Let's get to know some of the artists!

Greetings from Spectrum ArtWorks! We thought it would be fun to share a little more personal information about some of the artists in the group. Below each image will be the title of the piece as well as the name of the artist, followed by a short biography of the artist. Please enjoy! And, stay connected with the Spectrum ArtWorks blog to read more artist biographies in the future!

Orchid, watercolor and watercolor pencil by Cecile Bellamy

Cecile was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. She didn't take an interest in art until the age of eleven. From that point she took a strong interest in drawing, and then soon into acrylic painting. In high school, she took a college level drawing course and later continued her education at the University of Minnesota where she excelled in fine arts. Cecile then attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design andgraduated from MCAD in 1997.

Cecile has exhibited locally for over three years. Currently she is both a member of Spectrum ArtWorks and is a staff artist at In the Heart of the Beast Theatre. She is happy to be in a creative field.

Follow this link to view more of Cecile's art on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/sets/72157622603583131/

Grand Kids, mixed media by Audrey Bernard

Audrey was welcomed into the Spectrum ArtWorks program nearly seven years ago. Audrey came to the U.S. from Jamaica and it is here in Minneapolis, when she joined the ArtWorks group, that she discovered her dreams, abilities and potential of becoming a visual artist. Since then Audrey has developed her own personal artistic style, working in mixed media. She has exhibited in many galleries throughout the Twin Cities and metro area and has received special recognition and awards for her artwork. Audrey enjoys making art because it keeps her focused as well as makes her feel close to her grandchildren living in Jamaica.

Follow this link to view more of Audrey's work on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/sets/72157600772523731/

Past, Present and Future, acrylic and collage by Faye Buffington-Howell

As an artist, Faye's goal has always been to create images that are meaningful, expressive and inspiring. She has been practicing in the technique which she learned in icon classes several years ago. Faye works in a merging of styles including classical, modern and figurative surrealism. Faye often addresses the notion of spirituality in her work and recently, August 2011, she was the curator of the show titled Enlightenment at Stevens Square Center for the Arts.

Follow this link to view more of Faye's art on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/sets/72157600772047316/

Dignity, watercolor by cynTHIA

cynTHIA has been making art for almost all her life. cynTHIA has been a member of the Spectrum ArtWorks group for about five years and she brings to the group a lifetime of invaluable experience. She studied art in college and has shown her work in many venues throughout the TwinCities and metro area. cynTHIA enjoys making art and receiving the innate therapeutic benefits art allows through the expression of self. She often creates art inspired by the people who have meaning in her life. cynTHIA is skilled in many mediums and is currently working mainly with glass and mosaic as well as watercolor and watercolor pencil.

Follow this link to view more of cynTHIA's work on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/sets/72157622727790132/

Me Too, oil on canvas by Christi Furnas


Christi Furnas considers herself a Figurative Expressionist, working with both oil and pen and ink. Capturing a cast of emotions with color and brushstroke as well as feeling the movement of line is the focus of Christi's objective. She has been making and showing art in the Twin Cities for over fifteen years. Her work has been featured at venues such as Augsburg College, CorAzon, and The Warren Artist Habitat.

Christi has been with the Spectrum ArtWorks program for over eight years. Currently she is working as the Peer Support Specialist at Spectrum ArtWorks, and is painting and drawing in Minneapolis.


Follow this link to view more of Christi's work on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/sets/72157600772482839/



Thank you dearly for supporting the Spectrum ArtWorks program! Please continue to stay informed and show your support for Spectrum ArtWorks. You can follow us on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectrum-ArtWorks/169027723169

Continue to view and read our blog, as well as view lovely art on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/

Please contact Megan Andersen at mandersen@resource-mn.org

The Big Day is Finally Here!

The Spectrum ArtWorks Open House & Art Sale is finally here...tomorrow!! Tuesday, October 25th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. We have been working incredibly hard and are excited to share this event with everyone! This year the open house will feature artwork by 27 artists. Fine art and crafts will be available for sale and there will be plenty of yummy refreshments served as well. Art will be on display on the two main levels of our building, and of course in the ArtWorks studio!

This event is FREE and open to the public. Stop by for an enjoyable experience, exploring our unique space, viewing amazing art and having the opportunity to meet the talented artists who created it all!

Please join us for this very special day. We hope to see you there!

The Spectrum ArtWorks Open House & Art Sale is located at:

Spectrum Community Mental Health

1825 Chicago Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55404

Contact Arts Coordinator Megan Andersen for more information:

(612) 752-8282

What have Spectrum ArtWorks artists been up to?

Greetings everyone! It has been a busy few months for Spectrum ArtWorks! On Friday, September 2nd, Altered Esthetics Gallery in Northeast Minneapolis held an opening for a show titled Home. "Whether it is a place we came from, a place we dream about, or a settling destination; artists react to immigration, homelessness and what it means to have a sense of place in the world." This wonderful exhibit, Home, featured Spectrum ArtWorks artists Faye Buffington-Howell, Audrey Bernard and cynTHIA. This is the last week Home will be on display to the public and we will be bringing art back to the Spectrum ArtWorks studio this Saturday.


In other news... Spectrum ArtWorks has been celebrating an amazing opportunity awarded to artist Cecile Bellamy. Ramsey County recently commissioned Cecile for five of her beautiful watercolors. These watercolors are now on display as part of A Bridge to Health & Wellness's permanent collection. Congrats Cecile! A Bridge to Health & Wellness will house urgent care for Adult Mental Health, Chemical Health Assessment and Placement, Detox, and the Second Judicial District Commitment Court. NAMI Minnesota credits the creation of this new building as "bringing an unprecedented opportunity to improve and coordinate services to individuals experiencing either a mental or chemical health crisis, or both. The goal is to improve the availability of integrated, community-based, chemical and mental health services for this population." Cecile was invited as a special guest to attend the grand opening and official ribbon cutting ceremony. There, she met and spoke with Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael E. Ortega. Commissioner Ortega praised Cecile for her art as well as exhibited a large amount of support for mental health services.


Spectrum ArtWorks artists are gearing up for the annual Artability Art Show and Sale. This year Spectrum ArtWorks supported 13 artists to complete and submit artwork for this event! The Artabilty Art Show and Sale will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 285 N. Dale Street, St. Paul, MN 55103. The show runs October 6th - 8th with the opening reception on Thursday, October 6th at 6:00pm. We hope to see you there!


On a final, very exciting note... Spectrum ArtWorks
will be hosting the 5th Annual Open House & Art
Sale!! The open house and sale will be held on
Tuesday, October 25th, 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Please stop in and join us for refreshments and fantastic art! The Spectrum ArtWorks Open House and Art Sale will feature fine art and crafts... just in time for the holidays! The Spectrum ArtWorks studio is located at 1825 Chicago Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Please call or email Arts Coordinator, Megan Andersen, with any questions or requests for detail: (612) 752-8282 and mandersen@resource-mn.org


Also... remember to "like" Spectrum ArtWorks on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectrum-ArtWorks/169027723169

Spectrum ArtWorks Events July 23rd!

Greetings everyone! Some exciting news from Spectrum ArtWorks! There is an event taking place on Saturday, July 23rd at the Regla De Oro Gallery on Lyndale Ave in Mpls. The Regla De Oro Gallery aims to represent local artists, participate in local public exhibits, and provides a percentage of net proceeds to Arts Education and Social Justice Non-Profit Organizations. Every six weeks a new artist is featured in the gallery. The artist is given the opportunity to select which non-profit organization they would like to benefit during their opening reception. Local artist Catherine A Palmer has selected Spectrum ArtWorks to be the beneficiary during her event.

Catherine A Palmer Artist Reception/

Spectrum ArtWorks Benefit

Saturday, July 23rd

3:00pm - 6:00pm

Regla De Oro Gallery-Art and Fair Trade Gifts

3007 Lyndale Ave South

Mpls, MN

20% of all purchases during this three hour opening reception/benefit event will proceed Spectrum ArtWorks!

For more information about Catherine A Palmer follow this link:http://www.catherineapalmer.com/

For more information about Regla De Oro Gallery follow this link:http://www.regladeoro.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=11579&Akey=2B782ELR

Please join us at Regla De Oro Gallery on Saturday, July 23rd! Come visit, have fun and show your support for local artists and the Spectrum ArtWorks program!

IN ADDITION!

In addition to the event at Regla we could like to share some exciting news about a new show opening at Stevens Square Center for the Arts. On the very same evening as the Regla De Oro event, Saturday, July 23rd, the opening of "Enlightenment will be held at the Stevens Square

gallery. This show will feature two Spectrum ArtWorks artists, Faye Buffington-Howell and cynTHIA. Not only will Faye's artwork be featured but she also played an immense role as one of the curators, selecting work by other artists and working to make the show come to life.

Please join us this special evening to celebrate the making of beautiful art as well as the efforts made by Spectrum ArtWorks artists to present the public with an impressive show!

"Enlightenment" Opening Reception

Saturday, July 23rd

7:00pm - 10:00pm

Stevens Square Center

for the Arts

1905 3rd Ave South

MPLS, MN

For more information about Stevens Square

Center for the Arts follow this link:

http://www.stevensarts.org/

We are looking forward to celebrating this special day! We hope to see you at one of or both of the events!

Thank you dearly for supporting the Spectrum ArtWorks program! Please continue to stay informed and show your support for Spectrum ArtWorks. You can follow us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectrum-ArtWorks/169027723169

Continue to view and read our blog, as well as view lovely art on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/

Please contact Megan Andersen at mandersen@resource-mn.org

We've been busy!

Can you believe it is June?! Summer is in full bloom and Spectrum ArtWorks artists have been busy! A few months ago the artists were challenged to create large scale works of art and many of them have finished or are very close to completing. A few artists have even started to work on a second large scale piece of art! We are hoping to be able to showcase these large works of art sometime late summer or early fall.

The Sister Kenny 48th Annual International Art Show by Artists with Disabilities took place April 14th and was on display through May. It was a wonderful event and a huge success for the Spectrum ArtWorks Artists! Four of the artists were recognized with awards of honor and encouragement.

Today work was brought home from the Alliance Bank Building in St. Paul. The Spectrum ArtWorks artists had work on display in the skyway. We are hoping not only many of our current fans/supporters were able to visit this display but that we were also able to gain new attention and support from the community.

Spectrum ArtWorks artists have been busy in the studio making art as well as teaching others. The ArtWorks studio opens up to others for a weekly art class and weekly open studio time. The Spectrum ArtWorks artists work to help other members of Spectrum Community Mental Health Lighthouse CSP improve artistic abilities as well as provide opportunity to pursue individual creative endeavors. A six week still-life class has just concluded and this week was the beginning of color theory and painting with acrylics.

Thanks to everyone for checking in on whats new with the Spectrum ArtWorks program! The artists are busily creating new art and we are currently in the process of finding new venues to showcase their wonderful and inspiring work. Please stay tuned for whats next!

Thank you dearly for supporting the Spectrum ArtWorks program! Please continue to stay informed and show your support for Spectrum ArtWorks. You can follow us on our facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectrum-ArtWorks/169027723169


Continue to view and read our blog, as well as view lovely art on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/


Please contact Megan Andersen at mandersen@resource-mn.org

FAREWELL AMY RICE

Spectrum ArtWorks has some big news to share with all supporters and fans. Last week our lovely Amy Rice, Coordinator of Spectrum ArtWorks, left to pursue an incredible dream of hers. This is bittersweet news. It is sad that she is leaving but also wonderful because she is going to work full-time as an artist. You can learn more about Amy and view her art here: http://www.amyrice.com/

Amy has been with Resource for 10 years. She created the Spectrum ArtWorks program and has been the key instrument that has made this program a success. Amy has enabled it to be a true means for the artist members to express themselves artistically, fight stigma associated with mental illness, and most importantly fine tune their artistic skills and share their beautiful art with others in the community. Over the last 10 years Amy has exhibited incredible loyalty to the Spectrum artists. Time after time Amy has demonstrated her dedication to using art as a tool for combating our community's negative ideas about mental illness. Her love and knowledge of art enables her to not only create beautiful art of her own but to inspire and assist others to create their own beautiful and meaningful art. Amy has been a constant reminder to all of us that art plays an incredible role in the recovery process, as well as in the process of healing individually and healing on a societal level. She also reminds us that while art is important because it is beautiful and makes our lives happier, it is also important because art possesses an inherent ability to communicate with others in our community. Please join us in sending happy thoughts and well wishes to Amy Rice as she embarks on this new journey in her life! As we say farewell to Amy it is also time to embrace the transition that is currently taking place with the Spectrum ArtWorks program. I am honored to introduce myself as the new Arts Coordinator for Spectrum ArtWorks. My name is Megan Andersen and I have been with Resource for 2 years. Throughout this time I have had the opportunity to work directly with Amy Rice as well as the amazing Spectrum ArtWorks artists that create the wonderful and inspiring work we all love so dearly. Christi Furnas is a local artist and has been hired to work with the artists as a Support Specialist. Together, Christi and I will be advocating for the Spectrum ArtWorks program. We will work hard with the artists as they continue to make incredible art so that we can continue to share their art with others. It continues to be an important goal of ours to educate others and fight stigma associated with mental illness through the process of art.

Thank you dearly for supporting the Spectrum ArtWorks program! Please continue to stay informed and show your support for Spectrum ArtWorks. You can follow us on our facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spectrum-ArtWorks/169027723169

Continue to read and view our blog, as well as view lovely art on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7725496@N05/

Please contact Megan Andersen at mandersen@resource-mn.org

Spectrum ArtWorks Presidents Day Sale

Spectrum ArtWorks Presidents Day Sale A Presidents Day Sale like no other!
(And that is one Presidents Day sales pitch that’s not hyperbole!)
Saturday, February 19th 1-5pm
Spectrum ArtWorks Studio
1825 Chicago Avenue South
Free and Open to the Public
Contact: Amy Rice arice@resource-mn.org 612-752-8242
High Resolution Images Available at bottom of this email

Presidents Day, besides giving many of us an extra day off, is intended to commemorate our nation’s presidents, all of whom had a hand in creating the country in which we are living.

The February holiday has become well-known for being a day in which many stores have sales and clearances. But it’s much more than that. The purpose of this day is to honor the office of the Presidency.

On Saturday, February 19, 2011 Spectrum ArtWorks Artists will do both: sell and honor. Here is the sell part: we have a studio full of last year’s artwork. Oil paintings, hand-pulled prints, ink drawings, photographs and more! All are high quality work from serious artists priced to sell! We need room for the 2011 art! (Did that sound enough like a Presidents Day sale pitch?)

Here is the Honor Part: The Spectrum ArtWorks Artists, in addition to making fantastic art, have a mission to break down stigma associated with Mental Illness through exhibitions, campaigns and educational projects. Throughout the years, Abraham Lincoln has served us repeatedly as a shining example of what a person living with a mental