Saturday, July 16, 2016
YOUNGSTOWN
For the last 30 years, Diane Beatty has made a point to enter a local art display that showcases the talents of female artists.
Four pieces she submitted to the YWCA of Youngstown’s 34th annual “Women Artists: A Celebration!” made it into the 125-piece show that wrapped up Friday night.
“I love this show. It really spotlights the creativity of the women in our community,” said Beatty, of Campbell. “You can just tell by looking around, that it has a woman’s touch to it.”
She believes shows like this are important because they give female artists opportunities to connect with one another.
“To see where they’re taking their art ... kind of drives inspiration, to me,” she said.
The crowd at Friday’s closing party had that chance to connect. A few dozen women — and some men, too — gathered at the YWCA’s downtown facility to admire the pieces on display, and to hear from some of the artists whose work was featured in the month-long show.
Among those artists was Gail Trunick, of Burghill. Trunick is a lifelong artist who incorporates found objects — or, “junk,” as she describes it — into her work.
She had on display a piece titled “Breaking Through the Box,” a large clay sculpture featuring an expressive human skeleton bursting out of a crate labeled “fragile.”
“My work completely depends upon my mood,” she told the crowd. “Don’t even fight it. They [her creations] become who they want to be.”
The event ended with presentation of a People’s Choice award to the artist for whom the most visitors had voted. The winner was Betsy Ford, who is co-chairwoman of the committee that organizes the show, for her piece “Bookmark Elegy.”
Ford said she enjoys the show not only because of the entries but because of the audience.
“It’s a true community show. Every time I came to the show, I would see people that looked like America,” she said. “It’s very diverse.”
It also meshes well with the YWCA’s mission to empower women, said Leah Merritt, president and CEO of the YWCA of Youngstown.
The original idea for the show — dreamed up by Nancy Morris and Eileen Scragg — arrived at a time when women’s art was not featured in shows or galleries as prominently as men’s, Merritt said.
“It also gives women an opportunity to sell their works — to make money, and support themselves through their livelihood,” she said.
The show is a fundraiser for the YWCA’s housing and supportive service programs.