Artists Invited to Work at Gari Melchers Home and Studio

on Seurat Sunday, April 30, 2006

[Images ©copyright protected property of Jeanne Tanks.]
Fabulous Success!

On Sunday, April 30, 2006 amateur and professional artists are invited to use the grounds of Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont as their own plein-air workshop.

Seurat Sunday is a day of creativity co-sponsored by the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts and Gari Melchers Home and Studio.  The event is a revival of a similar event held at Belmont for a number of years in the 80’s and early 90’s.

From 9:30am until 4pm, artists may work anywhere on the estate’s expansive grounds and gardens overlooking the Rappahannock river.  Live models will be strolling and available to pose, and music will add to the ambience.  Artists in all media are welcome, as well as photographers and those just wanting to enjoy the day as observers.  Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch and picnic on the grounds as they work.

Seurat Sunday derives its name from the nineteenth century French artist Georges Seurat, whose most famous painting, Sunday Afternoon on Le Grande Jatte (Art Institute of Chicago), depicts a crowd of Parisians enjoying a happy outing on the banks of the River Seine.

The cost for the event is $15.00 for FCCA members and Friends of Belmont, and $20.00 for non-members.  Students 18 and under will be charged $5.00.  Registration includes a guided tour of the house and studio at Belmont.

The day will end with a wine and cheese reception from 4-6pm during which time artists may display their day’s work and share the camaraderie of creativity.  Poetry and awards from the FCCA’s Poetry Workshop will complete the event.

Detailed information about registration and the day’s program is available from either the FCCA at 540-373-5646 or on their website, http://www.fccava.org/  It is also available at http://www.garimelchers.org/ or by contacting Betsy Labar at Gari Melchers Home and Studio, 540-654-1848. [news release by David Berreth]

For directions, visit http://www.umw.edu/belmont/directions.html or call 540-654-1845

[Rain date: June 11th]

Click here to print out your registration form.

Art Classes offered at FCCA 2006