The Wayne County Group Effort (W.A.G.E.) is staging their annual exhibition at the Wayne Center for the Arts from now until Feb. 19, 2010.
This yearís W.A.G.E. exhibition carries the theme ìEarth Walk.”† Twenty-six artists contributed over 75 original pieces for the annual unjuried show.† According to the exhibitionís opening statement, ìW.A.G.E. collectively chooses a theme each year,” and ìEarth Walk” was chosen amongst 26 possible themes.
Artists were given the creative freedom to interpret the showís theme freely.† Thus, the show features an array of compositions, subjects and materials.
Some of the incorporated natural materials include glass, clay, watercolors, fabric and oil pants.
Stepping into the exhibition rooms, the viewer is greeted with bright colors and a multitude of artistic mediums.† The pieces are arranged by artist, so moving from one artistís work to another forces the viewer to reconsider the theme ìEarth Walk” each time.
Many of the pieces interpreted ìEarth Walk” literally, focusing on natural elements and landscapes.† Earthy tones, found organic pieces and compositions of dirt and plant material place the viewer into the earth.† Joan Staufer, for example, constructed a visual plot of desert land, complete with sun-bleached animal bones.† Other pieces represented the fantastic elements of the natural world, using bold colors, strokes and subjects to re-imagine earthly experiences.
Other artists chose to take the viewer on his or her personal ìEarth Walk,” a visual journey through some pivotal moment in the artistís life.† Many pieces featured family photos, mementos or heirlooms.† Some pieces incorporated artist-rendered portraits of family members, such as Lisa Ohl Waggonerís watercolor paintings of her three daughters.
ìEarth Walk” incorporates some pieces that are more inspiring than others, but the exhibition is certainly worth a glance.† The showís layout cleverly incorporates the skill levels to provide a balanced room.† In addition, wandering from a two-dimensional watercolor piece to a three-dimensional, ceiling-grazing bamboo sculpture places the viewer in a sensory-stimulating situation.† The purposefully vague theme features an array of delightfully different pieces meriting a fun, inexpensive night on the town.† ìEarth Walk” is in its waning days, and as such, its galleries are not highly populated.† Facing an empty room of art creates an intriguing space in which to interpret and understand the theme.
The first W.A.G.E ìEarth Walk” took place in 1986, when Susan Shie first faciliatating a meeting of a number of local artists. It was intially organized as a sort of discussion forum for artists about the creative process. Today,† it has evolved into a ìmonthly gathering” of a multitude† of artists with various degrees of experience and skill.
ìEarth Walk” is free and open to the public.† Its two galleries are open during office hours for the Wayne Center for the Arts: Monday noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m to 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m to 7 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m to 2 p.m.† The Wayne Center for the Arts is closed on Sundays.