feeding the kitty

I write fairly often about exhibits at Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, Indiana. It's a great area resource. I love that their exhibits feature all types of art activities. (they have classes, too, including nuno felting...)

This past weekend we spent more time at the exhibits (five in all) than I think we ever have done before.This series closes on June 26--if you can, it's well worth a visit:
Woman as Artist, Woman as Muse: Diamond Collection Posters of the Belle Epoque 1890-1910
Women are featured as both artist and subject in these rare, original art nouveau advertising posters. We really enjoyed this exhibit that focused on women in many roles. Some were quite cheeky, others very demure. This exhibit shows the range of effects that can be achieved with lithography--from very crayonlike and loose drawings to almost photographic realism.

Tommy: The Material Girl (upstairs) -- Colorful art quilts by Tommy Fitzsimmons. Gorgeous hand-dyed fabrics are used in her interesting quilts.

Vintage Vogue: Cover Art from the LCA Permanent Collection (upstairs) -- From the permanent collection of the LCA, these Vogue magazine covers from 1916–1933 feature fashion illustration by masters of the Art Deco style, including Helen Dryden and Eduardo Benito. This isn't a huge exhibit but it nicely complements the others. I really like the earlier designs from the 19-teens.

This one closes June 24:
In Their Shoes, Artwork by the Social and Learning Institute for the Disadvantaged (downstairs)
Portraits and spectacularly decorated shoes created by clients of Michigan City’s Social and Learning Institute are featured in this exhibition. The product of weekly art classes, taught by local artist Debra Sawyer at Lubeznik Center for the Arts, the mixed media works are both expressive and exuberant. All of the artwork from the exhibition will be offered for sale, with prices starting at $75. Proceeds will benefit the Social and Learning Institute for the Disadvantaged as well as Lubeznik Center for the Arts’ outreach and education programs, like the one that produced this exhibition. Awesome and colorful. Check out the titles for the shoes. Amazing.

There was also an exhibit of portraits in acrylics and oil paint sticks downstairs that reminded me in some ways of the lithographs--broad strokes along with fine detail.

We topped our day off with a lakefront visit. Our local lakefront venue, the Hammond Marina, park and beach, is no longer available to us. Unless you live in Hammond you have to pay to get in and if you're out of state, like we are, it's $10 per visit. So, we'll probably be using more gas and driving out to the dunes area more often.