Daniel Webster College's 2004 Aviation Heritage Festival will
showcase three award-winning aviation artists
Three award-winning artists, all members of the American Society
of Aviation Artists (ASAA), are getting set to show their work at
this year's Aviation Heritage Festival at Daniel Webster College's
Eaton-Richmond Center Gallery, Nashua, September 25 and 26.
For Michael O'Neal, of
N.J., who focuses on the dawn of flight to the end of WW I, wood
and fabric airplanes dominate his paintings. While in high school,
Michael began a complete list of biographies of WW I pilots who
hailed from his home state of New Jersey. The lasting impressions
created by his interviews with several veterans, all of them well
into their 80s, focused his energies on the World War period 1014 -
1919. An ASAA member since 1992, Michael's art instruction comes
primarily through ASAA forums and its members. In 1997, his
painting "Sharks," won the James V. Roy, Jr. Award as "Best of Show
by an ASAA member" at the annual ASAA exhibit, while "Sons of
Albrecht," was judged "Best of Show" at the 5th annual
SimuFlite/Flying Magazine Horizons of Flight exhibition in Dallas,
Texas.
Peter Ring, of Charlton Mass., is a self-educated aviation
artist well known for his "photo realistic" paintings of both
commercial and military aircraft. Peter paints primarily in
acrylic, though he occasionally does pencil drawings. Painting
aviation art is his way of staying close to aviation, conveying its
thrill, and of showing what airplanes look like up close and at
their best angles. Ring has exhibited around the U.S. His paintings
Night Moves, Spirits Uplifted, and When Stars Gather are part of
the Air Force Art Collection. Peter has also been the artist for
the Westover Air Base in Chicopee, Mass., for the past eight years,
creating posters and brochure covers for their bi-annual air
show.
He has also donated paintings to many charities, most recently
in 2003 to the Corporate Angel Network (CAN), which provides mercy
flights on corporate aircraft for cancer patients. In a special
edition of Private Pilot entitled "Aviation Art Gallery (1998),"
Ring was listed in the Who's Who in Aviation Art. He has also been
featured in various publications such as Code One magazine, The
Patriot, and many local newspapers. In addition to being a member
of the American Society of Aviation Artists, he is a member of the
New York Society of Illustrators, the Air Force Art Program, and
the Worcester Artist Group.
Craig Slaff is renowned for his historical accuracy and
technical detail. A graduate of Hartwick College with a degree in
Fine Arts, his works have been shown in museums such as the
Canadian Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Naval
Aviation, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum and Annapolis. Slaff
is an artist member of the American Society of Aviation artists, an
active member of the Coast Guard Art Collection, and a member of
the American Society of Marine Artists. His works can be found in
the board rooms of major corporations and in the homes of serious
art collectors.
His fascination with the interaction of man and machine, along
with his love of history, has been the motivation for the subjects
of his work Slaff is the recipient of the "George W. Morville, Sr.
Memorial Award" for excellence in the Skylands Art Exhibit, for
Fine Artist in the New York, Tri-State area, and also received
honors for his work shown at the Canadian Air and Space Museum.
The Eaton-Richmond
Center Gallery will be open from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm during the
festival. Daniel Webster College's Aviation Heritage Festival
includes distinguished aviation speakers like, WW II's Don Lopez,
wonderful interactive exhibits, and up close experiences with
dozens of legendary aircraft, like the P-51 Mustang, the F4U
Corsair, the P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-40 Warhawk, the B-17 Flying
Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the B-25 Mitchell, and the TBM
Avenger.
Admission to the Aviation Heritage Festival is $15 for adults;
$12 veterans/seniors; $5 children 4-12; children under 3 are free.
Discount coupons are available at Market Basket and Demoulas
supermarkets in NH and MA.