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By Karen Smithmyer
Gazette Staff Writer
January 19, 2008

 Art enthusiasts have the opportunity to view all different kinds of art this month at the Bedford County Arts Center, with a new exhibit, The 15th Annual Members Invitational Multimedia Exhibit, now on display.

 The exhibit features 75 pieces from 34 members and runs through the end of February, according to Alyson Dehmcke, arts center director.

 Last year¹s exhibit showcased 60 pieces by 27 members.

 The arts center has a new show about every month and the pieces this time around are from members only and can be of any media, such as painting, sculpting or photography. According to Dehmcke, members can submit up to three pieces.

 Photography and paints dominate the exhibit, with pieces such as “Pearls” by Ken Steele and “Peace” by Lawrice Dolan.

 Steele¹s photograph captures a spider web after the rain, causing the water to bead up like pearls. Dolan¹s blue acrylic painting features a solemn church. 

However there are some artists who utilized different mediums, like with Judith Foor¹s “Tiger Lilies.”

 Foor uses pyrography, or wood burning, and acrylic paint to create the black and orange wood piece.

 Arts center member Barbara Loshaw submitted two clay pieces, while Bryn Dehmcke¹s piece is a copper screen titled “Tree Screen.”

 One local artist has two pieces in the show and has submitted at least one piece in every members exhibit, prompting several members to dub her the most continuously contributing member. Melinda “Mouse” Grass said the members¹ exhibit is her favorite one because of the variety.

 “I like to see how other artists have grown and what they¹ve been working on over the past year,” Grass said.

 Grass said she attended the second-ever members meeting and since then has “put something in every show.”

 Her pieces in this exhibit are titled “Arisaema II” and “Maple Run,” both paintings.

 She also helped fellow artist Tom Ringler set up the show. According to Ringler, set-up can be easy or hard.

 “We really just set up by putting pieces together that look good together,” Ringler said. “Sometimes they go together quickly and sometimes it takes a while to figure out where to put certain pieces.”

 Ringler has one piece in the show ‹ his graphite drawing is called “Pine.” 

 The arts center has roughly 250 members, but Dehmcke stressed that not all are artists so getting pieces from just 34 members isn¹t so bad.

 “This is a good way for our members to showcase their work on a small scale, because not everyone has enough pieces for an individual show,” Dehmcke said. “It also is a nice way to get the artists together to compare and contrast their works.”

 Visitors to the exhibit not only have the chance to view all the pieces, but also the chance to purchase their favorite piece or two.

 “Most of the artists put their pieces up for sale,” said Dehmcke. “It provides the artists the opportunity to draw attention to their other pieces not featured in the exhibit.”

 Last Sunday the arts center held an artist reception from 1 to 3 p.m., in which several of the artists were on hand to answer questions regarding their pieces.

 Along with the exhibit, the arts center also will host a one-day workshop by accomplished and award-winning painter Dan Helsel from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 19 and  presentations by magician and illusionist Scott Xavier at 6 and 8 p.m. Jan. 26.

 Xavier also will predict the lottery numbers for Jan. 26. The numbers will be encased in a box at the arts center from Jan. 19 until the Jan. 26 presentation at 8 p.m.

 The members exhibit will be on display at the arts center through Feb. 29.

 The center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and is located in the Anderson House along Pitt Street in Bedford.

 For more information, call the center at 623-1538 or send an e-mail to gallery@arts inbedfordpa.org.