GOLDEN Partners With Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Hosting Three Art Educators at Artist Residency

Three Talented Scholastic Art & Writing Award Educators Selected for Unique Weeklong Artist Residency

to Explore Innovative Uses of Painting Technology

 

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and Golden Artist Colors Host Three Art Educators at a

One-of-a-Kind Artist Residency for Opportunity to Refresh and Enhance Their Personal Artistic Visions

 

For the first time ever, the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in partnership with Golden Artist Colors coordinated the Golden Educators Residency—an unprecedented opportunity for art educators with students who received recognition in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Three high school art educators, Cristina Gonzalez of New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, NM; Jeffrey Deane Hall of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in Richmond, VA; and Claire Lerner of Santa Catalina School in Monterey, CA, were selected to participate in this prestigious weeklong artist residency. From July 28 to August 5, 2015, the artists-in-residence lived in private apartments at the Golden Foundation Artist Residence in New Berlin, New York, and received the unparalled opportunity to enhance their own artistic skills through access to large studio spaces and a vast array of unique painting materials and technologies from Golden Artist Colors, which is located just down the road from the Residency Barn.

“The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards wouldn’t be possible without the support of dedicated educators across the country. They serve as a valuable source of guidance and affirmation for their students—for this, we are immensely grateful,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “Our partnership with Golden Artist Colors and the conception of the Golden Educators Residency is an exciting opportunity to celebrate art educators and encourage them in pursuit of their own creative visions. It is our hope that they will feel reenergized in their work and will take the inspiration they gain in this residency back to their classrooms to foster the next generation of creative leaders.”

While in residence, the three educators focused on developing their own artistic practices while exploring Golden Artist Colors’ wide range of custom and experimental acrylic, oil and watercolor products available for professional artists working with paint. On-site GOLDEN Materials and Application Specialists challenged them to use innovative materials, open new channels for creative expression, and expand the way they think about the painting process. Residents attended daily exploratory workshops with GOLDEN Technical Services staff and gained 24/7 access to open studio space and 140 acres of pastoral meadows within the premises. Also included in the residency, each Scholastic Art & Writing Award educator received a $1,200 stipend, a one-year membership with the National Art Education Association, and supplies of GOLDEN’s high-quality art materials.

Mark Golden, CEO of Golden Artist Colors shared, “It has been so exciting to share the resources here with these exceptional artists. It is clear that their talent as artists adds immensely to the value they bring to the classroom. Their willingness and delight in exploring everything here will hopefully be an aid to their own work in the future and I am confident this will extend to their students as well.”

In 2015, a record breaking 300,000+ works were submitted by students across the country for adjudication at the regional level, with more than 1,900 teens from 47 U.S. states, Washington, D.C. and American schools abroad receiving national recognition. Educators working in paint with at least one student who received recognition in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were invited to apply to the Golden Educators Residency. From this pool of thoughtful and inspiring submissions, three teachers were selected as Golden Educators Residents through a competitive juried process based on the quality of their personal submitted artwork.

Deadlines for educators’ students to apply to the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards vary by region throughout the winter months, with National Medalists announced in March 2016. To learn more about the Awards, visit the Scholastic Media Room online at mediaroom.scholastic.com/artandwriting.

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About the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers:

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, identifies teenagers with exceptional creative talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Founded in 1923, the Awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious initiative of its kind, having fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students through recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Over the past six years alone, students have submitted more than a million works of art and writing and more than $30 million has been made available in scholarships and awards to top participants. www.artandwriting.org

 

About Golden Artist Colors, Inc.:

Golden Artist Colors, Inc. is a manufacturer of artist quality materials including colors and mediums for painting in acrylics, oils and most recently, watercolor. With two locations, a 100,000-square-foot facility in rural Columbus, N.Y., and a 45,000-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center in Norwich, N.Y., the company’s 155 employees are committed to producing materials that encourage exploration of form and concept, while assuring archival integrity. The GOLDEN brand of acrylics is known for quality and archival integrity as well as being the most innovative and extensive system available. The company also owns Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors, which is known for its quality and extensive palette of colors including genuine Italian and French earth colors. QoR^®, a new, thoroughly modern watercolor is made with an exclusive Aquazol binder, providing more pigment in every brushstroke, as well as color strength, range and versatility unmatched in the history of watercolors. Furthermore, the Custom Lab at GOLDEN serves artists and organizations by formulating materials to fit their needs and purposes. Not only committed to its customers and local community, GOLDEN is dedicated to its employee owners as well. In April 2010, GOLDEN employees became the majority owners of the company and in 2008, the company became a 100% Tobacco Free Campus for staff and visitors. For information about Golden Artist Colors and its comprehensive product offering, call

1-800-959-6543 or visit www.goldenpaints.com, www.williamsburgoils.com or www.qorcolors.com.

 

About the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts:

The mission of the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts is to be a meaningful resource for the professional visual artist. The Golden Foundation was conceived as a way to thank the community of artists for their support, encouragement and friendship. For the Golden family and friends, the Golden Foundation is also a means of celebrating the legacy of Sam and Adele. For more information on the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation, visit www.goldenfoundation.org