Four new exhibits encompassing the 117th annual "Midwest Art Exhibition" are now open at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery. On display through April 19th, are prints by Janet Turner and Norma Bassett Hall from the James and Virginia Moffett Collection; paintings by Ed Pointer of Wichita; David Vollbracht of Medicine Lodge; and a special exhibition of works by the Prairie Water Color Painters from the Gallery's collection and on loan. The "Midwest Art Exhibition" was founded in 1899 by three local Lindsborg artists, Birger Sandzén, Carl G. Lotave, and Gustav Nathaniel Malm as a complement to the annual Messiah Festival at Bethany College. Throughout the years, art by regional and nationally known artists have been a part of the exhibition, which represents the oldest annual art exhibition in the state of Kansas. "The Colorful Worlds of Janet Turner and Norma Bassett Hall: Art from the Moffett Collection," showcases art by two preeminent printmakers with regional ties. They both began their printmaking careers with the basic blockprint, but each pushed themselves and their medium to new technical heights over the course of successful careers. Additionally, both placed a high priority on teaching the next generation of printmakers. Wherever they happened to be, these two artists looked to the natural world and the landscape around them for inspiration, finding infinite sources of captivating subjects. This exhibition presents 61 works on paper, including 48 pieces by Turner and 13 by Hall, all lent from the art collection of James and Virginia Moffett of Kansas City.
Ed Pointer is a Wichita landscape painter who has achieved great success among the region's watercolorists. He is a signature member of the Kansas Watercolor Society and the National Small Oil Painters. He writes about his exhibit "Under Sun and Sky:" "My paintings are interpretive, i.e. I don't copy the scene explicitly but like to leave room for a little creative interpretation." Painter David Vollbracht also creates interpretive landscapes, but uses oil paint and canvas. Regarding his upcoming exhibition, "From Prairie to Peaks," he writes, "This exhibition depicts my realistic impressions of the many varied landscapes of the Kansas prairie and Rocky Mountains. I would like the viewers of my paintings to feel my response to nature." The final exhibition has been developed by Curator Cori Sherman North from the Gallery's permanent collection. Birger Sandzén was an active participant in American watercolor groups around the country and in late 1933 he wrote to colleagues in the region, inviting them to establish the Prairie Water Color Painters club. Dues would be $1 per year and members would have the opportunity to exhibit in traveling shows throughout the academic year. The group's first exhibition was held in January of 1934 at Kansas State College (now University) in Manhattan, ushering in a tradition that would last until the early 1980s. Most of the artists' paintings in this sampling of the Prairie Water Color Painters' illustrious membership are from the Sandzén Gallery's permanent collection, but four pieces have been borrowed from other institutions: from the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, from the College of Arts and Sciences at Wichita State University, and from the James and Virginia Moffett Collection in Kansas City. The Sandzén Gallery is located at 401 North First Street in Lindsborg. Gallery hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission is free, with donations welcome. Docent tours for groups are available by two-week advance appointment with the Gallery. For more information about Birger Sandzén and the Gallery visit the website www.sandzen.org or telephone (785) 227-2220.
In order left to right: paintings by Ed Pointer, David Vollbracht and Birger Sandzén.