River House Arts takes on immigration in 'Pisando Lobo'

Jun. 17—A group exhibition at the downtown River House Arts gallery takes a look at migration issues in the community of San Francisco Coapan in Puebla, Mexico.

Pisando Lodo, which means "treading mud," is a show featuring work by the Rasquache Artist Residency, a collective of artists who have worked in the Mexican community since 2016.

Artists featured in the gallery show include Lydia Moyer, Chapis Amantecatl in collaboration with Ana Quiroz, Bryan Ortiz, Jairo Banuelos, Karina Monroy, Josh Rodenberg, Yusuf Abdul Lateef, and Pedro Cuacuas in collaboration with Federico Cuatlacuatl.

The show includes work that addresses "the many intersections of transborder communities, immigration, indigeneity, and community engagement, Pisando Lodo seeks to amplify the current humanitarian crisis of mass migration, diasporic migrant communities in the U.S, contemporary social practice, and pragmatic means of empathizing with our migrant sisters and brothers," River House Arts writes.

River House Arts is located at 425 Jefferson Ave.

The show can be seen by appointment through July 3. To schedule a gallery viewing, call 419-441-4025, email info@river-house-arts.com, or book online at bit.ly/3wo8LI5.

—This weekend the Plein Air event Art and About 2021: Jim White Memorial Paint Out returns to downtown Waterville.

The three-day event, organized by the Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission and in its eighth year, runs Thursday through Saturday and features local artists who set up and paint throughout the community. There will be an online show and sale of work from the event on the arts commission website from July 1 through July 31.

The event is named after late local artist Jim White, a frequent Plein Air painter of landscapes and portraits who often invited children to help create whatever he was working on at the time.

For more information, go to awaac.org.

—Artists can register to be a part of downtown Vermilion's Driftwood Art Contest, an event that returns this year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., July 31.

The event is hosted by the Vermilion Arts Guild and includes pieces created with driftwood, polished glass and other materials related to the lake. Artists awards are given.

This year's event, with the theme All Washed Up, is sponsored by the Lake Erie Foundation and will have an additional focus on plastic contamination and its impact on the health of the lake and its life forms and as an industry.

To register or for more information, go to mainstreetvermilion.org/all-washed-up, or send registration forms through email at mainstreetvermilion@gmail.com or call 440-963-0772.

—Nature's Nursery in Whitehouse has an online Nature Photo Auction with more than 75 photographs that are being auctioned off through 8 p.m., Friday.

Both professional and amateur photographers submitted photos, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the rehabilitation center.

All of the photos are 8 by 10s and include landscapes, flowers, birds and other animals. To view the auction, go to 32auctions.com/NaturePhotos. Or for more information, go to natures-nursery.org or call 419-344-2988.

—Fuller Art House in Sylvania has scheduled a full calendar of in-person, hands-on art classes through the beginning of October.

Some of the upcoming classes include: Creating Letterpress Posters, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Saturday; Intro to Acrylic Painting, 6 to 8 p.m., July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14; In Your Words — creating custom canvas bags, 6 to 8 p.m., July 14; Fundamentals of Landscape Painting in Pastels with Ed Kennedy, noon to 4 p.m., July 17; and Letterpress Stationery, noon to 2 p.m., July 24.

For a full list of classes or more information, go to fullerarthouse.com.

Send news of art items at least two weeks in advance to rgedert@theblade.com.