Logan County Arts starts 2020 season with a Wild Card

[February 11, 2020]   LINCOLN - Logan County Arts and the Lincoln Art Institute will open their 2020 season with their February exhibit, “Wild Card.” The show will debut with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 13 at the Lincoln Art Institute, 112 S. McLean St, Lincoln, next to the US Post Office.

The Wild Card exhibit will be one of the LCA group’s “theme-less” shows. This does not mean that the artwork will be unusually weird or far out, merely that the artists are not following a unifying theme. Viewers will be able to see creations that may have been languishing in the studio or that feature their creator’s favorite subject or technique.

Works on display will include photography, sculpture, painting, printmaking and ceramics. Laura Elliott’s nature paintings explore the surprising color and texture of tree bark, while a monotype print by Pam Moriearty also looks at nature, suggesting a gusty wind moving down from the mountains of Jackson Hole. Doris Huffman, who specializes in captivating portraits of people and their dogs, turns to pastels to give spontaneity and intimacy to her latest images. Ruth Fredricks will also include a portrait, this one’s subject sitting in the grass, smoking his pipe. The sitter is well known to Ruth and will also be recognized by many gallery goers.

Artist Tony Shuff pays homage to the beloved Impressionist Claude Monet with his shimmering acrylic painting of water lilies, which he has entitled, “It’s All About the Monet.” Clarifying the title, Tony explains that the artwork will be included in an upcoming fundraiser. Jason Hoffman has created a stunning sculpture in aluminum and invites viewers to take another look by including a close-up photograph of a part of the work, taken at an unusual angle.

Logan County Arts, now with over 20 regional artists as members, is making some changes this year. One update is the adoption of a new logo, whose square format is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style and echoes not only the shape of Logan County itself but of the downtown Square where the Lincoln Art Institute gallery is located.

Another change will be the inclusion in each coming group exhibit of a display or demonstration of the techniques used by the group’s various artists.

After the initial reception, the Wild Card show will be available until March for viewing by appointment. Visitors may call Moses Pinkerton (217-651-8355) or Jason Hoffman (309-287-3744) to schedule a viewing. Also available at the February opening will be information on the March, 2020 LCA show, which will showcase works by young artists at Lincoln Community High School. The LCHS exhibit will be held earlier this year than in the past, to avoid scheduling conflicts later in the semester.

[Pamela Moriearty]