Chesterwood Announces Artist-in-Residence Casey Krawczyk
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STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire-based artist Casey Krawczyk will be in residence at Chesterwood through Oct. 9.
She will be drawing and painting from visual inspirations found in legendary sculptor Daniel Chester French’s former studio. Visitors to Chesterwood will have the opportunity to meet the artist and observe her at work in the studio on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m.
For inspiration, Krawczyk will be selecting from the assemblage of maquettes, plaster casts, bronzes and sculptures in French’s studio, including one of his most iconic works — the final plaster model for the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial and his last major (and private) work, a marble statue of “Andromeda”.
“We are pleased to now offer both art-related activities and programs in French's former workspace since its rehabilitation last year. Casey Krawczyk will inspire visitors to look more closely at French’s sculpture through her own eyes,” said Chesterwood’s Executive Director Donna Hassler.
Chesterwood will host a weekend workshop “Drawing Atelier” with Krawczyk on Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4. The three-day workshop kicks off with a talk by Krawczyk on Friday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m., followed by light refreshments on the studio piazza, and continues on Saturday and Sunday with drawing and painting in Daniel Chester French’s studio from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop will conclude with a critique and closing reception on Sunday, Oct. 4. The cost for the “Drawing Atelier Workshop” is $125 for Chesterwood members and $150 for non-members. Attendees are requested to bring portable easels and supplies. To register, contact Lisa Reynolds at lreynolds@savingplaces.org or 413-298-3579, x2034.
“I am honored to be allowed the privilege of drawing in French’s studio and I hope to do his beautiful craftsmanship justice,” Krawczyk said. “His work is still relevant and purposeful. Artists come to Chesterwood to be inspired and affected by the quality of his work. This place matters.
“As a classical realist I admire French's penchant for beauty and realism,” she added. “By studying his sculptures I hope to absorb some of the classical quality and pathos in his work and carry that into my oil paintings. I'm looking forward to spending the next few months cast drawing at Chesterwood, painting en plein air, and working on small studies for a series of oil paintings I have planned.”
Krawczyk holds an M.F.A. in painting from the New York Academy of Art and received a B.F.A. in painting from the University of Wisconsin. She recently moved with her family to the Berkshires from Colorado, where she taught academic drawing and painting at Western State Colorado University before pursuing a full-time painting career. She is represented by Keating Fine Art in Aspen and shows locally at St. Francis Gallery in South Lee. To learn more, see www.caseykrawczyk.com
Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is the summer home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931). French is best known for his sculptures of the Minute Man (1871-75) and the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln (1911-22) for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Situated on 122 acres in the idyllic hamlet of Glendale near Stockbridge, the property and its buildings were donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by French’s only child Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973). Chesterwood is recognized as both a National Historic Landmark and a Massachusetts Historic Landmark. It is located at 4 Williamsville Road and can be reached at 413-298-3579 or www.chesterwood.org.
