Witter Brings Summer Art
For those students staying in the Storm Lake area over the summer, the Witter Gallery has a great variety of art exhibitions to be seen.
During the month of June, the Artisans Road Trip will be displayed in the gallery. This is a collection of works from about 41 different professional artists coming from 8 Northwest Iowa counties. The exhibit will consist of a range of mediums such as oil paintings, photography, ceramics and drawings. This exhibit is sponsored by Paxton’s Jewelery and is a great opportunity for members of the community to get out of the sun and enjoy some great pieces of art.
The month of July offers those in the community the chance to view an exhibit entitled Patriotism. This particular exhibit consists of old World War I and II posters. These 19 posters have been collected by Ella Witter, one of the galleries founders, and have been restored to their original condition. This exhibit is sure to be enjoyed by all as these controversial posters are finally unveiled to the public.
August brings the art work of artists Art Martinez and Noemi Oyarzabal. Martinez’s portion of the exhibit will consist of various paintings and drawings based on his Hispanic culture while Oyarzabal invites viewers to thing about the representation of art through her use of abstracts and colors.
For more information on these and other exhibits and opportunities through the Witter Gallery feel free to visit the galleries website at http://www.thewittergallery.org/. And if the summer heat is getting to you, or if you just find yourself bored with the campus happenings during the summer months be sure to stop in to the Witter and enjoy the artwork presented.
Specific dates for the exhibits are as follows:
- Artisans Road Trip: June 3-27
- Patriotism: July 2-31
- Martinez and Oyarzabal: August 5-29
- Mackenzie
Art exhibit displays in Sioux City
In 1938 the Sioux City Art Center was founded as a Works Progress Administration project in order to serve people from all different types of backgrounds, interests and ages. The center offers exposure to the arts through many different facets such as; education, exhibition, permanent collection and through the support of artists.
Starting on the third of January 2008 visitors to the museum are able to experience a site-specific installation by Minnesota artist Liz Miller. This installation entitled Resplendent Reconnaissance can be seen in the three-story Atrium of the art center and will remain there for up to two years.
Miller’s exhibit contains materials such as felt, colored vinyl and plastic sheeting.
“Ms Miller’s constructions, from what are most typically considered “craft” materials, have accessibility and playfulness that makes their abstract forms familiar and accessible.” (www.siouxcityartcenter.org).
Her creations explore many of Miller’s ideas about order and chaos and help to show how variety and complexity can emerge from what may seem like simplistic and repeated forms. In her artist statement Miller says that her wall-based installations, “reference biology, natural disasters, and computer imagery.” Throughout her work she constantly strives to portray equal parts of both fact and fiction when it comes to her wide range of already existing patterns.
“Saccharine colors and intense repetition seduce the viewer, subscribing to an underlying logic that allows playfulness to lead to sinister conclusions. Beauty and whimsy are catalysts for events that are increasingly aggressive,” (www.lizmillerart.com).
Miller uses the exploding and morphing forms to call into question the possibilities that exist in a world that, as she says, “is increasingly complex and multi-layered.” Anyone can feel a great appreciation for Miller’s work. However, she comments that children tend to find the greatest joy in her creations because they are able to put their imaginations to use and see objects such as fish and birds and then relate these objects to the activities of their daily lives.
“Because Miller designed her artwork to interact with the Art Center’s space, the installation invites the viewer to explore the sculpture and view it from a number of different angles from all three floors of the Art Center,” said Al Harris-Fernandez, the Art Center director.
- Mackenzie
