Sculpture submission deadline this Friday

The deadline for submissions to Wassenberg’s interactive sculpture project is this Friday, February 15! The Wassenberg Art Center has been fortunate to have won a grant through the Ohio Arts Council and matched with funds secured through Avangrid Renewables and the Van Wert County Foundation to create an interactive sculpture in the Wassenberg Art Park! 

This sculpture will highlight the firefly whose populations are declining due to pesticide use. The sculpture will be fully interactive and will light up using wind and/or human power. A full call-for-entry is available to all sculptors who have an interest in creating a proposal for creating the sculpture. The total amount granted is $20,000. We are very excited to see what ideas artists come up with to further enhance the Wassenberg grounds. Please share this wonderful news with any sculptors you may know.

Have you checked out our new art classes? Plus, we have openings in our popular after school art program ArtReach! (scholarships available, please inquire) Arm yourself with your paintbrush or pencil and join in. We promise, our art classes are painless. 

ArtNight: Thursday, 6-9 p.m. Bring a group of friends and a project and come on in. We have staff on-hand to help you out. Do you play the piano, an instrument, participate in a drum circle? Let us know, our stage is open! We often feature quick and easy projects, which are posted on Facebook. 
Watercolor Class: Tuesday mornings 10 a.m. Ongoing. Openings available. Fee: $45 Regular, $40 WAC member cost.

Acrylic Painting with artist Mike Huffman. New Class. March 5, 12,19, and 26: 6-8 p.m. Mike works in large, bold ways often addressing issues such as racism, discrimination and also celebrating the arts such as music. Huffman is Lima born and raised. He has exhibited both locally and nationally. He’s also an arts educator and has taught art at Bowling Green State University, The Ohio State University at Lima, and in middle and elementary schools in Lima’s public school system. He was the director of the Lima Arts and Magnet Programs from 1994 to 2007. In 2008, he received the Governor’s Award for Arts in Education. A list of materials will be available shortly. Fee: $60 Regular, $55 WAC member cost.

Elements of the Draw: Instructor Matt Temple. March 8, 14, 21, and 28: 6-8 p.m. Matt will demonstrate art techniques such as perspective, shading, pen and colored pencil techniques and more. Matt is a holds a degree in Fine Art from Defiance College and a degree in computer animation from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and in addition to being the Wassenberg office manager has exhibit extensively in the region. His varied and strong rendering skills will help persons 14 years and up take their art game up a notch further. A list of materials will be available shortly. Fee: $60 Regular, $55 WAC member cost. 

ArtReach: After school art classes: Ages 7-11, Tuesdays. Ages 12 and up, Thursdays. Time 3:30-5 p.m.

Explore the Surface: Instructor Pat Rayman. May 3, 10, 17, 24, 10 a.m.-noon. (ages 18 and up) Learn multiple drawing techniques on various surfaces while learning composition and technique. Some of the surfaces we will be exploring are colored pencil on wood, scratchboard and pastels. Materials needed are: a sketchbook or drawing paper, drawing pencils, HB and 2B a black pen (fine or medium point) and colored pencils. $40 member price/$45 regular. Pat graduated from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in New Jersy and the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore. She taught elementary school art for 32 years, while staying current with workshops and teaching adults in varying art centers in the area.

Thanks for all who came out to the Main Street Chocolate Walk Wine Down last Friday! We enjoy having you all in our art hub! See you next year!

The Ohio Watercolor Society Exhibit has been extended and is staying with us until this Sunday, February 17! The Ohio Watercolor Society is a dynamic and skilled group of painters from Ohio and surrounding states who create some of the best work in the country. Entrants often go on to the prestigious American Watercolor Society exhibit which tours nationally. Regular gallery hours are: Tuesday through Sunday, 1–5 p.m., and Thursdays 1-9 p.m.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, our gift shop is open year-round. We get new items all the time in our gift shop all the time. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Great options to purchase one-of-a-kind, unique items, crafted by artisans in the area for the people who are one-of-a-kind to you. There is always a need throughout the year to purchase for those special to us and to show them how much we care and find them unique by purchasing the same.

For more information on exhibits or to sign up 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 or email at info@wassenbergartcenter.org.