If you will indulge this viewer, I have chosen three works I favor: “Tweetin’ Birdhouse” by April Lemaster, “Obsolete” by Mitchell Eismont, and “Quentin” by Tim Langenderfer. The first is a stoneware birdhouse in the shape of a trailer. Lemaster’s humorous touches are what caught my interest. In the door with a small wren hole, there is a much smaller one underneath labeled for “Worms.” The sign on the rear of the trailer says, “If the nest is tweetin’ don’t come a greetin.’”
“I love old trailers, and I was doing a birdhouse series,” said Lemaster, a Beavercreek Twp. resident who has taught wheel pottery at Rosewood Arts Centre for more than 10 years. “I ride on the bike path a lot, and I see all these old trailers off to the left. The challenging aspect was the curved shape of the trailer.”
Eismont’s inspiration came from an object we no longer use, an Underwood manual typewriter. Only half of the black machine is shown, juxtaposed with an abstract he says was created with just “paint.” He is an assistant professor of graphic design at Central State University.
The portrait of a young boy, “Quentin,” was notable not only for the excellence of the work, but for the sympathetic response elicited from viewers. The young boy has neurofibromatosis.
“His portrait was commissioned through Portrait of a Soul. NF is a very tough condition but ‘Q,’ as his family calls him, is a very tough little boy,” said Langenderfer, who teaches art and art history at Lehman Catholic High School in Sidney, as well as in his own studio.
These are also notable works: “First Love” oil on canvas by Dwayne M. Daniel, “Church on Spilled Blood” by Diane M.Mitchel, “Afternoon Garden Study” by Susan Bennett, “Where, How, Why” by Cynthia Bornhorst-Winslow, “Immersion” by Patricia Boone, and “Starbucks Girl” by Greg Dearth.
Other participating art educators in this show: Beth Bickert-Fensel, Michael Bonilla, R. Darden Bradshaw, David Brand, Matthew Burgy, Maria Cleary, Clara Coleman, Andrew F. Dailey, Meghan Dillon, Rhonda Duncalf, Mark Echtner, Sarah Fisher, Sharon Govender, Sam Grillmeier, Lindsay Gustafson, Leesa Haapapuro, Shirley Harbaugh, Rosie Huart, Sam Kelly, H. David Kirchner, Christine Klinger, Mary Baker Koch, Paula Willmot Kraus, Penny Park, Sandra Picciano-Brand, Loretta Puncer, Heather Lea Reid, Francis Schanberger, Rose Schultz, Gail Sells, Billy Simms, Erin Smith-Glenn, Barb Stork, Sally A. Struthers, Alice Bordenkircher Tavani, Joanne Von Sossan, Wendy Wagener-Harris, Leonard Williams, Sharon Williams and Brian Zimerle.
Want to Go?
What: "Art Ed: An Art Educators' Exhibit."
Where: Rosewood Gallery, 2655 Olson Drive, Kettering.
When: Through Dec. 30
Hours: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday.
More Info: 937-296-0294, playkettering.org/gallery
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