- Mia LaBerge
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Mia LaBerge (born 1967) is an American artist who painted the first Steinway Art Case Piano created to honor a university.[1] In 2006, LaBerge was commissioned to paint the Madison Bluestone Art Case Piano which celebrates the hundredth anniversary of James Madison University [2] and also recognizes its status as Virginia’s first All-Steinway Music School.[3]
The Madison Bluestone was among the last Art Case pianos with which Henry Z. Steinway (1915–2008), the National Medal of Arts winner and last of the long line of Steinway family members to be president of Steinway & Sons, had direct involvement. The piano was exhibited in the rotunda of New York City's Steinway Hall and was ceremonially unveiled on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington,DC.[4] Steinway kept LaBerge unofficially "on call" to paint scenic music stands for the company's Madison Century series of limited-edition pianos.[5]
Circa 1990–2005, LaBerge's oil paintings were primarily realistic or painterly-realistic. Her art work from 2006 and later became ever more abstract --finally moving toward nonobjective subject matter.[6] LaBerge had minor gallery representation in Philadelphia and elsewhere, but from 2003 to 2008 she preferred to interact directly with prospective patrons by self-exhibiting at juried art festivals in the parks and streets of Chicago, Tampa, Madison, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Richmond.[7] Artist Terry Ward served as LaBerge's roadie and occasional studio assistant at the time. In 2009 she ceased traveling for maternity leave.[8]
A distant descendant of the LaBerges after whom Lake Laberge was named, Minneapolis-born Laberge is an alumna of Virginia Commonwealth University and of James Madison University.[7] She supplemented college studies in art with museum-study trips to The Louvre in Paris, "the Met" in New York, and with frequent trips the National Gallery of Art.[7]
Her paintings have appeared in the coffee table book Virginia's Cattle Story : The First 400 Years (ISBN 0975274511) and on the cover of youth textbook All About You : A Course in Character for Teens (ISBN 0-9710966-0-0) .[5] At least one LaBerge painting is in the collection of former US President Jimmy Carter.[5][9]
Gallery
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A realistic LaBerge painting
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A painterly LaBerge painting of Massanutten Mountain
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An abstract LaBerge painting
References
- ^ Robinson, Michael A., "James Madison University Gets a Unique Art Case Steinway", Steinway & Sons (Magazine), Summer 2007, pp. 56–57
- ^ Madison (magazine), Summer 2007, p. 22
- ^ Bowser, Heather, "A Grand Work of Art : One-of-a-Kind Piano Comes to JMU Campus", Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg,VA) Tu 21 Aug 2007
- ^ "The Madison Bluestone Steinway", The Kennedy Center Playbill, April 2007
- ^ a b c Artist Mia LaBerge. Press Clippings. News Coverage. Artandjunk.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
- ^ Artist Mia LaBerge. Stylistic Range. Artandjunk.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
- ^ a b c Mia LaBerge, Artist Harrisonburg Va. Labergeart.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
- ^ Mia LaBerge, Artist Harrisonburg Va. Labergeart.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
- ^ Carter, Jimmy, Letter to Artist Mia LaBerge, 14 Feb 2008
External links
- Steinway Magazine, Summer 2007 (image)
- Daily News Record (Harrisonburg,VA) 7 Apr 2007 (image: LaBerge painting $6000 at charity auction)
- LaBerge painting in book Virginia's Cattle Story (image)
- LaBerge painting in book Virginia's Cattle Story (image)
- LaBerge painting in book Virginia's Cattle Story (image)
- Daily News Record (Harrisonburg,VA) 25 Aug 2005 (text: LaBerge exhibit at Shenandoah Valley Art Center)
- LaBerge painting on textbook All About You cover (image)
- Madison Magazine, Summer 2007, p. 22 (image: Laberge Kennedy Center unveiling photo)
- Shenandoah Journal 3 July 2007 (image: Laberge in studio, Art Case piano also pictured)
- NBC-25 (Frederick,MD) "Frederick Festival of the Arts 2007" (image: news interview screencaps)
Categories:- Living people
- American painters
- Contemporary painters
- 1967 births
- Women painters
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