ARA instructors David Gluck, who hails from Pennsylvania, and Fernando Freitas, brought the USA/Canada hockey rivalry home to the studio this week. To honour the Olympic Games - and their love for the sport - the two die-hard hockey fans placed a friendly bet that the supporter of the losing team would wear the winning team's shirt for a day. After a nail-biting finish on Sunday, David took the defeat in stride and spent a day showcasing his "temporary Canadian citizenship".

The Bloor West Village Art Tour is an annual event that offers artists in the Bloor West Village, Swansea, High Park and Junction areas a unique opportunity to showcase their talents. This marks the 12th year for this popular weekend attraction, where local artists can display and sell their works to members of the community from the comfort of their own studio or home.Tour dates and times are:• Friday, May 28, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.• Saturday, May 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.• Sunday, May 30, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.Any artists interested in being included in the tour should contact John Lynch 416-769-4454 for more information on registration and entry fees. You can also email jlynch@sympatico.ca for a registration form. Please note: Applications are subject to jury approval.

Imam Azhari is holding his first solo art exhibition at The Artist Project show being held the Queen Elizabeth Building at Exhibition Place in Toronto March 4 to 7. Imam is an award-winning trompe l'oeil artist who graduated from The Academy of Realist Art last year.For information on the show, visit www.theartistprojecttoronto.com. Hours are 12 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The opening night preview will be held on Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. You can also check out Imam's portfolio at www.imamazhari.com.

Part-time ARA student Janet Strayer has recently won first place in The Artist's magazine All Media competition in the digital arts category for her Garlands piece. This haunting picture is part of Janet's Child Out of Time series, a collection of 24 monochromatic digital paintings that explore the concept of childhood as a time of memory, reverie, yearning and hope. Garlands will be featured on the magazine's website as well as the July-August 2010 print issue which will appear on newsstands June 8, 2010.Visitors will have an opportunity to view this intriguing series first hand at the Zack Gallery located at 950 West 41st Ave. (near Oak St.) in Vancouver starting June 9, 2010. You can also see Janet's entire portfolio at www.janetstrayerart.com.

ARC approved Academy of Realist Art is building its online video and DVD portfolio to familiarize visitors with our programs and provide detailed instruction on realist art techniques. When complete, our online video offerings will include studio tours, as well as workshop summaries and helpful hints from senior instructors at ARA.

We are also planning the launch of a new DVD release “In the Studios of the Old Masters” this summer. A sequel to the highly popular “Drawing the Figure”, this DVD will walk students through many of the painting techniques used by the Old Masters.

Check out the ARA website at www.academyofrealistart.com to view the latest online videos. For pricing information or to pre-order a copy of “In the Studios of the Old Masters” DVD, contact info@academyofrealistart.com.

ARC approved Academy of Realist Art is expanding its reach in North America and Europe in the coming months. While details won’t be available until the official announcements are made, plans are in the works for ARA – with the enthusiastic support of local government agencies - to open a new school in a European resort location as early as June 2010. ARA is also in the very early stages of considering a new site in the UK in response to popular demand.

ARA Boston is undergoing some major upgrades, as it takes on more space to accommodate its growing student population. The studio is in the process of grooming new instructors, as well as expanding its highly-popular workshop calendar. Visit www.academyofrealistartboston.com to learn more.

Last but not least, ARA is also looking to establish a more permanent program in the Ottawa region in partnership with the Monart Art School. Already a popular location for workshops, this site will be home to an extended ARA curriculum, and will feature regularly scheduled workshops with senior ARA instructors.

Updates will be posted on the ARA website at www.academyofrealistart.com or email info@academyofrealistart.com to be added to our mailing list.