Summit Artspace Gallery has once again challenged area artists to flex their creative muscles to make art featuring novel styles, new directions and unusual materials for its seventh annual Fresh Art exhibition. This popular juried show is even more exciting this year with its new theme highlighting current affairs. Artists were asked to deal with today’s public issues in their works – local, national, international, social, environmental, political, informative, controversial or poignant.
“The challenge is to stimulate civil public discourse in highly creative ways,” said gallery coordinator Joan Colbert.
Summa Foundation is the sponsor of three top prizes of $500, $300 and $200. Winners will be announced at a special public reception at Summit Artspace Gallery on March 11 from 5 to 7 pm.
This exhibition includes unique wall hangings and sculpture in a wide variety of media created by emerging young artists and established art professionals. Guest judges, Arnold Tunstall and Susan Yingling, select from submissions the works to be included in the exhibition and the prize winners.
Tunstall is Collections Manager and Registrar at the Akron Art Museum. He has worked for the museum in curatorial positions since 1985, also serves on the board of directors at SPACES Gallery in Cleveland. He holds a BFA from the University of Akron in graphic design/photography and a MFA in photography from Ohio University. Tunstall has taught at the UA Myers School of Art and continues to exhibit his own photographs and prints throughout the region.
Yingling is a visual arts teacher at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Akron. Winner of an Arts Alive! Award for Outstanding Arts Educator, Yingling currently co-chairs the Northeast/Central Ohio Scholastic Art Affiliate. She also served as a 2010 presenter for Playhouse Square Fall for the Arts workshops in Cleveland and judge for Art in the Park in Akron. In addition to drawing and painting, Yingling works in assemblage and polymer clay.
After the opening, gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours are Saturday, April 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. for the Downtown Artwalk and April 3 from noon to 5 p.m. for Sunday Sampler, an art event presented in conjunction with the Akron Art Museum and downtown library.
Summit Artspace is a project of the Akron Area Arts Alliance in cooperation with Summit County government. It is located in a historic building at 140 E. Market St., one block east of the Akron Art Museum. The gallery is supported by the Akron Community Foundation, Summa Foundation and Ohio Arts Council.
