BARBARA FUGATE Drawings And Paintings

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Installed!

Various shots of drawing mural as it is installed.

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Randy Engstrom, Founding Director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center--pointing out his image representing one of the many individuals that have contributed towards the making of this new hub of creativity to the Seattle Arts Community.

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And here it is...quickly installed for the Grand Opening of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center and Cooper Artist Lofts (within the same building) last week.  The Gala was on Friday, February 24th, and what a night it was.  I have heard reports ranging from 1500 to 3000 visitors attended---and as one of the artists with their studio (live/work space) door open to the public, it sure felt like 3000 or more.  We all had Gala-Hangovers that lasted throughout the following weekend!  The hallways were a ghost-town as we must have all been hibernating in recovery-mode. 

What a success the evening was in numbers, that's for sure.  A truly grand and brilliant beginning for this renovated elementary school (est. 1917) turned into Arts Center and Artist Lofts.  BRAVO to DNDA for a fantastic unveiling to the city of Seattle.

Below is MY ARTIST STATEMENT as displayed next to my Cooper Portrait Drawing Project:

  Inspiration is the artist’s muse; the fire; the fuel.  And inspiration was sparked when I moved into Cooper Artist’s Lofts on January 1, 2006. 

  My muse was clear that some kind of recognition must be made, a commemoration, a representation on a grand scale to match the impressive amount of collaborative human effort that went into renovating the building in which you now stand.  And I took it upon myself to do just that—to make a Portrait Drawing of Cooper Artist Lofts, specifically for the Grand Opening event.

  This 22 foot in length drawing shows portraits of fifteen individuals (and there are many more than I had time to draw) who have made and continue to make this beautifully restored building a real center of creativity; a vital and significant addition to the city of Seattle’s arts community.  They are DNDA Staff and Administration, Walsh Construction, and tenants of the building.  While there are many faces to be seen in this drawing, I invite you to consider viewing the piece as a whole—as a collective spirit that is generous, intelligent, creative, thoughtful, energetic, inspired, and fun.

  Each individual came to my studio to sit for their portrait drawing, volunteering an hour of their time.  It was a true pleasure to meet them all and draw from them, too.   Below is a list of my sitters and their connections to Cooper.  I am grateful to each of them.   --Barbara Fugate

The drawing began on Feb. 2nd and was finished Feb. 21st, 2006.
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Listed in order of appearance on the drawing:
Kate Stannard: Project Manager, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
Karee Fisher: Poet, Resident of Cooper
Ellery Pitt: emerging artist, son of Karre Fisher and Jason Pitt: Musician
Robble: Cooper’s Fourth Floor Favorite Pooch (pet-parents are Amy Steadman and Quentin Smith, both Musicians and Vocalists, Residents of Cooper)
Stu Thompson: Assistant Superintendent, Walsh Construction
Flynn Bickley: Mixed Media Artist, Resident of Cooper
Jordan Howland: Manager, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (two portraits)
Paul Fishburg: Executive Director, DNDA
Randy Engstrom: Founding Director, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
Case Correll: Resident Manager, Cooper Artist Lofts
Parie Heins: Project Manager, DNDA (two portraits)
Paul Goldstein: Sculptor and Resident of Cooper (hands)
Peter Goodall: Architect, SMR Architects
Phillipa Nye: Project Manager, DNDA
Gina Hall: Fund Development Director, DNDA

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: I'm in the Seattle Times!

Check it out!  A great article covering Cooper Artist Lofts and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center--the history of the building--past and present--including a picture of me working on the Portrait Project!!  Click on image for a larger version.

here's the link:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=youngstown23&date=20060223&query=Youngstown

Photo in Seattle Times Article: Creative Heart Keeps Beating

Photographer: Jim Bates/Seattle Times

Photo Caption:  Barbara Fugate, a resident artist at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, works on a charcoal portrait of Steu Thompson of the construction company that worked on the center. It is part of a mural of those involved with the project.

BUILDING GRAND OPENING IS THIS FRIDAY, FEB 24: 6-10 PM

go to www.youngstownarts.org for more information.

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portrait 15, Final Sitting

This afternoon marked the end-point for this Cooper Portrait Drawing Project---the sands of time dropped its last grain!  The drawing must be installed tomorrow morning to be on view during Donor Appreciation night, followed by Friday's Grand Opening.  You can imagine the anticipation and preparations going on in the building about now...

Thank you to Kate Stannard, who was my final sitter today.  Kate arrived with a gift for me--in thanks for undertaking (and creating) this project--a perfect example of the generous spirit shown by the folks of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.  Kate Stannard is Project Manager for Community Development of the Delridge Neighboorhood and a Fund Raiser for Affordable Housing, as well.  For those in the Seattle area, you may be familiar with West Seattle's Longfellow Creek Trail--Kate was instrumental in making that a reality too.  Kate has worked for DNDA for the past eight years.

As I was making this drawing of Kate, I realized that she is both the final sitter for this drawing and the first image (on the left hand side of the 20 foot drawing)--like a double entendre; a bookend!  Perfect.  Thanks Kate!

Please click on images for larger versions.

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portraits 13 & 14

A very special beginning to the day today in my studio...I was graced by the presence a Mother and her baby to draw from for my Cooper Portrait Drawing Project.  These are all too rare occasions, for me at least...and what a treat.

The baby was a perfect model, contentedly sitting on Mother's lap while she described to him my drawings covering the walls---and he seemed authentically interested...until he fell sound asleep.  There's some meaning/comment there, I know.  In any case, within 30 minutes I had my drawing of two more residents in the building--and one more to go this afternoon. 

Both Mother and Baby live in Cooper Artists Lofts.

Please click on images for larger versions.

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portrait 12

Tonight's portrait session makes the full dozen!  I've drawn from twelve individuals associated in various capacities with Cooper Artist Lofts & Youngstown Cultural Arts Center--and twelve was my goal, so today is a happy day.  Tomorrow I'll break the dozen with two more sitters to go before the drawing is prepared for hanging on Wednesday morning.

And my sitter this evening is Robble, my floor's resident pooch--a very well mannered and ever-curious Boston Terrier.  Robble is just a pup, a mere eleven months old.  Robble's owners (adopted parents) are both singers and musicians:  Amy Steadman and Quentin Smith formerly from the east coast.  Quentin Smith sings with the band Vaux and Amy is currently working on a new recording of her own music.

Please click on images for larger versions.

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Here are a couple of photos of Robble--all dressed up in his winter jacket:

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portrait 11

Two Cooper Portrait Drawings in one afternoon, followed by a visit by Seattle Times Photographer, Jim (didn't get the last name)--busy day in the studio! 

Jim, from the Seattle Times, was in the building today photographing many aspects of the building for an upcoming article about Cooper Artist Lofts and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center--highlighting our Grand Opening on Friday night.  Keep a look out for the article in the next few days---they didn't reveal the day it will be printed...  If I am pictured, you'll see me in the process of drawing from Stu Thompson, Assistant Superintendent of Walsh Construction.

Stu Thompson has been working with the Walsh crew on this building for the past year---pretty much to the day today for Stu.  I can only imagine the transformation Stu and the rest of his crew has seen...hands-on...here at Cooper.  The building had been vacant for the past 16 years after serving the community as an elementary school beginning in 1917.  Fantastic work, Stu (and the rest of Walsh Construction)---the building is gorgeous!  Many, many thanks for all your work.

Please click on images for larger versions.

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portrait 10

This afternoon's sitter was Flynn Bickley, tenant of Cooper Artist Lofts.  Flynn is a mixed media artist, as well as an expert swimmer and swimming instructor.  You can view Flynn's artwork during our Grand Opening event happening THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH: 6-10PM. Go to www.youngstownarts.org for more information on the event.

With Flynn's portrait drawing, you might be able to see a seam in the paper.  I've added another roll of Tableau (Japanese Rice Paper) to the piece--I ran out of room!  The original roll is 16 feet long, so beginning with Flynn's addition, it will be growing well beyond that.  Come to the Grand Opening the see this 16 feet-plus... drawing on the ground level Cultural Arts Center.

Please click on images for larger versions.

COOPER PORTRAIT DRAWING PROJECT: Portrait 9

The sun rays beaming through my skylights were a perfect setting for today's portrait sitter, Gina Hall. 

Gina Hall is Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association's Fund Development Director.  A radiant personality, genuine and forthright---no wonder the financial support and physical renovation of this Historic Cooper Artist Lofts & Arts Center has been so well done.  With a team of folks like those I've drawn from so far for this portrait project--nothing other than wonderful can be said of their endeavors and resultant lofts and arts center building.

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Cooper Portrait Drawing Project: Portrait 8

Here is another sneak preview of the drawing in progress...rolled out on my floor.

With my sitter today it took a new turn...Paul Fischburg, Executive Director of Delridge Neighboorhoods Development Association visited my studio for his addition to the project.  Graciously giving me an hour of his day, he sat while I drew and developed a drawing of him with a more materials than previously used.  I used a few colors of soft pastels along with the sepia colored artist chalk---on top of a previous head I scrubbed out (I had made two drawings of that person on the roll).  This lended more dimension and an anchor, if you will, to the drawing as a whole.  Just what it needed.  Thanks Paul.

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Cooper Portrait Drawing: Portrait 7

Fund raising, working in collaboration with construction and architecture, just to name a few...a woman of many talents.  Phillipa Nye, Project Manager, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.

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