Entries sought for 2019 June Art Exhibit

A call for entries is this weekend May 17-19, from 1-5 p.m., for our annual June Art Exhibit! Bring us your creations! If you need complete rules and entry forms, please pick up at the art center or download at www.wassenbergartcenter.org.

Our next Pint Night is scheduled for May 23, from 6-9 p.m. We will feature a new music group: Chop Shop. Chop Shop is a generation gap bridged by guitars. Aeddon Cartwright and Ryan Weaver play blues and rock stripped down to the bare metal. Cartwright is lead guitarist of Radithor, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer, and custom guitar builder; Weaver is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, mandolin, and drums), a flight instructor, and college professor. We are finalizing the brew provider; stay tuned and see you there. 

On May 31, 6-10 p.m., we have quite the shindig planned. We will be opening our annual June Art Exhibit and handing out all kinds of awards. In addition, we will be having a gratitude ceremony for those who helped make our Art Park a reality. Joining us will be the Ben Daniels Band from the small community of Chelsea, Michigan. Ben is the son of actor Jeff Daniels and Ben’s group of six musicians play a great blend of original work and covers. We encourage all to attend and celebrate the vibrancy the Wassenberg Art Center is providing to the area. Free admission, appetizers and cash bar. We wish to thank the Van Wert County Foundation, Van Wert Federal Bank, and the Pond Seed Company for their generous support for this event. 

The next weekend, June 8-9, while hosting the Van Wert County Jubilee Flower Show, we will be included in the 2019 Peony Festival Garden Tour. Join this tour to see some of the most amazing gardens around the community. Did you know the Peony Festival got its start because of our founder Charles Wassenberg? Mr. Wassenberg raised peonies on a farm outside of town and shipped them worldwide. While touring here, check out our Art Park behind the building and inside find the painting of the Wassenberg farm, by the late Lew Miller! 

Want to potentially win $1,500? Adopt a duck! The ducks will be racing down Town Creek during the fifth annual Town Creek Live festival on July 13. You may adopt your duck at the following locations: Main Street Van Wert, Collins Fine Foods, Brewed Expressions, Wassenberg Art Center, and online at www.wassenbergartcenter.org.

We have a great line-up of goings-on planned. Town Creek Draw will be an interactive art exhibit where the whole community creates the art with giant pieces of chalk! In addition to our Duck Derpy, we will host Matthew Keeler & Friends (folk/bluegrass), Vanity Crash (pop/rock), and The Holbrook Bros. Band (classic rock). Lots of new and favorite gourmet food trucks will be joining us along with an ax throwing game and Eaton Cornhole Tournament. Duck adoptions are now available for the chance to win $1,500. You may purchase at Collins Fine Foods, Main Street Van Wert, Wassenberg Art Center, Stay tuned for more developments and potential surprises!

Have you checked out our art classes? There is still time to sign up for our newest upcoming! Arm yourself with your paintbrush or pencil and join in. We promise our art classes are painless. Watercolor Class: ongoing. Tuesday mornings 10 a.m. Openings available.  Fee: $45 regular, $40 WAC member cost.

ArtReach: After school art classes: Ages 7-11: Tuesdays; Ages 12 and up: Thursdays. 3:30-5 p.m. Sign up anytime.

Three Summer Art Camps will be held during the weeks of June 11-14, July 9-12 and one in August. Instructor Emilie Fisher has lots of new exciting projects planned.

Our third art camp will take place August and will be something entirely different and special. As this camp will be based around a permanent project, it will be geared to older youths. Details soon! Young people ages 6-11 will meet at 10 a.m.-noon and ages 12 and up 1-3 p.m.

ArtNight: Thursday 6-9 p.m. Bring a group of friends and a project and come on in. We have staff on-hand to help you out. Do you play the piano, an instrument, participate in a drum circle? Let us know, our stage is open! We often feature quick and easy projects, which are posted on Facebook. 

Stained Glass Basics II (waiting list): Instructor Joe Balyeat. May 1, 8, 15: 6-8 p.m. Learn to cut and piece together glass for a basic stained glass piece. Design options available. You will learn the Tiffany-foil method of stained glass. Class is $40 for members and $45 regular for a three-week course. Learn the basics for cutting glass, piecing it together, foiling and soldering. Materials included. Feel free to call to be put on the waitlist. Class attendance can fluctuate, so an opening may pop up. We will be offering a short stained glass one-day workshop in June. Stay tuned for details.

We are super excited. Mark your calendars! Firenation Glass out of Toledo will be visiting the Wassenberg Art Center on August 24 with their mobile hot shop! They will be demonstrating the art of blowing glass. Opportunities to create your own glass item will be available. Details to follow. 

Our gift shop is open year-round. We get new items all the time. Great options to purchase one-of-a-kind, unique items, crafted by artisans in the area for the people who are one-of-a-kind to you. There is always a need throughout the year to purchase for those special to us and to show them how much we care and find them unique by purchasing the same. 

For more information on exhibits or to sign up for classes and events visit wassenbergartcenter.org.