The Shiawassee Arts Center opens a new exhibit featuring artwork by Anthony Cairo of Lansing, Lisabeth Curnow of Holt, and the 2b Photographers Group of Lansing. The exhibit, which runs July 9 through August 25, is sponsored by Mrs. Edgar Brown. The public is welcome to attend the ‘Meet the Artists’ reception Friday, July 12, 5-7pm

Anthony M. Cairo, a traditional artist living in Lansing, Michigan, received his BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2015 with a focus on drawing. After graduating he apprenticed under the Michigan Capitol Master Decorative Artist in 2017, learning traditional oil painting techniques. Today he works as the lead Decorative painter at the Michigan State Capitol, and a nationally awarded landscape painter. His work has been featured in Southwest Art and Plein Air magazine. He explains, “The complex and endless beauty of the natural world is my greatest influence. I still find magic in these spaces, and they have become my greatest teacher. As a Michigander, my love of plein air painting, backcountry backpacking, and quiet areas without human traces provide regular sources of inspiration.

A Plein Air Artist to Watch: Anthony M. Cairo

Lisabeth Curnow, an award winning watercolor artist and instructor, is president of the Mid Michigan Art Guild (MMAG), active member of Lansing Women Artist Collective (LWAC) and Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association(GLPAPA). Her work has been included in exhibits throughout Michigan, including the Mackinac IsLand Art Museum, Crooked Tree Gallery Traverses City, and number Mid Michigan Galleries.

2B Photographers, a special interest group of the Michigan Garden Clubs District 2B, was launched by Sue Wittick in February, 2018, for garden club members to develop skills, practice techniques, display their work, share ideas, and critique images related to photography. The group meets monthly September through May. Currently, the group is facilitated by Melinda Pope, who states, “As photographers who are also gardeners, we strive to show nature in colorful and creative ways. Our photos convey our deep appreciation for the botanical. Creatures of the garden are often found in our images. Photography allows us the immediacy of the moment and the excitement of a new bloom or a new day”.

The Shiawassee Arts Center, celebrating its 52nd anniversary in 2024, is located at 206 Curwood Castle Drive in Owosso and is open to the public, free of charge, Monday through Friday 10-5pm, weekends 12-3pm. The Arts Center features the artwork of local and statewide artists in eight galleries including the Frieseke Gallery and a specialty Gift Shop. SAC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage participation and appreciation of the arts. For more information 989.723.8354 or visit www.shiawasseearts.org.