‘May’ arrives at Lakeland

College’s gallery puts on its annual spring endeavor

Summer is knocking on the door. Don’t let it slip away while you ponder what to do. Outdoor festivals are back, and opportunities to create and show off your work continue to grow.

Get your calendar out and start making plans. Art by the Falls returns to a live show on June 11 and 12 in Chagrin Falls.

Explore the trails of Lake Metroparks’ Penitentiary Glen Nature Center, 8668 Kirtland Chardon

Road, Kirtland, when you drop off your entry for the

35th annual Amateur Photography Contest. Entries will be accepted through May 30.

Visit lakemetroparks.com to download an entry application, call 440-256-1404 or stop in to explore the nature and wildlife center.

New shows are everywhere, so let’s get right to it today.

Gallery at Lakeland

The 12th annual “May Show at Lakeland Juried Art Exhibition” was set to open with an artist and awards reception on May 19 in The Gallery at Lakeland, 7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirtland.

Juror Janet Bloch of Indiana is an award-winning artist, educator and now an author. With more than 20 years of experience helping artists achieve their goals, she published a workbook, “Strategic Marketing Tools for Visual Artists,” offering sound advice to artists looking to expand art as their profession.

“I specifically chose an out-of-state juror, someone not familiar with our art scene,” Gallery at Lakeland Coordinator Mary

Urbas said. “She chose artworks with a more objective approach and with a fresh perspective, from a different lens, which helped to create a collection of the best art from the talented artists from our region.”

There were 455 entries submitted digitally, and from that, 148 pieces were accepted into Round 2. This final round of judging was done from the actual artworks. Bloch then selected 89 artworks by 60 artists to be installed in The Gallery at Lakeland.

Urbas said that at least half of the artists submitting work were new to her.

“So the word is getting out there,” Urbas said. “It’s fun to see and discover these new artists and their art. It wasn’t all the usual suspects applying, being accepted and winning awards.

Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby will host the “May Show Extended View,” with the balance of artworks making it to the final judging. The exhibition opens June 10.

With this year’s $4,500 in cash prizes, The Gallery at Lakeland has awarded more than $50,000 in prizes since the show started in 2010.

For information, contact Urbas at 440-525-7029.

Stella’s Art Gallery

A new show, “The Sacred,”

opened at Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave., with an awards ceremony on May 13. The show features artworks that reflect spirituality, mindfulness and healing in 2D, 3D and photography.

Gallery owner Dani Klein said they had a “great response from the artists. It’s a topic not usually approached in our area, so I didn’t know what to expect. I’m glad we took the chance, and we will do it again.”

Congratulations to Best of Show winner Tracy Parsons for her painting “Heaven’s Gate.”

Cathee Thomas Gallery Glances