The Gang’s all here…from the Castle Gallery: from left to right: Catherine Marchand, Board Member; Debra Latham, Board Member; Ober-Rae Livingstone, Artist; Patricia Tribastone, Board Member; Michelle Murray, NOAPS President; Rita Orr, NOAPS Co-Founder; Nancy Haley, Board Member; Karolyn Farrell, Board Member; Masoud Habibyan, Board Member; Jody Hemphill Smith, Gallery Owner; kneeling is Joseph Orr, NOAPS Co-Founder.

What an amazing weekend!  The Best of America Exhibit surely lived up to it’s name…the paintings in the exhibit were outstanding.  The Gallery, located in the small city of Fort Wayne and situated in a residential neighborhood, belied its reach and scope until one entered the front door.  The paintings were hung throughout this beautifully restored mansion with surprises around every corner.  The viewing of the work was an experience; the difference between an online image and in person was to say the least, remarkable.  Colors, brushwork, and the living, breathing essence of each painting made one fall silent when taking in the magnitude of the work.  There can be no comparison made to the reality of viewing the actual painting.

  Master Artist Cheng Lian, demonstrating a portrait in oil.

In addition to the exhibit, the attendees were treated to demonstrations by NOAPS Master Artists Jason Sacran (who also served as Judge of Awards) and Cheng Lian.  Both presented informative and entertaining demonstrations in oil while creating beautiful paintings.  Joseph Orr, a co-founder of NOAPS, delighted with a demonstration done in acrylics.  Joseph also spoke about the inception of our organization, with a personal account of the history of its origin and reasons for being.  Surprisingly, one of the reasons that Joseph, his wife Rita, Dennis Yates and Pete Peterson started the group was that at the time, oil and acrylic painting had become less prominent than other mediums, and they wanted a venue for exhibitions.  All this tied in with the talk on Thursday given by President and CEO of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art Charles Shepard III, who gave a talk on the history of the growth and evolution of American Art.

Acrylic Landscape Demonstration by Joseph Orr

The Gallery owners Jody Hemphill Smith and Mark Paul Smith were both welcoming and impressive.  The reception was extremely well attended, with refreshments, great music, and lively conversation.  NOAPS extends a very warm and sincere thank you to Jody and Mark, with much appreciation for their work, their dedication to the arts, and willingness to host our organization.

The real stars of the show, however, are the artists.  NOAPS has a membership who consistently produces high quality work, and we strive to provide opportunities for our members to exhibit their work online and across the country in America’s best galleries.

To view the Best of America Exhibit and see photos from the show, visit http://www.noaps.org/exhibitions.  Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram (Natoilandacrylicsociety).

To inquire about paintings in the exhibit contact The Castle Gallery, 1202 West Wayne Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Phone (260) 426-6568.

Written by Patricia Tribastone, NOAPS Blog Director