KELLY CASTER
Photo by Kelly Caster.
There is so much great art happening in Denton now, especially at the Greater Denton Arts Council. You should stop in to the Gough Gallery for VAST’s (Visual Arts Society of Texas) 11th Annual 125-mile Visual Arts Exhibition. The exhibit features art of all mediums submitted by artists that live within a 125 mile radius of Denton. While at the exhibit, be sure to check out the Composite of the Soul exhibition that we talked about last week! Read on for more.
The show contains work from artists who are creating artwork within a 125 mile radius to Denton. Linda Ridgeway and John Alexander Taylor juried the exhibition which includes 30 art pieces, 11 of which are from Denton.
This show has such a wide variety of styles and aesthetics, you will likely find at least one piece you love. There is something here for everyone to enjoy and I’m not just saying that. I’ve been involved in a few group shows where everyone scratched their heads wondering how piece XYZ made it in. After seeing this show I didn't feel that way at all.
As a mother myself, Deanna Wood’s first place award winning piece, Go Away, really spoke to me. I enjoy doing needlework and often like to entertain but by Friday evening when my dear husband walks into the house I am internally at war. On one side my desire to socialize with adults and on the other a desire to go hide under the blanket in our bedroom in silence and isolation. Wood’s beautifully hand stitched artwork portrayed this dichotomy perfectly.
Audrey Dreimiller’s Serpent Bowl is so beautifully crafted you will lose track of time studying the details in the clay and really appreciate the care and attention she used when applying the glaze.
Gary Uribe's Nature. Best of Show winner. Photo by Thomas Judd photography.
Kathy Elliot's Embracing the Differences. 2nd Place winner. Photo by Thomas Judd photography.
Audrey Dreimiller’s Serpent Bowl. Photo by Kelly Caster.
While at the reception I overheard several people remark on Noriko DeWitt’s piece, Ripple Effect. Upon first glance it looks like a photograph. In actuality it is a colored pencil drawing with such fine attention to detail it will make you feel insecure about your own drawing skills.
The Best of Show award went to Gary Uribe of Fort Worth. His 40” x 40” ink on paper titled Nature is remarkable. The quality of line he used to create depth and detail is impressive. It brings to mind a mandala and at the center of it you find the roots of many trees. This piece is hypnotic and demands serious contemplation.
The exhibition is on display until February 25, 2017 at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in the Gough Gallery at 400 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201. You can find our more about VAST or the 125-Mile Visual Arts Exhibition at their website or Facebook page.