Regional art show opens Friday at BGSU

BOWLING GREEN, O.—More than 200 pieces of art by nearly 80 artists from eight northwest Ohio counties will be on display during the first Now Ohio (NOWOH) Summer Art Show, opening Friday (July 18) at Bowling Green State University.

Continuing through July 27 in the Dorothy Uber Bryan and Willard Wankelman galleries of the BGSU Fine Arts Center, the show features everything from beadwork and pottery to paintings and mixed media. Artists from Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Sandusky, Williams and Wood counties will be represented.

The exhibition opens with a public reception from 7-9 p.m. Friday. Cash awards will be presented at the reception for Best of Show, 1st place 2-D, 2nd place 2-D, 1st place 3-D, 2nd place 3-D and Best Young Artist. Honorable mention recipients will also be announced, and visitors will be able to vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Students in a spring 2007 Arts Management class at BGSU created the NOWOH organization and came up with the idea of doing a community-based art exhibition, but it wasn’t until this spring that a second Arts Management class brought the idea to life.

Every piece of art submitted will be on display as part of the organization‘s goal of promoting community involvement in the arts. “The goal of NOWOH is to reach out to artists of all ages within the northwest Ohio area,” said its president, Rebecca Speegle. “With this show, we are hoping to connect artists of all ages and get NOWOH’s name out in the community. We had a great turnout of artists, and we are expecting a big turnout of visitors to the exhibition.”

Gallery hours for the show are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (July 19 and 20) and July 25-27, as well as 7-9 p.m. July 24.

For more information, visit the BGSU Fine Arts Center Galleries’ Web site at www.gallery.bgsu.edu.

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(Posted July 16, 2008 )