By Jackson Swearer
A Certain Point of View
My family moved earlier this year—only a few blocks, but the short distance didn’t shorten the unpacking process much. Between some minor renovations and having a toddler for an assistant, it has been a slow, steady effort.
Along the way, we have painted most of the walls, and to date, most have remained bare. But now, with all of the big furniture in place and all of the most important boxes unloaded, we are finally starting to put some art back up.
So far, we have only hung a few pieces. Still, it’s amazing what a joy it is to have some color back on the walls.
Some of my earliest memories are of deciding where to place art in my room. Stickers covered one of my earliest dressers, carefully placed. I have always enjoyed putting something up and then going back to look at it later.
As I grew up, I traded stickers on the dresser for posters on the wall. Art can be an expression of personality and interests. Three large Star Wars posters from the prequel movies are still somewhere in my mom’s basement. I carry my love of sci-fi and fantasy books and movies to this day.
Recently, my taste is a little more grown up and refined. I also happened to marry another lover of fine art. Through the years, we have looked for opportunities to collect original works of art from local and regional artists. Carefully stored during the move, it is finally time to put up some of our favorites.
First on the wall was the oldest painting in our small collection, “Zinnias and Vegetables” by Henrietta Jones. Jones is a local artist known best for her watercolor paintings. “Zinnias and Vegetables” is an oil still life from early in her life, during the time when she studied under the renowned Birger Sandzén and Lester Raymer in Lindsborg. The bright colors and brush strokes bring a smile to my face whenever I notice the painting.
Next up was “Pale Blue Dot” by Josh Tripoli. The abstract oil painting evokes a quote from the famous scientist, Carl Sagan. Writing about an image of Earth as seen from Voyager I, Sagan concluded by calling on everyone “to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Tripoli is a local artist from the Wichita area who Hutchinson residents may recognize as one of the muralists at Chester I. Lewis Plaza.
We have a lot of empty wall space left, but to this point, the final painting we have put up was “Man of Sorrow” by Ernest Vincent Wood III. This is the newest painting on the wall, but it is painted in the oldest style—a classic oil portrait. We know the artist as Vince, my wife’s cousin, who lives and paints in Wichita. I love the detail of his work, and I find “Man of Sorrow” thought-provoking.
I believe in supporting artists, and I believe art is for everyone. Many of the art pieces that we own were purchased at the Hutchinson Art Center at their bi-annual auction. The next one is coming up Saturday, Oct. 18. If you have been reading this column, thinking original fine art is not something you can afford, check it out—you may just be surprised.
You should have art in your life! Art does not have to come with a price tag, either. If you walked through my living room, looking at the few paintings on the wall, you may also notice a handful of original drawings that look suspiciously like toddler scribbles. Art that means something to you is the best kind.
Jackson Swearer is the Publisher and Managing Editor of The Hutchinson Tribune. He can be reached at jackson@hutchtribune.com.