The Eyes Of The Artists

With the start of the school year comes the annual opening of Mount Marty College’s (MMC) Bede Art Gallery.

From July to May, the gallery will spotlight a variety of artists, both new and returning, with exhibits featuring each artist’s work.

The artwork will vary from photographs to paintings.

One of the upcoming exhibits, “Wild Flower Prayer Series” by Patricia James, will feature digital cut photography, which shows an impressive level of dedication, Kahle said.

“The amount of hours it takes to paste positive and negative color shapes, and to superimpose iconography and spectacular landscapes on many levels from surrealism to impressionism, shows the technical side of the artist’s ability to manipulate form in a constructive way to create form for a visual experience,” he said.

He also has an appreciation for another exhibit, “Fish Can’t See Water” by Nemo Dorn, for its sense of humor.

“The visual arts provide smiles for everyone,” Kahle said. “It would be a very boring world if we did not have people such as Jim Henson, where people actually use their imagination to create joy.”

As an art instructor, Kahle said it’s his job to challenge his students to aspire to that level of ingenuity.

“Art is a medium to experience joy in life, and everyone should have that opportunity,” he said.

The first exhibit of the year will be returning artist and MMC alum Chris Buschelman, a professional photographer in Omaha.

His previous exhibit, “Photography of Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired Church Architecture in Nebraska and Arkansas,” was displayed in Bede last fall.

During a recent trip to Paris, Buschelman utilized his love of photography and the old-fashioned Parisian architecture to create an exhibit that showcases the famous city in its glory.

“It was my first time there,” he said. “It was an adventure taking it all in. I put in a lot of miles in the streets getting to enjoy the sights and smells.”

Being a professional photographer for 15 years has taught him to notice details most people may miss.

“Nothing was the same with the architecture,” he said. “Everything was custom, carved or chiseled. If you took the time to see that, it takes on a whole new life.”

He said he had a difficult time choosing which photos to put together for the MMC exhibit.

“I needed to make sure they went well together, whether it’s through the lighting, the style of architecture or the theme I’m trying to convey,” he explained.

While the exhibit features classic imagery like the Eiffel Tower, it also includes everyday things like someone riding a bike.

However, it’s the latter that is Buschelman’s favorite photo.

“It means so much for technique, style and composition, as well as complexity of the shot,” he said. “I’m glad I get to share that to whoever visits the exhibit.”