Birdhousing around

By Hope Wallace

The arts are important to our country, perhaps more now than ever. This is not a new concept. Organizations like Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have known this for at least 20 years. After witnessing phenomena where the arts actually drove healthy area economies, both artists and economists thought it would be important to see just how much the arts industry was responsible for maintenance and growth. Working together, these groups produced models, which would serve as a tool to illustrate just how important an economic catalyst, driver and sustaining industry this often, misunderstood group of our society can be.

The above only illustrates the positives from an economic standpoint. There are many other reasons, which we can get into later because as usual the Wass has a lot going on these days!

In honor of being a more integral part of the downtown and Van Wert as a whole we are pleased to announce that the art center will be open until 10 p.m. during the popular Fountain Park Concert Series! Stop by after the concert and enjoy the visual arts and refreshments to complete your Friday night and get cultured for the week!

Birdhouse images for the Annual Wassenberg Peony Festival fundraiser are starting to trickle in and we are thrilled with the diverse treatments and styles!  If you could use a truly unique, one-of-a-kind birdhouse that has been transformed into original art, get your bid on! Birdhouses will be sold by silent auction here at the art center during this year’s Van Wert Jubilee Flower show – (a good fit, I might add) is scheduled for June 6 & 7. Winners will be announced by June 10.

The opening reception for the 58^th Annual June Art Exhibit will be on Saturday, June 14, from 6-10 p.m. and will be on view through July 6. Fifty-eight years is a long history.

We are so excited to announce that Dan Dickerson and the Harp Condition out of Fort Wayne will be performing at this year to celebrate these awesome works of art. Dan has taken a piano and created a new kind of harp out of the spare parts. He then added electricity and technologic gadgetry to create a unique one-man-band. Using a looping technique he creates his own sound and has a popular following in Fort Wayne and around the state of Indiana. Other performers will accompany him as well, so be sure to check it all out. Our art receptions are free and open to the public.  This reception we are serving gourmet tacos, desserts and providing a cash bar.

Classic Watercolor class continues on Tuesday mornings starting at 10 a.m. This is an ongoing class is taught by Pat Rayman. People are encouraged to jump in anytime and the class is sold in monthly increments. $35 for members and $40 for non-members.

Also a drawing class taught by Pat Rayman will be offered at 10 a.m. on Friday mornings June 6, 14, 20, and 27 at 10 a.m. Pat will explore classic structure and experiment with alternate drawing techniques. Give us a call if this sounds like something you would enjoy. $35 for members and $40 for non-members.

Vine & Palette is scheduled for June 10. Class time runs 6:30-9:30 p.m. We can accommodate approximately 30 persons for this class, and we are filling up quickly. Call soon if you want to join us! Participants can bring a snack if they wish and a bottle of wine to share. We take care of the rest. Wear a paint shirt or apron to protect your clothes. $25 for members and $30.

For information on exhibits, classes and programs listed on there as well. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 South Washington Street (former Van Wert Armory). We can be reached by telephone at: 419.238.6837, email: info@wassenbergartcenter.org and our website is: wassenbergartcenter.org.