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Pigeon River Artists

Clintonville group meets monthly

By Bert Lehman


Around three years ago artists in the Clintonville area began meeting over coffee to discuss shows they attended, and events they planned on participating in.

Over the course of those three years, individuals who met for coffee kept telling each other that there were more artists in town, and a more formal group should be created.

“We kept talking about it, talking about it, and now we’ve done it,” said Pat Schoonover, a member of Pigeon River Artists.

The group became known as the Pigeon River Artists. It meets the first Monday of each month. Even though the group has been formed, Schoonover said it is still “informal.”

Schoonever said the Pigeon River Artists group has around 20 members, ranging in age from 45 to 75. She said new members of any age are always welcome. The members create a variety of art including, but not limited to — pottery, paintings, drawings, and jewelry — just to name a few.

The mission statement for Pigeon River Artists is, “The Pigeon River Artists have come together in order to develop and grow awareness to the beauty, power and diversity of art and artists in our community. Our connection provides a platform of support and sharing for artists in the city of Clintonville and the surrounding area.”

Some of the goals of the group include: fostering and developing community interest in what the group does, providing support for organization members, supporting opportunities to show and share their work with the community, providing education via classes for group members and the community, sharing technical information and artistic resources, encouraging community appreciation for the arts, and providing a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas.

The group had artwork on display at the Fall Frenzy event in Clintonville on Sept. 19.

“We’d like to show that we’re part of the community, to show that we are here,” said Schoonover. “So far there are a lot of people that are surprised there’s an art group in town.”

She added, “We’d like to become more active in the community and have the community take us in as part of something that is part of the community. Art is part of the community.”

Members of the group weren’t selling items at Fall Frenzy, but that didn’t stop attendees from asking.

“Some people are interested in actually buying some of our work which is always gratifying to an artist,” Schoonover said.
Those interested in purchasing items from any of the artists will have the opportunity in December, when Pigeon River Artists will host a Holiday Art Show at the Clintonville Community Center. The group has held an art show in December the last couple years.

Pigeon River Artists is also interested in becoming involved with more community events, Schoonover said.

One way Pigeon River Artists has become involved with the community over the summer has been the creation of phantom art galleries in vacant buildings in Clintonville. The group works with realtors of empty buildings in the city to have artwork displayed in the windows of those buildings.

“Anytime there is an empty building we’d like to display our art,” Schoonover said.

Artwork displayed is rotated, especially artwork that will fade in the sun, she said.

“We’re interested in what people think about it,” Schoonover said.

She added, “As long as the buildings are empty and the owner doesn’t mind us being there, we’ll make the window look good.”

Those interested in joining Pigeon Artists can contact Pat and Reid Schoonover at 715-823-6753 or Sara Mullen-Hornung at 262-490-1607.

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