By Gari Voss
The Allegan Area Arts Council’s Art Reach Program hosted a Members’ Open House on Monday, November 18, 2024, to feature new pieces of art by area artists. This group of artwork ranges from beautiful landscapes to abstracts to furniture.
The featured five artists are Paula Corlett Mintek, Diane Sumner, Celeste Cummings, Judith Gunter-Smalla, and Don Austin. The pieces will be on display until February 1, 2025.
Paulette Carr shared, “This is a member show. The next show will be open to the public. The goal is to begin theme shows. One would be an all student show, there would be another member show, but the group is open to other themed ideas.”
Pictured at right, Don Austin stands amidst the workstations he has designed and built. As a retired college professor of design, having a hobby creating furniture and other pieces for customers makes sense. The pieces on display align with a design for a fly fishing company. The forms are inspired by trout in the Western United States. Austin used predominantly maple and cherry to capture the hues of the fish, and even the steel bases remind one of the silver flashes that often reflect off the fish as they dance through the river. The pieces were designed for a corporate office but could be used in a home setting. Being a person who enjoys being out in nature, the workstations and even the chair on display give that feeling of the natural environment. At this time, Austin does design and construction full time. After teaching graphic design, photography, and furniture design for 35 years, this form of art seems to be in his blood, and he is extremely busy with special design projects for customers.
The Art Council is currently looking for artists who would like to display their pieces. Those interested can reach out to Paulette Carr at Brave Art Studios and Gallery (269) 264-4150 or brave.art.carr@gmail.com.
