, 2nd place Award. Painting by Eva Hutto.

"Try To See What I See," graphite and charcoal on paper. 2017 Congressional Art Competition, drawing by Eva Hutto.

After three years of instruction and direction at O'Connor Art Studios, Eva Hutto is holding a Congressional Award that will fly her to the state capitol! The piece shown here, won her the honor and it too will join her at the state capitol where it will hang for a full year. Eva began studying the visual arts at O'Connor Art Studios when she enrolled in the homeschooling curriculum ARTistic Adventures, a newly developed homeschooling curriculum lead by Ruth Jatib O'Connor. Eva quickly excelled and continued onto to private lessons to further pursue her individual goals. The studio was able to work with her on the specific skills she needed to make her visions a reality. "Eva is a very talented young lady, in many areas of study, but what granted her this great honor had much more to do with her determination and conviction that she could accomplish her goals," describes Mrs. O'Connor. We try to instill that in all of our students! We are very proud of her and expect great things for her.

Art is good for your health!

5/2/2017

Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making
"Like expressive writing, evidence suggests that music and art are two interventions that may have a positive effect on psychological states... Artistic expression appears to lower stress in various health settings...."

For the full article, CLICK HERE.

Deontay Wilder sculpture in progress

3/1/2017

Over a year ago, Caleb O'Connor had a vision of honoring this amazing athlete. Last month, the vision became real as he began building up the armature and sculpting Deontay Wilder's anatomy in clay at O'Connor Art Studios. The sculpture has progressed incredibly quickly and excitement is in the air! Visit our studio Friday, March 3rd, 5:30-8:30pm for the last public viewing of this incredible clay sculpture before the mold process begins. The next step? Bronze casting of the Bronze Bomber.

Great start to 2017: FEB FIRST Friday

2/6/2017

First Annual Local Artists Holiday Art Sale

12/14/2016

On December 2nd, we hosted the First Annual Local Artists Holiday Art Sale in conjunction with the monthly First Friday. We invited a dozen or so artists from the Tuscaloosa area to showcase their work in our studio. Each one who participated had never shown their work at O'Connor before, and one hundred percent of sales went directly back to the artists to support their work.

Many of the pieces will be on display and for sale in the studio until this Friday, December 16th. If you're still looking to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the special people on your list and you'd like to shop local and support artists in our area we invite you to stop by and browse these unique pieces of art! Call us at (205) 396-9892 with questions about what may be available or for hours.

To see more from the participating artists view their individual websites or Facebook pages through the links below.

www.triciaschusterart.com
www.weavingalabama.com
https://m.facebook.com/elles.beles.3
KarenJacobs.com
http://kierstenellis.wixsite.com/kierstenellis
Www.sarahannaustin.com
www.facebook.com/TonyBrockPainterofStuff
www.sydneygruber.com