On Thursday, June 20, 2019, the public is invited to a Meet the Artists event at The Loft on Main, 112 E. Main Street, Morrison, IL, starting at 6:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend. Each artist will discuss his/her philosophy, process, and products. Time will be allowed for questions and examining the art pieces.
This is an opportunity for members to renew their yearly fee and for supporters of The Loft on Main to become new members. Ask about the benefits of membership.
Rick Brent stated, “I am a 1973 graduate of Morrison Institute of Technology. I worked in the design and engineering field of wood buildings until retirement. I studied photography under Roger Kyler at Kishwaukee College along with multiple workshops and seminars.
“My wife Cheryl and I relocated to Carroll County, IL, [which gave] us the opportunity for a relaxing escape to the outdoors in all seasons. Carroll County provides abundant photographic settings for birds and animals, both large and small, as well as landscapes, farmscapes, historical architecture, and the Mississippi River.
“My preference is to utilize composition in wildlife and nature photography and to capture the image in the natural habitat without disturbing nature.”
His photographs are sometimes framed with unique, corrugated steel mats.
Val Butcher creates glass works, from clocks to wine stoppers. She began her career as a painter, but four years ago, she began to lose her eyesight. Not wanting to give up on art, she returned to her love of clay sculpting. However, while working on one of her pieces, she needed a piece of glass. This was the beginning of Val and her husband, Clarence, using their pottery kiln to make fused and slumped (folded) glass.
After taking classes in Missouri, they began to sell their glass works, in a variety of Illinois locales: Dixon, Morrison, Sterling, and the Quad Cities. Making art has become something Val and Clarence create as a team.
Rick Prestley is a graduate of Morrison High School who now lives in Sterling, IL. His photographs favors black and white images.
“Personally, photography serves as a vehicle for exploring. Perhaps more importantly, photography allows for the reflection on relationships between the human, cultural, environmental, and visual elements of a particular place and how they interact at a specific moment in time,” stated Rick.
He has enjoyed the art of photography for 55 years.