RCAA artists will be your hosts from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 11, in the Art Sanctuary at 190 N. Sycamore St., Martinsville, Indiana. Admission is free.

The “River of Art” exhibit through July 31 showcases the diverse talent of River City Art Association Inc. in Terre Haute, where the Wabash River was made famous by native son Paul Dresser in “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away,” the state song of Indiana.

RCAA members are well known in Vigo County and the Wabash Valley for their award-winning paintings, drawings, CAD drawings, printmaking, photography, mixed media, abstracts, Intarsia (wood inlay), pyrography (woodburning), ceramics, fused glass jewelry and wall hangings, encaustic pieces, glass etchings, wood turnings and 3D sculptures in etched glass and metal.

Contributing artists include Edith Acton, Mike Bender, Ruthann Brady, Korinne Lee Cantin, Bruce Fiscus and Jo Anne Perigo Fiscus, Kit Fisher, Dave Gahimer, Scott Hinton, Kace Huber, Monty Jones, Jan Skipo, Judith Lynn Smith, Josh Spidel, Todd Stokes, Sheila K. Ter Meer, Don Turner and Spencer Young.

“Artist of the Day” on July 12 will be RCAA president Todd Stokes, photography, glass etching, 3D sculpture. On July 26, Monty Jones will be available to discuss his wildlife, landscapes, racing scenes and automobilia in acrylic.

Brief introductions to the artists:

Edith Acton of Terre Haute introduced her fused glass creations to Art Sanctuary patrons during the recent “Expressions of Faith” art show. Acton has designed countless pieces, each one-of-a-kind due to the process used to reinvent the colored glass into art. One of Acton’s wall hangings was awarded a third place at the recent Wabash Valley Art Guild 37th Annual Spring Art Exhibition in the Clabber Girl Museum and Gallery in Terre Haute. She is the July Artist of the Month at the Vigo County Public Library and the featured artist in July at the County Club of Terre Haute. Her artwork also is featured on the Rivers & Roads Artisan Trail website at riversandroadstrail.com.

“Dream Child,” Pen and Ink by Mike Bender

Mike Bender, a Brazil, Indiana, native, began exhibiting his pen and ink drawings professionally in 2013 and has since won several awards and accolades.

One of his drawings, “River of Time,” was chosen for the cover of the January-March 2013 issue of Arts Illiana’s Spectrum magazine highlighting the 2013 Year of the River celebration in Terre Haute.

Bender received a Third Place award in the 2013 juried exhibition in Halcyon Contemporary Art Gallery in Terre Haute. He later received a Merit Award at the Swope Art Museum 69th Annual Wabash Valley Juried Exhibition. Last September his work took Third Place in RCAA’s Fifth Annual Juried Exhibition.

Bender, vice president of RCAA, says “It’s very inspirational to find people enjoy my work!”

Ruthann Brady of Terre Haute is one of the seven founding members of RCAA. She creates mixed media and abstract artwork.

One of her mixed media pieces took first place in the Halcyon Days 2014 juried art show; another was chosen Best of Show in the Wabash Valley Art Guild 37th Annual Spring Art Exhibition.

She will be the featured artist in the Halcyon in September.

“Someone Lived Here,” Encaustic on Panel, by Korinne Lee Cantin

Korinne Lee Cantin is an emerging visual artist from Terre Haute. She studied art education at Indiana State University and is now an elementary art teacher.

As a student, her work received awards and recognition from the art department and in student shows.

Her encaustic paintings commonly depict atmospheric scenes, resounding with isolation and solitude. Her work often contains the conflict between nature and human interlopers.

One of Korinne’s encaustic paintings received the Emily and John Gedrick Award of Recognition at the recent opening for the Swope Art Museum 70th Annual Wabash Valley Juried Exhibition.

Bruce Fiscus, a native of Lake County, Ind., retired from teaching math for the Vigo

Quelle Est La Question, steel, by Bruce Fiscus

County School Corp. in 2010 and returned to his love of wheel thrown pottery. Although primarily a ceramicist, he recently began dabbling in metal sculpture.

His first efforts into metal sculpture netted him three awards in the 2014 Wabash Valley Art Guild Spring Art Show, a first place and two honorable mentions.

He is a member of the artist collective Watermark and serves on the board of Arts Illiana.

Lanterns and Lace, Watercolor, by Jo Anne Perigo Fiscus

Jo Anne Perigo Fiscus of Terre Haute earned an advanced degree in art education from Indiana State University. She was an art teacher for the Vigo County School Corp. until retirement in 2010. Her work has appeared in numerous regional art shows where she has received many awards, including a first place in drawing in the Wabash Valley Art Guild’s Annual Spring Art Show in 2013 and a first place in painting in the 2013 River City Art Association Fall Art Show. She has painted several murals, as far away as Miami and as close as Union Hospital in Terre Haute. She works in watercolor, oil, acrylic, pen and ink and printmaking.

Kit Fisher, also an RCAA founding member, is an award winning gallery recognized artist with a studio/gallery at her Clinton residence. She enjoys working with many diverse mediums but is well recognized for her work with oils and acrylics in her landscapes, seascapes and animals ~ even her chalk pastels in her award winning portraits. Fisher also enjoys affiliations with several professional art galleries and artists organizations. She has even done commission painting for Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, and presented at several shows at Rose- Hulman Institute of Technology.

Dave Gahimer of rural Bridgeton in Parke County, Indiana, is an artistic turner of works in the styles and graphics of the early Mediterranean artisans. His turned wood objects have taken Best-of-Show in national and regional shows.

“Warriors” by Dave Gahimer

He was one of seven Indiana artists invited to display his family heirloom quality works at the recent “Spotlight on Indiana Artists at Clowes Hall, 2014″ at Butler University in Indianapolis. His work is featured on the Rivers & Roads Artisan Trail website at riversandroadstrail.com. He is a member of several Indiana galleries and other art organizations. Visit his website at TurningsFromAntiquity.com.

Scott Hinton of Terre Haute is a self-taught photographer and watercolor artist whose

“The Road Home” by Scott Hinton

main focus is nature-inspired pictures and paintings.

He recently exhibited in an invitational show in the Halcyon Contemporary Art Gallery.

A sampler of his artwork can be viewed at www.etsy.com/shop/HintonPhotography.

Kace Huber has been a multi-media sculptor since1983. Carving in stone, clay and wood she creates animal and human portraits in 3-D for Fine Art venues. To keep her art fun she designs and constructs professional marionettes and puppets from fabric and foam rubber. Providing workshops is the best way for an artist to share their excitement and experience with others. Come and share the fun and explore art!

Monty Jones, another founding member of RCAA, has a studio in Terre Haute, where he paints wildlife, automobilia and

“Dirt Trackin’ With A.J.” acrylic by Monty Jones

landscapes in acrylic. He also works with colored pencil and practices pyrography (pokerwork or woodburning). Jones has artwork on display in the Covered Bridge Art Association Associate Member Show in July in The Gallery at Rockville. More of his work will be featured in the Indiana Wildlife Artists Show in August at the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.

Photographer and nurse Jan Skipo previously worked in marketing for Kondas Photographers in Indianapolis and assisted at weddings for Wyant Photography.

“Frog Fun” by Jan Skipo

She also belonged to Photo Venture, a weekly photo club in Indianapolis. The Terre Haute artist is one of the top winners in the recent “Aging in the Wabash Valley” photography competition sponsored by Indiana State University and Arts Illiana. Her photo is part of a permanent collection on display in the College of Nursing, Health and Human Services at ISU but will be available for installation at various sites in the Wabash Valley.

Judith Lynn Smith of Waveland earned degrees in education at Indiana University. She taught school for many years – all ages and subjects, including art. She co-owns a small business and has recently been able to pursue her life-long love of art, through painting in oil. Smith has a solo exhibition in July in the Clabber Girl Gallery in Terre Haute.

Sailing, oil on canvas by Judith Lynn Smith

She also has work on exhibit at various locations in Zionsville, Crawfordsville and Indianapolis, as well as competitions throughout central Indiana. To view her paintings, bio, news of shows and exhibits, and her monthly activities – including an archive history of her three years of art adventure – visit artbyjudi.blogspot.com.

Photographer Josh Spidel of Terre Haute uses digital photography as therapy and as an occupation following a motorcycle accident. He showcases his work in prints, cards and canvases. Spidel was among a select few regional artists invited by the Terre Haute Women’s Club to present at the club’s annual Shoe Bus fundraiser, “An Evening of Art and Wine,” in April in Indiana State University’s Hulman Center. He recently participated in The Art Affair on the Square in Rockville. His photography is currently on display at Body Balance in Terre Haute. Visit his website at photography.spideltech.com.

“Freedom,” 3D Etched Glass, Wood Sculpture by Todd Stokes

RCAA president Todd Stokes is an award winning artist working in photography, glass etching and sculpture. He currently has work on display in the Arts Illiana Outreach Gallery at Corporate Square in Terre Haute as well as in his business, The Golden Frame.

Stokes was featured in a solo exhibition in July 2013 at the Gaslight Art Colony in Marshall, Ill., and is preparing for another solo exhibition in September at the Bicentennial Art Center and Museum in Paris, Ill.

Stokes recently exhibited in the Wabash Valley Art Guild 37th Annual Spring Art Exhibition, where he received Second Place in Photography and Second Place in 3D for “Freedom,” an etched glass and wood sculpture.

Sheila K. Ter Meer also has a photo in the permanent “Aging in the Wabash Valley” collection in the ISU College of Nursing, Health and Human Services. Her portrait of her mother, “Rose,” was chosen Overall Winner in the photo competition. “Rose” also is featured in the April-June issue of Arts Illiana’s Spectrum magazine and in STATE, ISU’s online magazine.

“Starshine” on Metallic Paper by Sheila K. Ter Meer

Ter Meer also has a wildlife image featured in the Nature Conservancy of Indiana’s “Indiana, Naturally” photography exhibit currently on display at the Indianapolis International Airport.

More of her artwork is on display in Arts Illiana, and in The Gallery in Rockville where her first photo-based 3D piece took First Place and Best of Show in the 2014 Covered Bridge Art Association Associate Member Show.

Best of Show, The Magnificent Ambersons exhibit, by Don Turner

Don Turner of Terre Haute studied with renowned Indiana artist Harry Davis and internationally known watercolor artist Joseph Fettingis, NWS. He is well known in Vigo County, having taught art in the public schools and at ISU.

Turner retired in 2008 and started his own art business as an illustrator. His company, Turner Graphique Designs, has done work for several well-known companies in Terre Haute and the surrounding area.

Turner’s charcoal on paper inspired by “The Magnificent Ambersons” by Booth Tarkington, the Vigo County Public Library’s 2014 Big Read book selection, took Best of Show at the library’s March exhibit.

Spencer Young holds a bachelor’s degree in astronomy from Northwestern University

“Hyperleg,” CAD drawing, by Spencer Young

and a master of science from Iowa State University. For several years he was an assistant photographer and darkroom operator for a portrait and wedding studio. Young is a landscape photographer however, capturing solar eclipses is high on his list of priorities. CAD drawing is his third interest. Young’s photos took first place in the 2012 and 2013 RCAA Fall Show and second place in the 2013 Midwest Photography Contest at the Bicentennial Art Center and Museum in Paris, Ill. He currently has work on display at Arts Illiana and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

For more information on RCAA visit the homepage and facebook.com/RiverCityArtAssociation.

The Art Sanctuary is at 190 N. Sycamore St. Weekend exhibit hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For weekday viewing and more information call 765-342-8422, email info@artsanctuaryindiana.com or visit artsanctuaryindiana.com and facebook.com/ArtSanctuaryIndiana.

Article also published June 26, 2014 in Terre Haute Tribune-Star