Appleton Biennial Showcases Outstanding Regional Artists
May 29, 2008
American Impressionist Bill James of Ocala is one of four regional artists whose work will be showcased in the 2008 Appleton Biennial exhibition opening Saturday, June 14, at the Appleton Museum of Art of Central Florida Community College.
The juried exhibition, which runs through Aug. 17, is open to professional, amateur and student artists in North Central Florida. Rounding out this year’s biennialare Ron Haase of Melrose, Joyce McAdams of Edgewater and Steffen Mittelhaeuser of Port Orange.
Museum Director Robin Muse McClea said, “It is critical to support contemporary artists as translators of our culture and the Appleton Museum is a perfect venue. We are proud to introduce these professionals to the Ocala community.”
First held in 2004 in response to requests from local artists interested in exhibiting at the Appleton, the biennials feature artists who offer a new or fresh perspective on traditional subjects and materials.
Selection includes review of the artist’s work, which must have been created since 2000, and studio visits by the Appleton’s curatorial staff. Artists must also demonstrate their strengths in other ways, such as winning awards in judged art shows or having their works included in major collections.
James, who paints landscapes and figurative work in three media – pastels, oils and watercolors – is a signature member of four national art associations including the Knickerbocker Artists, an exclusive association open only to master artists. His work is also featured in several corporate collections including that of American Airlines, Alfa Romeo, McGraw-Hill and the Turner Broadcasting Network.
“My main objective as an artist is to try and tell a story and, at the same time, evoke some kind of emotion from the viewer,” said James, who recently won Pastel Journal Magazine’s Gold Medal for Excellence.
Haase, professor emeritus of the University of Florida’s College of Architecture, may be better known for his book, “Classic Cracker: Florida’s Wood-Frame Vernacular Architecture.” Now a full-time artist, Haase said his mixed-media “presents a sense of place imbued by the regional landscape” as well as its architecture.
McAdams’ playful acrylic paintings showcase a fantastical world of flying fish and dragonflies that have been featured in numerous publications, including American Style Magazine. Her work is available in more than 30 galleries nationwide, and a line of jewelry, based on her paintings, has sold at the Guggenheim Museum, the Smithsonian and the Tampa Museum of Art.
Mittelhaeuser, an adjunct professor of photography at Daytona Beach Community College, also runs his own photography, stock and fine art studio. His work has been exhibited throughout the country and Europe; is included in the collection of, among others, the University of Michigan’s School of Art; and appears in two dozen books and magazines, including a series of National Audubon Society field guides.
The artists will be honored at a VIP reception and exhibition preview on Friday, June 13. The special preview event is open to Appleton members but those interested in attending may join the museum any time up to and including the day of the reception.
The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, is owned and operated by Central Florida Community College. General admission is $6, excluding special events. For membership information, call the museum at 352-291-4455, ext. 1831. For general museum information or to learn more about the exhibition, call 352-291-4455, ext. 1835, or visit the Web site at www.appletonmuseum.org.
