Art from Ripon-area private collections to be displayed starting Nov. 9

“Out of the Attic and Into the Gallery: Art from Local Collections” will be on display from Nov. 9 through Dec. 14 at Ripon College. The exhibit will be in Caestecker Gallery, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts.

An opening reception and talk by curator Travis Nygard, associate professor of art and director of the Caestecker Gallery, will begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 9. The opening reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and one hour before evening performances in the center.

“Out of the Attic and Into the Gallery” features art from private collections in the Ripon region. It is an intentionally eclectic show meant to reflect the taste of the community, and it is as varied as the people who live here.

The exhibit contains fine art, folk art and functional art; one-of-a-kind objects as well as work made in multiples or as part of a series; woodwork, painting, needlework, ceramics, drawing and sculpture; art that is big and small; newly made items and things from centuries ago; work from several nations; and art that is serious and whimsical. The work is displayed clustered into themes to encourage comparisons between objects.

Nygard curated the show in collaboration with the lenders. The show was built from the collections of 23 people and contains more than 50 works of art. Lenders include Jaye Alderson, Lindsay Blumer, Bev and Jack Christ, Gary and Elaine Coll, Ursula Dalinghaus, Kurt Dietrich, John Koch, Diane Koski, Matt Koski, Jack and Sarah Kraaz, Sarah McGowan, Barb Mitchell, Doug Northrop, Travis Nygard, Christina Othon, Jacob Pruitt, Rafael Salas, Tanya Schwartz, and Jeanne Williams and Bob Amsden.

To enrich the understanding of each piece, lenders have provided descriptions of their works. Such descriptions may say who the artist is, why their piece is interesting, why they own it, what is appealing about it visually, whether the work has personal value, whether it was made in an interesting place, whether it conveys a story, and whether it is well-crafted.