Illinois Together With Attended World Schools There

Meet Chuck Scalin - Reynolds Student Art Show Judge*

Photo: Anne De Geer, Sweden.

Where were you lot born as well as raised?

I was born as well as raised inwards Chicago, Illinois as well as attended populace schools there. Later I graduated from the School of the Art Institute with a BFA score as well as afterward worked equally a graphic designer. For i of my clients, Mercury Records, I designed album covers that included covers for about of the overstep recording artists of the early on sixties: the Smothers Brothers, Moms Mabley, Johnny Mathis as well as Leslie Gore with others.  A few years afterward I left Chicago to pursue an MFA score from Pratt Institute inwards NYC. In slow saltation of 1968 I was offered a instruction pose at Richmond Professional Institute. When I started instruction inwards the fall, the schoolhouse became known equally Virginia Commonwealth University.

You came to Richmond inwards 1968 to expire an fine art professor at VCU as well as you lot instantly became an integral usage of Richmond’s budding arts community. You were involved with the startup of Artspace as well as many other arts related projects. Tell us close Richmond’s budding arts community inwards those early on years.

When I arrived inwards Richmond, at that spot were rattling few galleries hither as well as non a rattling extensive arts community. In fact, my rattling initiative off solo present hither was inwards 1971 at the Eric Schindler Gallery. It's all the same a vital local gallery here, fifty-fifty since I had my exhibition at that spot 47 years ago! Yes, afterward I was on the board of Artspace Gallery when it was located on Broad Street as well as afterward moved to Plant Zero. I as well as hence became i of the founding members of a novel non-profit galley, Art 6 that opened inwards the same place equally Artspace. I was afterward invited to expire an creative individual board fellow member at 1708 Gallery.

How has the Richmond arts scene changed since then?

The fine art scene grew considerably equally the School of the Arts expanded, bringing with it many arts faculty from all over the country. Later after First Fri was created, the Broad Street fine art corridor began to flourish with novel galleries, restaurants, as well as shops.

Mixed Media Collage

In 2017 the Richmond Times Dispatch characterized you, your married adult woman Mim Golub, as well as your children Noah as well as Mica equally “one of Richmond’s best known artistic families.” Were your parents artists equally well? Did you lot encourage Noah as well as Mica to expire artists or was it simply inwards their DNA?

I don't know if nosotros are "one of Richmond's best known artistic families" but nosotros are a 2^nd generation household unit of measurement of 4 practicing, professional person artists. For the Glave Kocen exhibition** nosotros came upwards with the title, Family Room. It referred to a infinite inwards our solid my married adult woman as well as I shared equally our studio earlier nosotros had children. After our ii children came along, all 4 of us worked together inwards this space. They shared our supplies as well as that infinite became our "family room"!

Not solely are you lot an artist, but it seems you lot are e'er looking for ways to brand an fine art exhibit fresh as well as interesting. For example, the Family Room exhibit inwards 2017 at the Glave Kocen Gallery that included run past times all your household unit of measurement members. Does that inspiration come upwards from the same house equally the inspiration for, say, an assemblage?

I never idea of our Glave Kocen exhibition equally an assemblage, but inwards a agency it was. I did get together the 4 artists, each with their ain distinctive personal creative direction, but all inwards the same family. At the lastly minute, I equally good included a 5th up-and-coming budding artist, the newest fellow member as well as a 3rd generation fellow member of the Scalin family, our granddaughter Zinn. At the fourth dimension she was 3 years old as well as exhibited ii of her abstract expressionist paintings...which past times the way, both sold the level of the opening!

Of your extensive torso of fine art run gain you lot pick out a favorite piece, serial of works, or project? Could you lot pull it? Why is it your favorite?

In the past times 50 years, I've worked with many dissimilar directions as well as mediums including painting, collage, assemblage, photography, glass, clay as well as mixed-media works. I've had solo shows as well as produced run with each of these mediums as well as with each of the serial I've produced, at that spot pick out e'er been about favorite pieces--a few I've retained as well as about were sold. 

You spent over xxx years equally an fine art professor at VCU, retiring inwards 2003 equally Professor Emeritus as well as Assistant Chair of the Communication + Design Department. You volition live judging the Reynolds Student Art Show opening at the cease of March, 2018. What is the best usage of judging a pupil show? The most challenging part?

I was especially fond of the Body of Evidence boxes I created inwards 2012 for my 25th solo present at Ghostprint Gallery. I had hoped to expire on the entire serial intact hence it could live exhibited inwards other locations, but i of the pieces did sell at the time. However I all the same pick out the remaining thirteen pieces from the serial as well as am pleased that these pieces did larn to live exhibited since as well as hence at international festivals inwards Indonesia, South Africa, Commonwealth of Australia as well as coming this autumn inwards Nepal.

What advice gain you lot order immature artists simply starting fourth dimension to explore their talents today?

I intend the best advice I tin mail away order to a immature creative individual is to explore, experiment as well as don't live afraid to drive novel directions. Look closely at your surround for inspiration as well as finally to quote my children, to remember..."Creativity Is Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Practice!"

*Reynolds is pleased to pick out Professor emeritus as well as quondam Assistant Chair of the Communication Arts + Design Department at VCU Chuck Scalin as well as his wife, creative individual Mim Golub, equally this year’s present judges. Chuck as well as Mim are honored to judging this present as well as presenting awards to the students during the Awards Reception.

Additionally, Reynolds is pleased to pick out a torso of Scalin’s work, “Chuck Scalin: creative pursuits 1971 – 2017” exhibited during the Awards Reception.  Eventually these industrial plant volition expire usage of Reynolds’ permanent collection. His collection volition consist of 47 examples of run produced inwards diverse mediums over the past times 47 years.

Chuck has worked inwards many dissimilar mediums over the years as well as this collection volition include examples of his photography, collage, assemblage, printmaking, clay as well as glassworks. Chuck earned his BFA as well as MFA degrees from both the School of the Art Institute in Chicago as well as Pratt Institute inwards New York.

He has been a practicing professional person creative individual for over 50 years as well as is equally good a designer, collector as well as curator as well as projection producer. His run has been included as well as received recognition inwards over 300 exhibitions, with 25 solo exhibitions as well as has industrial plant inwards many populace as well as individual collection both inwards the U.S.A. as well as abroad.

He has been involved with the local galley scene since he moved to Richmond inwards 1967 as well as has sat on boards of non-profit galleries, including 1708 as well as Artspace Galleries.

**In 2017 the Glave Kocen Gallery had an exhibit of the run of Chuck Scalin, his married adult woman Mim Golub, as well as their ii children Noah as well as Mica. The household unit of measurement came upwards with the name, “The Family Room”. Each household unit of measurement fellow member was represented including the newest creative individual inwards the family, granddaughter Zinn.