Event Dates: Exhibitions Opening Saturday August 6 and continuing through
September 4, 2022
Crary Art Gallery
511 Market Street, Warren, PA 16365
The Crary Art Gallery will feature two artists in upcoming shows opening August
6. Wisconsin artist John Swartwout’s exhibition “Nort” presents three dimensional
installations that provide a view of the north country through the artist’s curiously
offset lens, revealing the pits and follies, joys, and jubilations of that region. And,
Jamestown, NY photographer George Wiedenhofer’s “Experience Captured” is a
selection of local and Yosemite-based landscapes in large format black and white
photography, with one in color, on special handmade Japanese papers.
Artist John Swartwout grew up outside the small town of Pine River, Wisconsin,
where he spent endless days building forts and “Mad Max” like structures out of
pine trees, with his little brother and friends. A sculptor/film artist, his work has
taken him to Britain, Germany, Canada, and back to the U.S. He holds an MFA
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a BFA-BA in Art Education from
Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Swartwout has exhibited his work
across the United States, Canada, and Germany, has received numerous awards,
and his work is part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of the
American Sailor in Chicago, Illinois.
Concurrent with the exhibit opening, guests will have the opportunity to meet the
artist and participate in collaborative, experimental art making – “Inclusopolis:
WaterCity” – which will use the Crary courtyard fountain space and connected
pieces of wood, where visitors participate in a “grand experiment and interactive
exhibit building a floating city on the water”. The experience is free and open to
all guests, and the artist is providing all materials for the art making collaboration.
Swartwout is highly involved in the Autism community back in his hometown and
would love to meet and chat with local families and professionals affected
by Autism and other developmental disorders. He will hold an Autism Community
Mixer on Tuesday, August 9 at 7 p.m. at the Crary Art Gallery. The public is invited
and asked to register at www.craryartgallery.org.
Jamestown, New York photographer George Wiedenhofer says that time spent
photographing in Yosemite National Park, in Yosemite, CA, was an inspiration for
his exhibition. “I chose to do this in the winter months to avoid the crowds…the
photos [in that collection] are of the natural world. No people are in my photos,
even though four million people visit Yosemite each year.” Of his process, he says,
“The photos are captured with a medium format digital camera using a 51.4-
megapixel sensor and 16-bit raw photography. I removed the color so each black
and white photo can capture the nuance….”
In a statement, Wiedenhofer says, “I’ve enjoyed a great career, spanning almost
four decades, working with architects from around the world. I used my formal
education in architecture, supported by world class products, helping designers
and owners realize their dreams. During my entire architectural career
photography was always a passionate hobby. I’m now able to continue my
passion, full time, with a medium format camera in hand and the drawing board
as seen through a lens. Each photograph captured includes years of design
experience to compose and highlight the natural beauty as I envision it. My
photos have very limited compensations applied and I never use Photoshop to
manipulate or alter the image.”
Wiedenhofer’s photographs are printed on Koso paper handmade by Ichibei
Iwano IX, and framed using museum quality glass. He says, “This special
printmaking process is strictly of the natural world. Each print is designed to last
many centuries. These long-lasting prints can be used well [into] the future to
better understand how our planet is changing. I do this to help make the
impermanence of our shared natural world as permanent as possible. [In this
exhibition,] you’ll see that I use the natural elements of water, earth, air, space,
and fire to organize my photos; an organizational method not usually seen in the
digital world.”
The public is invited to the opening of these new exhibitions on Saturday, August
6, 2022, from 12 pm – 6 pm. The Crary Art Gallery is a private non-profit art
museum, located on the corner of 6th Avenue and Market Street in downtown
Warren, PA. Exhibition hours, after the opening, are Fridays and Saturdays from
12 to 6, and Sundays from 12 to 4. Admission is always free. For more information
on this and upcoming exhibitions, visit: craryartgallery.com.
Based on the latest CDC recommendations regarding indoor activities and the
growing number of Covid-19 cases in our area, the Crary Art Gallery Board of
Directors firmly requests that all visitors, proctors, and artists wear a mask while
on premises. Free disposable masks are available at our front desk. In advance, we
appreciate your understanding. Together in art – safely.