Art & Design News

News | 2009-10 Academic Year

Toby and Ken Baker Award for Creativity Students Honored During the Annual Juried Show Awards Reception
November—The Elzay Gallery of Art and the department of art & design at Ohio Northern University are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s juried student art exhibition. This show features the best of the best from the visual art and design department.

The awards reception and presentation was held Nov. 17 at the Elzay Gallery. The show runs through Dec. 18 and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are noon-5p.m. daily while school is in session.

More than 50 student artists and designers submitted over 120 entries to the juror, Professor Rob Price from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He was raised in Ada, Ohio and attended ONU briefly in the early 1960s. He received his MFA degree from Ohio University and currently is a retired professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he still teaches foundation courses. In addition, he has taught for several years in England through the Fulbright Program.

A wide range of medium, style and subject matter is represented in this year’s exhibition. The competition was very competitive, says Associate Professor of Art and Gallery Director Melissa Eddings. She also served as the advisor to the student group charged to organize this year’s exhibition. “Student shows are always insightful to both the contemporary art scene and the pulse of the school’s art community,” said Eddings.

Awards were presented during the opening awards reception honoring both the artists, designers, and the juror on Nov. 10. Awards were presented to the students in the following categories:

Best of Show
Baroque Cake by Kelsey Schrock, art education

Best of Show
66 by Fred Frances, studio arts

The Toby and Ken Baker Award for Creativity
Is Your Child Under the Influence? by Micaela Nauman, advertising design

Two-Dimensions
First Place, Jumping in Leaves, Victoria Brake, graphic design
Second Place, Correspondence of W. Connor..., Matt Glove, graphic design
Third Place, Farewell Florence, Emily Jay, studio arts
Honorable Mention, Jonah and His Pet Pirana, Julie Brewer, art education

Three-Dimensions
First Place, Zak, Molly Thibaut, art minor
Second Place, Lizard, Sarah Voll, art education
Third Place, Two Rings to Rule the World, Mike Madsen, graphic design
Honorable Mention, Descending Pyramid, Kevin Drain, graphic design

Graphic Design
First Place, Literacy Campaign Poster, Victoria Brake, graphic design
Second Place, Punk Rock Movement in Europe in the 1960s and '70s, Tiffanie Seillier, graphic design
Third Place, Romanticism, Matt Glove, graphic design
Honorable Mention, Swiss International, Mike Madsen, graphic design

The Annual Juried Student Exhibit is held to recognize the best in studio art and graphic design produced within the department of art & design throughout one academic year. The competition is designed where respected and qualified outside jurors are invited to evaluate the work for originality, creativity, and technical execution.

Juror Rob Price briefly discussed his selections in a statement read during the awards presentations. “I felt somewhat like a ‘Ruthless People’ character after initially weeding out what I judged to be non-qualifying pieces,” said Price. “Two things guided those decisions: Either I felt no ‘gut’ interest in the work’s impact, or I noticed a glaring lack of craft or skills in the artist’s or designer’s execution.”

“I think a fine show can be presented with the works I chose,” confessed Price. “I was impressed with what I saw being produced at Ohio Northern. Congratulations to all who entered and were selected, particularly to those distinguished with awards.”

The Elzay Gallery of Art is located on Gilbert Street on the campus of Ohio Northern University. It is named for Colonel William O. Elzay. Colonel Elzay attended Ada High School and graduated from Ohio Northern in 1925 with a bachelor of arts. He earned an MBA from Harvard in 1929. After a career in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War, he enjoyed a successful career as a trust officer with Chase Manhattan Bank and as an independent financial advisor. In 1965, ONU awarded him an honorary Doctor of Business Administration. He also served on the Board of Trustees from 1955 until 1985. Col. Elzay died May 26, 1995 at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.

Ohio Northern offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the best creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design or the University’s 2009-10 Arts Exhibition Season,, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

image: Mrs. Toby Baker (right, BFA ’06) with Micaela Nauman (right), a senior advertising design major. Micaela won the first ever Toby and Ken Baker Award for Creativity.

See photos from the awards reception: ONU Art & Design on Flickr

Reduce/Reuse Poster From Trash to Beauty: Exhibit reveals first-year students’ projects
November—As part of a first-year seminar course in the department of art & design, students at Ohio Northern University were charged to invent a creative way to reuse something or invent a device or object that used waste in a meaningful way.

“Our students were engaged in a thoughtful, community-based response to sustainability and community,” said Professor Brit Rowe who taught the course. “We believe it is important to instill environmental thinking into the art and design process early on, making it an automatic consideration in the students’ career.”

Students were encouraged to investigate what local businesses throw away, what their neighbors throw away and what they throw away. The answers to these questions became the material for the students’ projects .

“Students were really encouraged to think about the entire process of creating,” said Rowe. The students’ projects were evaluated using specific criteria, such as: Is this artifact useful? How might this encourage people to use waste, to reduce waste and/or to consume less? How might the object stimulate thought, dialog and action? “We wanted students to realize that their work can be seen as a way to emphasize the value of art and design by doing something valuable for/to the community,” said Rowe.

Students were able to create fun, attractive and useful objects such as a clock, desk organizers and journals.

Student reactions were very positive. “I never thought about these issues until I started on this project,” said Josh Painter from Lima, Ohio. “Since I commute from home, I decided to investigate the things [our family] throws away. Both my parents keep a lot of scraps, so they told me I could use anything in the garage.”

Josh created a trash can for a high-end bathroom. “I think people looking at this trash can will be amazed. It doesn’t look like that I started with meaningless scraps!”

The exhibit, called Reuse/Reduce, is on display in the Wilson Art Center through December 18, 2009 and is free and open to the public. Exhibit hours are Mondays through Saturdays, 8a.m.–5p.m. and Sundays 1–5p.m. The Wilson Art Center is located on Gilbert Street on the Ohio Northern University campus.

Melissa Eddings ONU Painting and Printmaking Professor Reveals Creative Process in Exhibit
November—For many artists, they are committed to a life process of creativity and how that is expressed and manifested in what they do.

For one of Ohio Northern University’s art professors, Melissa Eddings is also passionate about the creative process, both in her teaching and in her work. During the next two months, the documentation of her commitment to a process of creativity is revealed.

Professor Eddings is included in an exhibit at Bluffton University called “In the Beginning: The Creative Process Revealed.” The show runs from Monday, November 9, through Friday, December 18 in the Grace Albrecht Gallery of Sauder Visual Arts Center. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday, 9a.m. to 5p.m. and Saturday–Sunday, 1p.m. to 5p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

“In the Beginning: The Creative Process Revealed” is an exhibit of preliminary works by a very diverse group of artists in a variety of mediums. The works in the exhibit reveal the intuitive creative process on its course to a formal, finished piece of art.

Working on a piece from the beginning gives an artist a chance to rethink their creative process and reformat their style. “Many artists consider the preliminary work they do as the most important part of the creative process because it is the first stage of conceptual exploration,” explains Phil Sugden, professor and exhibit curator at Bluffton. “In some cases, it involves creating or revising the artist’s visual language.”

Also featured in the exhibit is ONU alumnus Harry Melroy (BA ’71).

“I’m certain there is a reason for all the subject selection,” said Harry. “No artist, in any medium, works in a totally random fashion or simply pulls things out of nowhere. Nothing comes from a vacuum, imagined or otherwise.”

Melissa is an associate professor in art at Ohio Northern’s department of art & design. She received her MFA in painting from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and her BFA from Ohio University in 1992. She has taught at ONU since 1997, served as chair from 2000–2002 and currently teaches painting, printmaking and foundation courses in the department of art & design.

On campus, Melissa serves as the gallery director, the department’s study abroad coordinator and adviser for the Student Art League. In addition, she is a member of the University’s Planning Council, the Committee on Professional Evaluation and has served on the Faculty Affairs and the Cultural Affairs and Special Events committees. For a few years, she served on the board of directors for ArtSpace in Lima, Ohio.

Melissa has been accepted to numerous juried shows including ArtSpace/Lima, the Findlay Art League, and the Ohio Art League. She also has had work on exhibit at Thiel College, Bluffton University, Ohio Northern University and Edinboro University. She also was recently accepted into the Monumental Ideas in Miniature Books Project that will travel worldwide in 2010 and curated the exhibition “Undercover: 6 Artists/24 Books” held at ArtSpace/Lima this past fall.

Ohio Northern offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the best creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

image: preliminary drawings, sketchbooks, and oil painting, “Starlings in My Garden” by Melissa Eddings

Those Who Teach Exhibit ONU Professor Included in ‘Those Who Teach Can Likewise Do’ Exhibit
November— Prof. Linda Lehman, who teaches art education at Ohio Northern University, has work accepted to a special curated exhibition at ArtSpace/Lima, “Those Who Teach Can Likewise Do.”

Opening today in the Ellen Nelson Gallery of ArtSpace, the exhibit features the works of those mentoring the best young area artists in the local area.

“Every year, ArtSpace hosts the Kewpee High School Invitational, showing off some of the best works from high school students. These works in the current exhibit are from the people who mentor, guide and teach those kids,” explained Bill Sullivan, operations manager for ArtSpace.

“It’s a good idea to see the work of those who produce works for that invitational,” he added.

Prof. Lehman is one of 12 educators behind the 45 works in the show. Sullivan was exhilarated by the talent.

“This show should go gangbusters. I know the works of these people, and they are all great. Everything I know about them is wonderful,” Sullivan said.

This multi-media show features metal work, sculpture, watercolor, paper and photography.

“All of these works are by really super people who straddle two worlds — they’re artists, and they’re educators,” Sullivan said. “And this month, they’re putting it out there for all the world to see.”

Prof. Lehman is a visiting assistant to the director of the Center For Teacher Education and is responsible for the art education methods.

Last year during the Ohio Art Education Association Conference, she received a 20-year Circa Recognition award and was inducted into the OAEA Circa Honor Society that honors educators who have shown long-term service and professional dedication to the OAEA in the field of visual art education.

Prof. Lehman also is a former public school classroom and art teacher. While at Ohio Northern, she began an innovative Saturday Morning Arts (SMArts) program for ONU education students and children from surrounding school districts.

ONU offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the best creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

Art & Design Department Hosts Guest Speaker
November—The Ohio Northern University Department of Art & Design proudly welcomes Professor Rob Price from the University of Wisconsin-Stout as a visiting guest lecturer. He will present a slide lecture of his work, both past and present, on Friday, November 6 at 5p.m. in the Wilson Art Center. Light refreshments will be served.

Prof. Price was raised in Ada, Ohio and attended ONU briefly in the early 1960s. He received his MFA degree from Ohio University and currently is a retired professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he still teaches foundation courses. In addition, he has taught for several years in England through the Fulbright Program.

This past July, Prof. Price generously donated a painting, which was exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art as part of a juried exhibition, to Ohio Northern’s art & design department’s permanent collection. Prof. Price will also serve as this year’s judge for the ONU juried student art show which opens Tuesday, November 10.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Campus parking is limited. Guests are encouraged to park in the University’s McIntosh Center/Visitors’ lot via College Avenue. For additional information, please contact the department of art & design at (419) 772-2160 or art@onu.edu.

Juried Art Exhibition The Annual Student Juried Art and Design Exhibition To Open at Ohio Northern 
November—The department of art & design proudly announces the annual Student Juried Art and Design Exhibition which will be on display at the Elzay Gallery of Art from November 9–December 18 in Ada, Ohio. A public reception and awards presentation will be held from 6–8p.m., Tuesday, November 10.

For many years, a committee of sophomore art & design majors is responsible for organizing and presenting the show, traditionally the most popular gallery event of the academic year. This year’s exhibition will feature original work in a variety of media such as ceramics, oils and watercolors, photographs, graphic design, drawings, sculpture, mixed media and printmaking.

The exhibition is a competition open to any undergraduate student enrolled at Ohio Northern University. Any work completed for an art & design departmental course is eligible for consideration. Submissions fall into three categories: two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and graphic design.

An invited juror reviews the submitted entries and makes the final selections. This year, an external judge, Professor Rob Price, will jury the work into the exhibition. Prof. Price is a 1962 graduate of Ada High School and teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

He received his MFA degree from Ohio University and has also taught art courses for several years abroad in England through the Fulbright Program.

In July of 2009, Rob generously donated a painting, which was exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art as part of a juried exhibition, to ONU’s art & design department’s permanent collection.

“The exhibition provides students with the valuable experience of showing their work within a professional setting,” said Melissa Eddings, Ohio Northern’s gallery director and professor who curates the Elzay and Stambaugh Galleries. “At the same time, it provides the Ohio Northern and Ada communities an opportunity to view works by talented young artists and designers.”

Admission to the Elzay Gallery of Art is free and open to the public, daily from noon to 5 p.m. while school is in session. For additional information, to schedule a tour, or to be placed on the arts exhibition mailing list, please contact the department of art & design at 419-772-2160 or art@onu.edu. Visit www.onu.edu/a+s/art for the latest information about times, locations and additions to the schedule.

image: an advertising graphic designed by sophomore Andrew Adams, a sophomore graphic design major from Hudson, Ohio.

John Nativio “Pre-Visions:” Paintings by John R. Nativio on Display at Ohio Northern
October—John R. Nativio owns a private construction company located in Cleveland, Ohio. Hired by high-end clients, Nativio Construction has a growing reputation from around the world. Their expertise features luxury, single-family house construction.

With such a busy work and travel schedule, Nativio routinely wakes-up at 5a.m. to engage with his other avocation—his love of painting.

Nativio’s exhibition, “Pre-Visions,” currently is on-view at Ohio Northern University from October 9 through November 3 in the Elzay and the Stambaugh Studio Theatre galleries. A reception for the artist was scheduled for Friday, October 16, which allowed students and visitors to interact with the artists.

“I always enjoy meeting and talking with young artists,” said Nativio. “When I was a student, I had a totally different perception of the art world. Later in my career I learned how to work and live as an artist.”

Nativio graduated from the Cooper School of Art. He has earned many awards for his work, including a second place prize by the Butler Institute of American Art’s 68th National Midyear Show and an award from the Toledo Museum of Art.

“My work focuses on an interpretation of our changing environment,” said Nativio. “I find myself attempting to understand human existence with an increasingly manufactured landscape.”

Provocative glimpses “over urban and rural settings leave capricious projections of what we have transformed, and how these transformations may change us,” continued Nativio. “As these images expanded an interpolation between them exists; invention and the need to progress, whether well intended or not, will forced the environment on a new path, leaving in its wake new discoveries of shape, form, etc. Visions of nature slowly become consumed by the modern world and what appears to be departing reconstructs a new.”

Admission to the Elzay and Stambaugh galleries is free and open to the public, daily from noon to 5 p.m. while school is in session. The Stambaugh Studio Theatre Gallery is also open prior to events held at Ohio Northern’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts. For additional information, to schedule a tour, or to be placed on the arts exhibition mailing list, please contact the department of art & design at 419-772-2160 or art@onu.edu. Visit www.onu.edu/a+s/art for the latest information about times, locations and additions to the schedule.

image: "Transmutation VII," oil, by John Nativio

AIGA/ONU student chapter Ohio Northern Students Explore Connections Between “Make|Think”
October—“Make/Think,” the 2009 AIGA Design Conference, explored the dual roles of designers as makers of beautiful things and strategic problem solvers. This year, 10 design students from Ohio Northern University joined Professor Brit Rowe, graduate Arnaldo Jimenez (BFA/graphic design ’08) and over 1,300 professional designers in Memphis to celebrate design excellence and stimulate thinking about the critical issues that surround design practice.

Held October 8–10, the AIGA Design Conference gathered the brightest minds to examine the role of design. “The conference explored the ways that designers focus both on making meaningful experiences and thinking about problems strategically,” said Prof. Rowe, who serves as the AIGA/ONU student chapter advisor. “Many sessions focused on the unique and powerful combination of both roles.”

Students from Ohio Northern’s art & design department who attended this year’s conference included:
• Victoria Brake, Forest, Ohio
• Katelyn Amendolara, Canfield, Ohio
• Bethany Schreck, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
• Tiffany Seiller, Paris, France
• Lauren Bailey, Galena, Ohio
• Mike Madsen, Coshocton, Ohio
• Andrew Adams, Hudson, Ohio
• Micaela Nauman, Fredericktown, Ohio
• Katie Merchak, Loveland, Ohio
• Matt Glove, Canfield, Ohio

Yet even within specialties such as interaction design or motion design, the arc of a designer’s career or even the trajectory of a particular client relationship may transition from a maker of artifacts into a role focused on integrative design thinking.

“The greatest value a designer can contribute to a client is in the process of thinking through solutions,” AIGA Executive Director Richard Grefe explained at the conference.

“This strategic perspective is often more valuable to the client and is also less likely to be treated as a commodity, which is always a threat to the role of designer as the maker of things.”

Design students found “their mojo” in Memphis with a stellar group of main stage speakers, dozens of specialized affinity sessions, roundtables with design luminaries, the excitement of “Command X: Season 2,” hands-on activities, workshops, studio tours, portfolio reviews, fabulous parties and plenty of networking.

“We had a fabulous time,” said Bethany Schreck, a sophomore graphic design and professional communications major. “It was amazing to meet Michael Bierut, Stefan Butler, Chip Kidd, Debbie Millman, Stefan Sagmeister and so many other designers.”

A philosophy of the ONU design program is to be active in the design community. “It’s very important that our students are active in AIGA,” said Rowe. “Our AIGA student chapter provides a little exposure to the design world, but this conference truly is the best hands-on educational experience our students can receive.”

“We challenged everyone’s perception of their own roles as designers at ‘Make/Think,’ said Grefe. “Whether you believe you are a strategist who can visualize the difficult with impact, relevance and beauty or a crafts person with strategic vision or someone else entirely, we provoked you and others to think about your profession in a new light. That’s precisely what makes AIGA such a rich experience.”

AIGA, the professional association for design, is the premier place for design. AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. AIGA stimulates thinking about design through journals, conferences, competitions and exhibitions; demonstrates the value of design to business, the public and government officials; and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers by providing invaluable educational and social resources.

Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design. AIGA now represents more than 22,000 design professionals, educators and students through national activities and local programs developed by 64 chapters and 240 student groups. AIGA is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution.

Micaela Internships Provide Design Students with Valuable Experience
October—Through the internship program in the department of art & design, students are able to complete internships which help them develop the necessary skills and professional relationships, giving them the edge in an increasingly competitive job market. In any situation, A&D students provide much needed assistance and gain valuable experience in these difficult economic times.

The department of art & design partners with design firms, companies and organizations from government, health care, technology, arts and culture, religious, and many other sectors in order to provide opportunities to A&D students.

During the 2009 summer term, two design students earned competitive internships and gained the opportunity for professional experience. Senior advertising design major Micaela Nauman interned at Chute Gerdeman Retail located in Columbus, Ohio and senior advertising design major Lauren Bailey interned at the national office of Campus Crusade for Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Ever since having an interest in design and retail, senior advertising design major Micaela Nauman wanted to work for a firm which specializes in interior and graphic design. Interning at Chute Gerdeman brought her one step closer to her dream job.

“During my first week, they treated me like a full-time employee,” said Micaela. “I underwent training for the company and a lot of professional development sessions with the design team.”

Micaela knew she landed the perfect summer internship when she began work on her first major assignment. “I first worked with a senior designer at the firm to develop a complete identity for Mars. The project was for the Kroger stores. We researched, developed and designed their entire Halloween candy aisle concept. A lot of work went into it.”

“A few weeks later, we presented the concept to the client,” Micaela explained. “The designers complimented me on how well I assisted them and on the great ideas that I developed. It was an amazing experience.”

As the Kroger stores begin their transformation in October, Micaela will watch in anticipation. “Every piece of graphic material as well as full-size mock-ups were approved by the client,” Micaela described. “When we started on the final art work, we had no down time. But, when the project was completed, we were relieved. I can’t wait to see it in the stores.”

Lauren When Lauren Bailey accepted an internship with the Campus Crusade’s national office, she knew her job would test her mettle as a designer. “I hit the ground running during my first week in the office,” Lauren said. “I worked with a team to create an integrated marketing campaign for Indy Winter Conference. We focused on the creative process along with an identity for the conference.”

By mid-summer, Lauren worked over-time and started designing an identity for Ohio Crusade, a ministry that involved many different college campuses throughout the state. “After our initial research and brainstorming,” Lauren explained, “I first worked on sketches then moved to computer roughs. We had a lot of work to do before our presentation to the client.”

In addition to her duties with Campus Crusade and Winter Conference, Lauren also partnered with many other organizations including a community center to publicize a steel drum band concert. “I designed a small identity program for them,” recounted Lauren. “I had to work quickly. For me, it was neat for me to see what it was like to do design in a workplace versus a classroom setting.”

From an undergraduate standpoint, the design management skills she learned enhanced her leadership roles. “My internship was great preparation because it made me confident in my design abilities and confirmed my professional aspirations after graduation,” Lauren explained. “I dealt with a handful of different clients. I noticed how I had to present things in a way that made the best option seem the most attractive and strategic.”

“It’s also been nice to collaborate with a team, which we don’t get much in a classroom,” added Lauren. “I was very fortunate to have worked with a group of people who worked well together and held their own weight. I enjoyed working with writers who made things much easier, web designers who knew coding much better than I did, and others who simply saw how everything intertwined together in video.”

Recognizing that students learn best when they are truly engaged in hands-on educational experiences, the department of art & design requires internships to complement the classroom education. Each A&D major includes some kind of internship experience, allowing students to select opportunities that best suit their curriculum and career goals. Recent A&D student internships have included a design internship at Walgreens in Chicago, a design exhibit internship in Washington, D.C., a design and marketing internship at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, and a design internship at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

Alice Austin Ohio Northern A&D Professor Curates Show of Artist’s Books
September—Ohio Northern University Professor of Art Melissa Eddings-Mancuso has curated an exhibition of artists’ books that are on display at the ArtSpace/Lima Gallery in Lima, Ohio through October 31.

An opening reception is planned for Friday, September 18 starting at 6:30p.m. at ArtSpace.

Artists’ books have a relatively short history compared to the history of fine arts. “Not until the mid-1960s and through the 1970s did the collaborative tradition of making books expand to define books by artists as unique works of art,” explained Eddings. “Today, colleges, universities and art schools offer an array of book-arts programs. The artist’s book has continued to gain prominence in the fine art world largely due to its ability to encompass virtually any other art form, providing the opportunity to create added meaning in an intimate structure.”

Creating an artist’s book can prove to challenge audiences to explore innovative ways of seeing, learning and understanding. “Most books, in the traditional sense, have an illustrator, art director, writer, editor, typographer, printer and binder involved in their production,” said Eddings. “With an artist’s book, the artist often fills each of those roles. Today, the artist has many more technological elements at his or her disposal, allowing them to be more experimental in their choices of structure and medium.”

Over the course of a year, Prof. Eddings researched and selected the artists and their work for the installation. The ArtSpace exhibit includes four books by six artists: Alice Austin, Alisa Golden, Bea Nettles, Marian Runk, Karen Hanmer and Pati Scobey.

“On first glance, each of the artists participating in ArtSpace’s exhibit, Undercover, faithfully adheres to maintaining the anatomy of a book: text block, binding, and cover are clearly evident,” described Eddings. “What makes a book more than merely a collection of words and images is the relationship between form and content. What entices and engages is the way structure and text combine to create an experience that becomes greater than the individual parts.”

According to Eddings, this exhibit at ArtSpace is a diverse sampling. “The six participating artists are an extremely versatile, dedicated and talented group who continually push themselves and their craft to new levels.”

“Yes, a book can be an object that sits on a shelf. It can also embody what this exhibition highlights—in the hand of an artist, a book is an intimate vehicle for expression through words, text, time, space, sound, past, present and future.”

Undercover: 6 Artists/24 Books is sponsored by The Book Club, Books in the Hood and The Argonne Literary Society and Adventure Club. Admission to the Ellen Nelson Gallery at ArtSpace is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10a.m.–5p.m., Saturday, 10a.m.–2p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Please contact ArtSpace for additional information (419.222.1721).

ArtSpace/Lima is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual arts to the West Central Ohio region including. Its organization occupies a turn-of-the-century three-story brick building in the North West quadrant of Town Square in Downtown Lima, Ohio.

image: Meat Ball Math, Alice Austin

Jeff Gibbons Students Attend Small Press Expo
September—The 15th annual Small Press Exposition was held the weekend of September 26–27, 2009 at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, MD, just one mile outside of the nation’s capital. The Expo brought together over 400 artists and publishers—including three Ohio Northern University students—to meet their readers, booksellers, distributors, and each other.

“I had an awesome experience,” said Jeff Gibbons, a junior studio arts major from Toledo. “It was great to have met all of these artists. I thought I would flip-out, but I kept my cool. I talked to a lot of people!”

The Small Press Expo was opened to the public late Saturday morning and ran through Sunday evening. All weekend long, the students expected to attend great programming.

“Everybody should go to this conference,” explained Fred Frances, a studio arts major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was an incredibly nourishing day. It was like a gallery with hundreds and hundreds of artist. I want to come back next year.”

The Small Press Expo now serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent.

According to Mike Madsen, a junior graphic design major from Cochocton, Ohio, “The SPX isn’t what you’d expect when you think comic book convention. The subject matter of the books range from historical, horror to literary and comedy.”

During the Small Press Expo, there were several panels about the politics, economics, and the art of comics. Most of these sessions were arranged and frequently moderated by writers, artists, teachers, and comic-book scholars.

“I had a good time,” said Jeff. “I got a lot of things that will be great for my book class. There were so many different styles and artists; I was overwhelmed.”

Film Series Announced | Fall Quarter 2009
Documentary films for a small planet.
The Ohio Northern University’s department of art & design announces its Fall quarter film series. The film series was created to showcase the achievements of the film industry and to promote critical thinking and self-analysis. All members of the university community are invited to attend film showings.

Films are shown on Tuesdays at 6p.m. in room 115 of the Wilson Art Center located on Gilbert Street. Visitor parking is available at the McIntosh Center parking lot. Admission is free.

Coffee and Cigarettes
September 15
A comic series of short vignettes that build on one another to create a cumulative effect as the characters discuss things as diverse as caffeine popsicles, Paris in the ’20, and the use of nicotine as an insecticide, all the while sitting around sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. As Jarmusch delves into the normal pace of our world from an extraordinary angle, he shows just how absorbing the obsessions, joys, and addictions of life can be. (2005)

Broken Flowers
September 29
The resolutely single Don Johnston has just been dumped by his latest lover, Sherry. Don resigns himself to being alone yet again and left to his own devices. Instead, he is completed to reflect on this past when he receives by mail a mysterious pink letter. It is from an anonymous former lover and informs him that he has a 19-year-old son who may know be looking for his father. (2005)

Mystery Train
October 13
A Japanese couple obsessed with 1950s America goes to Memphis because the male half of the couple emulates Carol Perkins. Chance encounters link three different stories in the city, with the common thread being the seedy hotel where they are all staying. (1989)

Down By Law
October 27
DJ Zack and pimp Jack end up in prison for being too laidback to avoid being framed for crimes they didn’t commit. They end up sharing a cell with eccentric Italian optimist Roberto, whose limited command of the English Language is both entertaining and infuriating—but rather more useful to them is the fact that Roberto knows an escape route. (1986)

Judith Greavu Ohio Northern Retired Sculpture Professor Selected for Darwin Exhibit in Maine
September—There is grandeur in this view of life... that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
Charles Darwin, from On the Origin of Species

Professor Judith Geavu, a retired sculpture professor from Ohio Northern University, has been selected for the exhibit “Spineless Wonders: Invertebrates as Inspiration”, on view at the Atrium Art Gallery September 8 - December 18 on the campus of the University of Souther Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of species for the 2009 bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species.

Paintings, prints, sculpture, poetry, video, sound, and work in clay, metal, fiber, glass, wood, and stone by 56 artists from around the country are all be part of the multi-dimensional exhibition. A poetry chapbook accompanies the exhibit, featuring poets who express a passion and curiosity about the invertebrate world.

Invertebrates make up a vast group of species that includes worms, insects and their larva, spiders, jellyfish, shellfish such as crabs and shrimp, squid, and more—97% of all animal species are invertebrates.

In his lifetime, Darwin was as well known for his authoritative studies of barnacles and earthworms as he was for his theory of evolution.

Prof. Greavu works in a range of media, including bronze. In this exhibit, her interests explore issues of concern for the health of the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes. An artist’s residency in the Florida Everglades in 2006, learning about spoiled habitats and endangered animals, let to further images, including a sculpture representing a 9.5 foot alligator and several paintings.

Greavu currently lives and works rural Dola, Ohio, near Ohio Northern University’s campus. Retired from Ohio Northern as an associate professor of art, she received her BS in art education from Ball State University in 1963, and her MFA in painting from Bowling Green State University in 1967. She has traveled the world and has given workshops and lectures all over the United States. Her exhibition record includes solo shows, group exhibitions, and juried shows.

Other artists in the exhibit include Joseph Scheer, aka “Mothman,” internationally recognized for his awe-inspiring large format photographs of moths; entomologist Steven R. Kutcher (supervisor for the movie Arachnophobia, and consultant for Jurassic Park and Spiderman) who works with insects to create paintings by insects; and world-renowned origami master Robert Lang who specializes in arthropods. The exhibition will also feature Catherine Chalmers’s Safari, a 7-minute visually stunning video following a cockroach’s view of jungle life.

From softball sized dust mites and a “skeleton”of a praying mantis to giant bronze flatworms and fashionable handbags with squids, Spineless Wonders is an awe-inspiring view of how artists see and interpret the invertebrate world.

School and group tours are available free of charge. For Spineless Wonders, the gallery is partnering with Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary, a local 357 acre wildlife preserve (with an interest in invertebrate ecology as part of their focus on habitat), the Auburn Public Library, and the Lewiston Public Library to promote the exhibit and help with related programming.

The Atrium Art Gallery, located in the expansive center of University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, presents a year-round schedule of exhibitions highlighting Maine artists with solo and group exhibitions of painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and contemporary crafts.

The gallery is open to the public, free of charge, Monday through Thursday from 8a.m.–8p.m., Friday from 8a.m.–4:30p.m., Saturday from 9a.m.–3p.m. and closed on Sunday. Gallery talks for groups are available. USM LAC is located at 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston, ME 04240. For more information, contact the gallery at 753-6554.

image: A bronze sculpture by Judith Greavu on display in Spineless Wonders.

Tom Connelly Abstract Expressionist Artist Opens Ohio Northern’s Gallery Season

September—Artist Tom Connelly can spend six months to a year on one of his paintings, with the work changing drastically over that time. His work responds to emotional experiences and emphasizes creative spontaneity. His drawings are surprisingly simplistic in their composition, yet have tremendous impulses toward abstract expressionism.

Tom Connelly’s exhibition opens the 2009–10 gallery season at Ohio Northern University from September 8 through October 2 in the Elzay and the Stambaugh Studio Theatre galleries. A reception for the artist is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11, beginning at 5p.m. in the lobby of the Elzay Gallery of Art.

A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Tom has studied with prominent and influential educators such as printmaker Philip Mendlo, sculptor Eugene Geddings and noted abstract impressionist William J. Gravatt. These influences continue to be explored in Tom’s work as he examines the terrain of abstraction in his energetic paintings and drawings.

After receiving a Crescent Memorial Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Tom traveled extensively to study the works and methods of the world’s most important artists. He returned home to Pennsylvania to apprentice with William J. Gravatt who also studied with renowned French cubist artists Fernand Léger and Jean Metzinger, and French Dadaist and Surrealist painter Fancis Picabia. The direction and impact of Tom’s experiences can be seen in his much more overtly abstract paintings with thick dabs of paint, drips and scratches, such as in the acrylic work Fence (Quarry Series).

Tom has exhibited at the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, the Eclectic Art Gallery, Rennick Gallery, Blue Sky Gallery and La Fond Gallery. He has taught at the Pennsylvania State University, the Art Institute of New Kensington and has lectured regularly through a variety of organizations. His work is in numerous private, corporate and high-profile collections worldwide, including Carnegie Mellon University.

gallery season poster University Galleries at Ohio Northern University presents 2009–10 season
August—Ohio Northern University announces the opening of its 2009-10 art exhibition and gallery season at the Elzay and Stambaugh Studio Theatre galleries. “Our gallery season is designed to serve as a cultural resource for the entire Ohio Northern community and surrounding region,” said gallery director and professor Melissa Eddings. The gallery program also hosts regional, national and international touring exhibitions, and original exhibits distinctly suited to an academic environment.

This exhibition season showcases invited shows and artists who encourage dialogue about the visual arts such as studio processes, history, criticism, curation, and cultural contexts. “The most interesting aspect of this year’s exhibition season is the sheer diversity of work,” said Prof. Eddings.

Featured shows during this year’s season include:
Deeper Than Dreams, a painting and drawing exhibit by Tom Connelly, Sept. 8–Oct. 2.
A recipient of the Crescent Memorial Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Connelly has studied extensively with the world’s most important artists. His abstractive observations of nature consistently resonate throughout his work.

Pre-Visions, a painting exhibition by John R. Nativio, Oct. 9–Nov. 3. In his work, Nativio focuses most of his attention to our changing environment. “I find myself attempting to understand human existence with an increasingly manufactured landscape. Provocative glimpses over urban and rural settings leave capricious projections of what we have transformed, and how these transformations may change us...”

In a Little While, a painting show by Ivan J. Fortushniak, Jan. 4– Feb. 19. Fortushniak has shown his work in a variety of venues across the United States and has work included in several private collections throughout the Midwest. His work juxtaposes water towers, smokestacks, and Boeing aircraft with landscapes inspired by George Inness, Winslow Homer and Albert P. Ryder. Most recently, he has been investigating the psychological implications that pop and historical icons have played in his nurturing and understanding of life.

And a highlight of this year’s season, the Mid-America Print Council Juried Show, Mar. 8 –Apr. 30. This print exhibition, hosted by the University of Southern Indiana and coordinated by Joseph D’Uva, is now on national tour. Work in the show includes prints, books, folios in any printed media including digital. Janet Ballweg, professor of art and printmaking area head at Bowling Green State University, adjudicated this year’s show.

Admission to the Elzay and Stambaugh galleries is free and open to the public, daily from noon to 5 p.m. while school is in session. The Stambaugh Studio Theatre Gallery is also open prior to events held at Ohio Northern’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts. For additional information, to schedule a tour, or to be placed on the arts exhibition mailing list, please contact the department of art & design at 419-772-2160 or art@onu.edu. Visit www.onu.edu/a+s/art for the latest information about times, locations, and additions to the schedule.

ONU offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the top 200 creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

“Two Dimensions” Exhibit Features ONU Retired Ceramic Professor
July—Ceramics by Bruce Chesser (and photographs by Phill Hugo) are on display at the Mezzanine Gallery of ArtSpace/Lima at St. Rita’s Memorial. The exhibit opened July 1 and closes September 30, 2009. A reception was held Wednesday, July 15.

Professor Chesser specializes in contemporary interpretations of traditional functional ceramics. He is a retired professor of art at Ohio Northern University where he taught ceramics for over 30 years. He also served as chair of the department of art & design for 12 years. Previously, he taught at Ohio University, Athens.

He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in fine arts from OU and has participated in more than 100 juried, invitational and one-person art shows. Prof. Chesser also has conducted numerous workshops and lectures on salt-glazing and raku pottery.

In a statement about his current direction, Chesser said, “The forms I make are my contemporary interpretations of traditional functional ceramics. Ceramic works that I have long admired have come from man’s cultures and time periods, the Japanese Momoyama period, Korean ceramics of the Koryo Period, early American salt glaze pottery, and many others.”

“It is not my intention to copy these forms,” explained Chesser, “but to capture the spirit of them. I want my pots to show skill and a sureness of touch, yet, have a casual feel and a spontaneous and lively presence.”

The process of firing ceramics can be a difficult process because artists do not have total control. According to Chesser, “The surface is produced by applying slips and glazes to areas of the unfired pieces and then firing them in a salt glaze kiln. A salt glaze is developed by throwing salt (NaCl) into a hot kiln. The salt vaporizes and combines with silica in the clay to form sodium silicate, a hard glaze.”

“My intent is to be a partner with the firing to produce a surface with a variety of color and texture. I prepare the surface of the clay with care and then let the intense heat of the fire and path of the salt vapors complete the pieces. Many times, the firing is a more than willing partner and produces effects that surprise and delight.”

ArtSpace/Lima is a not-for-profit arts organization with a mission to promote the arts in northwest Ohio and to provide artists with a venue to present and to sell their work. Art/Space is supported in part by a generous grant from the Ohio Arts Council. For further information on the exhibit or for information regarding other ArtSpace programs, visit ArtSpace or call 419.222.1721.

ONU offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the top 200 creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

image: Bottle, by Bruce Chesser

New Summer Exhibit at ONU Features the Work of Design Camp Students
July—Graphic design as a visual language plays an important role for many organizations and people as a universal method of communication and understanding. This past summer, high school students from the academic camp “Design: Think. Know. Do.” at Ohio Northern learned first hand how important design is in our culture.

Taught by University art & design professor Brit Rowe, “Design: Think. Know. Do.” was a camp included in the ONU Summer Honors Institute program. During the course of six days, a group of 9th and 10th grade students embarked on a process oriented design problem of defining, researching, conceptualizing and implementing a corporate identity plan for the University gallery and exhibition program at ONU.

The multidiscipline design project promoted creative solutions to a real-life problem. “Our aim was to provide the students with an opportunity to have a direct influence on the visual and physical presence of the galleries on campus,” said Rowe. Students extended beyond discipline-specific boundaries to engage in a holistic design process that drew on students’ experiences and broadened their perspectives.

According to Veronica Napoles, owner and chief graphic designer at Communications Planning, a firm specializing in corporate identity design, “Today, designers who are most advanced in their attitudes toward problem solving realize the necessity for an integration of many disciplines in the design process. These capabilities must relate to communications, as well as to aesthetics, and must include behavioral psychology and marketing, as well as the graphic arts.”

An exhibit at the Elzay Gallery of Art at ONU featured the students’ investigation into these areas in relation to their project. “Our students worked with a client,” said Rowe. “I wanted students to experience how designers use professional design research and development techniques to create a well-planned corporate identity.”

Students in the “Design: Think. Know. Do.” course also learned about other major design fields. As part of the camp, Rowe said, “Presentations on architecture, environmental and landscape architecture, interior design, industrial design as well as graphic design were created to introduce students to the education, career paths and professional practices of the major design fields.”

In 2008, students participating in the design camp worked on a capstone project to recreate the visual and physical presence of a section of the local village through the initiation of a strategy for urban renewal. Students investigated main street commercial architecture as a reflection of community character and identity, historical and cultural trends, commercial enterprise, marketing and graphic design. The summer course allowed the students one hour of college credit.

For the fifth consecutive year, Ohio Northern University hosted the Summer Honors Institute for gifted high school students. A number of different courses designed to provide in-depth study of challenging topics were offered over a two-week period in July on the Ada campus.

ONU offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the top 200 creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419.772.2160.

image: Students presenting at this year’s summer camp

Ohio Northern Ceramic Professor Accepted into National Juried Competition
June—H. Luke Sheets, an assistant professor in art at Ohio Northern University, was accepted into the Majestic Galleries’ National Juried Competition 2009.

The competition, in its fourth year at the Majestic Galleries, is located in Nelsonville, Ohio. The juried show is open to all artists working in the United States or Canada.

The show opens Friday, June 26 with a reception and awards presentation from 6–10p.m. The show closes on Sunday, July 26. Gallery hours are Fridays through Sundays, 1-6p.m.

The Majestic Galleries features a community cooperative gallery supporting excellence in the arts through the display of innovative contemporary work. This exhibition specifically highlights all media and processes such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics, textiles, new media, electronic and interactive, installation, and video.

This year’s juror was Catherine Evans, chief curator of the Columbus Museum of Art. She also serves as the museum’s photography curator. “This is a great show,” states Evans. “The gallery is so very appreciative of the many talented artists who have joined our efforts to spread excellent visuality in the form of art throughout the nation.”

In 2004, Evans oversaw the second largest acquisition in the Museum’s history, that of the Schiller Collection of American Social Commentary Art 1930-1970. She also spearheaded the successful acquisition of the Photo League collection, which increased the Museum’s photography holdings by 40 percent. She has authored, directed and curated numerous major international exhibitions. Prior to the Columbus Museum of Art, Evans worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and before that, at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, in New York and Montreal, Canada. She received her degree from Williams College in Art History and German Literature.

Explaining the work selected for the show, Evans explained, “This all media show is quite interesting. You see the variety that is possible when the show is open to several mediums, from sculptures of stone and bronze to richly painted oils as well as several multimedia works.”

Luke Sheets earned his BFA from Ohio Northern University and his MFA from Bowling Green State University. He has had work accepted into national competitions including the 8th Annual National Juried Cup Show and the 6th Annual “It’s Only Clay” National Exhibition. In 2005, he had work included in “500 Cups: Ceramic Explorations of Utility and Grace,” a book published by Lark Books. Prof. Sheets currently teaches ceramics at ONU and is responsible for the three-dimensional program in the department of art & design.

Ohio Northern offers both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with majors in advertising design, art education, graphic design and studio arts. The department of A&D holds memberships in national organizations such as the National Art Education Association, College Art Association, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education and the National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts. The department is recognized in the second edition of “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” as one of the top 200 creative programs nationwide. For additional information about the department of art & design, contact the department at 419-772-2160.

image: Hound of War by Prof. Luke Sheets

Prof. Judith Greavu Selected by the Midwest Sculpture Initiative To Install Two Bronze Sculptures this Spring
June—This past spring, it wasn’t just flowers blooming on two campuses in the Toledo area. Two new outdoor sculptures, created by retired Ohio Northern Professor Judith Greavu, have been installed for the Midwest Sculpture Initiative.

The Midwest Sculpture Initiative (MSI), founded in 2004 by artist Ken Thompson, was formed to provide innovative exhibitions that feature outdoor sculpture. MSI’s mission was to provide outdoor sculpture exhibitions throughout the Midwest, promote cooperation among art and civic organizations, advance the role that the visual arts play in the quality of life and increase economic development.

On the first exhibition site, the University of Toledo, Prof. Greavu was selected for the 4th annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. Judy’s “Bird of Paradise” (bronze, 13'6 x 3'3), is located outside Rocket Hall. According to Judy, this sculpture is an organic form that emphasizes energy and power.

To have been accepted, Judy first submitted her entry to the Midwest Sculpture Initiative. Then, the entry was presented to the UT Campus Beatification Committee, which chose the pieces that would be featured on the campus.

All artists received a stipend for their sculptures, which will remain in their current locations for the next year. This exhibit was funded by the UT Campus Beautification Committee.

Dr. Steven LeBlanc, associate dean in the College of Engineering and chair of the Campus Beautification Committee, said, “Anonymous donors have provided funds for us to purchase several of the sculptures so that they can stay at UT.”

Another of Professor Greavu’s sculptures was selected for the Midwest Sculpture Initiative, but this time at Owens Community College.

The Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Owens in Toledo had such a positive response that Owens decided to hold the entire show over for another year. The work will remain on campus through May 2010.

Judy’s sculpture, “Arts Spirit” (bronze, 7'x3'x3'), is located near the campus gallery, north of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

All the sculptures, including Judy’s two outdoor sculptures, are on loan by the artists. After the exhibition season is over, the sculptures can be purchased to remain on site or be relocated.

Prof. Judith Greavu received her MFA from Bowling Green State University and taught at Ohio Northern University from 1985-2005. She is a professional artist who has been making bronze sculptures since 1963. Having recently retired from ONU’s department of art & design, Judy spent April of 2006 in an artist’s residency in the Florida Everglades. She has exhibited regionally and nationally, including The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio and completed large sculpture commissions at the University of Florida, Tiffin University and the Inniswood Botanical Gardens in Westerville, Ohio. She has received numerous honors for her work throughout the state of Ohio and the country.

images: “Arts Spirit” (bronze, 7'x3'x3') and “Bird of Paradise” (bronze, 13'6x3'3)

Startling in the Garden The Art of Seeing: ONU Professor Exhibits Work
June—Every morning before heading off to work, Professor Melissa Eddings glances outside her kitchen window and porch at the ever-changing landscape. Drawing in her sketchbooks, she documents a series of studies and notes about these influential revelations.

“Over time, I have come to recognize and admire the inherent design and visual language found in the everyday occurrences around me,” explains Melissa, “such as the silhouette of a group of birds against the snow or the pattern of shape and color as plants emerge from the ground. As insignificant as these things may appear, the challenge lies in representing them in ways that inspire, provoke and question.”

The latest, surprising investigations are now on exhibit in a group show June 6–July 5 at the Stonewall Gallery in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. Other artists involved in the show include Yoko Sekino-Bove (ceramics) of Philadelphia and Sean McConnor (painting) of Thiel College.

“The series on starlings is a good example of what I’m doing,” describes Melissa. “The works are loosely representative, they celebrate the characteristics and mannerisms of birds while examining them through line, shape, color, and proximity. One can appreciate this work on multiple levels.”

The exhibit, an attractive gallery space, is now open daily between 10a.m.–5p.m.

Melissa is an associate professor in art at Ohio Northern’s department of art & design. She received her MFA in painting from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and her BFA from Ohio University in 1992. She has taught at ONU since 1997, served as chair from 2000–2002, and currently teaches painting, printmaking and foundation courses in the department of art & design.

image: Starling in the Garden, oil

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