On July 22, the Women Artists of the West will celebrate its 53rd national exhibition in Newton, Kansas. This region is often called America’s Heartland, which refers to its traditional way of life, its self-sufficiency and its abundance of farming. But like a heart in a chest, it also refers to the central location—Newton is not far from the geographic center of the United States, located in Lebanon, Kansas.
Sherry Cobb-Kelleher, Give a Boy a Rope, oil on linen panel, 14 x 11”
“We’re right in the middle, right there in the Heartland of the country,” says Women Artists of the West event chair Joey Frisillo. “We strive to have every show in a different locale, but this one is going to be very fun because of where it is and what that means for everyone being right in the middle of everything.”
This year’s show, which runs from July 22 to September 15, is subtitled No Place Like Home, a small reference to The Wizard of Oz, in which Dorothy Gale is whisked from her Kansas home by a tornado and dropped into a magical kingdom of her dreams. The exhibition will take place at Newton’s Carriage Factory Art Gallery, which was started in 1983 in a historic carriage factory. This year the gallery will celebrate its 40th anniversary, which will add to the festive atmosphere brought in by the Women Artists of the West. In addition, the gallery will offer carriage rides for members and guests.
This year’s exhibition will feature works from 119 artists in the group, which boasts more than 300 total members. “It’s a special, special group of artists,” Frisillo adds.
Barrett Edwards, Last Rays, oil on canvas, 20 x 16”; Leslie Kirchner, Bonded Pair – American Kestrels, oil on linen, 16 x 8”
One of the participating artists is Sherry Cobb-Kelleher, who will be showing Give a Boy a Rope. “There is a poem by Amy Potter called ‘Give a Boy a Rope’ and it tells a story of a boy growing up with a rope in his hand starting at a very young age until he’s an adult,” Cobb-Kelleher says. “These are lessons learned through learning how to rope, and being successful at it. Long hours of practice, many roads traveled and many ‘If I would have just done that’ [moments] that lead us through life. I grew up with a rope in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, really the lessons are still just about the same, but I wouldn’t change a thing!”
Landscape painter Barrett Edwards will be showing Last Rays, a sunset painting with magnificent reflections. “This Lowcountry marsh scene caught me because it presented so many of the aspects that make me feel at peace. I love the brilliance of the setting sun’s glow on the water, the warm tones of the clouds that compliment the cooler greens, the feeling of nature, undisturbed,” she says. “In these hectic times, I feel it is ever more important to engage ourselves in intimacy with nature. Being aware of the natural beauty that is available to us brings a sense of calm we all need. If we can’t get outside ourselves, we can certainly bring nature inside via a painting.”
Leslie Kirchner will be showing her painting Bonded Pair – American Kestrels. “Raptors are a favorite subject, and I enjoyed portraying a pair of kestrels (one of the few raptors that have different plumage markings) together on a yucca, with complimentary colors of yellow-orange and blue-purple,” the artist says. “My goal is to capture the mood and movement of my subjects through the exploration of color, composition and the use of positive and negative space.”
Nori Thorne, The Stare, pastel, 20 x 20”; Kim L. Middleton, Primping, oil on canvas, 9 x 12”
Going from birds to a birds’ natural predator is Nori Thorne, who will be showing The Stare, which was completed in pastel. “The Stare evokes a hair-raising experience I had when I was searching for a petroglyph panel in a remote desert canyon. As I traversed below the sheer canyon rim, I suddenly felt someone or something watching me,” Thorne says. “Glancing up into a shallow alcove in the rocks, I met the eyes of a mountain lion. For a moment we just stared at each other, and then, with effortless grace, she flowed up the rocky cliffside like a savage ballerina and vanished into a stand of tangled scrub oak. I never did find that the petroglyph panel.”
Kim L. Middleton will present Primping, an oil of a single bird. “I have worked directly with birds most of my life. I utilize my intimate knowledge of birds to capture their essence and represent them in my paintings. My intent is to spark interest in birds to promote their conservation,” says Middleton. “I strive to bring life and a personality to my bird subjects. Focusing on their uniqueness and allowing the viewer to witness a part of their daily life.”
Barbara Kitty Williams, Spirit of the Plains, graphite, 30 x 22”
In the work Desert Sky, painter Cheryl Koen was inspired by the Four Corners area of the Southwest. “The afternoon unfolded with rich colors, a grand sky and a lonely piñon tree. These are all hallmarks of the high desert,” Koen says. “Alive and vibrant after an afternoon shower, the landscape offered a colorful palette of desert hues. Towering skies over the distant mesas held their own unique appeal. The drama of the landscape changed before my eyes. Mother Nature is hard to beat.”
Mary Ann Cherry is the president of Women Artists of the West, and she will be presenting The Gossips, showing three birds chattering away. “Our yard is full of birds and birdsong, and the redwing blackbirds are regular visitors. I also see these harbingers of spring at a popular wildlife refuge. I decided to paint them in their natural, native habitat instead of at our birdfeeders and I wanted to portray them doing a bit of ‘storytelling,’” Cherry says. “When winter hits, most bird lovers enjoy the bit of color that their purchase gives them, along with the memory of the beautiful cheerful trills. I highly recommend that wildlife art collectors bring as much nature into their home as possible.”
Top: Cheryl Koen, Desert Sky, oil on linen, 20 x 20”; Mary Ann Cherry, The Gossips, oil, 20 x 16”. Bottom: Carolyn Mock, The Hooter, oil, 18 x 14”; Carolyn C. Bell, Talavera Shadows, acrylic, 12 x 12”
Talavera Shadows is a floral still life from Carolyn C. Bell, who fell in love with the Southwest when she was young and her family moved to Texas. “I have always been attracted to the colors, the light and the unique architecture of this special area of the country. Geraniums are a favorite flower, and they are often in my paintings,” she says. “My home patio is decorated with Mexican Talavera pottery. The combination of the flowers, the colorful pot design, with the light casting shadows against an adobe wall just begged to be painted. ‘It spoke to me’ has often been said of my work. I consider that a very good reason to purchase any artwork. After all, art should soothe your soul.”
Carolyn Mock will be showing The Hooter, an oil painting of an owl on a tree branch. “Paintings begin with a word, thought, a photo I have taken. If the idea ‘nags’ at me I know it should be a good painting,” Mock says. “The wildlife I paint are animals I have seen and taken photos of, watched and felt I could tell a small story about them. The owl in The Hooter is an owl that lives in the woods near my home. He frequents our yard some evenings and has a favorite perch in an ash tree near the pond.”
Debbie Hughbanks will be bringing a patriotic image of a bison and an American flag titled American Icon. “American Icon speaks to the heart and soul of the American West and the pioneering spirit of days gone by,” she says. “The majesty of this piece is reflective of hope for the future.”
Stephanie Burk, Sunset Boulevard, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 48”
Love is the subject of Jennifer Hunter’s painting My Heart Belongs to You, which shows two women in a tender embrace. “I wanted to paint love…as the bond between a mother and daughter and the simplicity of this bond without the distractions of modern life,” she says. “It is the time of teaching children and looking forward to their future with hope. Teaching traditional ways of life and embracing change for the next generation will [unite] the past and the future.”
Other Women Artists of the West members include Stephanie Burk, Barbara Kitty Williams and Risa Waldt. These artists will not have work in the exhibition, but do have new work available from their studios.
Risa Waldt, Home of the Brave, 9 x 12”
Burk is thrilled to show off Sunset Boulevard, a lovely cow painting amid a golden landscape. “I am honored to paint places and people I love,” Burk says. “I divide my time between Texas and Colorado; the mountains and wide-open spaces inspire me every single day. I could paint them until the end of time and never tire. I prefer to paint on large canvases or panels allowing the viewer, for a moment, to be drawn in and escape their normal life and rest in the beauty of the scene.”
New in Williams’ studio is Spirit of the Plains, showing a large skull against a patterned background. “I have been intrigued by Native Americans and their culture after visiting a Cherokee village in the Great Smokey Mountains during childhood. As my interest [grew] over the years, I began attending historical events and activities that included information of their lifestyles and also living history camps,” Williams says. “On trips to the West my family saw Little Bighorn and numerous tribal communities of the Western Plains. Over time my interest and my art coalesced. Subsequently, I began a series on Native America. This is my second piece. The first, done in soft pastel, won an award of excellence in the North Carolina Statewide Pastel Societies juried exhibition.”
Debbie Hughbanks, American Icon, pastel, 13 x 13”; Jennifer Hunter, My Heart Belongs to You, transparent watercolor, 16 x 12”
For Waldt, she recently completed Home of the Brave. Waldt says she loves to honor women in rodeo because she’s grown up around horses her whole life and she’s from Arizona.
For more information, visit womenartistsofthewest.org. —
Women Artists of the West’s 53rd National Exhibition — No Place Like Home
July 22-September 15, 2023
• Nocturnal paint-out, July 20, 6-9 p.m.
• Painting demonstrations, July 22, noon-3 p.m.
• Opening reception, July 22, 6-9 p.m.
Carriage Factory Art Gallery, 128 E. Sixth Street, Newton, KS 67114
www.womenartistsofthewest.org
Powered by Froala Editor
