Paradise School becomes artist gallery

PARADISE - The Paradise multipurpose room, and part of the first floor of the school, was packed with attendees at the 2nd annual Artists in Paradise Show, held last Thursday through Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The theme of the show was, “Experience Paradise,” and was held by the Sanders County Arts Council, which created last year’s first Artists in Paradise show at the school. The goal of the show was to help bring exposure to the local artists.

The 16 artists showcased, included painters, photographers, a sketch artist, a jewelry maker, a ceramist, and a wood carver. A few artists also held demonstrations in one corner of the room for people to learn about different processes.

Next to the entrance was also a display set up by the Montana State University (MSU) Feasibility study group, which explained the project to create an idea of how to turn the now defunct school into a multipurpose community center.

Cali Johnson, one of the students who is part of the student group that conducted the study, sat with the exhibit to answer attendee’s questions.

For the visitors, there was a raffle set up where tickets could purchased and an artist if he or she chose, could put up a selected piece of work in his or her display and people would put in a ticket for that item.

In addition to the raffle, a map of the show was given to visitors. As each person visited an artist’s booth, he or she would put a sticker over his or her name on the map. If a visitor went to every artist, then he or she could sign the paper and turn it in for a for a drawing for $100.

Joy Nelson of the Sanders County Arts Council explained where the money raised by the artist buy in and raffle money would go to, “Some of the money will go the school (Paradise) preservation and some will go to the arts council to support our projects.”

As part of the show and the Experience Paradise theme, a special painting by local artist, Dane McNabb, was showcased for all to see at the entrance. The painting depicts all that is special about Paradise, and will be hung in the Paradise School. Color and black and white copies of the painting were being sold.

Paint brushes were also supplied at the door for visitors to work collectively on a community painting, which was being worked on outside on the school lawn. Next to the community painting was also art projects set up for children to work on.

As people walked around to the different displays, a noticeable theme could be felt and was expressed by the visitors. There were paintings of animal scenes, photographs of landscapes or western archetypal figures such as cowboys and Native Americans.

“All you have to do is look around and see the bears and the trees and the nature and the big influence...,” said Kathy Miller, explaining how it is evident that the surrounding environment and landscape is visible in a majority of the artist’s work.

The artists themselves were open to discussion with anyone who asked a question about his or her process or how they found they liked art.

Liz Smith who showcased her wire and rock jewelry, small wire tree sculptures and rock planters, explained how she learned her craft only five years ago.

“I quit smoking... I needed something to do and I was very depressed and we have all these rocks in our area... and I started putting together planters and that’s how it started,” said Smith. She then described how she progressed to wire wrapping jewelry, trees and her latest endeavor of making butterflies.

Cheri Seli, a photograper, explained how she traveled because of her husband’s job, how she picked up photography in college and how the two culminated into a lifetime of photography. Much of her work was of landscape and birds.

“I never don’t take the camera,” Seli said. She also explained that she is a birder and much of her work revolves around her love of searching for birds as she travels.

For one artist, it was his last show he would ever be doing for he had been drawing for 76 years, and in his words, “...hit a wall...”

Duke Nielson, a sketch artist, who had a booth full of drawing of cowboys, Native Americans, and other western figures or items, showcased what would be his last display of work, and the end of his craft.

He explained how a life of drawing began 76 years ago on a 5,000 acre ranch in California. “Something had broken on my tricycle, my mother, I couldn’t explain it to her, so I drew a picture of it, and she saw what is was and I’ve been drawing ever since.”

Simply summing up his choice of subject matter for 76 years, he said it was because, “The way I was raised.”

After a lifetime of drawing and the past being 20 years full time, he said, “I’ve done it so many years, I hit the wall, and I just lost interest.”

One visitor who was walking around explained his love of hearing all the unique stories of how the artist learned their craft.

Colleen Conley said, “I’m not an artist myself but I certainly appreciate art... I like to know how someone finds out how to do a certain type of art and they experiment until they find what they like.”

By midday Thursday, the parking lot was full of visitors to the show and Nelson was very pleased with the turnout and was expecting many more people to arrive throughout the course of the event.

Happily looking throughout the multipurpose room, Nelson said the preparation was, “A ton of work!”