Wassenberg announces exhibit winners

Our current exhibit running through May 12 is our annual High School Invitational. Please take a moment to check out the amazing work these young people are accomplishing. Award winners are: First place, Nate Miller (Bryan), Out of Focus; second place, Abigail Koester (Fort Jennings), Grandma’s Cat; and third place, Isaiah Taylor (Bryan), Feathers in the Sand. Honorable mentions went toAlyssa Miller, Erin Miller, Carolyn Rychener, Angel Brzozokski, Parker Wildermuth, Morgan Dowler, Talitha Slicker, and Sydnie Siebeneck. 

The Ducks are getting their paddle on for Town Creek Live 2019! Taking place on July 13, from 3 p.m.-midnight, we will have another wonderful event with new goings on. Town Creek Draw will be an interactive art exhibit where the whole community creates the art with giant pieces of chalk! In addition to our Duck Derpy, we will host Matthew Keeler & Friends (folk/bluegrass), Vanity Crash (pop/rock) and The Holbrook Bros. Band (classic rock). For young folk and grown up kids, PuppetArt of Detroit will be on-hand to perform the Russian version of “The Little Gingerbread Man” and teach us how to make puppets! Lots of new and favorite gourmet food trucks will be joining us along with an ax throwing game and Eaton Cornhole Tournament. Duck adoptions are now available for the chance to win $1,500. Adoptions may be purchased at Collins Fine Foods, Main Street Van Wert, and Wassenberg Art Center. Stay tuned for more developments and potential surprises! 

On May 31, 6-10 p.m., we have quite the shindig planned. We will be opening our annual June Art Exhibit and handing out all kinds of awards. In addition, we will be having a gratitude ceremony for those who helped make our Art Park a reality. Joining us will be the Ben Daniels Band from the small community of Chelsea, Michigan! Ben is the son of actor Jeff Daniels and this group of six musicians play a great blend of original work and covers. We encourage all to attend and celebrate the vibrancy the Wassenberg Art Center is providing to the area. Free admission, appetizers and cash bar. We wish to thank the Van Wert County Foundation, Van Wert Federal Bank, and the Pond Seed Company for their generous support for this event. 

Have you checked out our art classes? There is still time to sign up for our newest upcoming! Arm yourself with your paintbrush or pencil and join in. We promise, our art classes are painless. Watercolor Class: ongoing. Tuesday mornings 10 a.m. Openings available.  Fee: $45 Regular, $40 WAC member cost.

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

Summer Art Camps will be held during the weeks of June 11-14, July 9-12, and

August TBD. Young people ages 6-11 will meet at 10 a.m.-noon and ages 12 and up 1-3 p.m.

Instructor: Emilie Fisher. 

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. 

Our next Pint Night is scheduled for May 23 6-9 p.m. We will again feature live music, and wonderful craft brews and wines. Details coming soon!

Stained Glass Basics II: (Wait list!) Instructor Joe Balyeat. May 1, 8, 15: 6-8 p.m. Learn to cut and piece together glass for a basic stained glass piece. Design options available. You will learn the Tiffany-foil method of stained glass. Class is $40 for members and $45 regular for a 3-week course. Learn the basics for cutting glass, piecing it together, foiling and soldering. Materials included. Feel free to call to be put on the waitlist. Class attendance can fluctuate, so an opening may pop up. We will be offering a short stained glass 1-day workshop in June. Stay tuned for details.

Explore the Surface Class: Cancelled due to lack of participation. 

We are super excited. Mark your calendars! Firenation Glass out of Toledo will be visiting the Wassenberg Art Center on August 24 with their mobile hot shop! They will be demonstrating the art of blowing glass. Opportunities to create your own glass item will be available. Stay tuned for details! 

Our gift shop is open year-round. We get new items all the time. 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 by email at info@wassenbergartcenter.org.