YMCA art show celebrates creativity
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Art doesn't always require formal training or an understanding of technique. Sometimes, it comes down to a simple, personal response: You see something, and you know you like it.
That philosophy is at the heart of the 13th annual "But I Know What I Like" art show, which opened Sunday with a reception at the Davis Family YMCA. The exhibition features 159 works by 79 artists and will remain on display through Nov. 8.
Open to amateur and professional artists within a 40-mile radius, the show brings together paintings, photography, drawings and other creative works. Its distinctive judging process emphasizes personal response rather than technical knowledge.
"The name BIKWIL is short for But I Know What I Like, which usually follows 'I may not know art,' and that is the only criterion needed to judge," said juror Phyllis Patterson. "It's a visceral reaction to a work of art."
Three jurors independently selected their 10 favorite works, without evaluating the entries according to formal artistic standards.
"The beauty of BIKWIL is that there are no themes or trends," Patterson said. "Photography competes against watercolor; pencil drawings against pottery; oil against acrylic; portraits against abstract."
Patterson, who has served as a juror twice, said the strongest entries conveyed confidence in the artist's vision.
She enjoys visiting art museums, including the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Butler Institute of American Art.
"The Sunday show is always a treat meeting the artists and witnessing the joy on their faces when they are recognized," she said. "The art display is a real gift to everyone who enters the Y and it brings a lot of joy."
Suzanne Gray of Columbiana, the exhibition coordinator and the YMCA's arts and humanities coordinator and adult painting instructor, said the annual show also supports an important cause. Proceeds from the exhibition fund the John Patterson Art Scholarship for adults with neurological disabilities.
Patterson, a longtime YMCA member, took many art classes and created hundreds of colorful paintings. Although he was never diagnosed, Gray said many people believed he may have had some form of autism.
"John had a hard time interacting with others, sometimes lived at the Rescue Mission and was sometimes homeless, but he was a longtime member of the YMCA and took many art classes," Gray said.
After Patterson died, his church donated money to the YMCA, which used the contribution to establish the scholarship in his memory.
The YMCA also offers "Art Outside the Lines," a class for people with special needs and disabilities. Its broader arts programming includes visual and performance art classes taught by professionals, workshops and informal clubs.
BEST OF SHOW
Mark Cappabianco, 79, of Boardman, received Best of Show for his painting "Gentle Woman," a representation of the Blessed Mother named after a hymn.
Cappabianco drew inspiration from the portraits of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, whose bold shapes, elongated lines and expressive faces influenced his approach.
"I wanted to explore his style and bring my own touch to it," Cappabianco said.
The painting took about three weeks to complete as he refined details and adjusted the composition.
"I hope viewers notice what I see -- the eyes, the expressions, the colors, and the shapes," he said. "Most of all, I hope they enjoy the paintings and appreciate art wherever they find it."
Although he minored in art in college, Cappabianco began expressing himself creatively through glasswork before turning more seriously to painting. Color has remained a common thread, from his traditional landscapes to later abstract work.
He began painting at 69, eager to explore different approaches.
"I felt I had a lot to explore and less time to do it, so I tried different approaches," he said.
Today, portraiture has become his primary interest.
WATERCOLOR FINDS BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY
Elizabeth Lowe, 80, of Poland, described her watercolor "Complementary" as an exploration of colors and shapes of glass bottles in a simple composition.
Lowe was looking for a new painting challenge when she decided to work from a photograph of the bottles. A friend suggested the title because the painting features complementary colors.
The project took about a month, with Lowe painting a little each day. The background required experimentation with a technique she had not previously tried.
"It was a little like an experiment to see if it turned out, and it did," she said.
Lowe hopes viewers enjoy the work's colors, shapes and simplicity.
Interested in art since childhood, she minored in art in college and explored needlework, drawing, painting and design. After retiring, she returned to watercolor classes at the Butler Institute of American Art and the YMCA.
She continues taking classes, enjoying the opportunity to paint alongside others and exchange advice.
Lowe prefers realistic subjects, particularly still lifes and flowers, but appreciates the way watercolor allows the paint and water to influence the finished image. Her next challenge is painting a vase of flowers against a vivid red background while creating a sense of depth.
PHOTOGRAPHY PRESERVES COMMUNITY MEMORIES
Linda Vasconi of Hubbard submitted two works: "Rear View Mirror," a photograph mounted on metal, and "Rabkin's Garden," a pencil drawing based on her photography.
"Rear View Mirror" captures the interior of a Youngstown church that recently closed. A church member invited photographers inside before the final service to document the building.
Vasconi photographed a mirror resting on the pipe organ in the choir loft. Because the organ faced the choir rather than the minister, the organist relied on the mirror to see the minister's cues.
The title also suggests how congregants look back on a place filled with memories.
Vasconi hopes the photograph encourages reflection on endings, closure and the experiences communities share.
"Youngstown, like most rust belt cities, has experienced great loss and amazing survival," she said. "Our churches always felt to be the last great structures in the city that steel forgot."
She hopes photographs of these buildings preserve an important part of the region's history.
Her second work, "Rabkin's Garden," grew out of a visit to a private Japanese garden. The owner welcomed photographers, allowing Vasconi to capture a setting intended to encourage reflection, harmony and connection with nature.
Vasconi has been taking photographs for more than 40 years, inspired by her junior high school Earth Science teacher. Drawing is a more recent pursuit, one that has encouraged her to explore new creative directions.
She is now working on a portrait-style photographic series and experimenting with collages combining photography and drawing.
PAINTING OUTDOORS CAPTURES AUTUMN’S BRILLIANCE
Rebecca Hawkins, 76, of Columbiana, received a Jurors' Award for "Canfield Fair Demo." She also highlighted "Autumn Brilliance," a pastel painting created last fall at Whitehouse Farms.
Hawkins painted outdoors, working directly from the landscape rather than a photograph. The brilliant colors she observed inspired the title.
"I love to scribble with them, using as many colors as I can," she said of pastels.
Fall is among her favorite seasons for painting, with its changing colors and seemingly endless landscape possibilities.
"Autumn Brilliance" was painted en plein air, a French term for painting outdoors while observing the actual subject. Because light changes quickly, artists must work efficiently. Hawkins completed the piece in two to three hours.
"If I work too long on it, I put in too much detail," she said. "I prefer an impressionistic look."
Hawkins chose nursing as a career rather than pursuing art professionally, concerned about the financial uncertainty associated with being an artist. Since retiring, however, she has returned to pastels, the medium favored by her high school art teacher.
Nature, particularly trees and landscapes, remains a frequent subject. Painting outdoors offers its own rewards, she said, from hearing birds and feeling the breeze to taking in the scents of the surroundings.
"It also lifts my spirit," Hawkins said.
OTHER WINNERS
In addition to Cappabianco's Best of Show award, Jurors' Awards went to Willie Duck Jr. for "Steel Bridge in Winter," Hawkins for "Canfield Fair Demo" and Beth Lowe for "Complimentary."
Merit Awards were presented to David Henley for "Dark Wednesday," Edward Jones for "Still Life," Suzanne Mikusevich for "Stella's Umbrella" and Judith Smith for "Sunset."
Honorable mentions went to Beth Basista, "A Day Well Played"; Cheryl Cumberledge, "For on a Little Pad"; Lisa Frederick, "Sweetbriarn 23875"; Elizabeth Ford, "Here Come the Girls"; Angela Garner, "I Am Somebody"; Nancy Hawkins, "West Toward the Sun"; Christ Kacvinsky, "John"; Audrey Richards, "Stirling Castle"; Lisa Rohrbaugh, "Free Flow"; Maria Saunders, "Winter Landscape"; Elizabeth Thomas, "Saints and Devils"; and Cheryl Thompson, "Swimming."