“Machinery/Tools” competition photos

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club met for the first time in the new art center located in the former Van Wert Armory on Thursday, Nov. 14. They were impressed with the great improvements made to the old building and the huge metal doors that were left in place. Some almost appeared as if they belonged in an old castle somewhere in Europe.

Machinery/Tools was the theme for competition in prints and slides. President Will Hawkins took first place with a picture of an early garden plow which is located at the Back 40 in Decatur, Indiana. Treasurer Karl Gribler’s shot of a 1937 McCormick-Deering orchard tractor taken at the Grand Rapids, Ohio Apple Butter Festival took second. Secretary Rex Dolby swept the slide category with a first place shot of a farm windmill at sunset near Middlebury and second place for a farm implement in an open shed off 224 north and east of Van Wert.

In other business, it was decided that surplus darkroom equipment and photographic props would be sold at a garage sale. We will wait for the December sales before deciding on the purchase of new studio lights. Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the new Wassenberg Art Center was set for the club’s annual Christmas Dinner and year-end judging. The Wassenberg Art Center will again be offering an award for best-of-the-year photograph.

We were saddened to learn from a clipping shared by Virginia Thatcher that long-time member Bob Moneer passed away Saturday, Nov. 9.

The club’s next meeting will be its Christmas dinner.

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at: 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are

Tuesday through Sunday 1-5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.