There is a new show at the Fendig Gallery, Under Indiana Skies. It features the work of local artists who are or were members of the Jasper County Art League. A somewhat larger version of this show was exhibited in Lafayette this past summer.
Anyone who knows local artists will know who did this piece, which was probably constructed in place. It is titled
Jasper County Goddess.
Okra is the secret ingredient. Bonnie Zimmer is the artist.
A couple of pictures of the downtown caught my interest. This is a water color by Dorothy Scipio of the Gazebo, which is now the food pantry.
Recent arrivals in Rensselaer will not recognize this building, which burned quite a few years ago. It was the Fendig drug store, and with its turret it stood out among our downtown buildings. The building on the right, which was Brand Flowers when this was painted, is now an office of Gutwein Seed Corn. This is a water color by Judy Kanne.
This work in colored pencil is by Sherri Hudson, one of the founders of the Jasper County Art League.
Her father, Ed Hudson, also dabbled in art. A note on the wall says that he and his wife ran Hudson Sporting Goods and Hudson Custom Framing at 223 West Washington in the 1970s and 1980s. The Art League may have gotten started in the back of his store.
After a fire demolished his business (was it the fire that destroyed the Fendig Building?), he moved to Tennesee and then Lafayette.
Not all the artists in the Jasper County Art League are from Jasper County. The picture below is from one of the Newton County members.
My Indiana Kitchen Window is by one of the early members of the League, Marcia Johnston. It is acrylic painting.
Early Inspiration is a stained glass piece by Carole Beaver.
The reception for the exhibit was on Friday night. It had a good attendance and a harpist name Harper.
There several other events over the weekend. On Saturday Rensselaer Mainstreet hosted Oktoberfest. It was cold but dry. St. Augustine School had a rummage sale, which was a little light in the amount of stuff it had compared to the peak years of rummage sales. Almost all of it sold--there was very little left to send up to Jasper Junction.
We had a pretty good freeze on Sunday night. Most of the frost sensitive plants are now finished for the season.
Even though I moved from Rensselaer in 1982 there are many 1940s and 1950s images of the town impressed into the sadly fading memories of my aging mind. I very much like the painting of the old Fendig Drug store which I stood in
ReplyDeletefront of to watch former President Eisenhower (with Charlie Halleck} ride past headed for the ceremony across the street at the courthouse -- I remember it well.
And I remember that before it was Fendig's that building housed the Kroger Food store. Too bad there was no one back then to paint a picture of that store.
And I remember Ed Hudson and his sporting goods store. I bought a lot of fishing gear from Ed and John, and in later years many gallons of house paint. Ed was my Boy Scout Master and his brother Bill (Hudson's Grocery at the corner of Cullen and Elm) was the Assistant Scoutmaster. That was when Harry S. Truman was the U.S. president.
Did I ever tell you that Rensselaer Adventures is the first blog I visit, every day? Well, it is. Thank you SO much for posting all the fine pictures and news.
Gene, You mentioned Hudson's Grocery. When I did morning radio in Rensselaer (for 17 years on wrin) we had a long discussion about how John Dillinger robbed that store. I was told that he visited Rensselaer "often." These days, I'm retired, Peace!
ReplyDeleteTom Jurek
Grand Rapids, M