"Impressionism; it is the birth of Light in painting".
-Robert Delaunay
Our workshops are a mix of art history and applied technical skills. This year we will be learning about the French Impressionists and their innovative approach to capturing the world around them. Below you can get a glimpse of the artists we will be featuring each day. Each day will have one of the following thematic Gospel elements incorporated:
Created | Rejected | Innovated | Renewed
DAY 1 | CREATED
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Renoir was a founding member of the impressionism movement. He was influenced by Pablo Picasso. He and Monet eventually started an independent artist society after being rejected by the Salon. The focus of Renoir’s artwork in his early career as an impressionist artist focused on everyday people, streets, and his surroundings.
Our workshop will focus on the foundational principles of Impressionism that created an entire movement as represented by Renoir’s artwork.
DAY 2 | REJECTED
Edgar Degas
While being considered one of the founding members of Impressionism, Degas heavily rejected the term and often referred to himself as an “anti-impressionist” and realist. While he displays a similar brush stroke style, unlike his fellow impressionists, he relied on the use of black paint- rejecting the use of a vibrant color palette and the practice of “painting en plein air”.
During this workshop, the campers will explore Degas’ techniques and color palette that rejected the traditional impressionist disciplines.
DAY 3 | INNOVATED
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt was the only American to exhibit with the French Impressionists. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and went on to become an incredibly innovative printmaker. She was influenced by her fellow impressionist, Degas causing the two to work closely with each other over the years.
This workshop will experiment with printmaking techniques as an ode to Cassatt’s innovations in art.
DAY 4 | RENEWED
Paul Cézanne
Known as the “Father of Modern Art”, Cézanne took impressionism and changed his focus from painting what to saw to painting how he felt. He was prolific and considered himself more of a poet than a painter. His works amassed such attention, that his work was collected by his peers Monet, Manet, Degas, and Renoir. His artistic vision bridged the gap between Impressionism and Cubism.
During this workshop we will apply Cézanne’s post-impressionist eye to create renewed works of art that have a fresh take on subject matter.
DAY 5 | INSTALLATION WORKSHOP
Claude Monet
Throughout the week, educator Alexis Ward will be leading a daily workshop centered around the fundamentals of installation art. Each day the kids will gather in their groups to collaborate and produce an installation piece for the gallery night. This year’s installation will be inspired by Claude Monet and his garden paintings. We will implement his broken brush technique, usage of color, and draw influence from how he abstracted nature’s forms to create a whimsical experience for the viewer.