The Edge Center Gallery resumes regular hours for it’s sixth season starting May 6 with the work of Bigfork students in 7th through 12th grades. The Gallery is open from 1 to 4 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Don’t forget that the Juried Show entries are due on Friday, May 7. Original entry forms stated that the entries were due on Monday, but that was an error; May 7 is correct. For details, check the Edge Center website at www.the-edge-center.org.

On May 19, there is an Artists’ Reception in the Gallery from 5:00 to 7:00 and the Bigfork High School Spring Concert at 7:00. Student artwork is some of the most interesting, imaginative and emotional work you will see in the Gallery. Art teacher, Roberta Steinhart, works with students on three components of art. Students learn artistic skills whether it is in contour drawing, using a camera effectively or mixing colors of paint. At the same time they are practicing effective composition -the arrangement of shapes and lines, color and texture, and darks and lights. The most important and subtle aspect of art that the young artists are learning is to create art that conveys meaning. Steinhart teaches the students about “finding their voice in art.” For Steinhart “art is a vehicle of communication” and it is important to have something to say. The student work often reflects aspects of their lives as emerging adults.

Creative problem solving is one of the ways that studying art can influence everyday life. Even if art students never pursue artistic activities in the future, what they learn about creativity can help them throughout life. For example, one of the projects that the 8th graders do in Art Class is “Circle, Dot, Line”.

Each student makes a picture using all the elements on the page, not moving them around, working from any direction and presenting something that hasn’t been done before. A number of solutions the 8th graders produced will be included in the Student Art Show.

Art work from classes in general art, two dimensional art, senior art, book arts and photography are part of the exhibit. On two fine spring days two contrasting projects were completed outside. In one the students did detailed pen and ink drawings of trees. In the other project, they worked together on huge pieces of paper with house painting brushes and rollers in black and white. The completely different approaches opened their eyes, and ours, to the many possibilities for artists in representing what they see.

The Bigfork Student Art Exhibit begins on May 6 and continues through May 22. The Artists’ Reception is from 5 to 7 pm on May 19 before the Bigfork High School Spring Concert with the Band and Choir, directed by Alycia Hoff. Enjoy a wonderful evening of students’ artistic expression in music and visual art. Refreshments will be served at the reception.

Edge Center Gallery 2010 Calendar

May 6-22 – Bigfork Student Art Show
Reception: Wednesday, May 19, 5-7 pm

May 27-June 26 – Snow Blind: Winter Paintings by Nicole Fredrickson
Reception: Friday, May 28, 5-7 pm

July 1-31 – Art on the Edge: Sixth Annual Juried Art Exhibition
Reception and Awards Ceremony: Friday, July 2, 5-7 pm