Celebrating My Second Art Award with the Allied Artists of America

The Allied Artists of America Award for Sculpture 2024

I am thrilled to share that I have received another award for my work. This time it comes from the esteemed Allied Artists of America! The Allied Artists of America, a non-profit National Art Society, comprises a diverse group of talented artists, sculptors, elected active members, and sustaining associate members from across the country.

This year marks the 111th annual exhibition of the AAA. This award not only acknowledges the hard work and creativity I pour into my art, but also motivates me to continue exploring and pushing the boundaries of my artistic expression.

I am also delighted to announce that I have been accepted as a participating artist in the AAA 2024 museum show. The Butler Invitational Art Show begins on September 8, 2024 in Youngstown, Ohio. This prestigious event will bring together an array of talented artists, and I am eager to share my work alongside such inspiring peers. Being part of this long-standing tradition is a true privilege, and I am looking forward to connecting with fellow artists and art enthusiasts at the show.

Receiving this second award and participating in the Butler Invitational are significant milestones in my artistic journey. They remind me of the importance of perseverance, passion, and community in the world of art. I am deeply grateful to the Allied Artists of America for their support and to everyone who has encouraged me and supported my work.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey.

Western Art Collector (July 2024)

AMANDA MARKEL'S MARVELOUS WILDLIFE WORK IS WINNING OVER NEW COLLECTORS.

FROZEN IN TIME

Collector's Focus: Western Sculpture

Bronze sculpture has had a long and passionate history with many segments of American art, but none quite like Western art, where bronze has been elevated by a century of iconic castings. Consider Frederic Remington’s Broncho Buster, Charles M. Russell’s A Bronc Twister, Charles Schreyvogel’s The Last Drop, Cyrus Dallin’s Appeal to the Great Spirit or James Earle Fraser’s The End of the Trail. These are works that are so famous that even novice Western art fans know them, if not by name then certainly by sight.

Not only is there a long history, but there is sustained support: museums acquire Western bronzes, auctions offer them to bidders, galleries represent sculptors and host bronze shows, and even many of the groups, like the Cowboy Artists of America and the Russell Skull Society, put sculptors on equal footing as the painters. This broad and enduring appeal of Western bronze is baked into the genre’s DNA in a fascinating and unique way that is still being felt today, especially with new and up-and-coming artists.

Consider Amanda Markel, whose marvelous wildlife work is winning over new collectors with her clever arrangements of ideas and forms, and also her sensitive portrayal of her subjects. Markel’s Mountain Heart is her first large-scale sculpture, which is already one of her most popular bronze works. It has already led to new commissions, including one from the Loveland High Plains Art Council that will allow the artist to expand the design to create two more wolves.

In a short story titled A Story of Beauty from Brokenness, Markel writes about the work: “Silhouetted by the rising moon, the Bridger Mountain Range is depicted within a life-and-a-quarter-sized bronze wolf. Through fractured earth and relentless pressure mountains are formed. The great beauty and strength created by this force of nature echoes our own journey of transformation. Each of us has experienced deep brokenness and crushing pressure. Yet, these very things have formed mountains within us, forces of strength, tenacity, and courage. Mountain Heart stands as a reminder that out of our brokenness comes undeniable beauty.”

PUBLISHED BY: WESTERN ART COLLECTOR

Read the full article HERE

All rights reserved: A.G. Markel

An Unforgettable Moment: Receiving the Charles Pratt Award of Excellence in Animals.

Earlier this year I was thrilled to participate in the American Women Artists museum show Pushing Forward, Reaching Back, at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC. While there, I was honored to receive the Charles Pratt Award of Excellence in Animals for my piece, Aria. I also had the opportunity to speak on a panel with other artists on the topic: Women in the Arts. You can watch a replay of the symposium by clicking the links below.

Women in the Arts - part 1

Women in the Arts - part 2

It was such a privledge to show with other AWA members for the first time. I am truly humbled by the generosity and graciousness of all those involved in the organization of this show.

Image courtesy of AWA and Jeff Wales Photography

Take home one of your own!

All right reserved A.G. Markel 2023