artists of rubber city

During last Friday’s opening reception at the BOX gallery it was hard to remember the condition of the space just twelve months ago. In August 2009 the yet-to-be-named Artists of Rubber City gallery existed chiefly in the vision of members who gave up weekends to transform the quirky freestanding trio of rooms into two exhibit areas with adjoining storage.

Winding up the first year of the BOX are two shows:

Fire & Ice
Karen Pierson & Terry Klausman
art jewelry & acrylic mixed media wall hangings

and


10 to the negative 43
art by Rob Carpenter

August 13 - September 18, 2010
the BOX gallery
Summit Artspace 3rd floor
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio
gallery hours: Friday and Saturday, noon - 4:30 p.m.

the BOX gallery is a project of Artists of Rubber City

The Artists of Rubber City 20th Annual Juried Show is now open in the BOX gallery on the third floor of Summit Artspace. Actually, it is spilling out of both the big box and the little box onto temporary display walls set up to accommodate the exhibit. Juror Gianna Commito, Assistant Professor of Painting, Kent State University, chose 50 works, representing a wide range of media and styles, by 37 artists. The closing of her statement, in which she wrote that she “strove to curate a show that presented the strongest and most varied representation of craftsmanship, vision and innovation” resulting in “a cross-section of talent that both complements and challenges the strengths of each artist’s contribution” makes it especially gratifying to have two pieces included in this exhibit.

    
Arctic                            Spring Garden
monotype                     monotype
3″ x 3″                          3″ x 3″

Artists of Rubber City 20th Annual Juried Show
June 5 - 26, 2010
the BOX gallery
Summit Artspace - 3rd floor
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio
open Friday & Saturday, noon - 4:30 p.m.

The Creative Opportunity Grant art talk is the final requirement of recipients: the use of the award and its effect on your work. With the letterpress the ‘how’ is easily explained, the ‘effect’ remains a work in progress, and the time in between has all been a great deal of fun!

For more images visit my letterpress rehab set on Flickr.

A 2009 Creative Opportunity Grant (COG) from Artists of Rubber City helped fund last year’s letterpress rehab, specifically the purchase of new rollers. Each COG recipient is asked to give a short presentation, sharing how the grant was used and its effect on current work. Last evening was show time: I was joined by fellow COG artists Brenda Keblesh and Miller Horns. Brenda’s award enabled her to frame a series which is currently in Collage X 12 at Summit Artspace; Miller used his to further the installation of his Matthews Hotel Project and get a start on new video pieces. It was a fine combination of ideas, processes and outcomes.

It’s two for one tonight: two opening receptions in one evening, making for an upstairs/downstairs event! Kaleidoscope opens on the main floor of Summit Artspace, while Artists of Rubber City presents a members only exhibition in their new gallery, the BOX, on the third floor.

Isaac’s Ash Tree will be on display with 52 other pieces by Artists of Rubber City members.

Artists of Rubber City - Work by Members
November 20, 2009 - January 3, 2010
the BOX gallery
Summit Artspace - third floor south
140 East Market Street
Akron, OH

There are only a few days left to see the 19th Annual Artists of Rubber City Juried Show at Mocha Maiden Gallery. Dorothy Shinn, in today’s Akron Beacon Journal, wrote “Last year I said this is the go-to group for serious local contemporary artists, and this show only reinforces that opinion. The sense of mastery and professionalism evidenced by this exhibit is far and away the best seen in years.”  The entire review, with images, is available here.

Tomorrow’s public opening of the new Metro RTA Intermodal Transit Center in Akron will also be the official beginning of a partnership between Metro and Artists of Rubber City. As described in last week’s tab in the Beacon Journal, commuters will “find artwork that transforms the Transit Center into a veritable art gallery.” Pieces are now on display in glass cases, but the future will see work “hung from the ceiling, elevated on internal divider walls, and positioned at floor level.” Plans are also underway for Art on the Go, a Metro bus/mobile gallery and acquisition of a commissioned outdoor sculpture to serve as a signature piece.

Metro RTA Open House
Saturday, January 10, 2009, noon - 4 p.m.
631 South Broadway, Akron, Ohio

Featured in the newspaper article are pieces by Nancy Richards-Davis (encaustics) and Don Parsisson (sculpture) on the left with work by Miller Horns (electrostatics) and Sharon Wagner (ceramics) on the right; a piece from my Imprints series is in the center.
For the opening the glass cases contain the work of Joe Dick (photography), Katie Pursley (pastels), Dianne Winnen-Oldenburg (fiber), Marcia Mazak (mixed media) and Ardyse Mund (watercolor) along with a couple of my block prints.

While the headline in Sunday’s Akron Beacon Journal, Akron group creates high-caliber show, promised a favorable review, the opening paragraphs delivered:

“It’s beginning to look like Artists of Rubber City is the go-to group for serious contemporary artists in the Akron area.
In its current exhibit, Artists of Rubber City 18th Annual Juried Show at Mocha Maiden through June 13, the group demonstrates that it has the means, the intent and the will to attract and display some of the most interesting new work being done hereabouts. . .
With this exhibit, Artists of Rubber City has proven that it can attract and nurture multiple artists . . . And with this show, the organization demonstrates that Akron truly has an art scene and community worthy of the name.”
Dorothy Shinn, Beacon Journal art and architecture critic

The full text of the article, including detailed commentary on the artwork, artists and awards, is available here for seven days.

What a week! (part one)

The opening reception Saturday culminated a crazy week of preparation for the annual juried show presented by Artists of Rubber City. Last Monday 154 entries were dropped off at Mocha Maiden Gallery in downtown Akron. Tuesday the show was chosen by Darice Polo, Assistant Professor, Kent State University School of Art, who juried the work and judged for awards. By Saturday the exhibit of 77 pieces by 45 area artists was installed, labeled and open to the public!

Once again, members volunteered their time and expertise to make this show possible and, once again, everyone did a fantastic job!

With one week left to view Artists of Rubber City: Celebrating Our First Thirty Years at Summit Artspace, today’s review by Dorothy Shinn, writing in the Akron Beacon Journal, should attract some last minute art aficionados. The “wide-ranging show” of “paintings, drawings, prints, encaustics, found art, electrostatics, collages, sculptures in a wide variety of materials from wood to bronze, and digital art” contains work to appeal to an equally wide range of viewers. Generously accompanied by images of the artwork, the article touches on the history of the group and its members. Always one to keep the locals on their toes, Dorothy usually writes reviews that generate a lot of conversation and this one is no exception. Read the full text and view artwork here.