(From the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum)
The University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum will showcase a selection of the world’s finest fantasy artists in its 11th annual Enchanted Brush exhibit, open now through August 29.
This year’s exhibit, free to the public in the Lea Gallery of UF’s Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion, has a theme of “Legendary.”
“This exhibition brings to life the characters, myths, and moments of epic tales,” explained Dan Chudzinski, director of curation and exhibitions at Mazza and founder of the Enchanted Brush exhibition.
There are 27 works of art, representing 22 international fantasy artists, in the display of oil paintings, scratchboard, bronze sculpture, 3D-printed digital sculpture, and more.
The theme emphasizes the connection between fantasy artwork and great literature, and how both transcend time.
“It has the power to transport us to the shadows of Sherwood, through the mists of Avalon, and beyond the boundaries of our imaginations,” Chudzinski explained. “This is art that provokes thought and curiosity.”
Among the featured pieces is “St. Petroch and the Dragon,” an oil painting by Scott Gustafson, whose work ranges from creating tea box artwork for Celestial Seasonings to covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Illustrating children’s books is his favorite creative outlet, and he currently has five books in print.
Gustafson’s painting for the exhibit features the legend of St. Petroch, a monk in Wales during the sixth century. The story tells of a distraught dragon upsetting nearby residents, and when Petroc confronted the beast, he learned that it had a splinter in its eye and needed help. The painting illustrates Petroch’s removal of the splinter, which resulted in the dragon leaving the village in peace.
Another featured artist in the exhibit is Don Maitz, with his oil paintings “Arthur in Battle” and “Arthur Knights Lancelot.”
Maitz is the original creator of the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character and an award-winning cover artist of more than 300 books, magazines, game art, and advertising for National Geographic, DC & Marvel Comics, Paramount, and Warner Pictures, among others. Maitz twice won science fiction’s Hugo Award for Best Artist, and he has exhibited in over 40 museums.
Chudzinski noted that the exhibit also highlights several “cryptids,” which are creatures whose existence is not yet scientifically proven. One of these is the curator’s own sculpture of the Loveland, Ohio Frogman.
Three other pieces feature a jackalope, a jackrabbit with antelope horns. These are an oil painting by Alan Douglas, and a skeleton and sculpture by Chudzinski.
Other participating artists in the exhibit are Iris Compiet, Allen Douglas, Quintin Gleim, Scott Gustafson, James Herrmann, Kelley Hensing, Elliot Lang, Ashly Lovett, Don Maitz, Jason Mowry, Reiko Murakami, Colin Nitta, Kristine Poole, Ruth Sanderson, Danny Schwartz, Chris Sickles, Andrew Sides, Melissa Stanley, Alex Stone, Jeremy Wilson, and Janny Wurts.
A reception will take place Tuesday, July 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with a gallery tour and some of the artists attending to discuss their work.
Many of the pieces of artwork on display are available for purchase, with all of the proceeds going to the artists.
For more information on the exhibit, visit mazzamuseum.org.
