12.28.09

Andrea has recently been asked to contribute images on behalf of the Drawing Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, CA whose mission is to help provide art supplies to children's hospitals, and other organizations where the need arises.

In appreciation of their support, donors receive notecards featuring art from Drawing Dreams' two online galleries: art by children, as part of the Children Helping Children initiative, and images from professional visual and performing artists, photographers, architects, athletes, scientists, and visionaries from around the world, as part of Artists Helping Children.

Check out all the wonderful art in the galleries! Blackbirds are Gathering has made the headliner on page 2!
 

11.05.09

An article in the LA newspaper Easy Reader discussing the album, the people behind it, and the cover art!

Easy Reader: Three Brains are Better than One

Check it out! 

11.02.09

Myartspace is another new place to catch all of Andrea's s updated portfolios! Be sure to also check out the site's "Featured Artist" spotlight, where Andrea was recently featured.

www.myartspace.com/andreakowch

Check it out!

10.28.09

The energy, interaction, and conversation of ArtPrize drew in a crowd of over 37,000 viewers with over 330,000 votes placed!

Be sure to visit Andrea's blog to see photos and read her entry on ArtPrize 2009. Hear her take on her experience, her showing with installation artist Cory Vanderzwaag at the Stache Gallery, and how it felt to have been one of the 1,262 pioneering artists who contributed to making this cultural experiment such a success!

Andrea Kowch: ArtPrize 2009

See photos from the event on Flickr. 

09.16.09

A quick update on ArtPrize and the voting procedure. Voters may now pre-register online at www.artprize.org. You still will have to show ID in person at the event to be eligible, however, this will save you time when you get there. Below are the rules. Additional information regarding voter registration stations at the event, etc., can be found at www.artprize.org/vote. Hope to see everyone there! The first week of voting, September 23-30, is the one that determines the top ten, so please plan on visiting and voting during that week! The final round (second week, October 1-7) can be done online. Feel free to also spread the word wherever you hang out online as well, by posting Andrea's "ArtPrize" badge above. Thank you all for your support!

Voting rules
Anyone who registers in person at the ArtPrize event can vote. You cannot vote without registering at the event.

• • Attendees will be required to present a valid government issued ID in person at a registration station
  • ID can be drivers license, other state ID or passport
  • Pre-register and save time activating your voter status at the event
  • There will be voter registration stations throughout the city September 23-October 7

Week 1 voting - All artists

• • Voting begins 6:00pm, September 23, 2009
  • You can vote on more than one work
  • You cannot vote more than once for the same work
  • Live results can be viewed online
  • Week 1 voting ends 11:59pm, September 30
  • Top 10 finalists will be announced evening, October 1

Week 2 voting - Top 10, ONE vote

• • Voting begins after announcement of the Top 10, October 1
  • You have only ONE vote during Week 2
  • You may only vote among the Top 10
  • You may change your vote until voting ends
  • Results are concealed during Week 2
  • Week 2 voting ends 11:59pm, October 7
  • Winners will be announced at a gala event October 8

 

09.02.09

Andrea has been accepted to show in ArtPrize, the world's largest prized art competition to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan this month! Thank you to Stache Gallery, who has chosen to represent her in this global competition as her hosting venue. Andrea was also given the opportunity to display additional work alongside her ArtPrize entry, so come on out and see her little show within the show! 

This radical competition, part art competition, part social experiment, and labeled by some as the "American Idol" of the art world, is one huge event you do not want to miss! The winner is determined by public vote. To vote, you must be present in person at the event in Grand Rapids, which runs from September 23 - October 10, 2009. Voters must also be registered with the event to be eligible to vote. Beginning September 14, 2009, voters may pre-register online at www.artprize.org. Voting at the event will be entirely electronic (via cell-phone or internet) and results will be available for live viewing online during the duration of the event. There will be two rounds of voting over the course of the two weeks. The first round determines the top ten finalists, and the final round determines the prize winners. Please visit www.artprize.org/vote for all registration and voting information.

Out of nearly 2,000 applicants from over 20 different countries, approximately 1,200 artists have been chosen to show in this event, spanning a three-square-mile radius of the city. Painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art are just a few of the many mediums that will be showcased.  

Come be a part of a unique cultural experience and vote! A tiny portion of the painting that will be submitted for this event is shown (see left).

Please visit www.artprize.org for more information, and check out Andrea's official ArtPrize profile.


"ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in the city who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends.

We are living in a time of great change. New ideas, fresh inspiration will move us forward.There are enough art competitions where the winners are decided by a jury of experts. That's not the competition we are creating. We're looking for a giant conversation to happen between artists and the public. That is why we developed a radically open framework for this event, which gives power to everyone's opinion.When everyone's opinion counts, everyone is included in the conversation. ArtPrize exists to reboot the conversation between artists and audiences on a grand scale."

This is the prize breakdown of the largest art competition in the world:
1st place: $250,000
2nd: $100,000
3rd: $50,000
4th: $7,000
5th: $7,000
6th: $7,000
7th: $7,000
8th: $7,000
9th: $7,000
10th: $7,000

09.01.09

The children's book Andrea recently illustrated is now out and available for purchase!

A great story created to teach children about the importance of caring for the environment, and how to leave less of a footprint on the earth, it is a sweet, fun, educational read for children and adults alike. 

Purchase your copy online here!

Book signing events TBA


The Clubhouse Conundrum
by Heather Meloche, Julie Angeli, Kathleen Pranger
Illustrated by Andrea Kowch

Children's book, hardcover, 32 pp

The IHM Sisters use a story about building a clubhouse to teach children about environmental responsibility and the spirituality of sustainability.

The Clubhouse Conundrum, a 32-page, four-color, hardbound book tells the story of Monica and Gabe who want a clubhouse but disagree about whether to tear down the old fort and start over or to renovate what’s already there. When Monica’s Aunt Sarah, a nun, hears their debate, she takes them on a tour of her Motherhouse and show them how she and her 480 sisters resolved a similar problem.

During their amazing tour through the sisters’ earth-friendly home, Monica and Gabe learn about the sacredness of all creation, discover a little about post-modern nuns and find an answer to their problem.

06.12.09

Blackbird Ballads, the recent music collaboration between LA-based poet Brian Michael Tracy and musicians Andy Hill and Renee Safier is now released featuring Andrea's Blackbirds are Gathering as the album art! 

A lyrical, wonderful album combining music and the spoken word, it was performed in its entirety at the release party in Redondo Beach last weekend, and is now available for purchase through Midnight Tea Poetry. 

Get your copy!

04.07.09

Andrea's work was chosen once again to appear in Spectrum's Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art international art annual! Expect to see No Turning Back in this year's annual.

View the list of accepted artists for 2009

If you have not yet purchased the 2008 annual featuring No Trespassing, be sure to visit Andrea's blog post for information. It is filled with work by our modern day masters, and is a true visual feast!

03.25.09

Andrea's official Myspace and Facebook pages are here! 

www.myspace.com/andreakowchillustration

www.facebook.com/andrea.kowch.artist

03.10.09 

Come check out Andrea's work in the CCS Illustration alumni group show currently running at the Northville Art House in Northville, Michigan. The show runs until March 29, and features many wonderful works on display by prominent CCS Illustration alumni. 

Visit the Northville Art House online here to get a peek at some of the work featured ("No Turning Back" is among the ones used for their online promo).

March 6–29, 2009

"Continuance: The Persistence of Personal Vision"

College for Creative Studies Illustration Alumni Annual Show (upstairs gallery)

Be a pART of it! The Northville Art House is proud to present "Continuance...The Persistence of Personal Vision: The College for Creative Studies Illustration Alumni Annual Show." Please join us in celebrating the cutting edge of illustration art. Pushing the boundaries of how art is created, today’s illustrators work with everything from traditional media to sophisticated digital technology. They work in diverse fields – from graphic and web design to conceptual art for games, movies and toys. They turn old attitudes upside down and let their passion drive new visions. The Art House is privileged to bring together a panorama of creative works from these individuals – all graduates of Detroit’s own acclaimed College of Creative Studies - to the Northville and Metro Detroit community through this show.

The show will open with a reception Friday, March 6, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm during Northville's First Friday Art Walk. The show will continue through March 29 during the Art House Gallery hours (Thursdays - Sundays 1:00pm - 5:00pm, first Fridays only 1:00pm - 9:00pm.)

 

For additional information, call 248-344-0497. The Art House is located at 215 W. Cady Street and is a facility of the Northville Arts Commission. Admission to Art House shows is always free and open to the public.

02.07.09

One Night Only! Come out and see the I Hate Lucy: The Trials and Tribulations of Love show this Valentine's Day weekend, where Andrea, along with several other artists will have work exhibited. Check out the article in Real Detroit. One of Andrea's new, never-before-seen works done specifically for this show will be in it. Hope to see you there!

Photos from the show will be posted to Flickr.

"I Hate Lucy: The Trials and Tribulations of Love"

An edgy event showcasing the wicked roller coaster of love. Featuring over twenty visual artists from across the country, sharing their sometimes jaded take on the wheel of love. Musical appearances by Detroit’s independent scene powerhouses: Silent Violet, Geist, Magnanomus, and Dj Susana Doncic. This one day exhibition will showcase 60 pieces of love-inspired art from talented artisans for reasonable prices, ranging from the skilled arts of sculpture, photography, and painting. Whether you're in love or sick of love, this show will kick off your Valentine's Day weekend.

Friday, February 13, 2009
8pm - 2am

Russell Industrial Center
1600 Clay St.
Detroit, MI
48211
(313) 872-4000
http://www.ricdetroit.org/

11.28.08

A recent community project Andrea directed was unveiled at this year's Art Bash, an annual event founded by high school art teacher Terri Dworkin at Warren Mott High in Warren, Michigan. Working with local artists, the community, and members of the school staff, Andrea gave back to the community and her old school by creating the design that encompasses an 80" x 80" space within the building. Then, dividing the image up, and distributing portions of it to local artists to complete, all the individual pieces were then brought together to form the whole, making for a visual medley of talent in honor of art and the important role it plays in our world.

Read Andrea's blog entry to get the whole scoop about the project, the process, and the press it garnered at the unveiling!

Andrea Kowch: Giving Back

See photos from the project on Flickr. 

The project and event also made front page of the Sunday Edition of The Macomb Daily Newspaper. Check it out!

The Artists
By Artists-2008

One of the most delightful new acquisitions of the Warren Mott Art Gallery is the artists. Conceived and coordinated by Andrea Kowch, BFA Illustration, College for Creative Studies 2008, the artists is an 80” X 80” mural on the wall that is adjacent to the entrance of Art Room, 131. The mural depicts 9 giants of the art world (Dali, Gauguin, Monet, Kahlo, Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, da Vinci, and Warhol), walking down a corridor. The mural is divided into 20 individual canvases. Each canvas has been completed by an artist affiliated with Warren Mott either as a former student or as a member of its faculty. Individually the canvases are unique and memorable, but as a whole, the collective efforts prove that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each canvas was developed in the contributing artist’s medium of choice and then reassembled to create this gestalt.

11.02.08

Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art international art annual is out now! This 15th volume is full of work by our best artists and illustrators from around the globe. See Andrea's work in it!

Get your copy, available wherever books are sold!

With art drawn from a wide variety of sources — books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, and advertising — Spectrum 15 reinforces both the importance and prevalence of fantasy art in today’s culture. Featuring over 300 exceptional works by artists from around the globe, this gorgeous full-color collection celebrates a cadre of creators working in every style and medium. Included are luminaries such as Brom, James Gurney, Marc Gabanna, Shaun Tan, and 2008’s Grand Master Award winner, John Jude Palencar.

10.25.08

Andrea recently created all the artwork for the 27th Detroit International Wine Auction campaign.

Sponsored by General Motors, the Wine Auction is a major fundraising event for the College for Creative Studies, with proceeds underwriting student scholarships and community outreach programs for high-risk Detroit youth. The two-day fundraiser begins on Friday, October 24 with the Vintner’s Dinner and Auction, presented by Cadillac, at The Capital Grille, Somerset Collection, and the event continues with the Gala Dinner and Auction on Saturday October 25th at the GM Wintergarden and GMnext.

 

10.08.08

Unexpected Company was the first place $2,000 Purchase Prize winner in the Northbrook Library's "Caught in the Act" exhibition this year, and will now be housed in the Northbrook Library's permanent collection! Check out Andrea's blog entry to hear about her experience:

Andrea Kowch: A Memorable Evening at the "Caught in the Act" Exhibition Opening  

You can learn more about the show, and browse the work of this year's accepted artists online at the official website here. 

See photos from the show on Flickr. 

09.17.08

Andrea's painting, Unexpected Company has been selected to appear in the Northbrook Public Library's 6th Annual International Juried Exhibition! It was also among the pieces selected to be used for the show's poster and promotional materials. 

Those in the Chicago area the weekend of October 3, come out to the opening and check out the show!

Northbrook Public Library
1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook, IL 60062

Caught In The Act
Art and the Written Word

A juried show featuring original pieces from artists across the globe, exhibited in a variety of media.

October 3 - October 31, 2008
Opening Reception: October 3, 7:30 - 9:00 pm 

09.08.08

Andrea has recently been invited to feature her work on BrushSpace, a new and fast-growing online community of illustrators, painters, and designers. Be sure to check it out and browse through over 900 fabulous artists working in a multitude of different styles and media, and view their online galleries. Andrea currently ranks among the top 25 most followed! 

www.brushspace.com/artist/Andrea-Kowch

Come on by, be one of her followers, and discover some more cool art along the way.

05.14.08

Come out to the College for Creative Studies' Spring Exhibition Opening this Friday, May 16, 2008 from 7-10pm. Tickets are $50. The show then opens free to the public:

May 17 - 30, 2008
Saturday-Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday-Friday: 10am-8pm

The Opening Reception and Sale is always a big event in Detroit, with more art on display than most can get through in one night. Join us for a night of entertainment, food, and exceptional art at one of the year's best parties. See Andrea's graduate show as well as the individual shows of other fellow '08 grads. See you there!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Update: See photos from the show on Flickr.

Check out opening night on Andrea's blog:

Andrea Kowch: CCS Exhibition - Fun, Friends, and ART!

05.12.08

There's a recent article on ArtBistro.com about the current CMYK Magazine #40 issue, with Andrea's Blackbirds Are Gathering painting featured in it!

You can read the article and see it all here!

04.18.08

The CMYK #40 Spring Issue containing the winners of the Call for Aspiring Creatives competition is now out! See Andrea showcased among the country's top up-and-coming illustration and design creatives!

Get your copy, available wherever magazines are sold!

You can also order one from CMYK Magazine's website:

www.cmykmag.com

04.12.08

Online art critic and founder of Art & Critique, Elijah Shifrin, is currently writing reviews of Andrea's work on ArtandCritique.com

Check out his reviews:

- "Andrea Kowch: Magical Realism & Real Problems"
- "Andrea Kowch: Book Covers - The Crucible; Sleepy Hollow"
- "Andrea Kowch: Landscapes and Outdoor Scenes - A Descent Into Memory"

 

03.28.08 

Andrea's work has been selected to appear in the high-end upcoming Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art international art annual! She will be showcased alongside such greats in today's industry as James C. Christensen, Anita Kunz, Brad Holland, and Gary Kelley to name only a few.

Check out the complete list of accepted artists.

Stay tuned for news on the book's release in November!

02.24.08

Andrea's work will be featured in CMYK Magazine's 40th Issue, to hit newsstands this April! 

Blackbirds Are Gathering has been selected through the magazine's Call for Aspiring Creatives, one of the most high-profile emerging creative portfolio contests in the nation.

Stay tuned for news of the issue's release in April!