Every artist was first an amateur.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is not what you look at, it is what you see.
― Henry David Thoreau
September’s Program: “Show & Tell”
After a short business meeting, Kitty Garlock will moderate the September program. Members are asked to bring paintings that have have completed over the summer and share them with the membership.
In addition, members are invited to bring favorite “art-related” books for members to see. These could be novels about painters/painting, informational books about painting, etc. Be sure to put your name on the outside of the books you bring. There will be time for you to look through the materials others bring so you can copy down titles of ones you may wish to purchase on your own.
This will be an in-person/Zoom meeting to be held at First Christian Church at 6 p.m., Monday, September 12. Please enter through the Washington Street door. Zoom information will be send out to the membership just prior to the meeting.
Inside BWS
“Painter of the Dunes: A Life of Frank Dudley”
Our August program featured Rachel Berenson Perry talking about her new book, Painter of the Dunes: A Life of Frank Dudley. Dudley devoted most of his artistic career to painting what is now the Indiana Dunes National Park, a passion that led to his environmental activism to save the Dunes from industrial development. In this picture Rachel interacts with Barbara Coffman and Andy Roberts.
Historic Bloomington Paint Out
On August 6th BWS sponsored at paint out at the Monroe County History Center. Jeanne Dutton reported that “in spite of the dire warnings of thunderstorms and rain, it turned out to be a lovely day to sit outside sketching, painting, and visiting. Eight artists attended and thank you to Betty Wagoner for co-hosting. Seeing the preliminary sketches and paintings, everything points to this show, “We Paint…Historic Bloomington!” being a very special one!
Thank you, also, to the Monroe County History Center for inviting us to headquarter there for the paint out. We enjoyed hearing Daniel Schlegel, director of MCHC, share some interesting stories about the Elephant Hitching Post, the new exhibit “Order Up! Restaurants of Monroe County”, and other curiosities on hand.”
West Baden Paint Out
On August 12 and 13 the Indiana Heritage Arts sponsored a paint-out at the West Baden Hotel. Indiana artists painted on the hotel grounds. On the last day, their artworks were displayed under the hotel’s dome. BWS painters at the paint out were: Katya Alexeeva, Kathy Barton,
Kitty Garlock, Andy Roberts, Henry Lack and Betty Wagoner. Several participants (Andy Roberts, Katya Alexeeva, and Betty Wagoner) sold paintings to the French Lick Resort for their shop.
Quick Reminder
Traditionally, Jo Weddle has graciously sent greeting cards to those BWS members who are experiencing ill health or the loss of a family member. If you know or hear of someone in our group who could use a little cheering up, please send a note to info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
A Historical Note
Linda Branstetter, BWS Historian, wrote to say, “As I was looking through the history binders I saw where BWS closed out their 2011 paint out schedule with a picnic lunch and painting session at Musgrave Orchard. At that time Musgrave was open and sold fresh cider, apples of all kinds, pumpkins, squash, popcorn, and caramel apples. Not sure they will be open this fall. Nonetheless, it ia a pretty drive on old SR 37. I imagine it was fun to paint the orchard decked out in all its fall colors.”
BWS Activity Calendar: Keeping Yourself in the Know
Now, information about all BWS events is easy to find in the BWS activities calendar. The calendar offers several views, a search field for quick access, and lots of attractive images. If there is a BWS sponsored event or activity that is not in the calendar, you can submit one for moderation. You can even subscribe to get notifications about new events. To see the calendar, go to https://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/bws-calendar/ or simply find it in the menu on our website at bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
Key activities for the month of September follow.
September Paint Out: T.C. Steele Historic Site
Saturday, Sept. 10: Great Outdoor Paint Out at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site. The paint-out this year is concurrent with a celebration of the birthday of T. C. Steele. There will be a birthday party with cake and lectures. Artists will enjoy painting at a beautiful site while celebrating Steele’s birthday and, of course, cake. The paint-out fee will increase to $15 which will include the celebration if paid in August. In September the fee increases by $5. To register go to https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INMUSEUM/bulletins/31f91db.
BWS Membership Show: Prospectus and Schedule
“We Paint … Historic Bloomington” is the theme of the 2022 BWS Member Show. It will hang at the Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., from Oct. 7 to Nov. 27. A second showing will take place at the Monroe County History Center in Summer 2023.
To keep the show fresh, only new work or work not previously displayed in the Bloomington area is eligible. Members may submit one framed artwork. For size restrictions and framing requirements, consult the Show Prospectus https://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/member-shows-workshops/show-rules/prospectus.
Of course, with the rich history of this county, the city limits is not — well, the limit! Quarries. One-room schoolhouses. Farms. So much to choose from.
We are fortunate to be collaborating with the Monroe County History Center, which has over 40,000 images in their files and has graciously waived fees for copies of photos requested by BWS members. To access the photos, go to https://monroehistory.org/photo-fees-and-guidelines/. Contact Hilary Fleck at collection@monroehistory.org for assistance.
Here are the important Show dates to mark in your calendar:
Sept. 15: Submit scanned or photographed artwork for the Online Gallery to Jeanne Dutton at info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org. Please send in jpg format.
Oct. 4: Deliver paintings to The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., between 10 a.m. and noon.
Oct. 7: Opening Reception for Gallery Walk 5 to 8 p.m.
Nov. 4: Second Reception for Gallery Walk 5 to 8 p.m.
Nov. 28: Pick up paintings at The Vault ay Gallery Mortgage 10 a.m. to noon.
Peden Farm Children’s Festival
Peden Farm Children’s Festival is on again this year! On Thursday and Friday, September 29 and 30, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., BWS members will conduct art activities for local school children in conjunction with the Peden Farm Children’s Festival. We’re expecting 1,250 young children to pass by our table. Volunteers are needed on both days, morning and afternoon shifts. Contact Sarah Ward by phone or email.
BWS – October’s Paint Out
Saturday, October 15, there will be a Final BWS paint-out and Potluck at Peden Farm from 10a.m. to 1 p.m. Betty Wagoner says, “We will paint and share a meal in the barn/visitor center. There is water, a restroom and electrical outlets.” Look for more information later in September.
BWS – Cancer Support Center Gallery Show
On Friday, September 9, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the Cancer Support Community Building, 1719 W 3rd Street, there will be a reception for Meri Rienhold’s exhibition, Places to Go; People to See. Meri’s show features paintings that capture her travels and the people she met along the way. Her show will be up through the months of September and October.
This gallery partnership is between BWS and the Cancer Support Community. Every two months a new artist will display a solo show of works. The public is invited to the opening reception. Works can be seen at the gallery during business hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
Paint Bloomington!!
WHAT: First Annual Bloomington Paint Out
WHEN: Saturday, October 8, 2022. RAIN OR SHINE
WHERE: Woodlawn Pavilion in Bryan Park (Next to the swimming pool).
HOSTED BY: Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. Bloomington Watercolor Society, Upland Plein Air Painters are teaming up to bring this fun event to Bloomington!
NO REGISTRATION FEE: Free No advance registration required.
Artists must check-in between 9.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Pavilion the day of the event. All artists will have canvasses or multi-media paper stamped before beginning their work. Supplies will be available for classes at the Pavilion and some supplies are available for painting on the Bryant Park grounds.
HOW: Artists will be able to paint anywhere in Bloomington. The event is open to professional and emerging artists of all ages and skill levels to create original artwork of any subject in any medium. All stamped/tagged works must be completed that day by 3 pm to be eligible for judging.
Completed works need to be brought to the Woodlawn Pavilion by 3:00 p. m. marked with the artist’s name and email address or telephone number on the back. Please do not sign artwork until after judging. Wet Oil paintings should be in a frame for safe handling. Artists are encouraged to bring their own easel for display.
AWARDS: ALL stamped works completed that day will be eligible for judging. Awards will be for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place artists in following categories: Professional artists, Emerging Artists, Teens (12-17), and Youth )7-11)
Email paintbloomington@gmail.com for additional information.
Outside BWS
More Fall Events You Won’t Want to Miss
The 98th Hoosier Salon Juried Exhibition is at the Indiana State Museum, 650 West Washington Street, and runs through October 23. Stephan Edwards and Jerome Harste have paintings in this show. Both won awards.
The Indiana Artist Club Member Show is exhibiting September 3 through September 29 at one of Indiana’s Historic Homes, 1201 Central Avenue, Indianapolis. The reception and opening is September 2 at 5:30 p.m. Awards will be made at 7:00 p.m. Jacki Frey is exhibiting a watercolor in the show.
The Watercolor Society of Indiana’s Annual Juried Exhibit is currently showing at Newfields Indinanapolis Musuem of Art through September 24. This Exhibition is free and open to the public.
The Brown County Art Gallery Foundation is gearing up for the annual Collector’s Showcase called “Snowfall”, featuring glorious snow scenes by early Brown County Artists. The exhibit opens October 1 and runs through November 13.
As part of the Showcase activities, artists are invited to participate in the second Brown County State Park Paint Out on October 28 and 29. Last years event was a first for the park and they are going to allow it again. All Indiana artists are invited to register. The Foundation will pay park admission for registered artists.
The Anderson Museum of Art’s Figures of Speech Exhibition opens with a reception on September 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. AMOA’s A Starry Night Exhibition opens September 17. The AMOA is located at 32 West 10th Street in Anderson.
Carmel on Canvas is a Plein Air event held in Carmel from September 17 to 19. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Indiana Design Center in Carmel, 200 S Angeline Road. For more information search carmelartsanddesign.com on the Internet.
The Haan Museum of Indiana Art in Lafayette invites artists to paint on its grounds and in its sculpture garden on September 14 starting at 9 a.m. The Haan Museum is located at 920 E. State Street.
The SWOPE Art Museum, between now and September 19 is accepting work for its 78th Annual Wabash Valley Show. The 78th Annual Wabash Show will run November 4 to January 8.
Member News
Sara Steffy McQueen’s Intuitive Inspirations
Sara Steffy McQueen wrote to say that she would “love to invite you to view my exhibit, of 35 acrylics entitled, Intuitive Inspirations, showing through September at the Vault on 6th Street.” The Vault is open daily. In addition, the Vault will be open Friday evening, September 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Katya Alexeeva’s The Magic of Water
Katya Alexeeva wrote to invite BWS to her first personal art exhibition entitled The Magic of Water, at the Viridian Moon Art Galley, 1600 W. Bloomfield Road. The gallery is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Rose Brenner: Not Everyone Has a Signature Wine Label!!
“Here is an article about one of my paintings winning a wine bottle label contest for Mallow Run Winery. I’ll be signing the wine bottles at this famous theatre in Franklin, Indiana on September 10, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.” Folks, this is our chance to get a signed bottle of wine to impress our friends!!
Joanne Weddle Gets Interviewed by Morgenstern’s Mitch Teplitsky
 Last month, artisan curator Jen Abrams, co-owner Sam Eads, and I (Mitch Teplitsky) dropped by the Bloomington Watercolor Society’s monthly meeting at First Christian Church to table some art books. That’s where I spotted Joanne Weddle, BWS’s Program Chair — and Jen’s former third-grade teacher! (Mitch Teplitsky) This is quite a reunion! Have you been a teacher all your life? (Joanne) I had 38 years in our school district. When I retired in 2005, I was the Director of Reading Services. How did you get involved with the Watercolor Society? I’m an art museum person. I’ve always gravitated to watercolors. When I retired, I decided to take up watercolors. There’s a warmth and softness about them I just love! Jen tells me you are a regular customer at Morgenstern’s? I can’t stay out of there — I love it! I have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I’m in that children’s section all the time! What was the last book you bought there? I bought two copies of Corduroy in the children’s section. And another little book, with cloth animals in the pages. I love that store! Do you remember the original Morgenstern’s? Yes, I remember when it was over in Eastland. I remember going there one time and seeing a picture book Scott Russell Sanders had just written, the story of the family who came down on a raft from the Ohio River. And when they came to where Louisville is now, they stopped and built their cabin. Why was that particular book so memorable, do you think? I was thrilled when I saw that book because my mother was born and raised in Bethlehem, right on the Ohio river. It’s a town this big (holds her hands a couple of inches apart), ten miles south of Madison. That’s where I’ve gone my whole life. I love that story. And we’re big fans of Scott Sanders. When I was at Morgenstern’s the other day, I saw that Scott has written another book! Yes, Small Marvels, and it’s really good. We did an author talk with him recently. I didn’t buy it, but I’m going to! Promise? I’m going to hold you to that, it’s in the newsletter! (Laugh) Well, I love teaching, and I love Indiana history. You were telling me earlier about First Book — Yes, I work with a national organization called First Book, that gets books into the homes of low-income children. We raise funds and award grants to schools and programs. We’ve been able to provide more than 80,000 books to the children in Monroe County. That’s wonderful! How can people find out more? We have a Facebook page, Team First Book – Monroe County. (Note: To access you need to log on as this site is not public.) May I ask what you’re reading right now? Well, I just got through ordering a book online. I presume from Morgenstern’s? Oh, I didn’t this time — I ordered a book from Amazon. Oh no….(feigning horror) (laugh) I know, I know … But I come to Morgenstern’s to buy books all the time! I buy a lot of books, a lot of children’s books. We know you do — and so appreciate your support! Well, Is there anything else you’d like to add? I am SO glad Morgenstern’s is here. We needed it badly! |
Cookman Curates AIDS Exhibition
Long-time BWS member Claude Cookman is lead curator of an exhibition entitled, Wild Horse Running: The Courageous Journey of Tom Fox. Comprising 60 photographs, it tells the story of Bloomington native and IU alumnus Tom Fox, a gay man who contracted AIDS in the late 1980s, when there was no adequate medical response. Fox, who worked in advertising at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, invited photojournalist Michael A. Schwarz and medical writer Steve Sternberg to document his illness and death.
“I am a PWA (Person With AIDS), diagnosed on Oct. 2, 1987,” Fox wrote to Sternberg. “I am certainly no activist, only a person living with a serious illness, trying to make the most of life. I represent a growing number of people who unfortunately are not able to share their thoughts and experiences, but if I could help one person open his mind to this problem, I would feel like I made a difference.”
An inspiring instance of the human condition, the exhibition relates how Fox faced his illness and death with humor, courage, and a love for life. A photograph of him on his death bed, surrounded by his grief-stricken parents and brothers, became an iconic image of the AIDS epidemic. Notwithstanding its impact, the more interesting photographs show Fox interacting with family and friends, clowning for laughs, playing with his dogs — typical human behaviors everyone can identify with.
The exhibition, jointly sponsored by IU’s Kinsey Institute and the IU Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities, hangs in the Grand Hall of Maxwell Hall on the IU Bloomington campus through September 23. A reception and program, scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on September 23, will feature Schwarz and Sternberg telling how their interaction with Fox affected their own lives. Cookman will moderate the program. He also wrote an essay for the exhibition catalog. Free copies will be available.
More at this URL:
https://news.iu.edu/stories/2022/08/iub/02-kinsey-tom-fox-exhibit-hiv-aids-awareness.html
A Kaposi sarcoma lesion is evident on Tom Fox’s bicep as he undergoes a medical examination. Photograph by Michael A. Schwarz.
Susan Savastuk Wins Ribbons & Has a Show
Susan’s show at the Engraving and Stamp Center, 218 North Madison Street (in between Boom-a Rang Salon and Hopscotch Coffee, will be part of the September First Friday Gallery Walk. The opening reception of her show is Friday, September 2, 2022 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In other news, Susan is happy to report that her paintings received 1st and 2nd Place Awards at the Lawrence County Art Association Mid-Summer Show.
Susan participated in the recent Bloomington Garden Walk at the home of Jan and Jack Bulla Baker.
Phyllis Taylor Continues to Shine
Phyllis Taylor (one of our off-site members) won first place with her portrait, entitled Sleepy, in the Watercolor Division of the Trails End Art Association (TEAA) 71st Annual Judged Show held in Gearhart, Oregon on August 2022. TEAA was thrilled with the array of talent displayed by the 54 artists accepted this year. The show was judged by Marilyn and Joe Clayton of Bronze Coast Gallery, Cannon Beach, OR.
Andy Roberts Shares His West Baden Paintings
BWS September Calendar
Now to Sept. 17 Katya Alexeeva Exhibition, Viridian Moon Gallery, Bloomington
Now to Sept. 19 SWOPE Art Museum is accepting work for its 78th Annual Wabash Show, Terra Haute
Now to Sept. 23 Wild Horse Running: The Courage of Tom Fox Exhibition, Maxwell Hall, IU Campus
Now to Sept. 24 WSI Annual Juried Show, Indiana Museum of Art at Newfields
Now to Oct. 23 98th Hoosier Salon Exhibition, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis
Sept. 2 Susan Savastuk Exhibition at Engraving and Stamps, 218 North Madison Street, Bloomington
Sept. 2 Sara Steffy McQueen Exhibition at the Vault Gallery, Bloomington.
Sept. 2 Meri Reinhart Exhibition at Cancer Support Center, 1719 West 3rd, Bloomington
Sept. 3 Indiana Artist Club Exhibition, 1205 Central Avenue, Indianapolis
Sept 8 Paint Bloomington, Bryan Park, Bloomington
Sept. 8 AMOA’s Figure of Speech Exhibition, Anderson
Sept. 9 Reception for Meri Reinhart at Cancer Support Center, Bloomington
Sept. 10 Rose Brenner Opening Reception at Mellow Run Winery, Franklin
Sept. 10 Great Outdoor Paintout at the T.C. Steele Historic Site
Sept. 12 BWS October Meeting, Show & Tell, 6 p.m. at First Christian Church, Bloomington
Sept. 14 Haan Museum of Indiana Art Paint Out, Lafayette
Sept. 15 Submit scanned or photographed artwork for the BWS Membership Show Online Gallery to Jeanne Dutton at info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org. Please send in jpg format
Sept. 17 AMOA opening of A Starry Night Exhibit, Anderson
Sept. 17-19 Carmel on Canvas, Indiana Design Center, Carmel
Oct. 4 Deliver BWS Membership Show paintings to The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., between 10 a.m. and noon
Oct. 7 BWS Membership Show Opening Reception during Gallery Walk, 5 to 8 p.m
Nov. 4 Second BWS Membership Show Reception during Gallery Walk, 5 to 8 p.m.
Nov. 28 Pick up BWS Membership Show paintings at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 10 a.m. to noon
