Students and the Baldwin City community will have the chance to view artwork that spans more than half a century when three regional artists showcase selected paintings on campus starting Sunday,
The opening reception for the exhibit “60 Years! Three Dedicated Artists, Teachers and Friends” is from 2-4 p.m. Sunday in the Holt-Russell Gallery.
Tom Russell, Baldwin City; Will Niewald, Kansas City, Mo.; and Bob Sudlow, Lawrence, have been friends since the 1940s. After finishing school, Niewald and Russell worked together for a short time as instructors at the Kansas City Art Institute.
When Sudlow finished his education at the University of Kansas, he approached Russell and Niewald about how to proceed with his career.
“Painting is a kind of celebration,” Sudlow said. “I found the more I painted the prairie the more I understood it.”
Walt Bailey, special assistant to the president for development of the arts, has discussed the possibility of bringing the three artists’ work together for an exhibit for the last several years. Bailey met Niewald and Sudlow through conferences and art student exchange programs during the almost 20 years he spent working with Russell.
“These men have an incredible absolute dedication to their craft,” Bailey said. “As artists they are part of a generation that is becoming harder to find.”
The artists, ranging from ages 83 to 91, paint for hours each day. Russell, 91, still tries to paint for at least three hours per day.
As plein aire artists, which is a French expression translating to “in plain air,” each painter will work on location rather than taking a picture and pinning it up in a studio.
“When you look at their style of work you are experiencing a very direct relationship with the artist and their vision,” Bailey said.
The exhibit will contain 24 paintings – eight from each artist. Each artist is choosing pieces they want others to see and to associate with.
“Out of all of the paintings I tried to make some of it up-to-date or work from within the last year,” Russell said. “There will be some pieces that are 30 to 40 years old from Boulder, Colo.”
During the opening reception the artists will be available to speak with and to view their work with. The art can also be viewed weekdays from 1-4 p.m. or by arrangement.
The exhibit will be open to the public from Sunday to Feb. 27.