The W.A.S. meeting will be held Wednesday, March 12th at the Wellington Community Center, 12165 West Forest Hill Blvd. As always, there will be a meet and mingle beginning at 6:30pm with a raffle and fabulous art and art related prizes, with the proceeds going to the Wellington Art Society Scholarship Fund. Also of interest is our Member Spotlight for members to show recent work and tell about their upcoming shows and artist development. The general meeting begins at 7:00PM with the presentation and demo to follow. The evening’s events are generally over by 8:30. Guests are welcome for a $5 fee.

Durga Garcia
Durga Garcia is a published, internationally shown, award winning and merited photographer of fine art images and portraits. Her images can be found in numerous public and private collections. She is a South Florida based freelance professional photographer of projects, art for artists and portraits with several long-term projects and books to her credit.

“Artisans” by Durga Garcia
Durga brings a most uncommon background to her pictures with a past that has her living in many countries and across America, working as a racehorse trainer, steeplechase jockey, equine veterinary paramedic, certified art appraiser, yoga teacher and member of the U.S. International Pistol Team.

Durga has parlayed her years of experience as a certified art appraiser into a special talent for conveying those nuanced details. Durga teaches photography at the Armory Art Center; leads monthly photo-talk-walks at Jonathan Dickinson & MacArthur Beach State Parks; lectures on photography for Artist and Photographic groups; hosts a blog of tips and tricks of the business for photographers and is currently writing a “Your First Photography” book.

“Last Cypress Tree” by Durga Garcia
Ms. Garcia states, “I strive to make an image that people want to look at closely. To notice subtle nuances, created with light and shadows. My fine art images rarely show identity, have a timeless quality, with often the unexpected, gestures, textures, emotions and are hopefully thought-provoking.”

“As We Are” from Durga Garcia’s SOLO Exhibit at NAWA Headquarters in New York City
Durga’s work is being highlighted in a SOLO show this March at the N.A.W.A Gallery, 80 Fifth Ave, NYC, March 5 – 28, 2014, titled “As We Are” . More information about this exhibit is listed below. She is also taking part in an International Invitational show, The MALAFOCO PROJECT, Montevideo, Uruguay, March 2014.

“As We Are,” a solo show of the works of artist Durga Garcia, opened March 5, 2014 in the intimate N.A.W.A. Gallery. The show is an assemblage of Garcia’s conceptual photographic work including her earliest and memorable dark series “Until Ever After,” her ongoing Allegorical series, and a selection of recent conceptual commissioned portraits. The connecting theme is female figures and earthy tones with subtle shades of meaning, making the images sensuous and often thought-provoking. ”
“Garcia discloses her mastery of the photographic medium as well as versatile, playful nature. Reflecting the eerie genre of her inspiration sources, these photographs interpret one of the most elaborated themes in art.” –Art Critic Ana Bambic Kostov, ArtAscent Magazine December 2013
When asked how this show came about, Durga tells The Rickie Report: “I was standing in the National Association of Women Artists Gallery last November, looking at their logo, thinking I can (photographicly) do that! Three months later, my N.A.W.A logo inspired work is the frontis piece for my first solo show, As We Are, and it is at the National Association of Women Artists gallery on 5th Ave in NYC, during the National Association of Women Artists 125th anniversary year! This really is more than I dreamed of, I am so excited!”

Durga Garcia’s “Artisans”
Durga goes on to share, “The image has been titled “Artisans”, although in color for the frontis piece, for the fine art version, it is desaturated it for the more muted tones I enjoy. The plans for the As We Are show after is closes in NYC, are for the show to travel to Hilton Head SC before exhibiting in Florida”
Durga’s work can be seen locally in a current group show at the Amory Art Center, “Faculty Exhibit” Feb 21- March 22, 2014. In addition, 50 of her portraits of working dogs will be shown at Palm Beach College, “BARK” Invitational Exhibit, Fall, 2014 . The photographer’s website is www.durgagarcia.com
Re: “As We Are”- Solo Exhibition, Durga Garcia at the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (N.A.W.A.) . The exhibit runs through March 28, 2014. Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 am – 5 pm. The Gallery is located at 80 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1405, New York, NY 10011. For more information please call 212-675-1616 or e-mail: office@nawa.org,
As always, the evening is for artists and art lovers to hear about all of the exciting projects and initiatives that WAS is involved in and to find out how to participate.
Currently the WAS Member Art Show at the Gallery at City Hall features 17 artists and 36 works of art. The Village and Wellington Art Society will host a “Celebrate Creativity” Artists’ Reception on Tuesday, March 25,from 5:30 –7:00 at the Gallery at City Hall with a demo, Meet the Artists, door prizes, and refreshments. The WAS Member Art Show continues through April 30.
The new WAS Members’ Art Showcase beginning March 11, at the Wellington Community Center, lower level is sure to inspire people of all ages who visit the Community Center. A wide variety of mediums and techniques reveal the creative artistic expressions and mastery of our members. The WAS Showcase will continue through mid-June. Additionally, the Wellington Community Center displays WAS art, original works that are available for sale and are rotated every three months.
WAS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, its mission is to educate and encourage originality and productivity among its members and area youth through programs designed to further the advancement of cultural endeavors in Palm Beach County. For more information, visit their website, www.wellingtonartsociety.org or wellingtonartsociety.blogspot.com