From 20 NORTH GALLERY
TOLEDO – The 20 North Gallery, , 18 N. St. Clair St., Toledo will host an interactive Artist Talk Thursday, Nov. 18 from 6-9 p.m.,. The free event will feature insights from each exhibiting artist of the current exhibit, “The Alchemist’s Dream: Letts, Marino and Muir.” The exhibit features the work of Michigan painter K.A. Letts and Ohio artists, ceramicist Tom Marino and metalsmith Tom Muir, exploring the common theme of transformation. The exhibition will continue through December 24.
The event begins with a social hour, with guests invited to converse one-on-one with the artists. K.A. Letts will speak first at 7 p.m., Tom Marino will speak at 7:20 p.m. and Tom Muir will speak at 7:40 p.m. A brief Q&A and interval for refreshments will follow each artist’s presentation. Visitors are welcome to come for the social hour and attend all 3 artist presentations if they so choose. Due to limited seating, reservations are not required but are encouraged.
K.A. Letts will explore her historical influences and how these are transformed through her painting process. Letts says, “In my own work I find painting to be a kind of meditative, almost ritualistic process.” Marino will share inspirations for his ceramic “Crucible Series”, which he explains, “explores the idea of transformation, whether personal, collective or scientific.” Tom Muir says about his artworks in the exhibit, “The forms in these works simultaneously refer to both the man-made world and nature, without literal reference to either one and alluding to a more organic, symbiotic relationship between nature and technology.” Muir will also enlighten guests on the symbolism and personal connections in his metalworks.
K.A. Letts (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Trained in set and costume design, K.A. Letts received her B.A. from Barnard College (New York, New York) and her M.F.A. from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University (formerly the Yale School of Drama) in New Haven, Connecticut. She is an Alumna of the National Artists Program at A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. Letts has exhibited in numerous venues nationwide such as at Scarab Club (Detroit, Michigan), Playground Detroit (Michigan), Motor Row Gallery (Chicago Illinois), Firecat Projects (Chicago, Illinois), Hyde Park Art Center (Chicago, Illinois) University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan) as well as at Non-Fiction Gallery (Savannah, Georgia). Additionally, her work was included in the 2014-2015 95th Annual Area Artists Exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio), where she received the Purchase Award. Her work forms a part of the permanent, public collection of Toledo Federation of Art Societies.
Tom Marino (Toledo, Ohio)
Tom Marino holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan Technological University (Houghton), where he also pursued graduate work. He is a longtime member and former President of the Toledo Potters’ Guild. Marino’s work is included in many permanent museum collections including the Crocker Museum of Art (Sacramento, California), the Zanesville Museum of Art (Ohio), the Block Museum (Evanston, Illinois), the Midwest Museum of American Art (Elkhart, Indiana), as well as the permanent collection of Ceramics Monthly (Westerville, Ohio). He has exhibited annually since 1980 in the juried Crosby Festival of the Arts at Toledo Botanical Garden (Ohio). He exhibits nationally and internationally in venues such as the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Best Of at the Ohio Craft Museum (Columbus) and SOFA Chicago (Illinois). In 2016 he enjoyed a solo exhibit at Zanesville Museum of Art and, in 2017, exhibited at the 11th International Ceramics Competition (Mino, Japan), before being shortlisted for a touring exhibition by that museum.
Tom Muir (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Tom Muir received his M.F.A. from Indiana University (Bloomington) and his B.F.A. from Georgia State University (Atlanta). He is a Distinguished Research Professor at Bowling Green State University (Ohio), where he is head of the Jewelry and Metalsmithing area in the School of Art. He currently serves on the executive committee of the International Jewelry College Association as the representative of the Americas. Muir’s collections include the Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio); Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois); Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and The White House Collection of American Crafts, National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.). The recipient of numerous fellowships bestowed by Arts Midwest/National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for the Arts and Ohio Arts Council, in 2009, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Ohio Designer Craftsmen for having made a major contribution to craft in Ohio.
In addition to the featured exhibition, 20 North Gallery continues to display glass, paintings, jewelry and artists’ cards by noted artists of the region. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4p.m.
The online exhibition catalogue for “The Alchemist’s Dream: Letts, Marino and Muir,” containing art images of the full exhibit, artist information and artwork prices, is posted on the 20 North Gallery website at: 20northgallery.com
What: “The Alchemist’s Dream: Letts, Marino and Muir” art exhibition
Where: 20 North Gallery, 18 N. St. Clair Street, (Downtown) Toledo, Ohio 43604, 419-241-2400
When: October 8 – December 24, 2021
Gallery Hours
Wednesday – Saturday:
Noon – 4 p.m.
and By Appointment
Free public Artist Talk: Thursday, Nov. 18, 6-9 p.m.
For More Information, visit www.20northgallery.com
