‘Forged and Fired’ and Fitton

Hamilton venue’s exhibition features seven local artists.

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Gallery watchers will find inspiration from the Fitton Center’s latest art exhibition, “Forged and Fired,” which will feature the works of seven local artists, who will present art work in various forms, including mixed media, ceramic and metal.

Artists featured will include Kim Rae Taylor of Cincinnati. Her solo show will include layered paintings that are wrought from experimentation. She uses multiple materials, ignited by nature and poetry.

The group portion of the show was sparked by a love of metal and clay. The exhibition is energized by the ideas of six area artists — Kate Demske, Celene Hawkins, Cheryl Pannabecker (Cincinnati), Carrie Pate, Joseph Paushel (Hamilton) and and Don Williams (Kettering).

“These seven artists are linked by a willingness to experiment with process and media. They all give room in their art-making for states of flux, controlled accidents, unusual combinations of materials and the adventure of problem solving to forge art objects from the fire of imagination,” said Director of Exhibitions Cathy Mayhugh, Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

The exhibition will open on Saturday, Oct. 29 with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 pm. The works will be on display through Jan. 6.

After graduating from college, visual artist, designer and educator Kim Rae Taylor initially pursued animation, specializing in backgrounds and color. She worked in Los Angeles for seven years on The Simpsons. (She worked on the first five to six seasons of the show.) Then, she went into graphic design and product design. Later, Taylor said she decided to focus on being a fine artist. In addition to creating her own art work, she has taught art at University of Cincinnati Clermont College for the past decade. She also enjoys traveling abroad.

“My grandparents, my mother’s parents, taught me how to draw. They were creative people, so I’ve been involved with art my whole life. It wasn’t like I made art as a kid, and then I stopped. It just never stopped. There was never a doubt that I wanted to do something in the arts,” Taylor said.

Describing this series of work as “abstract,” she said a lot of her art is experimental. She likes to see where it can lead her.

“When I look at it, I find different forms, whether they were intentional or not, they just sort of creep out. I like to think of it as having a playful quality, and creating a feeling of space. I use text a lot. I’m very interested in word play. I want that to project some feeling about the image itself. In a way, I like to think of it as making visual poetry,” Taylor said.

How to go

What: “Forged and Fired” exhibition

Where: Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton

When: The exhibition runs from Saturday, Oct. 29, through Jan. 6. An opening reception will be held on Saturday from 5-7 p.m. (as part of German Village Pubcrawl and WintersEdge events). Open regular gallery hours, which are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Closed Sunday, except for special events.

Admission: Free. Donations accepted.

More info: Go online to www.fittoncenter.org or call (513) 863-8873

More about Kim Rae Taylor: www.kimraetaylor.net

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