December 7, 2017 By

Stacy Niedzwiecki: What Fifty Looks Like

Stacy Niedzwiecki: What Fifty Looks Like
January 3 – 28
Free Public Reception January 25, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont.

What Fifty Looks Like covers Stacy’s adventures and endeavors from past to present. Interesting to note, Stacy first exhibited her photographic work in the 2009 NCCA-Artsplace Statewide Photography Competition! We’re proud to see where she’s been! Niedzwiecki’s photos have a variety of style, subject matter, and location, as demonstrated in the Retrospective exhibit. This includes landscapes, bodies of water, flowers, farms, wildlife, abstracts, portraiture and more. In celebration of the artist’s 50th birthday, the exhibit features 50 photographs reproduced on an assortment of materials and surfaces. Included within this show are pieces from “Congruity” – an inspiring collaborative ArtPrize entry by Stacy and author Jeannie Gregory.

Stacy has been involved in digital photography for approximately 15 years, but her art and graphic design career has traversed nearly three decades. Her fascination with nature’s beauty eventually found its way through the camera lens, netting awards in multiple regional, national and international competitions. While she is particularly drawn to the beauty found within our own state of Michigan, the body of work also includes scenes from her travels in Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, Minnesota and California.

Devoted to her art, Niedzwiecki is a member of the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA), the Rogue River Artists Association, and has participated in several artist residency programs sponsored by the Glen Arbor Art Association, as well as the Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology’s Hill House in Bellaire, Michigan. Niedzwiecki actively supplies imagery for Stacy Lake CVB, the Rockford Economic Development Corporation, Rockford Chamber of Commerce, Michigan BLUE magazine and the Shoreline Visitors’ Guide.

Her most honored accomplishment is the installation of 63 of her nature images at the permanent art collection in the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, which opened in 2008 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those images were showcased in her first book effort, Healing Images – A Selection from the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion which was released in 2010.

To preview some of her work, visit her website at http://StacyN.com

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August 28, 2017 By

NCCA-Artsplace Exhibit: Brenda Beerhorst – Order and Chaos

October 18 through November 11
Brenda Beerhorst – Order and Chaos
Reception October 26, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont. 231-924-4022.

“Over several years Brenda Beerhorst has developed an intuitive process of creating free form shapes in overlapping colorful layers of acrylic, gouache, and ink on wooden panels. With each successive layer, shapes and color blocks are created, rearranged or even covered completely. Between layers, delicate and timeworn textures are made through reductive sanding. She works on multiple panels simultaneously, though the colors and patterns can vary significantly from one piece to the next as the works take on distinct personalities.” -Michael DeMaagd Rodriguez

As the wife of well-known Grand Rapids painter, Rick Beerhorst, and the mother of six artist children, Brenda has long been a familiar fixture in the West Michigan arts community. Raising a household of eight is no light task, and when her family was younger it was understandably difficult to find time and space to cultivate a consistent studio practice.

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August 28, 2017 By

NCCA-Artsplace Exhibit: Jana Hanka – Wood Fired Clay

September 6 through October 14
Jana Hanka – Wood Fired Clay
Reception September 29, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont. 231-924-4022.
Jana earned her MFA from the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in 1980 and has been living in the USA since 1987. She has participated in several hundred shows in the intervening years – 60 of them as featured artist.
Jana began life as a painter and has slowly evolved into a sculptor, employing clay and bronze. Her currently displayed work is mostly ceramic sculpture.
“I have grown particularly fond of the rough and unpredictable earthy effects created by ash deposits and microclimates within the large fire-breathing dragon of a kiln we use for week-long Anagama Japanese-style wood-firings. It is a force unto itself, beautiful and primal and the work that comes from the kiln is a reflection of that ancient process,” states Jana. “I died falling from a horse and woke up in a hospital a month later – and suddenly nothing is as it seems – ever again. My life and artwork were changed completely. All bets were off and my life became that of a seeker after truth and visions of the numinous and intangible. That’s what my works ultimately represent – me becoming something deeper in relationship and developing alongside the other – the non-human. Man and horse – a relationship that is ancient, beautiful, dangerous and ultimately enlightening.”

During the artist reception on September 29, 6:00 p.m. Jana will perform a short piece of modern dance she has choreographed to collaborate with the exhibit called Seven Days.  It is about the dramatic process of that happens during the firing of the kiln.

Learn more about Jana here!

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June 23, 2017 By

NCCA-Artsplace Exhibit: A Frugal Fugue Lisa Medendorp and Amy Wilkinson

August 2 through September 2
A Frugal Fugue
Lisa Medendorp and Amy Wilkinson
Reception August 17, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace,
13 E. Main St., Fremont, 231-924-4022.

Last Garden Dress by Amy Wilkinson

An energetic synergy is released when Lisa Medendorp’s abstract paintings and the surrealistic sculptures of Amy Wilkinson get together. The dancing, twisting painted forms on canvas create a fitting surround to the restrained tension held in sculptural suspension.

Sentinel by Lisa Medendorp

The totemic, somewhat figurative forms in Medendorp’s paintings evoke mythological styles, The Lake Marcher’s series can be interpreted as being mythological defenders of the environment who march across Lake Michigan with the ever changing weather fronts.

Wilkinson utilizes wrapped wire and other fibers to create an eclectic weaving of reclaimed materials. Her themes involve strength, beauty, and perseverance lightly veiled in nostalgia, and encourage frugality when considering our resource allocations.

The two artists share a respect for the environment that is evident by the re-purposing of discarded materials in Wilkinson’s rustic assemblages that are in harmony with the themes that underlie Medendorp’s paintings. The use of interwoven shapes and materials in the works by both artists echo the interconnected web of nature.

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June 23, 2017 By

NCCA-Artsplace Exhibit: Southwest Michigan Printmakers

July 6 through 29
Southwest Michigan Printmakers
Reception Saturday, July 29, 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont. 231-924-4022.

Originating from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ print studio in the mid-1970’s, the Southwest Michigan Printmakers is a diverse and informal group of regional artist/printmakers dedicated to the creation of hand-made and fine art prints. Meeting bi-monthly, the group encourages artists working in printmaking and promotes excellence in the various print mediums. Through exhibitions of their works, SWMP helps to encourage public knowledge, understanding, and support for printmaking.

The prints from this invitational were exhibited at both Little Cities Gallery in Kalamazoo, and in the Ginza Tower Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. The exhibit encompasses a wide selection of printmaking materials and processes.

The KIA print studio is enjoying renewed interest from the community. Artists and students actively utilize the well-equipped studio for classes, workshops, and personal use.

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April 28, 2017 By

2017 NCCA-Artsplace Statewide Photography Competition

April 26 through May 20
NCCA Statewide Photography Competition
Reception and Awards April 29,
10:00 a.m. – Noon

Featured Image: Wholesale Hardware by Richard Hinton
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont. 231-924-4022. Our goal is to exhibit and acknowledge the finest photographers in the State of Michigan and encourage greater growth and achievement in the photographic community. This is a juried competition. Selected works are on exhibit and among them will be the honor of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and honorable mentions receiving ribbons and cash awards.

Juror: Anthony Thompson
Anthony Thompson is Professor of Photography in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, where he is a former Director of the school and is now head of the school’s photography program.
“It is always a unique challenge to jury an exhibition of photographs, and the 2017 NCCA Statewide Photography Competition was no exception. After carefully reviewing each piece, I definitely feel inspired. Congratulations to those whose work was selected for the exhibition, and to those whose work was selected for an award – there were many deserving works. To those whose work was not selected, be reassured that a different juror would have a different set of preferences and criteria than my own, and the whole set of works submitted to any given show influences the final outcome,” states Thompson.

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March 6, 2017 By

Dogwood Center Exhibit: Richard Wieth

Richard Wieth
March 25 – May 20
Dogwood Center Lobby Gallery

Richard D. Wieth is a West Michigan artist who has been painting, drawing and thinking creatively for almost all of his life. Born in Chicago, he attended Loyola Academy Prep before heading to the University of Denver.

Richard has been a full time artist for over twenty years and in that time his work has been included in many juried shows including the Oil Painters of America and the Pastel Society of America.

By Richard about his work:

“I would like everyone who looks at my paintings to know for a moment the simple beauty of the simple things in life.  All too often people get caught up in details and fail to appreciate the enjoyment of simplicity.  I do not attempt to paint photographically and I always want my viewer to know without a doubt that they are viewing a painting.

 I paint with an impressionistic style that I believe lends itself to adding mystery and expression.  Art is true self-expression, each color, brush stroke or lack of brush stroke conveys emotion and self-expression.  I put a lot of faith in the viewer that they will be able to piece together the mystery, without spelling out every detail.  This interaction will help the viewer enjoy not only the moment of time that I am creating but also the painting as an art itself.

I would love it if people could see the simplicity of still lifes in their everyday environment or the deeper beauty of animals, nature, and people.  All of these subjects in their moments of simple beauty I render in a spontaneous, direct, and confident manner, in a hope that people will interact with my work more deeply and engagingly.  The ultimate goal of contributing to the beauty and enjoyment of life.

I hope that the energy and love that I put into my work will remain with the painting and will provide that loving energy to the viewers.”

This exhibit combines a collection of colorful landscape and impressionistic still life paintings.

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March 6, 2017 By

NCCA-Artsplace Youth Art Exhibit

Grace Jones, Cornerstone Christian Academy

Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 E. Main St., Fremont, 231-924-4022.

The 2017 Youth Art Exhibit was given the theme “Art Around the World” and showcases imagination and creativity! Teachers and parents of children from the Newaygo County area submitted artwork from youth Kindergarten through 6th grade. Winning selections were made and will be on display at three venues in Newaygo County: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, Honorable Mention, and Special Recognition winners will be on display at NCCA-Artsplace. The award ceremony will be March 24 at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts.

In addition all pieces of artwork selected will be photographed and projected during the Grand Rapids Symphony performance on April 12 at the Dogwood Center. Symphony Selections will be on display at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts and the Hesperia Community Library.

Featured image of Panda by Josie Visser of Fremont.

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March 6, 2017 By

The Art of Erick Picardo

The Art of Erick Picardo March 24 – April 24
Public Exhibit Reception
Saturday, April 22 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace,
13 E. Main St., Fremont, 231-924-4022.

Within the world of art, Picardo continues to expose the synthesization of his universe through expressive grounds of astounding interpretation. Always showcasing the manifestations of human existence within life’s procession, Erick Picardo is slowly approaching a shift towards the realm of contemporary art. Defined by the dominance of foreground, size, and supremacy of color, the role of the long and oval-shaped faceless bodies in his paintings appear as a blurring balance between abstraction and mysterious expression that always quickly show to one’s eye, that the world in which his creations come from, is not our own. It is easy to recognize cubist stylings and an influence of artists like Pablo Picasso while Erick expresses the rhythms of music and life of the Latin community through his paintings. From the automatic captivation of Picardo’s gorgeous paintings of oil and acrylic mixtures, the viewer cannot help but to notice the richness and beauty of the colors he chooses and how these colors help display the powerful harmony of complex values in society that sometimes pose a conflict to each other. The work of Picardo has been exhibited nationally and internationally and he currently resides in Grand Rapids, where he continues to grow his profound artistry while also working with the Latin community.

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December 23, 2016 By

Exhibit: January 6 through February 1 Recent Works by Tim Motley

January 6 through February 1
Recent Works by Tim Motley
Thursday, January 26:
Annual Meeting 5:30 p.m.
Public Reception 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Jansma Gallery at NCCA-Artsplace,
13 E. Main St., Fremont.

Tim Motley has worked as a professional photographer for 36 years, shooting fashion, weddings and many types of commercial work – always shooting for the client. This project is for himself. He has spent the past three years developing an abstract style. The images you see are as they were shot in the camera. Although they are digital, they have not been digitally manipulated. The only adjustments made to the images are those Tim would have made in a traditional darkroom.

This collection of figurative and portrait work captures a stunning emotive quality, a sense of time, and powerful movements using soft, and blurred subjects, reflect the emotions and chaos Tim sees around himself every day.

Be sure to stop in, meet Tim, and experience for the first time, a skilled photographer’s presentation of a body of work that reflects his artistic passions.

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