Glow pebble donations still coming in

The contributions for the glow pebbles are still coming in. Thank you all so much!  If you missed adopting some glow pebbles, please give us a call and we will sign you up. There are many other projects going on that you can become involved with as well. Chat us up. We have ideas!

We will be breaking ground on the Wassenberg Art Park on April 17 and are so excited we can hardly stand it. What was once a ratty parking lot will soon be a wonderful space for festivals, a place to walk your puppy, and a peaceful, beautiful spot to sit back and take in life. We simply can’t wait to share the power of the arts to create a place someone wants to live.

Directing an art center and keeping things fresh is important, so I do try to travel when I can. This past weekend I went to Detroit, Michigan, primarily to participate in a parade called Marche du Nain Rouge. Primarily it is an event to drive the Nain Rouge (red imp) out of Detroit for yet another year. For Detroit, the legend of the Nain embodies negativity. Detroit has had plenty of negativity, but is rebounding in amazing ways and quickly. What is at the heart of the rebound? The arts. What is Van Wert’s Nain Rouge? What negativity or negative attitude would you drive from your community?

Don’t forget to get out the statement murals during Bark vs. Roar through April 8! The murals are created by Jordyn Fishman who is a student at the highly regarded Penny Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan. She is also probably one of the youngest persons to be accepted into ArtPrize IX in 2017 for her 22-foot mural: “Income, Inequality, Imagine”, which was accepted by the Grand Rapids Museum of Art venue.

ArtPrize is one of the largest art competition in the world and over 400,000 people flock to the city to see it every year. The venue is the entire city, which includes not only museums, but also, the river, restaurants, sidewalks, lawns, parks, parking lots and even the roofs of buildings. Each participating venue chooses artist(s) they wish to highlight.

Jordan works through themes of social inequality and uses her art as activism. She works to the root of the problem beginning with phrases, and uses oil paint, acrylic paint, nail polish, glitter, charcoal, pastel, and graphite. Her youth and passion are a reassurance, our world is heading in a good direction.

Art Classes:

Classic Watercolor: Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m.-noon. Ongoing. $40 art center member price/$45 regular price. Instructor: Pat Rayman. Materials required. Online sign up available.

ArtReach: We have openings available in both age groups and you can sign up anytime. Tuesdays (ages 7-11) and Thursdays (11 and up) 3:30-5 p.m. We are currently accepting students for this great, stress free after-school art program. Sign up forms are available online at wassenbergartcenter.org or at the Wassenberg Art Center office.

ArtNight: Instructor will be Shannon Painter-Carpenter and sometimes we feature other instructors. You are also welcome to bring your own project or sign up for the project we feature. We have some great projects coming up beginning next week, so be watching social media. Enjoy a glass of wine or beer while you are here, hang out with friends, create and relax.

ArtNight! March 29: Never enough Mason Jars!: Instructor: Shannon Painter-Carpenter. We will be exploring even more cool things you can do with mason jars. Chalk paint, glitter, and glass scraps. Project fee for all $15. Includes your first beverage.

For more information on exhibits or to sign up 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 or email at info@wassenbergartcenter.org.