The memorable refrain, “Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!” chanted by Dorothy, the Tin Man and Scarecrow on the road to Oz served as a means of summoning courage when the three encountered the Cowardly Lion. They created an unbreakable bond of trust and friendship undertaking the adventure of a lifetime. Unlike Dorothy and friends, I am not following the Yellow Brick Road but other avenues leading me to “Lyons, tigers and bears.” Getting to meet artists and write about their talents is one of the best parts of my job.
Sculptor Jason Lyons
Recently at Hershey Art Gallery and Studios grand opening, I had the good fortune to meet reclaimed objects sculptor, Jason Lyons. Jason is not your typical sculptor working in clay but is a specialized artist working with found objects, repurposing them in creations purely his own. He’s unique in the sense that he incorporates items of the everyday (silver tableware, car parts, kitchen utensils and tchotchkes) that capture the imagination, knowing that together they will complete the puzzle.
His range of ideas is wide open, with objects used determining the final product. What may be a silver spoon at face value takes on a new life when repurposed under the alchemist’s hands, part mad scientist, part sheer genius. This sorcerer’s apprentice casts a spell on the commonplace. Equipment, tools, hardware, et al, turn base metal into silver and gold. Jason Lyons could easily be the Wizard himself as his sculptures become jewels worthy of the Emerald City. It is in the ever-diverse combinations of placement where the end result takes on a luster of beauty personified, elevating material items into exceptional art. The proof is in the pudding or, at the very least, the spoon to eat it with.
The artist shares, “Ideas grow from a single reclaimed object consisting of primarily wood or metal that create the ‘foundation of its repurpose’… Sensing exactly what a certain item is to become just by its very shape, material and innate energy, sculptures literally grow from that humble beginning. In the end, the results become organic figures found in nature.”
A sculpture by Jason Lyons
Sculptors are a rare breed, much like the beasts of the wild. Reclaimed, untamed and meant to exist outside of captivity, no cage or fence should limit creativity as its roar is central to its very being. Modest to a fault, Jason creates out of the need to create. It has been in his blood since boyhood, stemming from “junking journeys” with his dad. In his expanded repertoire, one can find articulated flowers, a duck, herons, snowman ornaments and a resplendent rooster that has much to crow about. For Jason, nothing is lost as all are found for an exact reason. Equating that to the human condition at times throughout our lives, we may feel that sense of not knowing exactly what comes next. In realizing we all have a purpose in life, it’s where we fit in that matters most. Jason Lyons knows that truth better than most. His work can be viewed at Brain Vessel in Mechanicsburg, Perry County Council of the Arts in Newport and at Joan Maguire’s recently opened Hershey Art Gallery and Studio. Contact Jason at JasonlyonsArts@gmail.com, JasonlyonsArts.com or 717.810.9876
Eso Arts images by Amie Bantz
Tigers are a special breed of cat that symbolize grace, cunning and independence. All of these attributes could apply to artist, Amie Bantz. Having lived her life as an art educator in Carlisle, a special liaison for Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, artist in residence at Millworks and as an art activist for the AAPI community, Amie is making her mark wherever she goes. In her 30 years, now new to the city of Lancaster, Aimee pulled up stakes from her beloved Midtown connection at Millworks in Harrisburg to conquer a whole new world in what could very well be the art capital of central PA. Lancaster is an artist’s dream with galleries everywhere in the downtown area. On my last visit to write about the art scene there, I counted 30 galleries, museums and storefronts dedicated to the myriad manifest of meaningful art. With an accomplished resume worthy of accolades and more, Amie is making her presence known by her work ethos and her paintings. Subtle yet savvy marketing is a hallmark of her approach with IG posts, videos and personal references like the actual storyboards of “Lunch Box Moments,” a one-woman show that has traveled from Carlisle to State College over the past two years. They are all central to the narrative she embraces. As a socially conscious the member of Asian American and Pacific Island community, Amie is making a difference raising awareness that uniqueness in cultures is to be embraced. As an exceptional artist for years at Millworks, Amie’s reputation preceded her as an art influencer, going a long way in establishing her presence in the Red Rose City. She unveiled new paintings as part of a tribute to AAPI Cultural Awareness exhibit at Eso Arts for their Heritage Month, which opened May 5 for a weekend show. Amie shared it was OK to “let the cat out of the bag” with some updates. She is busier than usual as the art director for a New York/Lancaster-based educational consortium. In addition, a new studio in Lititz is sparking her art with upcoming events scheduled for Lancaster in August and one in Boston in November. You can contact Amie at amiebantz@gmail.com or her website amiebantz.com or Instagram@amiebantz.
Bears may very well populate the rural surroundings of Landisburg, where woodworker Kevin Witmer, calls home. Bears symbolize strength, courage, nobility and patience. Like the sapling planted as a child that grows into a towering tree by adulthood, a vocation of passion sprung forth from a love of whittling wood as a boy. Witmer found his calling early on in his love of the forest. I met the craftsman during last autumn’s Odd Ones Bizarre on the rooftop patio at Millworks, displaying his wares. As the space was limited, the presentation consisted of exquisitely inlaid fauna captured in wood…almost like amber encases natural objects like fossils rarified and beautiful. These small square slabs of wood embody the mission Witmer “brings to the table” with every project he takes on, always careful to use “live edged pieces whenever possible.” It is his way of honoring trees and even more so the forest of tomorrow.
Woodwork by Kevin Witmer
It is astounding to learn that Witmer has only been at this craft for two years as his skills are categorically consummate in a class by themselves, in part due to the heart and passion of working with the wood in its flawed state. His conscious effort to highlight the flaws speaks to an artist of the highest realm in understanding that life’s imperfections give wood or individuals their greatest characteristic…uniqueness. Kevin embraces clients’ requests for a commissioned piece when they possess a special tree or piece of wood to be transformed into utilitarian pieces like tables, benches, cabinets and shelving. Then the tree lives on in another form, experiencing rebirth as a new body of art. In creating the client’s dream and seeing their vision come true under his hands and heart, the circle is complete. Contact Kevin at witmerwoodcraft@gmail.com and IG witmerwoodcraft.
“Where the Wild Things Grow” by Bob MacGinnes
Birthday News: On a personal note, I turned 72 last week and find I am busier in retirement than ever before. I’m the concierge at Ralph Lauren in Hershey two days a week, coach high school baseball, create art from the wild (indoor land art), and write an art blog and column. The best part is that I get to hang out with a cool group of artists that starts with my family. My photographer for TheBurg, my dear wife, Jana, son Beau and daughter Aubrey, “Art in the Wild” artists, my actress daughter-in-law, Kaila, as well as granddaughters Estella, age 8, an entrepreneur with her handmade clay bead bracelet business, and Adelina, a mixed-media artist at 20 months of age. Plus, all the great artists in central PA I’ve met over the past five years. Life is rich and full, and I am the luckiest man in the world.
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