May 30 – August 23, 2014
Education Gallery
Sponsored by: Baesler’s Market
This exhibition presents a selection of work by Hoosier artists who were featured in the book, 100 Artists of the Midwest, by Ashley Rooney (Schiffer Publishing, 2012). Rooney focused on artists living in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin for her publication, which takes “a fresh look at the magical and insightful ways in which the region’s artists have interpreted life in this region with its flourishing cities, rolling corn fields, and beautiful countryside.”
The six Indiana artists featured in the exhibition represent the richness of artistic talent found in our state. James Wille Faust’s abstract paintings are inspired by the White River, which the artist can see from his studio window, changing light conditions on the water, and trees and birds. Gayla Hodson depicts both nature and the built environment in her colorful paintings, while Mike Kelly focuses on the open woods, fields and rivers of Northern Indiana in his pastel landscapes. Hallucinations, fairy tales, and creation stories are the foundation of Abbigail Knowlton Israelsen’s imaginative works on paper. Sculptor Kenneth G. Ryden makes both large scale public art and smaller works, presenting important historical or archetypal figures, as well as depictions of the natural world. Stephanie Standish, a resident of Terre Haute until recently, makes drawings that examine the use of patriotic themes in consumer items.