Greg Titus kneels in front of the winter scene he painted for the Logan County Art League 2024 fundraiser Not So Bad Art by Good People. All of the artwork for this year’s event is currently on display at Citizens Federal Savings and Loan at 100 N. Main Street in Bellefontaine. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
The creative mind loves trying new things. So when Logan County Art League asked Greg Titus to be one of this year’s Not-So-Bad artists, he was up for the challenge.
Of course, the annual fundraiser requires participants to explore an unfamiliar medium. Which isn’t easy when you have a background in art and graphic design. After some thought, Titus decided to go with acrylics.
“I hadn’t done anything in acrylic for more than 40 years,” he said. To make it even more unfamiliar, he used cotton balls and cotton swabs instead of brushes.
The result was an abstract winter scene, which you can see in person at Citizens Federal Savings and Loan, 100 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, now through Jan. 26. And if you like it, you might want to attend the celebration dinner at the VFW that night, where they will auction off this year’s artwork. All proceeds will go to the art league.
Titus didn’t choose an easy task for his submission and, in fact, claimed it “kind of felt like I was painting with one arm behind my back.”
He selected winter as his theme because of a life filled with plenty of snow, including lots of skiing at Mad River Mountain during his youth. He also enjoyed hitting the slopes of Austria when he lived in Germany.
“Guess it was something vivid in my memory,” he said. “I could do that without looking at photos or needing any kind of source.”
Though Titus grew up in Logan County and attended Benjamin Logan schools, he moved away to attend Columbus College of Art & Design before joining the Air Force. When he retired from the Air Force in 1997, he stepped into a software career, which led him to California.
Titus then accepted a marketing job at a theatre in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That particular venue has similarities to Bellefontaine’s Holland Theatre. Both opened in 1931, and, like the Holland, the Santa Fe building sat in vacant disrepair before going through a major renovation.
“Someone said ‘we need to save this theatre’ and pulled the community together to raise the money. Now it’s a vibrant performing arts center with close to 40 employees.” Referring to the Holland, Titus added, “We’re not there yet, but hopefully I can help get us on track to do that.”
Eventually family and a new job brought him back to Bellefontaine almost 40 years after he moved away. That job — executive director for the Holland Theatre — seemed a perfect fit. And it’s now instrumental in getting him back into art.
Though he was often asked to do commemorative paintings for visiting dignitaries or officers leaving the service while he was in the Air Force, Titus enjoyed this chance to buy art supplies for the first time in years.
“As far as a learning experience,” he said, “I think it’s more about relighting that fire and remembering I know how to do different things.”
Plus, it’s a way to support the arts in his community and, Titus concluded, “that’s a win.”
The community can vote for their favorite(s) online or while visiting the display at Citizens. That winner will be announced at the celebration event and dinner on Friday, Jan. 26, at the VFW.
Tickets are required for food and drinks, which will be served from 5 to 6 p.m. An auction for the ten artistic works will begin at 7 p.m. The public can attend the auction free of charge.
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