“Our fall and winter lineup highlights the incredibly diverse creative energy that thrives right here in the Borderland,” said Jennifer “JJ” McBride, Executive Director of the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. “Whether we are showcasing local artisans at our harvest markets or drawing crowds for world-class musicians and the signature zaniness of Icebox Days, these events bring people together and shine a bright light on our unique regional culture.”

Autumn Arts, Crafts, and Community Spotlights

• Voyageurs Star Party (Sept. 11–12, 2026): Dark sky preservation meets creative exploration at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. This unique event invites night-sky photography enthusiasts and nature lovers to experience and capture the stunning wilderness dark skies.
• Harvest Fest Farmers Market (Sept. 12, 2026): Hosted at Tractor Supply Co. (1602 Hwy 71) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, this market shines a spotlight on the region’s top artisans, makers, and bakers.
• Minnesota Kruger Challenge Launch (Sept. 12, 2026): Spectators can gather near the Sha Sha Resort at 9:00 AM to witness the visually spectacular launch of this legendary wilderness watercraft challenge.

World-Class Theater and Live Music

• Townshend Theatre Concert Series: Located just across the rainy river, this top-tier regional hub brings highly acclaimed touring artists to the Borderland stage:
• 16, 2026: Blues-rock icon Sass Jordan
• 5, 2026: Roots-folk group Maggie’s Wake
• 29, 2026: Folk artist Mia Kelly
• 21, 2027: Juno Award-winner Crystal Shawanda
• Backus Community Center Cultural Hub: Located at 900 5th Street, the historic John Faith Little Theater continues its year-round mission as a creative incubator, hosting regional art classes, indoor art studio sessions, and community gatherings. Weekly creative energy returns on Mondays at 5:30 PM with the resumption of the Rainy Lake Community Orchestra practices.

Embrace the Brrr: The 46th Annual Icebox Days

In mid-January 2027, International Falls officially embraces its title as the “Icebox of the Nation” with the return of its world-famous winter festival. Combining community art, performance, and quirky athletic feats, the festival features the notoriously cold Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run (5K and 10K), frozen turkey bowling, locally invented “smoosh” races, and a magical candlelight evening ski through Voyageurs National Park.

For event scheduling, vendor registration, and ticketing details, visit the Backus Community Center Calendar or the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

The exhibition comprises around 70 works in different media and examines favored iconographical themes, such as the painting of marine and agricultural scenes, and parks and gardens. Central is imagery of a domesticated nature, such as Morisot’s paintings of the Bois de Boulogne, Bracquemond’s pictures at Sèvres, and Cassatt’s views at the Château de Beaufresne after 1894.

Simultaneously, ‘Women Impressionists’ which runs through January 2027, explores the way in which landscape and nature imagery contributed to the rise in status of women artists in France during the years 1860–1910. It examines a range of works by the women Impressionists, focusing especially on the work of Morisot, who trained with her sister, Edma, as a landscape painter and saw landscape and nature imagery as a central part of her practice. Also included are related works by officially recognized Salon artists, such as Rosa Bonheur.

    The autumn festivities begin with a culinary celebration of local baking talent. The monthly Baker’s Exchange at Harvick Farms returns for its fall run on Saturday mornings: September 19, October 17, and November 21, 2026. Running from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, this highly anticipated community market provides a dedicated venue for regional bakers. Visitors can expect an array of small-batch, completely scratch-made artisan breads, seasonal pastries, and unique baked goods. It is the perfect place to sample the sweet and savory flavors of the Ozarks while supporting small-scale culinary entrepreneurs.

The first weekend of October marks the peak of Cassville’s fall shopping experience, with two major artisan and vintage events running concurrently. First, the Cassville Harvest Hop & Antiques Unearthed takes over the scenic Shadow Bluffs Retreat and RV Park on Friday and Saturday, October 2–3, 2026. Open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, this autumn festival centers around a meticulously curated antique sale hosted by Hamm’s Mercantile. Beyond the vintage hunting, attendees can enjoy complimentary snacks, relax outdoors, and participate in lively yard games, making it a true day-out experience for families and collectors alike.

Simultaneously, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, craft enthusiasts can head over to Zone 4 Mini Golf and More for the Fall Flea Market & Craft Series Finale. Serving as the final outdoor market of the 2026 season, this grand finale gathers regional crafters, handmakers, and collectors under one roof. It stands as a prime opportunity to secure early, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts and direct-from-the-maker home decor.

Rounding out the autumn season, Cassville shifts its spotlight from visual and culinary arts to the performing arts. The community will gather at the Cassville Schools Performing Arts Center for three nights of live entertainment as local students present “The Show.” Scheduled for October 22, 24, and 25, 2026, this major performing arts production puts the immense dedication, musical ability, and theatrical talent of Cassville’s youth on full display. It serves as a fitting grand finale to a season defined by community spirit and local artistry.

The fall season officially kicks off with the historic Ozark Folk Festival from September 4–6, 2026. Basin Spring Park will transform into a lively cultural hub featuring regional makers, traditional craftspeople, and live Ozarker music.

Visual arts take center stage on September 12, 2026, during the Eureka Springs School of the Arts (ESSA) Studio Stroll. This free public event invites visitors to explore professional ceramics, wood, and metal studios. Guests can watch live artistic demonstrations and meet 2D Artist in Residence Brian DePauli.

The weekend of September 18–19, 2026 brings the 6th Annual Fine Art in the Ozarks showcase to Rockspire. This free, two-day exhibition highlights regional painters and quilters. It features live plein air (outdoor) painting and a People’s Choice voting challenge centered on artwork of nearby Black Bass Lake.

Artists looking to sharpen their skills can join two community-focused events:

     Downtown Urban Sketchers Meetup (September 27, 2026): A free, informal community drawing session at Basin Spring Park open to all skill levels.

     ESSA Urban Sketching Workshop (October 24, 2026): A structured educational workshop focusing on loose architectural sketching and watercolor wash techniques.

“Eureka Springs has always been a sanctuary for makers and art lovers,” says AAPJ Editor. “This fall season perfectly captures the town’s spirit. They are blending free community events with elite fine art showcases that celebrate the natural beauty of the Ozarks.”

Many of these events are free to the public. For workshop registrations, scheduling details, and lodging information, see: www.visiteurekasprings.com

About

Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a historic town famed for its preserved Victorian architecture and thriving arts community. Consistently named one of the top small art towns in America, it is home to hundreds of working artists, independent galleries, and the renowned Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

     Residents and visitors alike are invited to experience a rich variety of local craftsmanship, unique artistic workshops, and family-friendly entertainment. Mark your calendars for these featured September highlights:

• Needle Felted Fairy Garden (Friday, September 11): Hosted by First City Creatives (429

Delaware St), this intimate, hands-on workshop invites participants aged 10 and up to craft a

miniature, whimsical fairy landscape inside a teacup using specialized needle-felting techniques.

• Main Street City Market (Saturday, September 12): Taking place at the historic Haymarket

Square (649 Cherokee St), this bustling outdoor market showcases regional painters, woodworkers, embroiderers, and specialized collectors, offering a perfect venue to support local makers.

• Camp Leavenworth Festival (Friday & Saturday, September 18–19): Spanning across

Leavenworth Landing Park and the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, this signature annual free festival combines live music, street food, and a massive vendor marketplace highlighting local artisans and unique merchandise.

Whether looking to learn a new creative skill, collect unique handmade goods, or enjoy live regional entertainment along the riverfront, Leavenworth’s September calendar promises engaging experiences for all ages.

SUTTON, MA (PNAN) – The Vaillancourt Christkindlesmarkt & Artisan Show featuring America’s most respected and detailed artists alongside authentic German food and drink during a European-style outdoor Christmas Market, opens on Friday, November 13 and Saturday 14th, 2026.

The booths primarily showcase local and Midwestern makers selling pottery, handmade jewelry, seasonal autumn decor, yard art, custom wood carvings, knitwear, and textiles.

In addition, there will be a large array of specialized food vendors and concession stands around the downtown square, offering popular traditional festival treats, from corn dogs, baby elephant ears, sweet corn, Hispanic fresh fruits, and fresh pork tenderloins.

NEBRASKA CITY, NE (PNAN) – Slated to open on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at the KHN Center for the Arts, “Irrational Geographics: Paintings and Works on Paper” by Garry B. Noland is a play on National Geographic. The show centers on the materials used as the basis for the work.

Artist Noland writes, “We had a stack of them in the corner of my boyhood home. It was how my mom, and I, went places. Many of the works in the show are on pages from the journal. Others are found and re-used prints found in thrift stores and garage sales. These papers often depicted idealized images of mid-century America.”

Chicago artist and gallerist Jean Alexander Frater wrote about Noland’s 2026 Spring Chicago exhibit, “Loot Box” – “Irrational Geographics: Paintings and Works on Paper takes its cue from Noland’s own articulation of art’s role: to find the mundane in the grand and the grand in the mundane. The work is neither modest nor monumental. It occupies the charged, uncomfortable space between those two conditions, which is precisely where the most interesting looking happens.”

Further expressed by Noland, “Some of the prints were published by the United States Department of Agriculture in the mid-1960s; the so-called good old days. As we know they weren’t good for everyone. It is part of my job to step in and reexamine what these pictures meant and what they mean now. It occupies the charged, uncomfortable space between those two conditions, which is precisely where the most interesting looking happens.”

A Gallery Talk is on Thursday, October 15 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, and the exhibit runs through October 22, 2026.

VAN WERT, OH (NWPR) – The Wassenberg Art Center is officially preparing for a milestone regional tradition with its upcoming 49th Annual Photography Exhibit. The highly anticipated juried gallery opens to the public on Thursday, September 10, 2026, showcasing a diverse range of visual storytelling from emerging and established photographers across the region.

Image makers of all experience levels were invited to submit their original work. The competition will feature separate youth and adult divisions, allowing creators to compete across six distinct categories: Nature, Portraiture, Architecture, Landscape, Abstract & Macro, and traditional Film Photography.

A panel of independent jurors will evaluate entries based on technical skill, composition, and artistic impact. Outstanding participants will compete for over $1,500 in total cash prizes, including specialized Best of Show honors designated for both color and black-and-white photography.

The 49th Annual Photography Exhibit will run through the fall season. Admission to the Wassenberg Art Center gallery is free and open to the public.

For a more complete listing of planned events, see: https://tiptoncounty.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming

WORCESTER, MA (PNAN) – Opening at the Worcester Art Museum on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the “First Revelation of the Sovereign Queen” will showcase works by Martine Gutierrez, which blurs the boundaries between performance, photography, and self-portraiture. Through constructed worlds and cinematic tableaus, artist Gutierrez explores identity as both artifice and truth; thusly, intertwining personal heritage, mythology, and popular culture into reflections on belonging and transformation.

Gutierrez will draw inspiration from artworks across the Museum’s collection and from cultures spanning centuries and continents, for her Wall at WAM commission. Known for creating elaborate photographic self-portraits using mannequins, handcrafted sets, and original costumes, she will produce a new large-scale image that brings together references from these historical objects with elements of her own cultural heritage. The resulting work will explore how photography can reinterpret enduring themes of identity, transformation, and spirituality for contemporary audiences.

Since the WAM series began in 1998, Gutierrez is the 12th artist featured in the Wall. The billboard-sized wall fills a 67-foot expanse on the second story of the Museum’s Renaissance Court. First Revelation of the Sovereign Queen by Martine Gutierrez is organized by Samantha Cataldo, Curator of Contemporary Art.

An Artist Talk is set for Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 2:00 pm. In this venue, attendees will discover how Gutierrez drew inspiration from the art in the Museum’s collection to create her monumental installation. In addition, she will also provide attendees with a close look at her unique approach to photography that often incorporates complex, handcrafted sets, props, and costumes.

The exhibition celebrates the four-decade career of St. Paul multidisciplinary artist Seitu K. Jones. Jones, who describes his practice as “tending the soil of community,” is also a master gardener, food justice advocate, historian, and archivist. Jones explores the relationship between Midwestern landscapes and his body, family history, and distant ancestors through charcoal, pigment, and clay. ‘The Smell of Earth’ gathers work from across Jones’s practice, with a focus on the subject and material that most consistently captures his attention: the land and its creative bounty.”

For Jones, nourishment is rooted in relationship-building, collaboration, placemaking, and a desire to ensure thriving futures for his community: “I am to not only support the community where my work lives, but to channel the love and contributions of the community itself,” he writes. “It is my intention to continue to honor the history of a place and capture the present moment to foster a rich civic life for all.”

Through drawings, paintings, sculptures, and design, Jones honors African American culture, symbolism, history, and ancestral knowledge. True to his preference for collaboration within the community, Jones worked closely with curators Ego Ahaiwe Sowinksi and Alexandra Nicome to select work for this milestone show, the first major solo museum exhibition of his work. Ahaiwe Sowinski and Nicome situate Jones’s practice through medium, connecting content and process in the artist’s work.

Jones is well-known for his over 40 large-scale public art projects that shape the Twin Cities landscape, as well as his communal Community Meal events encouraging dialogue among neighbors to bridge understanding. ‘The Smell of Earth’ is a deep exploration of his less-examined studio work, shown alongside objects and ephemera from his extensive archive documenting his experience as a Black artist in Minnesota.

UXBRIDGE, MA (PNAN) – In partnership with Open Sky Community Services, the Blackstone Valley Art Association will open its exhibition, “BLUE” to the public on Saturday, September 5, 2026 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the Uxbridge Community Gallery. The show runs through October 17, 2026.

The “BLUE” exhibition invites regional artists of all backgrounds, mediums, and skill levels to explore and interpret the concept of “blue.” Visitors can expect a diverse visual experience featuring a rich assortment of mediums, including landscape photography, abstract acrylics, delicate watercolors, and unique sculptures. As part of the BVAA’s mission to make local art inclusive, the fully accessible gallery space offers an environment where community members can connect directly with regional makers.

About

The Blackstone Valley Art Association is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the arts in the Blackstone Valley region. Through regular members’ shows, community photography exhibits, and monthly public workshops, the BVAA fosters a supportive and collaborative environment for local creators.

COOK, MN (PNAN) – The Northwoods Friends of the Arts opens with “Monday Madness” exhibit on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 with an Artist Reception on Friday, September 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The show runs through September 26.

The Monday Open Art Group is a gathering of friends and artists who paint, draw, collage, carve and more, and meet at the Gallery each Monday from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Alfredo Rodriguez never dreamed of what he wanted to be when he grew up. He already knew. Imagination is imperative when growing up around eight siblings and Alfredo became engrossed in movies of the American Wild West and visiting local Indian reservations. At the age of 6, he received a set of watercolor paints from his mother and has never set down his brush.

Born in 1954 and raised in Mexico, Rodriguez had little opportunity to realize his God-given abilities as an artist. He just knew what he liked to do. He painted portraits of family members and scenes from old 1800s western movies that he watched on TV.  Alfredo became interested in the Indian tribes that were close to his home and starting selecting different subjects for paintings. Before long, Alfredo was helping to supplement the family income through his gift.

As a young man, Rodriguez studied under Master Artist Santiago Rosas in Mexico although most of his training was self-taught. The watercolors gave way to oils and the scenes that Rodriguez creates on linen are particularly appealing and brilliant with reality. The realism of Alfredo’s paintings amazingly captures the emotions of his subjects, in addition to the public.

Beginning with subjects of Native Americans and mountain men, Rodriguez now includes paintings of small children, animals and families that resonate with feelings of genuine love and peace. They say that an artist’s age can bring about an evolution of change and in Rodriguez case, his work just keeps getting better and more compassionate.

The number of exhibitions that Rodriguez has shown is staggering since his move to California in 1975. Some of these include the Western Art Museum, San Dimas, California, Favel Museum, Klamath Falls, Oregon, and the Pearce Museum, Corsicana, Texas. Well-received by museum visitors and collectors, he continues his journeys to Indian reservations to look for new ideas. His publications are also popular with vivid paintings and are keepsakes to treasure. Awards in the category of ‘American Indian & Cowboy Artists of America’ continue to pour in and it is not hard to see that Alfredo Rodriguez has made a name for himself.

That same little boy that once seized his watercolor brush with such passion is now passing on his work to touch the lives of others. His unique presentations are no doubt,   due to his God-given ability of the brush, but also the constant reminder of his strong roots and being surrounded by a simpler, more empathetic atmosphere of the world.

For not only current activities, but also past and in the years to come, continue AAPJ’s journey on artist Rodriguez at – www.alfredoartist.com.

Editor’s note: To download the digital print version, click on the type below.

Portrait of Alfredo Rodriguez-USA-Mexico

SPRINGVILLE, UT (PNAN) – Opening August 27, 2026 at the Springville Art Museum, “Contemporary Portraiture” will showcase the works by the over 20 master artists: Pamela Beach, Blair Buswell, Casey Childs, Caitlin Connolly, John Darley, Nicole Hill Gerulat, Justin Hackworth, Michael Hall, Ben Hammond, Jeff Hein, Jared Jakins, Randall Lake, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Howard Lyon, Santiago Michalek, Colby Sanford, Mary Sauer, Fazilat Soukhakian, Marlena Wild, and Kwani Winder.

In this exhibition, artists use extraordinary technical skill and artistic vision to represent another human being in paint, film, or clay. Every artistic choice, from medium to style to setting, reveals something about the relationship between artist and sitter, and between the portrait and its intended audience.

One of the animating questions of ‘Contemporary’ is the tension between public and private portraiture. Some portraits are made to project a public image, while others are intended to privately capture a loved one or moment in time. Many of the most compelling portraits in this show exist somewhere in between, revealing the complex, layered nature of identity itself.

MCCALL, ID (PNAN) – Opening Friday, August 28, the 20^th annual Art in the Plaza Show will host over 30 artists in the Depot Plaza.

Art Show times are on Friday is from 3:00-7:00 pm;  Saturday 10:00 am-6:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Art for sale includes paintings, photography, ceramics, glass art, wood art, jewelry and more.

     Enjoy live music by local bands. Bring lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the music. Admission is free.

Music Schedule: Braid, Friday 5:00-7:00 pm; Saturday, Davis French 11:00-1:00 pm; Braid 1:30-3:30 pm; Johnny Shoes and Jen Pisano 4:00-6:00 pm; Sunday 11:00-1:00, Catfish D’Grey (Mike Dixon and Chad Lord); and 1:30-3:30, Open Range (Annie Nies, Jeff Box and Irwin Mulnick).

Watercolor by Pat Rayman

Prose by Ben Rayman

“A Heart’s Icon”

Home again not too far away,

Memories of thy youth glide smoothly like a sleigh.

Rising dawn is painted with a white crispness of a cold air fog,

Trees wearing its winter’s dress seemingly in leapfrog,

As I travel the whining roads along the river Mohican,

Weathered by age, the old barn is my beacon.

Holiday wreath with its red fins visually addressing,

Home again gifts thy its bountiful of blessings.

Look around and notice the changes in the world. Actually, this is an incorrect statement. The world is the same today as it was yesterday and as it will remain tomorrow. Only people change.

     When human behavior motivates too little time, changing morals and confusing facts, we feel uprooted from the security that once made us feel safe.

     Consistency is the glue that holds roots in place and forms strong resilient minds and ideals. Art has a way of slowing time, meditating on what is important and digging deep into the soul for answers.

     Patricia Rayman had the insight over 30+ years ago to realize that art was actually a safe place where children and adults could create, find a rooted environment and reduce the increasing pressures of the world.

Rayman has devoted her life to teaching art to all age groups. Over the years, she has been showered with over * hundreds of recognitions for her artworks in art and photography by various local, regional and non-Ohio organizations; * chosen Big Sister-of-the-Year by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Lima-Allen County for her involvement in a young girl’s life which allowed this child to bud from a thorny environment, and blossom forward with noted local and national achievements; * selected Tri-County Woman-of-the-Year for Allen, Van Wert and Putnam, Ohio local media for her volunteerism and an undaunted willingness of providing encouragement: Art is ageless, not only to the young, but even among nursing home seniors; * recognized by the Ohio Senate for her humanitarian contributions which goes back to her younger years working with emotionally and physically handicapped children.

In addition, she also received * an Outstanding Achievement in Education award as the founder of Art-to-Art: Building Friendships Through Art, (1986-2006) an Ohio-based k-12 national art-based education program which bridges the gap with the subjects of Geography, History, Reading, Writing, and Communications through Human Relations; and has been included in * Who’s Who Education In America in the past.

Not only is Pat a professional in teaching the skills of painting and drawing as well as many other artistic trainings, she is also a highly skilled in bringing out the real life scenario of still life through the use of colors or capturing the photograph of a lake as if you were actually standing on the shore, admiring the awesome view.

Today, Pat continues to hone her artistic skills while teaching art education applications and academics at the Wassenberg Art Center in Van Wert, Ohio and Auglaize/Mercer Arts Place in St. Marys, Ohio.

By Kate Eglan-Garton

https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=99a0e5e9-37c5-4e54-9875-ee6a07466707&isAliasGcp=false

This is a deeply personal, emotionally resonant memoir about the transformative power of unconditional love and second chances. On a freezing snowy morning, Ben Rayman’s carefully guarded heart is pierced by a starving, ragged stray cat. Against every wall he’s built—shaped by years of betrayal and disappointment—he chooses vulnerability. He takes her in, and she changes everything.

Over thirteen beautiful years, Samantha Jo (Sammie Jo), the elegant orange tabby with green eyes and “Southern Belle” charm, becomes far more than a pet. She becomes a teacher, a healer, and a mirror for what love truly means. Through her journey from desperate survivor to confident, compassionate companion, Ben and his three daughters learn profound lessons about:

Opening your heart despite fear and past pain

How receiving love can be as powerful as giving it

The mutual rescue that happens when we open ourselves to vulnerability

Connection and kindness across differences

The courage that comes from being truly seen and loved

The story unfolds through tender moments: the snowy morning rescue, a sacred promise in the garage, a stormy night where the family shelters together, Sammie Jo’s secret talent saving her family from danger, and a gentle goodbye that transforms grief into legacy.

Why It Matters:

This is a book for anyone who has built walls around their heart, lost faith in love, or wondered if reaching out is worth the risk. Through Sammie Jo’s story, readers discover that the greatest “rescues” are mutual—and that love, in all its forms, is always worth every risk.

Themes: Vulnerability, rescue, redemption, unconditional love, family, trust, second chances, compassion

Perfect for: Families, animal lovers, anyone healing from loss or betrayal, readers seeking heartwarming stories with spiritual depth

AAPJ is in its newsroom re-programming phase.

In a world where many men feel isolated and disconnected, this story offers a refreshing reminder of the power of genuine friendship. Reviewers have described it as “a groundbreaking exploration of male vulnerability” (Jane Mitchell, The Literary Gazette) and “a heartfelt testament to the resilience of love between friends” (Samuel Reed, Bookworld Monthly). It challenges the stereotypes that confine men to emotional suppression and shows how true connection can break down those barriers. Through honest storytelling, it reveals that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a vital part of what makes us human, fostering bonds that are deep, resilient, and life-affirming.

Ben Rayman demonstrates that this kind of love is anything but ordinary. Critics have called it “a thoughtful and impactful portrayal of friendship” (Laura Chen, The Review Journal), emphasizing that it’s built on trust, shared experiences, and mutual understanding—transforming us from within. This isn’t just a tale about friendship; it’s a powerful reminder of the human capacity for connection, highlighting that at the heart of every meaningful relationship lies the courage to be authentic and open. Reviewers have noted it as “a compelling reflection on living fully and loving bravely” (Mark Davis, The Bookish Observer), illustrating how these relationships shape us into more compassionate, whole-hearted individuals.

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The Magic Box of Tales & Truths is an ongoing series for young readers that celebrates adventure, culture, and resilience. Each series are different like the magic of foods that produce good healthy rewards; the different phases of life while growing up; and the experiences of joy that comes from good deeds, giving, kindness, respect, responsibility, loyalty, and much more–all told through lively stories, colorful illustrations, and charming poetry. Each beautifully crafted book differently, from cover to cover, ranging in page count from 40 to 50 pages, 11 x 8.5 inches (landscape design), and available in Soft or Hard cover is filled with vibrant pictures, heartfelt narratives, and delightful poems designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Magic Box of Tales & Truths, Series 1 – Maggie is about a brave girl who journeys from Russia to America, embodying themes of hope, perseverance, and the importance of family and tradition. Maggie’s inspiring story is woven with poetic verses that bring her adventures to life, making her journey memorable and meaningful. As she shares her story, she introduces young readers to nature’s tiny superheroes—blueberries—whose health benefits are explained through engaging poetry and fun tales, making healthy eating exciting and magical.

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Magic Box of Tales & Truths, Series 11 – Elizabeth, arrived from Paris with her own Magic Box of Dreams and Memories. Elizabeth’s stories take children on a poetic voyage to her homeland, sharing cultural tales, sights, and sounds. Her verses celebrate diversity, curiosity, and the joy of exploring new places—all while emphasizing the importance of nourishing our bodies with good foods and embracing our roots.

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Magic Box of Tales & Truths, Series 111 – Samantha was born in America but traveled around the world for the USDA. Her story, Solid Southern Roots of Rich History is packed with global adventures and wise, poetic reflections on the benefits of wholesome, nourishing foods. Samantha’s tales encourage children to appreciate the richness of different cultures and see healthy eating as a delicious, worldwide adventure—beautifully expressed through rhythm and rhyme that make learning fun and memorable.

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Magic Box of Tales & Truths – Series IV – Tirone is an enchanting story about a curious boy growing up in Michigan’s lakeside town of Empire. Through vivid storytelling, Tirone’s father shares humorous and imaginative tales about different ships—trains, cruise ships, cargo vessels, tugboats, and navy ships—bringing the ocean’s adventures to life. The story, The Boy Who Grew Up With the Sea in His Heart also touches upon Tirone’s exciting future as a seasoned captain exploring the world’s oceans, inspiring young readers to dream big, embrace adventure, and believe in their own journey ahead. As Tirone’s love for the sea deepens, he learns important lessons about kindness, responsibility, and perseverance.

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Magic Box of Tales & Truths – Series V – Murray walks back to his pre-teen age and from there moves forward into his college years, then his chosen career path, delves into marriage, family, and his rise in the publishing industry, which all stems back to his profound belief in his early youth —that newspapers are the heartbeat of neighborhoods—transformed not just a town but an entire way of seeing the importance of local stories. In a world where headlines fly by in seconds and digital screens dominate our daily lives, Murray Bernard’s story, Behind the Headlines, He was the Heartbeat of the Community reminds us of the timeless power of community, storytelling, and connection.

But there is much more in Murray’s story that were indicators he was the ‘Chosen’ as a reminder if you stick to your guns, stay the course, and believe the “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for,” once said by English writer Joseph Addison (1672-1719), you will feast upon the affluence of real world knowledge gained to embrace the adversities, to envision the possibilities while travelling among the skeptics, and soaring through the undergrowths others would pass by.

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Magic Box of Tales & Truths – Series VI – Sisterhood, is the final book that completes the ‘Wisdom’ six-pack collection. Its story, The Gardens of Sisterhood: Legacy of Love, Blood, and Choice tells of the bonds formed in friendship between Maggie and Elizabeth that created an expanded American female connection with other “sisters” like Judy, Karen, Donna, Pat, Janet, Kate, Joyce, and Carol in their immediate world. In a broader sense, similar to the “six degrees of separation” theory, sisterhood fosters relationships on shared values, experiences, and a commitment to uplift and empower each other that forms a foundation of a lifelong powerful supportive network.

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Robert W. Cook doesn’t need a photo album to remember his favorite spots. He paints them in watercolor. From the old buildings of Cuervo, New Mexico, to cafes in France, if a scene captures his eye, it goes on canvas. One unique factor of Bob’s work is the great amount of detail that is tediously placed in his paintings. While it takes Cook an average of 4 days to complete a painting, a setting, like the streets of New Orleans, will take much longer.

Artist Cook grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and like many kids of the 50s, took a job delivering newspapers. His route included downtown Kansas City where merchants awaited the latest news. One storefront, in particular, always caught his eye. A retouching art studio, where air brushes were used to bring life to prints, seemed to mesmerize Bob. Before long, he was working for this shop as a gopher, just to get close to the industry. The company evolved into an architectural rendering business where structures were created in real life artwork. This work was significant to an architect’s presentation long before a project was started.

These humble beginnings led Cook to Dallas, Texas, where he spent the next 30 years as an architectural illustrator. His professional career led him to produce over 13,000 paintings, shown in prestigious areas such as the Chicago Art Institute, the US Architectural Perspectivists Society and the Japan Architectural Renderers Association.

Today, Cook is retired and a fulltime fine watercolor artist. Awards and honors have been collected from the National Watercolor Society, the Society of Watercolor Artists, the Southwestern Watercolor Society, and the Florida and Louisiana Watercolor Societies.  He has been accepted in many major shows, including Rio Brazo.

     “El Metropole†is an example of how Cook may be casually having dinner with friends, then turns as he leaves the restaurant to see a spectacular scene that must be captured. Lights that drench the front of the establishment create a haunting shadow among the darkened buildings, and leaving a feeling of melancholy. The scene is from Mirande, France, and is realism, painted in watercolor.

Landscape is another passion of Cook’s as he takes in every detail of the reflection from the sun as it pours over the simple scene of “Oak Point†that the viewer is able to share to same astonishing beauty as the painter, which is what every artist strives to achieve. The leaves almost a look as if they are swaying and provide that same dizzying effect that is so enjoyed from the color bursts of autumn.

In a video found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OJUBHajib0, Bob explains from his studio how the application of frisket is used in his watercolor painting. He uses rubber cement and thinner as a solvent for perfecting certain elements and edging of his paintings. Frisking is also used in airbrushing.

Robert W. Cook’s gallery, Your Private Collection is located on the Square, in Granbury, Texas, where his paintings can be seen first-hand and see more at: http://1-robert-cook.artistwebsites.com.

Editor’s note: For the print format edition, click on:

Sharing memories with watercolors – Portrait of Robert W. Cook.

Music may be considered the universal language, but fine art is not far behind. From all over the world, artists align with the classical beauty of the ‘Old Masters’ style of enchanting light, form, and a touch of their own personal style. It is amazing how an artist can retain the precious balance of the composition of the greats while creating a new and exciting painting with their individual talent.

A fine example of an old and new marriage is seen through the work of Julia Bright. Born and raised in the Soviet Union, her travels to Europe and the United States provided different types of culture. The ‘Old Masters’ of art mesmerized her with their intricate balance and light. Rembrandt, Chardin and Ingres were her favorites and can easily be seen as you follow the flow of her mood-accented work.

Her love of the Baltic Sea spread to the seascapes of the United States and Julia found her calling in the art of the masters mingled with the love of the sea. Not originally focused on art, Julia claimed her degree in Marketing Management where she spent 20 years in the profession. It was not until her move to the U.S. from the Soviet Union that Julia connected with the old and new culture through drawing, painting, and attending museums and galleries in her new home of Denver, Colorado.

The passion that Julia found in art was too strong to ignore as she became a believer and follower of the great European greats of the past. Her studies focused on those memories of Italian and Russian history and she discovered a modern sensibility in her world that displayed a special color, light, and all subject matter.

The vivid and tranquil contrast of sea versus land is a constant reminder of how the masters were able to separate the properties of the natural essence with their shadows of light and balance while streaming the focal point of nature. Bright has done a tremendous job of keeping the flow of seascape alive and accurately defined with the scene of beauty.

Julia’s work has been exhibited at the Swiss Art Expo in Zurich, Switzerland, the Littleton Museum of Fine Art Annual Juried Show, Greenhouse Gallery Salon International Annual Juried Show, Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, Boulder Art Association’s National Juried Shows, where she received the corporate award of excellence two years in a row, and at the Art Students League of Denver’s Art & Soul Juried Show & Auction. Her work hangs in private collections in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Lithuania, and Russia. Julia is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA), and a member of the Boulder Art Association.

Bright’s pieces have a timeless feel and it comes as no surprise that early in her artistic career she spent time at the Louvre in Paris studying the works of Rembrandt, Chardin and Ingres. If you have ever dreamed of owning an oil painting of the Renaissance period, feast your eyes on the work of Julia Bright. Your search may be over.

Oil on panel is Julia’s media to bringing shadows, color, and depth to objects, people, and landscape. You can see more of her work at www.juliabrightart.com. Currently showing a collection of seascapes at Loveland Public Library, Julia continues to show her work of still life, people, animals and nature around the Denver, Colorado region.

Print format-click on to view-select 2 page view:

Julia Bright expose Fall 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. (PNAN) – Online at CONNERSMITH through November 2025, “Reckoning” is the latest body of paintings by Jessica Maria Hopkins. In this series, artist Hopkins departs from her earlier concentration on figural imagery to explore elements of abstraction that have always informed her work.

 “With each application of color, I apply part of myself and my art process,” Hopkins says. As she builds imagery by applying different colors in response to one another, the artist uses a sgraffito technique to incise patterns in multiple layers of wet paint. “I subtract pigment and write a different language,” she explains. “I scratch through undefined paths of color to create a new surface where I can search for something I am trying to understand.”

The artist explains, “Each color and brushstroke in my paintings has different meanings generated by personal experiences. I embrace the ambiguity that my images communicate with colors that embody the unknown – something mysterious that I want to comprehend.”  

For Hopkins, vertical lines traversing colorful fields of paint suggest bodies moving through another dimension. “Like x-ray imaging, my style shifts from representation to abstraction, suggesting figures through implied shapes in constructed space,” she asserts. “As in physical life, my work is in constant evolution.”

To view see: https://www.connersmith.us.com/exhibitions/jessica-maria-hopkins-reckoning

About

Jessica Maria Hopkins (b. 1983, Washington, DC) is a figurative painter who lives and works in Takoma Park, Maryland. Her artistic training at Howard University aligns her practice with the painting traditions of Alma Thomas and the AfriCOBRA movement. “Each figure I paint narrates my growth as a woman of color,” Hopkins imparts. The artist experiments with surface texture, explores the symbolic value of decorative patterning, and accesses the emotional potential of color in her work. Hopkins’ work has been featured in exhibitions at The Howard University Gallery of Art and The Delaware Contemporary. Hopkins’ work is in the collection of the University of the District of Columbia as well as numerous private collections.

JACKSON, MS (PNAN) – Slated to open Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the Mississippi Museum of Art, “Joe Overstreet: Taking Flight” is an exhibit that brings together three phases of Overstreet’s painting practice: angular, geometric constructions from the 1960s, the sculptural Flight Pattern series from the 1970s, and the large-scale, immersive Facing the Door of No Return series from the 1990s.

Spanning six decades by artist Overstreet (1933-2019). His vibrant works break through the four edges of a conventional canvas, leap off the wall, and expand to immense proportions. Unfolding in space like kites, sails, or the patterns of a kaleidoscope, they invite viewers to see and move through painting in new ways.  “Like birds in flight,” as Overstreet described, his paintings embody a restless tendency “to take off, to lift up, rather than be held down.” 

MMA will host a two-day program that explores Overstreet’s work with Kenkeleba House, a community arts organization that Overstreet cofounded on New York’s Lower East Side in 1974. The event will connect this important part of Overstreet’s career to Black-led arts initiatives active in Jackson today.

About

As a pioneering African American artist and activist, Joe Overstreet pushed the boundaries of painting through decades of experiments in abstraction. Born in rural Conehatta, Mississippi, he began his artistic journey in the California Bay Area during the 1950s, participating in the Beat scene and exhibiting in local galleries and jazz clubs.

     In 1958, he relocated to New York, joining a vibrant community of artists who were redefining abstraction. In dialogue with the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s, Overstreet made representational paintings as well as abstract shaped canvases, and in the 1970s he removed his works from the wall entirely with his groundbreaking Flight Pattern series. Meridian Fields, a series of paintings on wire mesh from the early 2000s, was partially inspired by the artist’s memories of Mississippi.

     In 1974, Overstreet’s deep commitment to his creative community in New York led him to co-found Kenkeleba House, a downtown gallery and studio space that supports artists of color to the present day. Overstreet remained an active artist and cultural leader until his passing in New York City in 2019.

     Overstreet’s work has been featured in significant recent exhibitions including Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power (2017–20; Tate Modern, London; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Broad Museum, Los Angeles; De Young Museum, San Francisco; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston); The World Goes Pop (2015; Tate Modern); Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties (2014–15; Brooklyn Museum; Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH; Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin); and Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980 (2011-13; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; MoMA PS1, New York; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA).

Some on the agenda are: October 11 and 12, Raku Workshop; November 1 and 8, Intermediate Jewelry Stone Setting; Tube Setting; November 11 through December 9, Intermediate Jewelry and Metalwork; and November 12, Beginning Jewelry: Cabochon Pendants. For a complete listing, see: https://www.jansenartcenter.org/classes/all-classes.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (PNAN) – Opening at the Norton Museum of Art on Saturday, October 25, 2025 and on view through March 29, 2026, the exhibition, “Art and Life in Rembrandt’s Time: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection” it will be the largest exhibition of privately held Dutch 17th-century paintings ever organized in the United States. In addition, it coincides with the 400th anniversary of New Amsterdam’s founding on the island of present-day Manhattan.

Rembrandt is the artist at the exhibition’s heart, with works representing all periods of his career. Complementing his paintings are those by artists intimately connected to him in Amsterdam, including his teacher Pieter Lastman and pupils Ferdinand Bol and Arent de Gelder, among others.

The exhibition also features artists working in Rembrandt’s hometown of Leiden, including his friend and rival Jan Lievens and student Gerrit Dou, as well as Jan Steen, Frans van Mieris, and Gabriel Metsu. Painters who worked in other Dutch artistic centers are also represented, such as Hendrick ter Brugghen, Carel Fabritius, Frans Hals, Gerard ter Borch, and Johannes Vermeer. https://www.norton.org/exhibitions/art-and-life-in-rembrandts-time-masterpieces-from-the-leiden-collection

Organized thematically, the exhibition offers a glimpse into 17th-century life in the Netherlands. People take center stage, as seen in portraits and character studies capturing the social aspirations and individuality of the era’s citizens.

Also on view are engaging depictions of everyday activities: market vendors selling their wares, soldiers playing cards, youths engrossed in books, and women writing letters or playing music. Religious and mythological subjects, commonly shown in private homes, reveal the period’s spiritual and intellectual pursuits.

Accompanying the exhibition is a fully illustrated, 160-page catalogue exploring Dutch life in the 1600s and providing detailed entries on each work.

WACO, TX (PNAN) – On view through Friday, October 31, 2025, in the Beard Gallery at the Waco Art Center, “In Her Element” brings together five distinctive voices from artist members of Women & Their Work, an Austin-based organization dedicated to advancing women artists.

Featuring Tara Eales, Amy Twomey, Philana Oliphant, Georgie Miller, and Valerie Fowler, the exhibition showcases the dynamic range of voices of contemporary art practice in Texas.

Each artist explores their own creative territory through experimental materials, bold conceptual ideas, or unexpected visual narratives. Together, their works create a dynamic conversation about what it means to be fully immersed in one’s artistic practice today.

In the newly-established Flora Cameron Gallery, the exhibition, “Sense of Place” is on view through January 2026. Twenty works from its collection marks the first public showing of its holdings.

The exhibition centers on the American Southwest, long recognized for its luminous skies, resilient landscapes, and layered cultural history. Through paintings and works on paper by artists such as Gustave Baumann, Nicolai Fechin, Norma Bassett Hall, Marc Chagall, and Larry Bell, the show reflects how the land and its people inspired both local voices and visitors drawn to Taos and its surrounding valleys.

COLUMBUS, OH (AAPNW) – Going on view Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Columbus Museum of Art, “Tacita Dean: Blind Folly” is the first major museum survey in the United States of work by British European visual artist Tacita Dean (b. 1965).

The exhibition, organized in close collaboration with Dean, spotlights her career-defining approach to creating art through unmediated and chance-based drawing processes across a variety of mediums, from film to printmaking. “Blind Folly” is the show’s title, reflects Dean’s desire to let the behavior of her mediums dictate the results of her work. For the artist, the playful and old-fashioned phrase connoting foolishness, “blind folly,” represents the role chance and fate play in the creative act.

Blind Folly brings together several of Dean’s monumental blackboard drawings along with rarely shown drawings from her studio on paper, found postcards, albumen photographs, and 16mm films. This selection includes several newly created works, some of which were inspired by Dean’s residency at the Menil Collection’s Cy Twombly Gallery, a Renzo Piano-designed building devoted to the work of late American artist Cy Twombly (1928–2011).

More about the Exhibit

Tacita Dean: Blind Folly is curated by Michelle White, Senior Curator, The Menil Collection, Houston, and presented at the Columbus Museum of Art in collaboration with Daniel Marcus, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, and Rae Root, Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow. The exhibition is accompanied by the book Blind Folly or How Tacita Dean Draws, written by Michelle White (co-published by the Menil and MACK). The text, illustrated with more than forty images, is based on seven years of conversation between the author and the artist.

Carol Wright was right when she wrote, “If this music had been written for a movie, it would be a top seller,” She says much more, “Like the best symphonic movie scores, the music allows the wilderness area and its Native American and Celtic heritage to spring vividly from the speakers…”

     In my world, somethings never age, they become iconic such as “The Polar Express” a 2004 film that tells of a young boy and that mysterious train bound for the North Pole; “It’s a Wonderful Life” a 1946 film where James Stewart plays George Bailey who has given up life, but his Guardian Angel intervenes and shows him what things would have been if he has not helped others.

Therefore, I find this 1996 instrumental album by Tim Janis, his first on his label in the same league, a classic returning often, and I can wholeheartedly relate to why he was inspired by and composed based on his experiences in Acadia National Park, including the Maine’s coastal views from Mount Desert Island and the town of Bar Harbor, especially “Tribal Land” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC8qzCz-sRk&list=OLAK5uy_n0_vL-8B6f065_iJg81s1zWA84mx6somA&index=3

The album is definitely as I see it, projects serenity in its highest form with impressionistic melodies, led by the orchestra work by Janis at the piano mixed with synthesizers, and other acoustic instruments; thusly, it brought to my mind foregone memories, physical sensations on hike over the rocky terrain, a stream of emotions yearning of those once as I stood near the ocean’s edge, the onslaught of stormy weather, the waves of the sea water rapidly coming ashore, placing me on the pages in ‘Wisdom’ when Nana foretold Benjamin’s future, and when he and Jackie begin their global separation.

More on this musical masterpiece at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib4Nwes7j8s and more on this remarkable artistic gem at: https://www.timjanis.com/about-tim-janis

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MARIETTA, GA (PNAN) – Slated to open on Saturday, September 20, 2025, with an Opening Reception, from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, the exhibition, “T is for Timon” will consist of a selection from Craig Drennen’s seventeen-year body of work based on Timon of Athens, William Shakespeare’s least admired play.

Focusing on the characters in the play, Drennen’s series brings together ideas that are opposite but connected: being straightforward and being talented, culture and personal experience, success and failure. These themes are explored through various forms of art, creating a dialogue between different aspects of human nature and society. Drennen’s work encourages viewers to think about how these contrasting ideas influence our lives and perceptions, often blending them in surprising ways.

Drennen’s paintings, sculptures, performance art, and installations go beyond the original story that inspired them. Each piece acts as a kind of stand-in or “surrogate,” offering a space for both the artist and the audience to confront and reflect on shared cultural backgrounds and personal memories. Through this process, the art becomes a powerful tool for understanding ourselves and the world around us.

For more information, call 770.528.1444 or see: https://mariettacobbartmuseum.org. Editor’s Note: On Saturday, November 1 from 2:00-4:00 pm, there will be an Artist Talk.

About

Craig Drennen is a painter based in Atlanta, GA and a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow.  He is represented by Brigitte Mulholland Gallery in Paris. He has had recent solo exhibitions at The Suburban in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Freight+Volume Gallery in New York City, and the Atlanta Contemporary in Atlanta, Georgia.  His work has been included in group exhibitions at Anton Kern Gallery in New York City and the Kunstverein Langenhagen in Langenhagen, Germany.  He has been an artist in residence at Yaddo, MacDowell, and Skowhegan. His work has been reviewed in Art in America, Artforum, and The New York Times. Drennen served as dean at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in Skowhegan, teaches at Georgia State University, and manages THE END Project Space.

LIMA, OH (NWPR) – In collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club at Bradfield Community Center, ArtSpace/Lima will present, “Capturing the Spirit” on Thursday, September 18 at 5:30 pm, an evening of poetry written and performed by young voices from the Lima community.

The project brought together youth writers, ages 8 to 12, with Lima’s Poet Laureate, Laurin Wolf, who guided them in discovering the power of language and developing their unique voices through poetry. The resulting collection features their original works and reflects the creativity and insight of Lima’s next generation of storytellers.

Student poets will take the stage at the art center and present their poetry in a public reading. In addition to the live performances, the summer workshop materials and creative notes will be on display, offering a glimpse into the process behind the work.

For further information, Sally Windle at ArtSpace/Lima 419.222.1721.

For over two decades, this interdisciplinary artist, curator, and convener has explored how language, pattern, and music construct meaning, synthesizing Indigenous and Western traditions through vibrant color, complex patterning, and layered sound. Gibson is also celebrated for his painting, installation, video, and performance work.

For more information on the Fingerman Lecture series, call the art center at 515.277.4405. Editor’s Note: The series is made possible by Lois and the late Dr. Louis Fingerman.

About

A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, Gibson represented the U.S. at the 2024 Venice Biennale with his acclaimed exhibition, “the space in which to place me,” which debuted at The Broad in Los Angeles in May 2025. He was selected for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2025 Genesis Facade Commission and will present new work for the historic exterior this September. His work is held in major collections including MoMA, the Whitney, and the National Gallery of Art. He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley and is an artist-in-residence at Bard College.

BISMARCK, ND (PNAN) – On view at the North Dakota State Capitol, through December 2025, the exhibition, “Dakota Territory” is a collection of mixed media on canvas by North Dakota artist Chris Wakefield.

Featuring 30 of artist Wakefield’s works, “This show represents just a small cross section of my observations during my time here in the Dakota Territory,” says Wakefield. “It’s a portrayal of the beauty, wonder, romanticism, risk, danger, mystery, hope, and heartache all woven into the tapestry of this once very wild place.”

His artworks explores the layered history of the region, its landscapes, wildlife, and people. “These paintings are my contribution so that we take time to reflect and remember this grand ground, its wildlife, the people with names we know,” Wakefield expressed, including he adds, “along with the countless others whose names we will never know, but who all lived here and died here to make this the place we exist today.”

Influenced by a childhood shaped by pop culture, Wakefield describes his creative process as intuitive and expressive. “I just have fun, get lost in the color, throw paint on the canvas and see what happens,” he says. “It’s where I feel the happiest, like I’m doing what I was meant to do.”

The exhibit can be viewed on the observatory level of the 18^th floor.

ANCHORAGE, AK (PNAN) – On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the Anchorage Museum, from 6:00-8:00 pm, an evening with Roman Dial during the “Outdoor Adventure Series: Alaska Packrafters.” Discover the beginnings of packrafting in Alaska, share stories, and answer questions. The program celebrates Alaska incubators and trailblazers in the outdoor world.

In addition and currently on view through February 15, 2026, the exhibition, “Roman Dial: Crossings” showcases images, which record changing landscapes, equipment, and approaches to outdoor travel, and commemorate some of Alaska’s most well-known characters in the mountaineering and backcountry world.

Wilderness explorer Roman Dial has been traversing Alaska’s peaks, tundra, and rivers since the 1970s, documenting his hiking, bicycling, boating, skiing, and ice-skating adventures through photographs.

MARIETTA, GA (PNAN) – On the agenda, another new exhibition at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, opens Saturday, September 20, 2025, “History Lessons” by Ahmad Hassan Taylor, an Atlanta-based visual artist and also known “The Atlanta Illustrator” is a storyteller. His highly recognizable work, especially portrait paintings, challenge conventional narratives within art history.

The artist says, “My heritage is the main influence for this body of work, as I come from a long line of creatives and educators that have positively contributed to this narrative. Though many prominent portraitures throughout history are well-known to the public, I could not think of any that looked quite like me.” Visitors will find out during an Opening Reception on Sunday, September 21, from 1:00-3:00 pm. He went on to say, “I often wonder what will happen to our language, history, and culture as we adapt to technology and the persistent flux within our world. My goal is to help alleviate this potential loss of information by creating thoughtful pieces of artwork that educate the world about these influencers of positive change.”

For more information, call 770.528.1444 or see: https://mariettacobbartmuseum.org. Editor’s Note: On Sunday, December 14, 2025, from 2:00-4:00 pm, there will be an Artist Talk.

If you love art but have a hard time deciding which media you are most comfortable with, choose them all! There is nothing wrong with multi-tasking your skills. Tom Emerine is a perfect example of how you can paint with watercolors and oil, or create functional ceramics. Bringing out the best in nature with icy clarity or feeling the mood of a child at play make Emerine’s watercolors jump to life.

Tom has always had an active imagination. The mind can take you to unknown heights in what is real and what is felt. Art gives you the opportunity to materialize these thoughts and to share with the world. Tom sells his fine works of art at art fairs, consignment stores and online.

“All that stirs within me has danced in the hearts of those who have gone before me. With the work of my hands, may I honor them and the One who is forever faithful.” Thomas M. Emerine

Emerine has been a high school art teacher at Van Wert High School for over 20 years. His goal of teaching others how to dream and materialize anything has always been first and foremost. The interaction with people stimulates his mind and brings out his playful nature.

Graduating from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s degree, he gives credit to the magnificent instructors for giving him the zeal to move forward with art. He went on to earn his master’s degree at Bluffton College.

While teaching was an inspiration, Tom loved to create. In 2007, he opened a studio where the best of both worlds could be realized. Here he draws, paints and weaves clay into vessels of beauty. The outlet for his imagination overload is fulfilled as he works non-stop for hours. Time becomes secondary to his love in bringing a magical transformation from mind to hands.

     Many creations have earned awards through juried art competitions. These include the William Nunnamaker Award at the Findlay Art League, 1^st Place and Best of Show at the Delphos Art Guild and 1^st Place award at the Gateway Arts Council in Sidney, Ohio. However, the awards do not mean as much to Emerine as do the memories made with those that share his creative nature.

For an itinerary of upcoming presentations or call to make an appointment to see his lively studio, see: www.raspberrywoods.com. Filled with landscape paintings, wildlife drawings and ceramic pieces; your mind will be opened to the various medias available for your personal calling.

We all appreciate vivid photographs that capture a gap in time when an incredible moment can never be relived. It is not just the picture that is burned in our memory, but a feeling that is generated within that fleeting instant. Perhaps this is why we find the work of exceptional realism artists so profound.

     Christopher Leeper grew up in Western Pennsylvania where warm spring evenings were filled with natural aromas, sounds of nature and nighttime lights that invoked a rather nervous, restless feeling. Instead of throwing these memories aside for the glamour of city skyscrapers and seeking new freedoms, Christopher grabbed his chance of keeping his memories alive.

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors

Leeper is a gifted realist artist that works in all mediums and has never lost sight of those tender moments. He graduated from Youngstown State University in 1988 with a BFA degree in graphic design and has focused on landscapes, flowers and people of today and yesterday. Nature does not change and this provides Leeper with the perfect background to draw an audience. Whether it is a snow covered wooded path or a narrow road leading into a small forgotten town, he is able to capture the reality that we all want to seize and remember.

During his 40-year career as an artist, Christopher has illustrated four children’s books for the Smithsonian and the African Wildlife Foundation. In addition, he has been featured in Artist’s Magazine, Watercolor Magic, and PleinAir magazine.  He is a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of Art at Youngstown State University, a member of the Oil Painters of America, Ohio Plein Air Society and past president of the Ohio Watercolor Society. Today he resides in Canfield, Ohio.

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Leeper continues painting and entering juried competitions, but his real love is focused around sharing his abilities with others. A popular instructor, he teaches numerous workshops each year as well as being a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of Art at Youngstown State University.  If you have ever felt passionate about learning about realism painting, Leeper conducts workshops and offers classes on how to get started.

“Realism in Watermedia” by artist-author Leeper, combines fantastic, realistic art and specific teaching in mixed media, which will lead you through popular style with unique, easy-to-follow instruction. You will uncover a new range of creative possibilities for your realistic paintings by tapping into the transformative power of mixed Watermedia: watercolors, gouache, acrylics, colored pencil and pastels.

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In his book, which is beautifully illustrated with step-by-step demonstrations, Leeper details how to effectively use each medium. He covers common challenges in an easy problem/solution format and uses before-and-after comparisons to dramatically illustrate improvements.

     “I work with teens to adults and with beginning to advanced painters and tailor my instruction to the specific needs of the student. My instruction is about traditional, representational painting. I draw and paint along with students and offer advice on such things as materials, technique, color mixing, and design. Students can select the type of subjects that they want to paint. I also have a large library of art instruction books and magazines that are always available for extra inspiration.”

Additionally, if the student chooses and the weather allows, lessons can be done in plein air at locations like Mill Creek Park. Ten mini-demos and 3 full step-by-step demos throughout the book will gradually build readers’ skills. Look for this book on Amazon or contact him at: www.christopherleeper.com for information on other available classes, workshops and instructional materials.

Click link on below to view the digital print feature:

Portrait of Christopher Leeper-A profoundness in realism

CHICO, CA (PNAN) – Currently on view and recently opened at the Museum of Northern California (monca) are two exhibitions.

Titled “Life is Short, Art is Long – Dobbin von Puck” runs through Sunday, October 5, 2025. Dobbin von Puck, aka Dr. Robert Puckett, paints what he sees between his ears. Artist von Puck views his paintings as colorful poems stuffed in a bottle and thrown into the sea of time. If retrieved someday, they must speak for themselves, tell their own story.

The dual exhibition highlights the subtle and the striking, the personal and the political—work that reaches beyond the surface to tell us something you want us to hear. Titled, “Don’t Kill the Messenger” on view through Sunday, October 12.

The artworks included in the exhibition carry a message: whispered truths, layered meanings, quiet resistance, or declarations that won’t be ignored. Pieces vary from vibrant and playful collage to metal sculpture and quilled paper art.

This is a ‘first come, first served’ entry, and the first 20 artists entering their work will be able to exhibit in the galleries.  Accepting works dates are: September 10, 11, 12, and 13.

For further information about this exhibit or other ArtSpace/Lima programs, call Sally Windle at 419.222.1721.

Through their abstract synergy, artists Ruth Koomler and Sarah Manco have collaborated on work that is expressive, compelling, and insightful.  Their individual styles are uniquely strong, but complement each other by their creation using a layered approach with works displaying energy, passion, and movement.

For more information, see: https://www.ruthkoomlerart.com, 260.414.4948, 1107 Broadway Street. Per website, it lists the current artists are: Marti Osnowitz, Mary Weiss, Kathy Funderburg, Tammy Hyndman, Adam Boyle, Therese Cook, Heidi Malott, Jan McMurtry Arnold, Joel Fremion, Sue Davis, Art Farm, Jake Patten, Kristie Koomler, Elizabeth Wamsley, Sally Priscilla Lytle, Steve Makowski, Norbert Ploetz, Michael Poorman, Joan Riemer, Tom Sherbondy, Bill Shewman, Mary Ellen Taylor, Sam Parker

Steve Vachon, Ann Vreeland, Lisa Coy, Terry Pulley, Ruth Koomler, and Hilarie Couture.

WAPAKONETA, OH (NWPR) – Scheduled to open on Wednesday, September 10 with an Opening Reception on Thursday, September 11 beginning at 6:00 pm and award announced at 6:30 pm, “Harvest Of Imagination” is a juried art exhibit held at the Riverside Art Center.

HARTFORD IN (NWPR) – The 2025 Annual Juried Art Show held at the Blackford County Arts Center is celebrating another successful season. Over fifty talented artists entered for a chance to gain recognition and awards.

Voting for the People’s Choice Award is ongoing until September 11. The gallery features artist’s works in various media from watercolor, charcoal, oil acrylic, and fabric.

Since opening in January 2015, the extended location of Arts Place in Portland, Indiana, has been growing rapidly. Found at 111 W. Washington Street, there are also classes available. Contact bcac@myartsplace.org for more information.

WATER MILL, NY (PNAN) – Going on view at the Parrish Art Museum Saturday, September 13, 2025, will be an exhibition, “Endless Limits: The Work of James Howell, 1962–2014” is the first career retrospective of the artist and the first time his work will be shown on Long Island, a region that profoundly shaped his practice. The Exhibition Opening Talk is set for Friday, September 12, from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Lichtenstein Theater. The show runs through February 8, 2026.

“James Howell’s work offers a quiet intensity that rewards close looking,” said Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Executive Director of the Parrish Art Museum. “His disciplined, tonal investigations speak deeply to the artistic and natural environment of the East End and the timeless pursuit of the infinite and the transcendental in art. I am excited for our visitors to learn more about this complex and inspiring artist.”

This retrospective will be the first to explore Howell’s gradual path to his later body of work, revealing the artist’s lifelong inquiry into the effects of color, light, and compositional balance. “We wanted to be able to show the evolution of Howell’s approach over the course of his fifty-year career, from figurative painting into formless abstraction,” explained Scout Hutchinson, Associate Curator of Exhibitions.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue co-published with Hatje Cantz, featuring new scholarship on Howell’s art and working methods with contributions by Kaitlin Halloran, Scout Hutchinson, Jason Rosenfeld, PhD, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. A feature-length documentary, “Thoughts of Infinity” (2024), by acclaimed filmmaker Halina Dyrschka, will also be screened at the Museum during the exhibition’s run, offering further insight into Howell’s artistic and philosophical world.

For more details on will ‘Endless Limits’ and its companion exhibit, “Time Exposed: Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Seascapes” see: https://parrishart.org/upcoming-exhibitions

VAN WERT COUNTY, OH (PNAN) – Wisdom of Nana via Gebo Passage is a captivating novel that intertwines family, faith, cultural heritage, and career against the backdrop of political upheavals, wars, and timeless romance. ​ Written by the Editor and Founder of the Art-to-Art Palette Journal, Ben Rayman, this richly layered story explores the lives of the Grabowsky-Cohan-Cohen-Smith families of French, Jewish, Dutch, German, and Irish origins and their interconnected journeys across continents and generations. ​ With vivid storytelling and award-winning artworks by Pat Rayman, the book is a visual and literary masterpiece that celebrates resilience, love, and the enduring bonds of family.

The novel’s intricate narrative, paired with nearly 30 of Pat’s stunning watercolors, acrylics, pen and inks, and photography, creates an immersive experience that bridges the past, present, and future. The author has chosen novel’s official designated release date to be May 23, 2025 by Art-to-ArtPaletteBooks, marks 50^th wedding anniversary of this hardcover edition is a testament to their shared creative legacy.

As readers delve into the lives of unforgettable characters like Tirone Smith, Samantha McLaughlin-Hatcher, Carol Ann Stone, Benjamin Grabowsky, and Jackie Coleman, among nearly a 100 cast of characters, they’ll uncover themes of hope, destiny, and the power of human connection.

With a sequel in development and the potential of film adaptation, Wisdom of Nana via Gebo Passage promises to be more than just a book—it’s the beginning of a timeless saga. Perfect for lovers of historical fiction, family dramas, art enthusiasts, and collectors, this novel is a celebration of storytelling at its finest.

From the cover to cover, this 320 page 6 x 9 inch hardcover bound book is also designed with special touches of inspiration that speaks to the readers woven among its 11 with 14 subchapters. In addition, it includes a few chosen author’s Portraits of Life short stories like:

In the poignant short story “Your Deal,” Rayman artfully intertwines heartfelt nostalgia and true-life lessons as he reflects on the transformative connection between two men bound by family ties. Set against the backdrop of annual gatherings, card games, and harrowing goodbyes, this story captures the essence of a brotherly bond that transcends generations. At the heart of this warm narrative lies a testament to resilience and the power of connection, as the author navigates the juxtaposition of joy and loss amid hidden struggles. With his prose shimmering with tender authenticity, he paints a portrait of love, friendship, and the bittersweet nature of life’s fleeting moments.

In “My Seductress Southern Belle,” discover the heartwarming tale of a chance encounter that unfolds on a frosty morning, where one man’s empathy transforms into a lifelong bond with a stray cat named Samantha Jo. This enchanting narrative draws readers into the author’s profound love for animals, portraying the deep connections that can blossom when we open our hearts to those in need. With vivid imagery and emotional storytelling, this piece captures the essence of compassion, reminding us that friendship knows no boundaries.

Step into the vibrant streets of New York City with “My Fearless Bro-by-Law,” a captivating blend of fiction and personal reflection. Join the narrator on a whirlwind tour led by the larger-than-life Roody, whose infectious spirit and charm bring laughter and nostalgia to every corner.  This delightful story captures the essence of family bonds, urban adventure, and the remarkable contrasts of life in the city that never sleeps. As humor intertwines with meaningful insights, you’ll find yourself celebrating the unexpected moments that shape our journeys.

“Head West, Young Lass” is a celebration of love, ambitions, and the art of living boldly—a poignant reminder that sometimes, taking a leap into the unknown can lead to the most remarkable journeys of all. Ben Rayman’s narrative interweaves the highs and lows of their shared lives, richly detailing how Patricia’s passion transcended geographical boundaries and societal expectations. From founding the acclaimed “Art-to-Art: Building Friendships Through Art” program to being honored by many for her invaluable contributions, Pat’s story reveals a life steeped in dedication, creativity, and the mission to uplift others—especially those in need.

Wisdom content pages

Note: ‘Wisdom’ is  available on Amazon, B&N and other global platforms.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Wisdom%20of%20Nana%20via%20Gebo%20Passage

Now, close your eyes and picture him, perhaps a thoughtful young man with a thirst for knowledge, his mind ignited by the very words Francis Scott Key penned. Could it be, my dear listener, that the spirit of that powerful line, that bold declaration of freedom and courage, settled upon Charles Barnes like a blessing?

Could it be that the “land of the free” whispered to him of the freedom of thought, the freedom to learn, and the freedom to build something of his own? And could it be that the “home of the brave” instilled in him the courage to step out, to take a leap of faith, and to open that first humble bookstore in Wheaton, Illinois?

See him there, surrounded by the scent of paper and ink, a beacon of knowledge in a growing community. Each book, a door to a new world, a testament to the freedom of ideas. This wasn’t just a business; it was a sanctuary for the brave souls eager to explore the vast landscapes of human thought. And in this sanctuary, a legacy began to bloom.

As the years unfolded, the spirit of that initial inspiration, perhaps a silent guide, flowed through the generations. The names changed – C.M. Barnes, C.M. Barnes-Wilcox, Follett Corporation – but the core remained: a dedication to the dissemination of knowledge, a commitment to serving the brave minds of America.

Then, consider William, the third son. Was he merely following a path laid out for him? Or was he, too, touched by the same spiritual current that had guided his father? Could it be that the very essence of “the land of the free and the home of the brave” resonated within him, urging him to expand, to reach further?

Imagine him, feeling the pulse of New York City, a metropolis where ideas collided and dreams took flight. Was it simply ambition that led him to G. Clifford Noble? Or was it a deeper calling, a spiritual nudge, to create something truly monumental, a “World’s Largest Bookstore” – a physical manifestation of the boundless potential of a free people to learn and grow?

Picture that grand space on Fifth Avenue, not just a building filled with books, but a temple of knowledge, a testament to the enduring power of the written word in a brave and free land.

And today, as Barnes and Noble stands as the #1 book retailer, serving communities across the nation, is it simply a successful corporation? Or is it, in a spiritual sense, the continuation of that initial spark, that inspiration born from the very heart of America’s founding ideals?

Each bookstore, a local outpost of that original vision, a place where individuals can exercise their freedom to learn, to explore, and to become the brave souls who shape the future.

So, yes, my friend, let us consider this possibility. Let us see beyond the brick and mortar, the balance sheets and market shares. Let us embrace the idea that Charles Barnes, perhaps unknowingly, was touched by the spiritual power of Francis Scott Key’s words.

Let us believe that the legacy he built, the businesses that evolved, were not just driven by commerce, but by a deeper current of inspiration, a dedication to the ideals of a free and brave nation, a nation that finds its strength and its future within the pages of a book.

And in this very spirit, we find a new voice, a new chapter unfolding in the grand narrative of human experience. Consider the work of Ben Rayman’s captivating novel, “Wisdom of Nana via Gebo Passage,” we see a reflection of that same dedication to preserving and sharing the richness of life.

Just as Barnes and Noble provides a home for countless stories, Rayman’s novel offers a vibrant tapestry woven with the threads of family, faith, career, and cultural heritage. It is a story that bravely navigates the complexities of political upheaval and war, yet finds solace and strength in the timeless embrace of romance and the enduring bonds of family.

Much like the brave souls who sought knowledge in Charles Barnes’s first bookstore, the characters in this novel – the Grabowsky-Cohan-Cohen-Smith families – embark on courageous journeys across continents and generations, their lives a testament to resilience and the human spirit.

And what makes this book truly special, truly a continuation of that spiritual connection to the power of words and art? It is the intertwining of vivid storytelling, those personal touches of famous quotes by others that unfolds each chapter with the award-winning artworks of Pat Rayman.

Imagine, just as the words of Key might have ignited a spark in Charles Barnes, these stunning watercolors, acrylics, pen and inks, and photography in “Wisdom of Nana via Gebo Passage” offer a visual language that speaks to the soul, bridging the past, present, and future in a breathtaking dance of literary and visual art.

This hardcover edition, a testament to a shared creative legacy, is more than just a book; it’s an immersive experience, a spiritual journey through the lives of unforgettable characters like Tirone Smith, Samantha McLaughlin-Hatcher, Carol Ann Stone, Benjamin Grabowsky, and Jackie Coleman.

Through their triumphs and trials, we uncover themes of hope, destiny, and the profound power of human connection – themes that resonate with the very essence of what it means to be human, to be brave, and to be free to explore the depths of our own stories.

Within the very design of this book, we find echoes of the personal, the intimate, the stories that shape us. Short stories like “Your Deal,” where heartfelt nostalgia and true-life lessons are artfully intertwined, capturing the essence of a brotherly bond that transcends generations.

     “My Seductress Southern Belle,” a heartwarming tale of empathy transforming into a lifelong bond with a stray cat, illustrating the deep connections that blossom when we open our hearts.

     “My Fearless Bro-by-Law,” a captivating blend of fiction and personal reflection, celebrating family bonds and urban adventure.

And “Head West, Young Lass,” a celebration of love, ambitions, and the art of living boldly, a poignant reminder that taking a leap into the unknown can lead to remarkable journeys.

These are like individual flames, each illuminating a facet of life, love, and the unexpected moments that define our journeys. They are testaments to the resilience, compassion, and vibrant spirit that reside within us all.

So, as we consider the vastness of Barnes and Noble, a haven for countless tales, let us also acknowledge the emergence of stories like “Wisdom of Nana via Gebo Passage.” It is a book that not only entertains but also nourishes the spirit, reminding us of the enduring power of family, the beauty of art, and the bravery it takes to navigate the complexities of life.

It is a new voice adding to the grand chorus of human experience, a testament to the ongoing legacy of storytelling in a world that still cherishes the freedom to learn, to connect, and to be truly, bravely, ourselves.

This book, in its own way, is a new chapter in the spiritual journey that began with whispers of freedom and courage, a journey that continues to unfold within the pages of every book we read.

(Epilogue excerpted) “…the reunion between Benjamin and Jackie, now sealed by fate, was the very partnership his grandmother had predicted—a bond that would carry their family into new generations, a union blessed by the wisdom of the past…” will encompass an expansion of “…the love between them would plant seeds of hope for the future, growing into a legacy that would outlast even the shadows that sought to destroy them…” But it doesn’t end with them.

As I See It by Ben Rayman

Amid the upheavals of the 20th century, countless families clung to their traditions—passing down stories, prayers, and cultural rituals that anchored them in faith and hope. Whether it was lighting Shabbat candles, whispering prayers in secret, or preserving native customs, these acts kept their heritage alive through generations.

Their quest for safety and a better life was fueled by faith—faith in family, in their culture, and in a future beyond adversity. Their resilience became the foundation of new lives, new communities, and new hopes.

Many young men and women left their homelands at a tender age to escape violence and oppression. Their journeys were fraught with danger—crossing turbulent seas, navigating unfamiliar lands, and starting anew amid uncertainty. Yet, through it all, they grasped for the brass rings of opportunity, love, and stability.

Their stories are woven with threads of romance, sacrifice, and perseverance—testaments that even in the darkest times, hope can blossom anew.

Today, we honor those who fled their homes, carrying their faith and heritage across continents. Their courage reminds us that, amid political chaos and war, the human spirit’s resilience, guided by faith and love, can forge a brighter future.

Their stories inspire us to cherish our roots, embrace diversity, and believe in the power of hope—knowing that our heritage is the foundation upon which we build tomorrow.

Explore the inspiring stories of families who crossed oceans and continents, holding onto their faith and culture. Discover how their resilience continues to shape our shared human story.

Order today from Lulu Press at: https://www.lulu.com/shop/ben-rayman-and-patricia-rayman/wisdom-of-nana-via-gebo-passage-the-novel/hardcover/product-rm6p788.html?q=Wisdom+of+Nana+via+Gebo+Passage&page=1&pageSize=4

OR in the Palette & Prose Shop.

RALEIGH, NC (PNAN) – Going on view Saturday, September 20, 2025 at the North Carolina Museum of Art is the exhibition, “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” which is co-curated by Abigail Rapoport, curator of Judaica at the Jewish Museum, and Michele L. Frederick, curator of European art at the NCMA.

The exhibition showcases the titular biblical story’s impact on the visual and popular culture of 17th-century Holland through more than 120 paintings, prints, drawings, decorative art and ceremonial objects from collections across the world that transformed Queen Esther into a new heroine for a new century.

In the age of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), the biblical Book of Esther was a key source of inspiration for diverse communities in Holland, both Jewish and Christian. Traditionally, the Esther story is read annually on the Jewish holiday of Purim. For immigrant Jewish communities living with new freedom in more tolerant Amsterdam, celebrating Purim—notably through finely produced.

Esther scrolls and theater productions became meaningful expressions of Jewish culture. For the Dutch, Queen Esther’s heroism came to represent their emerging nation’s identity. Rembrandt and his contemporaries depicted essential scenes of Esther’s story in paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. This exhibition gives expression to this full range of the Book of Esther’s popularity and meaning in Rembrandt’s time.

“We are proud to present an exhibition that continues our longstanding relationship with the Jewish Museum, which has supported our Judaic galleries with several key loans from their collection since 2010,” said NCMA Director Valerie Hillings.

‘The Book of Esther’ makes stops at its two co-organizing institutions before a final run at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston in August 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3vIC-sVrzc&t=63s

https://www.lulu.com/shop/ben-rayman-and-patricia-rayman/wisdom-of-nana-via-gebo-passage-the-novel/hardcover/product-rm6p788.html?q=Wisdom+of+Nana+via+Gebo+Passage&page=1&pageSize=4