"Best of Show 2023" at the Wassenberg this month

Wassenberg director Brooke Fuerst stands by one of her favorites, Si-Yun Chang's "Passage." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

(Brian Hess/DHI Media)

James Mellick's 'The Guardians." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Susan Shie's "Guenevere and Madeleine." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Steve Smith with Mike Stevens' "Candy Cleaver." It must have taken a long time to create, he noted, because there's not a single air bubble in the entire glasswork. (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Steve Smith points out unique design features of Brad Schweiger's "Wall Platter." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

James Mellick's "Midnight." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Show curator Steve Smith stands by Jessica Mohl's "Of Her Hands," an ornate brooch made of copper, silver, gold and lace. The individual parts move. (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

VAN WERT — Over 70 artworks were showcased at the Wassenberg Art Center this past Thursday evening at the opening reception for the "Best of 2023" show.

The show includes art made from several different types of materials: clay, metal, wood, fabric and other media.

They were chosen from 300 entries, and the job of deciding what stayed and what went fell to juror Steve Smith, an artist and art professor at Defiance College for over 30 years.

So what determines the great from the merely good?

"When I judge something I go back to beginning design class," Smith said. "Did they make good observations? Did they make good marks? What was the craftsmanship? The design principles: line, shape, value, texture, color. That's what art's built on.

"Then composition, eye movement, and craftsmanship. Then the awards. Those come down to the 'wow' factor. Do I wish I would have thought of it? Would I have the skill to pull it off? Would it make me laugh or cry?"

Smith reviewed the pieces online, then compiled a slideshow of the 78 that were 'best of 2023.' All the artwork came from the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Museum in Columbus.

"When people talk about music they say isn't that wonderful? I say yes, it's the silence between the noise that makes the music good. We call that negative space in art; it's the emptiness that makes the noise better," Smith said.

The ODC is a nonprofit organization that helps artists and shows their work through Ohio. It's funded by the Ohio Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council and private donations.

This is the first year the collection from ODC has been shown in Van Wert, thanks to the efforts of interim Wassenberg director Jayne Smith, who started talking to the ODC over a year ago. "They said 'are you interested in the show?' So I went to the executive board [of the Wassenberg] and said can I spend some money? And they said yes."

Steve Smith is Jayne Smith's brother, and she wasn't aware he was judging this year's art collection until ODC director Kim Nagorski brought it up. "She said 'I didn't know you were Steve's sister,' and I said don't hold it against me," Smith laughed.

Her brother is a former president of the ODC, and was on the board for 20 years.

Wasssenberg director Brooke Fuerst says it's unusual to see so much mixed media in an art show.

"Especially the fabrics. It's not common to see this amount of fabric showcased," she said. The ODC is unique because of the variety of techniques they promote beyond painting and sculpture. "It's hard to find that elsewhere," said Fuerst.

Her favorite piece was Si-Yun Chang's "Passage," a rigid fabric sculpture made of organza, a fabric woven from silk.

"We gave it a spotlight. I guess why I love it is the dimensions and the movement, as well as the depth, the shadows behind it. It almost makes you wonder what material is being used, and it really draws you in, brings you up closer. I feel it grabs the attention of a lot of viewers," she said. "This is, like, the best art in Ohio," Jayne Smith added.

The artwork was driven to Van Wert by ODC director Nagorski to save on shipping costs, and unloading and moving the one-of-a-kind pieces was a lot of work.

"We took pictures," Jayne Smith said. "We'd take the lid off a box and take pictures, then unwrap the first layer and take a picture so we knew how to put it back together."

"They came packaged with directions for installation and we followed the directions," said Fuerst.

The Wassenberg carries insurance for the collection while it's in Van Wert, which will be through the end of August. The show is free to attend.

The ODC can be reached at [email protected] and (614) 486-4402.

The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 214 S. Washington St. Van Wert, OH and can be reached at (419) 238-6837.

Wassenberg director Brooke Fuerst stands by one of her favorites, Si-Yun Chang's "Passage." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

(Brian Hess/DHI Media)

James Mellick's 'The Guardians." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Susan Shie's "Guenevere and Madeleine." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Steve Smith with Mike Stevens' "Candy Cleaver." It must have taken a long time to create, he noted, because there's not a single air bubble in the entire glasswork. (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

Steve Smith points out unique design features of Brad Schweiger's "Wall Platter." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

James Mellick's "Midnight." (Brian Hess/DHI Media)

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