The leadership of the Macomb Arts Center (The MAC) hopes the organization can offer more programming this year, though it will need some help from the community.
“We need people. People to do more. The more people we have that will do things, the more that we’ll be able to offer,” said Executive Director Nancy Crossman.
Crossman said The MAC is looking for people to offer classes, lead programs, and host during gallery hours. They also would like more people to sign up as members.
The board will be discussing these issues and more during an upcoming retreat.
Gallery hours during exhibits are Noon to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Crossman said it’s been a bit of a challenge to keep the all-volunteer organization operating during the pandemic.
“It’s always a challenge to get people to come and host during gallery hours. But we have a lot of people who are just not comfortable yet in coming out and doing things like that,” she said, adding The MAC secured a few grants during the pandemic.
“We have benefited some, and we’ve had some very generous donors step up and help us. So we’ve been able to keep the bills paid and the doors open when we can. But there have been concerns, definitely.”
The current exhibit
The MAC is featuring the works of Bob Johnson, who majored in art at Western Illinois University. He also taught art at WIU and served as its Curator for the Museum of Geology before retiring in 2017.
Johnson works in many different styles.
“Or no style at all, depending on how you look at it,” he said. “But yes, I trained to be an illustrator and so consequently my style is whatever it is at the moment.”
Johnson said he likes airplanes so he does quite a bit of aviation-related art. He also finds portraits fun and challenging, and said “whatever floats my boat” could end up the subject of one of his pieces.
Most of his work during the past two years has been pastel or pastel and pencil. Many older works are airbrushed acrylic. He also does a lot of drawings.
How did he choose the pieces for this exhibit?
“They’re the ones I had,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been cranking it out for two years getting ready for this show.”
The exhibit also includes older works, and he thinks the pieces in the show should interest just about anybody.
The exhibit Now and Again: Art Works by Robert Johnson remains on display through February 26.
After that, The MAC will feature the works of local junior and senior high school students from March 1 to 12, followed by Midwesterners: Photography by Fritz Goeckner from March 15 to April 9.
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