Downtown Gallery Walk displays local talent

The Downtown GalleryWalk, the second of four walks this year, took place Friday as patrons walked through the nine different galleries to view their exhibitions.\nBloomington resident Kathy Simack said the Walk is a great way for the community to see the art Bloomington has to offer. \n"It's so wonderful," she said. "It's nice to have the artists around to talk to you about their works." \nThe first stop on the walk was the Wandering Turtle Art Gallery & Gifts, 24 N. College Ave. The gallery features the works of local and regional artists with a taste for the natural aesthetics of the environment. Some of the most unique pieces on display are the various eye-catching mirror designs found throughout the gallery. \nThe second stop was Gallery North on the Square. The gallery, located at 116 W. Sixth St., features the works of more than 30 local and regional artists, varying from paintings and photography to media medleys and sculpture. Among the artists on display are Rachel Wright-Summerton and Evan Duning. \nSummerton, a third-generation artist, said her work has an ancient Egyptian theme.\n"I love anything antique and I am so interested in culture. Every culture should be represented in art." Summerton also displayed what she said is her first "Plein Air" painting -- a painting done "outside and in the open."\nDuning, a graphic designer and IU alumnus, displayed his printed photography and a painting.\n"I use anything I can find besides a brush," he said. "Creating this was difficult, because if I did something I didn't like, afterwards I couldn't go back and use a brush to change it."\nThe third stop, The Gallery, located at 109 E. Sixth St., features the work of 45 local and regional artists and craftsmen. The lower level features a fairly large collection of ceramics and sculpture, while the upper level balcony presents a variety of art forms including paintings, photography, sculpture and textiles.\nNext on the walk was Gallery West Espresso, 702 W. Kirkwood Ave. This gallery features paintings by several local artists. Tara Miller, an employee of the gallery, said she liked the mechanical sculptures in the entry room. \n"They are a good combination of machines and organic shapes," she said. "Also, most of the works here are affordable." \nThe fifth stop of the Walk was the Fossil Rain Natural Wonders & Handcrafted Jewelry, located at 115 N. College Ave., Suite 114. The gallery features the hand-crafted jewelry of Lorraine Merriman Farrell. The jewelry and other pieces are sculpted from fossils, gemstones, minerals and precious metals. The pieces includes delicate eggs, fossils and a variety of other precious things. \nThe sixth stop, By Hand Gallery, located at 109 Fountain Square Mall, featured a plethora of paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture and other unique pieces. A collection of mechanical animals, wooden treasures, fabric masterpieces, abstract clocks and wall pieces and a variety of hand-crafted items for children make this stop pleasing to the eyes and the heart.\nThe eighth stop is the John Waldron Arts Center, located at 122 S. Walnut St. The art center features two galleries, the Rosemary P. Miller Gallery and the Flashlight Gallery and, currently, the works of four artists: Jean Benabou, Richard Ferrer, Suzanna Hendrix and Daria Smith. The combined works of Benabou, Ferrer and Smith create an aesthetic array of tribal, cultural and sensual masterpieces, while Hendrix's "City Silhouettes" depict the natural beauty within the city limits. \nThe ninth and final stop of the Gallery Walk is the Bellevue Gallery, located in the Bloomington Playwrights Project, 312 S. Washington St. The gallery features the works of local and regional artists, including mixed media, painting, poetry and art pieces. \nOne piece attracting attention is the series of controversial dialogue entitled "Can we talk?" by Ruth Green. The piece depicts Lady Liberty providing opposing sides to several political and moral controversies: gun control, abortion, freedom of speech, drugs, voting, military actions and even rap music. \nThe Gallery Walk was sponsored by the Bloomington Area Arts Council and the John Waldron Art Center. The second of the series, the next walks will occur Oct. 3 and Dec. 5.