July 6, 2017
“Rural Contemplations II” is the sixth dual exhibit by Doris B. Myers and Bonnie Zimmer presented over nearly two decades. Heartland Artists Gallery will be displaying this show from July 9th to the 29th. The theme of each of their shows has always been inspired and informed by nature and the rural Jasper county surroundings in which they have both lived all of their lives. This show continues to acknowledge their “actions” as well as their rich sources of the rural place with its natural and human-made inspirations for the individual and collaborative creative work they do and the close relationship they share.
Rural: in, relating to, or characteristic of the countryside rather than the town, country, countryside, bucolic, rustic, pastoral, agricultural, agrarian
Contemplation: the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time; deep reflective thought and observation, viewing, examination, inspection, observation, survey, study, scrutiny, thought, reflection, meditation, consideration, deliberation, reverie, introspection
The Mother / Daughter artists will present a range of two and three dimensional art created in response to their rural surroundings in northwest Indiana. Both Doris and Bonnie have had long and productive careers as artists, art educators, and arts activists. Doris’s award winning oil, acrylic and watercolors reflect her versatility as an artist with mostly landscapes that range in style from realism to abstraction and her unique pointillism technique. Bonnie creates what she considers fiber sculptures using natural and “rescued” materials harvested from the woods, roadsides, and her family farm. She will exhibit basket/vessels that “hold ideas”, sculptures, and a new site specific installation. There will be an Open House to meet the artists and invite the community to see their unique art on Sunday, July 9 from 1:00-4:00 at the Gallery.
Doris holds a B.S. from Valparaiso University and an M.A. from Ball State. She retired from teaching art at Kankakee Valley High School in 1985 and has continued as a Visiting Artist, teaching special workshops, demonstrating, lecturing and staying involved with her community promoting the arts. Her award winning artwork is in private collections across the globe. Doris resides outside of Wheatfield on the Myers family farm where she lived and raised four children with her late husband Rich. Doris looks forward to celebrating her 96th birthday in November and many more years of making and exhibiting her art. Doris states, “As a painter and lifetime resident of rural Indiana, I am most at home drawing upon nature for my subject matter. My work reflects my environment. I try to paint part of each week, often working in series. Working on location is a special experience for me whether I am teaching a group or working alone. Most of my paintings, however, are done in my studio, sometimes based in part from a photo as well as from memory. Although I have developed a personal style, I like to approach each of my paintings as an individual statement as I continue to contemplate and respond to my surroundings.”
Bonnie holds a B.F.A in Textiles from Indiana University and an M.A. from Purdue. She also taught art at all levels for over 40 years, recently retiring from Saint Joseph’s College as Art Department Chair where she taught from 1999 to 2016. She too has exhibited widely, winning numerous awards including top honors in South Shore Arts Salon Show in 2016. Bonnie is very active as a Visiting Artist and teacher, also promoting art in her greater Rensselaer community. She was a founder of the Prairie Arts Council and several of its major programs serving on its board since 1993. She loves retirement and being able to make art full time in her rural studio and home where lives with her husband, Bill. They have three grown children.
With Bonnie’s background in textiles, she considers herself a fiber sculptor. Her “contemplations” take the form of material studies as she works directly with natural and found materials “harvested” from the fields, woods and roadsides near her rural home in Rensselaer and the family’s farm near Wheatfield. By limiting herself to local objects with their unique “stories” and the compelling natural materials to which she has found a deep connection, she discovered her ideal media for contemplating and exploring her sense of place and finding meaning.
“My work in this show surveys a range of my creative contemplations from a rural perspective including experimental, playful, and optimistic endeavors to works grounded in concern and frustration”. She shares“I like to approach each of my sculptures as an individual statement as I continue to contemplate and respond to my surroundings.” Some of her thoughts about her paintings: “Dance – is a favorite broad theme of mine and attempts to capture and honor varied rhythms of life. Installation for Heartland 2017 – is another of my site-specific installations created using my collection of natural and rescued materials I have gathered from my rural surroundings that allow me to spontaneously create a one-of-a-kind work expressing our gratitude for this exhibition opportunity”.
“Most broadly, my work with natural and discarded/found materials references our materialistic culture and invites people take a closer look at what we’re (over) consuming and often carelessly discard”.
The Heartland Artists Gallery’s mission is to support area artists, to bring and to teach the arts to our community. Our not-for-profit Gallery gives area artists a venue to show and sell their art. Our art classes
fulfill our passion for educating and assist in our financial means to maintain the Gallery. For information – www.heartlandartgallery.com, Facebook 936.9515. The Gallery is located in Downtown Plymouth. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10-4.
Photo Captions:
Bonnie Zimmer, Fiber Sculptor, shares “Most broadly, my work with natural and discarded/found materials references our materialistic culture and invites people take a closer look at what we’re (over) consuming and often carelessly discard”.
Doris B. Myers, Doris’s award winning oil, acrylic and watercolors reflect her versatility as an artist with mostly landscapes that range in style from realism to abstraction and her unique pointillism technique.