Art From the Fort on exhibit through Aug. 7

By Hope Wallace

Check out Art from the Fort; our exhibit of five prominent Fort Wayne artists’ work continues through Aug. 7. Paintings, work carving and fabric collage that looks like a painting until you get closer-stuff can be made from just about anything.

We are really looking forward to our next featured artist, found object sculptor, Robert Millard Mendez. This exhibit opens on Aug. 15. It’s easy to tell that from an early age, Mendez was enthralled with mechanics and motion.

Mendez currently is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN. Teaching 3-D Design, Woodworking, Art Appreciation, Senior Seminar, and First Year Experience.

His work has been shown in over 400 exhibitions nationwide,  exhibited/presented in all 50 states, has received over 60 awards art and teaching and his sculptures are in over 60 private and public collections. He has been teaching at the college level since 1999 and lectures about art to different audiences.

Mendez will be available at the opening reception on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. to speak briefly about his work. He will be on-hand to answer questions, so meet, greet and welcome this artist who’s traveled to visit us. We will also have live music, free taco bar and always free entry to shows.

The Wassenberg watercolor class begins again after a brief hiatus in August. Instructor: Pat Rayman. Students will learn some of the classic and time-tested watercolor techniques for a solid base and further their watercolor painting skills. Wet on wet, dry brush and other tricks will be demonstrated and explored. This class is ongoing but we encourage you to jump in anytime.  $35 members, $40 non-members.

Materials required: Watercolors, watercolor paper (140 lb), brushes, palette (we use foam/paper plates), drawing pencil, eraser, permanent black pen.

Sign up soon for the upcoming intense workshop with recognized watercolorist, Allen Hutton! We are also very excited to host this event by watercolorist Allen Hutton of Toledo. It will be held Sept. 8–10 from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Allen will be showing us how to explore watercolor painting by sharing techniques and processes with attention to drawing and composition. Learn through painting demonstrations, discussions, hands-on painting and one on one support. Emphasis will be given to personal landscape and still life subject matter.

Hutton graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with A BFA in Industrial Design. He is a regularly accepted artist in the Ohio Watercolor Society Exhibits, and has shown his work in group and solo shows across the country since 2002. He continues to be awarded in most of the exhibits he enters and will provide instruction on his unique style. Hutten strives to render the fleeting patterns of light and shadow with the simple purpose of preserving the reality of a landscape or still life in a particular moment in time and season. Costs will be $100 per day with a two-day minimum sign-up. Please give us a call soon for this unique opportunity to paint the world in a different light.

Material List

Reference material and or sketches

Drawing materials, pencils, drawing or tracing paper

Watercolor paper

Watercolor paint

Various watercolor brushes

Old toothbrush

Watercolor palette

Spray bottle

Scissors, X-acto knife or razor blade

Masking fluid and drafting tape if possible

Scraps of mat board and or watercolor paintings to recycle

Any other materials you like to paint with

Note: wear your old painting clothes

Our after school youth art program ArtReach will be returning with the onset of the school year. Details coming soon!

For more information on exhibits or to sign for classes and events visit wassenbergartcenter.org. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 S. Washington St. (former Van Wert Armory). We can also be reached by telephone at: 419.238.6837, email: info@wassenbergartcenter.org and our website is: wassenbergartcenter.org.