Member Artists’ Exhibit and Sale opens soon

By Hope Wallace

 

Many thanks to those who attended our annual Halloween party; we hope you had a great time. Our photographer, Dennis Yurich, took a lot of great pictures; they can be viewed on our Facebook Page. Costumes were out of this world with everyone thinking, planning and designing some great get-ups. Winners of the costume contest were 1st Place Ooogie Boogie man Brent Shumaker of Fort Wayne, Ind., and 2nd Place: Edward Scissorhands, also known as Kari Fife of Van Wert. 3rd Place went to “Titanic” Jayne Smith and Tony Wilkinson. Congrats everyone!

The 27^th Annual Wassenberg Member Artists’ Exhibit & Sale, which spotlights the many fine artists who are members of the art center, is coming just in time for holiday shopping season! We encourage anyone, amateur or pro, to enter this exhibit. If you did not receive a call-for-entry in the mail, go to our website and download or stop in and pick one up. All work that conforms to the entry specifications will be accepted. All you have to do is join the Wassenberg Art Center (if you haven’t already). The judge is Jordan Kniepper from Piqua Area Arts Council. Art check-in is scheduled for November 11, 12, and 13 from 1–5 p.m.

The exhibit opening party will be held on November 19 from 6–9 p.m. Awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Free refreshments and a cash bar will be available. Entertainment will be provided by The Changing Elements Band of Stryker, which plays music that is a combination of folk and funk music with tribal drum patterns.  The exhibit will be on display from November 20 to December 18, 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Join us to Warm Up the Ridge 2016! The residents of Pine Ridge Reservation, where most of the descendants of the Little Bighorn warriors featured in our “Faces of the Little Bighorn” exhibit, need help to get through the winter; their living conditions are poor and fuel oil is expensive and hard to get. The Wassenberg Art Center will be collecting clean, new and used items in GOOD condition, such as hats, gloves, warm socks, coats, boots, and blankets (focus on adult sizes), through December 20 to send to Pine Ridge Reservation. With the stand-off at the North Dakota Pipeline, they need your help more than ever! Our friend Marian Whitemouse handles this for the reservation and our donations go right to where they are needed, quickly. Faces of Little Bighorn donor Brent Stevens personally drives out donated Warn Up the Ridge items.

Drop items off at the art center during our regular hours. Thank you very much; your support is sincerely appreciated.

Art classes and activities include the Tuesday morning Watercolor techniques group, ArtNight on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m., ArtReach after-school art program for school children ages 7 through 15, and coming soon, Pottery with Brandon Knott.

For information on classes, exhibits, and events visit: wassenbergartcenter.org. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 South Washington Street (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.