McHenry County College hosts alumni memorial art exhibit featuring the work of Rick Neubauer
McHenry County College is hosting an alumni memorial exhibit featuring the paintings by Rick Neubauer through Thursday, Oct. 5, in the Epping Gallery in Building B. The gallery is in the hallway opposite the bookstore.
"An artist must have imagination. An artist who does not use his imagination is a mechanic." Neubauer wrote this quote by Robert Henri in his sketchbook just days before he suddenly died on Feb. 28 of this year.
He believed that the profound power of imagination was critical to making art. It was his imagination that fueled the complex journey of evolving into the accomplished painter he had become.
Neubauer came to MCC in 2007, joining Mark Arctander's painting class, where he provided advice, critique and friendship with several student artists.
He credited Arctander for pushing him to explore his use of color combinations and he was grateful to Matt Irie for bringing the added dimension of pencil into wet paint, which led to Neubauer's signature style.
Neubauer, who lived in McHenry, exhibited his work in Skyway Collegiate Competitions, The Chicago Art Open at the Merchandise Mart, the Wright Museum of Art in Beloit and local art exhibitions at the Dole Mansion, Elgin Art Showcase, the Old Courthouse in Woodstock and Starline in Harvard.
He was part of a team painting the MCC math mural, located in Building A, on the second floor, as well as being published in MCC's Voices magazine four years in a row.
"Neubauer's love of light, color and attention to detail, reflected his artistic life," said his former classmate and friend, Mary Mariutto. "His exceptional talent for moving paint amplified his love of mark making, innovative expression and the creative process."
Neubauer challenged viewers of his work to use their own imaginations, but would lightheartedly say, "Whatever people see in my work, it's a pigment of their imagination."
The college is at 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
For more information, contact Sandra Lang, gallery curator, at (815) 455-8785 or slang@mchenry.edu.