At long last Anthem has an art gallery that features national and local artists, thanks to the vision of Tamara and Darren Lee of The Caepe School and the expertise of curator, Dawn Schiano Kirchner. 

The new Anthem Art Gallery is offering continuous art shows rotating every six to eight weeks and features original works by established and emerging local artists, as well as exhibits by national artists. Styles range from traditional to postmodern, and include a variety of media.

Kirchner, the curator of the Gallery, strives to provide people of all ages the opportunity to experience the world of visual art through open viewing hours, artwork available for purchase, and weekly art classes for all ages taught by professional artists.

The contemporary art space is open by appointment and is located at The Caepe School, 42212 North 41st Drive, Anthem, Arizona, which is in Anthem Commerce Park. 

Tamara Lee, head of school at The Caepe School, has been especially adamant about providing the North Valley with multiple arts resources. “The arts are a central part of any community, and at the root of that is art education,” said Tamara Lee, “We believe in providing arts programs not only to our students, but to our community as well.”

The Gallery is more than a studio for The Caepe School students; it is a community art center.  “All North Valley residents are invited to view art and participate in art classes. The space will also be used for poetry readings, performance art, and other arts programs,” said Lee.

Kirchner has put together an exciting schedule of upcoming exhibits that bring an important dimension to the culture of the community.  Her background is perfect for the job.  She relocated from Long Island, New York to Anthem last July, and has over twenty years’ experience as an artist and art educator. She earned her Bachelors of English and Art from the State University of New York at Oswego, and received her Masters of Fine Arts in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.  Her artwork has been in many group, solo, and juried shows and is included in many private and permanent collections. 

Kirchner is starting off 2010 with an Invitational Group Show at the Gallery from January 4th to February 15th, featuring the work of three professionally acclaimed artists. The exhibit includes the work of Ray Whalen from New York, Mary Edith Alexander from North Carolina, and Mia Bertucci from Pennsylvania, all of which are nationally exhibited artists. All three met Kirchner at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan during their MFA program. “I have a lot of respect for these three artists and I am ecstatic to have their work be displayed in our art gallery,” said Kirchner.

From February 15th – March 26, there will be a solo show by Adam Clemente, who is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He studied at the Tucson Art Center Design College and graduated with a BFA from The School of Visual Arts in New York. His work is often intricate and complex, ranging from super-realism to abstraction, and incorporates a variety of media. This particular show consists of portraits of all forty-four U.S. presidents, and it is very fitting that it will be here during Presidents’ Day on February 15th.  Clemente is also available for commissioned portraits.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 27 - 28, the Gallery has been made available to the Arts Council of the North Valley for exhibiting the finalists from five participating high schools in the 4th Annual Regional Teen Art Competition.

From March 29 – May 2, the work of established artist and Anthem resident, Renee Palmer-Jones, will be on exhibit.  Some of the paintings will be contemporary realism, but most will be abstracts, a style for which she has received wide acclaim.  Her abstracts are known for their uniqueness, colors, and especially the three-dimensional quality that allows the viewer to get lost in the painting.  They reflect her imagination, emotion and mastery of the basic elements of design, color, and temperature, which all play a role in creating beautiful and engaging artwork.  Palmer-Jones is also available for commissioned abstracts.

In addition to exhibits, quality visual arts instruction is being offered for all levels, with rolling enrollment.  Each student is invited to expand his or her own artistic potential.  The focus is on developing drafting skills, the basis for all art, through the genres of still life, landscape and figure drawing.  Each lesson includes some art history, with references to various prominent artists in each discipline. 

A variety of media is used, including artist-grade pencils, quality paper, kneaded erasers, charcoal and prisma color, pastels and paint. Each student works at his/her own pace and is introduced to the work of many relevant artists.  Each student will improve his or her technical skills (shading, composition, perspective), in a fun and relaxing environment and will learn terminology, art history, and critiquing methods.

“We will be having gallery openings for each of the major exhibits,” said Kirchner. “It is our hope that visiting the Gallery will become a tradition and that through experiencing art, the community will be richer for it.”

The current schedule of exhibits and classes as well as artist’s bio information can be found on the web site AnthemArtGallery.com. 

About the Anthem Art Gallery

Located at 42212 North 41st Drive, Anthem, Arizona
Open by appointment.  Contact number 623.551.7808.
AnthemArtGallery.com

About The Caepe School

The Caepe School is a college preparatory, private, non-profit school serving the North Valley.  Currently they serve grades K-8, with 9th grade enrollment beginning in Spring 2010 for a Fall 2010 start date. Grades 10-12 will be added subsequently each school year.  Founded in 2008, the school is actively taking steps necessary for accreditation.  The school’s mission is to provide a positive and affirming learning environment, where each student is guided and inspired to develop and succeed as a total individual – academically, physically, socially and emotionally. 

About the Founders

The Lees graduated from Villanova University in the early 1990’s.  Tamara went on to receive her Masters in Education (M.Ed.) at Cabrini University; Darren graduated Summa Cum Laude from Ottawa University with a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling.  Together, they have handpicked a staff of individuals who are both passionate and highly qualified. To learn more about The Caepe School, visit www.thecaepeschool.org.