Prints and pottery on display at Bear's Mill

During the month of June, “Art at the Mill” will feature inviting clay vessels produced by Xenia artist Geno Luketic paired with Kathryn Pitstick's nature prints. The exhibit at historic Bear's Mill opens on Friday, May 30 with a reception featuring hors d'oeuvres and drinks from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m.; the artists will speak briefly about their creations, methods, and inspiration at 7 p.m. “Kathryn uses many different methods to produce her beautiful prints which inspire a sense of joyous calm, while Geno's pots possess a quiet power that invites touching and curiosity,” said Julie Clark, retail manager and gallery coordinator for Bear's Mill. The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, June 22.

Baldwin Wallace College graduate Geno Luketic says that he seeks to create work that is “honest in function and form, with lasting life, quiet strength, and the spirit of clay.” Since most of his pieces are of an intimate personal scale fitting comfortably in one's hands, viewers are enticed to engage with the pottery through touch. Geno believes that he works close to the line between the familiar and the new, his apparently functional forms revealing surprising details upon closer inspection. “I want these pieces to gently enrich life,” the potter stated.

Kathryn Pitstick, whose body of work encompasses printmaking, painting, and photos, states that she's inspired to work from nature because of the emotion and energy she receives from her surroundings. “I stand in awe of the rhythm, interaction and vastness in plein air environment, and search for a way to organize its complexity and chaos in my compositions,” said the Yellow Springs resident. The Wright State University graduate has designed an art program for clients of Clark County's Board of Developmental Disabilities Adult Services, which she finds therapeutic for the artist as well as her students as she passes on her creative experiences of self exploration.

The colorful work of Cedarville, Ohio glass blower Jim DeLange and stunning digital photographs produced by a method artist Doug McLarty calls “scanography” remain on display at Bear's Mill through May 25. “Art At the Mill” has received financial support from Darke County Endowment for the Arts. Art exhibits are on view during regular Mill store hours, 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. daily. Historic Bear's Mill is owned and operated by the 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.