What are we doing?

If you're wondering why you haven't heard from us in a while, it's because we have to share one typewriter!






We are wrapping up the first semester of youth programs at artisTree and are so proud of what we and our young artists have accomplished in such a short time.

Since July, Amanda and the Groundworks team have

• Provided over 100 hours of dance instruction
• Begun to set several pieces on the dance ensembles
• Performed in the Reston Town Center Parade
• Developed a script for the Groundworks acting ensemble
• Worked with dance master Diane Yates
  
• Made creative use of a non-traditional dance setting without complaint

Amanda has also taught our youngest moving artists (age 3 to 4) in Creative Movement and introduced a group of 5 to 8 year-olds to the FUNdamentals of Acting. As always, the students are enamored of their beloved "Miss Amanda."

Meanwhile, Marco Rando and the elemenTree arts crew have

• Offered three successful sessions of art and design classes to 15 enthusiastic young artists

• Created found object sculptures and Cornell-style 3-D collage boxes

• Introduced principles of graphic design under the tutelage of Doug Fuller

• Reached out to more local artists to expand artisTree's visual arts programming

• Created and carried an 8 foot by 10 foot canvas banner for the Reston Town Center parade

We are working on programming for Seedlings, our theatre arts branch. We would like to offer an audition prep series for middle and high school age students (and maybe one for adults), which would cover the 16-bar audition song, the one-minute monologue and basic dance sequences. If you are interested in this series and would like to have input in the scheduling, please contact me at seedlings@restonartistree.com to let me know when you'd like to see this program offered.

On the administrative side, we are continuing our search for studio space. We looked at two promising, yet very different, spaces last week and are hopeful that one will work out for us in the not too distant future. If you know any arts-loving developers or commercial property owners in Reston, let us know!

We have a VERY limited number (2 adult L, 2 adult M) of our exclusive "Create Here" t-shirts for sale for $20 each. The front has an 8x10 blank "canvas" for you to create your own design (Sharpies work well), while the back is adorned with the colorful artistree splash logo (designed by Doug Fuller) Email info@restonartistree.com if you would like to purchase one.

We are currently reworking the website and plan on re-launching it before the end of the year. If you have any ideas or suggestions you'd like us to incorporate in the new, improved design, send them on over to greg@restonartistree.com .

We are looking forward to expanding our programming in 2009. If you have an idea for a class you'd like to take or to teach, pitch it to me at info@restonartistree.com !

Holiday Parade was a Success

SUCCESS!

First, a big thank you to all the students, parents and friends who came out to support Reston ArtisTree in our first public performance.

Seven of our dancers performed for the crowd and were well received. Thank you Miss Amanda and girls for a great performance.

The weather was beautiful and not too windy, which made carrying the banner much easier. Thank you to all the people who added their personal touch to the banner and Marco for sharing his artwork (PLU), canvas, engineering skill, and guidance in the construction of the banner.

Thank you to Larry for the photos.

And finally a huge thank you to Margo for registering for the parade, herding cats, and helping it all come together for a fabulous day.

Collaboration and Flow

This evening the posts are flowing! Margo was working on some script before she decided to document the process instead. Unfortunately there are no photos of the effort, but you will see her work in the upper right corner.

I sat back and watched the right and left brain artists battle it out. Fascinating to say the least.

The idea of being in the Reston Holiday Parade came about a few weeks ago. At that time we batted around a few ideas, and there were some grand schemes! Over time, we kept refining the ideas, until today when we actually put it together. The final idea was influenced by the t-shirts (no pix until after the parade!) that we picked up this morning.

We are about recycling and reusing, so Marco's banner from the first Lollapalooza at Lake Fairfax makes a return after 18 (!) years. With the banner, t-shirts hot off the press and looking around at what we had, the final idea was constructed.

We figured a way to 'carry' the banner (bamboo) and added more art. You can see what I am talking about from the two previous posts.

All very exciting, at least for the five of us working this evening. Tomorrow, we will add more doodles and make final preparations for the parade.

We hope to see everyone at the parade, 11 a.m. Friday.

Kids Start Doodling

J creating.

It's 9:00 p.m. and the kids got right to work creating their own doodles for the parade banner.

J and Greg collaborating.

Z posing.

Countdown to the Parade

Marco and Greg have been busy preparing the artistree banner to carry in the parade on Friday.  In the true spirit of "use what you have," Marco has recycled his 18 year-old PLU banner (long-time Restonians may remember seeing it from Wiehle Avenue as you approached Inlet Court).  PLU is Marco's character who represents Peace, Love and Understanding.  

On the other side of the 8' x 10' banner is a blank "create here" canvas, where anyone is free to doodle.  It's a giant version of the "create here" t-shirt, which is a larger version of the "create here" canvases you'll soon found in your favorite Reston hangouts.  

Groundworks Takes a Field Trip

On Wednesday, November 19th, many of the Groundworks dancers met at the Reston Community Center's Center Stage to see Doug Varone and Dancers in concert. They were joined in the audience by a contingent of Ms. Studd's GMU students. Throughout the performance, the young dancers sat in rapt attention as they watched artistry in motion. The Varone dancers' combination of athleticism, artistry, energy and expressiveness made for a truly engaging and memorable performance. Many thanks to the Reston Community Center for arranging this experience for our students!

Long Time Coming

After several months of saying, "We should have a blog," I decided today would be the day to actually start it. (Hey! Did someone slip some Adderall in my coffee? Thanks!)

With this blog, we hope to keep interested (and interesting) people informed about artistree's various projects, including the search for a permanent space, new classes, special events and art happenings in the area. We'll also post photos and videos of our artists in action.

This will also serve as the gallery for our "Create Here" project. Soon you may find one of the miniature canvases we've strewn about Reston. These canvases come with some cray-pas and instructions to "Create Here". Our hope is that those who come upon these little art kits will create original works on the spot, leave their work for others to enjoy and email us a photo of the finished work. (An artist may even leave a note inviting others to add to the work.) We'll post the photos and try to track where these works end up.

Our first big special event is coming up this Friday! Please come see us in the Reston Town Center holiday parade. Members of all the branches will march along -- some dancing, some skateboarding, one filming -- and all promoting the "Create Here" campaign with their blank canvas t-shirts. Young dancers from the Groundworks Youth Dance Ensemble will be performing at the grandstand area. Maybe you'll even find one of those nifty little canvases, if you look hard enough!