Current Exhibit March 14- April 19, 2025

The Shiawassee Arts Center opens a new exhibit featuring artwork by Karen Mead of Owosso, David Broadworth of Swartz Creek, Rochelle Aultman of Coleman and a “10 for 10 on Fire” group exhibit of ten clay artists. The exhibit, which runs March 14 – April 19 is sponsored by Cherie & Harlow Murray. The public is welcome to attend the ‘Meet the Artists’ reception Friday, March 14, 5-7pm.

“Ten for Ten on Fire”, is an exhibit of ten mid-Michigan clay artists, K W Bell, Mark Chatterley, Doug DeLind, Marie Gougeon, Barbara Hranilovich, Jann Johnson Lardie, WenFen Pan, Jim Reinert, Linda Ruehle and Beth Voulgaris, who will each exhibit ten pieces. All of these artists, who represent a total of over 250 years of working in clay, are excited about showing with their fellow comrades. Each of them brings their own distinctive style to this exhibit and all pieces will be available for sale. 

The majority of Karen Mead’s artwork includes photography, watercolor, mixed-media and abstract pieces. She has also been working a lot with texture and metallics, stating, “My style is exploratory because I can never limit myself to just one medium, subject or artistic patterning. I am always investigating new methods. In fact, I refuse to narrow myself down to just one style because it is my desire to always learn some new method or technique and to maintain a fresh outlook on art and how I offer it to others.”

David Broadworth began studying art at Mott Community College in the 1970s. Since 1997, he has renewed his education and practice of art following an unconventional path to educate himself in painting, through research and community education courses. He has been inspired throughout his life by the beauty of nature. As a young child growing up in rural America, he was consistently intrigued and fascinated by light, shadows and color in nature. His work is influenced by artists who share his enthusiasm for the natural environment, including Claude Monet, an Impressionist known for his interest in the effects of light and color, and Ansel Adams recognized for his appreciation and interest in protecting the environment.

At an early age Rochelle Aultman found solace in nature stating, “I spent hours outside daydreaming and staring up into the clouds, their beauty so transient and fleeting. Nature had a profound effect on me and triggered a deep emotional response to express that feeling.” Yūgen, Wabi-Sabi & Kintsugi are principles that helped shape Rochelle’s work. Wabi-Sabi is finding beauty in imperfection; that nothing is ever perfect, finished, or everlasting – just like nature, to find beauty in simplicity and to savor the moment. In Kintsugi, broken items are glued back together with a golden lacquer to accentuate the beauty of their imperfections. Aultman uses gold in many of her work as a metaphor that “not all that is broken, is lost”.