Newsletter Vol.1 No.2

A Night for Celebration

When people came together to honor Nelson Shanks in Decem-ber, the affair began as a birthday party. It evolved into a celebration of the man as an artist, teacher and friend. Local luminaries stood alongside aspiring artists, relatives sat next to those who sat for portraits. They all toasted Nelson Shanks for his dedication to art and especially to his vision for Studio Incamminati.

1. More than 100 celebrants gathered in the new, expanded studio space.

2. From left: Richard Sprague, Esq.; Univ. of Pa. Health System V.P. Dr. John Glick; Studio Incamminati board member Edith Magaziner; Nelson Shanks and Univ. of Pa. Hospital Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gary Crooks.

3. Richard Sprague charmed the crowd with his testimonial to Nelson.

4. Level II student
Jen Hagen presents Nelson Shanks with
a tribute book.

5. A visibly moved Nelson Shanks thanked the gathering.

6. Nelson and Leona Shanks share a moment with Comcast Chairman Ralph Roberts.


	A Man of the Arts Now a Work of Art Sir Timothy Clifford spent 21 years collecting paintings for the National Galleries of Scotland. Clifford finally became a work of art himself when his portrait, painted by Studio Incamminati Founder and Arxtistic Director Nelson Shanks, was unveiled in December.

		Instructors Honored by Portrait Society Studio Incamminati instructors Robin Frey and Stephen Early have both been chosen to receive awards in the Portrait Society of America’s prestigious 2008 International Portrait Competition. From the hundreds of entries, Frey’s “Accra with Headphones” was picked among the top 20 and Early’s “Kind A Blue” received judges’ commendations. The exact placing will be announced April 12 during the society’s 10th annual conference in Philadelphia. Studio Incamminati is a conference sponsor and in addition to manning an education table, will present two exciting events:		Nelson Shanks, Studio Incamminati founder and artistic director, offers his presentation, “The Portrait as Fine Art.” Immediately following, society members are invited to Studio Incamminati for an exclusive event to join Shanks for the debut of his latest creation, “Priscilla.”

Five Years in the Making
Only five short years ago, Nelson Shanks, Leona Shanks and Marc Mostovoy were searching for an ideal location to start an art school with the requisite, ever-important north light. After looking at numerous spaces in the Philadelphia area (Nelson has very high standards), the founders were very excited to find what is now our present location in the Wolf Building in the Loft District in the heart of Center City Philadelphia. With a dozen students, 2,000 square feet of space with

abundant north light, taborets, easels--and most importantly, Nelson’s vision to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of artists, Studio Incamminati was born.
This February, we expanded our space to over 12,000 square feet, one of the largest north-lit studios in the country. The expansion enables us to fully implement our mission: to train and help our artists develop rewarding careers and lives in the arts. Space will be used for our increasing number of advanced-level artists, new incoming

artists in the full-time Professional Program, and growing numbers of workshop alumni.
Our accomplishments would not have been possible without the help of our donors, instructors, students, volunteers, staff and, of course, our board, all who have helped us in various ways over the past five years. Thank you all for your continued support! We could not have done it without you.
Signature

Jay Pennie
Executive Director

Studio Incamminati Broadens Outreach to High School Artists

Studio Incamminati’s Jeff Allon recently began teaching in the Artist in Residence program at Northeast High School in the School District of Philadelphia.
Allon, a second-year student in the Professional Program, is introducing the school’s juniors and seniors to key concepts and essential techniques.
For example, students learn the concept of representing form by the effect of light and shadow on objects. Then, they learn the skills of preparing the paper surface by toning with charcoal. “I feel excited about the opportunity

to impart the principles being taught at Studio Incamminati to this group of high school students,” said Allon, who also teaches full-time at Stern Hebrew High School in Philadelphia. “It is great to see them advance as young Artists.” The program is funded by a grant from the 5-County Arts Fund, a program of the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and PECO. Administered by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the program reaches art majors and students in Advanced Placement classes.

Public, Private School Teachers Brush Up on Skills

Art educators from both the School District of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia spent some valuable easel time at Studio Incamminati recently.
At an in-service day, arranged with the district’s Lead Academic Coach for Art Education Tessie Varthas, 30 Philadelphia School District High School educators attended a half-day professional development

session at Studio Incamminati on Jan. 11.
The teachers toured the studios and received information on Studio Incamminati educator programs including weekend and summer Art Educator Workshops, the Artist in Residency program and the Emerging Artist Program for junior and senior-high students. Natalie Italiano, lead Studio Incamminati instructor for all the

Art Educator Workshops performed a still life demonstration. The teachers took part in a lively question and answer session.
In December, art teachers from the Archdiocese, took part in an intensive day-long workshop working on still life and the figure.

Artists Receive Accolades

New Board Members
Linda Knox is president of Knox Consulting Group. She serves on the boards of The Union League of Philadelphia and its Scholarship Foundation. She formerly was a board member of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and the Fidelity Insurance Co., among others.

Frank Giordano is president of Atlantic Trailer Leasing Corp., Vincentown, N.J. He is chairman of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey/Quaker City Goodwill and sits on numerous boards including The Abraham Lincoln Foundation, The Committee of Seventy and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He is former president of The Union League of Philadelphia.

Summer workshops feature new offerings, old favorites

New workshops highlight summer 2008:

Anatomizing the Shadow Shape
Frank Porcu
June 23 – 27
An anatomist, painter, sculptor and authority on the study of anatomical form, Frank Porcu guides his students as they analyze form by studying anatomical laws of human construction. Students gain the skills to blend visual information, structural analysis and anatomical truths into their artwork.

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Drawing Structure and Color
with Painting
Dan Thompson
July 14 – 25
Using the long pose and the light key, instructor and award-winning artist Dan Thompson, helps students to develop essential skills such as tonal mapping strategies and effective composition.

Drawing the Human Figure
in Silverpoint
Robert Liberace
August 15 - 17
Silverpoint, a drawing method using a piece of silver wire, was practiced by masters such as Raphael and da Vinci. Robert Liberace, a noted artist who works in a variety of media including pencil, chalk, and oil, examines these traditions and the techniques of silverpoint.

Popular workshops returning for summer 2008:

Intensive Painting Workshop
Nelson Shanks and Studio Incamminati Instructors
July 21 – August 1
This workshop offers the serious student a taste of Studio Incamminati’s Professional Program. Students experience a live figure painting demonstration by Nelson Shanks and enjoy a visit to his private studio.

Advanced Portrait Workshop
Nelson Shanks and Studio Incamminati Instructors
August 18 - 29
In response to growing alumni demand,
this workshop focuses on the needs of
advanced students. Demonstrations apply Studio Incamminati techniques toward the goal of achieving a more developed portrait painting. Included is a live portrait demonstration by Nelson Shanks, a visit to his private studio, and two evening lectures by accomplished portrait artists.

Form Painting with the Figure
Stephen Early and Darren Kingsley
July 7 - 11
These Studio Incamminati instructors take their combined experiences to address the principles essential in transforming abstract flat shapes into fully dimensional form. The focus is on structure, anatomy, proportion, light direction, edge conditions, abstract movements through the figure, composition, and an understanding of form of the figure.

Still Life Painting Workshop
Kerry Dunn
August 4 - 8
Studio Incamminati instructor Kerry Dunn helps students work toward a developed painting aided by color and compositional studies. Open to artists of all levels and abilities, students are led through each stage of the painting.

Transitioning from Color Study to a Developed Painting
Robin Dawn Frey
August 11 - 15
Each day, students take another step toward a fully realized painting. This includes setting up a still-life, working out a composition with thumbnail sketches, and performing an open grisaille. Other skills taught include: working out the drawing issues and adjusting paint layers and texture.

Art Educator’s Workshops
Natalie Italiano

Still Life Painting
July 14 – 18

Portrait Painting Workshop
August 4 – 8

These increasingly popular sessions, open
to all art teachers, address Pennsylvania Academic and National Standards for Arts Education. They offer educators the chance to earn up to 30 hours of continuing education credits. Registration
includes a $50 credit toward school store purchases.

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