Ursuline College Florence O'Donnell Wasmer Gallery Fairmount Center for the Arts.
Ivy’s Monthly Digest: June 20
I thought it might be interesting to write about how the artwork in presented in shows after visiting both The Summer Mash up Show at the Wasmer Gallery and the 43rd Annual Fairmount Center Art Exhibition in the same day.
Overall both shows are nicely presented in each venue they reside in. Wasmer Gallery is inside of a college campus which makes it a bit tricky to find, especially if you visit while other events are going on and your original entrance has been rerouted. Fairmount on the other hand is a small venue just off the side of the road and across from a cemetery. It has a very small parking lot which makes wonder if they ever have issues if they have a large turn out for events. Wasmer has more than enough parking to accommodate any size crowd on the other hand.
Both had a grand array of works from multiple disciples. Wasmer Gallery featured paintings, dolls and rock sculptures, including one by the talented Rick Rollenhangen pictured here. Fairmount had a similar array of artwork but heavy in the 2D works. Although they did have a very awesome tattooed bust that caught my eye. The Wasmer Gallery is about the size of the downstairs of Fairmount. For the exhibit, Fairmount turned it three upper dance studios into additionally gallery space. Which is not a bad idea, I just wished they had turned off the tube lights for the show.
The curvaceous forms were complemented by a rotating sculpture in Wasmer Gallery, a scarf and dress hanging from the ceiling and a large canvas in the shape of a face on the furthest wall. The art that curator Anna Arnold picked for the Summer Mash Up Show really seemed to jump off the traditional canvas.
Fairmounts show seemed to focus on the big names in the local art scene, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Local muralist John Troxell took the Best in Show for the second year in a row for his painting “View Of Cleveland From Cleveland Heights.” I took a photo of one of his other paintings, I think it resonates in me more than the other two. The calm blue figures against the light of the cities buildings. The composition, colors and overall feeling in the painting is just right.
I did see a few more abstract styles of work at Fairmount. There was a rather nice acrylic pour piece hanging in the hall just as you reached the top of the stairs. I have personally tried acrylic pour and it did not come out very well so I have a new found respect for those that can make it work.
Overall I think Fairmount had more work across all of it’s rooms, but features like the rope lights in the floor, the stripped paneling as seen behind the painting by John Troxell as well as some fabric behind some of the works downstairs on the left-hand side of the room although that bothered me the least. Waster gallery had a very open and welcoming feel to it.
The Florence O'Donnell Wasmer Gallery will be taking down the Summer Mash Up on July first and begin installing its next show, detail listed below.
Opening Reception: The Healing Imagination VIII
Friday, July 12, 2019 at 5 PM – 8 PM
https://www.ursuline.edu/wasmer-gallery
https://www.fairmountcenter.org/art.php
arthouseinc.org