The Logan County Art League’s sixth annual fundraiser, Not So Bad Art By Good People, is wrapping up this week, with the work of nine local celebrity artists on display at the Citizens Federal Savings and Loan, 100 N. Main St., Bellefontaine.
The final days of the display are today, Thursday, Jan. 26, and Friday, Jan. 27. The public is invited to stop by during bank lobby hours to pick their favorite pieces for $1 per vote.
The winner of the community vote will be announced at an auction finale event Friday at the Bellefontaine VFW, 216 Orchard Ave. The public is invited to attend the auction that begins at 7 p.m. and participate free of charge, with all proceeds supporting the Art League.
This year’s artists are: Justin Cluck, pastor of Bellefontaine First Family; Elaine Ann Fagan Moore, The Depot; Tammy Allison of Mary Rutan Health; Paige Dukowitz, art educator at Indian Lake High School; Erin Miller, principal, Indian Lake Middle School; Pam Fischer, Fisch Designs at The Depot; Christina Tillman, Holland Theatre; Cindy Plank, Nest 1896; and Ben Vollrath, Logan County Chamber of Commerce.
Here’s a look at Pastor Cluck’s reflections on his artwork:
My art piece is a representation of my life. Lots of different relationships and responsibilities all swirling around and mixing together, but for me to truly be who I need to be Jesus must be the center of it all. It’s a visual for me of chaos finding peace and Jesus rising above it all. It was merely by accident that the piece wound up looking a lot like earth, but it fits with the overall theme.
If I were to title my piece, it would be “The Cross Above it All.”
This particular piece was created by using a paint pour technique. I used painters’ tape to create the cross in the middle. Then, a thin layer of white pour paint was spread all over the canvas. After that, various pour paints are mixed and poured onto the canvas.
In order to get the marble effect, I picked the canvas up and moved it different directions to allow the paint to move over the canvas and mix with other areas where paint was poured.
After allowing the paint to dry, I removed the painters’ tape and filled in the area of the cross with white paint.
This was my first time to ever really create any piece of art like that. I usually am a digital artist creating things on the computer for design work, but I haven’t painted anything since probably high school. It’s much easier for me to fix a mistake on the computer than it was on the canvas.
Darcy DeLeon is an Art League member and a pastor at our church. She was the driving force behind me participating this year and helped throughout the creation of the piece.
Without her encouragement, I probably wouldn’t have pushed myself to do this. My wife and kids were both supportive and excited to see the finished piece.
Throughout this past year, we have been able to assist the Art League with the use of our church for a few of their needs. It has been a great way for us to connect with and support individuals in our community that I normally wouldn’t cross paths with. Participating in this year’s event was another way to support this community and their work.
I also work for RTC Services as our IT/ Media Specialist. I have learned so much more about the art community through our program, The STUDIO, which is an artistic day program that focuses on discovering individuals’ talents by developing life skills and fostering community involvement through a variety of creative mediums.
I’m originally from Arkansas and my wife is from Bellefontaine. We met in Bible College in Springfield, Mo. After living in several different places across the country, we moved back to Logan County in 2015. I’ve been a pastor at Bellefontaine First Family since the end of 2015 and was elected as the lead pastor in March of 2022.
As a young child, I felt the call of God to be a pastor. I was actively involved in church and ministry from a young age in my small church in rural Arkansas. I was able to witness God bring extraordinary growth to our little church and in 2005 I was proud to be the first of many students from our church to go to Bible College to pursue a life of ministry. My wife and I have served in many different roles in churches throughout our marriage, but often find ourselves drawn to places that need us to maintain employment in the community to make ends meet. This has allowed us the opportunity to work in many different environments and meet so many people in the various communities in which we’ve lived.
I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Logan County, and it’s been great to set roots here for our family. We love seeing the growth that is taking place in the area and are excited for the future!