DARKE COUNTY – Historic Bear’s Mill’s Clark Gallery will display the photographs of Jay Patrick Johnson along with Dianne Collinson’s porcelain intaglio pottery at the “Art at the Mill” exhibit opening on May 25, the final Friday of May.
An opening night reception from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. will offer finger food and drinks as well as brief talks by the artists who will share information about their work, methods and inspiration at 7 p.m. “Art at the Mill,” curated by Jan Roestamadji and Julie Clark, is free and open to the public.
“As we advance into the colors of summer, this month’s artists showcasing black and white in their pieces offer a strikingly stark artistic contrast. Both artists produce strong work that will become eye-catching statements, whether in the Mill or your home or office,” Jan Roestamadji said.
“The organic nature of Dianne’s beautiful pottery and Pat’s luminous photographs meld perfectly with the lovely natural setting of Bear’s Mill to create a serene viewing experience that will inspire and uplift spirits as well as delight the eye,” said Marti Goetz, executive director of Friends of Bear’s Mill.
Proceeds from purchases of the art exhibited at “Art at the Mill” benefit not only the artists but also help with upkeep of Bear’s Mill, which has stood at its current location since 1849.
Ohio photographer Jay Patrick Johnson, aka Pat, became interested in landscape and street photography when a college student at the Dayton Art Institute in the 1970s. While raising a family and working as a designer, he pursued this interest as a hobby in his home dark room.
Now approaching retirement, he and his wife, Deborah, have begun sharing their love of the creation and people through their photography. For the last three years they have traveled the art show circuit as “Ancient Paths Photography,” receiving numerous awards for their work.
New for this year, Pat has begun exploring the rich heritage of black and white photography where subject, form and composition inspire the imagination.
Dianne Collinson works from her home studio in Yellow Springs where she creates ceramics inspired by nature; although most of her pieces are functional they also stand alone as works of art.
The former studio director at John Bryan Community Pottery said she loves creating pieces with the natural curves, gestural forms and richly textured surfaces found in nature. Leaves and flowers are impressed into clay then washed with color to create the striking and dramatic porcelain botanicals that the artist considers her signature work. Other pieces utilize hand-drawn stencils to create the glaze contrast, followed by a water abrasion technique that forms a raised texture on the clay surface, bringing tactile as well as visual appeal to the work.
This exhibit will close on June 24. The current display of unique “Industrial Rustic” work by internationally recognized photographer Robert Coomer and the innovative deconstructed clay sculpture created by Tara Anderson remain on display in the Clark Gallery through May 20.
Historic Bear’s Mill, owned and operated by Friends of Bear’s Mill, is located at 6450 Arcanum-Bear’s Mill Road about 5 miles east of Greenville; current hours of operation are Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
For more information, contact Bear’s Mill at 937-548-5112 or www.bearsmill.org.
