Celebrate ArtSpace/Lima’s annual spring show

LIMA — As sure a sign of spring as the first robin, ArtSpace/Lima opens its 57th annual Spring Show today in the Ellen Nelson Gallery.This year's annual Spring Show features 72 pieces hanging from the 147 works submitted. Those works come from 45 of the 59 artists entering the annual show.And, there's 20 more pieces exhibited in the salon des refuses, a French title meaning “show of the refused.” It is offered upstairs in the ArtZone, to include more of the high quality works that will be on display downstairs in the gallery.“The show this year is a good show. The quality demonstrates the quality of artistic production within 100 miles of Lima,” said Bill Sullivan, operations manager for ArtSpace.Sullivan believes that along with the reputation the annual show has achieved, many artists enter because of the name recognition of the two jurors, Lowell Tolstedt and Jack Earl.“Professor Tolstedt was the former chairman of the visual arts department at Columbus College of Art and Design. He is a prominent figure on the Columbus scene as well as the national scene. He was one of the nine contemporary artists we featured in the ‘Still Life Now' exhibit at ArtSpace, and I can't think of anyone who would be better as a juror. He is a very major accomplished Ohio artist,” Sullivan said.“As for Jack Earl, he is an internationally known ceramist who has been featured in galleries in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. What he does is break-through art, with homespun, folksy interpretations in ceramics. It's groundbreaking. Books have been written about his work, and he lives in Lakeview. He is a long-time supporter of ArtSpace,” Sullivan said.“When you can announce names like that as jurors, it gets people's attention. They want to be in that company,” he added.While most awards will be announced at a public reception at 6:30 p.m. today, votes for the People's Choice Award will be taken through the course of the exhibit, which runs through June 2.