June’s open theme leaves guests awestruck at the Lincoln Arts Institute

[June 17, 2022]   The Lincoln Arts Institute kicked off its June exhibit with an artists’ reception on Thursday, June 9th. The exhibit for the month is made up of works by the LAI membership with no specific theme listed.

Having such a show opens the doors for artists to display works of their choosing, and often does a better job of reflecting the personality and style of the artist than does a themed show where artists are expected to display art within the confines of a particular subject matter.

The signature of good art is that it will evoke an emotion within the viewer. This emotion, which is dependent much on the person viewing the art and their own mindset, can be anything from joy to rage and sometimes awe and confusion.

Awe and confusion is a key to looking at some of the works on display this June. In particular, viewers were awe struck and mystified by some of the pieces on display by local photographic artist Randy Washam.

Washman had a number of items on display this month, but two in particular had people scratching their heads as they studied the works.





Washam works with digital editing to take an ordinary subject and turn it into something remarkable. This is the case as viewers looked upon the photo art depicting an image of yellow flowers reflecting from a single dew drop or droplet of water.



Another piece that had guests awe struck was the work by Thom Whalen entitled “Looker.” The colorful piece draws attention instantly because of the colors used, precision of the artist, and the complexity of the canvas. One big question heard by art show attendees was, “I wonder how long it takes to do something like this?” Indeed, the work looks like something that would be impossible for an ordinary person to create and lot of work even for someone as obviously talented as Whalen.

Throughout opening night, guests visited the gallery, perused the works on display and enjoyed visiting with others in attendance as well as LAI owner Jason Hoffman.
 

If you missed out on the June 9th opening, you still have plenty of opportunities throughout this month, including this Friday evening. The LAI will be open during the Third Friday Downtown Lincoln event and will also feature various artisans outside the gallery with tents and tables displaying their works, which will also be offered for sale.



The gallery, located at 112 South McLean Street in Lincoln, is also open each Friday evening and Saturday mid-day throughout the month. Friday hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday’s the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The gallery may also be opened upon request. To make an appointment to view the works, call 309-287-3744.

The current show will run through July 8th. A new exhibit will open on July 14th and will feature the works of Erin Eveland in a show entitled “We didn’t Know.”

[Nila Smith]