Local connection: Anthony Wayne arts organization, Waterville library partner to prop up area artists

Sometimes change is a good thing.

The Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission changed the format of its annual AW Inspiration art exhibit this year in favor of a more egalitarian approach and so far organizers say it has been working out well.

“Normally, we have just people who participated in our plein air event prior to the show, but this year we expanded it so it is a little bit different,” said Lisa Exner, vice president of the arts commission. “This year, we invited people that do not necessarily paint plein air or do not paint at all but have other forms of art.”

Since June 4, at the Waterville branch library located at 800 Michigan Ave. in the western Lucas County city, more than 28 different artists from the area are displaying a total of 59 pieces of art as part of the exhibit. Mediums include everything from painting to glass sculpture to jewelry.

“This is an opportunity for local artists to show off their work,” Exner said, explaining that many of the artists submitted their art for consideration in the exhibit themselves.

Many of those submittals did still come from the 11-year-old Waterville “plein air” or outdoor painting event, called the Jim White Memorial Paint Out in honor of the area painter and plein air participant who died in 2017, Exner added.

That event took place from May 31 to June 4 this year and attracted a wide ranging crowd including several residents from Bittersweet Farms, the special education facility in Whitehouse, whose work made it into the show.

“We are also having a closing reception this year at the library [July 24], which we don’t do every year, for artists and their friends and family,” Exner said, noting another change to this year’s event.

Will Harbauer, the manager of the Waterville branch library, mentioned that in exhibitions past, there would even be a voting component for the “people’s choice” favorite work in the exhibit and that has also been done away with this year.

He said he loves hosting art events at his branch and would like to see more of them.

“We are very open to other partnerships if people or organizations are interested,” he said, explaining that prospective partners can find more information about that under the “partner with us” tab on the library website.

Harbauer said events like AW Inspiration are great because they bring the library into a greater partnership with the community.

“We like being a place where people can come in and find a book, but also look at some art — we are a community hub,” he said.

The exhibit will run through July 24.