Northwest Cultural Council hosts reception for new artists
The Northwest Cultural Council is pleased to announce a reception for its four newest member artists at the Arlington Green Executive Center.
The law firm of RF Wittmeyer Ltd., is sponsoring the event, accompanied by live music, from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 22.
Kathy Umlauf, executive director of the Northwest Cultural Council, and her jury welcomed painters Mary Blinn, Linda Nye and Tom Warnke, and photographer James Hojnacki into the council amid the brutal weather this spring.
Since the current exhibit began on April 20, their paintings and photographs have brightened the days of visitors to Arlington Green Executive Center.
Mary Blinn's work in this exhibit focuses on moments of insight discovered between shifting light and shadow. The exhibit features watercolor paintings on paper. Mary was a Chicago poet, painter and interdisciplinary artist. When she was suddenly faced with a devastating illness in 2015, her reaction was to start a project to make a multimedia book about her hospitalization — something to help other people who might share the same situation.
Taking a bad experience and turning it into something creative to help other people is quintessential Mary. Unfortunately, she was unable to finish this project. She did, however, leave a legacy of incredible art. Mary's husband has put this exhibit together in her memory.
As a plein air artist, Linda Nye draws on-site while visiting zoos, bird specialty clinics and landscapes. For Linda, this real proximity makes the subjects more authentic. She also focuses on iconic rock and jazz musicians. Linda's work captures music's energy in the form of colors, shapes and textures through paint and fluorescent pastels.
Her pieces transform the creative energy of music into visual art, the sound inspiring the colors of each musician's creation.
James Hojnacki says a photograph is to the eye as music is to the ear and love is to the heart. He has been exploring the world of photography from still life to nature since taking his first photograph. The world of black and white images has been his specialty. He has also explored the digital color world, incorporating the computer as his darkroom to produce creative color images.
Tom Warnke is an acrylic painter. His landscapes and still-lifes are based, for the most part, on photographs he has taken throughout his life. He also constructs compositions from his imagination. His motivation is to offer appealing, representational work, utilizing styles that range from photo-realism to those of his favorite Impressionist painters.
The source and effect of light on the subject is of utmost importance as he composes and executes his work. In addition to Impressionism, Warnke favors the work of American Tonalists.
The Arlington Green Executive Center is at 2101 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. There is plenty of free parking around the building.
The purpose of the Northwest Cultural Council is to support and promote the work of local area artists, both in visual art and poetry.
For information, visit https://northwestculturalcouncil.org.