By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Arts Center will feature “A Summer Together” by Larry Peters and Barbara Waterman-Peters, a husband and wife team from Topeka, for the Summer Art Walk on Friday.
Barbara primarily works in oil on canvas. Larry produces ceramics as well as mixed-media artwork.
“These will be pieces that have figurative subjects in them,” Brenda Meder, director of the Hays Arts Council, said. “Larry’s works are a little more conceptual and abstract. Some of them are even inspired by the Holocaust. It is the stripes that are his inspiration. It is not an in-your-face darkness kind of thing. It has been an inspiration for a whole series of paintings he has done.”
Larry earned a BFA in 1962 from Washburn University in Topeka, and an MFA in 1965 from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, according to his bio on the Strecker Nelson West Gallery website. He joined the Topeka Library first as a reader’s adviser in the fine arts department, and went on to become the director of the library’s gallery in 1974, retiring in 2003. Special honors include the creation of a bird ornament for the 2002 White House Christmas tree and participation in the U.S. State Department “Arts in the Embassies” program.
Barbara has a BFA from Washburn University and MFA from Kansas State University, according to her website. She has shown regionally, nationally and internationally in more than 250 solo, invitational and juried exhibitions. Waterman-Peters taught at Washburn and Kansas State Universities as well as Lassen Community College in California. She writes about artists for TOPEKA and LAWRENCE Magazines and has illustrated several books.
“Even though their styles are different, you can truly see the inspiration they get from each other,” Meder said, “but they don’t attempt to do what the other does in any way, shape or form.”
Meder said some of Barbara’s paintings almost look like photographs.
“The personalities—you just feel like you know who these people are—you want to know them,” Meder said of Barbara’s paintings. “Don’t they feel so real and honest? She is an incredible figurative artist.”
The couple plans to attend the opening reception for the exhibit on Friday. The Art Walk will be 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The show will be on exhibit at the Arts Center through Aug. 10.
The Hays Arts Center Annex will feature Gordon Sherman, Dagan Sherman, Ariel Sherman and Brian Hutchinson in “Shermantiestablishmentism Part Deux.”
Gordon Sherman is a longtime professor at FHSU in printmaking. His son, Dagan, and former student, Hutchinson, are both also teachers and printmakers. Hutchinson, who was teaching art in Great Bend, has recently been hired to teach FHSU. He will be working with art education majors. Hutchinson has also taught summer youth art classes for the HAC.
Ariel works in fiber arts. Gordon also does paintings and assemblage work.
As usual, there will be several venues where you can listen to music, including Max Walker and Friends at the Downtown Pavilion, hosted by the Downtown Hays Development Corporation; Sunrise Biscuits at Breathe Coffee House; Company 11 at Paisley Pear; Wayne and Tammy Lang at the Ellis County Historical Society; and jazz by Brad Dawson and Luke Johnson at Gella’s Diner.
Dawson and Johnson will perform later in evening from 9 to 11 p.m., Company 11 will perform from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Paisley Pear, and Wayne and Tammy Lang will perform from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the museum. The historical society also will feature 2-D and 3-D artwork by Harley Torres and Tyler Dallis,
Also in the area of the Pavilion at Union Pacific Park will be “Apophenia Art” by Craig Brendan and the KSU Watersheds and City of Hays WOW Trailer. Brendan is a self-taught artist who often works in pen and ink and mixed media. The Watershed on Wheels Trailer features hand-pained murals by FHSU students that tell the story of Hays water system and need for water conversation.
“They are using the art to have it be something bigger,” Meder said of the WOW trailer.
Visual art at Breathe will be “Wednesday Morning Breakfast” Club with Jim Hinkhouse, Michael Jilg, Kathleen Kuchar, Darrell McGinnis and Cal Mahin. This group is retired art faculty who still meet regularly for breakfast.
You can see a preview of the Hays Community Theatre’s summer musical, “The King and I” at its new performance space at 121 E. Eighth.
Angela Muller, who will exhibit at Couture for Men and Women uses many organic media in her paintings, including rainwater, wheat kernels and ground limestone. Her exhibit is titled “Spirit of the Prairie.” Although her materials are natural, her visual presentation tends to be more abstract, Meder said.
“They are made with these true, organic things—a very spiritual approach to art that is very much of the earth,” Meder said.
Meder is trying to get an exhibit of Muller’s work at the Art Center later this year.
A variety of young artists will be featured during the art exhibit. The Hays Public Library will present “The Art of Coding: Stem & Robots” by local teens.
The library also will host Sean Conroy, author of “Through the Eyes of a Young Physician Assistant.” He will be selling and signing books.
A2Z Escape will feature sisters Morgan and Madison Schremmer, both of Ellis County. Morgan is a student at FHSU and is a painter. Madison is a photographers. Jeanne Schwartz, a non-traditional FHSU student from Hays, will exhibit her mixed media work.
Students Kurt Breshears, Woody Stauffer and Zane Mahanna will be a part of an exhibit that will also include Holly Ray, Nicole Thibodeau and Shannon Trevethan, director of the Denies Culture Center in Russell. The exhibit will be at Thibodeau’s home at 206 E. Sixth St. These artists work in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture and photography.
Thibodeau works at the Hays Public Library and will be leading a Plein Air Painting Workshop on Saturday, June 23 at the Ag Research Center, which is sponsored by the Hays Arts Council. Enrollment is sill open for that workshop.
Diamond R. Jewelry will feature Darris Worcester of Hill City. Meder said he paints traditional subjects in a traditional style on canvas, paper as well as saw blades and metal. This is his first time on the Art Walk.
Avalon Advanced Health, which in Eagle Plaza at 27th and Hall streets, is on the Art Walk for the first time. They will be open from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and feature the works of Aaron Phillips, recent FHSU BFA grad; Brett Novack; and Can “Cadie” Long. Long was a student at FHSU and, since graduation, has moved to the west coast. She specializes in 3-D art and illustrations. Phillips is a painter.
The Summer Art Walk tends to have fewer stops than the spring event, Meder said.
“This is still a lot of places,” she said. “Because there are fewer places, maybe people’s pace for the evening will be a little more relaxed, and that is kind of nice too. There is still enough here to completely fill up three hours. It is nice people can just take their time and really relish what I hope will be gorgeous evening.”
Below is the complete schedule:
2018 Hays Arts Council
~ Summer Art Walk ~
Friday, June 15 – 6:30-9:30pm
Hays Arts Center
112 E. 11th “Peters/Waterman-Peters: A Summer Together”
Works by Barbara Waterman-Peters & Larry Peters
Hays Public Library
1205 Main “The Art of Coding: STEM Projects & Robots”
~ presented by the Young Adult Department
Sean Conroy book signing ~
“Through the Eyes of Young Physician Assistant”
Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro, Market
1100 Main Photography by Gilbert Kinderknecht
Live Music by “Company 11” 8:30-10:30pm
Couture for Men & Women
1111 Main “Spirit of the Prairie” earth art with limestone,
wheat kernels & cottonwood by Angela Muller
J Studio & Salon
112 W 11th Sculpture by Danielle Robinson,
Poetry by Ross Karlin, & Music by Lane Werth
Hays Arts Center Annex
1010 Main “Shermantiestablishmentism Part Deux”
works by Gordon Sherman, Dagan Sherman,
Ariel Sherman, & Brian Hutchinson
Paintings & Photographs by Bruce Burkholder
Union Pacific Park
10th & Main “Apophenia Art” by Craig Brendan
KSU Watersheds & City of Hays “WOW Trailer”
~ with hand painted interior murals
Downtown Pavilion (hosted by DHDC)
10th & Main Live Music by Max Walker
Hays Community Theatre
121 E. 8th “The King and I” HCT Summer Musical Showcase
A2Z Escape
115 W. 8th Paintings, photography & mixed media works
by Madison Schremmer, Morgan Schremmer
& Jeanne Schwartz
Diamond R Jewelry
807 Main Paintings by Darris Worcester
Breathe Coffee House
703 Main “Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club”
~ works by Jim Hinkhouse, Michael Jilg,
Kathleen Kuchar, Darrell McGinnis, and Cal Mahin
Music by “Sunrise Biscuits”
Ellis County Historical Society
100 W. 7th “Exploration” ceramics & drawings
by Harley Torres & Tyler Dallis
Music by Wayne & Tammy Lang
Garden Art Gallery
206 E. 6th Works by Kurt Breshears, Zane Mahanna,
Woody Stauffer, Holly Ray,
Shannon Trevethan & Nicole Thibodeau
Friday, June 15 – Early or Extended Hours
Avalon Advanced Health 5:00-7:30pm
2703 Hall, Suite13 Works by Aaron Phillips,
Can “Cadie” Long & Brett Novack
Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co. 9:00-11:00pm
117 E. 11th Live Jazz by Brad Dawson and Luke Johnson