GREENWICH, CT – Meet Milena Alvarez, a 21-year-old Colombian-American student artist based in Norwalk, CT. This summer, thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Arts Workforce Initiative, Milena will serve as artist in residence at the Bruce Museum, where she will host Bruce Creates, a new series of recurring drop-in workshops for artists of all abilities.
The first workshops will take place on Saturday, June 29, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, and Sunday, June 30, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, and will focus on pointillism still life. Bruce Creates workshops are offered free of charge to Museum members and to visitors with paid admission. Participants of all ages are welcome.
Developed in the nineteenth century by post-Impressionist artists such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, pointillism is an experimental representation of color in the form of small, multicolored dots to create a large complete image. In this workshop, participants will use materials such as markers and crayons to recreate a still life. Visitors will learn how to create colorful works of art and analyze how we see and interpret color from a different point of view.
Milena grew up spending the summer visiting her friends and family in Colombia, which has inspired much of her work. She developed an affinity for painting at a young age and found emotional comfort through art. Her work consists primarily of oil and acrylic paintings and a growing sculpture portfolio. Milena is a graduate of Norwalk Community College and is currently working on her BFA in studio art. In 2014, Milena was a participant in theiCreate student artist exhibition at the Bruce Museum and aspires to be exhibited in her own show.
“The Bruce Creates workshops will allow visitors to further engage with the Museum while unlocking their artistic ability,” says Kathleen Holko, Manager of School and Tour Services. “People of all ages will have the chance to create and explore the arts in a new way. The Bruce Museum is excited to work with Milena this summer as she brings her talent and new perspective to our work in education and engagement.”
Below are dates and artistic themes for upcoming Bruce Creates workshops:
- Tuesday, July 2, 2:00-4:00 pm: Self-portrait Workshop
- Saturday, July 6, 2:00-4:00 pm: Group Portrait Workshop
- Sunday, July 7, 1:00-3:00 pm: Group Portrait Workshop
- Tuesday, July 9, 2:00-4:00 pm: Collage Nagatani Workshop
- Saturday, July 13, 2:00-4:00 pm: Book Cover Workshop
- Sunday, July 14, 1:00-4:00 pm: Book Cover Workshop (Part of Summer Family Day)
- Tuesday, July 16, 2:00-4:00 pm: Outdoor Sketching Workshop
- Saturday, July 20, 2:00-4:00 pm: Watercolor Summer Memory Workshop
- Sunday, July 21, 1:00-3:00 pm: Art Adventures: Postcards from Abroad
- Tuesday, July 23, 2:00-4:00 pm: Brett Weston Texture Workshop
- Saturday, July 27, 2:00-4:00 pm: Master Copy Workshop
- Sunday, July 28, 1:00-3:00 pm: Master Copy Workshop
For details about specific sessions, please visit brucemuseum.org or call 203-869-0376.