Noblesville Creates is featuring seven artists of the month in January.
The artists of the month include Craig Mullins, the members of the 8th Street Artists – Rodney Reveal, Lesley Haflich, Penny Roberson, Michael Janosky, and Roseanne Crowell – as well as Denis Lee, who the arts community sadly lost at the end of 2023.
Each of the artists’ exhibits will be featured at a different Noblesville Creates showcase location. Information on the exhibit dates, receptions, and artist details are available below.
Stephenson House
Denis Lee
The Stephenson House exhibit, Denis Lee – His Life in Art, will serve as a tribute to life for the late artist Denis Lee. Lee’s journey involved an evolution that showcased his diverse talents and unwavering passion for the arts.
Born and raised in North Judson, Ind., Lee received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Indiana University before serving in the U.S. Army Reserve Program and enrolling in the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at the University of Illinois Medical School in Chicago.
Upon graduating, Lee was employed as a Medical Illustrator for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for five years until he began teaching in the graduate program at the University of Michigan’s Department of Medical Illustration. Over the course of the next 30 years, Lee became Professor of Art, Professor of Postgraduate Medicine, and Assistant Professor in Plastic Surgery, winning many awards for his work in art and medical sculpture.
Upon retiring, Lee shifted his focus to his passion for art. Anatomy and medical illustration is done exclusively in black and white and is very expensive to reproduce, so when Lee retired, he decided to try something new.
Lee spent the last 20 years of his life sculpting and oil painting, ultimately creating around 500 paintings, some of which will be included in the upcoming Denis Lee – His Life in Art exhibit. Lee’s passion for sharing his love for art, animals, and people is embodied in each piece that will be featured in the exhibit.
The full Denis Lee – His Life in Art exhibit can be seen in the Stephenson House Jan. 5 through 27, Wednesday through Friday, from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and during the January First Friday event from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Noblesville Creates campus.
The reception for this exhibit will serve as a celebration of life for Lee and will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 in the Stephenson House.
Meyer Najem
8th Street Artists
All Together is an exhibit of oil paintings and pastels by the award-winning 8th Street Artists, who have had studios at Noblesville Creates for many years.
Three of the artists – Rodney Reveal, Michael Janosky, and Roseanne Crowell – have been creating art in the two historic buildings that make up the Noblesville Creates campus since its opening over 11 years ago. They all relish time spent painting, sharing techniques, critiquing one another’s works, and painting outside together throughout Indiana.
Noblesville Creates was a saving grace for the artists when they were allowed to occupy their studios during COVID; all could continue their art endeavors and social interactions to the point where they now finish each other’s sentences. Last year, they began showing their work as a group at The Hoosier Art Salon Gallery in New Harmony, Ind., and Rivet Coffee House in Westfield.
Among the five of them, there is a variety of styles from realism to impressionism, subject matter, and medium usage. As you will notice upon viewing the exhibit, this variety of elements complement each other to form a cohesive, pleasing collection. There are Indiana landscapes, florals, and animal paintings in the exhibit, mostly created in the past couple of years.
Art provided
See the full exhibit, All Together, in the Meyer Najem 2nd floor gallery, located at 11787 Lantern Road in Fishers, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can meet the 8th Street Artists at their free public reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 8 at Meyer Najem.
Four Day Ray
Craig Mullins
Mullins
Craig Mullins is no stranger to Noblesville Creates; 2024 marks his eighth year participating in community and showcase level exhibits. For many years he has showcased his work in the Stephenson House and Meyer Najem galleries, and now he moves onto Four Day Ray’s unique gallery experience.
MY INDIANA will debut at Four Day Ray in January, featuring his latest piece, “Big Sky Indiana.” Landscapes are truly where Mullins’s architectural background shines through – especially in farm and barn compositions. His landscape paintings have architectural elements as part of the subject matter, as well as images from travel and hiking experiences all over the world.
“Creating an atmosphere of time, space, and color that cannot be captured in a photograph, or through personal observation, is an important characteristic of my work,” Mullins said.
Mullins is particularly drawn to French Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and the Hoosier Artists who flourished in the early 1900s, as well as contemporary landscape artists.
“Much of their work tends to be landscapes that explore light, color, and the atmosphere of the moment in a way that compels your attention for long periods of time,” he said. “That is what I am trying to achieve in my own way as an ARCHITECT-ARTIST.”
“Big Sky Indiana” is one of the works in Craig Mullins’ new exhibit, MY INDIANA, on display at Four Day Ray in Fishers. (Art provided)
The full exhibit, MY INDIANA, can be seen at Four Day Ray Brewing, located at 11671 Lantern Road in Fishers, Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
About Noblesville Creates
Noblesville Creates (NC) champions the arts as an essential element of the economic health and cultural vitality of Noblesville and central Indiana. As Noblesville’s local arts agency, NC catalyzes opportunities for the arts and local creatives of all skill levels to thrive and lead in central Indiana. NC is also the Region 7 Arts Partner for the Indiana Arts Commission, serving the six counties at the center of the state. NC cultivates classes, events, programs, and services for art-lovers and artists of all backgrounds and experience levels. Start your creative journey with NC: they’ll help you connect and flourish.