Schedel Arboretum & Gardens to host two fine art exhibitions

        Schedel Arboretum & Gardens, Elmore, will host two fine arts exhibitions during the 2021 season.
        The first exhibition, titled “In the Gardens,” is a Toledo Federation of Art Societies Members’ Exclusive Juried Exhibition, which will run April 27-June 30.
        The second show, which will feature renowned photographer Jan Bell, of Bowling Green, will run from early July through the end of the Schedel season, Oct. 31.
        Both exhibits will be showcased in the McAlear Gallery at the nonprofit Schedel Arboretum & Gardens’ Brown Welcome Center.
        According to Schedel Foundation executive director Rod Noble, “We’ve been known as a destination for experiencing nature in the form of rare plants, beautiful annual flower beds and themed gardens since we opened to the public in 1991. In recent years, we have been expanding opportunities by demonstrating the harmony between nature and the arts by hosting exhibits of various art mediums in both indoor and outdoor settings.
        The Gardens began emphasizing art in its mission with a large-scale sculpture exhibit curated by Toledo artist Peggy Grant in 2001. Since then, featured shows have included art from the country of India, works by Japanese master calligraphers, various national sculptors and regional photographers and two-dimensional artists.
        “‘In the Gardens’ is the first of hopefully more collaborations between Schedel and TFAS,” said Christine Deemer, TFAS member and curator of the exhibition. “Schedel Gardens as a venue for a show like ‘In the Gardens’ is perfect for our members to showcase their work and move a little out of the center of Toledo, so a broader swath of people in our region can have the chance to see the artistic talent of our members from Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.”
        TFAS has existed since 1917, with the core mission to promote and expose the community to local and regional artistic talent. Created by the Toledo Museum of Art, the Athena Art Society and Tile Club, for many years the organization’s members exhibited at TMA, and last year revived that tradition at 20 North Gallery in Toledo.
        TFAS also owns some 300 pieces that are loaned to organizations through a leasing program.
       
        “Meticulously crafted images”
        Photographer Jan Bell has received numerous awards over the years. He has exhibited all over the country at galleries and fine arts shows and has received numerous Best of Show Awards. Bell’s work debuted on the national stage in 2011 when he won the Grand Prize from the Ansel Adams Gallery for his black-and-white photo, “Agave.” His works hang in the offices of more than 20 corporations including the James Cancer Center at The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Toledo Museum of Art.
        “We are extremely fortunate to have received a commitment from Jan for this show starting in July. His awards are literally too numerous to list and he is in very high demand,” Noble said. “Bell has been building a reputation for the past 20 years based on his pristine, meticulously crafted images of natural subjects and urban forms, often shown in tight close-up.”
        “I tend to eliminate unnecessary clutter in a composition,” Bell said, attributing his aesthetic in part to his 30-year career as a graphic designer at Bowling Green State University. “The elements of graphic design have a huge influence in my photography work.”
        All of the works in both exhibits will be for sale.
        “This is an exciting time for Schedel Gardens with the recent opening of the Blair Museum of Lithophanes, the largest collection of the 19th-century artform in the world and the only lithophane museum in the U.S.,” Noble said. “I’m hoping that we are poised to really become a significant contributor to the arts community in the area through rotating exhibitions in the McAlear Gallery and on the grounds, along with our association with TFAS and artists like Jan Bell.”
        Exhibits will be open to the public during Schedel’s regular hours – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
        Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is located at 19255 W. Portage River South Rd. Additional information is available at schedel-gardens.org.