The Art Barn School of Art is excited to announce a current exhibit with regional artists about pollinator species and native plants titled "Butterflies and Beyond", on display from now until September 27, 2024. In tandem with Art Barn's 8th annual Art Blitz, there will also be a Butterflies and Beyond Market on September 21 from 9am-5pm to purchase a wide array of work from the exhibiting artists.
This invitational exhibition features 16 regional artists who make art about the diverse pollinator species and plants native to Northwest Indiana. Many are familiar with the endangered monarch butterfly and the milkweed plants the caterpillars feed on, but there are thousands of other species that make their home here and pollinate trees, flowers, and even food crops. Northwest Indiana is home to over 300 native bee species, thousands of beetle pollinators, bird pollinators such as hummingbirds and orioles, and hundreds of butterfly and moth species that make our ecosystem special.
Participating artists: Carol Estes, Betsy Fleek, Chris Hartz, Christine Hubbell, Susan Kirt, Kristina Knowski, Judy Lynn, Nancy Natow Cassidy, Mary Ann Pals, Ann Tompkins, Mindy Wallis, Melissa Washburn, Nicole Wilbur, Gail Woolever and Bonnie Zimmer
In 2021 we began an initiative to support pollinators with our first major project to create our “Monarch-Maker Gardens” with funding from NiSource Foundation and Cleveland Cliffs Foundation. With gardens in place we began offering nature-based educational art programs that relate to the gardens and bring awareness to the importance of native plants and pollinators. Many of these programs are in collaboration with other community organizations including Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Humane Indiana Wildlife, Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Audubon.
Observing the number of artists in the community that are producing art about this same topic, we invited thirty-four artists of diverse backgrounds and experience to participate in this exhibition. When submitting work we encouraged them to consider butterflies along with other important pollinators that make Northwest Indiana home, as well as the native plants they rely on for food and shelter. Their interpretations exemplify the importance of native species and the impact they have in our world. Artwork represents at least 14 pollinator and 12 plant species as well as 3 specific locations locally.
Additionally, we will exhibit paintings in acrylic, oil and watercolor as well as prints from our collection. Artists include John Bern, Kei Constantinov, Jim Ferm, Geri McDaniel, Russell Nelson, Joanne O'Connor, Janet Smedley, Janet Sullivan and unknown artists. Art Barn's collection of over 2000 pieces was accumulated by founder Janet Sullivan as an investment strategy over many years and became the property of Art Barn upon her passing in 2016. We selected the most important and historically significant works to retain for our permanent collection and identified pieces with appeal for auction as well as works that would be offered for sale through Art Barn. Purchases of these artworks provide a legacy for growth as we strategically expand our programming and community reach.
The "Butterflies & Beyond" exhibition and related programs are supported in part by Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation.
Gail Woolever, The Night Shift, Watercolor
ABOUT:
Art Barn School of Art is dedicated to fostering a love of art in its unique 69-acre environment in Porter County, IN. Art Barn offers a full range of art education classes for children and adults and is a venue for performing arts, meetings and weddings. We rotate exhibitions every 6 weeks that feature regional artists, help to highlight our community partnerships and our collection. We host an annual Juried Art Exhibition that recognizes the creation of original quality 2-D works of art, as well as ceramics. The exhibition, with a 30-year history, attracts 400+ entries from aspiring and established artists from the region and nation. A major upcoming Art Barn event is the 8th annual outdoor Art Blitz art festival on September 21, which engages visitors in art-making, demonstrations, music & food.