Novi Artists Display Abstract Exhibit at Civic Center

A collection of abstract art by two Novi artists is now on display in the Atrium through Feb. 26.

Although Katharina Eltringham and Jan Brown did not know each other before the exhibit, they found that their pieces work well together.

“Even though we have different backgrounds, our art is intermingled, and I think it works really nice,” Eltringham said.

Eltringham is a retired registered nurse without any formal art training, but she has always drawn and painted as a hobby.

She recently got into making abstract paintings and likes to focus on texture.

“When you look at my art, I would like you not just to look at it, but to reach out and touch it,” she said. 

After touching the art, Eltringham encourages viewers to take a second look at the painting.

“The longer that you look at it, the more things you see in it,” she said.

While Eltringham has shown some of her art at the Civic Center before, this is Brown’s first exhibit there.

“I hope people who come to see the art respond emotionally to the painting and come away having appreciated it,” Brown said.

Brown has her BFA from Michigan State University and spent seven of her 35 years as a teacher instructing students in art. She started exploring abstract art about a year and a half ago.

“It was fun to get into abstract—to just not have to stop when you have the actual picture. When you feel something for the painting is what it’s got me going with now,” she said. 

The exhibit is free and open during Civic Center hours, which are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  All of the pieces are for sale. 

“I just hope that people take some time and go and look at it. It doesn’t take much time, and I think it’s an enjoyable way to spend a little bit of time in Novi,” Eltringham said.