Brent Funderburk has won multiple awards and has artworks published in two recent national, juried publications.

His paintings, “Flying World”, Today”, and “Goodbye, Red” were selected by juror Dina Deitsch as Professional Fine Art Award winners presented in “Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art and Design” (Issue #19). Deitsch, who is Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, also selected Funderburk’s “Rise and Fall” As a “Professional Fine Art Runner up” featured on Creative Quarterly’s Online Gallery with the award winners. Of nearly five hundred entries, Funderburk was one of nine professional fine artists selected, and one of three with more than one award. CQ is distributed in the US, Canada, and the UK.

Funderburk’s “One Over Abiquiu” was also selected by juror Adia Millet, noted artist and Whitney Museum Fellow, as one of ten Professional Fine Art Award winners in Issue #17 of Creative Quarterly, published earlier this year.

http://www.cqjournal.com

Artworks by Funderburk were also selected for the juried national competition resulting in publication in the current issue of “Studio Visit Magazine” (Volume 10). Works selected include “One Over Abiquiu”, and “Goodbye Red”. Works from 130 artists were juried by Editor Steven Zevitas from over 950 entries.

http://www.studiovisitmagazine.com

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November

Brent Funderburk’s first limited edition, giclée print, “November”, will premiere on June 7, 2010 in parallel with his one-person showings the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition and at Bryant Galleries in Jackson, Mississippi.

“November”, a watercolor/acrylic painting created in 2009/’10, has been printed in an artist-signed, numbered, limited, and closed, giclée (“zhee-clay”) edition of 100, beginning June 7. Each image represents the highest possible resolution of state-of-the-art color pigment printing, as authorized by the artist. Each image is printed on an archival, heavy, fine art paper.
“November” is 22″ X 28 1/2″ (horizontal) within a deckled image with a 3 inch white margin.
The image presents luminous redbud leaves in low light on a cool but radiant  Autumn day.

This hand signed, giclée print edition will close at #100- each print is $250, which includes shipping and handling, and will be mailed (U. S. Postal Service/insured) to arrive within two weeks of the order.

The Brent Funderburk print “November” can be ordered by clicking on the “Buy Now” button on this page, or by contacting:

Brent Funderburk             (662) 324-2168
bfunderburk@caad.msstate.edu

Order Online: $250 + tax

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Firebird 2010

Official Artist of the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition

June 12-27, 2010

Thalia Mara Hall
Jackson, MS

(601) 355-9853

usaibc@netdoor.com
http://www.usaibc.com

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When My Ship Comes In

June 10 – July 16, 2010
Public Reception: June 10, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Bryant Galleries
“The Gallery of International Art”

3010 Lakeland Cove, Suite A
Flowood (Jackson), MS 39232

(601) 932-5099
(800) 844-1993

art@bryantgalleries.com
http://www.bryantgalleries.com

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Brent Funderburk, artist and professor at Mississippi State University, will be featured in two one-person shows in Jackson, Mississippi during the months of June and July, 2010.

As Official Artist of the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition, Funderburk will show a retrospective of his paintings in the exhibition “The Art of Brent Funderburk”, from June 12 to 27 at the USA IBC Ceremonies at Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson Mississippi. Work will be exhibited daily and will be for sale, along with the painting “Firebird 2010″ which is shown on the USA IBC poster and programs. The 2010 USA IBC poster is also available for purchase and benefits the USA IBC. For more information, contact the USA IBC Offices,
Mississippi Arts Center, Jackson, MS, 39207 (601-355-9853), usaibc@netdoor.com. Http://www.usaibc.com.

Funderburk’s art will also be presented in a show “Illumina- New Paintings by Brent Funderburk” at Bryant Galleries- “The Gallery of International Art”, from June 7 through July 2010, with a public reception on Thursday, June 10 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Gallery. Bryant Galleries are located at Suite A, 3010 Lakeland Cove in Flowood (Jackson), MS. For more information contact the gallery at 601-932-5099 (800-844 1993), or, art@bryantgalleries.com. Website: http://www.bryantgalleries.com.

The artist’s new works in watercolor involve landscape spaces and dancers, as well as natural forms in luminous color and mysterious situations. Funderburk also recently was awarded four top Professional Fine Art Awards and inclusion in the international publication “Creative Quarterly Magazine” (June), and appears in the May issue of “Studio Visit Magazine”.

Funderburk will premiere the availability of the gyclee print, “November”, which is available during these exhibitions and on his website.

More information:

http://www.brentfunderburk.com.

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Mississippi State University professor and artist Brent Funderburk will be featured in a show of new paintings, “New Spin” at River Gallery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning January 31, 2010.

The public is invited to attend a reception of the artist on Friday, February 5, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Refreshments will be served and Funderburk will speak about his work in the gallery at 7:00 PM.

“New Spin” premieres seven new watercolor/acrylic works from the “Flying World” series, which couples deep, cloud roiled skies with familiar objects such as ripe fruit, silver ornaments, and squeezed out paint tubes, which seem to float through luminous, dreamlike landscapes.

The artist credits his father Tom Funderburk’s renewal of his FAA pilot at age 84 as inspiration for the large paintings, in that, according to his son, “he told me he may not go up this year, but knowing that he can is almost the same thing. Here I found a curious place that flickers between inner and outer reality. That’s what I have tried to image; I’m trying to remember that I can fly.”

A reply by the dancer Nijinsky when asked how he seemed to soar also captured Funderburk’s fancy; “You just have to go up and then pause a little up there.”

In related activity, Funderburk’s artwork “Toward Autumn” was recently chosen by juror Maxine Masterfield, artist/author, for inclusion in the Second Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters International Open Exhibition”, and several works were selected by juror Ian Berry, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator at the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, NY, for inclusion in the Winter 2009/10 issue of the national publication “Studio Visit”. Also, two pieces by Funderburk won two awards
(“Fine Art Professional Merit Award” and “Fine Art Professional Runner-Up Award”) of 24 works by artists accepted by juror Adia Millet into the “New Talent” competition, resulting in the Winter 2009/10 issue of the national publication “Creative Quarterly”. Two of the artist’s works will be featured as well in the Spring 2010 issue of “Studio Visit” as chosen by juror/publisher Steven Zevitas. Two paintings from the “Flying World” series are currently on exhibit at a January/February 2010 group show honoring Funderburk’s teacher, “The Legacy of Paul Hartley”, at the Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Also showing at River Gallery are paintings by Camille Engel and ceramic work by Emily Reason. The exhibition, “New Spin”, will remain on exhibit through February 29, 2010.

River Gallery and the River Gallery Sculpture Garden are located in the Bluff View Art District across from the Hunter Museum of American Art overlooking the Tennessee River, integral partners in Chattanooga, Tennessee’s riverfront renaissance as the region’s cultural center.

Brent Funderburk has taught at Mississippi State University in the Department of Art since 1982.

For more information about the exhibit:

River Gallery
400 East Second Street
Chattanooga, TN
37403

423-265-5033

river-gallery.com

brentfunderburk.com

studiovisitmagazine.com

cqjournal.com

leehansleygallery.com

ISAP-online.com

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Jackson, Miss., November 10, 2009 – The USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC) announced today the selection of the world-famous dance company Bad Boys of Dance to perform at the 2010 opening ceremonies, which will take place Saturday, June 12, at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi.

Bad Boys of Dance, which was founded by former USA IBC gold medalist Rasta Thomas, will be featured in performance to officially open the ninth quadrennial competition, scheduled for June 12 – 27, 2010.

“We are absolutely thrilled to host a dance company with such vitality and freshness for the 2010 competition,” Lobrano said. “Bad Boys of Dance are young and athletic. They have an unparalleled ability to morph from one style to the other, which makes them very exciting to watch.”

Bad Boys of Dance debuted in 2007 to rave reviews and sold out crowds at the 75th Jacob’s Pillow Festival in Becket, Maryland. In 2008 the Bad Boys launched the show “Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet,” and they continue to perform for sold-out audiences across the United States and Europe.

The talented and versatile group leaves its mark by bringing quality dancing to the masses through physical prowess, raw masculinity and technical perfection. Bad Boys of Dance is a stunning cast of hand-selected male dancers who combine ballet, Broadway, ballroom, hip hop, gymnastics, martial arts and more to deliver a highly imaginative and entertaining show.

The USA IBC also unveiled today the official commemorative poster of the 2010 competition. Brent Funderburk, an esteemed Mississippi State University faculty member, is the official artist for the upcoming competition, and as the recipient of this honor, Funderburk created the special piece of art that is the signature image of the event. Both the artist and the commemorative poster are sponsored by Viking Range Corporation.

“We are extremely pleased with the exquisite piece of art that Brent has created,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director. “We fully expect the poster and commemorative merchandise of the 2010 competition to become collectors’ items.”

Funderburk said the piece, entitled “Firebird 2010,” was inspired by the art and design of Leon Bakst and by the Ballet Russes, productions that redefined ballet for the twentieth century, reinventing an entire art form that had grown stale in Europe. The watercolor is filled with vibrant hues, layers of color and the manifestation of light – recreating the mysterious energy of the legendary first performance in 1909 in Paris.

“I have a personal belief that art, especially dance, is a way of staging infinity,” Funderburk said. “Just as the choreographers and dancers of the Ballets Russes transformed many of the static conventions of classical Ballet while staying true to tradition, I wanted to create a piece that was innovative yet classical.”

During the 2010 USA IBC the original poster art and other select images created by Funderburk will be on exhibition and for sale at Thalia Mara Hall. Limited edition poster prints and other commemorative items will also be available for purchase at that time.

Other exciting news revealed today included the announcement that the USA IBC has received a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) American Masterpieces Initiative. NEA created this national initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy.

“As a result of this initiative, performances, exhibitions, tours and educational programs across many different art forms have been held in large and small communities in all 50 states,” Lobrano said. “We are proud to be the recipient of such a prestigious honor.”

The USA IBC is a two-week, “olympic-style” competition where tomorrow’s stars vie for gold, silver and bronze medals; cash awards; company contracts; and scholarships. The event is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of the Congress. Presented under the auspices of the International Dance Committee, International Theatre Institute of UNESCO, the USA IBC is held every four years in Jackson, Miss., in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria, and Moscow, Russia.

For more information visit www.usaibc.com or join our Facebook communities. Search USA International Ballet Competition to find Fans of the USA International Ballet Competition, an open group for the general public, or USA International Ballet Competition Prospective Competitors, an open group for dancers wishing to compete in the 2010 USA IBC.

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Brent Funderburk’s painting “Toward Autumn” was selected by juror Maxine Masterfield for the 2nd Annual International Open Exhibition of the International Society of Acrylic Painters.

Masterfield, a Florida artist and author (“In Harmony With Nature”, “Painting the Spirit of Nature”) is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art and has exhibited and conducted workshops in the U.S. and around the world.

The exhibit can be viewed online at: ISAP Online Gallery

“Toward Autumn” can be seen at Bryant Galleries in Jackson (Flowood), MS.

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As a part of the Mississippi Museum of Art‘s “Unburied Treasures” series which combines speakers, writers, artists, and musicians, Mississippi State University John Grisham Professor Brent Funderburk will speak at the Museum in Jackson, Mississippi on December 15, 2009.

Funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, “Unburied Treasures: Welcome to the Collection” centers around an artwork of the Mississippi River by Will Henry Stevens. The evening collaborative will feature Funderburk’s slide talk “Will Henry Stevens’ Big River- Inside and Outside”, along with a reading from Mark Twain by JSU professor, Dr, Patsy Daniels, as well as a live musical performance responsive to the theme of the cultural influence of the Mississippi River.

Funderburk, an artist and a curator, is presently working on a touring exhibition and book about the Indiana born artist Stevens (and other Southern visionaries), who taught at Tulane University and spent much of his life amid the natural wonders of the Gulf Coast and the Appalachian Mountains- an experience shared by Funderburk. “Like the mythic work of Walter Anderson, Steven’s abstract and representational paintings bridged a deep inner vision of the universal harmony of life with keen observation of the intricacies and moods of his local Nature.”

In 2008 and 2009, Funderburk’s “Ecstasy- The Mystical Landscapes of Walter Anderson” toured museums in Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi, with lectures by the Guest Curator for the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.

The program will begin at 6:00 PM in the Trustmark Grand Hall of the Museum.

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In July, 2009, Brent Funderburk was selected as the “Official Artist” for the upcoming USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, by the IBC.

Funderburk has created a painting, “Firebird 2010″, that will be featured on the poster and programming for the IBC festivities, to be presented in June and July, 2010. The painting will be revealed at a press conference at the USA IBC headquarters in Jackson on November 10, 2009.

Funderburk was inspired by the art and design of Leon Bakst and the Ballet Russes, whose “Firebird” ballet premiered in 1910 in Paris.

The event is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of Congress. Presented under the auspices of the International Dance Committee, International Theatre Institute of UNESCO, the USA IBC is held every four years in Jackson, MS, in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria, Tokyo, Japan, and Moscow, Russia.

Funderburk’s artworks will be presented in a show at the IBC Opening Ceremonies in June, 2010.

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