Kanza Giza, by Dan Coburn, courtesy TSCPL

Art Guild Gallery, The Topeka Art Guild & Gallery (5331 SW 22nd Place– Fairlawn Plaza)
“Wild Kingdom” A collection of member’s art including, paintings, drawings, photography, digital fine art, blown glass, ceramics, fine art gourds and jewelry with an animal theme. Opens August 6th, 2010 through September, 2010. Also featuring August Artist of the Month: Dorethy Hancock-Painter “Art has always been part of who I am. Music was my first love, and now I find
myself wanting to feast on other kinds of food for my soul.” Gallery will be open from 5pm-8pm

Artist Collection & Custom Framing, Fleming Place | Artist collection will show photography of the Flint Hills and new works by Merrilee Brandt

BA Designs 4119 SW Southgate Dr. | ”Creative Minds”  wear creative hats. Come see the artistic talents of local architects and designers from the Topeka area. Featuring works from…Jonathan Mahorney, Bill Sheahan, Jennifer Jones, Pat Tryon, John & Chris Grandmontagne, Zack Snethen, Grant Thome, Debi Ramlow, Lyndsi Cox, Jeannie Moore, Janie Stock, Angela Fankhauser, Christy Spena, Cindy Manry, Stacey Utech.

Beauchamp’s Gallery, Westboro Mart

courtesy Think Big Topeka on Facebook

Beauchamp’s Art Gallery Challenges Local Artists to Think Big! Beauchamp’s owner Bob Swain and Think Big guru Jarod Starkey joined forces to create this juried show challenging artists to create works that celebrated the beauty, vision and vitality of Topeka. The Think Big, Topeka exhibit showcases Topeka as a vibrant, dynamic and forward thinking community. As a result, 15 works were selected from the eclectic entries including paintings, photography, watercolor, computer generated work, and relief sculpture. Highest rated by the panel was a mixed media painting by Janet Bailey entitled Transitions. Other notable works include Downtown 6PM, an oil painting by Barbara Waterman-Peters, a photograph Wanamaker Crossing by Jennifer Somers & Foxy City an oil painting by Stella Robbins.

Blackbird Café at Fleming Place will feature new prints by Justin Marable

Burney Van Stone/Offices that work | Artist Nicole Thibodeau will be there to talk about her work, also showing watercolor and multimedia work from Santa Fe artist Patricia Trembley. BVS has also received a renewed collection of Persian rug primitives. Enjoy jazz with Los Angeles musicians while checking out a rare Vintage BMS Motorcycle.

"Running after January" by Stella Robbins, courtesy the Collective

The Collective, Westboro Mart | “Skywriting and Other Signs of Life!” Stephanie Munoz-O’Neil and Stella Robbins have paired up to make this a doubly special show! Part ethereal with a wisp of the spiritual, these new works which at first glance may seem to be from different planets, are big on sky and atmosphere. Even the figurative works are not without their backdrop of everyday skies from Kansas to Far-off Places known only in the heart.

DeShazer Studios will be kicking off the 2011 School Year by hosting art teachers from Shawnee Heights High School for the August First Fridays Art Walk. Showing will be Avery Ayers-Berry, Stephen Loy, Linda Nelson-Bova, Ryan Paget and Wendy Wheeler. A variety of 2D and 3D mediums will be represented. You saw the brilliant work of their students over the past year, now come out and see the teachers that instruct and inspire them!

The Fibre Gallery, located in the lower level of the Collective, 3121 SW Huntoon This exhibition space has expanded its selection to include weaving, “soft” sculpture and quilting in addition to works on silk and some apparel, such as scarves, tops and unisex shirts. This is a regional collection of artists’ work from Topeka as well as surrounding communities. Future exhibitions will include artists from neighboring states as well, and local fiber artists are invited to submit consignment work for consideration.

Firehouse #7, Huntoon & Oakley, will be featuring photography by Daniel Smith, and Codi Miller and paintings created by the Topeka Zoo elephants.

Glass Expressions, Westboro Mart Glass Expressions will be having their Annual Summer Sale with art discounted from 25% to 50% off. It’s a great time to plan ahead for that cold weather holiday gift giving time!

Maxwell Frederickson and Colin MacMillan of the Stringbucklers

The Haute Shop, Westboro Mart | It’s too hot for The Haute Shop to have glass blowing demonstrations this First Friday, but it’s never too hot to enjoy the Stringbucklers! Come on in the gallery for some cool sounds.

Hospice Care of Kansas, Brookwood Shopping Center, 29th & Oakley Featuring woodcarving by Aldersgate residents including a replica of the SS Jeremiah. Aldersgate Village resident Jim Bigham was in the U.S.N. Armed Guard stationed on the SS Jeremiah during WWII. In 1943, Jim was a signal man headed for the Invasion of Sicily when he came across a piece of timber he thought would work for a boat carving. It was not until 2010, sixty-seven years later, that Jim completed his replica of the SS Jeremiah.

African Masks by Dr. Bob Carey are also on display Dr. Carey and his wife LaDonna served under the United Methodist Board of Missions from 1950-1976 in Liberia, West Africa. Dr. Bob will have four traditional African mask designs including Pangwe, Mbanza and Wabembe.

Other notable works in wood include in the round woodcarvings by the late Dr. Cotton, including a life size carving of an American Kestrel along with smaller carvings of Cardinals, Northern Goshawk, Meadowlark and Pheasant. Relief woodcarvings by Wilma Carrick, Art Consultant at Aldersgate Village will also be on display.

Jayhawk Corner Café, in the Jayhawk Tower, 7th and Jackson | Come enjoy the work of David Horner, photography, and Renee Johnson, stainless steel art, while delighting in the tasty tidbits that only Scott & Truanna Nichol (who also own the Brickyard Barn Inn) can create!

Legacy Community Arts Center, 1315 SW 6th Street, Suite D | Featuring work by the Legacy Community Arts Center teachers and students.

Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University | Recently opened exhibits include: “Literal Abstractions” Stephen Johnson is a highly versatile artist whose visually arresting & conceptually rich body of work forges connections between words, objects & ideas and “The Art of the Robot”, works by regional and national artists using a variety of media.

Exhibits continuing to September 26 include: “Dali’s World” A selection of prints by Salvador Dali from the Museum’s Permanent Collection, “Recent Work”, Joelle Ford’s work finds new purpose for mundane and discarded objects, and the “Bow Tie Exhibit”, regional artists present their take on this fashion accessory.

The Art of the Robot - Family Day / courtesy Mulvane

Don’t Miss: Mulvane Art Museum, ArtLab Family Day Saturday, August 7, 1-4pm
*Explore The Art of the Robot exhibit!
*Meet Stephen Johnson, artist and Caldecott Honor winning author!
*Create your own Robot friend

Phoenix Gallery, Brookwood | “A Fond Farewell to Barbara Cleary” The no-nonsense personality of Barbara Cleary is aptly demonstrated in her straightforward paintings. A great admirer of Monet, and some of the California plein air painters, Cleary says “I try to push the color, and some of the principles involved in color theory, in the direction that I think these artists would have if they were still painting today”. Barbara Cleary was one of the original artists to show with Phoenix Gallery Topeka. Earlier this year, she passed away. In honor of her life and accomplishments as an artist, we will be featuring her oil paintings of landscapes, gardens and stunning still lifes. She will be missed.

Soho Interiors, Westboro Mart, 3129 SW Huntoon

Southwind Gallery, 3074 SW 29th | Opening Reception for a group show titled, “The New Impressionists” featuring works by an elite group of painters. The “New Impressionists” show includes three artists new to the SouthWind Gallery: James Pringle Cook and DeAnn Melton, Tucson, AZ; and Neil Patterson, Brag Creek, Alberta, Canada; along with three Kansas artists: world-renowned artist Stan Herd of Lawrence, KS, and fellow artists Debra Clemente, and Zak Barnes, also of Lawrence. The exhibit runs through September 15, 2010

Tinkham Veale Up/Down Gallery | Soon the school busses will be running again, and the Friends of Tinkham Veale’s TV Up Down Gallery wants you to come get educated about art.

Artists displaying at the gallery for the August 6th Exhibit include:

Joanne Altman and Jack Kaplan, Photographers
Shawn Beauchat, Artist
Dawn Blair, Art Jewelry
Ted Carter, Digital Artist
E.J. Drake, Photographer
Melanie Eyman, Painter/Artist
Allison Inge Trembly, Photographer
Jessica K. Price, Photographer
Marc Rapp, Photographer
Sarah Reynolds, Painter
Mary Robinson, Photographer
Doug Schema, Photographer/Artist
Donald Shea, Digital Painter
JD Stottlemire, Painter

TV On Stage will feature Ashely Bunyar and Lauren Buser accompanied by Jon Lothenore.

The Upstage Gallery 720 SW Jackson, Historic Jayhawk Theater | Share the experiences of The Immigrant Farm Workers movement by celebrating their life through art and nostalgia. Joe Rocha’s Familia Art and “The Legacy of Immigrant Farm Workers of Mexico” will be on display August through September 2010.
Also featuring local artists- Freestate Glass, Christopher Sudduth, Richard Nelson, Beth Cain, Patricia Kovulchuk, Blue Ribbon Photography, Mary Anderson, Tammy Patterson, Bill Sheehan and Heidi Wise. Gallery will be open for First Friday Art Walk from 5pm-9pm

Warehouse 414, 414 SE 2nd  | Art enhances all our lives, but for children with mental illness, it can be a window into the joys and setbacks they experience. Unique artwork created by 17 tremendously talented Family Service & Guidance Center clients will be on display at FSGC’s Works of Heart First Friday Art Walk stop at Warehouse 414 on August 6th. The ArtWalk exhibit is one of a series of special events recognizing the young artists, culminating in the Works of Heart Art Event and Auction, Friday, August 20th, at the Washburn University Union Ballroom. For more information, contact Kerrice at 270-8996 or kmapes@fsgctopeka.com.

The Woodward Inns on Fillmore, 13th & Fillmore | The Max Gallery at the Woodward Inns on Fillmore and, Polish Pottery at The Woodward. The Max Gallery is currently featuring the art of ESU professor, the late Richard Stauffer glass blower, sculptor, and amateur archeologist. The Max Gallery at the Woodward Inns on Fillmore occupies the main floor of The Woodward Max. Polish Pottery will be exhibited at The Woodward.

[August 2010 | compiled by Kathy Smith | photo (top) "Scream" by Stephanie Munoz - O'Neil / courtesy Collective Gallery ]
Share

Share on Facebook

“I had seen how the arts movement was already changing attitudes about Topeka.  I thought, why not create a project that joined the arts with Think Big Topeka?” said Swain.

Swain contacted Think Big Topeka co-founder Jared Starkey and floated the idea of doing an art exhibit with the theme of “Think Big Topeka.”

“Think Big Topeka wants to encourage people to have conversations about the future of Topeka. We’re happy to see businesses doing their part to encourage forward-thinking as well,” said Starkey.

Swain put out a call for artists to submit work for the show.  He wanted Topeka artists to create works that celebrated the beauty, vision and vitality of Topeka.

"Downtown 6 PM" by Barbara Waterman-Peters

An impartial panel of judges was assembled to determine which artworks would be included in the show.  The judging results produced an eclectic range of works including paintings, photography, watercolor, computer generated work and relief sculpture.   Highest rated by the panel was a mixed media painting by Janet Bailey titled “Transitions.”

Transitions, by Janet Bailey

Other notable works include “Downtown 6PM,” an oil painting by Barbara Wateman Peters, a photograph “Wanamaker Crossroads” by Jennifer Somers and “Foxy City,” an oil painting by Stella Robbins. From all of the entries, 15 artworks were selected for inclusion in the show.

Foxy City, by Stella Robbins

The Think Big Topeka show will open in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, tomorrow evening.  The community is invited to visit with the artists at the gallery from 6-8 PM.  The Westboro Artwalk will feature live bluegrass music at the Haute Shop, jHP advertising and sidewalk chalk for kids to create messages to Google and show how they “think big.” The exhibit will remain on display at Beauchamp’s through September 22.

Beauchamp’s is located at 3113 SW Huntoon in the Westboro Mart.

[ August 2010 | press release | photo (top) "Wanamaker Crossroads" by Jennifer Somers ]

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

Hyphen-ated, an exhibit featuring internationally shown Topeka artists Larry Peters and Barbara Waterman-Peters, opens March 5 in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, a popular stop during Topeka’s First Fridays Artwalk.

Featuring artwork with a psychological point of view, this exhibit examines life’s difficulties and depicts somber topics, including the Holocaust and societal oppression of women.

“This cold, isolated art is not what you’d expect from these two warm, caring people, whose works are full of their own little surprises if one just looks deep enough,” Sabatini Gallery director Sherry Best said.

Waterman-Peters’ “The Women Series” shows women struggling to come to terms with their fears, family issues and societal roles.

“Subjects look right at the viewer. A lot of them are in clown make-up. These women will mess with your head, and they will enjoy doing it,” Best said.

The impetus for this series dates back to Waterman-Peters’ youth, her upbringing in a matriarchal family and her desire to tell her stories and those of women like her, she said. She says she looks forward to the public asking questions and sharing their thoughts.

“When you do anything creative, part of the equation is the viewers, their responses, comments. It’s always pleasing to know work has resonated with someone – positive or negative,” she said.

Peters, director emeritus of the Sabatini Gallery, focuses more on environment. His large-scale Holocaust collages are pale, ashy and sparse. Ancient grave markers inspired some of his sculptures.

“We don’t try to communicate in a way that shocks. We try to communicate in a way that is thought-provoking. We never try to repulse. It’s a consideration of the intelligence of the viewer,” Waterman-Peters said.

About 48 pieces total will be displayed through April 16. Various media will be represented, from sculptures to oil paintings, ceramics to small drawings.

In addition to the First Friday on March 5 and April 2, the gallery has several other events that will be a can’t-miss for the art community. At the April 12 event highlighted below, visitors can compare and contrast Waterman-Peters’ early work and come to a deeper understanding of how “The Women Series” has evolved over the years.

•  Artist’s Talk by Larry Peters | The Alice C. Sabatini Gallery Director Emeritus talks about his collages, ceramics and his long involvement in Topeka’s arts community.  Thu | Apr 8 | 7:00–8:00 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101C

• Artist Talk by Barbara Waterman-Peters | The artist, author, and arts activist, who has been involved in everything from local and regional art exhibits to serving on the boards of major museums, talks about her evolving The Women Series.  Mon | Apr 12 | 7:00–8:00 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101BC

Share on Facebook