The Enduring Legacy of Art at Central By EMILY KESEL
T
he Winter Wonders exhibit at the AshbyHodge Gallery of American Art may have only lasted a few months, but the works that made up most of the show from January to April are some of the most special pieces in the permanent collection. It was neither a show of the most wellknown American artists or a dedicated exhibit to a collection of expensive artwork. Rather, the show was devoted to Central Methodist University’s finest homegrown artistic talent. The paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures on display were part of a show dedicated to Central’s rich history of alumni artists. “We’re always trying to use as much of our permanent collection as we can,” said Dr. Joe Geist, registrar of the Gallery. “We wanted to find a new way of showing off some of the collection.” And what better way to show off a collection of art at Central than with a show of Central artists? The first time the Gallery did an alumni show was for Homecoming 2001, when 43 artists’ work was on display, dating back all the way to 1892. Unlike that show, which borrowed works from numerous private collections, this spring’s exhibit concentrated on 24 CMU graduates, with all the works
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in the show coming from the Gallery’s next level, and the rest was history. He took a permanent collection. drawing class as an elective in his sophomore “The hardest part was deciding which year and did well, inspiring him to take more Edna Schenk works we wanted in the show, art classes and eventually major in art. From which Tom Yancey we wanted in the show,” there, he went on to graduate school, earning said Geist. “We tried to show as much variety a master’s degree in drawing and later in as we could.” sculpture. Five years after graduating from And it wasn’t just the most well-known and Central, Potter moved to Macomb, Ill. to prolific Central artists like Schenk, ‘35, and begin teaching sculpture at Western Illinois Yancey, ‘54, that were prominently featured University, where he helped others realize this time around. There were also the likes of their dreams in art the way his alma mater Virginia Monroe, ’70, Eugene Weathers, ’58, helped him. and Frank Steinman, ’36. “Everyone has a God-given ability,” said Then there’s George Potter, a 1963 graduate Potter. “It’s just about finding out what that is who first came to Central to major in math and going after it. Then you’re following your before entering the Air Force but instead embraced his natural talent as an artist and became an art teacher. “I never really took it seriously,” Potter said of his artistic skill that he began honing as a child. “I’d always just been good at doing visual things with my hands and making things.” When he got to Central, Left to right: Penny (Jones) Selle, ’78, Dr. Joe Geist, and though, Potter had the Nancy (Morrison) Nesvik, ’78, during Homecoming 2018. opportunity to take his Photo by Bob McNeill, ’77. skills and love of art to the
