Essence of Life Art Home | View Congressional Portraits | Artist's Inspiration

Among the other 20 locations, The Faces in Government portrait collection has been exhibited at:

Harlan Gallery, Seton Hill University Greensburg PA August 15 – October 9, 2008	Krause Gallery, Moses Brown School Providence, Rhode Island October 6 - 30, 2009	BOTTLE WORKS Ethnic Arts Center Johnstown, PA November 7, 2009 - January 7, 2010
The “Faces In Government” Exhibit at Seton Hill University included “Facets In Leadership,” a Residency with Dr. Robert Ketterer Charter School for disruptive youth

Seton Hill University exhibit of Faces In Government
For clearest viewing of individual artwork, see Congressional Portrait catalog, and Student Residency work catalog below
click on images to enlarge

Congressional statements with catalog of Portraits	exhibit poster	Artist acknowledgements	catalog of Student Residency work	exhibit post card

Faces In Government project
A Visual Art Tribute to Our Government Officials
Portrait Artist Marcene Glover has been commissioned by individual National and State House and Senate Members. These portraits are done in a Representational style that conveys each Congressman's and Senator's political views.

The Faces in Government project consists of 1) a traveling Exhibit series, 2) Education through outreach and residencies, and 3) Community enrichment.

Exhibit
Collectively, these portraits of Congressmen and Senators travel to museums and galleries, as the Faces in Government exhibit.
Portraits of local government officials are added as the exhibit reaches each city.
A Governor, Mayor, or State Representative are invited to be featured at a live portrait sitting during the exhibit opening reception, which is open to the public/guests of the museum.

Education
These Faces in Government portraits are utilized through museums' education departments, in primary and secondary schools and universities, facilitating discussions about current issues of importance in American Government.

Community Enrichment
Some of the Faces in Government exhibits will include Visiting Artist Residencies, where Marcene works with organizations for at risk/underprivileged citizens. Using Representational Art as the tool, she inspires them toward a theme related to the Congressional portraits, such as "leadership", or "strength of character". Expressing themselves through visual Art, they focus their own inspiration toward a productive leadership place in community. This Artwork is then featured as part of the exhibit. The most recent of these outreach residencies was held at Dr. Robert Ketterer Charter School, for disruptive youth, at Adelphi Village. The resulting artwork was exhibited at Seton Hill University. See photos and catalog below.

Project Funding
Some of the exhibited portraits are purchased by Congressmen and Senators, hang in their offices, and are barrowed for exhibition.

Patrons may purchase a portrait, as a gift to the museum.

Patrons also may sponcor an exhibit, education outreach, or community enrichment.

Portions of the Faces in Government project have been supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency, through its regional arts funding partnership, Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA). State government funding comes through an annual appropriation by Pennsylvania's General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered in this region by the Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance.

The grants to support the Faces in Government project are awarded based on Artistic merit of Marcene Glover's portraits, and the project's ability to reach all populations of the community with valued educational enrichment through the Arts.

Expences for the project that are not under a grant, or sponsored by a patron are paid by the artist.

If any portraits are not purchased they remain the property of the artist.

Portrait Process
Marcene Glover is a Courtroom Artist, trained to work very quickly, and from memory. This allows the Representatives' sitting time to be very brief, and broken into sessions as little as a few minutes at a time (so as not to interrupt their busy schedule). The process begins with an interview, to identify the issues to be represented in the portrait. The sittings take place in the Representative's office. While being painted, the Representative does not need to be statue-like. Rather, he can be in conversation, or eating lunch. The majority of the painting is completed in the artist's studio. A final consultation takes place for the Representative to give approval or request changes be made. No portrait is exhibited without the Representative's approval.

To date, Faces in Government has reached over 20 museums and schools for exhibition, educational outreach, and community enrichment.

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Artist Statement
I was inspired to compile this collection of portraits while watching the U.S. House proceedings several years ago. I watched Congressman Dornan's fiery style of debate, that seemed to match his red hair. I took notice of the diversity of views being represented and the fervency with which the Representatives fight for their constituents. I began to admire the American system of Government, that enables citizens' views to be represented so strongly. I also began to realize how late into the night the Representatives continued these debates, and the time they devote to their work.

I then became very intrigued by the idea of visually representing each Representative's issues and specific views... their diverse personal histories that have brought them to public service. My style of Representational Art is naturally suited to this challenge. Additionally, I foresaw the striking images would be an aesthetically and intellectually stimulating collection. This is where the inspiration began to create the Faces in Government exhibit, as a tribute to our government officials, local, state and national.

Several years into this project, I'm very fulfilled to be working in this collaborative way with the Representatives, to create their personal symbolism. I interview each Member to learn his background, goals, and political philosophy. As these paintings are utilized in education, the purpose of the Faces in Government project is more rewarding than I had originally imagined.

Click here to e-mail inquiries or to request involvement in Faces in Government, in any of these ways:
Inclusion of your Congressional portrait in the exhibit
Be featured in Live Portrait Sitting public event
Patron purchase of portrait or reproduction as gift to museum
Sponsor an exhibit, educational outreach, or community enrichment
Visiting Artist session with your school or community organization

www.artessence.info
Essence of Life Art
Fine Arts Studios of Marcene Glover and Dorie Sheridan
2nd floor studios
BOTTLE WORKS Ethnic Arts Center
411 Third Avenue Johnstown, PA 15906
studio visit by appointment: phone(814)243-2126 fax(814)410-2053
artists are AKA marcine Glover, and Dorothy Sheridan