 – Barns of the Midwest portray a story of hard work, sacrifice, loss and prosperity and family values. With each new decade, more and more of these landmarks…){kind=link}
(NWPR-OH) – Barns of the Midwest portray a story of hard work, sacrifice, loss and prosperity and family values. With each new decade, more and more of these landmarks are disappearing, never to be replaced. Referred to as eyesores, past their time or responsible for reducing property values, the barns that once formed the lives of immigrants seeking the right to live freely are becoming nothing more than an afterthought to many, but although impossible to fight and save the old barns, one artist is making a statement in a project called “Barns of Indiana” by Gwen Gutwein. On Tuesday, June 28 at 7:00 pm, she will speak about her artistic process, the plein air painting technique she uses to paint the historical richness of these structures at the Delphos Area Art Guild.
Gutwein, who grew up on a farm in Northwest Indiana with one of those old barns, left to begin a career in Fine Arts at Indiana University and continued to travel throughout the United States, Greece and Italy, perfecting her craft and over the years, she has won numerous awards as well as having oil and watercolor paintings in public institutions and private homes.
The “Barns of Indiana” is an extensive program where Gwen is hand selecting two barns from each of the 92 counties in Indiana. Research, interviews and pictures help her prepare for the on-sight painting where the light, color, mood and character of each barn are captured. The architectural detailing of many barns is unique and defines the family’s cultural background. Round barns, bank barns and crib barns all once housed animals and grain, necessities for survival. To date, Gwen has visited 32 counties and continues her pledge the visit each county where a hard choice is made to display only two barns.
For more information on the Delphos Area Art Guild and this free and open to the public invited event, contact Judy at judygrone@hotmail.com, or check out DAAG on Facebook or see more on artist Gutwein at www.gwengutwein.com.
Judy Grone
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Great photos and article! I am looking forward to Gwen’s talk which coincides with her exhibit. http://www.theartsmap.com/detail.php?id=671 or join our group on Facebook.