Janet Kumer Ewing, MSPP member and former member of the board, is having a solo show at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

This exhibit will hang in the Garden Gallery from January 10 through February 11, 2024. Janet's paintings in this exhibit reflect her love for sailing, particularly on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
The Galleries of Quiet Waters Park is in the Visitor Center. The hours are 9 – 4 weekdays and 10 – 4 on weekends.

MSPP member Pamela Wilde has recently received the 2022 Woman in Arts Recognition Award from the Governor William Paca Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution

The awards reception was held on April 23, at the Maryland Golf and Country Club. Pamela, along side many members of the community where celebrated for a variety contributions. 

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 Pam also sent in one of her latest plein air pieces, and had this to say about it:

"This work was created en plein air on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at Friendship Wine and Liquors, 1st Annual Wine Festival, in Abingdon, Maryland. I set up my easel next to the iconic barn on the property. I spent my first hour just simply observing and trying to get a grasp of what I wanted to express. Across form my easel, one of the wine vendors had set up a lovely oasis for customers to relax and sample their wines. A large umbrella provided shade on a sunny afternoon."

“Second Act - For the Love of Art” group exhibit at Quiet Waters Park, Aug 26- Oct 11

The Second Act represents five local artists who began pursuing their passion for making art after retiring from professional careers in architecture, transportation safety, nursing, communications/marketing and teaching. They are Maryann Brail, Bob Caffrey, Janet Ewing, Anne Sieling and Jane Story . Three of this group are members of MSPP.

Pamela Wilde's "Portraits from Havre de Grace"

MSPP member Pamela Wilde's exhibit at the Artists' Emporium in Havre de Grace, "Portraits from Havre de Grace" consisted of 120 portrait paintings, all of local residents. The paintings were done over the course of one year, starting on her 55th birthday.

“I wanted to mark my 55th year doing something memorable that I would never forget,” she said.

Pamela Wilde said she was inspired to do the project after attending an American Portrait Society show about three years ago, where she was able to talk to different artists and watch them paint. While there, she learned about artist Rose Frantzen’s project, Portrait of Maquoketa, which she completed in 2006. The collection of 180 12-by-12-inch portraits was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in 2009.

Pamela created a sign up list online where people could pick a 3-hour time slot to sit and have their portrait painted. Despite having some apprehensions and concerns that people wouldn’t sign up — she hoped for 50 — she more than doubled that number. She set up an easel at the front window of the gallery and met with subjects there over the course of a year, giving the public a glimpse of how the exhibit came together.

“I wanted the public to see the paintings in progress and to see me interacting with models and kind of take the mystique out of it,” The youngest participant was 7 months old and the oldest was in her 90s, she said. Hanging near their portraits is a portrait of Aberdeen Proving Ground Senior Commander, Maj. Gen. Randy S. Taylor in his blue Army Service Uniform. Other portraits feature local politicians, community members and a Harford County judge.

Nicole Troup was a finalist in the 2020 Portrait Society of American National Members Competition!

This was the 16th annual Members Only Competition where members have a chance to win in 5 different categories. She resides in Greencastle, PA working as a commissioned portrait artist to local and national clients. A few of her clients include the VFW, corporations, hospitals, WWE wrestler Titus O’Neil among others. She is also known for her portrait projects where she collaborates with prominent organizations and figures, including celebrities, in order to raise awareness for causes that are important to her. Some of these collaborations include: Vitiligo Research foundation, Human Trafficking organizations,  celebrities in the movie industry such as Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Cassi Thomson, Erica Ash, activist model Mari Malek, Machine Gun Preacher, WWE wrestler Titus O'Neil and former Pennsylvania Governor, Thomas Corbett to paint his portrait.

MSPP Artists Participate in Annapolis Symphony Acedemy Fundraiser

Ten local professional artists, many of them MSPP members, painted striking designs on violins donated by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools, in order to support the Annapolis Symphony’s new Academy, an immersive program for local youths who have a love of music and a desire to learn how to play classical instruments. 

The Painted Violins were displayed in local art galleries, restaurants, educational and cultural venues in and around Anne Arundel County, September through December, and the final raffle drawing was on January 27th.

MSPP members who participated (click here to read more about the project and the artists):

Sandra Cohen
Melissa Gryder
Abigail McBride
Nancy McCarra
Phyllis Saroff
Andree Tullier
Sarah Wardell

NEW ACCREDITED MEMBER
Kai Lun Qu

The Accreditation Committee recently accredited MSPP member Kai Lun Qu. Kai is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Arts. Kai has studied with Vincent Desiderio and Steven Assael at the New York Academy of Arts. He also studied with Daniel Keys and Timothy Rees at the Scottsdale Artist School as well as traveling to the Village Arts of Putney's Studio Barn, home to Richard Schmid's renown Putney Painters to study with Michelle Dunaway.

Rick Casali a Finalist in the 2018 Portrait Society of America International Competition

We are happy to announce that MSPP member Rick Casali was a finalist in the Portrait Society of America's (PSOA) International Competition. This year they received 2,733 entries from all over the world, and 24 finalists were selected. Rick attended the PSOA conference in DC this April, where he participated in the Face Off and then gave a talk called "Timeless Geometry: Planes of the Head Explained in Clay."

Congratulations, Rick, on your achievement!

Honoring Dorothy Newland

March 25, 1921 ~ October 12, 2018 (age 97)

Founding MSPP member Dorothy F. Newland passed away peacefully on Oct 12th, 2018 at the age of 97. Dorothy owned and ran The Troika Gallery along with her daughter Laura Era and Jennifer Heyd Wharton.

She loved people and she loved painting them well into her advanced years, being very proud of painting three retired Admiral's portraits. Two of them hang at the Naval Academy.

Portraits from Havre De Grace has officially begun. I had three painting sessions with three amazing people. Not only did I make a painting but I now have a special bond with my new friends. 
The technique that I am using to paint these portraits is called Alla Prima, which is by far the most challenging way to paint in my opinion. It is a live one-session painting of about three hours where capturing a likeness along with the energy is my objective.
 
Portraits from Havre De Grace has been created by me but I was inspired by artists Rose Franzen’s, Portrait of Maquoketa project 2005-06. Over the course of one year Rose painted 180 people from her community. Rose’s efforts captured not only the likeness of her models but also a bit of their humanity. Together the 180 paintings serve as a powerful reminder of how much we can enrich each other’s lives and how important a strong community is.