By Ruth Ann Brady
Works by Keshia Pearman, Edith Acton, Johnathan Harris, Bill Wolfe and Michael Ries will be on display in August at the Vigo County Public Library at Seventh and Poplar streets.
• Keshia Pearman, an Indiana native and student at Indiana State University loves reading, writing, making collages, taking and collecting pictures. Her interest in photography developed in high school. Her favorite categories of photography are nature and conceptual. Pearman believes there is beauty in everything and tries to capture this in her photographs. She likes to take images of ordinary objects and show them in a new light.
Pearman is the recipient of the Wabash Valley Art Guild spring show 2007 second place in photography and the Provost’s Purchase Award 2008 Indiana State University Juried Student Exhibition.
Displayed at the Library will be “In Love With” and “Dragonfly.” Pearman says, “I love this picture because at first look you don’t really see the dragonfly and then you do and go ‘Ah, now I see it.’” More of Pearman’s work can be found on her Web site at www.myspace.com/notreallynophotography.
• Edith Acton holds a master of science from Indiana State University. She has taught at Montezuma and Schulte High School.
Acton has always been interested in art. After trying ceramics and stained glass, she has found her niche with fused glass. The medium satisfies her creativity and challenges new and improved art works. She says, “There are never two pieces the same so originality is always there.”
• Johnathan Harris grew up in Cambridge City. He now resides in Terre Haute and attended Indiana State University earning a bachelor of science degree in art history and a minor in painting and drawing. While at ISU, Harris worked on “Tunnel Times,” an underground newspaper, as an art and film critic and cartoonist/illustrator. He also worked on a literary journal, “Toad H’ Way” as cartoonist/illustrator and participated in performance art pieces.
Harris received awards in high school and college. He won a merit prize in 2003 at Swope Art Museum’s Wabash River show. He has sold paintings and sketches to creative writer Doug Martin. Harris usually has works on display at the juried exhibitions at Arts Illiana.
Harris is influenced by humanity and nature. “I feel my art is myth and dreams which can be humorous, lyrical, nightmarish and sublime,” Harris said.
• William “Bill” Wolfe is a native Hoosier who began his art career in painting and television art design. Wolfe has always had a desire to sculpt and nine years ago, he left his advertising agency to focus his artistic endeavors in sculpting. Wolfe’s sculptures are most frequently life-size or larger-than-life-size bronze sculptures. Several of his works honor American veterans and can be found in cities throughout the United States. Wolfe’s work frequently takes on historical subjects such as Orville Wright (life-size, bronze sculpture in Dayton, Ohio) and Max Carey (bronze-relief of professional baseball player). For Wolfe, his sculptures are links to the past for future generations.
• Michael Ries will be displaying two photographs from a body of work titled “Sonja.” He says, “Stepping into the world of portrait photography was a new and novel experience for me. Photographing ‘Sonja’ was a great way to start that new artistic path. I was seeking a whimsical way to portray the face behind the faces, a way to illuminate the multiple ‘us’ we all carry around each day. Sonja was in tune with my vision from the moment we started this shoot. She brought a calm energy and a deep understanding of my concept and it was a very creative session which produced a good body of work. I hope you enjoy this quick peek behind the mask.”
For more information about these artists, visit www.wabashvalleyartguild.org or contact the Raven Gallery at (812) 234-9884.
Works by “Wabash Valley Art Guild” members are on display at the Raven Gallery at 817 Ohio St.
