Arts Rolla Events!
The public is invited to submit art for our exhibits and to attend our events and receptions.
September 2019
August 27 through September 24- Michael Helm and Jerry Watkins
Our August exhibit features the work of two exceptional artists. You won't want to miss this exhibit and you will also want to attend our First Friday Opening Reception so that you can meet our artists and hear their thoughts on the exhibit and the works that they are sharing.
About Michael Helm
Michael Helm began drawing and painting at an early age. Self taught he sold oil painting portraits to neighbors when he was 9 yrs old Before he was a teenager Michael would walk to the St. Louis Art Museum, and lose himself among ancient artwork, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet and many others.
Michael's first oil painting was a reproduction of “Girl Reading a Book”. It disappeared from a local art show.
He has shown his artwork in several venues. He showed several times at the St. Louis Artist Guild exhibits. Michael joined several drawing groups at SLU, Washington U and Webster U. There he met several established professional artists who gave him tips and advice speaking into his art.
Michael joined an art studio and learned the commercial art business. He became Vice President of a commercial art studio and worked for several years with Add Agencies and large companies like Kellogs and Anheuser Busch. Then Michael freelanced for several more years.
After Michael experienced several (personal tragedies) he found himself living in an abandoned school house. When he got back on his feet a little, he joined Spring Creek Artisans, (in Salem) Arts Rolla, and showed several times in National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society exhibits.
He has created Murals, sets for plays, taught art classes, created logos, and just generally tried to be creative.
Unable to make a living making art Michael began working at a local school as a para-professional.
After Michael's wife Barbara passed away he quit painting for several years. Recently he has began painting again and rejoined Arts Rolla.
Michael has retained several of his old paintings which were enjoyed by many people. They will be displayed along with several new works.
Michael attempts to create art to cause emotional responses, Dan Woodward has referred to his work as “In your face art”. If his art makes you feel entertained, elated. Sad or uneasy he feels that he is successful.
About Jerry B. Watkins:
I am fine artist and graphic designer. I have been in art my whole career, beginning as a paste-up artist and darkroom technician for a screen printer in my junior year of high school. I was recommended for the job by my art teacher, which I hold responsible for everything that has happened since.
I attended the Art Institute of Atlanta, for Commercial Art and Advertising Design. I left the screen printer shortly after school for stints as a designer in Specialty Advertising and the Sign Industry. I moved to the Washington, DC area in 1989 and had the wonderful opportunity to be apprenticed to one of the industries greatest artists in Gunther Kilsheimer at the Art Display Company. Gunther is best known for designing the Toys R Us logo, Theater Marquee Graphics of the 1950s and Presidential Inauguration Parade decor. I learned from him most notably the knowledge of design and layout, color balance and the importance of empty space.
Some computer knowledge led me to be recommended to take over for a leaving manager of the computer graphics department, which at the time was in its elementary stages. Gunther was resistant to computers and stated that, “he would not invest in computers until they could do what he could do with a paint brush.” It was about a year later that I accompanied him to an expo to bring in the technology. I was an early pioneer of photo rendering and trade graphics for the industry. I had learned much from the fine artists, painters and metal craftsmen in the industry who were soon retiring or adapting to computer driven replacements in the industry. Finally, the computers were to take over the Design Department which I was put in charge of as Art Director in 1993. The challenge to develop computer graphics to mimic and replace hand drawn, painted and rendered graphics was an exciting field to be in at the time.
I then moved into sales in 2000 and enjoyed many years as a senior sales executive/designer and worked with many high end companies and on many memorable projects all over the country. My clients included outdoor advertising, theaters, restaurants, sports teams, and rendering and preparing design criteria for city and community development working with developers and municipalities from Atlanta to New York.
I have been a semi-retired independent artist since 2006, working for many industries. I take on projects as they interest me and work from design to coordination of production and as a project manager.
I paint in acrylic and oil, draw, scan, photograph, edit with my computer and my smartphone – my easel in my pocket. I am currently pursuing grants for establishing an art center for computer graphics and fine arts classes as well as a space to display and for online sales of the art created.
September 6 – First Friday Opening Reception - 5 pm to 7 pm at The Centre, 1200 Holloway, Rolla, MO.
October_2019
October 4 - October 25 - Pure Enjoyment
Brewer Science, in cooperation with the Springfield Regional Arts Council and Arts Rolla is sponsoring a juried exhibit called "Pure Enjoyment".
The exhibit will be held at The Creamery Arts Center located in Springfield, MO during the month of October. The exhibit includes art, photography, ad 3-D works. Artists may submit up to 3 jpegs of their work during the month of August for consideration in this exhibit.
Click here for Call for Art Information.
October_2019
September 24-October 22- Current River Artisans & Spring Creek Artisans.
These two groups have displayed with Arts Rolla for a number of years. They bring a varied selection of artwork in many different types of media. From Acrylic paintings to Wood Carvings. 2D and 3D work.
October 4 – First Friday Opening Reception - 5 pm to 7 pm at The Centre, 1200 Holloway, Rolla, MO.
November_2019
October 22- November 26 - 32nd Annual Judged Art Exhibition
Arts Rolla is pleased to invite visual artists to submit original works to be a part of the Arts Rolla 32nd Annual Judged Art Exhibition. The juror for this year's event is Roberto Regalardo.
Click here for call for art information.
November 1 – First Friday Opening Reception - 5 pm to 7 pm at The Centre, 1200 Holloway, Rolla, MO. Award presentation will begin at 6 pm.
November 2,_2019
12 Biennial Writing Competition, November 2, 2019, Christ Episcopal Church Rolla MO. please click the link below for details on how to enter. 2019_writing_comp_entry_form_pdf.pdf
December 2019
November 26 through December 30- Local Color
Arts Rolla is pleased to showcase the original art created by Local Color. This exhibit will share a variety of subjects and style created by multiple artists. This exhibit will have something for everyone and be lots of fun. Make plans to attend out First Friday Opening Reception so you can meet the artists.
Click here for Call for Art information.
December 6 – First Friday Opening Reception - 5 pm to 7 pm at The Centre, 1200 Holloway, Rolla, MO.
