Bright pop art contrasts with the subtle hues of abstract art in new exhibits at the Columbus Arts Council in the Rosenweig Arts Center.
The new exhibits, featuring Alabama-resident Tim Spanjer in the main gallery and Columbus-resident Nancy Scott in Artist Alley, opened Thursday with a reception that also marked Executive Director Jan Miller’s last day with the nonprofit.
Spanjer, originally from New York, works as a marketing director for Pursell Farms, a destination resort located about an hour from Birmingham, Alabama. After his kids are tucked away in bed, he breaks out the paints.
While Spanjer has sold his art primarily at art festivals, the Columbus exhibit is his first. He was first approached about having an exhibit almost two years ago. And then the pandemic hit.
Spanjer stayed in touch with the council board and brought his big pieces, created on wood and painted with vinyl paint.
His work expresses wry humor through vivid images, large biscuit-joined pine wood cutouts of pulp commercial subjects and unique “Cerealism” mosaic — images formed with intricately cut slices of cereal boxes — are astonishing in their complexity and beauty.
During the opening reception, Spanjer noted how difficult the pandemic was for everyone and how thankful he was to be able to have the exhibit.
“I’m thankful that I got to come here and put my art up, showing sort of what I do. It’s a little bit of how I spend my evenings,” he said. “My wife paints; she’s at a show right now. …. And I’m over here. We put our kids to sleep and we paint.”
Spanjer said the artwork features things that have interested him over the years.
“A lot of the pieces have a backstory and I try to manifest that in a way that’s kind of more commercial in nature,” he said. “I like to keep it fun.”
Scott is a self-taught artist who paints purely from her imagination.
“Painting is a very personal experience in which I do not have to conform to the rules and standards of other people’s ideas and expectations,” she wrote in her artist statement.
Her paintings in the gallery are accompanied by poems, which she said help explain her paintings to passers-by.
An expanded collection of her works and their stories are available in a book, which is for sale at the gallery’s front desk.
The finished works become a reflection of what her mind is focused on pertaining to social issues and personal situations. Some of the topics she interprets into her paintings include dysfunctional families, motherhood, divorce, and more.
Scott, who has lived in Columbus for about five years, has lived around the world. She has been painting on and off since 1978.
“I’ve gone through long periods, years, without painting,” she said.
Shane Kinder, who serves as the council’s interim executive director, noted that Scott is “one of the coolest ladies you’ll ever meet.”
Scott’s artwork has been featured in the council’s main gallery before. With the book’s release, she wanted this exhibit to be more about the book than it is about the paintings.
“Those are just sort of a sample of what’s in the book,” she said of the art in the gallery.
Miller, who has served as the council’s executive director for the past two years, said she was excited about the exhibit.
The pandemic hit arts councils across the country hard. While many councils have closed their doors, the Columbus Arts Council has been able to survive.
“So when the governor opened everything up last June, I said ‘Clare, put sanitizer everywhere you can,’ and we opened,” she said. “We’ve been open since (last) June and that’s helped us.”
Spanjer is a talented artist, Miller said.
“We’ve waited 15 months to have him,” she said.
Miller’s duties will be split between Kinder, who will serve as interim director, and another position that the council board is looking to fill.
IF YOU GO
■ WHAT: Gallery exhibit of the art of Tim Spanjer in the main gallery; Nancy Scott in Artist Alley
■ WHEN: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday
■ WHERE: Columbus Arts Council, 501 Main St., Columbus
■ HOW: Contact: 662-328-2787 Online: http://columbus-arts.org/; Facebook: @columbusartscouncil; Instagram: @columbus_art_council
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.