Applications are being accepted from women of all ages in any art medium, and artists from Western New York, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and Northeastern Ohio are encouraged to apply. Deadline for applications is Tuesday, December 15, 2015. Artists will be notified of the juror’s decisions during the week of February 1, 2016.

Internationally exhibited artist, curator and educator Debra Eck and photographer and blogger Jennifer Schlick are creative directors for Women Create. They will be assisted by mixed media artist Katherine Turnquist. Artist Audrey Dowling, the owner and operator of the Portage Hill Gallery in Westfield, New York, who has juried and curated many shows, is the juror for the exhibit.

“Women Create was a resounding success in both 2012 and 2014,” said Schlick. “The caliber of the artwork that was submitted and the pieces that were selected for display were outstanding, and the overwhelming number of visitors to the exhibit made it all worthwhile. We are truly excited to see what 2016 brings!”

Accepted artists will be required to deliver or ship their pieces to the gallery ready to hang or install. As the Dykemann-Young is a commercial gallery, accepted work must be available for sale.

The opening reception for the exhibit will be on Friday, April 15, 2016, and it will run through Saturday, May 14. A series of salons with the presenting artists will take place in the gallery during that time.

Keeping in mind that jurying an art show is inherently a subjective process, previous applicants whose work was not selected are encouraged to apply again.

More information and complete guidelines for applying for the Women Create exhibit are on the Women Create website, www.womencreate.org.

On March 5, exhibitors Audrey Dowling and Margaret “Megan” Urban will be featured in the first of four Salons presented in conjunction with the Women Create juried exhibit of women’s art. The Salons will be 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday in March at the 3rd on 3rd Gallery in downtown Jamestown. Pictured here is Dowling’s stoneware “Blue Jay Energy.”

JAMESTOWN – If you’ve ever wondered what the artist was pondering when she created her work, Women Create is offering an opportunity for you to find out.

Every Wednesday evening in March, Salons will feature artists whose works are on display at Women Create, the biennial juried exhibit of women’s art in Jamestown, New York. The presenters will give brief talks about their work, interspersed with questions, answers, and conversation.

The Salons will be 7-9 p.m. at the 3rd on 3rd Gallery, 116 East Third Street, next to Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in downtown Jamestown.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

On Wednesday, March 5, the first Salon of the series will spotlight Audrey Dowling and Margaret “Megan” Urban.

Dowling, who is exhibiting her stoneware “Blue Jay Energy,” has been a professional artist for 30 years. Her work is widely collected and is represented in collections throughout the world.

“Sometimes I feel like the water of Bemus Creek stills flows through me,” says Dowling. “My father and I would talk about the trees, the plants, the woods flowers, the birds, the animals and the people who came before. It gave me a deep understanding of the importance of stewardship and passion for preserving the earth’s natural beauty. I try to convey these feelings through my art.”

Margaret “Megan” Urban has a pair of works on display at Women Create. Entitled “Teak” and “Orange,” both use pigment, wax and gold leaf on lead, steel and wood.

Urban explains, “The Teak and Orange Shots were 3.8 megaton nuclear weapons exploded over the Marshall Islands as part of the 1958 Hardtack 1 test series. According to declassified reports from Los Alamos National Labs, [these explosions] were conducted even though there was a very real question that they might burn a hole in the ozone layer. The diagrams inscribed into the surfaces of the paintings had profound effect on scientific discovery, and this knowledge became the foundation for our understanding of the universe and for the splitting of the atom in the atomic bomb.”

ABOUT WOMEN CREATE

Gallery hours for Women Create will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Private viewings may be scheduled by calling (716) 664-2465, ext. 227. The exhibit, featuring the work of 34 artists, as well as the Salons and opening reception, is open to the public free of charge.

Women Create will close on SWAN Day, Saturday, March 29. SWAN Day, which stands for Support Women Artists Now, is an annual event held on the last Saturday in March, Women’s History Month. First celebrated in 2008, it is an international holiday designed to showcase the power and diversity of women’s creativity.

Artist and instructor Debra Eck and photographer Jennifer Schlick are creative directors for Women Create, a community-minded, volunteer-run initiative to support and celebrate women artists by mounting a juried exhibit every other year.

Women Create is presented in cooperation with the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and sponsored by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council, Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, and Quick Solutions.

For more information, visit www.womencreate.org.

“SWAN 2013″, an art show, opens this Saturday at 3rd On 3rd Gallery in Jamestown. The exhibition features new photographs and art from Jennifer Randall, Angela Caley, Debra Eck, Jennifer Schlick and Ashley Ordines. The reception begins at 6 p.m. A $5 charge covers gallery fees, food and beverages. Patrons under the age of 18 are admitted free. The show will be open to the public through April 5.

Other events in Jamestown will promote Support Women Artists Now throughout March and April. “Girls Rock 6″, a live music concert on Friday March 29, will begin at 10pm at Mojo’s Music Bar. Area musicians, singers and songwriters performing are Kate Elfman, Lori Burke, Amanda Barton, Marla Harris, Gina Vecchio and organizer, Cindy Haight.

On Saturday April 20, Infinity Visual and Performing Arts will host an art market featuring the work of female artists and artisans. A lunchtime lecture about the history of women artists will be held across the street at the Reg Studio Theater. Throughout the day, 3rd On 3rd Gallery will remain open for Audrey Dowling’s art show, “Comfort Zones”. More details will be released at www.infinityperformingarts.org.

For details on all of these events, visit www.artscouncil.com.

“SWAN 2013″ – an art show – opens Saturday March 9 at 3rd On 3rd Gallery  in Jamestown, N.Y. The exhibition features new photographs and art from Jennifer Randall, Angela Caley, Debra Eck, Jennifer Schlick and Ashley Ordines.

The reception begins at 6 p.m. A $5 charge covers gallery fees, food and beverages. Patrons under the age of 18 are admitted free. The show will be open to the public through April 5.

WomenArts is a worldwide community of artists and allies that works for empowerment, opportunity, and visibility for women artists. They provide a variety of free online networking, fundraising and advocacy services, and organize Support Women Artists Now Day (SWAN Day), an annual international holiday celebrating women’s creativity in all its forms. They believe in the power of women artists to create, connect, and change the world.

For details on all events, visit www.artscouncil.com.