Autumn has arrived and a fresh batch of paintings is coming your way to celebrate! Artworks in our current show will be available through Saturday, October 21st so hurry if there’s a painting that’s been calling your name. We’ll close on Tuesday to hang up the new group, then come in next week to see what treasures await in our new show!
We’ve had some exciting Featured Artist exhibits this summer. September spotlighted Heather Reid who shares “what is happy, fun, inspiring, healing, and positive in my world, in the hope that the feelings of love and connection resonate with you.” You can sense all that in her painting, Sunshine and Shadow (shown above).
Cindy McLaren provides October’s feature exhibit with images that invite you to guess the rest of the story. Eye on the Ball is a good example of how she provides hints but allows your imagination to finish the painting.
Eye on the Ball
It’s always exciting to tally the votes and learn which painting was selected as The People’s Choice. Bailey Joyce seems to have captured imaginations in both August and September! Your choices for these months were Savannah House and PB&J, both by Bailey.
Savannah House
PB&J
Challenges continue to inspire our painters and we hope they inspire you too! For August we were challenged to Paint a Sunset and Chad McLaren showed us a myriad of ways color and light interact in water and sky with Chasing Sunsets.
Chasing Sunsets
Abstract was the challenge for September and Dale Houseworth created this thought provoking piece entitled No Escape.
No Escape
Other News: We’re happy to say that PAPA artists have been actively involved with numerous other artistic efforts too.
Ruth Andre exhibited her Native People series at ART Santa Fe this summer.
When the Sun Comes Too Close from Native People series by Ruth Andre
Sandi Johnson took her fantasy art to DragonCon in Atlanta as you can see here!
Sandi also authored an article featured in the August issue of Colored Pencil Magazine on imaginative realism!
The current edition of Paducah Life Magazine features two of our artists. Jenny Fuller‘s painting, The Sound of Fall, was featured in The Last Word alongside a wonderfully apt quote by Bono.
The Sound of Fall in Paducah Life Magazine
Diane Bay‘s feature was a little different. She authored a book about her quest to find her birth mother titled, Finding Karen Black (yes, that Karen Black). In addition to an actual book you can put in your hands, she is working on the audiobook version which will also feature one of her paintings. Grab an issue of the magazine to read about both talented women!
Two other PAPA Artists participated in the Downtown Paducah Cocktail Trail. Retailers in downtown Paducah were paired with participating artists in this collaborative event, as a way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Paducah’s designation as a UNESCO creative city. Chad McLaren was on the sidewalk at the Yeiser Art Center and Maria Korte was set up indoors at Self-E Beautique.
Chad McLaren
Maria Korte
Rebecca Mueller-Williams was honored recently in the Murray Art Guild annual competition and exhibit, Visual Evidence. Her thoughtful painting “Strong is Beautiful” earned a Merit Award. You can see it and the rest of the exhibit at the Wrather Museum on campus at Murray State University.
Strong is Beautiful
Building on their love of art, painters Dutch Thurman and Ellen Hunt answered a call from the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center. The two of them conducted painting classes and in sharing their passion, provided a new creative outlet for people in need. It’s much more than a catch phrase when we say Art Heals.
If you find yourself downtown late in the day, watch for this sign (created by Dale Houseworth) which indicates we’re open for extended hours. We’ve had a couple of special events this summer and will host another reception on Oct 21st from 1-3 pm. It coincides with the downtown Paducah Fall Festival and celebrates our featured artist, Cindy McLaren. Be watching for our holiday open house as well as the beginning of the annual $10 Miniature Painting fundraiser too. And you never know when you might spot one of our artists creating “Paintings While You Wait” so watch the calendar at the bottom of our home page to see who or what’s scheduled at any time.
Before we close, we want to tell you how much we appreciate your support. Of course we hope you buy art, but we also really enjoy your visits and the conversations we have. After all, sharing our art in any way makes us happy! Thank you!
Lastly we share news of the passing of one of the founding members of PAPA. Gerry Marcum and her husband Bill were both active participants and supporters of all things PAPA. While they will both be sorely missed, Gerry’s artworks live on and remind us of her special view of the world. Here she is pictured doing what she loved – painting with friends.
Gerry Marcum
