Artists, Mentors Team Up

When you look at “Tideway,” a painting hanging on the second floor of the NSH Gallery, you’ll see an illusion of texture. Deep teal gives the impression of water rushing down it.

“What I really like about it is it really captures the symmetry and rawness of nature,” said LBCC student Trever Brice.

Brice was one of a myriad of students who attended the reception at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, on the second floor of NSH. A table of light refreshments was set up in front of the balcony in the main walkway. People were gathering to listen to artist mentors and mentees during this reception for the “Esteem: Artists and Mentors” gallery.

This gallery covers both floors of NSH and features a range of art mediums from abstract animation and ceramics, handmade books, paintings, and more. Each submission is a pair of artworks. One from a mentor and one from their mentee. Each mentor also had a short dialogue on display next to their arts. Artists all over Oregon were written to and invited to have their pieces on display for the gallery. Some pieces were even mailed in.

At 1:22 p.m. LBCC student gallery advisor Anne Magratten introduced the gallery and invited the artists to say a few words. The crowd listened attentively as the four artists; Craig Hickman, Geogiana Nehl, Jan Shield, and Ying Tan; in attendance.

Nehl spoke affectionately about her mentee Linnea Solveig. “Her work really amazes me. She is such a storyteller,” said Nehl. “It was a delight to be able to be in a show with her.”

Nehl and Solveig submitted a pair of paintings for the gallery. Nehl’s painting is an abstract view of a plate and silverware, inside of a geometrically painted frame. It is titled “House of Pratyahara.” Solveig’s is a somewhat abstract and more brightly colored painting of human figures pieced together with different body parts, titled “Family tree.”

Shield was a mentor to Richard Roland. Both are ceramic artists.

Roland was a philosopher before becoming an artist. The pair have also spent time studying fine arts together in Tasmania, Austrailia, and more locally, in Roland’s studio.

Shield’s pieces in the show include a very organically shaped ceramic piece titled “entwined”, and a multimedia piece titled “Liberty”. Roland also had several pieces on display.  One being a sizable clay sculpture of a tree log, titled “hallow Tree-Po` (Flight – Realm of the Gods Anagama fired).

Hickman introduced Tan, saying how he just always admired her work and design. Tan does abstract animation and  does photography. Tan has an animation on display on a television. Next to it, Hickman has a photo on display of the side of a building that focuses on its geometric shapes with playful imagery across it.