Art is all around us

By Hope Wallace

Look around you. Look at your clothes, the chair you are sitting in, the wallpaper in the room you are in, the fabric upholstering your furniture, the building you are in. How do you think those items came to be? Art. Design. It couldn’t have happened without it. These are only a few examples of how art as a broader term is important to life, to identify who we are, in short, our culture. If you think of national costume, national architecture, food, music, the fabrics, building styles and materials and the recipes that make up cuisine, etc… you are thinking about a particular culture. Art is at the base of this.

Art is often thought of an “extra”, but quite the contrary; creativity as a basic component of human nature creates the base for everything. Why else do we, to this day feel the repercussions of the slave trade and even closer to home, North American Native American relocation? More insidious perhaps than physical atrocities, established human identity was annihilated by forced assimilation into the current strong-arm in power. I can’t imagine being told NOT what to wear, how to furnish my home, how to sing, how to worship, how to draw… So, when I get the impression art is considered an extra, a frivolous or less than what is required for survival. I say, no… wait, listen!

Charles Wassenberg left Van Wert in 1954. He left a vital community, active in its parades of local culture, its festivals, primarily the Peony Festival where a child of 5 could get out of the car and be hit by the scent of peonies. Many trophies on my office shelves are a firm testament to this fact. Where is this community today? It is here. Right here. I wonder if Mr. Wassenberg knew how important his legacy could become.

The Wassenberg Art Center is not a closed social club. Its membership have stepped up as a community art center, supporting schools challenged by state requirements and dwindling art programs; it supports the art and architecture that shout in their design who we as a community are. I urge you to take a second look at the white house at 643 South Washington Street with new eyes. It portrays a quiet visual presence but we are inside striving for the identity of Van Wert. Stop in, we are open, our gallery supports regional artists and our exhibits and receptions are open to the public always at no charge, as per Mr. Wassenberg himself.

In that spirit we applaud the area high schools that chose to participate in highlighting their best artists in the current Annual Wassenberg High School Invitational. These young artists are the Van Wert area’s voice of the future, our insurance and security. Support and respect them as such. This exhibit will run through May 5^th.

We also hope you to see you at our 56^th (that means 56 years running) Annual June Art Exhibit public opening reception on June 9, 6-8 p.m. You will not be disappointed; we celebrate our regional culture in a big way. Live music by Ohio’s Reese Dailey Band, a barbeque and home cooking. Join in!

Wassenberg Art Center’s general office hours are: Tuesday–Friday, 1–5 p.m. Exhibit hours, this week run Tuesday–Saturday 1–5 p.m. Admission to the Wassenberg Art Center is always free. Contact us at 419.238.6837 or email: info@wassenbergartcenter.org, or for sign up options and further information on classes visit our website at wassenbergartcenter.org.