Blossoming Beauties on this year's Garden Tour

Beautiful blooms, cooperative weather, a delicious luncheon, a flower-themed art exhibit and a fairy gardening demonstration made the LAC's 2013 Garden Tour a perfect day for an inspirational, satiating, peaceful and educational outing. 

If you missed this year's tour, there's always next year, but enjoy a photo tour here of some of the highlights of the homes I visited.  Thanks to all the volunteers that made this possible!

 

In the News: New Art, New Members

Stopping in the Lakewood Arts Council Gallery to look around, you may notice a change – walls in the co-op gallery are now hung with art grouped by artist rather than mixed as before. This not only creates more of an impact when viewing the artists’ work, but makes it easy to point out the artists’ pieces when a customer inquires. 

  Katy Haas, Gallery Co-Manager and Exhibits Chair, has been doing such a great job with organizing co-op, loft and LAC Members’ Gallery exhibits.  And she has brought in a few new co-op members to fill vacated spots.

The creativity of Gail Kleiner, Paul Gesso, Terry Schulz, Mike and Shirley Coen, and Carla Stoltzfus will now be gracing the co-op gallery’s walls and display areas.  I asked each new member to answer a few questions so we could all get to know them a little better.

                   Some of Paul Gesso's artwork

Paul Gesso enjoys painting horses – this fascination developed during school field trips to the Cleveland Museum of Art.  He would take an art pad and pencils to draw the displays of standing horses and mounted knights.  His “Pony Express” is a good example of his preferred subject and his favorite medium, watercolor and ink.

                          "Pony Express" by Paul Gesso

As a team, Mike and Shirley Coen’s preferred medium is stone and metal, which they incorporate into their jewelry.  They both studied art in college and are now ready to follow their dreams, and would like to explore working with metal – from metal casting to metal clay.

Gail Kleiner moved to Colorado in 2007 after a long and successful Federal Government career in Washington DC.  She returned to her earlier interest in art and began studying watercolor with various teachers in the community, improving her skills and learning new techniques.

                        Some of Gail Kleiner's artwork

Growing up on the shores of Lake Superior inspired Carla Stoltzfus to capture the surrounding beauty on paper – and watercolor is now her passion.  Over the years her work has become more refined and she has found the critiques at the LAC Gallery have helped her grow as an artist.

                        Above artwork by Carla Stoltzfus

All the new members that answered my survey agree that the spirit of community and support of different expressions of art at the LAC Gallery, the nurturing spirit for new ideas, the wonderful people and opportunity to contribute and learn from others were all reasons to join the LAC Co-op.  More exposure for their art, especially with the 3 separate show areas that change out periodically were also big draws for these exhibiting artists.

                       Photography by Terry Schulz

he LAC Members’ Gallery downstairs will be displaying a “Flower” themed show from June 29 through August 9 to complement the LAC sponsored Garden Tour, while upstairs continues with the LAC Invitational show through July 12, with incoming Aurora Artist Guild works from July 15 through August 9.  Stop in and see what’s new!

LAC Invitational 25th Anniversary Exhibit

To celebrate the Lakewood Art Council's 25th year in existence, all current and past members and guests were invited to an opening reception for the LAC Invitational Exhibit last night at the LAC Gallery.  The turnout was great, with the crowd enjoying tasty treats, the juried exhibit and a selection of Kathy Berls' paintings in the loft gallery, students' artwork in the downstairs classroom area, and new artwork on the walls in the Co-op gallery.  As happy visitors departed for the evening, the Community Center and Gallery was left with many red dots on the walls (i.e. lots of sales!) and lots of empty dessert dishes!

 Gallery visitors enjoying the student artwork in the LAC Members' Gallery

                     Channel 8 came out to film the  exhibit.

                      Charlie and the girls having fun.

                   My husband, Bill and his parents.

                     Happy award winners.

                    Marcie and Andy enjoying the show.

               A few of Kathy Berls' oils.

                  Artwork in the students' show.

                 More students' art.

                   Cindy, Tracy and Lynnette looking mahhvelous!

             Third Place award winner "Boiler Worker" by Clive Lamprell

           First Place award winner "Evergreen" by Katy Haas

Second Place award winner "Life on the Farm" by Carol Schutz
And congratulations to Merit Award Winners Lynnette Kupferer, Andrew Dubois, Linda Harris and me, Gail Firmin!