Runs in the family
Sisters in life and in art, Maddie Perry poses with Lyla, who entered her art for the first time.
An elegant affair
John Meerts provided the perfect acoustic accompaniment to an evening of wine, art, and conversation.
Natural drama captured
Annie Thayer's "Within the Moment" won her second place.
NEDERLAND- On Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nederland Community Center, the pure talent that can be found here in the mountains was put on display for the Arts at the Center Fall Exhibition. Up to 20 artists of all ages and backgrounds toiled in pastels, acrylic, oil, watercolor, and other mediums to express emotional reverence for the world around us.
With the hard work of event coordinator Annie Thayer, in collaboration with arts committee members and community center staff and volunteers, the Opening Reception welcomed art enthusiasts to view, interpret, and to be pulled into each artist’s mind and soul.
Attendees received drink tickets for a selection of white and red wines and a ballot for voting and commenting on their top three favorite pieces – all with a suggested donation of $10.
The sound of John Meerts’ raspy yet wispy singing and of his delicate yet impactful playing of acoustic guitar wafted through the halls to reinforce the elegant and sublime energy that exhibition cultivated.
With glasses of wine and ballots in hand, attendees drifted through the community center, poring over each displayed piece, contemplating them, interpreting their meaning or allowing themselves to feel what the piece is evoking within them.
On display were the whimsical watercolor works by Wolfy Wolf, the excitingly colorful landscape oil paintings of Evan Cantor, the expansive and expressive landscapes by Dennis Quinn, and the stunning pastel pastorals of everyday life by Gretchen Acharya, who was the third place winner of the exhibition with her painting “This Time I Stopped To Look.”
Claudia Sheehan was one of the “People’s Choice” honorable mentions with her quilt and fabric collage titled “Sallying Forth Salamanders,” as was Kathy Bremers with her watercolors capturing Colorado nature and wildlife, including the crowd favorite “Fall Color.”
Lyle Perry, the youngest to enter her work in the exhibition, displayed a bright and engaging acrylic portrait on acetate. Her older sister, Maddie Perry, won first place with her original watercolor piece “Puddles the Duck,” which exhibition attendees described as evoking “happiness and a feeling of going on an adventure.”
Also on display were the striking and resonant watercolor paintings of Courtney Crockett, the sleek snapshots of the nature around us done in oil on canvas by Christine M. Springer, the blind contour drawings in colored pencil of Jeanne Benson, and the picture-perfect foliage photography of Serene Karplus.
Thayer won second place with her watercolor landscape that jumps off the canvas, “Within the Moment,” which was described by an attendee as “a real moment in time we all hold,” as it depicted a serene seaside scene.
Marc McClish displayed his innovative long-exposure, slow-panning photography, called “chromascapes”; Lorelei Stumbo showed her distinct and textural “found object” pieces of painted salvaged wood; Melissa Getz showed her unique and exciting bronze and mixed media statuettes; and Lee Kennedy displayed her eclectic and kaleidoscopic floral paintings.
A very special thanks to Thayer, the volunteers, the arts committee, and to the artists who all contributed to the success of this year’s exhibition. Arts at the Center continues to showcase the wonderful and unique expressions of artistic talent and soul that these mountains hold.
