Vogt Arts Center's Latest Exhibit Will Stick With You

Almost everyone has drawn a stick figure at one at one point or another.

It's just a simple doodle combining a circle and a handful of straight lines—A drawing so accessible to the general public that Director Julie Dekker decided to focus on it for the center's annual open gallery month.

“We thought this would just be kind of fun and silly and very accessible to people because that's what I hear all the time when people come in here, 'I can't even draw a stick figure,'” Dekker said. “People will be admiring the art work and they always say that."

Throughout June, the center is hosting The Art of the Stick Figure exhibit, which features creations from about 20 local artists who range in age from 4 years old to nearly 80.

“That's kind of what we do here, is give people a chance to exhibit their work that might not get to show it anywhere,” Dekker said. “I ended up getting all new artists this time, which is great.”

The art center put out a call to artists roughly six months ago announcing the exhibit, she said. Although the gallery normally hosts one or two professional artists a month, it holds a special open exhibit for local artists every year during June.

When Dekker announced theme, she said she left the constraints of the rules on submissions as vague as possible, so as to encourage creativity. She wasn't disappointed as the center received paintings, drawings, sculptures, and even a piece made out of dandelions.

“They came up with really eclectic, wacky things that it made this such a fun show,” she said. “So it's a really neat representative of the 'regular guy,' and people are just having fun with their art.”

To commemorate the opening of the exhibit, the center will host a artists' reception on Friday, June 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dekker said that every artist who submitted work has said he or she will be attending and that Nucelear Qarktet, a jazz band, will perform.

Admission to the Vogt Visual Arts Center is free every day. The center is open Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other visits are allowed by appointment only.