Newsletter Vol.1 No.3

Lord Spencer to Highlight Benefit Gala

    A celebration of art, history and friendship that spans the Atlantic Ocean will be renewed when Studio Incamminati hosts Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, The Ninth Earl Spencer, for a benefit gala September 12 at The Union League of Philadelphia.
    Nelson Shanks, Studio Incamminati Founder and Artistic Director, painted portraits of Lord Spencer and his sister Princess Diana that still hang in their family home, Althorp.
    The dinner event will feature Lord Spencer’s reminiscences, “Growing Up at Althorp,” the magnificent estate that celebrates its 500th anniversary this year. In addition, Nelson Shanks will share his memories of “Painting Princess Diana.” An exhibition of sketches and rare photographs of Diana, from Shanks’ private archives, also will be on display.
    In keeping with the British theme, a live performance of popular excerpts of Gilbert and Sullivan will be presented.

A Rare Friendship Provides a Memorable Evening

We are so excited and honored to have Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, The Ninth Earl Spencer, come to Philadelphia for our special gala on September 12 to benefit Studio Incamminati. When Nelson was commissioned to paint Lord Spencer’s portrait, he spent seven weeks at Althorp, the magnificent family home. During that time, Nelson and Leona got to know Lord Spencer very well and struck up a great friendship that continues today.

Most of us remember the moment when we first heard the tragic news of Princess Diana’s death. We were especially moved by the tribute that Lord Spencer, Diana’s brother gave at her memorial service, handwritten on a piece of paper mere hours before. Nelson captured that very personal document eternally in the portrait of Lord Spencer.

This gala will provide a rare opportunity to meet Lord Spencer and understand what it was like growing up with Diana at Althorp. Nelson will share his most cherished memories of painting Diana. It will no doubt be a very fascinating and memorable evening for everyone.
I hope to see you there.
Signature

Jay Pennie
Executive Director

Studio Incamminati welcomes your support. For information, please call Executive Director Jay Pennie at 215.592.1918.

Award Celebrates Commitment to Youth

Nelson Shanks unflagging commitment to art education for youth, evidenced in Studio Incamminati programs such as Emerging Artists, Artist in Residence and Art Educators Workshops, garnered yet more recognition when Nelson received the first annual visionary award from Fresh Artists. The group uses corporate donations to purchase supplies for needy schools in the Philadelphia School District and provides the businesses with quality reproductions of student artwork for office display.
Working successfully with the Philadelphia School District is nothing new for Studio Incamminati. Over the past several years, Studio Incamminati’s Emerging Artists program has given the opportunity for committed high-school

students to learn the fundamentals of life drawing and painting in a traditional atelier environment.
Meanwhile, Studio Incamminati artists take their knowledge out into the high school classroom through the Artist in Residence program. The program is funded by a grant from the 5-County Arts Fund, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and PECO and administered by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Art Educators can attend workshops offered
by Studio Incamminati that not only address Pennsylvania Academic and National Standards for Arts Education, but also allow them to earn up to 30 hours of Pennsylvania Department of Education Act 48 continuing education credits.

	Burton Silverman to Speak The future of realism in the portrait world, will be the subject of a talk by noted artist and educator Burton Silverman Wednesday, Aug. 27. Silverman will discuss realism in portraiture and its impact on collectors and those that commission portraits. Among his numerous awards are an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and the Gold Medal from the National Portrait Society. The talk is open to the public. For information: www.studioinacamminati.org/events or 215-592-7910.	Duly Noted • A painting demonstration by Nelson Shanks, Studio Incamminati founder and artistic director, drew a packed house to the new fifth-floor studio on March 12. • Patrick Connors, artist and educator, offered two lectures in March on Representationist thought and imagery and how they influence modern painting. • Studio Incamminati instructors and students traveled near and far to broaden their artistic perspective. In May, they journeyed by bus to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to view the first full retrospective of the French artist Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) in 30 years. In March, the group walked several blocks to The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for a retrospective on American figure painter Cecilia Beaux. • Studio Incamminati hosted several hundred persons during its annual Open House April 4-5. The visitors toured the newly expanded studios, attended painting demonstrations and spoke with instructors and students about atelier life. As a direct result of the event, several persons enrolled into – and were accepted into – the full-time Professional Program.
New Instructors Named Starting this fall, Dan Thompson and Jon deMartin will be instructors at Studio Incamminati’s full-time Professional Program. Both have studied under Nelson Shanks and both bring the insight of successful careers in art and art educaton. Thompson, who has taught art around the country, has shown his work in dozens of shows and received numerous honors including	Grand Prize for Best of Show, American Society of Portrait Artists 2001 International Portrait Competition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. DeMartin has taught in studios and ateliers worldwide. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited in New York, California and Virginia and have been published in American Artist, Art in America, ARTNews and The Classicist.
	The Face of Anatomy Artist/anatomist Eliot Goldfinger offered a detailed look at how the intricate mechanics of muscles, bones and flesh create facial expressions in his May 14 lecture, “Anatomy of the Face and Facial Expression.”

Studio Incamminati Artworks to Inspire Arkansas Students
   Art students at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith haven’t yet met Studio Incamminati students, but they will still be drawing inspiration from them.
   This fall, a “teaching wall,” designed to demonstrate the painting process will display 10 color studies by Studio Incamminati artists. Their art will hang next to Nelson Shanks portrait of local artist Benham Dangers in the school’s Mary Tinnin Jaye Gallery.
   Don Lee, a painting instructor at the 6,000-student school on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, says that while the university is not an art school, painting classes there are taught in agreement with the principles of Studio Incamminati.
   “Being exposed to serious student work and seeing it in context will augment their learning experience,” says Lee, who studied under Nelson Shanks in Memphis in the mid-1960s.
   “The idea that one does not go into beginning painting classes in order to make ‘art’ but to learn a craft and develop one’s vision will be clarified by seeing firsthand the approach to study and by comparing and evaluating the results after a period of time and energy.”
   The school’s goal, Lee said, is to accumulate an outstanding permanent collection and to share the wealth with the community as well as the university.

Artists
Recognized

Instructor Lea Colie Wight’s painting, “Life Study,” was one of 10 finalists in American Artist/ Drawing magazine's 2008 cover art competition... Student Yoni Park’s artwork was featured at the juried 36th Annual Art Show at Daylesford Abbey, Paoli, PA... Instructors Natalie Italiano and Robin Frey had their artwork chosen for the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s juried show, the 145th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings.

Bucks Chamber a Unique Partner in Art In what was termed an unprecedented partnership, the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce and Barley Sheaf Farm Estate and Spa hosted artists from Studio Incamminati for a plein air workshop taught by landscape artist Simon Parkes. The artists were in residence at the inn and spa and immersed themselves in the painting of scenes of the exquisite Barley Sheaf Estate as well as other vistas throughout Bucks County. The original paintings will be auctioned off at a chamber art exhibition and auction this fall. Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit Studio Incamminati and the chamber’s Bucks Fever program – a Celebration of Arts and Culture. “The chamber is proud to partner with one of the world's reigning artists and the exquisite Inn to present this very special event and the culminating exhibition and auction in November,”	said John C. Soffronoff, President of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce. “For over three decades, through its Bucks Fever program, the chamber has been a preeminent promoter of arts and culture in Bucks County. We are thrilled to take the lead once again in promoting fine arts in our region” Christine Figueroa, owner of Barley Sheaf Estate and Spa, said “We are thrilled and honored to partner with the Central Bucks Chamber and Nelson Shanks by hosting Studio Incamminati’s artists in residence. It is our hope that Barley Sheaf’s 100+ acres of open pasture, woodlands, scenic ponds, walking paths, and flower gardens will provide truly unique points of inspiration for the artists to paint the beauty that is Bucks County.” “We appreciate the unprecedented opportunity to immerse our artists in the beauty of Bucks Countythrough this unique partnership and program, ”said Jay Pennie, Studio Incamminati executive director.	“We expect that this will be an enlightening experience for all involved and are looking forward to having our students paint open aire in a county which has such a rich artistic and cultural history.”
	Art Auction Highlights Autumn Season The paintings of Bucks County in summer become sought-after artworks this fall, as the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce partnership with Nelson Shanks and Studio Incamminati continues at Live Auction of Art Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the Doylestown Country Club, Doylestown, PA. The event will feature the works of Nelson Shanks and Studio Incamminati artists and all proceeds, from auction and purchase, go to Studio Incamminati and its students to continue the mission of teaching artists “whose art and teaching will in turn inspire others.”

Portrait Society Weekend the Picture of Success

During its annual conference, April 11-13, at the Sheraton City Center, hundreds of Portrait Society of America members stopped by the Studio Incamminati alcove to admire student and instructor artwork and ask questions about Philadelphia’s only atelier.
On Sunday, they jammed the great hall for Nelson Shanks’ keynote presentation “The Portrait as Fine Art.”

The presentation featured rare footage of him painting Princess Diana, Lady Thatcher, Luciano Pavarotti and other luminaries, a retrospective of his works and a question-and-answer session. He received a standing ovation.
Immediately after, the conference-goers came to Studio Incamminati, a conference sponsor, to enjoy good food, spirited discussions of art and the unveiling of Nelson Shanks’ latest artwork, “All That Glitters.”

Portrait Society of America award winners Robin Frey and Stephen Early were on hand to meet the visitors. People also lined up to purchase autographed copies of “Hands of the Master” which features the dramatic details of subjects’ hands rendered by Nelson Shanks.
To view the introduction to “The Portrait as Fine Art” www.StudioIncamminati.org/video.