A 'Moving' Exhibit at Kramer Gallery

A class of 2011 graduate of Albert Einstein High School and Visual Arts Center in Kensington, Daniel Toretsky, is this year's winner of Montgomery County's prestigous Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award.  

An overflowing crowd of friends, teachers, parents, Montgomery county arts officials and art supporters congratulated Toretsky at a free public reception in the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room in . The award combines a $3,000 cash prize and one-month solo exhibit at the Kramer Gallery.

"Toretsky is an example of the wonderful artists we have in Montgomery county, " Suzan Jenkins, Arts and Humanities Council CEO, told attendees. "Daniel's work is playful, intricate and serious, with a huge 'wow' factor at the same time."

"Receiving this award is mind-blowing," Toretsky told the crowd.

Toretsky also expressed his concern about a planned reduction in the number of art teachers at Einstein's Visual Arts Center (VAC), due to county budget cuts. He stressed the importance of the teachers and urged attendees to "convince the county" to fund the VAC positions.

Now in its fourteenth year, The Haimovicz Visual Arts Award was established by the family of the late Ida F. Haimovicz. The award is given to a Montgomery County high school senior planning to pursue a career in the visual arts. The winner is selected through a juried process judging the applicant's work and visual arts career potential.

On hand to offer special congratulations to the award winner was Joe Hamer, son of the late Ida Haimovicz and now in his 90s.

Also on hand were Toretsky's proud parents and family, including dad Jeff Toretsky.

"He used to nail blocks together as a child...I wish we had some of those to look back on now!"

Patch talked with Daniel about receiving the award, his art and future plans:

Patch: How long have you been studying art?

Daniel Toretsky: I got serious about art two years ago, but have been drawing my whole life. I spent lots of hours studying art--sculpture, kinetic sculpture, abstract art.

Patch: Who are your artistic inspirations?

Toretsky: I studied works by Pomodoro and Lebbus Woods, which inspired ideas.

Patch: How did you feel when you found out you had won the Haimovicz award?

Toretsky: I was excited, obviously! The show is invaluable. But wish it could have been a joint show with my friends. They are so talented.

Patch: There are so many works here -- how did you produce so much art in two years?

Toretsky: Discipline, perseverance--and lots of late nights!

Patch: What materials do you use in your [kinetic] sculptures?

Toretsky: Bass wood, cutting boards, old shoes --whatever [material] is inexpensive.

Patch: It was announced that you've won a scholarship to study at architecture, at Cornell. Why architecture?

Toretsky: Architecture is inhabitable art...[so it relates] to my artwork.

Patch: What's your advice to other students studying art?

Toretsky: Look in all sorts of places for inspiration, and work ridiculously hard! Keep your goals in mind, but step back and have fun--that will bring a new light to your work.