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Barbara Januszkiewicz

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Barbara Januszkiewicz is a Washington, D.C.–based American multimedia artist, creative activist, and teacher known for her stained neo-Color field abstract expressionism paintings.[1] She works in water-based media, specifically watercolor and diluted acrylic paint on unprepared canvas in the manner of Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler.[2]

She uses brushes to control her fans of color rather than create pours in her color field works.[3] Januszkiewicz's paintings are inspired by her interest in the overlap of the vocabularies involved with visual art and music.[4] Her visual interpretation in painting employs large color fields that meld and overlap in translucent layers, evoking the rhythm and flow of her musical inspiration.[5][6]

Januszkiewicz is listed as a notable artist presented at the Artomatic exhibition. She has done a documentary film work with musical composer Matthew Shipp, sculptor Hilda Thorpe, and painter Paul Reed.

Education

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Januszkiewicz was trained under the Chinese master Mun Quan at Jacksonville University in the late 1970s. Paul Reed, a member of the Washington Color School, mentored Januszkiewicz.[3]

Career

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In 1997, Januszkiewicz began doing research on the Washington Color School by interviewing Hilda Thorpe.[7] The interview was printed in the Washington Review Newspaper Volume XXV1 No.1 June/July 2000, and broadcast on Public Access TV stations as part of a Creative Vision for the Arts around the Metropolitan DC area. It is now archived on YouTube.[8][9]

In 2014, Januszkiewicz continued doing historical research for the documentary film about the Washington Color School titled "Unprimed Canvas".[10][11][12] Paul Reed acted as a historical consultant for the film which was released in 2015.[13] Also in 2015 Januszkiewicz launched a pay it forward, noncommercial gallery space, Metro Micro Gallery in Northern Virginia.[14][15]  In 2016 while continuing to research the Washington Color School Januszkiewicz was granted access to the Melzac Collection, the CIA's so-called "secret" collection of works of abstract art.[16]

In 2017, Januszkiewicz was commissioned to do a 30 foot long fine art mural, titled "Coming Together". This project was intended to help with the revitalization, preservation, and redevelopment of the Virginia Square area in Arlington, Virginia.[17]

In 2019, Januszkiewicz was commissioned to do several works for the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing Columbia Hills Apartments in Northern Virginia.[18] In 2020 Januszkiewicz's work appeared in "Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team", a TV Movie; which was released on PBS.[19] In 2021 Januszkiewicz's work was shown internationally at the transcendence themed "Art in Embassies" exhibition in Turkey.[20] In 2022 Januszkiewicz was selected to do the art installation at the new MetroStage theater of the new Alexandria Art District.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Jenkins, Mark (October 17, 2015). "In the galleries: Melding sound and art". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Mark (June 8, 2018). "In the galleries: Roving photographers capture street scenes around the world". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Coplan, Tina (May–June 2016). "New Direction". Home & Design Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  4. ^ Fults, Haley (2015-04-23). "cove Hosts Art Reception Featuring Art Activist and Painter Barbara Januszkiewicz". DC Style Is Real. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  5. ^ "Color Schooled: The Lyrical Flight of the Fantastical Art of Barbara Januszkiewicz". The Zebra. 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  6. ^ Jenkins, Mark (2016-06-25). "In the galleries: Sensing 'vibrations' of the Washington Color School". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  7. ^ "Sculptor and painter Hilda Thorpe dies". The Washington Post. 2000.
  8. ^ "Ms. Hilda Thorpe interview (text)". users.erols.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  9. ^ Hilda Thorpe artist, in her own words, 1997. Interview with Barbara Januszkiewicz, retrieved 2022-08-03
  10. ^ LLC, GIGANOVA Productions (2015-03-22), Unprimed Canvas: The Washington Color School Painters (Documentary Film Teaser), retrieved 2022-02-08
  11. ^ "Social outreach". 2nd street studio. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  12. ^ Lenny (2018-05-21). "Daily Campello Art News: Barbara Januszkiewicz's two solos at once!". Daily Campello Art News. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  13. ^ "Paul Reed Last Washington Color School Painter Dies Age 96". Artlyst. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  14. ^ "Metro Micro Gallery Leaves Its Arlington Home". Arlington Magazine. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  15. ^ "Women to Watch: An Arlington gallery owner, Leesburg branding strategist and Springfield delegate". Northern Virginia Magazine. 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  16. ^ Dunne, Carey (2016-10-20). "A Visit to the CIA's "Secret" Abstract Art Collection". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  17. ^ "Check Out Arlington's Artists Walk". Arlington Magazine. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  18. ^ "Embracing the Arlington Arts Community". APAH. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  19. ^ Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team (TV Movie 2020) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-08-03
  20. ^ "Art in Embassies Exhibition". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Turkey. 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  21. ^ "MetroStage Gets a Brand New Venue". The Zebra. 2021-12-31. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
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