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Historic
Bear’s Mill
Bear’s
Mill showcases unique artists
“Art
At the Mill” will showcase the
contemporary metal sculpture of Jeff Rutledge along with colorful
contemporary
prints created by former Greenville resident Molly Mote
from Friday, June
28 through Sunday, July 21. The exhibit at historic Bear's Mill opens
with
a Friday evening artists' reception from 6
p.m. until 9 p.m.;
light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served The artists will speak
briefly
at 7 p.m., outlining their personal histories and revealing
their
motivations and goals.
“We
are so excited to be featuring these unique
and engaging artists,” said Julie Clark, retail manager and gallery
coordinator
for Bear's Mill. “Jeff's exuberant creativity is well-known throughout
the
region and beyond, and of course we've watched Molly's talents expand
and grow
as she continues through the years to produce playful and intriguing
work,”
Mrs. Clark stated.
Sculptor
Jeff Rutledge began his formal
training at Wright State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in
1975, and
earned his MFA from the University of Cincinnati. The Dayton resident
says that
he enjoys working in steel because of its plasticity and enduring
nature. “I
consider my sculptures to be three-dimensional poems – visual
meditations,” the
artist explained. His work is often abstract and whimsical, with parts
that
move and can be changed to create different forms. Mr. Rutledge states
that
many of his pieces are meant to be left outdoors where they change with
the
seasons, offering opportunity for new aesthetic discoveries as the
environment
leaves its impact upon the original artistic form.
Molly
Mote has been immersed in art throughout
her entire life; she began giving art lessons when she was only 15
years old,
and is currently an elementary art teacher in Indianapolis where she
now
resides. Molly attended the Chicago Art Institute, then moved on to
Herron
School of Art where she earned her degree in printmaking. “As
an artist, I
have grown from teaching others,” Molly says. “”Being an art teacher
influences
my art, and reciprocally my experience with my own personal work
influences my
teaching,” she concluded. Molly states that the core of her artwork
centers
around the interpretation of objects found in our everyday life and
landscape
through the use of a nostalgic palette and diverse arrangement of space.
One
of a kind hand-pulled prints by Bellbrook
resident Andrea Starkey plus wood-fired clay vessels created by Patrick
Rademaker of Louisville, Kentucky remain on display at Bear's Mill
through June 23. “Art At the Mill” has received funding from
the Ami
McClurkin Community Fund, held by the HOPE Foundation of Darke County,
and is
also supported by Darke County Endowment for the Arts. The art exhibit
is on
view during regular Mill store hours, 11
a.m. till 5
p.m. daily. Historic Bear's Mill is operated by Friends of
Bear's Mill, a
non-profit organization, and is located at 6450 Arcanum-Bear's Mill
Road about
5 miles east of Greenville. For more information, contact Bear's Mill
at 937-548-5112 or www.bearsmill.com.
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