Tri-County Arts Council Features Annual ‘Small Works’ Show
Tri-County Arts Council Features Annual ‘Small Works’ Show
40 local and regional artists display over 100 pieces in special exhibit in Olean; all works are available for sale and make great holiday gifts!
Don’t be fooled by the name, for there’s really no minimizing the impressive exhibit that is the Tri-County Arts Council’s “A Little Something Small Works Show.” Featuring 110 pieces created by 40 regional artists, this show is composed of original works that are on display now at the Tri-County Arts Council’s restored 1920s building at 110 W. State St. in Olean. From oil paintings to watercolors to jewelry, pottery, and so much more, all pieces are one-of-a-kind handcrafted works of art created by the arts council’s members, and all pieces are for sale. With the holidays quickly approaching, there’s no better time to find that unique gift that is sure to be treasured for many, many years to come.
Sean Huntington, Tri-County Arts Council exhibit coordinator, is thrilled to see the return of the small works show for the second year. “Last year was our first year for our small works show,” he said. “We had 87 pieces in that show and now we have 110. The quality is just amazing. I’m pleasantly surprised.”
So what exactly makes a “small works” show? “Work must be under 12x12 inches for two-dimensional, and under 12x12x12 inches for three-dimensional work,” Huntington explained. “Everything is for sale, and each piece is different. Because the pieces are smaller, this makes them a fairly inexpensive, really cool Christmas gift!”
To Mikel Wintermantel, artist and executive director of the TCAC, the range of artwork is what is most impressive about the small works show. “I think it’s a good show because it shows the diversity and depth of talent of the artists in the region here,” he pointed out. “People walking in are thrilled with the results. It’s fun [for the arts council] because we never know what we’re going to get until the work starts to come in!”
Wintermantel is a luminous landscape oil painter and Copley master, whose work appears to radiate light. All of his paintings have custom frames that he builds, and he also works with a local company to craft custom mats. All of his pieces for the small works show have already sold, but his work is also available on his website at www.mikelwintermantel.com.
Although he is new to the role of director, Wintermantel is hardly new to the arts council. “The arts council started over 35 years ago in my one-bedroom apartment,” he explained. “I was meeting with a group of younger artists, and it just continued to grow.” In 1997, the Cattaraugus County Arts Council was officially formed, and over the next two decades, it occupied different spaces in Allegany, New York. In 2018, the name was officially changed to the Tri-County Arts Council to reflect all three counties served: Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua. A year later, the TCAC moved to its current location at 110 W. Main St. in Olean.
According to Wintermantel, “Owner Jeff Belt and his crew have done a great job making it a destination space. Everyone remarks, when they see it in person, that it is such a beautiful venue.” Visitors can stop by the TCAC to view the small works show and purchase artwork during the following regular hours: Tuesday through Friday from 12:00-6:00pm and Saturday from 12:00-5:00pm. The TCAC recently launched their redesigned website www.tricountyartscouncil.org, where the entire show is photographed and available for sale online.
Huntington loves that the small works show gives all of the TCAC’s members the opportunity to showcase their work, and for some, this is their first opportunity to do that. Tara Walker, Ph.D., assistant communications professor at St. Bonaventure University, is a painter who works with oil pastels, watercolors, and gouache. A new member to the arts council, Walker is also new to the region, having moved to Olean from Boulder, Colorado last fall.
Walker explained, “I grew up experiencing a very different landscape: very dry, giant mountains. One of the things that was really striking to me [when I moved here] was the landscape and the moisture.”
Indeed, many landscape artists tend to paint what they see, and Walker’s move to western New York brought fresh inspiration to her art. “I find it really fascinating how many abandoned houses, barns, and structures there are out here,” she said. “The moss and plants kind of take over. One piece that I have for the show is of a couple of barns in Allegany. There is also a little watercolor I did based on something I saw near my house: a bird in a puddle by the train tracks. I really liked the symmetry of the bird and the tracks in the reflection.”
Although Walker has been painting for several years, this is her first art show, and she is inspired by the work of her fellow arts council members. To see more of Walker’s work, follow her on Instagram at @fourcollybirds.
There are several participating artists who are well known throughout the region and all over the world. Visitors to Holiday Valley have likely seen Huntington’s work, as his watercolor paintings hang in the main lodge. A full-time artist for the past 15 years, Huntington is a landscape painter who lives in Olean. This month, in addition to the small works show, he is showcasing his work in 25 Days of Minis, an online art show/sale that includes 54 professional artists from across North America.
Visitors to the TCAC may also be familiar with the work of Barbara Fox, a painter who has lived near Ellicottville for the past 30 years. Fox draws and paints using watercolors and oil paints. “Realism has always been my style over the years,” she said. “From flowers to still-lifes to landscapes to portraits and figures. I’ve always kept my love of flowers!” Fox has created four pieces for the small works show, including florals, a bird painting, and a still life.
“I’m always working on new pieces, and I’m just delighted if someone loves one of my paintings enough to purchase it,” she said. “I’m always honored whenever anyone purchases my artwork. I’ve been lucky enough to purchase others’. It really makes you happy when you can purchase something you love, that is handmade, a one-of-a-kind unique thing. If you love it, you'll always love it. You don’t get tired of it. It really is a special addition to your home and it’s nice knowing that you helped out an artist as well. It’s not always an easy thing to make a living or even have a viable business doing this.” To see more of Fox’s work, visit barabarafoxartstudio.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Artist Eileen Weishan has called Cattaraugus home for the past 40 years and has been an active member of the arts council during much of that time. She served on the board of directors for 13 years, and she and her husband, photographer Mike Weishan (whose work is also featured in the small works show), have been involved in several other capacities, from volunteering to exhibiting. She said, “I’ve got two things in the show this year … one is a photograph that I took when we were down in the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia in June. We were hoping for nice weather, but it was rainy and foggy the whole time! I like to do macro photography and got a really neat close shot of this beautiful wildflower.”
Weishan’s second piece is a small wristlet (with a detachable strap), which she cut and sewed from Japanese kimono fabric. “Most of what I do is sew,” she explained. “I started a business about eight years ago. I make beaded scarves, wraps, all sizes of wallets, handbags, and totes … I use a lot of kimono fabrics. I use silk for scarves, but I also get men’s fabric. It's a beautiful woven fabric - some is wool and silk, some is cotton … they’re unique. They make up beautifully and are not something you can find in stores around here. I have a line of just Japanese fabrics, as well as cottons, wools, and corduroy for other handbags and wallets.” To view or purchase more of her work, visit www.eileenweishandesigns.com.
The TCAC’s small works show runs through January 22, 2022. Even after the show, the arts council has work available for sale. Huntington said, “We have an artisan market that’s here all the time - jewelry, sculpture, paintings, prints. We also have a pottery studio and classroom.”
The arts council regularly hosts classes in pottery, painting, drawing, paper making, and more. An artisan’s membership is just $20 per year and is open to anyone in the tri-county area. Huntington added, “People can also come in and use our space to create, like a gym membership, for $120 a year or $12.50 per month.” For more information, visit www.tricountyartscouncil.org and follow the arts council on Facebook and Instagram.