HOOSIER CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY AT BEAR'S MILL

Historic Bear's Mill's Clark Gallery will feature two innovative artists from Indiana in the upcoming “Art At the Mill” exhibit opening with a reception on Friday, August 19. Award-winning ceramic artist Kim Anderson who maintains a studio in Hartford City will display her figurative and functional porcelain vessels, while fellow Hartford City resident Lynette Waters-Whitesell's colorful mixed media pieces will enhance the rustic Mill ambiance. Sweet and savory finger food plus drinks will be offered from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.; the artists will speak about their work, methods, and inspirations at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit, on display during Mill store hours, closes on Sunday, October 2.

According to Marti Goetz, Executive Director of Friends of Bear's Mill, Kimberly Anderson's ceramic stunningly beautiful pieces evoke an immediate response while provoking further examination and introspection, as do Lynette Waters-Whitesell's bright, vivid works which demand the viewer's attention by contrasting happy colors with sad subject matter. “We are excited to be welcoming these cutting edge Hoosier neighbors to our gallery housed in a treasured building which has shaped our community's heritage and provided inspiration since 1849,” Ms. Goetz stated.

Kimberly Anderson, who teaches at Ball State University, produces sculptural work as well as vessels based on the female form, and is widely known for her goddess cups, vases, and sculptures. Working on a kiln that she built in 2003, she references archeological excavations and cycles of decay and renewal to examine ideas concerning physical science and the human psyche. “I find that science considers facts, and the psyche discloses the mysteries of life,” the artist says. Her graceful pieces often incorporate pods, roots, tubers, and mounds of earth, as well as her childhood home, monkeys, and chimpanzees to create a space for the viewer to interact and contemplate fundamental relationships as she seeks to unearth secrets examining ideas ranging from mythic beliefs to evolution.

Lynette Waters-Whitesell embraces color in her work. A Fine Arts graduate of Ball State University, Lyn has worked for sixteen years as a graphic designer, illustrator and creative director, winning local, regional, and national awards for her work. However, she says that painting is her passion; she incorporates layers of acrylic paint as well as text and/or ephemera into under-paintings begun on her computer with Adobe Photoshop, using a layering method to guide the viewer through a playground of paint, every inch of canvas displaying a cacophony of colors. Old photographs augment heavy pigments in strong hues to create stunning panels and canvases that illustrate her stated belief that “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

Bear's Mill is open 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 p.m. till 5 p.m. Sundays. Historic Bear's Mill is owned and 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.