Lincoln is dotted with diverse artwork in almost every neighborhood—from bike sculptures in parks and and along bike paths to statues of pioneers and playing children downtown to the colorful star wall alley in the Haymarket. Now through February 19, Donna Pozehl, a Lincoln artist who works adds her work to the local landscape as a member of the Lincoln’s Artist Guild, is showing a variety of paintings in Union’s McClelland Art Gallery.
Most of Pozehl’s artwork on display is comprised of acrylic on canvas or a composition of mixed mediums. Pozehl mostly works in the abstract medium, leaving her paintings subject and meaning to interpretation. Her works also include realism and painterly, which is a style typically characterized by the qualities and methods of the brush stroke, color, and texture, rather than the lines of the painting.
This project has taken Pozehl almost a year to complete. The most challenging part, Pozehl said, was to “draw new imaginations within the viewer. I wanted to release my imagination to be able to create the right shapes, colors, lines, and patterns.” Pozehl also created an elaborate game of eye-spy with her audience, hiding things within most of her works.
Pozehl was inspired to start the project by Jim McClelland, a recently-retired professor of art at Union. McClelland has often acted as a judge for the Artist Guild’s shows and encouraged Pozehl to exhibit her pieces at the gallery. Pozehl works for the Guild as an advisor, greeter, and part of the workshop and outing committee, and the Guild will be hosting another one of her shows in November.
While working on the project, she kept changing her mind about which piece was her favorite. “I like them all,” Pozehl said. “But some were more fun to do than others.” If she had to pick one that truly stood out, she would choose “An Indian Chief’s Red Head Dress,” a colorful portrait using bright reds and thick lines to create a ceremonial head dress.
Pozehl’s show will be on display in the McClelland Art Gallery through February 19. Her artwork is all for sale, ranging from $100 for a spotted cat to $400 for a three-piece flower set.
The McClelland Art Gallery is located in the Ortner Center on the campus of Union College and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. All shows are free and open to the public.
By Elizabeth Bearden, student writer