ESCONDIDO — As part of ongoing efforts to support art in the community, the Escondido Art Association is launching a new open studio beginning Nov. 8.
Artist Igor Koutsenko will teach the new, weekly program at the California Center for the Arts in Studio 2 inside the Education Wing. Artists can register at artcenter.org/event/open-studio-art-class/ and are asked to bring their own supplies.
Born on the Crimean Peninsula, Koutsenko demonstrated great artistic ability at a young age and was educated at the Penza School of Art in Moscow, where he received rigorous training in the old traditions of Russian realist art.
Koutsenko’s work is currently in the collection at the Riverside Art Museum as well as numerous private collections. Kourtsenko has taught fine art throughout his career, serving early on as a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Now a resident of Fallbrook, he teaches drawing and painting classes at the Fallbrook School of The Arts and produces original art in his private studio.
“We are excited to bring this new program to the local art community with CCAE and Igor Koutsenko,” said EAA President Tokeli Baker. “This is a special opportunity for artists of all levels of mastery to have a location and teacher of this caliber available on a weekly basis.”
In addition, Escondido Art Association is releasing the themes for the next three exhibitions to provide artists ample time to create new pieces for submission. EAA encourages artists to use multiple mediums, such as oil, watercolor, acrylic, photography, digital media and sculpture.
Art take-in themes are as follows: “La Historia” in November, “Celebration” in December, and “And Now for Something Completely Different!” in January.
Art take-ins are on the first Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please see EAA’s website at escondidoartassociation.com for details.
“By releasing our upcoming themes three months in advance, we hope to inspire artists early and let their creativity flourish,” Baker said. “We are excited to see how artists push themselves creatively, explore with mediums and use the themes to create one-of-a-kind art pieces for the community to enjoy”.
It is due to these expansions in programming, that the EAA membership is growing and is connecting with younger artists in the community, changing the face of the membership.
