Collecting pieces of driftwood on the beach, distinct shapes became apparent. One piece looked like a pig, another, a dog.
People see common things all day long and don't think it's art
said artist Anthony Servedio. When they really look at it they'll start to see something.
Servedio is one of 18 artists featured at the fourth biennial Athens Voices Exhibition at the Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane. The exhibition opens tonight and runs Tuesdays through Thursdays until March 13 from 12 to 5 p.m.
What makes this exhibition stand out is that it features all local artists said Deanna Schwartz, the Dairy Barn's exhibition coordinator.
In order to have been considered for the exhibition, the artists had to live within a 30-mile radius of Athens.
There is a lot of variety in the artists
Schwartz said. They are Ohio University students
OU professors and community members.
Servedio recently moved to Athens to be closer to his in-laws after living and collecting driftwood in Montauk, N.Y. He takes the driftwood exactly as it was found and casts it into bronze sculptures, he said.
It's amazing the way the water shapes it
Servedio said.
Three of his sculptures will be on display and for sale at the exhibition. In addition to sculptures, photographs, prints, drawings and paintings also make up the exhibition, Schwartz said.
Retired Athens Middle School art teacher Pandy Reiser has four watercolor pieces in the show. Reiser, a native of Hawaii, cites the bold colors of the islands' flowers and Pacific culture as influences.
I really started painting when I had to undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer
Reiser said. My studio became my refuge.
Reiser never has taken a class in watercolors but is drawn to the viscosity of the paints, she said.
This is her first juried show - meaning two judges chose the 18 artists from a variety of entries - and she said the Dairy Barn is a great place to display her work.
I have been a resident of Athens for 40 years and have seen the Dairy Barn grow and gain international recognition
she said. It's always been very stimulating to live here. It's a very artistic place.
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