by Scott Albright
Daily Lobo
Even pieces of metal lying on the ground can be made into works of art.
OFFCenter Community Arts Project is holding a show called "Wrap it Up: A Mixed Art Exhibit" featuring recycled scrap metal works from different artists.
The show is open to the public and will premiere Friday. The nailed, soldered and wired art will be for sale and the consignment store inside the studio will have other forms of art, said Janis Timm-Bottos, studio director.
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"Some of the work here is made from license plates, but not off people's cars," she said.
Catherine McCandless, a local artist, said only three pieces of work from each artist could be submitted for the show.
One of her pieces of metal art is of Jesus, called "I am the Light of the World." She also has a carousel she made, titled "Elf in Fairy Go Round." McCandless' third piece of work makes use of forks and other scrap metal.
"Passion is very important," she said. "If you can see the passion, it makes you think, and moves your emotions, then it's a good piece of art."
McCandless said art was always her passion and she didn't have the time to work on it until recently.
"I was praying for a miracle, and then I saw this place in the newspaper," she said. "My prayer was answered."
McCandless said she was unable to work over the years because she had to spend time raising her three children. Now that they are older she can spend more time on art. She said she liked to work with oil paints and acrylics but enjoyed the mixed metal art as well. She said the studio was a place for her to learn and she enjoys the people who help her.
Richard Heghart, a retired design engineer, said the studio allows people to think outside the box.
"You're going to see independent artwork from people who aren't art school graduates," he said.
The Downtown studio is free for anyone to work at and many different mediums are used, studio assistant Marcia Sednek said. The studio offers everything from framing and matting to metals and paints.
"We take donations for our artists to use. We can always use wood and appreciate brushes and paints," Sednek said. "I like to take something old and make it look new."
Sednek said the show will feature pieces of art that have metal from dumpsters and trash cans and some of the metal was found lying in the street.
