Spirit Field by Jessical Maloney

If you’ve been browsing our digital files and hoping for an opportunity to see some work by RED DOT Project artists ‘live’ — here’s a great opportunity. Works by members Bonnie Dolin, Lori Diemer, Rosalyn Gaier, Lee Heinen, Jessica Maloney, Wally Kaplan, Milan Kecman, Bill Pappas, Bill Peck, Kurt Shaffer and Hector Vega will be exhibited in downtown Cleveland from February 25 – May 20, 2010 at 200 Public Square. All the art is for sale!

Check it out and meet some member artists at the Artists’ Reception on Thursday, March 4, from 4:30 – 6 pm! RSVP’s with names are required by March 2, 2010 and can be sent to info@reddotproject.org

Robert L. Stockham is a Cleveland-based fine art photographer and a principal in Great Lakes Design Cooperative, which specializes in commercial and retail design with a focus on environmental sustainability. Robert’s photo art runs the gamut from portraiture to urban landscapes to prints like the one you see here, in which he uses traditional darkroom techniques to develop ethereal photo images on canvas. The results are moody and textural, inviting the viewer to collaborate with the artist to reflect on these environment based compositions.

More of Robert’s work can be seen (and purchased) at the Endure collection launch on February 11, 2010, at www.shopreddotproject.org.

Qandle Qadir is a silversmith and jeweler who obtained her BFA at CalArts. Upon returning to Northeast Ohio, she was quickly inspired by the old steel mills, rails, bridges and industrial ports that define the ‘working’ landscape of the rustbelt region. Her beautifully handcrafted jewlery transforms these gritty urban design elements into contemporary wearable art objects.

Using the same techniques and tools — silver, glass and stone — that silversmiths have been using for centuries, her work is an exploration of old and new – a play of design and texture that celebrates the passage of time. Qandle is inspired by the reclaiming of nature, the weeds pushing cracks up through the concrete in an abandoned parking lot or the beauty of an old bridge or other manmade structure taken over by nature —- whether by rust or ivy or birds nesting. Her work, both industrial and organic at the same time, reflects that ongoing man vs. environment struggle.

More of Qandle Qadir’s work can be seen (and purchased) at the Endure collection launch on February 11, 2010, at www.shopreddotproject.org.

Chris Zielski’s career began in arts education but bloomed into an exploration of textiles, photography and metal. All these disciplines inform her work today as she creates collages that combine metal, etching and photo transfer. Organic objects — leaves, insects, water currents — find their way into her metal art. So do geometry and geography. One of her favorite commissions was a grid of tiles that made up a map of the Great Lakes, featured here. This work, a commission through RED DOT Project, has led Chris to further explore the creation of maps large and small — and maps are now an important piece of her business, resulting in additional commissions and sales.

Chris uses an electrolytic, environmentally-friendly alternative to acid-based etching. Each metal plate is coated with up to eight layers of acrylic glaze that creates a surface with rich color and a high gloss similar to that of an enamel, but without the use of hazardous materials. Her works reflect the environment and her processes reflect her commitment to sustainable art practices.

More of Chris Zielski’s work can be seen (and purchased) at the Endure collection launch on February 11, 2010, at www.shopreddotproject.org.

As RED DOT Project approaches its fifth anniversary, we have been taking a look at who we are, what we do, and how we might continue to evolve to better “sustain artists for Northeast Ohio.”

At its core, RED DOT is about getting our artist members work sold. We believe that artist’s work is important, of value — that strengthening artists as entrepreneurs, as small businesses, strengthens our region in ways large and small. And that by joining together, we can more effectively articulate for our cause — and get more of our artist members work to the marketplace.

How does RED DOT Project work? Stacks of flat file drawers are on-site limitless private galleries. Our searchable website and digital database work together to create a virtual portfolio of the art of Northeast Ohio, all accessible at one source. These tools have enabled us to become a complete art resource for business, corporate, and individual clients — as well as gallery owners, curators, and art consultants — looking for art to purchase, sell, or exhibit. Everything we do is mission driven. Our goal is always to provide real economic and sales opportunities for artists and arts entrepreneurs and to advocate for artists as business people. Sales to the business and corporate sector are strong. We are proud of our work in growing that market and making it easier for potential clients to access the work of the artists of Northeast Ohio.

Where do we go from here? We will continue to look for new ways to do our work — including the launch of our new online store/collection/gallery at shopreddotproject.org — on February 11, 2010. Our goal with this project is to continue to use technology to make all kinds of art more accessible and to a wider audience. We hope you take a look, and do some shopping too! We also hope you come back often to learn more about what’s up with RED DOT, and offer your feedback.

ENDURE
RED DOT Project’s first theme-based curated online collection

Featuring artworks by

Robert L. Stockham
Qandle Qadir
Chris Zielski

opens at www.shopreddotproject.org February 11, 2010

Opening preview party at Environments 4 Business
515 Euclid Avenue
February 11, 5 – 7 pm

Call this the era of The Next Big Thing. From cell-phone gadgetry to biomedical discoveries, big-screen TVs to big-industry bailouts, lots of today’s energy, enterprise and attention are focused on what’s going to make tomorrow’s headlines. Which made Red Dot Project wonder: What about the value of what endures?

So next week RED DOT Project launches Endure, our first theme-based curated online collection featuring art by Robert L. Stockham, Qandle Qadir and Chris Zielski. We chose Endure for its importance to the work of our featured artists, both in terms of technique and materials. Canvas, metal and stone – they’re all time-tested. All evoke art and artists that have come before. All depend on the enduring gifts of nature. We also chose Endure for what it means to art and the art-loving community at large. What does it mean to endure in a changing world and a shaky economy? What are the practices that keep our heads above water? Who are the people we count on, the pleasures that matter? Where do we go for sustenance and succor? What are the values that have sustained us in the past, and promise to do so in the future? These questions (and maybe some answers) are hinted at in the works of our featured artists. And as we enter our fifth year, RED DOT Project will continue to explore new ways to help the artists of Northeast Ohio prosper and endure.