Lure of the local

By Diana Nollen/The Gazette

‘The level of artistic ability in this area is as deep and rich as our black soil,” says artist Stan Wiederspan of Cedar Rapids, a fixture on the Eastern Iowa art scene.

That's precisely why the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art will be exhibiting more than 65 works by 40 area artists in Lure of the Local: Collecting the Corridor, 2006-2011.  The show opens Saturday and continues through May 13 in the museum's first floor galleries.

All of the pieces were created in the past 10 years and have been acquired by the museum in the past five years. They are now part of the museum's permanent collection, either purchased by the museum, donated by the artists or purchased by donors, then given to the museum.

The museum's buying budget is small - generally between $5,000 and $10,000 - so gifts or deep discounts from the artists, gifts from donors or a combination thereof makes such acquisitions possible, says Sean Ulmer, the museum's curator.

Wiederspan's box painting that will be on display is an example of such an arrangement.

“Several donors came together to contribute to the purchase and I donated part of the cost of it," says Wiederspan, 73, a full-time artist and owner of Wiederspan Gallery, 3413 Mount Vernon Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. "That's very nice for the art museum. That way, the museum, with their limited budget, can afford to collect local artists, and at the same time, local artists get to be in the permanent collection. It's a win-win all the way around."

Museum visitors will see a wide variety of media, from abstract to photorealism painting styles to photography, ceramics, wood sculptures, etchings and collages, created by emerging and established artists. Some make their living through art, some teach at area colleges and universities and others are self-taught hobbyists. All are accomplished, says Ulmer, 48, of Cedar Rapids.

In addition to Wiederspan - whose gigantic abstract paintings have greeted guests to the U.S. Cellular Center lobby, the former Cedar Rapids Public Library and The Eastern Iowa Airport - the list of well-known area artists includes Mel Andringa, Velga Easker, Thomas Jackson, Gordon Kellenberger, Tomas Lasansky, Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret, Michael Ryan, John Schwartzkopf and Larry Zirbel, as well as OPN architect Bradd Brown, Dr. Bill Kettelkamp and Bill Stamats of Stamats Communications.

Artists new to the museum collection include recent University of Iowa graduate Jesse James Sinclair, photographer Shane McCallister and painters Dena Tollefson and Mary Zeran.

Wiederspan understands what it means for a young artist to have works in a museum's permanent collection. A former art professor at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, he came to Cedar Rapids in 1973 to be director of the Cedar Rapids Art Center, the forerunner of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. He opened his own gallery 20 years ago.

"It's an endorsement of their ability," he says. "It's recognition that there's a great deal of talent in this area. ... To have young artists included is very, very desirable by way of encouragement for them and to showcase them so the public can see the very diversified group of artists we have working."

It's important for the established artists, too.

"To be included with a group of artists I know (the museum) is showing is very exciting, and certainly, I consider it a great honor. We have such talented artists in this area, that to be included is very satisfying for any of us."

And yet, the exhibition is not all-inclusive.

"There are many great artists who are not in this show," Ulmer notes, "but I have plenty here to show people the richness and the diversity of artistic talent in this region. ...

"Five years from now we could do a completely different show, hopefully, where we would show other artists who are new to the collection or new works by artists who are already in the collection," he says.

"This just marks a moment in time for the collection. It is our hope to continue this tradition and to have an exhibition like this - a group exhibition of new or recent work by area artists - every five years or so."

Ulmer says it's important for regional museums to purchase and exhibit local artists.

"One of the mistakes that any museum can make is to ignore their local artists. There is a lot of talent that exists locally," Ulmer says.

"Many museums look to the big names - the Monets, and the Picassos, and the Warhols - and sure, those are oftentimes very big draws for the museum and people do want to see (those) works, but I believe that people also want to see the incredible work being created locally, as well."

"For many of these artists, this is the first collection that they've been part of. And I take great pride in knowing that I was the first to collect them into the museum," Ulmer says. "Who knows if one of these artists becomes the next Monet or Picasso or Warhol?

"What I know is I see talent in their work and talent of a quality that belongs in a museum," he says.

"I'm not collecting these artists simply because they're local. I'm collecting these artists because they're good and they're museum-quality artists and they belong and have earned their way into a museum collection."

The pieces can become part of other exhibitions, as well, such as the museum's recent portraiture exhibit.

"These works are now available for me to incorporate into my American art installation or my other thematic installations," Ulmer says.

"Part of the reason for acquiring works of art is it enriches the collection and allows me to tell different stories using these new pieces with pieces that we already have," he says. "Just as we did a group show five years ago that was themed around Cedar Rapids. In between, we did a solo show of Stan Wiederspan, we did a solo show of Tom Jackson and we've been incorporating local art into all of the exhibitions that we do, and we'll continue to do that."

"I see definite possibilities for local shows or shows of local artists in the future ... So if anyone feels excluded from the process this time, know that it is just simply a result of the selections that have been made," Ulmer says. "This doesn't represent all of the artistic talent locally at this moment. ... Because we're blessed to have so many really, really wonderful artists in this (region), a single show like this couldn't possibly include them all."

The exhibition - and especially its public preview reception Friday night - also gives the artists a chance to get together, see each other's work and to just socialize.

"I'm always extremely excited to see what the other artists are doing," Wiederspan says. "Artists are working in so many different genres and approaches, it's exciting to see the group collectively.

"It's just fun to have all the artists in one place jabbering, and it's fun to get public response," Wiederspan says.

"I, for one, think that we don't always have to bring in exhibits from the outside, just like the symphony doesn't always have to have outside soloists when it has so much talent within. I'm in awe of what the other artists are doing. I feel extremely lucky to be included with such a prestigious group."

[naviga:h2 align="left"]Arts Extra

• What: Lure of the Local: Collecting the Corridor, 2006-2011
• Where: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SEWhen: Saturday to May 13
• Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
•  Admission: $5 adults; $4 college students and ages 62 and over; free ages 18 and under and museum members; free for all ages from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays
• Extras: Free Preview Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Friday; related talks and presentations, www.crma.org/Events
• Information: (319) 366-7503 or www.crma.org