RIP Hobbes . . .
you were the dude long before the Lebowski was

Surprise!

The 11th Annual Zenith Awards were presented by the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau at a luncheon meeting an awards celebration at the John S. Knight Center on May 9, 2012. It is now evident that I am surrounded by friends and colleagues who are proficient at keeping secrets.

Many thanks to Jim M. for the nomination - I am honored!

As gallery coordinator for Summit Artspace it was completely different, and more than a little awkward, to have my own artwork included in an exhibit - possibly because the focus had to shift back and forth from group to personal.

But, I got over it.

The dual role also led to some late hours finishing up a few new pieces for the show. The final print to be ready for delivery was also the image Dorothy Shinn wrote about in the Akron Beacon Journal art review:
“Allusion, context, symbolism . . . are key elements in successful works. No one knows that better than Colbert, whose fondness for crows and blackbirds of all sorts leads her to create such timely prints as her block print and acrylic Commodity Traders, which shows a murder of crows gathered to scoop up the scraps falling from a nest on which sits the goose that laid the golden eggs.”

Those familiar with my work will recognize the group of trickster crows as the ‘bean counters’ in Tally Birds. In fact, the commodity traders were in the back of my mind as I created the number crunchers and their beans. While printmaking is the medium of choice for creating editions, I prefer it for the ability to expand upon a motif with multiple uses and combinations of imagery. This was done with the Ash Tree series and continues with the birds and the beans - more versions are in the works.

Process shots from Commodity Traders follow:

Commodity Traders
block print and acrylic
oil base ink on Rising Stonehenge 100% cotton paper
9 x 27 inches

“Plenty to see, talk and think about.”
Dorothy Shinn, art and architecture critic for the Akron Beacon Journal

Even though this quote was preceded by, “Wonderful artists, wonderful show,” a gallery exhibit can receive no finer compliment than the closing line of Sunday’s art review in the Akron Beacon Journal. Considering that the eight artists are all past recipients of Arts Alive! Visual Art Awards, there was no doubt going into this exhibit that the artwork would be outstanding. Still, providing viewers with work that inspires thought and conversation denotes success well beyond a collection of pretty pictures.

The full article and several images are available online here. Of course, if you’re in the area, a visit to Summit Artspace is well worth your time. The Summit Artspace Gallery, located at 140 East Market Street, is open Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.

Inseparable. . . trees and lines
lines on trees and rings of lines in trees,
poetic lines about trees and lines of trees in the landscape

Tree Lines/Dusk and Dawn is a print that plays around with lines and trees, both in content and format. Dusk and dawn refer to the line of blackbirds who will likely spend their night communally roosting in the bare treetops.

In a continuation of the concept, the elements made their way into book format in the artist’s book, Tree Lines. Now it seems the pages are inviting additional lines of words or sketches - but that is for another day.

Tree Lines
pamphlet stitch artist’s book
oil base ink
on Strathmore 500 Series semi-smooth 100% cotton Bristol
with cover printed on BFK Rives tan

included in
Why Art’s Alive in Akron
April 27 - June 2, 2012
Summit Artspace
Akron, Ohio

Articles are appearing about Why Art’s Alive in Akron! During the opening reception Roger Durbin could be seen studying the work in the gallery and talking with the artists. His impressions are now available on the KnightArts blog in addition to his usual column in the West Side Leader. The KnightArts blog post is available here. A second article is in the current edition of the West Side Leader and can be read here or on my dining room table.

note: Knight Arts, a program of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, covers the arts in Knight communities, of which Akron, Ohio is one. The “Knight Foundation invests in artistic excellence, funding arts projects that engage the Knight resident communities in collective cultural experiences. We look for innovative, high-quality ideas. Our grantees represent both emerging artists and organizations and the oldest and most venerable institutions. The projects all have one thing in common: they enrich and engage the communities that produce them.” KnightArts

         

The elder is the tree of Ruis, joining the raven and the dandelion in marking the end of the year. Stories of the elder range from the mysterious to the dark; its history is one of folk tales and superstition. Some say that sadness and regret, buried beneath an elder tree, will become one with the earth. The elder reminds us to let go of that which no longer serves us and go forward with joy.  

Four versions of The Elder Tree are included in Why Art’s Alive in Akron!, the current exhibit at Summit Artspace.

The AoRC 22nd Annual Juried Show is now on view in the BOX gallery on the third floor of Summit Artspace. The BOX is literally overflowing. . . portable panels have been installed out on the floor to accommodate all of the artwork selected by Mark Schatz, sculptor, Assistant Professor and Foundations Coordinator at Kent State University, who served as this year’s judge. It’s great to see that the derby hat guy still has a graphic presence with the annual show. He’s put in a lot of years since artist, Rose Marino, now of Niles, Ohio, added him to a show flier back in the early 1990s.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Summit Artspace, Why Art’s Alive in Akron!, artwork by the eight recipients of Arts Alive! visual art awards, is featured in the main gallery on the first floor. Exhibiting artists are: Judith Carducci, Don Drumm, Barbara Gillette, Miller Horns, Craig Lucas (1941 - 2011), PJ Rogers, Mark Soppeland and Joan Colbert (insert smiley face!).

graphic design by Liz Remmel, Immix Studio

entry wall: Craig Lucas and Judith Carducci

gallery view: work by Miller Horns

gallery view: Don Drumm foreground, Barbara Gillette opposite wall

Artists of Rubber City 22nd Annual Juried Show
the BOX gallery
Why Art’s Alive in Akron!
Summit Artspace Gallery

April 27 - June 2, 2012
Summit Artspace
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio

Yes, it is the elephant in the room, but not in the usual sense!

A couple weeks ago Nancy H. suggested that Ganesha take up temporary residence in the studio - at least until the newest exhibit at Summit Artspace was up and running. Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, had a formidable task: offset the potential panic of looming deadlines (and a clock and calendar that were out of control) with a sense of focus and calm.

Maybe it really was Ganesha who enabled the successful completion of a formidable ‘to do’ list, but I like to think it was also the kind gesture of a friend.

Each print from the Lotus Series is included in an accordion book that unfolds vertically. A close look reveals the Kundalini serpent uncoiling its way up through the images. When folded, the colorful interior is hidden from view - only the white cut-paper snake on the cover hints at the contents.

Both the Lotus Series prints and The Kundalini Serpent are included in the Why Art’s Alive in Akron exhibit opening soon at Summit Artspace.