BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
UNION TOWNSHIP -- Five stations along Lakota West High School's "Main Street" will provide professional and student artists a variety of backgrounds for today's "draw-in."
The event is part of the opening of the Main Street Art Gallery, set for 1-3 p.m. at the school, 8940 Union Centre Blvd. Several community artists will join students in setting up easels in the school hallway.
A baby grand piano with accompaniment by flute and violin will provide classical and ethnic music. Members of the school's Cultural Enhancement Club will model ethnic costumes at the displays and will provide food samples from various countries.
"This is going to be an outstanding way not only to officially open our art gallery but to showcase the incredible talent our students have," said Principal Craig Ullery. "We'd like to turn this into an annual festival of sorts that encompasses all the performing arts."
The gallery, which offers three exhibition areas including jewelry and ceramics, was assembled under the direction of art teachers Nancy Frazer and Pat Young. Student artwork, professionally matted and framed by sponsors, will be on display and will later become part of a traveling show, tentatively set for summer.
"I'm real excited about this," Mrs. Frazer said. "The support has been great. When you put creative people together something unexpected happens."
Up to 20 pieces of work from students in each of Lakota West's feeder schools -- Adena, Shawnee, Freedom, Cherokee, Union and Heritage elementary schools, Liberty and Hopewell junior schools and the Freshman School -- also will be on display for the gallery's opening. Students from those schools, along with the community, may participate in the draw-in.
Participating artists include Marta C. Wendt, a painter and sculptor from Oxford; Sharon Saluga, a pastel artist from Lebanon; Aaron Butler, of the Cincinnati Art Academy; and Phil Joseph, a pastel artist from Miami University.
"Professional artists will mentor to our art students. It's kind of an inspiration for our art students," Mrs. Frazer said. "We've also invited our sponsors to come and meet the student whose work they frame."
Landscape artist and Lakota High graduate Kathy Varnau-Hilsercop is putting together the landscaping for the stations, which will include a display from Africa, India, and a Great Gatsby scene complete with a Model T provided by Fox Towing.
"I grew up in art," said Ms. Varnau-Hilsercop. "We want to bring in as much color and unusual plants as possible to present an artistic view of landscaping from the view of the different cultures." The school will also play host to a permanent gallery of work by professional artists. West Chester artist Bren Quiett Reisch has donated abstract expressionist pieces of work, as has Georgetown artist John Ruthven who does nature pencil and water colors.
"I'm amazed at what they've been able to do in such a short time," Mr. Ullery said of the gallery.
"It's just grown and grown."
