Pontiac artists display ‘Masters of Water’ exhibit at Ozark County Volunteer Library
This colorful artwork, “Clowning Around Too,” is for sale for $35 or $70 with an accompanying piece titled “Clowning Around.”
This piece, titled “Chasing Bubbles,” was created by Ronee Looney and Gray Barn Studio students. It is for sale for $215. For more information about purchasing the piece, contact Looney directly.
This two-part artwork, titled “Sardines,” is for sale at the Ozark County Volunteer Library for $80, or $40 for a single piece.
The artwork pictured on this page was created by Ronee Looney and other artists at Gray Barn Studio and is currently exhibited at the Ozark County Volunteer Library. Looney said the exhibit is inspired by living near Bull Shoals Lake.
The artwork of Pontiac resident and owner of Gray Barn Studio Ronee Looney and other artists from the studio, is now displayed at the Ozark County Volunteer Library as part of the organization’s visiting-artist exhibit program. The current exhibit, titled “Masters of Water,” continues through the end of the month.
The mixed-media pieces consist of ceramic paired with canvas, paint and other media to create multi-dimensional work in a fun, underwater theme. While some pieces exhibit vibrant colors, others are more subdued.
“Without the ability to actualize an idea or concept, art would not exist,” Looney said in her artist statement that accompanies the pieces.
“My work is a constant search for the best way to interpret the ideas I have about myself and the world I live in. I do not limit myself to one medium, style or concept. Inspiration and ideas change. Knowledge changes.
“Each piece I create is simultaneously an extension from the past, where I’ve come from and what I’ve learned, as well as a preview of the future . . . where I’m going. Many of the traditional sculpture methods can be seen in my work: carving, casting, welding and assemblage, just to name a few. I do not classify myself as a craft artist, as some might think from looking at my work. I am a sculptor, a woodworker, a blacksmith, a metal smith, a carver, a furniture maker, an artist.
“I like the idea that form doesn’t necessarily need function, but I also like the idea that function has to work with form and form has to work with function. If a viewer stops for just a moment to view and reflect on a piece I have created, then I have succeeded in my work.”
Looney says the exhibit is inspired from her life in Ozark County living near Bull Shoals Lake.
“Living near Bull Shoals Lake awakened an interest in fish and the inspiration of the lake in my imagination. ‘Masters of Water’ is a collaboration with students of the Gray Barn Studio...”
“Gray Barn Studio is a safe place for women to get together to explore their personal creative abilities in ceramics with all its stages and techniques and possibilities. To release people’s fears of art so they may have confidence in themselves which carries on into other parts of their lives. To have confidence in producing a personal idea of art.”
Many of the pieces are for sale with prices ranging from $30 to $225. To inquire about purchasing a painting, contact Looney directly at Gray Barn Studio, 720-217-9700, roneelooney@gmail.com or visit “Gray Barn Studio” on Facebook.
The Ozark County Volunteer Library, located at the corner of Second and Elm Streets in Gainesville, is run by volunteers and operates completely on donations. It is not tax funded in any way. It does not receive a commission or any money from works sold by the artists. The artists retain the full amount of the sale of their work.
The current open hours are from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The library is closed Friday and Sunday. The library is in need of volunteers to keep the doors open in the afternoons. Those interested can call Joanne Krupp at 417-343-7667.
For more information on the visiting artist program and how to participate, contact Lisa Atkinson at lisacatkinson@gmail.com or call the Ozark County Volunteer Library at 417-679-4442.