Gold Light Studios Gala draws 100 guests; raises full time scholarship
Maestro John Murdoch reading from his "Scroll of gratitude"
Left to right: Jenn Henderson, Shirley Mersky, Charlotte Kendrick, Marty Mersky, Gabrielle Shamsey (Gabrielle was the head of the fundraising committee), Meredith Cook, Whitney Frith, Jessica Chambers
Sy Platt on trumpet kept the gala on its toes with an evening of gorgeous jazz.
Perkasie, PA-Friday May, 26 2011: Gold Light Studio held its 1st Annual Bohemian Rhapsody fundraising gala on Saturday, May 21st to raise money for a scholarship. More than 100 people attended, coming from as far as Princeton, Gladwyne, and even Chicago to celebrate the studio’s wildly successful first year.
Gold Light Studio teaches art in the old master style, through careful, step-by-step training. In just over a year, it has grown from a single student to a year-round, full-time atelier program with 8 students, 4 weekly life modeling sessions, weekend and evening intensive courses, and many other programs.
Gold Light’s spacious studio, a former industrial barn, was tricked out with oriental rugs and tented ceiling for the night to create an exotic ambience, with the walls hung with beautiful realist works by well-known Bucks County artists John Murdoch, Dot Bunn, Jessie Krause, David Rivera, and Gold Light Studio’s students. Guests mingled to jazz by trumpeter Sy Platt and band, bid on silent auction items, and took home gorgeous paintings at fire-sale prices. Getting into the spirit, many came in full Bohemian regalia, including berets, peasant shirts, and flowing dresses.
A highlight was touring the working studios. Each full-time student has an individual area where they work on classical projects such as drawing from plaster casts. Guests were surprised to see the dozens of drawings lining every student room, representing hundreds of hours of work. One was overheard to comment that she always thought art was all just talent, but now saw that “they spend a lot of time and work really hard to get to this level.”
Gold Light founder and instructor John Murdoch’s training reaches back in an unbroken line, from master to student to French realist genius Jacques Louis David. A family tree of masters and students in the atelier system (atelier means “workshop” in French) includes “cousins” like John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt and Thomas Eakins.
“The Gala was a night beyond my imagining,” says Gold Light founder and instructor John Murdoch. “I knew there were people out there who appreciate this kind of work, but the amount of support we saw at the Bohemian Rhapsody was just overwhelming. We’re looking forward to using the scholarship to expand the program. Bucks County has been a center for great art for a hundred years; Gold Light is poised to help build on that reputation for the next hundred.
“Our sincere gratitude goes out to everyone who came or participated in any way.”
The evening raised enough money for a one-year scholarship to Gold Light Studios for a deserving student. Artists interested in the program are encouraged to contact Gold Light Studios for consideration.