April Show - April 27, 2001

 This is the program from The April Show, April 27, 2001

David Hittle, Harry Bloome, Zara Stephens, Thomas Curtis, Jeanette Tibbs, William McKenna, Berry Connell, Jerome Neal, The April Show, Painter, artist, Indianapolis, Naive, outsider

Sunsets and sunrises - 77th Hoosier Salon Annual Exibition at the Indiana State Museum - April 14, 2001

Sunsets and sunrises 

 Pictured: ‘Serenity’ by John Domont, one of his two paintings that will reside in the Indiana State Museum. 

The Hoosier Salon stepped out of the doldrums and into the 21st century with its 77th annual exhibition of Salon artists at the Indiana State Museum. The paintings of kitties, doggies and uninspired Indiana landscapes normally found in this show were still present, but carried an eclectic and acceptable charm when shown alongside their new, dynamic counterparts. 

Illia Raha's "When I Was a Child," an abstract oil of fluid, radiating gold and purple, dreamlike hues, virtually exploded off the wall — especially when juxtaposed with the subtle foliage of its painted neighbors. "A Story of Stones," by Sam Sartorius, was another wonderful large-scale abstract with a subdued earth palette. 

Patricia Rhoden-Bartles’ "Visions Upward" takes the typical Indiana landscape in a new direction — literally upward. The view/composition is unusual. You peer through bare, golden-orange-touched branches into a robin's egg blue sky. Her brushstrokes are furious and inspired. 

John Domont's farm landscapes, "Serenity" and "Contentment," radiate with an ethereal heat unique to Indiana sunsets and sunrises. A familiar red barn is blue in shadow against the glow of a hot red twilight. This stylistic break from the Hoosier Salon norm still reflects Indiana’s sense of place. 

The diversity of the Hoosier Salon exhibition is traceable to Ginger Bievenour, the Hoosier Salon's executive director of three years, and a renewed board of directors. Artist recruitment has been pushed and varied aesthetics have been encouraged under this new leadership. "I love abstracts," Bievenour said in discussing the current Salon show. "I was truly euphoric when pieces started coming in." 

This show solidifies the fruitful collaboration between the Indiana State Museum and the Hoosier Salon. Both entities are anxiously looking toward the future of art education and heritage in Indiana. Proof in point: Domont's two atypical Hoosier Salon works were purchased for the Indiana State Museum's fine art collection by Douglas L. Tillman, a Hoosier Salon vice president, and will be displayed prominently in the museum’s future 50,000-square-foot Permanent Gallery. Caroline M. Mecklin's figurative oil, "Sleeping Man," and Angel C. Mercado's "Morning at the Light House" were also purchased by the Indiana State Museum Foundation from the show for the Indiana State Museum's permanent fine arts collection. 

"We want a more comprehensive grouping of Indiana artists," Jim May, fine arts curator, said of the Indiana State Museum's fine arts collection. The quasi-Impressionistic Hoosier Group replicas thought of as the traditional meat-and-potatoes of Indiana art are not an accurate representation of art produced here since 1940. "We are making every effort to cover those years," May said. 

May became curator in 1993 and shortly thereafter something wonderful happened at the Indiana State Museum: The paintings along the staircase finally rotated. And now, the rest of the 20th century in Indiana fine art is being investigated and displayed. A 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot gallery in the new facility will survey Indiana's art history in addition to the 50,000-square-foot Permanent Gallery. Attention potential art donors: Pieces by Mary Beth Eddelson and John Chamberlain are desired. 

The efforts of Bievenour and May certainly will continue to move Indiana art forward. As Bievenour said, "The courage of an artist’s convictions to do new work must be applauded and encouraged." 

 Select works from the 77th Hoosier Salon Annual Exhibition will be featured in a statewide traveling tour. Call the Salon for details at 253-5340. mpappas@nuvo.net

NUVO Newsweekly, April 19-26, 2001

Mary Lee Pappas

Hoosier Salon, John Domont, Indiana State Museum, Jim May, Illia Raha, Sam Sartorius, Patricia Rhoden-Bartles, Douglass Tillman, Ginger Bievenour, Hoosier Salon Annual Exhibition, Caroline Mecklin, Angel C. Mercado, Mary Beth Eddelson, John Chamberlain, landscapes, paintings, art, artwork, museum, Dane Love, abstract paintings, abstract art, 77th Hoosier Salon Annual Exhibition

Allotropy Trois

Primary Colours, a local arts organization, will present their third benefit art exhibition, Allotropy Trois, Friday, April 13, 5-10 p.m., and Saturday, April 14, 3-9 p.m., at the newly renovated Harrison Center for the Arts at 1505 N. Delaware St. You can eat ribs and drink beer compliments of Rock Bottom Brewery and indulge in the crazy revelry that will be going down at this artsy engagement.

It's your chance to sneak peak at the rehabbed church reinvented into beautiful artists studios and performance spaces. You can be seen, be cool and contribute to local arts for a measly $5 admission. Proceeds from admission and art sales benefit AYS (formally At Your School Child Services, Inc.), an after school arts suppler program that holds three-week intensive art camps called Reach for the Stars. 

Twenty-seven local artist will fill 8,000 square feet of the Harrison Centre with their creations available for you to acquire and beautify your habitat. Mingle while Mpozi merry-makes by spinning dub Reggae. Blend in with the scene while blues duo Los Daddios delights with melancholy mandolins. Incidents of martial arts dance madness (Karate Kid meets Electric Boogaloo?) will occur with the group Capoerira. Imagine, in slow motion, aromatic karate chops with a break dancing edge accompanied by sluggish drum grooves - that's the innovative Capoerira. The contemporary dance company Sussurus will also be performing the same night.

AYS will display work by their talented staff as well as provide a glimpse into their summer camp world. You can register your first through fifth grader for the AYS camp at Allotropy Trois also. The camp will be held at Broad Ripple High School and the Harrison Centre for the Arts in two sessions spanning June 18-July 6. Camp fee is $330. Call (317) 283-3817 to register for camp or get more camp information. Call (317) 916-2874 for more Allotropy information. 

NUVO Newsweekly, April 12-19, 2001

Mary Lee Pappas