An eclectic array of talent adorns the walls, stands tall in corners, and brightens the room, featuring the work of 58 artists, most from Michigan, one from Texas, one from Utah, and one from the Netherlands.

Art in the Loft’s juried art exhibit “LIGHT,” opens Friday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. This is the gallery’s fourth annual juried art exhibit.

“We started back at our 15th anniversary, back in 2016, and that was ‘Black and White,’ then we moved into ‘Forgotten Spaces,’ last year we did ‘RED,’ and now we’re back, with ‘LIGHT,'” said Art in the Loft Executive Director Justin Christensen-Cooper. “The great thing about this is we’ve seen an increase in submissions and artists submitting work. So this was not only our highest number of pieces submitted, but the most pieces we’ll have in a show as well. So we had over 130 pieces submitted, and 91 will be in the show.”

This is the first time electricity has actually been incorporated into the art itself, Christensen-Cooper added.

News Photos by Darby Hinkley Here is a photograph on metal by Kathy Bower of Alpena, called “Sunset Harbor.”

“We have some found-object lamps and just really interesting stuff,” he said. “So electricity is needed for some of these pieces, and that’s unique.”

Gallery Associate and Artist Anneliese Mathia is excited to have one of her pieces in the show.

“I was just playing with contrasting color, using different colors I wouldn’t normally put together,” Mathia said of her brightly colored abstract piece, “Shading in the Light.”

Community Mural Artist Tony Hendrick juried this show. At the reception, the artist whose work is juried as Best of Show will receive exhibition space in the WinterView 2019 and SummerView 2020 exhibits, and a $300 cash prize. The second place artist will receive a $200 cash prize, and third place will get a $100 cash prize. The artist whose work receives the most votes in the People’s Choice contest will get a $50 gift certificate.

Artists with one or more pieces in the show include Anne Bastow Heraghty of Alpena, Rose Buck of Alpena, Lucia Behmer of Harrisville, Mark Bisanz of Alpena, Mark Bleshenski of Bay City, Susan Bowen of Alpena, Kathleen Bower of Alpena, Melissa Burns of Alpena, Tabitha Camp of Alpena, Mary Christensen-Cooper of Alpena, Danyeal Dorr of Alpena, Linda Drean of Mikado, Brooke Stevens of Alpena, Rachel Goodstein of Rogers City, Judy Hart of Alpena, Amber Hess of Alpena, Rita Hess of Alpena, Richard Houchin of Alpena, Steve Jakubcin of Alpena, Griffin James of Alpena, Karen Jonker of East Tawas, Stephanie LaFramboise of Hillman, Cheryl Lemke of Alpena, Mary Lightner of Alpena, Peggy Little of Oscoda, David Little of Alpena, Amy Marlatt of Atlanta, Kamara Marsh of Alpena, Anneliese Mathia of Alpena, Timothy McKnight of San Marcos, Texas, Kati Meek of Alpena, Lane Blair Olsen of Alpena, Mike Phillips of Alpena, Carol Preuss of Mikado, Bradley Przeslawski of Alpena, Bert Reed of Alpena, Hope Reed of Hubbard Lake, Linda Sansom of Lachine, Charles Schroeder of Livonia, Meag Schwartz of Alpena, Judy Seabase of Alpena, Shasta Sitton of Hillman, Jeff Smith of Alpena, Anne Sonnenberg of Alpena, Leanna Springer of Lincoln, Katherine Stevens of Hillman, Jean Stewart of Alpena, Don Stewart of Alpena, Mary Beth Stutzman of Alpena, William Thomas of Alpena, Dimitris Voyiazoglou of the Netherlands, Janet Wallace of Alpena, Chelsea Wallace of Alpena, Barbara Weisenburg of Millersburg, Thane Whitscell of Alpena, Beverly Wolf of Waterford, and Setsuko Yoshida of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Anneliese Mathia poses by her piece, “Shading in the Light.”

Friday’s reception is free to the public, and the artwork is for sale. The theme for next year’s juried art show will also be revealed on Friday. For more information, call 989-356-4877 or visit www.artintheloft.org.

News Photos by Darby Hinkley
Here is a photograph on metal by Kathy Bower of Alpena, called “Sunset Harbor.”

Mathia hangs the oil painting, “Going to Baseball,” by Linda Drean of Mikado.