Friday, October 29, 2010

Bienal Internacional de la Acuarela - NAWA


SIX AMERICAN ARTISTS TO REPRESENT THE U.S. IN THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOR BIENNIAL IN MEXICO

Kathleen Alexander, Carol Carter, Mark Mehaffey, Thomas W. Schaller, Nicholas Simmons, and Keiko Tanabe have formed the North American Watercolor Artists, a group of six U.S. watercolor artists, to represent the United States in the IX International Watercolor Biennial in Mexico. The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of Watercolor in Mexico City, December 5, 2010 through February 13, 2011. Artists representing countries in five continents are participating in the Biennial, which is invitation-only. Begun in 1994, the purpose of the Biennial is to establish or enhance friendly relationships among watercolor artists and promote watercolor painting around the world.

Kathleen Alexander www.kathleenalexanderwatercolors.com

Carol Carter www.carol-carter.com

Mark Mehaffey www.mehaffeygallery.com

Thomas W. Schaller www.twschaller.com

Nicholas Simmons www.nicholassimmons.com

Keiko Tanabe http://ktanabefineart.com

Museo Nacional de la Acuarela http://www.acuarela.org.mx/

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I'm very happy to be included in this group of incredible painters, and look forward to representing the USA in the upcoming biennial. As soon as there is a website for it, I'll post a link. In the meantime, each of us has submitted one painting for the exhibition, and we may have more opportunities to exhibit as a group in the future. Each of the other artists has done a lot of work that blows me away, and I expect this association will inspire me to try even harder and do better. A big thanks to my five compadres....we are the NAWA!

32 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Wow, that is some top-notch group you are in!! Congratulations!

Fernando Pena said...

Well done Nick, see you there, I'm one of the six representing Uruguay

Javier Ona said...

Congratulations Nick
great event to be there and many friends sharing the show.
Where are you going to come to Spain ?

Mary Sonya conti said...

Looking forward to the on line premier! All the artists work carry their own unique style which will compliment their fellow artists.

Jeanette Jobson said...

What a fabulous group of artists and a wonderful experience to take part in. Excellent news.

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Congratulations! What a wonderful opportunity!

María Elena Gana B. said...

Hi, I like very much your work. Congratulations for your participation in the Bienal Internacional de Acuarela - NAWA.
All the best.

William K. Moore said...

Good group to be with Nicholas - You'll be in a country where art is appreciated at another level and your work will right at home on foreign soil.. well hopefully in a gallery, on a wall and not on soil. Lot's of world-class artists in DF .. I'm glad they'll have at least one more soon.

devotedmomof7 said...

Congratulations, Nick! Did you mention which painting was submitted - I need to go back and reread your post. I just had the unexpected opportunity to meet Keiko on Saturday. Her work is really amazing and she is a lovely person. You are deservedly in good company.

Marcio Correa, CWS RRWS said...

Hi Nick, congratulations, that's an excellent team you have there, though you alone would already have made for a strong representation. All the best!
Marcio

Sandeep Khedkar said...

Congrats Nick! Yours is a formidable team!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Nick. Nice event and projects to come ...
I wish you all a great success for this exhibition.

Nick said...

Rhonda - I agree. what am I doing in there?!

Fernando - that's more good news, it would be nice to finally meet up with you there, but not sure I can go

Javier - Spain is at the top of the wish list, amigo!

Mary - I assume there will be a website up for it soon, maybe they'll have all the work posted

Jeanette - it also proves you can make your own art association..I mean, why not?!

Tonya - looking forward to the Bahrain exhibition so I can meet you. could you organize that for us? ha :)

Maria - mucho gracias for your post, and nice to meet you. As you can see, I have many spanish friends!

Bill - I think art is pretty much better-appreciated in most countries than the US. Afterall, our only real bona-fide cultrual contribution to the world is jazz music...though some would say likely say football and monster trucks. which reminds me I have to get out and vote today!

Cheryl - are you living in CA now?? The paintings might be posted on one of the other artists' sites, I'm not sure. They are all full sheets (that was a requirement)and mine was a version of the cabana girls.

Marcio - I'm not sure I accurately represent anything in watercolor, but I just keep showing up!

Sandeep - I'm the waterboy, ha ha

Catherine - thanks so much, you don't know how much I appreciate your friendship and support! A hug and a kiss (if Fred says it's OK!)

Anonymous said...

So do I, Nick. I am happy to have such a good friend in the US. And don't worry, Fred's Ok ;-)

Marcio Correa, CWS RRWS said...

Nick, you represent the cutting edge, and that's why you keep showing up!

Consuelo Moros said...

Dear friend, remember USA will be in the first part of the exhibition..this is in alphabetic order. Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela ...and so...at the second..On January, 2011..
Exit and good luck!!

Nick said...

Catherine - all of the art is great, it's what we live for. but the Belgian chocolate you gave me last year in Seneffe won me over forever.:) BTW, your wedding looked to be something out of a fairy tale,loved seeing the pics!

Marcio - I doubt most of the art world would put "cutting edge" and "watercolor" into the same sentence. Part of that is due to the age-old watercolor-as-second-class-medium snobbery, but the institution of w/c has also contributed to the problem by largely segregating itself from the "real" art scene. That needs to change. In the meantime, I'll keep filing away! lol

Consuelo - I believe without your influence, this would not have happened. Muchas gracias, querida amgia! Besos y abrazos.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Nick! Very cool and well deserved!

Unknown said...

we all look a lot classier with nick in our group (i'm not so sure about at the bars and restaurants but that's another story ) but definitely on the exhibit walls! i am so honored to be part of any group with mr. simmons! cheers, tom

Nick said...

Peggy - nice to see you, thanks for the good words

Tom - make that "klass" with a "k"! Often I feel like the bar band showing up at Tanglewood, but I guess there's room for everyone. The inspiration I'll gain from being around you and the others will be good for me, not to mention a healthy does of comeuppance!

joel said...

Can we call you the "five amigos"???

Carlos León Salazar said...

Congrats my friend!!

TSL said...

Very exciting! Best wishes!

JANE MINTER said...

congratulations nick.... a gifted group .

Rodrigo Chavez said...

CONGRATULATIONS NICK

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL IMAGE OF THE EXPO:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/rodriGo_ch/ixbienalinternacionalacuarela.jpg

AN THERE IS NOW AN OFFICIAL PAGE OF THE MUSEUM:

http://www.acuarela.org.mx/

SEE YOU UNTIL THEN, I WILL BE THERE FOR SEE YOUR WORK AND MAYBE MEET YOU AND SHARE SOME IDEAS.

AND IF YOU NEED SOME HELP IN THE CITY, COUNT WITH ME...

http://rodrigowatercolor.blogspot.com

Nick said...

Joel - yes you can, but who's getting left out?!

Carlos - you're going to have to do something about that "like" button on FB, heheh. You're on fire, amigo!

Tina - thanks for the visit..I really dig the detail shot on your site, would like to see the whole painting

Jane - I could write a little novel about each of them, and maybe I will!

Rodrigo - thanks for all the info, much appreciated! I hope I meet you there :)

cardesin said...

Hi Nick!
Congratulations, by the news of your participation at the Biennale in Mexico, I have been looking at the list of artists who have posted and it is fantastic, as I'm glad
Good luck!!

lupus said...

Dear Nick, I've been out from Oct.29 till yesterday afternoon, and my surprise and happyness is inmense. You and the others of the group delivere this ocasion, It's fantastic.
I must tell you that I'll have one of my works there too, invited by the AEDA (Agrupación Española de Acuarelistas, in Madrid), and am very happy too. It's the second time I have one work there, the other one was donated to the Museum, It's one about Toledo, I'll send you a photo from it.

¡¡Felicidades, campeón...!!

Un fuerte abrazo.

Enrique.

Nancy Lee Galloway said...

Wow Nick! Don't know how I missed this! Congratulations and I think putting together one's own association is brilliant! And, if "cutting edge" and watercolor are not often mentioned in the same breath then perhaps things like this will start to change that. It would be interesting to know what could actually be done to "elevate" the status of wc - maybe an extremely influential mentor or patron a la Peggy Guggenheim.... Go for it!

José Carrilho (Go Detail) said...

Hi Nicholas,

Thats's awesome and something not possible without lots of dedication.
Good luck to all the participating artists.

Best regards,

José

Jean Burman said...

Congratulations Nick :-) I think it's great that artists have the opportunity to obtain a more global perspective through events such as this. You already have that of course... and it shows in your work and your attitude toward fellow artists [esp those in the far flung reaches of the globe] Go you! Onward and upward.

Nick said...

Juan - I was hoping to go to the opening, but scheduling is getting difficult. Are you part of the Spain group? you should be

Enrique - you will have a painting there? Ah, I hope to see it, I wish I could meet you also!

Nancy - yes, we need a Guggenheim (and a Frank Gehry to build us a museum!)

Jose - another amigo who should be representing Spain (and don't miss the next Shanghai biennial)

Jean - I wish some of those far flung reaches weren't far or flung - like Oz, for instance. Looking forward to coming there to meet you and lots of friends (I take mine with cream!)