Oh! What a night! The early June evening was picture perfect picnic weather on historic Hyde House hill as 70 guests gathered to celebrate the artworks created by the 42 artCentral member artists participating in the 2021 MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION.
Director-Curator of artCentral, Alice Lynn Greenwood-Mathé, expressed appreciation for board members and volunteers who gave time generously to create the evening. They included: Betsy Flanigan, board president; board members Jackie Boyer, Maddie Capps, Wendi Douglas, Doug Osborn and Kerry Sturgis; artCentral Prepitor David Greenwood-Mathé; and volunteering artCentral members Bren Flanigan and Bev Sturgis.
Gratitude was given for the exhibit’s two jurors Beth Simmons, Director of McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation, and Nancy Dunaway, Art Educator and Practicing Professional Artist, and for all the participating artists for their exceptional contributions to the collection on display.
For the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Underwriter awards cash envelopes were presented. Each presentation was prefaced by commentary written by Juror Nancy Dunaway. (The three Honorable Mentions will be named in next week’s Art Notes.)
UNDERWRITER and GOLD Awards: Andrew W. Batcheller for “Raptors of a Contemptuous Fall (Black Lives Matter)”. “This is a magnificent piece, not only in technique and size, but most of all, in concept. The use of a formal classical style to express the anguish of continued struggles of racial inequality is handled masterfully by the artist in so many ways. There are so many symbols that can tell an individual story to the viewer or a collective story to all of us. The poppies in red and white and their stems tethering the raptors to each other and to the space below, the circular form and vase from classic cultures, the nod to Egypt in the headdress of the figure—we can muse on these for hours. The sea behind in the background is calm but changes as it passes beyond the tableau above. It is rich with narrative that fuels our imagination and invites us all to consider the horrific reality in a calm and reflective manner. The color choices are right on and the contrast is handled well. It is perfectly balanced and yet has many small details that pull us in for a closer look and a break in the formality that entertains us. Well done.”
SILVER Award: Clint Thornton for “Drums in Flight 2”. “The motion in this piece grabs us and makes us move closer to absorb the movement that is so beautifully executed. The compositional use of space is lovely and fits the focus, which is the flight of the drums as the drumsticks move in wing-like fashion over their surface. The use of the stark white of the arms and hands is a perfect contrast with the blue-black to blue gradation of color in the background and gives the feel of a spotlight on stage at a club where the music takes over everyone’s soul. The forms on the left side reveal other players on the stage but the focus is definitely on those frenzied drumsticks. The colors used on the left side become abstracted and haunting, dividing the space in places where stories could linger. The color crosses the center line in the bottom foreground and drops us into the blues of the background, leading our eye across the surface in a way that entertains us. Capturing all this motion is a huge task and the artist has done a wonderful job.
BRONZE Award: David Greenwood-Mathé for “Share Ring”. “What hit me about this piece is the simplicity of it. The quietness of it…even though the subject is singing bowls. It is well executed and the color choices are perfect. The simplicity of the bowls doing their own dance and sharing the energy of the sound emitted is enticing. The energy of the sound wafting up from them into the space and the meeting of the two bowls in the middle is delightful. The subtlety of color and the quiet transitions between tones are perfect, and the soft transitions from golds to greens with the soft dancing shadows and then the introduction of the red magenta line changing to the darker purplish lines works so well. I also loved the play on words of the title. It really evokes a feeling of peace and joy and the beauty of stillness as well. The accent of the lone soft charcoal mark to the right of the middle bowls adds a touch of mystery. Excellent job.”
During the MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION Weekend Gallery Hours through July 17 are Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00-5:00 p.m. and other times by appointments made at (417) 358-4404.
