By Marilyn Delk
DCCA News
As Darke County Center for the Arts 2023-2024 season comes to an end, this column is a look back at the treasures displayed on the walls of the Anna Bier Gallery throughout the past several months. The season opened with the luminous photographs of Thomas Minutolo which graced the Gallery last September and October. The X-ray technologist began ” capturing the beauty around us” with photography in 2011, and since that time has achieved hisgoal with charming portraits of wild and domestic animals as well as close-up looks at butterflies, birds, flowers, andstriking scenes of natural wonders, such the sun rising over a wheat field or geese resting before a colorful sunset reflected in surrounding waters.
Richmond, Indiana resident and graphic artist Pam Fraizier, whose exhibit in the Gallery opened November 11, used her professional down-time during the COVID pandemic to create portraits of musicians connected with Richmond’sStarr-Gennett studios which famously recorded jazz, blues, and gospel artists who helped define American music. However, the show was entitled “Legends and Bombshells,” indicating the notable women whose images also were hanging in the Gallery. The artist explained that while “bombshell” usually describes a woman’s physical beauty, those portraits portrayed the real beauty lying within women who accomplished amazing things.
Fungi may be unusual subject matter for a fine artist, but homesteader Cassie Dunmeyer finds them useful as a symbol of growing from past experience—and in her hands they can be quite interesting, complex, and lovely. Complexity is something of a hallmark of Cassie’s work which was on display in the Anna Bier Gallery in January and February; a simple pastoral scene often contains warnings of underlying danger. Beautiful to observe, yet thought-provoking, the work aptly illustrates the artist’s response to the realization that our consumer-driven culture is a major contributor to the breakdown of society’s commitment to preserving our natural resources. Several lovely photographic images were included in this show, an appropriate inclusion from an artist who has for several years worked as a professional photographer.
The annual High School Show exhibiting the impressive work of local students literally filled the Gallery in the early Spring as ninety-five entries in six creative categories were on display. The Best In Show award went to Greenville student Adele Strunk; First Place winners were: Drawing—Trent Holden, Mississinawa Valley; Mixed Media/Miscellaneous—Bruna Mediros, Greenville; Photography/Digital—Wesley Blackburn, Franklin-Monroe; Painting—Clair Rammel, Greenville; Other 3-D—Maddalyn Walters, Versailles; Ceramics—Carter Harbach—Franklin-Monroe. DCCA Artistic Director for Visual Arts Jennifer Overholser was suitably impressed with the level of talent on display at this, the first High School Show of her newly-created position. “The opportunity to recognize and encourage the next generation of artists is a true honor,” she said. “And their talent is just incredible,” she concluded.
Jennifer is excited about the opportunities presented by her new job where all kinds of things are happening, and says that she hopes to keep those exciting things going strong. Since starting the position on October 1, she has overseen operations of the Anna Bier Gallery and the Darke County Art Trail, including the recent new installations at Bear’s Mill and Bish Discovery Center. Jennifer, an artist herself, is looking to grow and expand the reach of visual arts in our community, and is proud of what has been accomplished thus far.
The final exhibit of the Anna Bier Gallery season featuring the fascinating work of Dayton-area abstract artist Mikee Huber closed on May 18; these vibrant compositions communicated messages that can be perceived differently by each viewer. However, the sheer delight expressed in the work featuring an interplay of color reflects the artist’s impulse to blend, contract, and compose, and echos the symphony of life surrounding us. The paintings seemed to move to their own joyful rhythms in recognition of the music and magic often referenced in the works’ titles.
Although some activity is planned over the summer months, the Anna Bier Gallery exhibits are on hiatus until the new season opens this Fall, offering a bright prospect for Darke County residents to happily anticipate.
