artHound

The first exhibits of 2013 are now open at Summit Artspace. The Summit Artspace Gallery has work by four women artists in Unmonumental Landscape. Two dimensional work by Debra DeGregorio, Chrissy Lapossy and Sommer Tolan is combined with Excellent Accommodations, an installation by Chelsea Blackerby. All of the work combines so gracefully it is hard to believe that the synergy wasn’t orchestrated. Writing for the Akron Beacon Journal, Dottie Shinn states that the exhibit “offers a look at new materials, methods and ways of presentation that should prove enlightening, insightful and delightful.” The full review can be read here.

Two artists are featured in the BOX gallery on the third floor: roller derby has taken over the ‘big box’ with photos by Toni Billick in Roller Derby Persona while the more intimate ’small box’ contains paintings by Adam Dumont in Off the Air and Out of Print. the BOX gallery is a project of Artists of Rubber City.

For thirteen years the Bath United Church of Christ has hosted a festival of the arts during the season of the Epiphany to “celebrate the artists among us who offer their insights and talents to the world.”  Invited artists exhibit original art and fine crafts in a stunning variety of media. It is an honor to participate.

Details about the Epiphany Arts Festival are available on the The Bath Church UCC website.

What fun it was to draw two pair of cousins as a surprise gift for their grandmother, considering that she lived next door when her son and daughter were around the age of the pictured girls. At that time her backyard was the place to play, no matter the season, and there was a lot of snow day rough and tumble among our kids. The boys were never so fashionably dressed as this foursome.

Once again Summit Artspace was in party mode as visitors celebrated the arrival of the new year during First Night Akron 2012. Three floors of arts and activities attracted a crowd of revelers who came to view art, listen to music and try their hands at several fun make it take it projects. Thanks to all of the volunteers who kept the evening running smoothly!

This year’s button was designed by Don Peoples, an artist for the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Information on Don can be found here.

Artwalk Fair #1. . . quite possibly the recent Summit Artspace Artwalk Fair is just the first of many. It’s an idea with lots of potential: plenty of space with room to grow, easy set up and a great group of friendly, creative people. Thanks to all who stopped by last weekend. To those who left with a piece of art: I hope you enjoy it for many years to come!

Summit Artspace is welcoming December and the holiday season with an abundance of art this weekend! New to the venue is the Holiday Artwalk Fair - nine artists will join the studio artists on the third floor in welcoming visitors to the Artwalk on Saturday and the Sunday Sampler. It’s indoors, it’s warm, it’s festive and it’s amid a great group of artists - what’s not to like? (and, from a participant’s standpoint, Friday set-up practically guarantees it will be stress free!)

Summit Artspace Holiday Artwalk Fair
Saturday, December 3, noon - 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, noon - 4 p.m.
Summit Artspace - third floor
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio

Also in the building:

Kaleidoscope 2011
Annual Juried Exhibition presented by the Alliance for the Visual Arts in Akron
Summit Artspace Gallery

Paper or Plastic
a new lowbrow toy show
sponsored by Artists of Rubber City and Vivid Plastic
the BOX gallery

three FREE workshops:
Saturday, December 3, 1 - 3 p.m. Figurative Painting in Oils with Linda Hutchinson
Saturday, December 3, 6 - 9 p.m. Visions of Innovation & Invention with Mark Soppeland
Sunday, December 4, 1 - 3 p.m. Figurative Clay Sculpture with Joseph Blue Sky

Stop by and say hello before you venture out to enjoy the the rest of the Downtown Akron Artwalk on Saturday or attend the Sunday Sampler!

Finally finished the turtle tiles! Don’t blame the delay on the tortoises: they moved along quickly once the project was underway.

Oh, Pandora - Zeus set you up. He knew you’d be curious!

Hope
from Zeus via Pandora
mixed media lighted box

Every two years area artists are asked to think out of the box, literally. Open to any medium and any interpretation, the Out of the Box Exhibition and Auction has become a favorite among both artists and patrons.  Bidding begins in the gallery and concludes at the Arts Alive! event on November 20, 2011. Proceeds benefit the Akron Area Arts Alliance and Summit Artspace.

Pandora’s Box, so named after a mistranslation changed pithos (jar) into pyxis (box), is commonly referenced when misfortune is imminent. Pandora is blamed. Even so, Pandora’s jar wasn’t completely emptied - hope remained. Hope seemed the perfect focus for this year’s box.

Additional images are available on flickr. box.book.box, from 2009 can be seen here and here. Earlier boxes can be seen here and here.

The hours have shifted. Every day there are fewer minutes of light. Realizing the futility of saving daylight we set our timepieces to standard time, changing the clocks and retrieving the hour that was passed over as spring approached.

Setting the clocks, falling back, back to last March, to the weekend that time changed, when a missing hour seemed inconsequential. There was so much more yet to lose.

Solitary flight with confidence and grace. . . it only appears simple.

note: Solitary Flight was taken last winter but was recently enlarged, framed and displayed as a bit of visual encouragement. In the interests of full disclosure: this crow is not really that much of a loner; not included in this image are many other blackbirds headed for their nightly roost at the same time - this one stayed on the fringes of the crowd, more aloof than alone.