Would you tie yourself to the mast of ship in the middle of a storm at sea to have the experience and then paint it? Joseph Mallard William Turner (1755-1851), a revered English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist, did just that. The result was Turner’s famed “Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth,” exhibited in 1842.

Weather has always been the artist’s subject. Now Northeast Ohio artists bring their weather visions to the Whether to Weather Juried Art Exhibition at Summit Artspace on East Market, Feb. 21-March 28, 2020. The show is free and open to the public. Summit Artspace on East Market is located at 140 E. Market St., Akron.

WHETHER TO WEATHER OPENING NIGHT, FEB. 21
Winners for Whether to Weather will be announced at 7 p.m. during the free opening reception with artists on Friday, Feb. 21, 5-8 p.m., in the main gallery.

ARTIST DISCUSSION PANEL, MARCH 26
Battling the elements and envisioning them has always been a realm of interest to artists. Join the artists of Whether to Weather for a discussion, Thursday, March 26, 7-8 p.m. in the main gallery of Summit Artspace on East Market. The event is free and open to the public. Reserve your seat here.

WHETHER TO WEATHER JUROR
Artist Larry Pinkus of Akron is the Whether to Weather juror. His work, Red Horizon, is the show image.

ARTIST BIO

I am basically a self-taught artist and I write that with some reservation. Most of my work has been in photography since the late 90’s. Prior to that I did draw and paint but stopped in the mid 70’s when I started a family. I must admit that I love creating with photography.  I know from taking countless photos that it is very difficult to capture the perfect picture. I’ve also learned that digital editing can provide some unique opportunities to create. Most of my work has not been exhibited and would have never been viewed outside of my family if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my wife and sister. I have been surprised that most of my submissions have been accepted. I am also somewhat happy that I haven’t sold any work because everything I do is very personal. I really appreciate the opportunities Summit Artspace has provided for me and others. When asked to juror this show I was apprehensive but the encouragement provided by this venue gave me the confidence that I could do the job.

Let me explain why I have reservations calling myself an artist. I was sitting as a host for a show when a patron looking at the works was confounded why photography was included in the show. When she realized some of the works were mine an apology followed. But I understood the feeling she had. A painter, sculpture has invested a lot of time developing the piece, it has a tactile feeling which isn’t present in a photograph. With my pieces I try to blend the essence of the photograph with a feeling. It may take months before I am satisfied I have captured the essence of the piece. When I painted I believed my concepts were sound but my technique, brush strokes and blending wasn’t as good as it should be. In photography I occasionally take a good picture but it requires a lot of work, capturing the perfect lighting or having the right exposure. It also helps to have an assortment of lenses. Being self-taught, I sort of stumble around in my quest to learn. With digital photography and editing a whole new world of creativity is available. Some of my failures in photography have become my favorite art pieces. Partly because they aren’t perfect, they look more like a painting after I have manipulated them in Photoshop. For me there is no bad picture. I can always find something I can use to create a unique piece.

Summit Artspace will be showing a collection of Pinkus’ work in the side gallery to the main show.

GALLERY HOURS
Summit Artspace’s main gallery is open weekly Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours include the March 7 Artwalk, 5-9 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. on March 19 for Third Thursday.

ABOUT SUMMIT ARTSPACE
Summit Artspace is a non-profit arts organization that provides studio, exhibit and programming spaces in Summit County and the surrounding area for local artists and arts organizations; and is a center for art education open to all residents. Contact Summit Artspace at 330-376-8480. On the Web at www.summitartspace.org. Find us on: Facebook, Twitter at @AkronAreaArts, Instagram and Snapchat.

FREE PARKING BEHIND BUILDING.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.
ELEVATOR AVAILABLE.

See the Summit Artspace exhibit calendar for directions.
Plan your visit by clicking here.
Have questions? Here is our Frequently Asked Questions page.