BALANCE

WITZLING•TESSMAN•WILLIAMS•MCMICHAEL

Balance Exhibition

July 5 through August 16th Reception July 24th 6-8pm

Balance, an exhibition by four area artists, Jerry C. Williams, Ceramics Artist, Mark Witzling, Abstract Painter, Diane Tessman, Fiber Artist and Garry McMichael, Realist Painter. It seems this exhibition could not have been planned for a better time. We are desperately trying to find and keep our lives in balance. At this very moment, everyone is caught up in a world consumed with medical, social and political crisis, all happening at the same time. We find ourselves struggling to keep our families healthy, productive and well fed. Hopefully, this exhibition, Balance, can give us some relief and help us and the world we live in.

Balance will be on Exhibit at Jacoby Arts Center from July 5 through August 16th. Jacoby Arts Center is located at 627 E. Broadway, Alton, Illinois 62002. They are open to the public 12 to 5 Wednesday through Saturday, and Sunday 12 to 4. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the artists:

Mark Witzling and Garry McMichael have exhibited together previously and have discovered that Mark’s abstract visions contrast beautifully (and in balance) with Garry’s realistic still-lifes. Mark works in oil and cold wax. His art has been shown extensively in St Louis and has been accepted into numerous art exhibitions and art fairs. Mark likes to paint big and his work looks great on Jacoby Arts Center’s walls. His day job is the Executive Director of Craft Alliance in St Louis, Missouri (https://craftalliance.org) 

To see more of his art go to, https://www.markwitzlingart.com.

.At first glance Jerry Williams persona appears that of a big, tough guy that can really sling some clay around. Talk with him a few minutes and you’ll discover what a wonderful, sensitive artist he is. His beautiful, robust pottery offers an excellent counterbalance to the 2D art of Mark and Garry. Garry first met Jerry when he started exhibiting at Green Door Art Gallery (Webster Groves, MO). A few months later their paths crossed again when both had work accepted into the Art St Louis “Attention to Detail” exhibition. One of Jerry’s pieces won “Best of Show”. Jerry walks the line everyday attempting to find balance, making his art both functional and sculptural. There is amazing detail in his art. He creates interesting designs and drawings even in the bottom and backsides of his pieces. Jerry is consumed with his art and is a fulltime artist. 

To see more of Jerry’s art, take a look at his Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/jcwilliamsfinearts

Diane Tessman is a fiber artist, raised in a family of fiber artists from Chaska, Minnesota. Much of her art is functional in use, but always artistic in color, texture and design. Her fiber art is well known, and has been in numerous exhibitions, competitions, art fairs and galleries throughout the St Louis region for over forty years. As quick as the Coronavirus struck, Diane started making hundreds of protective masks which she has given away to the medical community, nursing homes, family and friends. In this exhibit of Balance, Diane chose to combine fiber, as in her fiber flowers, and contrast its impermanence with the more permanent nature of wood. It is a balance of strength and sustainability. 

You can see more of Diane’s art at http://www.tessmantextiles.com

Garry McMichael has been a commercial photographer and realistic painter all of his life. His view of life is immersed in reality. For the Balance exhibition, Garry will be contrasting his realistic still-life paintings of “Mystic Cairns” with Mark’s beautiful abstract paintings. He has been working on the Mystic Cairns series for four years now and it is an encompassing body of work. The paintings are a perfect fit for the exhibit Balance. Like Mark, Garry also works big and his paintings, intermixed with Mark’s, will look great on Jacoby’s walls. 

To see Garry’s art, go to, http://www.garrymcmichael.com.