The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Following ‘The Color Trail’
Lake Metroparks Spring Art Show boasts the work of Kirtland’s Angela Schaal
Here we are getting ready to welcome the return of spring and adjusting to daylight savings time .. again.
The cycle continues, but where are you? Caught in a snowball rolling down the hill? Or are you the one who started the ball rolling? Think about it and where you would like to be. Sometimes you just must seize the day and make it happen.
Personally, I was lost in the snowball rolling down the hill, lamenting about how I wished I had a place to paint without leaving home for a class. This winter I decided to do something about it. My home is small, which I like as retirement nears, but space is precious.
There was a bedroom serving as nothing more than a storage area, so packed we couldn’t find anything anyway. I am pleased to announce my new studio is now 90 percent complete, by doing nothing more than editing the contents and adding a table. The Salvation Army is happy, Goodwill is happy and I am happy. Plus, I discovered a cache of canvases, paints, brushes and so much more!
The moral here is to stop making excuses and start making things happen. Find a niche and make it yours. Art is therapeutic; it feeds the soul. Creating it releases pentup emotions. If you like it, share it. If you don’t, put it away for another day.
Write, sew, knit, sketch, paint — just do something with your time that does not require technology. Make time for you. Read and listen to music. Allow yourself the freedom to stop and just be for a while. Every moment does not need to be filled. And we need to teach our children this as well. Open space in a sculpture is as important as the space that is filled. They complement each other. But I’m still going to take classes. The people are fun, and there is always more to learn.
Visit the art shows to be inspired.
Lake Metroparks
Lake Metroparks’ 2023 Spring Art Show, “The Color Trail (die Farbspur),” features work by Kirtland artist Angela Schaal. It opens with a meet-the-artist reception from noon to 4 p.m. March 18 and runs through May 14 at Penitentiary Glen Nature Center, 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland.
Schaal was born and raised in Dresden, Germany, and has taught German, math and art for more than 20 years. She moved to the United States in 2014 and continues to teach.
Her nature-inspired paintings in watercolor, oil and collage comprise the show.
“This will be the first bilingual show presented by
Lake Metroparks,” notes Wendy Pittenger, Lake Metroparks exhibit naturalist and art show coordinator. “All featured stories about her work and her art labels will be in both English and German.”
Pack your sketchbook and binoculars to enjoy more than eight miles of hiking trails through woodlands, fields and wetlands at Penitentiary Glen. This is an oasis for discovery. There are close-up opportunities to see wildlife at the nature center’s feeders plus family-friendly hands-on exhibits.
For more information, visit goto.lakemetroparks. com/springartshow or call 440-256-1404, ext. 2123.
Rabbit Run
Entries are now open for the 31st annual “Juried Art Show” sponsored by Madison-based Rabbit Run Community Arts Association and the Madison Public Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road, where the artwork will be displayed April 5 through May 3.
High school and adult artists in Northeast Ohio are invited to enter up to three works in any media. Applications are available at the library; RRCAA, 49 Park St.; and rabbitrun. org. Artwork must be delivered to the library during regular hours between March 27 and April 3.
There will be an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on April 12 at the library. Cash prizes for best of show and first place in painting, drawing, photography and small threedimensional art will be awarded.
For more information, call the library at 440-4282189.
Stella’s Art Gallery
Through April 3, Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave., Willoughby, is presenting “In Honor of Women,” featuring women who influenced the lives of the artists.
It was a challenging honor for me to jury the show. I really must thank all the artists who entered, making my task far from easy. What an impressive variety of wellhandled media and talent. Honestly, half the gallery was worthy of awards. It’s quite a show.
Best of Show goes to Taylor Clapp. The rest of the winners: Toni Fiderio, first place; Keilah Yisrael, second place; Toni Fiderio, third place; and honorable mention, Taylor Clapp. Well done, everyone. Be sure to check out the new show in the Annex Gallery, “No Spoken Words,” by Monica Disiena. It’s a very striking use of the room — an excellent presentation. The show includes several large paintings and a collection of works inspired by words.
Disiena wrote, “I love books, lettering, words and fonts, upcycling, reusing, and creating. After finding a patinaed dictionary, I read the two words on the top of the pages and let images come to me.”
The April show, “Roots,” asks artists to translate
their heritage or family traditions into art in the medium of his, her or their choice. Artwork will be accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 5, 6 and 7 and from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on April 8.
For information visit StellasArtGallery.com or call 440-266-9111.
Ashtabula Arts Center
The “2023 Women’s Show” is open through March 30 at Ashtabula Arts Center, 2928 W. 13th St.
Lakeside High School Art Club is holding a fundraiser, Empty Bowls Ashtabula, for the Feed our Vets program. Potters are asked to donate 10to 12-ounce bowls using food-safe glazes at AAC by April 12. The bowls will be sold at the upcoming fundraiser for $25 with all proceeds going to Feed Our Vets. The students’ hope is to sell 230 bowls.
For more information, call 440-964-3396 or email info@ashtabulaartacenter.org.