ARCHBOLD, Ohio — There is a new space in rural Ohio celebrating the creativity of women.
The Black Swamp Arts Council is hosting an exhibit at its arts center in Archbold, Ohio, showcasing 24 artists who are members of Toledo's long-time Athena Art Society.
It brings female accomplishment to the fore throughout February and culminates in a Meet the Artist reception from noon to 2 p.m. March 15, the final day of the exhibit.
“While the Athena Art Society has collaborated with other area art groups in the past, this is the first time we have connected as a group with Black Swamp Arts Council,” said Brenda Hofbauer, president of the Athena Art Society. “Their newly renovated space in Archbold is a wonderful venue to showcase our talents.”
The effort is an intersection of very old and incredibly new. Founded in 1903, the Athena Art Society continues its mission to support women in all branches of fine arts. Meanwhile, the Black Swamp Arts Council, whose members once met in the basement of a tax agency, have moved into a new and donated space at 210 N. Defiance St. in Archbold called the Black Swamp Arts Center that has been renovated for a new use. The front is a gallery space, and the back is used for after-school art instruction and one-day workshops. New flooring and the removal of a dropped ceiling opens the space to an outlet for creativity.
“While BSAC and Athena Art Society are very different organizations, there are some overlapping goals,” said Hofbauer, noting that some of the area's best known women artists have been members of Athena. “Both are non-profit organizations that promote and develop the visual arts and stimulate community participation. Both strive to connect artists with their community and give awards through high school art competitions.”
Ruth Matthews, an artist who belongs to both organizations, said the timing of the show conveniently coincides with women's history month, which begins March 1.
“We have a beautiful show,” she said. “And it is an opportunity to introduce Athena to a new audience.”
Matthews said the center was opened as a local arts market over the holidays and the Athena Art Society Show is the first fine arts event to be showcased.
“We are just figuring all the programming out,” said Matthews, noting that there has not even been a grand opening celebration yet.
Matthews often collaborates with Kath Funderburg, who has been a member of the Athena Art Society since 2013 and is showing a 15-inch-by-3- inch piece titled Breaking Boundries 3. A triptych, Lagoon 1,2, & 3, also will be showcased.
“My inspiration comes from anything and everything that catches my attention at the moment,” Funderburg said. “I'm a big believer in really looking and studying the world around me.
“I can find beauty in everything even though some might not apply the word ‘beauty.’ There's so much to see if you really look, and it only takes a bit of time to capture it in a small sketchbook that's usually somewhere on my being,” she said.
Funderburg indicated that a big part of the Athena Art Society is in connecting women from one generation to the next.
“As with the rest of the Athena sisters, I strive to support women in the arts — especially the younger women possibly still in school and just beginning their careers or just wanting to learn,” she said. “And there is something to be said about the energy that’s created when women artists get together at our meetings or events. The excitement of learning new things through discussion or doing art together isn’t just for the young artist.”
Another longtime artist in the Toledo area, Kay Weprin has been active in the Athena Art Society for many years. To become a member, an artist must have a portfolio of work and a sponsor from the group before she can be voted in by the members. Each year, the group has a fall juried exhibition followed by a non-juried exhibition in the spring.
“Our members are very creative and have a wide variety of techniques, skills, and use of media,” said Weprin, who was vice president in 2015 to 2017 and president from 2017 to 2019. “The competition keeps me active and stretches my imagination.”
Weprin has three pieces that she will be showing in Archbold. The first is Echoes in Rolling Hills, which was painted during a session of plein air painting on a horse farm one summer.
“I was sitting on the top of a rolling hill with the breeze blowing the blooms around the pond,” she said. “In the background, you could hear the horses neigh and the echoes of the birds flapping their wings.”
Another, Canoe Gathering, was painted along the Maumee River.
“There were colorful canoes slapping along the banks of the river with fallen logs after a storm,” Weprin said. “I closed my eyes and imagined pink skies and green trees while the Maumee was turning a rich blue.”
Luminous Thoughts started with a nude drawing session at the Toledo Artist Club. Some imagination and worldly travels coalesced into the final product.
“My inspiration comes from my extensive travels around the world,” Weprin said. “I have a vivid imagination and whether I am outdoors painting, bird watching, riding in the car or just in my own world, I quickly take my oil pastels, pencils, acrylics, and create bold marks across my paper.
“My work is always changing and experimenting with new media and ideas,” said Weprin, adding that reaching out to other artists is beneficial to all. “Socializing and talking about art is a major part of expanding our ideas.”
The Defiance Street gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Another venue showing work by members of the Athena Art Society through March 8 is at HeART Gallery in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Toledo.
First Published February 13, 2025, 5:00 a.m.
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