How to go
What: Multiple exhibits
Where: The Fine Art Center at Town & Country Shopping Center, 300 E. Stroop Road, Kettering
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays
More info: 937-293-5381 or www.thefineartcenter.org
For those looking to acquire unique art, it’s always a good bet to check out the Fine Art Center at Town & Country Shopping Center in Kettering. The member artist group presents multiple exhibits each month, and June is no exception.
Shows this month include: Tri Art Members Spring Art Show on the Center Wall Gallery; Visiting Artist John Laird presents his acrylics in the Main Window; Members Window exhibits are switching from Mary Clifford to Karen Benedetti on June 9, with guest artist Kelly Joslin presenting her photography in that spot from June 23 to July 6.
Dayton artist Scott Gibbs was busy this past week jurying the Tri-Art Spring Art Show which will continue through June 15 at the gallery. The title of the Show is “People, Places & Things.” Three prizes will be awarded in each subject category.
“It’s traditional and figurative-based art, and I like the maturity of the works that I’ve seen so far. You can tell that primarily the artists love the subject matter,” said Gibbs, who teaches at-risk kids for the Dayton court system, and also holds classes at K12 Gallery.
Tri-Art Club members Donna DeLong of Bellbrook, Polly Brown of West Carrollton, and Connie Crosby of Trotwood were dropping of works to be considered for the show. DeLong, the current president, was submitting one watercolor for jurying. Fairly new to art, she’s had two years of watercolor classes with Diane Coyle at Hithergreen. Both Brown and Crosby were submitting two works for Gibbs to consider.
“I’m a watercolorist, and I’ve been painting forever,” said Crosby, a 20-year Tri-Art member. “I wrote a self-published journal about 10 years ago titled ‘I am Me.’ I use my art throughout the book.”
The Tri-Art Club meets at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth Friday of each month at the MCL Cafeteria on Far Hills Avenue for a demonstration or hands-on project. They currently have 74 members and new members are always welcome. A yearly membership costs $25.
“When I’m painting, I forget all my troubles,” said Brown, a 10-year Tri-Art member.
Laird’s acrylic abstracts are featured prominently at the gallery. A lover of geometric shapes, his abstract expressionism is inspired by the works of Kandinsky, Klee, and Hofmann. A child of a military family who had lived in 11 houses in five states by the age of 10, the only constant was his love of art.
“He perseveres with his art and never gives up. He has a passion in his work that I admire,” said TFAC gallery coordinator Trish McKinney.
Today is the last day in the Members Window for “Summer’s Bounty” art by current TFAC president Mary Clifford. Her floral watercolors will be replaced by “The Ways of Water” by TFAC member Karen Benedetti. These small mixed-media works highlight the beauty of Alaska, Maine and the Baltimore/Chesapeake Bay area. By June 23, Kelly Joslin’s non-silver/alternative photographic works will be featured.
“My photographic prints openly explore portraiture and self-portraiture as a means of documenting the temporal aspects of physicality,” said Joslin, a professor and chair of the art department at Sinclair Community College. “This interest began after my rediscovery of 35mm negatives of self-portraits I created when I was 21 years old. As I examined them, I became increasingly intrigued by the idea of juxtaposing those images with portraits of myself at age 41.”
In addition to these exhibits, the June 30 deadline is approaching for the gallery’s annual Square Foot National Exhibition. Artists 18 and over can submit 12” x 12” art on canvas or wood to be juried for an August show. Interested artists may download a registration brochure on the web site. For more information, email Keith Thue at his online address, thueknk@yahoo.com.
A Red Paper Youth Art Camp is coming up in July. Free classes will be held at Town & Country from 1 to 3 p.m. the week of July 21. This five-day workshop is geared for children ages 9 to 17 who have been affected by a life-altering illness. Call 937-293-5381 to reserve a spot.
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