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http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...71faeb1f84.html

New York artist Amanda Katz has agreed to loan "Vessel," her spectacular steel and wood sculpture, to the Lubeznik Center for the Arts Center in Michigan City free of charge.

So now, a major internet campaign is underway to cut the costs to transport it to the region.

Despite the artwork's name, it doesn't travel so easily I'm told.

Sandi Weindling, director of marketing for this community art center, says her organization is now looking to the Web for what she dubs as "public art funding."

She also admits it poses a bit of a challenge transport a 10 foot tall, 750 pound sculpture.

So even though Katz has agreed to loan "Vessel," her spectacular steel and wood sculpture to the Center free of charge, the costs to transport it to Michigan City would run thousands of dollars.

Katz is familiar with the costs and logistics because her sculpture was previously transported to Grand Rapids, Mich., where it was featured at ArtPrize in 2010.

A non-profit organization, Lubeznik Center has now turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for "Vessel's" voyage from New York to Michigan City.

A new way to fund creative projects, Kickstarter offers artists, filmmakers, musicians, performers, and others an opportunity to bring their dreams to life by soliciting investments from the public at kickstarter.com.

I'm told Kickstarter project creators woo investment with "smart, fun, and tangible rewards."

So Lubeznik Center is now offering everything from bookmarks to cocktail receptions to their "Vessel" voyage patrons.

Any Kickstarter project does have a limited amount of time to achieve its funding goals.

So for the "Vessel Voyage" campaign, the time frame is until Thursday, June 2 to raise $4,500.

And if that not isn't raised, no money will change hands.

To learn more visit kickstarter.com and search for the words "Vessel Voyage."

The Lubeznik Center is located at 101 W. 2nd St., at the lakefront in Michigan City.

Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Galleries are closed on Mondays. For more information please visit lubeznikcenter.org or call (219) 874-4900.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852.4327.

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http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2011-...lubeznik-center

Sculpture to get transport, via Web
May 22, 2011

MICHIGAN CITY — Lubeznik Center for the Arts is attempting to transport a 10-foot-tall, 750-pound sculpture via the Internet.

New York artist Amanda Katz has agreed to loan her steel-and-wood sculpture “Vessel Voyage” to the center free of charge. However, it will cost thousands of dollars to transport it to Michigan City.

A nonprofit organization, Lubeznik has turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for the transportation of the sculpture from New York to Michigan City. Lubeznik will offer everything from bookmarks to cocktail receptions for “Vessel Voyage” patrons. Each Kickstarter project has a limited amount of time to achieve its funding goals: “Vessel Voyage” has until June 2 to raise $4,500.

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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...46873892687.txt

Art center raises funds to transport sculpture here

From Staff Reports
Published: Friday, June 17, 2011 5:09 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Thanks to 55 “backers” and the Internet funding website Kickstarter, the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St., has raised the $4,500 needed to transport the 10-foot tall, 750-pound sculpture “Vessel” from New York to the center for the “Text Messages” exhibit that opens July 1.

Composed of wood and steel, “Vessel” features fragments of poetry meticulously cut from plywood and attached to a massive metal framework. Artist Amanda Katz previously exhibited the large-scale work at Grand Rapids’ Art Prize, where it was spotted by Lubeznik Center curator Carol Ann Brown.

In order to achieve transport and installation, the nonprofit Lubeznik Center posted its project, “Vessel Voyage,” on Kickstarter in early May, wooing potential investors with road-trip themed rewards ranging from bookmarks to a cocktail reception.

“Vessel” is scheduled to end its cross-country journey June 29, coming to rest on the front lawn of the Lubeznik Center. The public is invited to view the sculpture as it is lifted off the truck in one piece and installed just off Second Street, where it will remain through September.

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An opening reception for “Text Messages” is from 5 to 8 p.m. July 1.

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http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/arts...df40967b81.html

CarolAnn Brown, co–curator of Michigan City's Lubeznik Center for the Arts' "Text Messages," expects her exhibit to force attendees to look beyond the words accompanying the art.

"We're used to seeing language in only one dimension, and hopefully this engages and challenges people to embody how language functions in a different way and through an artist's eyes," she said. "The viewer is challenged by the work because of the materials that are used that are being taken out of context and then what they reveal in terms of a message by the use of language."

Celebrating the exhibit's opening with a reception at Lubeznik's Hyndman Gallery at 5 p.m. July 1, Brown, who is Lubeznik Center's exhibitions curator, created "Messages" with Suzanne Cohan–Lange, the center's chair of the curatorial committee. Over the years, the duo accumulated submissions by artists who use text prominently in their work for matters such as inclusion in past Lubeznik shows.

Consisting of more than 40 two- and three-dimensional pieces, "Messages" is made up of works by seven artists from the region, Chicagoland and beyond.

"Some of it's very entertaining, some of it's very subtle," Brown said of "Messages." "As a whole, I'm anticipating that this show will reveal a wide range of how text is used to convey different messages ... some of (the pieces) are very simple and use everyday objects taken out of context and put into another context. Some of it is very layered in its meaning."

One of the highlights of "Messages" is "Vessel," a steel and wood sculpture 10-feet high and 750 pounds created by New York–based poet and artist Amanda Katz. Lubeznik Center partnered with Kickstarter, a New York–based organization which assists in funding arts projects throughout the country, to bring Katz' "Vessel" from New York to the center.

Katz received bachelor's degrees in art and art history from Colgate University in New York and is working on a master's degree from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She has exhibited her art throughout New York and the East Coast and is currently working on a commissioned piece for the Copper Colored Mountain Arts Center in Ann Arbor.

"My art is really about the periods of shifting legibility, when the viewer's ability to read is in flux," Katz said. "With ('Vessel'), you can't stand in one place in read the entire poem. In order to read the whole thing, you have to walk around it, or crouch down, or walk away or get up close. What is revealed and what is not revealed is constantly changing based on where you are in relation to the sculpture."

Katz created her mammoth "Vessel" in 2008 and 2009 and is made up of fragments and phrases in her original poems.

"I wanted to create a different experience of poetry, a non–narrative experience where you're reading words that don't tell a story, words that evoke a mood," Katz said. "To me, the real art that's happening is the perceptual experience the viewer's having and how they read it and how they negotiate the space between the body and this thing."

"Vessel" is scheduled to arrive at Lubeznik Center on June 29 and will be available for viewing on the front lawn.

Glen Ellyn–based graphic designer and instructor Jean Bevier is featured in "Messages" with three pieces. An associate professor at Dominican University in west suburban River Forest, Bevier has shown her works at Windy City venues such as Lill Street Art Center and Vespine Gallery and has also been featured in exhibits in Cincinnati and St. James, New York.

"I love type. I love the message within type itself, within type style, and the message that a particular type of font can solicit," she said. "I'm also interested in language and the strengths and weaknesses of language. Language can explain things and language can also get us hopelessly lost. As a graphic designer, it was a natural direction for me to use text in my work."

One of Bevier's pieces in "Messages," "Relax," was created specifically for the exhibit. "Relax" is made up of more than 150 smoke bombs painted red and assembled to spell out the name of the piece.

Bevier was inspired to create "Relax" from trips she's taken over the years from her DuPage County home base to vacation destinations in Union Pier and New Buffalo.

"Before you get there, to this wonderful relaxing place, you run the gauntlet of a variety of these fireworks warehouses, and that's always been an interesting paradox for me," she said. "It's this contrast between the relaxation and all these explosive devises. And because the show opens on the Fourth of July weekend, I decided to use a piece that uses fireworks."

Exhibiting alongside Bevier and Katz in "Messages" are Michael Smith from Ogden Dunes, Lora Fosberg from Bloomington, Kansas City's Jennifer Boe, Karin Vance Chickadel from Seattle and Charles F. Wickler from Waukesha, Wis.

"Text Messages" is scheduled to run at Lubeznik Center's Hyndman Gallery through Oct. 2.

Lubeznik Center for the Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/arts...l#ixzz1QU5VdGVK

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http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2011-...lubeznik-center

30th Lubeznik art festival this week
August 18, 2011|By South Bend Tribune Staff Report

MICHIGAN CITY -- The Lubeznik Center for the Arts' Lakefront Art Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in Washington Park.

Now in its 30th year, this juried festival will feature works by more than 100 artists and craftspeople from across the country. Artists are accepted in five categories: two-dimensional, photography, wearable art, fine craft and sculptural objects.

The Children's Art Activity Tent offer painting activities and entertainment by Michiana Clowns.

A major fundraiser for Lubeznik Center, proceeds support exhibitions, programs and outreach.

Free parking with shuttle service is available at the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets North lot, the Lubeznik Center and Michigan City City Hall.

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Artists pleased with festival’s outcome

By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:09 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Despite some rain Saturday, artists say the Lakefront Art Festival was their “best show all year” in terms of sales, according to Sandi Weindling, director of marketing for the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, the event’s sponsor.

While Saturday might have been better without the rain, Weindling said, “The weather on Sunday was perfect, absolutely perfect.”

Even on Saturday, Weindling said some artists noted, “In Chicago, absolutely no one would have visited the show, but here, we saw people in their rain gear walking around.”

What’s more, since most artists come equipped with tents or other temporary shelter, Weindling said, “I believe every artist had guests during the rain.”

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She said the bookkeeping for the festival will not be completed for a couple of weeks, and no one will know how much money the festival raised for the Lubeznik Center until that work is finished.

In terms of attendance, Weindling said, “I would say it likely was close to last year,” when about 6,000 people attended the festival.

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Lakefront Art Festival announces artist awards

Published: Monday, August 22, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — The Lubeznik Center's Lakefront Art Festival at Washington Park is a juried art fair, awarding cash prizes in several categories. The prize winners were announced Sunday.

Lakefront Art Fest award winners by category

Fine Craft

1st Place - Joe Pelka, Fort Wayne

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2nd Place - Faith Wickey, Centreville, Mich.

3rd Place - Steven Skinner, Chicago

Wearable Art

1st Place - Amy Johnson, Charlotte, N.C.

2nd Place - Dave Davis, Grand Junction, Colo.

3rd Place - Linda Mickevicius, Michigan City

Sculptural Art

1st Place - Wayne Harshberger, Goshen

2nd Place - Joanie Drizin, Indianapolis

3rd Place - Braxton Eikenberry, Macy

2-D Art

1st Place - Kenton Ridenour, Peru (Ind.)

2nd Place - Laurel Izard, Michigan City

3rd Place - Barbara Raidl, Chicago

Photography

1st Place - Julie Schwarz, Union Pier, Mich.

2nd Place - James French, Fairfax, Va.

3rd Place - Richard Gallup, Kirtland, Ohio

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http://www.southbendtribune.com/entertainm...0,1580213.story

Lubeznik explores time and motion

8:02 a.m. EDT, October 10, 2011
MICHIGAN CITY - Two artists explore perceptions of time and motion, employing very different mediums, in new exhibits that open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. CDT Friday and continue through Dec. 18 at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St.

Jozef Sumichrast’s “String Theory” features a sculpture of the same name comprised of 11 horses (representing the 11 dimensions of string theory) and the numerous strings that suspend them. The dramatic installation relies on the observer to provide motion, changing perspectives and perceptions through interaction with the large-scale, hanging work of art.

The photographs in “Larry Chait: Motion and Memory” have their origins in a road trip taken in April 2005 and evoke the blurry lens through which we all view childhood memories. Chait says, “This was my first time driving through this part of the country since I was a child. Being somewhat nostalgic in my highly urbanized middle age, I decided to document the journey with my camera. Due to restrictions imposed by the driver (my wife) I had to take most of the photos through a closed window at high rates of speed.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, call 219-874-4900 or visit the website lubeznikcenter.org.

Copyright © 2011, South Bend Tribune

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New exhibits arrive at Lubeznik Center for the Arts

Topped with skulls found in her backyard, artist Anneke Dekker-Olthof’s installation “Contrary to Popular Belief, All Beings Go to Heaven” is part of a new exhibit called “Lost & Found” at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts. Photo by Amanda Jacobson
Published: Saturday, October 15, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Four new exhibits opened at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts Friday evening, with an opening reception featuring music and light refreshments for guests.

From 6 to 8 p.m., art lovers perused the Hyndman Gallery to catch a glimpse of artist Jozef Sumichrast’s “String Theory” exhibit, featuring large-scale installments constructed of hundreds of individual pieces hung with hundreds of strings to form cohesive, multi-dimensional works. The centerpiece of Sumichrast’s exhibit was formed with 108 pieces of urethane, hung with 214 pieces of string.

Also on display in the Hyndman Gallery were works by photographer/artist Larry Chait, which document his journey through the Midwestern rural landscape. Chait’s exhibit, titled “Motion and Memory” consists of photographs taken from the passenger seat of a moving car.

In the upstairs gallery sections of the Lubeznik Center was the exhibit “Lost & Found,” featuring sculptures, installations and even collages made from found objects. Various artists from the Area Artists Association contributed works to the collection. One piece, a collage named “Homework Devil” by Laurel Izard, was made from paper scraps the artist found left behind in her classroom at Marquette High School.

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The fourth exhibit on display in the NIPSCO Art Education Studios was the 28th Annual Indiana Wildlife Artists Exhibit. Every piece was based on the subject of nature or wildlife and the artists’ experience ranged from amateur to professional.

All exhibits will be on display in the Lubeznik Center for the Arts from Oct. 14 to Dec. 18, with the exception of the Indiana Wildlife Artists Exhibit, which will remain on display until Jan. 6.

New arrivals at Lubeznik Center for the Arts

Exhibit: Lost & Found

Gallery: Brincka/Cross and Robert Saxton Galleries

What: Found objects connect these various works created by Area Artists Association members

When: Oct. 14 to Dec. 18

Exhibit: String Theory

Gallery: Hyndman Gallery

What: A series of multi-dimensional installations hung with hundreds of strings, created by artist Jozef Sumichrast.

When: Oct. 14 to Dec. 18

Exhibit: Indiana Wildlife Artists’ 28th Annual Exhibit

Gallery: NIPSCO Art Education Studios

What: A traveling collection of works by amateur and professional artists working in the subject area of wildlife and nature.

When: Oct. 14 to Jan. 6

Exhibit: Motion and Memory

Gallery: Hyndman Gallery

What: A series of evocative photographs by artist Larry Chait, exploring the elements of time and distance.

When: Oct. 14 to Dec. 18

For more information, visit www.lubeznikcenter.org or call 874-4900.

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The photographs that served as the templates for Chicago–based photographer Larry Chait's "Motion and Memory" were shot in what may seem to be less than ideal conditions.

In 2005, Chait shot the images that would become his exhibit in transit from Chicago to Iowa.

"I was taking them from the window of my car, and my wife didn't let me take the window down because it was so hot and she wanted the air conditioning on," he said. "When I looked at the pictures, they weren't very good, but that's what sort of gave me the idea of playing around with them in Photoshop. I just sort of found by accident an interesting style to these."

On display at Michigan City's Lubeznik Center for the Arts' Hyndman Gallery through Dec. 18, Chait was reared in Iowa and Kansas. Although he was artistically inclined at an early age, Chait first pursued a career in science, receiving degrees in chemistry and pharmacology.

Chait made his way to Chicago in 1982, taking a position as a researcher at the University of Chicago, before immersing himself full–time into photography. Inspired by the possibilities offered in digital photography and computer manipulation of photographs, he has spent the last nine years primarily focused on his art.

"There's something about the power and the total control that it gives you compared to working in a darkroom," said Chait, who resides in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. "With digital, if you wanted to, you could change every single little pixel in an image. You can make it look however you want. And I really enjoy that kind of power and control."

Over the course of the last near–decade, Chait's works have been exhibited in group and solo shows at area venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center, Merchandise Mart and the Illinois Institute of Art. His creations have also been part of shows at galleries in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Colorado and Virginia.

"Motion" is made up of a dozen photos from Chait's 2005 trip to Iowa. Despite taking digital liberties with the source photos, Chait hopes that heartland exhibit–goers may recall their own excursions through rural America through his creations.

"I was sort of hoping they would remind me of the road trips I took as a child, when I was growing up," he said of "Motion." "It might make viewers remember where they grew up or they might just appreciate the unusual look of the photos. There's not any specific conclusion that I want viewers to draw from them. It's my expression if growing up in the Midwest."

Lubeznik Center for the Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/entert...l#ixzz1c5pcrEP8

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New year theme of Lubeznik event


5:30 a.m. EST, January 1, 2012
MICHIGAN CITY -- The Lubeznik Center for the Arts' January After-Hours Open House takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. CST Friday at 101 W. Second St.

Local businesses will offer a variety of ways to begin the new year with a happy and healthy start.

Therapists from Blue Chip Casino's Spa Blu will give complimentary chair massages, while practitioners from Michigan City's Massage Therapy & Wellness Center will provide a "peaceful pause" in view of artworks from the Lubeznik's permanent collection.

Representatives from Natures Cupboard will provide bio-energetic nutritional profiles, and Andy and Katrina Buckman of Great Horse Teas will serve samples of exotic artisan teas, along with information about their histories and health benefits.

Laurel Izard will give tarot card readings and licensed hypnotherapist Randi Light will help attendees create a vision board.

Samples from Shoreline Brewery also will be available.

Admission is free.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST Saturdays and Sundays.

For more information, call 219-874-4900 or visit the website lubeznikcenter.org.

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http://www.southbendtribune.com/entertainm...0,6382550.story

'Earth' on display at Lubeznik Center

5:32 a.m. EST, January 8, 2012
MICHIGAN CITY -- The Smithsonian's "Earth From Space" exhibit opens with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. CST Saturday and continues through March 11 at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St.

The exhibit features 40 detailed satellite images of the planet -- from the swirling arms of a massive hurricane and the gridlike pattern of Kansas farmland to the triangular shadows cast by the Great Pyramids and the sinuous channels entering the Arctic Ocean.

"Earth From Space" illustrates how satellite imagery is gathered and used to expand mankind's understanding of life on Earth. It also explores the remote sensing technology used to gather the images and discusses the individual satellites whose images are on display.

Earth from Space was developed by the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Shawn Slavin, a Purdue University Calumet associate professor of physics and astronomy, will present the program "Space From Earth" at 7 p.m. CST Feb. 23.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST Saturdays and Sundays.

For more information, call 219-874-4900 or visit the website lubeznikcenter.org

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A deeper appreciation

Dennis Brittain leads Saturday’s opera discussion at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St. Photo by Deborah Sederberg
Opera expert helps audience experience musical genre
By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, January 8, 2012 5:06 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — With his Bose radio and CD player, David Brittain, while certainly an expert on the musical art form known as opera, as well as a trained musician, approached his subject as a fan during Saturday’s program at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St.

Chuckling, and referring to his technique as the “Zen of Opera,” he asked audience members to close their eyes and breathe from their diaphragms as if they were engaged in singing the recorded music he played. He then added another dimension to the experience by spraying the back of the hands of willing participants with a dab of an expensive musk scent, then asked everyone to repeat the experience of breathing and listening, while inhaling the musk.

Janet Bloch, who says she “knows almost nothing” about opera, said the aroma took her more deeply into the music.

“You become one with the music,” Brittain suggested and Bloch smiled while nodding.

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Brittain conducted the first of a number of introductions to opera the Lubeznik Center is sponsoring in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera live and encore broadcasts at AMC Showplace Michigan City 14.

Like many lovers of music of all sorts, Brittain keeps an assortment of operatic music from many periods on his cell phone.

Nonetheless, he also used CDs to give his audience a sample of the music by Guillaume de Machaut, a 14th century composer and poet. When asked about the language of the music, Brittain said it was “Old French.”

In a friendly conversational style, with an occasional bit of song from his own voice (a bar or two of the Bach-Gounad “Ave Maria,” for example), he put his audience at ease and urged them to give opera a chance.

Fran Lysaught, a retired teacher, enthusiastically agrees. Seeing opera in high definition at a Michigan City movie theater is extremely convenient, she noted, and much less expensive than a trip to Chicago to see a Lyric Opera production.

Besides, Brittain said, at the movie theater, a fan can load up on popcorn and pop.

IF YOU GO

The discussion group again will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Lubeznik Center. The opera “The Enchanted Island” will be shown in a live broadcast at 11:55 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, and in encore presentation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8. Visit www.amctheatres.com/MichiganCity/ for a complete AMC schedule.

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Despite technological advancements over the decades, the Smithsonian Institution's "Earth From Space" exhibit still leaves viewers in awe.

The satellite images of our planet that are part of the show were considered cutting edge in their day and crucial new tools for a myriad of science applications. Now, similar images can be seen by anyone with an Internet connection on websites such as Google Earth.

Yet Andrew K. Johnston, curator of "Earth" for the Smithsonian, says attendees continue to be amazed by the traveling exhibit.

"I thought people would get a little less interested in looking at these images, because they can get on their web browser and see them, but people are still interested in this stuff," he said. "The images in the exhibit don't look like the images they see on the servers, and they are still interested and have all sorts of questions."

Celebrating the opening of the exhibit at Michigan City's Lubeznik Center for the Arts with a reception on Jan. 14, the images that make up "Earth" were first seen by the public in book form in 2004.

The book is also titled "Earth From Space" was penned by Johnston, who is a geographer at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. "Earth," the book, offers approximately 200 satellite images of Earth, which offered new perspectives beneficial in the fields of meteorology, topology and urban infrastructure.

Two years later, "Earth" became a traveling exhibit, created by Johnson in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at their National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

On exhibit are 41 (4-foot-by-7-foot) banners of the various satellite images, which both hone in on specific regions of the world and grand shots of the planet, and an electronic globe, which projects animated satellite imagery of the earth's atmosphere.

"I wanted to show people the diversity of different kinds of images we get from orbiting satellites," Johnston said. "We had satellites that looked at regional scales, so you could see changes over, say an entire U.S. state. And then there's another set of satellites that look at the whole hemisphere all at once, that look at weather patterns.

"I wanted to get the point across that there are different satellites that are designed and built for different goals, depending on what you want to look at."

CarolAnn Brown, Lubeznik Center curator of exhibitions, is enthusiastic about bringing the exhibit to the region and expects "Earth" to appeal to more than art aficionados.

"When I saw the images I thought they were stunning," she said. "From a weather aspect, from geology and ecology and urban aspects, I thought that this was pretty exiting stuff ... It encompasses a larger demographic that we normally wouldn't be able to reach out to. This is something that I think everyone can relate to and will be interested in. And it's factual. It's a direct representation of Earth from space."

The Smithsonian's "Earth" stop at Lubeznik Center is the final destination of its half decade–plus voyage, but it also marks a new territory for the traveling exhibit. "Earth," up until now, has been showcased in science museums. The Lubeznik stop, Johnston said, is its first in a museum with a primary focus on art.

"I hope that they're able to appreciate that some these images are just really darn beautiful, and that they're captivated by some of these images," he said. "Whether you're trying to predict where a tropical storm is going to go, whether you're trying to see how a metropolitan area has changed through time, or whether you're trying to see where new streets are being built in a town, there's all these very diverse views out there."

Brown likes the science surrounding the exhibit.

"For me, the attraction was the dynamic between art and science," she said. "The feeling that I had was being able to do something in this capacity that generally really wouldn't be at a gallery. And I know that a lot of folks in this area don't have the opportunity to experience something like this, and I was very exited about that aspect."

Lubeznik Center education coordinator Janet Bloch has a myriad of plans for students who view "Earth" on field trips and for participants in the center's after-school programs. While the exhibit provides plenty of source material, she also noted the topographical makeup in and around our backyard

"A lot of the things that we're going to see in those banners are different kinds of terrain that are from around the world, but that we also actually have in our own region, like sand dunes, bodies of water and wetlands," Bloch said. "We'll talk about those and how they relate to our region ... we, in fact have all the different types of terrain except for glaciers. This area's really rich for that."

Johnston has lent his voice to an audio tour created by Lubeznik Center as part of the exhibit. Additionally, copies of "Earth," the book, will be available in the Lubeznik Center gallery shop for purchase during the exhibit's run.

"Earth" will also be complemented by a lecture "Space From Earth" at 7 p.m. Feb. 23. The lecture, which will elaborate upon interpreting space images as seen from our planet, will be hosted by Shawn Slavin, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Purdue University Calumet.

Additionally, Bloch also has her sights set on programs and seminars geared toward older exhibit–goers during "Earth's" run.

"Going over longitude and latitude is helpful for adults as well as children," she said. "We haven't had this stuff for a while. It'll be a nice way to review things we first learned in the fourth grade. There's a lot of information (in "Earth") that we can take to all sorts of different places."

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/arts...l#ixzz1jMuzNhOB

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http://posttrib.suntimes.com/lifestyles/11...us-banners.html

Rope them in.

Old-time circuses knew how to do that.

Sensationalism and bluster were used to lure audiences.

Circus sideshow banners that display the art of colorful advertising are showcased in a new exhibition at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City.

Kicking off with a March 16 opening reception and then running through May 20, “Ladies & Gentlemen, Children of All Ages, Step Right Up!” trots out 16 original banners from the 1940s through the ’60s.

They herald amazing feats and outrageous oddities, including a “cyclops pig.”

These promotional tools reflect an era that came before high-tech elements entered the world of big-top entertainment.

The banners often made claims that seemed outlandish by utilizing fantastic images.

The eye-catching creations at the Lubeznik Center’s Hyndman Gallery are as large as 8 feet wide.

“It’s uniquely American folk art the whole family can appreciate,” CarolAnn Brown, the Lubeznik Center’s exhibitions curator, said.

Chicago’s Carl Hammer Gallery and Col. Hunsley of LaPorte County supplied banners for this flashback of fantasy that includes sideshow artifacts of the surreal variety.

A two-headed calf and a snake with weird dimensions are served up to show the twisted side of the taxidermy process.

Six of the banners are on loan from Hunsley, proprietor of Col. Hunsley’s Freaks and Oddities, according to the Lubeznik Center.

Those types of painted works reflect a bygone era when such banners drummed up money from the public by depicting “very bizarre things,” according to Hunsley.

Aside from the link to the circus midway, Hunsley has purchased sideshow banners for a simple reason.

“The art appealed to me,” the collector noted.

According to the Lubeznik Center, painted sideshow banners were a popular and sensational form of advertising through the first half of the 20th century.

Johnny Meah and Jack Cripe were in the intriguing realm of banner painters during that era, and are represented in the Lubeznik Center exhibition.

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Fish prints on display at Lubeznik Center

Janet Bloch, education director at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, stands near a few on the prints on display and up for auction. Photo by Ilene Haluska
By Ilene Haluska
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, March 17, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Vinyl is one way to preserve a piece of art, especially outdoor, public art encountering all types of weather.

The idea was put into motion last fall when about 100 fourth graders from the Michigan City Lake Hills Elementary School made paper prints of fish from life-sized rubber replica fish representative of Lake Michigan like salmon, trout, blue gill, carp and perch.

The art process the kids used was Gyotaku (pronounced Guy-o-ta-cu), using the traditional form of Japanese fish printing by rubbing paint on fish and pressing it onto paper used by fishermen to record their catches from the mid-19th century. The kids later took their original artworks home.

Yet some fish prints made by the kids were scanned and arranged on the 36 inch by 24 inch vinyls consisting of 10 to 14 fish on each vinyl. The vinyls went into six, 28 inch by 42 inch paneled kiosks, said Janet Bloch, education director at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.

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The vinyls cost more than $200 each to design and print.

Dedicated last fall, the kiosks (not the digital type), are outside at Michigan Boulevard and U.S. Highway at the 12 Horizon Cares Kiosk in Wescott Park. Horizon Bank is a major stakeholder in the Charles Westcott public art project and the sole supporter of a six-paneled community art kiosk featuring children’s art.

The fish print vinyls are the first ones made for the kiosks and were displayed all winter.

“We chose it because vinyl is weather resistant,” Bloch said. “If it’s rained on, you just wipe it down.”

Now a silent auction for the framed vinyls that were in the Horizon Cares Kiosk in Wescott Park is taking place to help raise funds to continue future kids projects like that for the kiosk. Bidding starts at $100 for each vinyl, with a minimum $10 raise and a buy it now price of $250 each. The auction began Friday, March 16 and ends Friday, March 30 at 4 p.m.

“It is a fundraiser for the children’s art that will go in the Horizan Cares Kiosk in Wescott Park,” Bloch said.

Two prints each are on display at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. 2nd St., Michigan City; the Michigan City La Porte Convention and Visitors Bureau, 4073 S. Franklin St., Michigan; and two are at the Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. Fourth St. Michigan City.

“They’re lively colorful artworks that would fit right in for anybody who has a cabin or room with fishing decor,” Bloch said.

The kid’s art in vinyls will rotate in the future and upcoming exhibits could include youth posters from the Black History Month and comic strip art from Rolling Prairie Elementary School students.

“It might take a few times to get things going,” Bloch said.

The fish print project was a collaboration with Lubeznik Center for the Arts, the Department of Natural Resources and La Porte County Soil and Water Conservation District based on the Indiana Coastal Awareness Month grant from the Indiana Coastal Grant Program. Funds raised will go toward future kids art projects.

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Garden items attract browsers at Lubeznik

By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, May 7, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — It was going to be a tent sale, the weekend garden sale and celebration at the Jack and Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts.

"But it got so breezy on Friday night that we took the tent down," said Esther Guncheon, manager of the center's gift shop.

The courtyard area, near the entrance, made an attractive sales areas with many items displayed on tables and some in the surrounding greenery. Customers seemed pleased, Guncheon said Sunday afternoon, just before a bit of thunder rumbled through the area.

A group of $5 metal sticks with a curled end to hold clay name tags would help gardeners to identify their herbs — chamomile, oregano, sage, etc.

Also available was a collection of blue ceramic eggs with strategic openings for feeding or housing birds. The eggs, by artist Lynne Tan, look as if baby birds recently hatched from them.

Other bird houses, of felted wool, by Jone Rakoski, have a completely different and cozy look.

Sophie Koss, an occasional Lubeznik employee, admired Leslie Shelhart's seahorse mosaic, which reflects light and shines in the sun.

John Habela's metal sculpture, made from pieces of old Indiana farm equipment, added a bit of whimsy and color to the garden items.

A large representation of a hosta leaf was much sturdier than it looked. "It's made of cement," Koss said. It can serve as a bird bath. "Or you can use it in the house, perhaps as a place to put the mail," she added.

Guncheon even wore a wraparound skirt/dress and a fascinator hat by Amanda Joyner to the sale event.

Also available were various pieces of pottery and a variety of other items.

Margaret Zeek, who works in the gift shop, told Guncheon she was pleased with sales figures.

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http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/entert...mment_form=true

To CarolAnn Brown, co-curator of Michigan City’s Lubeznik Center for the Arts’ “Light and Flow” exhibit, the impact of the studio glass movement on the fine arts world can’t be underestimated.

“There was a real paradigm shift in the 1960s in terms of American culture, and as a result, there was a redefining of some new aesthetics, and the studio glass movement was part of that shift,” she said. “It was a new medium that went beyond the industrial production. It took root and it transcended the utilitarian function of it to a fine art.”

The exhibit runs through Aug. 26 at Lubeznik Center’s Brincka/Cross and Robert Saxton Galleries.

Brown traces the origins of the studio glass movement to 1962, when the first workshops making glass a material and medium accessible to artists were held at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Additionally, “Light” is part of a nationwide celebration of the movement’s golden anniversary; according to Brown, approximately 200 galleries and art organizations throughout the country will hold exhibits or events in honor of glass art.

For “Light,” Brown and Lubeznik aligned themselves with Ken Saunders Gallery and Echt Gallery, two prominent glass art venues located in downtown Chicago. The show also received support from the nationally renowned Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, which is spearheading many of the 50th anniversary celebrations, and the Midwest Contemporary Glass Art Group.

“We work a lot with Chicago galleries and gallery owners, so it was a pretty seamless process in terms of curating the show,” Brown said.

Approximately two dozen pieces of art from both Ken Saunders and Echt galleries were selected, with the oldest dating back to the ’80s and the most recent works created this year. “Light” consists of bowls, vases, sculptural work, blown glass and caste glass pieces, to name just a few.

“I think people have this idea of what studio glass is, and I think that this is a perfect opportunity for them to step out of the box and really see what the studio glass movement is about and what’s happened over the years,” Brown said of the exhibit.

“I think what draws people to it is that it’s a medium of sculptural expression, much like ceramics and metal and wood,” she added. “And there’s a level of skill that’s required when you’re using molten glass.”

An OnCell tour will be available for people to call from their cell phones for a more personal tour, and the exhibit will also feature reproduced photographs from the first Studio Glass Workshop at the Toledo Museum of Art from 50 years ago, complemented by a 20-minute documentary.

Lubeznik Center for the Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

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http://www.portagelife.com/entertainment/a...r-special-event

Written by Jenn Eubanks
Last Updated on 04 February 2013

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Art-of-the-Valetine-1Carolyn Saxton, Executive Director of the Lubeznik Center in Michigan City, presented her vintage valentines at the Art of The Valentine event on February 3rd. Saxton’s cards and postcards dated back to the late 18th century and ranged to the mid-20th century which her audience found to be absolutely amazing.

The Lubeznik Center showcases artworks, hosts various artist events, and also provides the Michigan City community with engaging craft classes. Saxton’s collection fit perfectly in the Hyndman Gallery although some of her Valentine cards had to be left at home because it is so extensive. Art is viewed by Saxton in many ways and, of course, it is never limited.

Art-of-the-Valetine-2“I think there are various types of art and people don’t need to be buttonholed into thinking it’s all just one way or one particular thing… You typically think of visual art and sculptural art, but people can be very artistic in their decorating, in their design, in writing, and in theatre. The key is to really look inward and see where your artistic talent may lie, focus on that, and move that talent forward,” voiced Saxton.

History has blessed Valentine cards in many ways, yet in the present time, they seem to be lacking in creativity with their well-known “frills” and unoriginal messages. During the late 18th century, handmade art was very detailed; today, these vintage works are hard to find, but Saxton has uncovered more than a few in her collective search.

Bill Gregory, Saxton’s husband, shared, “We have a whole display case in the living room devoted to Valentine cards; what’s here in the show is only a part of what she has. She’s been very serious about it for a long time… She’s done a display road show at least two or three times now and she thought it was very appropriate to bring these to the Lubeznik Center.”

Art-of-the-Valetine-3Saxton started off collecting Valentine themed calling cards which then lead to gathering cards and postcards. For 26 years, she and her husband have visited auctions, flea markets, antique stores, and paper shows to assist their varying collections. Although their interests differ, they share a wonderful hobby: finding and appreciating their own forms of art.

The Lubeznik Center has helped provide assorted trades a home and still continues this goal in the Michigan City community. With support from Michigan City Enrichment, Duneland Health Council (Indiana Arts Commission), Horizon Bank, Anderson Foundation, and other general donations, the staff makes sure to take care and maintain their facility for present and future artists.

Art-of-the-Valetine-4Saxton extends a warm invitation to experience the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, “It’s casual… people can come in jeans or shorts in the summer; they can come after work and be dressed up or dressed down, it doesn’t matter. We want people to come in and experience what we have to offer.”

Not only does the Lubeznik Center showcase collections, but they also have a running special event called “First Fridays @ 5”. Make sure to visit for a time that you will never forget!

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Lakefront-Arts-Festis year's event brings over 100 fine artists and craftspeople from across the country. Enjoy shopping for one-of-a-kind items in a variety of different price ranges. Admission is only $4 for adults, while children under 12 and active military with CACDD1173 card are admitted free. Proceeds from the Festival provide support for Lubeznik Center’s after-school and summer art instruction reaching over 1000 local children and the Center’s exhibitions which are seen by over 20,000 visitors each year.

Lubeznik Center for the Arts Executive Director, Carolyn Saxton said, "Lubeznik Center is working very hard to make this year’s Art Festival even more exceptional for the community. With over 200 artists submitting their work for inclusion we had a wide selection from which to choose. I am sure everyone will find something to purchase for themselves or as gifts for family and friends."

Event Highlights
Lubeznik Center’s Lakefront Art Festival is a juried art fair, which means that each artist must apply, and be accepted, in order to exhibit. The application process begins only months after each Lakefront Festival ends. Lubeznik Center solicits artists in 6 categories: 2-Dimensional, Photography, Wearable Art, Fine Craft, Sculptural Objects and Jewelry. Earlier this year, a team of cross-disciplinary jurors reviewed the work of over 200 artists in 6 categories, assigning each a point value. This year’s Festival’s jury was challenged to choose from impressive submissions of both art and fine craft and for the first time we had a waiting list of artists hoping for an exhibition spot.

Once accepted into Lubeznik Center’s Lakefront Art Festival, artists are judged by category once again on the day of the event by a team of experts who award cash prizes totaling $3000. Who will the judges pick this year? Visit www.lubeznikcenter.org in the weeks after the Festival and see if your favorites are represented among the winners!

While you shop your children can make their own art project with instruction from Lubeznik Center art teachers or enjoy some “clowning around” with the Michiana Clowns at the Children’s Activity Tent sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College.

For the first time the Festival will provide a disc jockey, in a music tent sponsored by NECA, who will play favorite tunes to enhance the art experience. While listening to the music, drop in your entry form to win a free Art Basket filled with art. Just steps away, Lubeznik Center is also promoting a “Veterans Honor Wall” that will be on display during an exhibition of art from recent combat veterans which opens at the Center November 2. You will have the opportunity to honor your veteran at our “Honor Wall” booth. Look for it near the NECA music tent.
Over 100 Juried Artists to Exhibit in Michigan City's Beautiful Washington Park
Lubeznik Center for the Arts
101 W 2nd St
Michigan City, IN 46360
(219) - 874 - 4900
Visit Lubeznik Center for the Arts' Website
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A NIPSCO art patron oasis provides a sitting area out of the sun and weather. Energizing Indiana will be on-hand to encourage you to sign up for a free energy audit of your home and business and will give you tips on how to reduce your energy costs. And for more energizing our food court will provide an eclectic mix of cuisines to keep festival-goers invigorated and ready to keep shopping.

Other sponsors include: Bulk Transport, Inc., General Insurance Services, Ivy Tech Community College, Lakeshore Public Media, Lamar, LaPorteCountyLife.com, Michigan City LaPorte Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, McDonald’s (Glenn, Kathy & Sam Lubeznik Owner/Operators), NECA, The News Dispatch, NIPSCO, Post Tribune, Qrail, WIMS, WNIT.

Interested in Attending?
The Lubeznik Center for the Arts’ Lakefront Art Festival opens Saturday, August 17 (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m CDT) and Sunday, August 18 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m CDT.) in Washington Park Michigan City, IN. Parking fees of $7 from Michigan City’s Parks and Recreation can be avoided if patrons for the Festival use FREE OFF-SITE PARKING. A complimentary shuttle service will ferry you to the Festival grounds from the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, or Michigan City City Hall. For more information on the event visit www.lubeznikcenter.org, or contact Lubeznik Center staff at 219-874-4900 or email artinfo@lubeznikcenter.org.

About Lubeznik Center for the Arts
The Lubeznik Center for the Arts is a dynamic, contemporary arts center whose mission is to creatively interweave art exhibitions, the performing arts, educational programming and collaborative community outreach in order to enrich the arts experience within the region. The Lubeznik Center is located at 101 W. 2nd St., at the lakefront in Michigan City, IN. Gallery Hours are weekdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Thursdays we have extended hours until 7:00pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:00pm. For more information please visit www.lubeznikcenter.org or call 219-874-4900. All times are based on Central Daylight Time.