Opening an old door

There is only one and a half weeks left to view our current exhibit featuring  painter/printmaker Douglas Fiely, large format charcoal artist Chelsea Younkman and glassblower Matthew Paskiet. The exhibit ends August 24, so stop in soon and see out how vastly different forms of art which surprise at every glance.

The next exhibit on the horizon is our 36^th Annual Photography Exhibit. Call for entries have been sent by mail for our members and are now available for download on our website. Get snappin!

I think one of the best words to describe renovation is: gritty. Coming in at a close second is: sweaty. I do like to renovate homes, buildings, etc. In a project as large as the Van Wert Armory there are many, many details. So, I adopted a couple of projects to take on myself.

When I was a little girl my dad, a decorated WWII veteran, took me to tour the battleship USS North Carolina. The massive rivets that held the ship together made a lasting impression on me; to this day I still marvel at them. So, when we discovered a heavy steel riveted door under some dark paneling that once was the Armory’s mess hall, I became a little giddy. Maybe it doesn’t take a lot to entertain me? Regardless, I have been working on this door off and on during the whole process. The door had a lot of strips of dried liquid nails that needed to be chipped off. Then the sanding began and continues. I believe a bit of the history of the door should remain and so some of its layers of its life may remain. Time will tell.

The second project I have adopted out of necessity is a brick wall. This wall used to be the north exterior of the armory. Apparently this section of the building, which we will use for classroom space, was added later and at the time of the addition it was used as an area to clean firearms. There is what appears to be dirt on the brick. Well, it’s not “dirt” as we know it. …Why doesn’t the paint stick? Our painting contractor, Dave Williams discovered it is a material called “slip-plate”. Slip-plate is a silicone based lubricant which is used to line things such as coal bins to keep the coal sliding freely toward its destination. Slip-plate obviously is not a fan of today’s latex paints. After much trial and error, grinding and testing spots we think we have found the solution without going back to sandblasting and or other invasive techniques, which would endanger the improvements already completed in that area. It’s a big wall. It could kill us. Stay tuned.

Regardless of the typical hurdles of renovating an old building we can’t wait to share this space with the community and beyond. So if you have a similar interest in renovation, self abuse, (insert new respect for contractors) restoration and faux finishing and would consider helping out, let us know. You can reach us at the number or email address below.

Our current class offerings are listed below. We have some evening hours for those who find work schedules interfere with creative expression.

Classic Watercolor (adult) September 3, 10, 17, 24, 10 a.m.–noon Instructor: Pat Rayman. $35 members, $40 non-members.

Mixed Media Drawing (adult) September 9, 16, 23, 30 10 a.m – noon Instructor: Pat Rayman. $35 members, $40 non-members.

Acrylic Techniques (ages 18-adult) October 1, 8, 15, 22 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Instructor: Pat Rayman. $30 members, $35 non-members.

More Classic Watercolors (adult) October 1, 8, 15, 22, 10 a.m.–noon Instructor: Pat Rayman. $35 members, $40 non-members.

If you have any questions regarding exhibits, classes or programs or would like to get involved, call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or you may register online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is currently located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.