Future Exhibitions
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September 5 – October 31, 2019
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Artist Biography
Putting his college art experience and degree to good use, wherever feasible, is what local artist Greg Dickinson is all about! A local visual artist, muralist and sign painter, Dickinson, a Clinton, Iowa resident, is a native of rural Sabula, Iowa, also known as “Iowa’s Only Island City”, a Mississippi River town of nearly 600 people, 60 miles north of the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island and East Moline, Illinois). Born on February 17, 1960, in Savanna, IL, he has been involved with producing various kinds of artwork in Sabula, Clinton, and the Quad Cities, ranging from designing and painting murals in Clinton, to exhibiting his hangable paintings in shows in Sabula, Clinton, the Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Dickinson enjoys depicting popular images in his paintings, ranging from local and national television news anchors, like Paula Sands and Tom Brokaw, to NABISCO cookies, like Oreo. Dickinson had his first big break in art when he was awarded a second-place award in a statewide drug abuse prevention poster contest as a junior at East CentralHigh School in Miles, Iowa. In November 1976, he was presented with a plaque from, the late Governor Robert D. Ray.
After graduating from high school in May 1978, Dickinson enrolled in Mount Saint Clare College (Ashford University) in Clinton, where he served as Yearbook Artist during his two years there, graduating in 1981, with an AA degree in Liberal Arts. He then transferred to Mount Mercy College (University) in Cedar Rapids, graduating from there in 1983, with a BA degree in Art. He got his first shot at mural work at Mount Mercy when he was asked to create a small mural in “The Tool Box”, the equipment room in the Student Union. During his senior year there, he was commissioned to design and paint a larger mural in the hallway leading to the bookstore.
After college, Dickinson got his first taste of exhibiting his works at Mount Saint Clare in February of 1984, displaying his works in the college’s main building first floor. In the summer of that year, he got his first Quad City art exposure at the Rock Island Summer Festival’s Arts and Crafts Fair. Here, Dickinson got his first television coverage on the 6 p.m. News on WHBF TV-4. Dickinson has had much success displaying his works throughout the region since, including a solo show at the downtown Rock Island Public
Library’s art gallery in the spring of 2016, part of a two-man show with David Balluff in the Quad-City Arts Center Gallery in Rock Island in the spring of 2018. Dickinson also had some of his cookie paintings exhibited in a group show in NABISCO’s world headquarters art gallery in East Hanover, New Jersey, from June through September, 1997.
Dickinson has designed and painted murals through-out Clinton, including a “Welcome to Lyons Shopping District” (1993) and “Welcome to Rastrelli’s Restaurant” (1996) in North Clinton. He also designed and painted a boulder on the west edge of Clinton, in 1990, featuring Clinton’s official city flower, marigolds, and daisies, representing happiness and optimism. During Sabula’s Sesquicentennial, in 1985, he helped design and paint the “Sabula Sesquicentennial Viaduct Mural”, depicting life along the Mississippi River and Sabula, itself. Dickinson’s artworks are represented in the Quad-City Arts Sales Gallery in Rock Island and The River Arts Center’s Gift Shop in Clinton. His works are also present in the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce office and the studios of WQAD-News 8, in Moline.
Artist Statement
The inspiration for Dickinson’s work is the late Andy Warhol, the pop artist who used such common images, like Campbell’s Soup cans, and celebrity portraits, like Marilyn Monroe. During his leisure time, Dickinson enjoys the art of the animated film and takes interest in attending art exhibits and going to movies. His other interests include watching local television newscasts as well as bowling, fishing, roller skating, eating out and walking on Clinton’s recreation trail. He served for many years as the downtown Clinton Weather Watcher for WQAD News 8. In short, Greg Dickinson has been very fortunate to keep his art education and degree frequently put to good use.
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September 5 – October 31, 2019
Artist Reception | September 8 | 2-4pm
Biography
Larry J. Davis, a native Iowan, grew up in Clinton, Iowa along the Mississippi River. After attaining a BA in Fine Art at the University of Iowa he completed a four-year tour with the USAF in England before returning to the Midwest to begin his professional arts career. In 1986 Davis moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he took a position at what is now Florida State College at Jacksonville, serving as both a full-time Professor of Art and for many years as art department coordinator. During this time he finished Masters Degree studies at Jacksonville University while also pursuing an active artistic output and exhibition schedule. His 2010 retirement from academia saw a long-awaited return to full-time studio activity. The 2012 relocation of Davis Studio to Knoxville, IL was an opportunity to reunite with the Midwest culture and landscape that has long been inspiring to the artist.
Artist Statement
My undergraduate art experience in the 1960s at the University of Iowa, as well as later graduate study there, left me with an appreciation for both realistic and abstracted art. While I still use both approaches, the bulk of my current production is in oil/cold wax and is in an abstracted manner. Many of my abstracted landscape paintings and drawings feature high horizons that allude to distant prairie or coastal vistas, while still allowing pictorial space to explore the intervening colors, shapes and textures of the ground plane downward to the viewer’s feet. Later oil paintings trend toward a more complex surface through the inclusion of cold wax techniques. 50 years of figure drawing also exerts a strong influence on the organic motifs in many of my works.
This selection of my recent paintings is comprised of a combination of both Impressionistic and Abstract Expressionist interpretations of landscape, still life and figurative subjects. In the last few years I’ve concentrated on using oil paints, along with cold wax, to achieve complex color and textural results, primarily on cradled panels. Some of the works also combine charcoal and oil sticks to enhance the importance of drawing as the fundamental tool in the finished work.
Having grown up in Clinton, IA it goes unsaid that I have a reverence for the inspiring landscape, flora and fauna of Jackson, Clinton and Dubuque Counties. I hope this shows up in some of the newest works created for this exhibition.
- December 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020
Artist StatementPam’s tremendous love of nature and the beauty and wonder of the world around her was fostered at a very young age. Coming from a very artistic family, Pam was surrounded by art and craft supplies lending themselves to constant creativity. Raised in the town of Aurora, Illinois. Pam and her husband Steve moved to Cora, Wyoming in 2005.Pamela began oil painting officially when taking a class with her then 8-year-old daughter, Stephanee. It was a mom and child “make and take it class” at the local college. The first oil painting was of a wolf lying in the snow. The painting brought out such exuberance and joy in finding a talent she didn’t know she had. Pam studied under this same local artist for many years.
Pam then went on to use not only oils but other mediums such as acrylics and alcohol inks. Once a very realist and structured oil painter Pam has found such joy and freedom in abstract alcohol ink painting. Her paintings burst with contrasting and harmonious bold colors bringing life to her compositions. Pam’s distinctive personal but style emanates joy, peace and expresses her vibrant spirit.
Pam’s tiles are not only wall or table art, but she also paints useful items such as coasters, trivets, and cups. She believes you can create anything once you see it in your mind.
Pam’s work is displayed and for sale at The Gnome Colony in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, here at the library, from her personally or on her website www.soulfulpaintbrush.com
Contact information:
Pam Fetzner
Phone 307-367-3574
pamela@soulfulpaintbrush.com
www.soulfulpaintbrush.com
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December 1, 2019 – January 30, 2020
More to Follow
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December 1 – January 30, 2020
More information at a later date
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November 1 – November 26th, 2020
More to follow
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“Poetic Vision” | June 4 – July 30, 2020
BIOGRAPHY
Lee Kimball’s art is a visual commentary on the land and the continuing cycles of life, particularly of his native Henry County and the surrounding Midwest in general. Following his graduation from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Mr. Kimball spent twenty-five years working in the graphic design and illustration field. Twenty of those years he spent directing his own design/illustration studio. During this time he also pursued his own artistic goals as a watercolorist.
In 1994, Mr. Kimball began working in pastels, a medium that he found to provide an exciting avenue for his artistic goals. In 1995, he made the decision to leave the design/illustration field to pursue a career in fine art on a full time basis. His work in pastels has been exhibited widely and has been the recipient of many awards including: the 1995 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Giffuni Award for Exceptional Merit, the 1996 Beatrice Vare Award, and the 2000 Joseph V. Giffuni Memorial Award from the Pastel Society of America. In addition, he has been awarded the 1996 Savoir Faire-Senillier Award, the 1996 Annual Membership Show Best of Show Award, and the 2000 Duane Wakeham Award by the Pastel Society of the West Coast.
Mr. Kimball is a signature member and Master Pastellist, Pastel Society of America as well as a Signature member and Distinguished Pastellist, Pastel Society of the West Coast. He has served on the Jury of Awards for the Pastel Society of America in New York City. Mr. Kimball and his work were featured in the Nov./Dec. 2000 issue of The Pastel Journal,and the June 2012 issue of The Pastel Journal. In 2012, he received an honorable mention in The Pastel 100 Competition, landscape category, sponsored by The Pastel Journal. His work is also included in the book, “Finding Your Style In Pastel” by Jean Hirons (2012).
Web Site: www.leekimballart.com
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
“There are enough ugly things in life for us not to add more.” Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1910
“The goal of life is rapture. Art is the way we experience it.” Joseph Campbell, 1984
There seems nothing so difficult, and at times, so seemingly unnecessary as for an artist to draft an “Artist’s Statement”-to have to explain one’s work. There is, after all, no right way or wrong way to make art. You create art based on your own experiences. The observer responds to it-positive, negative or indifferent. That’s it. The question is not whether it is good or bad art, but rather, what is art? The answer, I think, says more about the observer than the art.
For lack of a better term, I consider myself to be a contemporary “realist” painter. It is my language. My pastel paintings bring together more than twenty-five years of experience as a graphic designer, illustrator, and watercolorist and a lifetime appreciation of the rural landscape. They exist as visual commentaries on the land and the continuing cycles of life in the Midwest that have transformed this landscape into what it is today. Though much of my work is devoid of human form, the elements that I portray are evocative of man’s influence upon the land-the farmsteads, the fields, the roads-all of which have their stories to tell, of generations come and gone. Many of the older buildings hold a particular appeal in that they appear not so much to have been built on the land but more that they seem to have grown from the land.
Though I have been influenced by a wide variety of artists, I feel no compulsion to adhere to a set “style”. Rather, I will use an approach that suits the subject and its mood. Within the framework of my art, light, form and color play an integral part. They provide the essential elements of the landscape-the shape of a shadow on a barn wall, the color of corn in tassel, the brilliance of sumac in the Fall, the reflection on water. This is what I ask you to experience.
My art does not contain any conscious social or psychological message. Others dwell more than enough on the meaning of life…the ills and shortcomings of the contemporary world. I paint simply what I find to be beautiful. The debate, the commentary, I will leave to others. It is my objective to make a painting that is sensitive and beautiful…a painting that needs no exclamation, no explanation, that can make people realize that “the big picture” is made up of small, simple things that we need to be able to enjoy-just because they are beautiful.
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August 5 – September 30, 2020
“A Little This, A Little That”
Artist’s Statement
Since my earliest memories I have always enjoyed drawing and coloring. Give me a piece of paper and a Crayola and I was set for the day. I enjoy a wide spectrum of subject matter from landscapes to still life with a smattering of portraits thrown in.Many of my landscapes are Iowa scenes, but many are from places I have visited and love.
With still lifes, I am fascinated with reflections. My son gave me a silver penguin candle stick holder which I found could gently reflect the apples and oranges in my painting. Likewise, the cut glass bowls play havoc with reflecting the fruit colors contained within the bowl.
One of my favorite subjects is marbles. I have sol many from this and fulfilled commissions when customers wanted specific colors. Or color combination. Cat’s eye marbles are my favorite, they sparkle and pair well with other more exotic marbles like the clay Italian Marbles and the hand-blown Art Marbles. I strive to art work that pops out at the viewer. I want the viewer to feel they can just reach into the painting and pull out a marble.
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November 2 – December 29, 2020
Artist Bio
Fritz Hoppe’s art career began in the mid 1990’s during early childhood. As the son of full-time artists, he had been exposed to the sculpting process at a very young age. This allowed Fritz to develop his talents into skills while learning techniques and processes necessary for creating high quality pieces. Spending time in the studio taught Fritz the engineering aspects of sculpting, such as using accurate measurements, scaling, and building structurally sound armatures. This knowledge gives Fritz an edge in sculpting because applying skills to the processes allows him to produce any project, no matter how complex or large it may be. Now he has developed some of his own creative techniques in the process of creating bronze sculptures.
In 2012, at age 18, Fritz produced his first bronze piece, the quarter size Rocky Mountain Elk. Although he had previously sculpted many small pieces in clay, Rocky Mountain Elk was the first of his works cast in bronze. Later that year, he went on to produce Bison Hunter, having it cast in bronze at age 19. Then in 2013, he had produced two more sculptures, including Primitive Man (a contemporary work) and his best selling piece, Plains Hunter (a realistic work). Pieces from each of these additions have found their way into people’s homes.
Fritz was invited by the Columbus Arts Council to display all four sculptures in their monthly exhibition in the fall of 2015. A reception was held on October 17th, 2015. He and his high school art teacher, Nancy Shadle, brought the largest crowd to ever attend a monthly Columbus Art’s Council reception with their art works.
In 2016, Hoppe received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Having taken elective classes in the art history department has allowed him to further his knowledge and understanding of art. Putting together the creative and historical aspects of the industry, along with the business side of things, has added even more opportunity to Hoppe’s art career. He plans to continue producing more works while experimenting with the creative process.Artist Statement
Putting thought, words, and emotion into a work of art has been my greatest strength. I was very fortunate to be born with an art talent from a long bloodline of gifted artists, from my mother’s and father’s families. I have been even more fortunate as to have instructors who have taught me how to act upon this talent by building skills in drawing, sculpting, and painting. They have assisted me in developing a strength in art making, something I will forever be grateful for. Studying art from the Renaissance to the Western art of America has given me additional skill and knowledge in the field. Putting everything together, old and new, has led to a well-rounded ability to create in different style and mediums.
Constructing the perfect piece is not just about size, space, or color; it involves bringing a vision into reality. Proportions, values, and anatomy may be accurate, but if the result is not what I envisioned, the piece will lack the life I wanted to give it. My best works have been the result of an idea developed within seconds of an inspiration. I may add to a piece or slightly alter it, but changing it altogether never seems to work well, regardless of the medium. In my opinion, my best work to this day, the Plains Hunter, was an impulsive idea. It occurred unexpectedly, at a time when I was not necessarily looking for any creative inspiration.
Envisioning the Plains Hunter was not the result of tediously sifting through sketches or brainstorming ideas, but rather a spontaneous inspiration I experienced while walking through a dark museum. The dim lights revealed a massive mural painted on the wall. It was a sunset scene depicting the silhouette of a Native American man, standing in contrapposto gazing out at the land. Flocks of geese covered a sunset sky as his shadowed figure stood beneath them. His familiar landscape was a riverside marsh, like the one near my home in Nebraska. I immediately saw an opportunity in emulating this man’s silhouette. What was only a shape was sculpted into a physical form. My high school art instructor, Nancy Shadle, stopped by after completion of this piece. She peered into the hunter’s eyes, and gave me a nice compliment by saying, “You captured his soul.”
Passion for history, culture, and nature is what drives my artwork. Hiking across a North American Landscape allows one to imagine who else might have crossed it. The people and animals of an older time may be gone, but their presence and culture lives in the land and in our history. Awareness is the key to preserving what the earth and its inhabitants provide. It is crucial that mankind learn from the past in order to give hope for the future.
Combining my knowledge of history with inspiration from the countryside allows me to develop a connection between myself and that artwork I create. Michelangelo, Russell, and Remington are among the many great storytelling artists one can learn from. Analyzing works of the old masters, the western artists of America, or even a modern sculptor near my home reveals there is an important story to be told, in which words alone cannot describe.
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February 6 – April 2, 2020
Biography
David Zahn lives and works in Moline, Illinois. Originally from the Chicago area, he has been creating art work for many years. David creates imaginative sculptures, and is known for his bronze and ceramic pieces. His figure based art works are interesting to look at containing some sort of mystery in them. Movement is another important aspect of David’s art. He likes to create intriguing juxtapositions of static and flowing forms in his imagery. Works by David Zahn can be found in public, private, and corporate collections. There are many pieces of his art on permanent public display both indoors, and out doors, in Iowa, Illinois and other locations.
Artist Statement
As an artist who has been creating works for many years, there are some aspects of my pieces that are apparent. The human form has always been a major element in my work. Integrating images of people and blending them with abstract forms has been a long lasting direction in my art. I strive to create a feeling of timelessness and a strong emotional element in each piece. I make finished works in bronze, ceramic, and other materials as needed. I love to do commissions for individuals, or organizations. Creating a realistic portrait, or a one of a kind art work for a specific purpose is always an exciting endeavor for me.
I also like to have a bit of mystery in my art, so don’t be surprised if you can’t figure out exactly what is going on. My work is imaginative, thought provoking, and surrealistic at times, so the viewer has to make some of their own conclusions.