See the exhibit! Shop for presents!

Shop the Wass! 200 pieces of art for your holiday shopping or just to take a chill-out moment and look. This all-media exhibit that is on display through Dec. 18 is a fun and relaxed way to get unique gifts for the people you love. Do you know someone who is difficult to buy for? Buy art! Shop for those hard to buy for while supporting local artists. All Wassenberg Art Center exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public.

Winners of 26^th Annual Artists Exhibit and Sale are listed below.

Mary McVay Worthington Memorial Award — Lanna Pendleton Hall, Montpelier: Scenic Highway 2

Van Wert County Foundation Award — Ann Dysinger, Grover Hill: Diggin’ for Dinner

Douglas Koch Memorial Award — Kenneth “Pete” Pittman, Lima: Deep in the Woods

Gertrude Sluterbeck Memorial Award — Douglas Fiely, Dayton: Morning Light

Clyde Wallace Memorial Award — Steve Smith, Angola Ind.: Fish Sculpture

Director’s Award — Elgarda McGee, Venedocia: Miner’s Cabin

Merit Awards (4) — Larry Dove, Van Wert: Up and Away, William John, Lima: Dall with Mountain View, Brandon Knott, Continental: Bloom Wall Platter, Linda Yenser, Defiance: Fall Laundry

Honorable Mentions — Rich Burd, Celina : Baltimore Oriole, Kathy Funderburg, Bryan: Batch of Beets, William Horvath, Toledo: Peaceable Kingdom, Richard Morgan, Wauseon: Egyptian, Janet Ravas, Scotia, NY: Edge of the Field, Kay Sluterbeck, Van Wert: Shadowtime, Val Sluterbeck, Van Wert: Spanish Style House, John Stachera, Fort Wayne: Calm Before the Storm

We extend a hearty welcome to Joe Balyeat. Joe will serve as our new Facility & Grounds Attendant and will help prepare the art center for upcoming events, exhibits and keep the place in top-notch condition. Joe has recently moved back to his hometown of Van Wert after receiving a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Ohio University.

Joe also works as a substitute teacher for area schools. If you are out and about, stop by and welcome Joe to the Wassenberg Art Center. We are very happy to have him join our art brigade.

Do you have any clean, gently-used or better yet, new coats, gloves, hats for our “Warm up the Ridge” project? “Warm up the Ridge” is an effort organized by the owner of our David Humphreys Miller collection, the Brent Stevens family. Pine Ridge Reservation is where most of the descendants of the Lakota (Sioux) warriors whose portraits hang on our wall reside. Marian Whitemouse, who is the descendant of Dewey Beard and John Moves Camp is heading up the drive for warm coats to be distributed to those in need on the reservation. Pine Ridge is the site of third-world living conditions, 80% unemployment, widespread gang violence and dramatically high disease and mortally rates. Several deaths last year were attributed to soaring propane costs and brutal, cold temperatures. So, don’t be a Wašíču (A Lakota term which has evolved to mean: “the one who takes the best meat”); please bring new or clean, used-condition warm coats, hats, scarves and gloves to the art center before Dec. 18 and we will ship them to the reservation.

Pottery Classes will be ongoing throughout the winter with instructor, Brandon Knott. Contact us for the next start-up date. Cost of the class is $65 WAC members and $70 regular materials included. Be on the look out for new times.

ArtNight, which we host every Thursday at 7–9 p.m. will be taking a turkey-induced nap this Thursday and will see you again on Dec. 10. What is ArtNight? We open up our doors, our bar, turn on the tunes so you can come and make stuff. Do you like to play the piano? Great! You can bring in any project you like, a craft, painting, sculpture, whatever you feel like creating. An instructor will be on hand. We’re here to help. Best of all, it’s free. So grab a friend or come alone, we are friendly.

For more information on exhibits or to sign for classes and events visit wassenbergartcenter.org. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 S. Washington St. (former Van Wert Armory). We can also be reached by telephone at: 419.238.6837, email: info@wassenbergartcenter.org and our website is: wassenbergartcenter.org.