After 5: Art & Science Blend at The Creamery

Is it high-tech, computer-generated, science fiction-inspired artwork done by cyborgs?

In this case, it isn’t. Brewer Science, in cooperation with Arts Rolla and Springfield Regional Arts Council, is sponsoring The Meramec Regional Art Exhibit at The Creamery Arts Center through Oct. 31.

Brewer Science sees a strong link between the creative processes involved in art as well as science.

In making that point Loretta Wallis, the company’s corporate relations specialist, invokes a master of both.

Wallis said, “Leonardo da Vinci’s … strong curiosity drove him to study and solve problems in science and engineering, which required the same creativity and precision he exhibited in his art.”

The exhibit features works by some three dozen artists from the Meramec region in south central Missouri. Mediums represented include oil, pastel, woodblock print, glass mosaic, watercolor, acrylic and graphite (pencil). There are a few dimensional art pieces and several very striking photographs.

The artwork has been judged and winning pieces are noted. The exhibit holds something for nearly every taste and several pieces caught my eye immediately.

Donley Jones’ “The Blue Green River,” an oil on linen, is one of the larger paintings and also was the Jurors’ Choice. It’s a beautiful work that seems both traditional and new at the same time. Jones uses fractal designs to depict the serenity of the title.

Nancy Silver’s sumi paintings, “Magnolia” and “Lotus,” are fine examples of the Japanese style that insists the artist concentrate on, besides the subject matter, the relationship between the brush and the paper. Unlike traditional sumi, which always uses black ink, Silver incorporates color.

Diane Chappell’s glass mosaic “Sunflowers” brought the fields of Kansas to mind.

The exhibit’s photographs were what I kept going back to during my visit.

Susan Nikel’s “Cathedral Stairs,” at first glance, looks like an intricate M.C. Escher drawing.

Linda Nystrom’s “Huangshan I” is a shot of cliffs shrouded in fog and is eerily moving. It’s peaceful and somehow foreboding at once.

Exhibit Details

What: The Meramec Regional Art Exhibit

Where: The Creamery Arts Center, 411 N. Sherman Ave., Springfield

When: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday, through Oct. 31

Cost: Free

More information: Call (417) 862-2787 or visit www.springfieldarts.org

Where is the Meramec region?

The Meramec region is a seven-county area in south central Missouri. Part of the Ozarks, the area is characterized by springs, sinkholes, caves and clear running streams. It is a popular tourist destination due to the natural beauty of the area and the camping and canoeing possibilities.

Source: Missouri Department of Natural Resources

About Brewer Science

According to its Web site, “Brewer Science is a major innovator of high-technology solutions for the semiconductor/microelectronics equipment and chemicals marketplace.”

The Rolla company turned 25 earlier this year. Its corporate philosophy: “to be innovative, creative and customer driven.”

Brewer Science has signed on as a tenant to Jordan Valley Innovation Center in downtown Springfield.