Vignette: B.G. Lewis

“Painting is a journey where I can explore color and textures, play with brush strokes and create my ‘perfect’ version of the world." - B.G. Lewis

"Twigs and Twine" by B.G. Lewis, acrylic, 11x14in, 2017, $175

B.G. (Bobbie Gayle) Lewis is a self-taught Kentucky artist finding her passion in painting after a professional career in the medical field. The Garrard Community resident enjoys teaching painting classes to children and adults at the Community Arts Center located in Lancaster, Kentucky. 

Although she didn’t formally study art, Folk Artist, Janice Miller, was an early mentor for Lewis, as were painters Jerry Yarnelle and Pat Banks. Currently she is studying portraiture with Chantel Barber.

“It started with just one painting. From the beginning an empty canvas stirred my creative juices. Once begun, the painting takes on a life of its own, leading me from hobby to art. Painting fills me with a sense of accomplishment and integrity, and has proven a most amenable vehicle for translating inner vision into outer reality.”

“Although I work quite deliberately, consciously employing both traditional and innovative techniques, my unconscious is the undisputed project manager.
The creative nature of painting frees my imagination and provides many opportunities for happy accidents and grace to influence the finished product.”

“The world around me inspires and invigorates a renewed sense of creativity. Awed by the mystery of how creation occurs, I strive to produce art that represents the world in a ‘perfect’ state.”

"Cardinal Knowledge" by BG Lewis, acrylic, 8x10in, 2017, $150

Even as she develops, Lewis’ work still display her roots in the primitive aspects of Folk Art. In “Cardinal Knowledge” her use of vintage newspapers from 1930's in her background is an individual connection to an aged and nostalgic sensibility, one that connotes pre-World War II America and the Great Depression.

Lewis’ art is on exhibit at Maple Tree Gallery, Boyle County Arts Council in Danville Kentucky as well as the Grand Theater and Garrard Community Arts Center, in Lancaster Kentucky. She has exhibited in multiple shows in Kentucky and has sold her artwork to collectors across the country. 

Hometown: Lancaster, Kentucky
Education: Self-taught
Website: garrardarts.com

"Morning Melody" by BG Lewis, acrylic, 11x14in, $175

"Showers of Blessings" by BG Lewis, acrylic, acrylic, 10x24in, $175

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved

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Feature: LOOK Gallery Guide 7th Edition

People who make decisions are the ones who show up. More than 20 years ago, the ones who showed up in one room decided to form a network of visual art gallery owners and managers with the intention of raising the awareness of the range and diversity of the local art scene. The name Visual Art Network was selected, which provided a catchy acronym – VAN, but several years later the group adopted the elemental title LOOK, coined by founding member Julius Friedman.

On the eve of the publication of the new LOOK Gallery Guide, the language is more formal: “…a professional consortium for local art galleries and museums to promote awareness, growth and success of the visual arts in Louisville,” but the essential mission remains unchanged. 35 members will be featured in the full-color booklet, which will premiere at a Launch Party located at new member 1619 Flux: Art + Activism on September 28. It is a publication designed for out-of-town visitors, available at hotels and visitors centers around the city.

Yet if a local veteran of the arts and culture scene picks one up, they are likely to be surprised by an entry or two. Craft(s) Gallery and Mercantile on South 4th Street opened in 2013, this will be only the second time that Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University have listed their 849 Gallery, and PYRO Gallery will have very recently moved into their new location on East Washington Street.

The guide is dedicated this year to Julius Friedman (1943 -2017) who advocated for many years for the Louisville Metro Government to promote the visual arts in a manner commensurate with the performing arts. Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Orchestra, the Kentucky Opera, and the Louisville Ballet have enjoyed reputations that carried well outside of the city boundaries, and he was convinced that the visual arts community could be just as effective ambassadors if given the attention in tourist promotions. As a gallery owner and art dealer for most of his professional life, he represented local and regional artists with passion, and was forever frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of attention from city officials.

"Billy Hertz" by Geoff Carr, c. 2004. Courtesy Geoffrey Carr Photography Inc.

One thing you can always count on is that artists will not wait around, they will usually find a way to do for themselves. VAN was born in the 1980’s, with the mailing address given as 3005 River Road, the historic Louisville Water Tower that was the home at that time of Louisville Visual Art (then Louisville Visual Art Association).  LVA was a member, as was Swanson Gallery, then on Bardstown Road, Billy Hertz’ gallery, which was on East Market Street long before the phrase “NuLu” was a gleam in the eye of developers, and Zephyr Gallery, the city’s first artist co-op space.

“John Begley (LVAA Executive Director) was President of VAN,” remembers Chuck Swanson, “Ann Makin was treasurer, I was VP, and I believe someone at Art and Craft Museum (now KMAC) was Secretary. We did a very ambitious event called the Walk, Talk, and Gawk Sculpture Strut that had some corporate sponsorship. The next year we did an event where visitors could have a ticket punched at each gallery and those who filled their card were put in a drawing and the grand prize was a $1,500 gift certificate to use at any gallery (and the gallery was reimbursed at wholesale by VAN). There was a huge party at the Tower and something like over 120 cards were in the pot.”

The first published guides were tri-fold affairs with no color photography and visual design based more on a cut and paste aesthetic that was in fashion then. As hard as it may be to believe, digital graphics were almost unheard of back then. When VAN started, LVAA had one Apple Macintosh 128 in the office.

The last several editions have been full-color, glossy paper, staple-bound booklets designed by Elizabeth Spalding of 21Skye Design.

 

 

 

LOOK: Art Guide Launch Party

September 28 / 6:00-8:00pm

 At 1619 Flux: Art + Activism
1619 W. Main Street

This Feature article was written by Keith Waits.
In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, www.Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.

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Vignette: Richard Shu

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I can remember and I remember more than I can see" Let me help you "see" what you may not remember and "remember" what you may not see!” - Benjamin Disraeli

"Low Tide in Saint Michel" by Richard Shu, watercolor, 12x14in, 2017, $780

67 year-old Taiwan-born artist Richard Shu calls himself an “urban sketcher.” After a long and noted career as an architect, he documents his extensive travels in watercolor sketches executed with a sure eye for the fundamental design elements of a scene. As a medium, watercolor welcomes certainty in the choice of color and the placement of marks, and Shu’s careful study of his subjects is evident in the work, an almost naïve application that expresses a sophisticated sensibility.

Shu views his paintings as an ongoing document of his life experience “My art is part of my journey through watercolor, I travel, sketch and paint the image and space that I see.” The images have an immediacy about them that reinforces the idea of a sketchbook, or perhaps even closer to a diary, capturing impressions of a time and place with a brush instead of words.

“I started my journey when I was 12 years old, when my parents sent me to Guayaquil, Ecuador from Taipei, Taiwan. It was in Ecuador that I started to study architecture, but finished my undergraduate study in Madrid, then was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania for my graduate studies. After graduating, I found work in Chicago with the international firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. I moved to Louisville in 1982, worked for a local architectural firm for 2 years, then started my own Design Build firm and practice till 1999.  In 2000 I transitioned into a total different career in the investment field. I am retired now and back on exploring the creative passion that I missed for so long.”

Name: Richard Shu
Age: 67
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: MA, Architecture, University of Pennsylvania.
Website: richardshuarts.com
Instagram: mistashu

"The Harbor" by Richard Shu, watercolor, 12x14in, 2017, $800

"Low Country" by Richard Shu, watercolor, 12x14in, 2017, $780

"El Capitan" by Richard Shu, watercolor, 14x14in, 2017, $850

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Alex Adams

“I am an artist who values the power of community.” – Alex Adams

Alex Adams. Courtesy of the artist.

Clay is among the most malleable of three-dimensional mediums. It is both strong and supple. A form can be drawn from a lump on the wheel into a sturdy yet graceful form of high functionality, but onto that impressionable surface, textures and decorative motifs can be so easily imposed. Alex Adams has been using a stamp technique that leaves behind sharp corners that violate the visual integrity of the surface in a manner that hints that the structural integrity might also be compromised, but nothing could further from the truth.

“I am a ceramic artist. I make pottery that is crafted with great scrutiny. Articulated forms are designed with a function in mind; wooden potter’s tools and artist-designed stamps bring each piece to life. Subtle glazes break over stamp impressions to expose the creative energy that is stored in each handmade object. I am an artist who values the power of community, our ability to learn from each other, positive encouragement, and support. These are the things that have made my career possible and I reciprocate these values at AA Clay Studio & Gallery.”

"Vase" by Alex Adams, Ceramic, 10x6x6in, 2017, $70

Adam’s work is functional, but there is room for wit. In a pair of vessels he titled, “Cupple,” the two bowls are very much alike, except that one shows a protrusion that would appear to fit perfectly into an indentation in the companion piece. There is a play on both words and on form that suggests a commentary on gender fluidity. Or perhaps a ceramic bowl is just a ceramic bowl.

In spring 2017 Adams was a recipient of an Artist Professional Development Grant from the Great Meadows Foundation. Through October 10, Adams will have an item on display for the Louisville Clay Jury show at Mantle Gallery, located at the Mudworks location on Barret Ave. His work can also be found at AA Clay Studio & Gallery, of which he is owner/proprietor and where Louisville Clay artists are featured in an exhibit during the months of September and October.

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AA Clay Studio & Gallery will offer a 2-day Raku workshop in October for Intermediate to Advanced students.

Make: Saturday 10/14 (1:00-3:00 PM)
Fire: Saturday 10/21 (5:00-8:00 PM)

Registration can be made through the studio’s website: aaclay.com

"Cupple" by Alex Adams, Ceramic, 3x3.5x3.5in, 2015, $50 for set

Hometown: Louisville, KentuckyEducation: BA, ceramics, Berea College, 2008
Website: aaclay.com
Instagram: aaclaystudio

"Vase" by Alex Adams, Ceramic, 5.5x4.4x4.5in, 2017, $55

"Batter Bowl" by Alex Adams, Ceramic, 5.5x 8.5x6in, 2017, $45 each

"Canister Set" by Alex Adams, Ceramic, 6x6x6in - 4x4x4in, 2016, $120 for set of three

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Wendi Smith

Fetish \ˈfe-tish\ :an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.

"Multicolor Stick Fetish Box" by Wendi Smith, Acrylic on reclaimed pine box, sticks, floss, beads, 9.25 x 14 x 1.25in, 2017

When we speak of installations, we conjure up memories of three-dimensional work that would fill up a wall or even a room – at times whole environments are created. So when an installation artist such as Wendi Smith builds small boxes, we should not be surprised that each one might come across to the viewer as a miniature installation.

"Bone Fetish Box" by Wendi Smith, Acrylic on reclaimed cedar box, jawbone, feather, bead, cord, 5.75x3.75x1.5in, 2016

The wooden objects are adorned with images representing small organic items that are matched by the actual items themselves, revealed when we open the snug and perfectly fitted drawers. Seashells, seedpods feathers, and small twigs are placed inside, intimately positioned with beads and thread; handmade bits that echo the forms found in nature.

"Bone Fetish Box" by Wendi Smith (detail)

“A long fascination with ritual objects has brought me to fetishes,” states Smith. “A fetish may be a figure or a non-figurative object that is associated with a spiritual connection, magic, or offerings. Creating a fetish is a way of making a prayer or intention physical, of calling upon an unseen power, of trying to influence that which we cannot control.”  

“These particular pieces are culled from found natural objects, and influenced by Native American design. They are not intended to be powerful or magical, except in the reverence for Nature in which they are designed and executed.”

If Smith doesn’t seek to overwhelm with these fetish boxes, there is still undeniable attraction in their mystery and discovery. The viewer is inextricably drawn to the sensuous warmth of the well-crafted wood and to the preciousness of the objects contained within. They might be seen to replace the aged cigar boxes and old canning jars that those of us of a certain generation can recall using to safeguard found treasures in our childhood. And what can be more powerful than memory?

This past June, Smith was a part of Curio Cabinet, a curated group exhibit at the Indianapolis Art Center. In February 2018 she will have a solo show at garner narrative contemporary gallery in Louisville.

Hometown: Corydon, Indiana
Education: BS Art Education, Illinois State University 1972:
MS Painting, Illinois State University, 1975
Gallery Representation: garner narrative (Louisville)

"Fetish Box III" by Wendi Smith, Acrylic on reclaimed cigar box, pod, beads, thread, 6.25x5.75x1.5in, 2016

"Fetish Box III" by Wendi Smith (detail)

"Shell Fetish Box" by Wendi Smith, Acrylic on reclaimed cedar box, shells, acorn, feather, vine, beads, 5.5x8.25x5in, 2017

"Shell Fetish Box" by Wendi Smith (detail)

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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