An exhibition of Limited Edition Giclée Prints by Richard Suib will be on display at the Great Falls Community Library from Dec. 2-29. Suib, who lives and works in Great Falls, received a B.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958 and has been a practicing artist and designer ever since.
He has worked in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolor, lithography, and in the mid-90s Suib began exploring an emerging new medium called Digital Imaging. Over the ensuing years digital technology revolutionized the way artists create and render images. Suib says that while the computer has evolved into a powerful tool for creating art, increasing an artist's ability to experiment with a concept and transform it many times over, the ultimate control of the creative process remains entirely within the realm of the artist.
Photography forms the basis of Suib's work but is not an end in itself. Suib says that he approaches conceptualization of his work with the mind's eye of a painter, and at the end of the process, the image is realized with the craftsmanship of a printmaker.
The images presented in the exhibition are individually printed in limited editions by Richard Suib. Images are rendered on a giclée printer with archival quality materials, including pigment based inks on acid free fine art papers.
The Great Falls Community Library is located at 9830 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. An opening "Meet the Artist" reception will be held on Dec. 2, from 2–4 p.m. For hours of operation call 703-757-8560.
Number of years in the community. I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended Brooklyn Tech where I majored in industrial design; I have, in effect, been engaged in art and design since I was 14 years old. I have lived in Great Falls for 34 years. I designed the house and had it custom built in 1972-73.
Family. My wife (Mary Blake) and I love it here and have no intention of ever moving out. We have two Border Terriers that help keep us young and fit. We raised two children, mainly in Great Falls: Gabriela and Stefan. They attended Great Falls Elementary, Cooper Intermediate, and Langley High. Gabe lives in Riva, MD with her husband and two children: Dana (17) and Dean (15). Stefan lives in Great Falls with his wife and daughter, Samantha (8) who attends Great Falls Elementary.
Education. I went to The Art Institute of Chicago and received a B.F.A. in 1958. I met my wife, who is from Chicago, at college. Mary was an acting student at Goodman Theatre School, which back then was an integral part of The Art Institute. She went on to become a psychologist, but continues to remain engaged in theatre, as a professional actress and director.
Achievements. I started my career as an exhibition designer in 1961 at The American Museum of Atomic Energy (renamed the American Museum of Energy) located in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In 1965-67 I was employed by a Canadian design firm engaged in the design of four major exhibitions at Expo-67 - Montreal. In 1967 I moved to the D.C. area and was employed as an exhibition designer by the U.S. Information Agency (USIA). After 10 years as a designer and project director, I was made head of the Exhibits Development Division, responsible for worldwide cultural exchange exhibitions, with a concentration on Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. At USIA I won a number of awards for design and art direction; notably The Presidential Design Excellence Award awarded by The National Endowment for the Arts, and The Marks Foundation Award for Creativity in Communication.
Activities/Interests/Hobbies. Hiking, dog shows and performance training (conformation - our male dog, "Tru" is a Champion Border Terrier); theatre, travel, art collecting (among other things, we have a collection of about 225 masks from Africa, Native Americans, Mexico, and a few other places).
Favorite Local Restaurants. Chez Francois L'Auberge and The Old Brogue.
Favorite Local Place. Great Falls Park.
Community Concerns. Overdevelopment. Environmental protection & conservation of our woods and streams; retention of open spaces. Develop and implement practical solutions to protect and preserve wild life.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you "grew up?" When I was younger by 12 years of age, I wanted to be an artist. I majored in Industrial Design ('cause a guy's got to make a living) but throughout my career, I continued to do paintings, sculpture, lithography, and photography. At Expo-67 I designed a 35 foot high kinetic - wind powered - sculpture for the Polymer Corporation pavilion. In 1982, in conjunction with an international exposition in Liverpool, I designed a 30-foot-high commemorative sculpture to the 8th Air Force which during WWII was based just 20 miles away. I have always painted, though there were periods especially during my tenure at USIA, when there wasn't enough time. In 1988 when I "hung out my shingle" as an independent design consultant, I made it a point to make the time. Fast forward to the present, I am more prolific than I ever was and earn a large part of my income from the sale of my fine art work. I am also an active member of The Studio Gallery located on the "R" Street corridor near Dupont Circle in Washington.
My work is represented in a number of private and corporate collections including Lockheed Martin, Tektronix, and Lerner Enterprises, who owns about 60 of my art works that are on permanent display in their office buildings located in Tysons Corner and Dulles Town Center.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I expect to still be living and working exactly where I am now in Great Falls. I don't believe in retirement per se. I love doing what I do (as an artist) and it's something that I can do forever. I'm my own boss and in some respects I'm the most demanding boss I ever had.