Gallery 506

01/01/2022

Artist Statement for current show Forward...Into The Past, Collage Series by Gary Anderson.

"After owning a design build company whose focus was murals, graphics, signs, interiors and sometimes architecture for forty-five years, Bloomington Design, I found that those artforms required wood, metal, machinery, ladders, chisels, paint, sandpaper, brushes and other various tools. Having dabbled in fine art my entire life, I was seeking an art medium that did not require that type of equipment."
"Four years ago when I was cleaning my studio I discovered my old designer’s morgue of idea clippings from thirty years ago and thought that they were too interesting to throw out. That was the stimulus to use them as collage material, needing only a small sheet of paper, an exacto knife, a glue stick and those thousands of images. Clean and simple."
"I enjoy problem solving and collages provided many problems to resolve. Sometimes based on color, on a word, or on imagery, it was the perfect art form to use especially in the Winter months, since I could actually create these on the dining table. After producing a few, they seemed to be made to order for digital reproduction, enlargement, and printing on various substrates, and that is what this show is about."
– Gary Anderson

10/02/2021

What a treasure and a treat, Bob Taylor has captivated audiences all afternoon at the Visitors Center. Bob is a 2020 Indiana Heritage Fellow, well deserved!

10/01/2021

Last evening, Bob Taylor received the long awaited 2020 Indiana Heritage Fellow award, a beautiful redware custom plate on view in the gallery. Well, well deserved and enjoyed by family and friends from across the country.

https://youtu.be/qV2TWrbk-gI

09/26/2021

New Exhibit Alert!

Carving Columbus: Local History in Landscape Relief Carving by Woodcarver Bob Taylor

From September 24th until October 11th, an exhibit of Bob Taylor's Woodcarvings will be on display at the Columbus Visitor Center (506 5th St., Columbus, IN 47201) curated by IU Folklore MA Student Chloe McCormick.

On Saturday October 2nd, there will be a carving demonstration by Bob from 12pm-3pm for visitors to stop by and see his latest memory carving, Mooney at the Fair, in progress.

08/27/2021

Celebrating with fresh merchandise and the Photography Fellows Exhibit in our Gallery. Maps, activity guides and viewfinders, right here! at The Columbus Visitors Center

08/11/2021

Second of five stories from Bobbie K Owens and his exhibit 32/200.

Bobbie K Owens 32/200

"Paintings on Clay Boards

When I first moved to Columbus, I landed a second story studio on Washington Street. I created a lot of art in that space, most of it going directly to my gallery in Toronto. I’ve always painted with syringes and sometimes when I was waiting for paint to dry - yes, artists do that - I would fill the syringe with water, open my window that looked out over Washington Street and spray the water onto the sidewalk below. Sometimes it would fall on people walking by and they would look up and wonder if it was a bird or was starting to rain. I would watch their reaction and chuckle. My little secret.

When I moved out of my Washington Street space, I set up a temporary studio in the basement of my home and decided to step outside of my usual stretched canvases and larger pieces. Instead, I’d heard of a few artists in Texas who were producing small clay boards for their work - the same boards that Re*****on painted on. I made close to 100 intricate paintings using clay boards and they are some of the most complex works I’ve ever created... all from a makeshift basement studio."

07/04/2021

First of five stories from Bobbie K Owens and his exhibit 32/200.

Bobbie K Owens 32/200

I was born and raised in Indiana. My roots are here, but early in my career I was insecure about being an artist from Indiana. I thought the art world only considered artists important if they were from New York or Los Angeles. I’ve lived all over the country during my career - California, Florida, Colorado, Ohio. My art even took me to Toronto, Canada.

When I moved my young family to Columbus in 1989, I thought we’d be here for a year or two and then we’d be off to a larger, more “art friendly” metropolitan city. But that didn’t happen. Before I knew it, my little girls were in college and Columbus had become the home base for my art.

The work I’ve made in Columbus is some of my strongest. While living here, I’ve had shows in Chicago, Louisville, New York City, Las Vegas, Fort Myers, Toronto, as well as Russia and Belgium. Without even realizing it, the “art-friendly” city I was seeking turned out to be right in front of me. To make art in Columbus is to create among some of the finest - architecture, design, sculpture and beyond.

This show, 32/200, represents 32 years of my artwork made right here in Columbus, Indiana. I am so thankful for this community and the encouragement from fellow artists, friends, patrons and students who have inspired me and supported my work throughout the years. My roots have never been stronger and I have never been prouder of that than I am today.

Thank you, Columbus, for the inspiration an artist needs to compete in the world market because this truly is a world class city.
With gratitude,
Bobbie K Owens

06/24/2021

We are proud to have Bobbie K Owens' work in the gallery through August 14. This show features selections of Bobbie's work from throughout his 32-year career in Columbus. Come check it out!

The model balsa wood airplanes hanging from the ceiling seem fitting in the latest exhibit at Gallery 506 at the Columbus Area Visitors Center downtown. After all, New Castle native Bobbie K Owens originally planned to fly away to metro artistic fame and fortune soon after arriving in Columbus in 19...

11/23/2020

Getting ready for the Holiday Season!
Perfect Tree by Motawi Tile Works, Ann Arbor Michigan.