“Plein Air Passion” by Jeff Klinker

Posted on | Saturday, August 29, 2015 | No Comments
































Jeff Klinker - Featured ArtistJuly 29 - September 5

 Artist Statement:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always dreamed of becoming an artist. My appreciation for beauty within nature came naturally having been born and raised on a farm. From childhood, I was continually surrounded by the subtle beauty of Indiana’s rural landscape and have often felt God’s presence within the serenity and grandness of nature. From an early age, I began to feel I was blessed with a God-given talent for the arts which continue to fuel my artistic and inward journey. 

 In 1975, my first oil painting was influenced by Steve Swagerle: my high school teacher, who was living in one of the houses on our farm. I was so inspired when I walked into his home to find every room filled with oil paintings stacked three and four deep. It was then that I knew I wanted to paint with oils.

 I began to work from photographs rendering realistic works, and for a short while I studied drawing and design at Purdue University before the duties of life called me away. I never abandoned my dreams of being an artist and I continued to develop my skills both technically and from within. It was not until I studied under the award winning artist Hilary Eddy, that my artistic journey took me on a new path of self-exploration. Instead of earth tones, which I now refer to as my “umber days”, my painting started to explode with color. I was later influenced at a T.C. Steele Historical site paint out, where I discovered the joy of painting en plein aire. I was transported with the freedom discovered by painting nature in the open landscape. That freedom of painting outdoors also began to liberate my brush—my strokes became more fluid interpretations of light and shadow. My paintings are now impressionistic and full of movement and color.

 Art is continual learning. I believe I have learned more from teaching painting than my students have learned from me. I also give credit to all of the artists with whom I have worked and shared the experience of interpreting the many beautiful landscapes of Indiana. As an artist, I look forward to painting more and learning more. I am on an artistic journey and gladly follow the path that illuminated my dreams as a young boy. Follow and keep your dreams because dreams can come true.

INSPIRING ART QUILTS BLOOM AT ATHENS ARTS GALLERY

Posted on | Tuesday, June 9, 2015 | No Comments

Crawfordsville's long-awaited Spring silently gained the strength necessary to push the rain and dull, dark days of Winter away. Not a moment too soon, I might add! A colorful profusion of scents and colors so vivid they take your breath away has come to the rescue. So too the creative adventures of Crawfordsville's Sugar Creek Quilters, percolated in hybernation during those same dark, dull days of late winter, have not so miraculously sprung forth in a myriad profusion of bold, colorful imaginings that redirect the ordinary into something quite extra-ordinary – Original Art Quilts - straight from the verdant imaginations of each Sugar Creek Quilt artist.


Creating an art quilt means using your own skills and imagination to create the pattern and style that best expresses your idea in the most unstandardable way. It means not using a pre-printed patten or kit to accomplish your goal. It means breaking the rules when necessary to follow your dream to its natural conclusion – an Art Quilt, Your Way! No cookie-cutter quilts here! 

Florence by Anita Hardwick
In the featured Artists Room and throughout Athens Arts Gallery you will be treated to the diverse and exciting expressions of Sugar Creek Quilters art. Sugar Creek Quilters artists include Isobel Arvin's BLACKOUT IN WORLD WAR II; Carol Case's, GARDEN; Sheri Clements, CHICKADEE IN STAINED GLAS and the URBAN WINDOWS of Nancy Doemel. Janet Fields created the magicalWHOOO. The ASIAN ELEGANCE of Jean Goebel quiets the soul. Long arm quilter Linda Haltom treats us to SPRINGTIME FROLICand Diane Hammill, AS SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOW OFMACULAR DEGENERATION, A HIPPO IN PARADISE? And CYCLE. SCQ founder, Anita Hardwick brings us WINTER WINDOW. Patriot Lois Jannsen, presents OLD GLORY and PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. Sara Kleihauer's prolific work includes SASSY, BUTTERFLY & PEONY,SELVAGE WINDOWS,SUNRISE ON A GRAY DAY and WINTER GERANIUMS. Nancy Jane Lyon created a self portrait with NANCY AT THE WINDOW and WHIMSY. Cindy McDonald made a FRACTURED QUILT and Marilyn Maddux went A LITTLE OVER THE TOP as did Carole Meyer in ASIAN LADIES.  FISHING AT PEBBLE BEACH by Phyllis Parker makes us want to be there.  Artist and former teacher, Jan Sieferman, shows us a GARDEN OF GLADIOLAS, WATERCOLOR CONEFLOWERSand PANEL DILEMA, and last, but certainly not least, Lois Vance gifts us withMY SUNFLOWERS.

In 1992 a fledgling group of quilters met for the first time. At 6:45 on the third Monday of each month they still meet at the Crawfordsville Public Library. Anyone interested in quilts or quilting is welcome. There is always something to learn from a speaker or a new friend to be made.

Athens Arts will host this exhibit from Wednesday, June 17 through Saturday, July 25 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday through  Saturday. An  opening artists' reception at the Gallery, 113  North Washington Street, Crawfordsville from 6 to 8 pm will be held on Friday June 19.. Come early and stay late enjoying lite appetisers and beautiful music in the relaxing atmosphere of Athens Arts! ALL ARE WELCOME!

my heART is in the garden

Posted on | Sunday, May 3, 2015 | No Comments

An Iris Glow by Kathy Houghton













Featured Artist Kathy Houghton

Opening Reception May 8th, 6-8pm


 The Vagaband from Lafayette will be playing live for her show!

 Kathy was born in Madison Wisconsin, and moved to Carmel, Indiana as a child. She married her childhood sweetheart in 1975. They lived in Indianapolis, and Carmel for many years, until their children were grown. After 6 years in Wisconsin, Kathy and her husband moved back to Indiana settling in Crawfordsville.

 Kathy had the great fortune to begin art training at Highland High School, in Highland, Indiana, which has always had an excellent art department. She owes a debt of gratitude to those instructors and mentors who were so instrumental in providing her with a solid foundation on which to develop her skills.

 Kathy is currently working in her studio full time, unless distracted by her four grandsons, or her gardens. Kathy's gardening passion provides her with unending subject matter and inspiration. The grandsons are mostly just joy and entertainment.

 While traveling locally and across the country, she is always on the lookout for motivation. As each piece is finished, she hopes that she has conveyed some of the love, appreciation, and respect that she has for nature.

Kick the Canvas Till it Bleeds Daylight

Posted on | Saturday, March 21, 2015 | No Comments



Featured Artist Angela Vinson of the LaLa Gallery is our next artist up! 
Stop in on March 28, 6-8pm for her opening reception of Kick the Canvas Till it Bleeds Daylight
…a progression through life and faith

 artist websites: www.AngelaVinson.com and www.lalagallery.com

 Artist Statement:
“Kick the Canvas Till it Bleeds Daylight”
Over the past several years I have been wearing many hats in my day to day, Artist, Teacher, Curator, Gallerist, Business Woman, and have searched for the daylight in the fog of busy. I think we all choose roles and responsibilities to tackle that cause us to be spread thin. Women in art specifically through history have had to balance their lives between being mothers, caring for the home and family, and art. When we are pulled in multiple directions things can become heavy and dark.

Singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn released an album in 1991 titled, “Kick at the Darkness.” I had never heard of the artist until a sermon at church several months ago. The pastor expressed how we have to press on through faith, go the distance, and persevere through the darkness like singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn says in one of his songs, gotta kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight. The lyric resonated in me, and I reflected on the idea for several days.

On the surface it may appear negative, but “Kick the Canvas Till it Bleeds Daylight” is about progression, perseverance, self discovery, faith, and the different canvases I work with. I make marks in clay, design and paint bags, and create paintings while thinking of my family, friends, customers, current news, and people I casually pass, like a meditation. My work has always been about a journey, the world around us, religion, being a woman, connections between people, and relationships.

Kick the Canvas is a series of work sampling what I do to shake off the darkness, and the different canvases I use to express the light.

Artist Bio:
Angela Vinson (Lala) an artist since the ol’ pushing crayons around days; works from her studio in Lafayette, Indiana creating paintings, prints, sculptures, pottery, handbags, and more.

Her work first began as an exploration with the elements and principles of design and figures began to emerge. She communicates people, community, togetherness, isolation, and journeys in her work.

Lala began her college studies as an art education major, but was soon drawn into the clay studio. After her sophomore year she committed to ceramics and received her BFA from Herron School of Art. Lala spent a year at Purdue University pursuing her MA in ceramics and decided teaching was her passion, and received her MA in secondary education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2007. In May 2008 Lala opened LaLa Gallery & Studio, and has been a full time teacher, curator, event organizer, and working artist ever since.

SPRINGTIME IN FRANCE! 2015 GALA!

Posted on | Wednesday, February 25, 2015 | No Comments







Come along with the Athens Artists Gallery to explore the wonders of the Arts in France!

We hope that you will join us as we explore France and “Do as the French do and savor every moment” at our Gala and Silent Auction Fundraiser

BE PART OF IT!
Saturday, April 25, 2015
The evening’s festivities include Silent Auction with Buy-it-Now opportunities.

 Individual Gala Tickets $50ea.

Sponsorship packages available: 
• Title Patron $2500
• Connoisseur $1000
• Curator $500
• Director $250
• Art Advocate $100

If you can not come, please consider a donation of any amount.
For tickets and donations: click here!

 Thank you to our current 2015 Gala Sponsors!

ART LEAGUE OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY - Title Patron
with Special Thanks to Arts & Crafts II & Dept K
Crawfordsville Main Street - Connoisseur
Eli Lilly - Connoisseur
John & Kathy Steele - Connoisseur
Chuck & Alice Harpel - Curator
Greg & Lora Hess - Curator
Jon & Anne Dantzig - Curator
Elizabeth Justice - Director
Les & Pat Hearson - Director
Marc & Helen Hudson - Director
Monty Thompson - Director
State Farm - Director
Wabash College - Director
Davidson Greenhouse - Director (inkind)
Elk's Lodge #483 - Director (inkind)
Smartpig Recording - Director (inkind)
Under my Umbrella Design  - Director (inkind)

Athens Arts Gallery is funded in part by:
Montgomery County Community Foundation and
IAC Indiana Arts Commission

"REcycled"

Posted on | Wednesday, October 8, 2014 | No Comments



…"an inspiring installation of newly forged Wabash student art making its debut at Athens Gallery"

The Story Behind “REcycled”


This summer, the city of Crawfordsville was awarded a grant to study and draft a complete plan for improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Research and design was done by the Indianapolis firm Remenschneider &  Associates, who worked alongside a local steering committee to gather public  input. In August, the proposed bike/ped map was adopted by the city council to  become an integral part of Crawfordsville’s comprehensive plan.

This blueprint contains both short and long range goals for making our streets safe & attractive, raising the quality of life, fostering both economic & environmental wellness. Thanks to Mayor Todd Barton, Park & Rec’s Fawn Johnson, Brandy Allen of City Planning & Scott Hesler of the Street Dept for seeing this project through.

Many in the community looked for tangible ways to celebrate this brave achievement for our town. Among these were two groups who had representatives on the bike/ped steering 
committee - Sustainable Initiatives & Wabash College. SI sponsored “Artsy Bikes” by artist, Gerburg Garmann. Four used bikes were purchased from Mr. Donald Swisher of Cville and painted by Ms. Garmann in fun, lively colors. The bikes have been featured in several local events throughout the summer.

Next, an idea was formed to extend the strategy of artistic advocacy to the Athens “Revision” Show. An invitation was extended to Wabash College art professor, Douglas Calisch.
The objective: take the concept “ReCycle” and create something using old bicycle parts. Prof Calisch applied this opportunity to an assignment for his incoming sculpture class. The result: an inspiring installation of newly forged Wabash student art making its debut at Athens Gallery.

We hope you enjoy this showcase of creativity and the whimsical way it lends its own brand of celebration for Cville’s new Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan.

Participating artists:
Corey Hoffman
Robby Cater
Pat Embree
Sean Grannan
Kolby Lopp
Dan Miller
Aren Peterson
Duc Trinh


2014 REvision Exhibit CALL FOR ENTRIES!

Posted on | Monday, August 25, 2014 | No Comments







2014 REvision Exhibit! CALL FOR ENTRIES!

REthink. REuse. REclaim. REcreate.
Rethinking our relationships with “DISPOSABLE” objects as well as encouraging the REuse of discarded or broken items.
This year – YOU are invited to submit your art for this years REvision show!
• Enter up to TWO pieces.
• AWARDS will be given out for First and Second prize!
2D and 3D art created from used, recycled, reclaimed or found objects. Exhibit runs October 10, 2014 through November 27. Opening reception October 10th, 6-8pm
All entry forms must be postmarked by September 30, 2014. (Entry forms available at Athens Arts gallery or message us and we will send you a PDF you can print out).
Art Drop off date: October 3, 10-5pm
• All art must be original, professionally made and created from approx. 80% reclaimed, recycled or found materials.
• Created in the last two years and never shown at Athens Arts before.
• Appropriate for family viewing.
• Paints and glues must be completely dry prior to drop off.
• ENTRY Fee only $25.
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 10-5pm
Phone: 765.362.7455