2023-2024 Meetings & Programs
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2023-24 Program Summary
Scroll down for program details
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Meetings are usually held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 903 Forest Avenue, Henrico, VA 23229, beginning at 11:00 AM and going to about 1:00 PM, unless otherwise specified. |
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Friday, Sept. 16
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P. Muzi Branch, painter, illustrator, designer & printmaker, presents "The Art of P. Muzi Branch"
Philip “Muzi” Branch earned his undergraduate and masters degrees from VCU’s School of the Arts. Branch’s award-winning paintings have been exhibited at Ohio Connection Museum, the African American Museum of Dallas Texas, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, PANAFEST in Ghana West Africa, the Banneker Douglass Museum in Annapolis Maryland and the Daura Gallery. His work is included in the collections of SunTrust Bank, Richmond Community Hospital, Lynchburg College, The African American Museum of Dallas and First Market Bank. Branch is not only a talented visual artist, but an accomplished bassist, playing with jazz ensemble Plunky & Oneness. Branch co-founded the Black American Artists Alliance of Richmond, an organization that celebrates African-American art as a cultural phenomenon and provides opportunities for black artists to showcase their work. Branch served as the Director of Arts in Healthcare at VCUHealth, retiring from that position in July to devote his time to his visual and musical art. See his art at fineartamerica.com/profiles/p-muzi-branch.
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Friday, Oct. 20
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 "Me with Coffee", by Robert Meganck
Robert Meganck, illustrator and graphic designer, presents “Not Dead Yet”
A long-time VCU Art Communications Art professor, Robert Meganck, will present and discuss his work after retirement from VCU, including his series of illustrations inspired by songs (completed during the pandemic). Meganck earned a BFA from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, and a MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has received more than 300 regional, national, and international awards for his illustration and graphic design work. His tag line from his artist statement sums up the fun he has with his art: “Sing like nobody’s listening. Dance like nobody’s watching. And color outside the lines for the fun of it.” Learn more about him at meganck.com. |
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Friday, Nov. 17
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JRAL Bazaar: Showcasing New Art Supplies & Member Crafters
Heather Millet, manager of Plaza Art, will demo new art supplies and members will get a chance to play with them at demo stations. Members then have the opportunity to win the demo supplies at the end of the meeting through a raffle. 
And many of our members have creative outlets other than painting and are talented woodworkers, knitters, and jewelry makers (just to name a few areas of expertise). JRAL crafters will have tables with their creations, available for members to purchase before the meeting, at refreshment break, and at end of the meeting. A sign-up sheet for Member Crafters will be available at the September and October meetings; deadline to sign up for a table is November 9.
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Friday, Dec. 15
Hanover Tavern 13181 Hanover Courthouse Rd. Hanover, VA 23069 |
 "Be of Good Cheer",
by Stella Jones
Holiday Luncheon at Hanover Tavern
Members will gather for some holiday cheer at our luncheon at Hanover Tavern! The sign-up sheet for our Holiday Luncheon will be available at the September, October, and November meetings; cost will be $36.00 per member. Capacity is capped at 50; guests are welcome. There is plenty of free parking at the Tavern, but members can indicate on the sign-up sheet if they are willing to drive for carpooling purposes. The deadline to sign up is at the November 17 meeting; payments must be received by Cindy Kinney, Treasurer, by November 24. |
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Friday, Jan. 19
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Martha Prideaux, cold wax and oil painter, presents “The Cold Wax Process”
Martha Prideaux will present a short slide show and then demonstrate using oil and cold wax. Prideaux is an abstract expressionist artist who divides her time between Richmond, Virginia and Beaufort, North Carolina. In her multi-dimensional cold-wax and mixed media artworks, Prideaux asks us to consider how the choices we make have an impact on an unpredictable environment. Her work requires a dedication to constant questioning; of herself, her materials, and the world around her. This careful inquiry and expert manipulation of media results in paintings that inspire an enduring emotional response in the viewer. Prideaux’s work is firmly ensconced in what she observes within and around her; tapping into the full gamut of her sensory perceptions to create multi-layered and highly textural paintings that are as much a response to what she sees as to the human condition. Her work is included in private and public collections across the United States and Mexico. Find out more about her at www.marthaprideaux.com. |
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Friday, Feb. 16
Zoom meeting |
Jeremy Sams, acrylic Painter, Demo on Zoom
Jeremy Sams is an award-winning representational artist residing in Archdale, North Carolina. His primary subject matter is landscapes while working in acrylics. He also loves the challenge of portraits and his work varies in size from just a few square inches to murals measuring upward of 40’x60′. Sams’s personal inspirations come mostly from the play of light and atmosphere and their effects on objects and landscapes. His favorite areas of subject matter are the rolling hills and mountains of North Carolina along with its waterways, and special array of trees and meadows. It’s not uncommon to see Sams with his outdoor easel set up on the side of the road or on a river bank somewhere with brush in hand. Sams was a featured artist in the February-March 2017 issue of “Plein Air Magazine”, and is currently a member of the North Carolina Plein Air Painters, Triad Outdoor Painters, Charlotte Plein Air Painters and Plein Air Carolina. He is also the founder of the Fellowship of Plein Air Painters. Sams is currently represented by Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery In Blowing Rock, NC, The Art Shop in Greensboro, NC, Warm Springs Gallery in Warm Springs, VA, and the Blue Moon Gallery, Brevard, NC. Learn more about him at www.jeremysams.com. |
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Friday, Mar. 15
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Robin Caspari, oil painter, Demo in Oil
Back by popular demand from our members, oil painter Robin Caspari will be doing an in-person demo for our March program. Caspari lives in Maidens, Virginia on a beautiful farm surrounded by cows and horses, dogs and cats and frequently paints the beauty of her local surroundings. She also leads plein air workshops in the Outer Banks and other beach locations and has lately been recaptured by the beauty of America’s Southwestern landscape, leading workshops in Colorado. Caspari strives to “simply create beautiful paintings in an unrestrained, expressive style”. The result has earned her international recognition including the winning 2nd overall in the 2023 Plein Air Salon Art Competition and two silver places in the 2023 International Juried Art Awards for Bold Abstacts and Flower Power. Her work is in numerous private and public collections. Learn more about her at www.robincaspari.com. |
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Friday, April 19
10:30 am to 2:30 pm Crossroads Art Center Classroom 2 2016 Staples Mill Rd. Richmond, VA 23230 |
Paint-In at Crossroads Art Center
Bring your latest painting project and supplies (easel too if you use one) to Crossroads to paint with fellow JRAL artists. Doug Mock, who was the judge of our March 2023 Judged Exhibit, will be available as our instructor/mentor during the paint-in to help artists with any issues and to make suggestions on their paintings. JRAL will provide bottled water and light snacks. The sign-up sheet will be available at the January and March meetings. Sign up to help us with a count for table set up; members may come in and out of the paint-in as they please. |
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Friday, May 17
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Annual Meeting & Members' Artist Challenge: Paintings of Common Objects
The challenge theme was inspired by Wayne Thiebaud, who in 1962 was in a groundbreaking and historically important exhibition called “New Painting of Common Objects”. You can also think about similar themes in the work of Warhol, Dine, Lichtenstein, et cetera. Every artist can put their own spin on it, including revealing the common objects in their own daily lives. Click here to visit our Member Challenge page to find out more about the challenge. The guest critiquer for our challenge will be announced later. |