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2nd art fair called a success
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| The observation deck on the old Keokuk-Hamilton bridge made an ideal outdoor venue for Keokuk’s Art Over the Mississippi this weekend. In the foreground is Tim Schroll of Colchester, Ill. He won second place for two-dimensional art with his black and white photographs. |
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
The second annual Art Over the Mississippi gained momentum after its first year with twice as many artists - 10 juried and four local - and twice as many attendees - 600, according to Keokuk Cultural and Entertainment District (KCED) board member Rita Noe.
“It was quite a success,” she said. “We will definitely do this again.”
Noe was one of the local artists showing at the fair. Her digigraphs - part photos, part print-making images - were on display Friday, Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the annual Rollin' on the River Blues Festival.
At the opening reception Friday, Keokuk artisan Erica Wolfe showed her one-of-a-kind jewelry on the observation deck of the old Keokuk-Hamilton bridge.
“It's nice to see a growth of the fine arts in Keokuk,” she said.
Two more local artists, Rebecca Everett and Ed Swena, also displayed their art on the old bridge.
Ten regional artists were invited by selection to show at the art fair. Their works were selected by a jury including Wendall Mohr of Bentonsport, Al Beck of Canton, Mo., and Kevin Dingmen of Columbia, Mo. Mohr attended the art show Saturday morning to determine prize winners.
Mohr is a residency member of the Iowa Arts Council and a member of the American Watercolor Society. Beck is professor emeritus in the art department at Culver-Stockton College in Canton. Dingmen is a professor of art at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Tim Schroll of Colchester, Ill., displayed large, black and white photos of landscapes and buildings.
“My dad was a portrait photographer,” he said. “I learned to use a camera in the Navy, although that wasn't my job. I got a job in a press room after the Navy and was eventually offered use of the newspaper's dark room and all the film I wanted. So I took lots of pictures and worked in the dark room as my hobby.
“It's now my passion and love. I still use film, no digitals, and I still work in the darkroom. It's great to come to an art fair close to home.”
Jeweler Mary Beth St. Clair of Wyaconda, Mo., taught herself how to make jewelry.
“I started out stringing glass beads,” she said. “I've been making jewelry for 12 years.”
St. Clair designs and creates silver and precious stone jewelry in her home, Moonlight Studio. She displayed necklaces made with white amber (she said she knows a good source in Russia), chokers made with lightly swirled thick silver strands she named question mark chokers and earrings and bracelets.
“I like to make ‘found items' jewelry,” St. Clair said. “I have three pieces on permanent collection in the (Missouri) governor's mansion. I also make bracelets from silverware.”
She has shown at art fairs in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas.
“It's so nice to see this type of art fair close to home,” said St. Clair.
Davenport photographer Jack Wilhoit is known as “the door guy.” He has traveled the country and world, photographing interesting doors. Three sides of his booth was made with old doors as walls. He hung his photographs of doors on the doors.
“I've been to all 50 states and 46 countries,” he said. “I saw Lance Armstrong competing in the Tour de France in 1999.”
A few of his pictures were framed by the inner triangles of bicycle frames.
He displayed several photos of homes - and their doors - from Greece. One large color picture showed a narrow, clean alley with its gutters painted white, running between rows of white homes, two and three stories tall. The striking detail was the handrails on the outdoor steps leading to the upper floors of the gleaming white houses. Bright blue and brown-red handrails were the only colors in the picture besides white homes and the blue sky.
“See how clean the gutters are?” Wilhoit said. “They are swept and washed, then the gutters painted white each Saturday evening so they can be clean for God on Sunday. The blue handrails on a home signify the owner makes his living from the sea. The brown handrails tell us the owner makes his living from the earth.”
Keokuk's four artists, Swena, Wolfe, Everett and Noe, shared a booth as invited exhibitors. Their work was not considered for the awards, although it was offered for sale.
Joyce Glasscock, Pam Kelly, Carol Betts and several KCED members hosted a registration tent and offered fruit kabobs and drinks to artists and guests at the opening reception Friday.
All of the artwork - sculpture, jewelry, pottery, knives, carved birds and ducks, photographs, paintings and pen-and-ink drawings were for sale throughout the weekend.
“It was quite a success,” she said. “We will definitely do this again.”
Noe was one of the local artists showing at the fair. Her digigraphs - part photos, part print-making images - were on display Friday, Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the annual Rollin' on the River Blues Festival.
At the opening reception Friday, Keokuk artisan Erica Wolfe showed her one-of-a-kind jewelry on the observation deck of the old Keokuk-Hamilton bridge.
“It's nice to see a growth of the fine arts in Keokuk,” she said.
Two more local artists, Rebecca Everett and Ed Swena, also displayed their art on the old bridge.
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Mohr is a residency member of the Iowa Arts Council and a member of the American Watercolor Society. Beck is professor emeritus in the art department at Culver-Stockton College in Canton. Dingmen is a professor of art at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Tim Schroll of Colchester, Ill., displayed large, black and white photos of landscapes and buildings.
“My dad was a portrait photographer,” he said. “I learned to use a camera in the Navy, although that wasn't my job. I got a job in a press room after the Navy and was eventually offered use of the newspaper's dark room and all the film I wanted. So I took lots of pictures and worked in the dark room as my hobby.
“It's now my passion and love. I still use film, no digitals, and I still work in the darkroom. It's great to come to an art fair close to home.”
Jeweler Mary Beth St. Clair of Wyaconda, Mo., taught herself how to make jewelry.
“I started out stringing glass beads,” she said. “I've been making jewelry for 12 years.”
St. Clair designs and creates silver and precious stone jewelry in her home, Moonlight Studio. She displayed necklaces made with white amber (she said she knows a good source in Russia), chokers made with lightly swirled thick silver strands she named question mark chokers and earrings and bracelets.
“I like to make ‘found items' jewelry,” St. Clair said. “I have three pieces on permanent collection in the (Missouri) governor's mansion. I also make bracelets from silverware.”
She has shown at art fairs in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas.
“It's so nice to see this type of art fair close to home,” said St. Clair.
Davenport photographer Jack Wilhoit is known as “the door guy.” He has traveled the country and world, photographing interesting doors. Three sides of his booth was made with old doors as walls. He hung his photographs of doors on the doors.
“I've been to all 50 states and 46 countries,” he said. “I saw Lance Armstrong competing in the Tour de France in 1999.”
A few of his pictures were framed by the inner triangles of bicycle frames.
He displayed several photos of homes - and their doors - from Greece. One large color picture showed a narrow, clean alley with its gutters painted white, running between rows of white homes, two and three stories tall. The striking detail was the handrails on the outdoor steps leading to the upper floors of the gleaming white houses. Bright blue and brown-red handrails were the only colors in the picture besides white homes and the blue sky.
“See how clean the gutters are?” Wilhoit said. “They are swept and washed, then the gutters painted white each Saturday evening so they can be clean for God on Sunday. The blue handrails on a home signify the owner makes his living from the sea. The brown handrails tell us the owner makes his living from the earth.”
Keokuk's four artists, Swena, Wolfe, Everett and Noe, shared a booth as invited exhibitors. Their work was not considered for the awards, although it was offered for sale.
Joyce Glasscock, Pam Kelly, Carol Betts and several KCED members hosted a registration tent and offered fruit kabobs and drinks to artists and guests at the opening reception Friday.
All of the artwork - sculpture, jewelry, pottery, knives, carved birds and ducks, photographs, paintings and pen-and-ink drawings were for sale throughout the weekend.
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