By ELLIE REPINSKI
On September 6, the Beloit Art Center hosted their monthly First Friday Gallery Reception to welcome their featured artists for September. Starting at 6 pm, the two featured artists, Mary Ann Inman, and Valerie Cohs, could speak about their works and their inspirations for all the guests present.
In the Sveum Gallery, Mary Ann Inman’s “That Was Then. This Is Now” is a beautiful combination of realism and abstract art. Her art showcases her expertise in oil, watercolor, mixed media, and photography.
When Mary Ann was in school, most professors stressed realism, so that background shaped her art style and her tendencies to paint portraits and human features. Recently, she has branched out to more abstract pieces.
A prominent motif in many of her realism pieces are hands, because she grew up on a farm. She describes her interest as, “You can tell a lot about someone by their hands.” The callouses tell stories about people and their lives; she wishes to convey that in her paintings.
Mary Ann Inman is a prominent figure in the local art community. She has been teaching art classes for twenty years and started a part-time business in 2004 called the School of Eclectic Art to focus on her own works and create an environment for artists. She has also served for 19 years as president of the Association of Wisconsin Artists Board of Directors. Many of her past students and associates were at the gallery to cheer her on.
In the Bell Gallery, Valerie Cohs showcases her resin art, including resin-poured canvases, ashtrays, and coasters. These pieces consist of many layers of resin and often include hand-placed glass shards and quartz crystals.
One of her dearest friends inspired Valerie to pick up the art style seven years ago when they asked her if she could recreate an idea for them. Ever since, Valerie has continued playing and working with resin, trying to incorporate her love for nature into her galaxy pieces.
She owns a small business called Runnin’ Resins, where she sells some of her pieces. You can find her business on Facebook and Instagram.
The last day of September’s gallery is Thursday, September 26, so there is a limited time to see the month’s featured artists.
The Beloit Art Center also has a Member Gallery, where artists with fewer pieces can still display and sell their work. Pieces by Susan Stopoulos, Brenda Thompson, Dan Wuthrich, and Zook will be on display until the end of October. These four artists range the mediums of acrylic, oil, resin, crushed glass, and digital artistry.
Visit beloitartcenter.com for a full schedule of future events and monthly galleries or to learn more about the artists themselves.
Featured Photo Info: Some of Mary Ann Inman’s pieces, photo taken at the Beloit September First Friday Gallery Walk, by Ellie Repinski
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