Culture
DACO to Host Vibrant Mix of Exhibitions in 2018
< < Back toThe Decorative Arts Center of Ohio is proud to bring three innovative exhibitions to Lancaster, Ohio in 2018, on themes including Appalachian Ohio, costumes from the Paramount Pictures’ archives and Holocaust-era children’s artwork.
The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio has announced its 2018 exhibitions, which will begin Jan. 20, 2018. Each exhibition will have related programming as well, including curator talks, lectures and workshops. The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio is open to the public at no cost.
“We are proud to bring such thought-provoking and culturally important exhibitions to the community in 2018,” says Decorative Arts Center of Ohio Director Elizabeth Brown. “This year’s exhibitions have the potential to inspire, stimulate and unleash possibility for all of our visitors.”
Artists of the Winding Road A-Z
The first exhibition of the year, “Artists of the Winding Road A-Z,” runs Jan. 20 to April 15, 2018. It showcases the works of 12 Appalachian Ohio artists who, through innovative work in media ranging from cloth and clay to bottle caps and asphalt, are raising an artful Appalachia and, in the process, helping to redefine the economy of Ohio’s Appalachian region.
Co-curated by David Mitzel, director of Appalachian Hills of Ohio Territory, and Zanesville-based painter Michael Seiler, this exhibition features works by artists from Athens, Muskingum and Perry Counties. Those areas of Ohio were once mined for natural resources but have recently become known for artistic riches that are catalyzing economic revival.
“The (region’s) economy had been basically an economy of extraction – whether it be coal or oil or gas or timber. So instead of extraction, we’re looking for attraction – we want people to come here, we want people to stay here, we want people to live here,” Mitzel said.
The unique exhibition will feature works of more than 10 artists from the region.
Creating the Illusion: Costumes and Characters from the Paramount Archive
From May 19 to August 12, 2018, the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio will bring the magic of Hollywood to Lancaster with its second exhibition of the year, “Creating the Illusion: Costumes and Characters from the Paramount Archive.” The exhibition is curated by Randall Thropp, Paramount Pictures costume archivist.
Costumes from the films “Coming to America,” “Forrest Gump” and “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” are among the many films that will be featured in this exhibition that showcases memorable characters from more than modern-day Paramount Pictures films.
The exhibition was inspired by the book, “Creating the Illusion,” by Jay Jorgensen and Donald Scoggins. Forty-two costumes culled from the Paramount Archives will be on display in this colorful exhibition.
Imagining a Better World: The Artwork of Nelly Toll
As a Jewish girl, Nelly Toll was in secret hiding with her mother during the Second World War in Poland. Her artwork depicts her real and imagined world during the Nazi occupation. She dreamed through her watercolor paintings, which showed her hope and imagination through an unfathomable hardship.
“The historical backdrop of World War II and occupied Poland provides context for Nelly’s personal narrative and illustrations; but this is not an exhibition about the Holocaust,” says Alexandra Nicholis Coon, executive director of the Massillon Museum, the organization traveling the exhibition. “Rather, it is a powerful story of surviving even the darkest of times through imagination, hope, and love.”
Today, Dr. Toll uses her personal experience as a platform to address bullying, emphasizing the importance of exercising compassion for all people.
Toll’s most complete collection of original artwork will be on display at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio from September 15 to December 23, 2018.
For information about exhibitions, programs and classes at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, visit www.decartsohio.org or call 740-681-1423.
The Decorative Arts Center is housed in the Reese-Peters House, a Federal/Greek Revival masterpiece at 145 E. Main Street in Lancaster’s Historic District. Admission is free Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.