OSU’s Faculty Club continues in its tradition of hosting distinguished guests today by presenting a new exhibit with four creative alumni and their separate artistic works.
The bronze sculptures of Nancy Clatworthy and art quilts of Suzanne Evenson, Deborah Pentak and Ann Rebele are now displayed in the Faculty Club’s hallways and rooms.
“I thought that pairing the sculptures and quilts together would create a non-competitive atmosphere,” said art coordinator Marion Fisher. “The values expressed by each are very complementary and I think they are an ideal pairing for the holiday season.”
Evenson said she feels the sculptures combined with the quilts create a good contrast.
“The hardness of the sculptures and the softness and warmth of the quilts just go together,” Evenson said.
Fisher has admired and watched the individual quilt artists’ work develop over her years in Columbus and was introduced to Clatworthy’s work by former Faculty Club exhibitor Renate Burgyan.
Clatworthy, who began sculpting over 55 years ago, said her artwork started as a hobby. Most of her pieces are of family, friends and horses. Her piece “Show Your Horse” was inspired when she won the World Championship Horse Show in 1944, while other pieces include the busts of the father of pediatric surgery – Dr. Bob Gross – and local leader John Galbreath.
“It’s only natural to have her work on display here because of her connection to OSU,” said Clatworthy’s daughter, Nancy Krueger. “She has known some interesting people in her life, which in turn has made her art fun.”
Clatworthy can no longer sculpt because she suffers from ALS – better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – and must communicate using an alphabet board.
As a former student and sociology professor at OSU, Clatworthy feels a lot of old memories coming back by being on campus. She said it is weird to be back, but exciting as well.
“She is a women who breaks barriers and still continues to live with her life on full throttle forward. Participating in this exhibit is part of that,” Krueger said. “And if it weren’t for her ALS, I’m positive that she still would be sculpting.”
The quilt artists also have fond feelings on returning to campus.
“The Faculty Club is a great venue, and it’s a nice opportunity for friends, family and associates to see what we’ve been up to,” Rebele said. “I’m glad that we have this chance to express our work as a crafted art and not as a hobby.”
Although quilts are beginning to be seen more and more in art galleries and on corporate and commercial walls, the idea that they are hobbies and meant to cover beds still exists. Each artist agreed a goal of this exhibit is to open people’s eyes to something they have probably never thought of as a work of art – a quilt.
“Textile work isn’t given the same chance that painters and other artists are,” Pentak said. “Art quilting is essentially painting with fabric, and we use all the color and design principles that fall into the formal elements of art.”
Each woman creates her own surface and dressing for her quilt and each style is distinctly different. Rebele’s quilts contain a 3-D theme of textures, while Pentak’s quilts can be seen as a puzzle of square series, and Evenson’s quilts are comprised of computer images and her own photography.
When asked the time that goes into one quilt, each woman just shook her head.
“Oh, we will never answer that,” Evenson said. “Let’s just say they are very labor intensive.”
The exhibit is open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Faculty Club. Admission is free.
