Category: Events and Happenings

Scott Simler Retrospective Art Exhibition: Honoring the Art of a Friend

Scott Simler Retrospective Art Exhibit

The last time that I spoke with my friend and fellow artist Scott Simler, I told him that I wanted to do a retrospective art exhibit for him that illustrated his whole career as an artist. I told him that retrospectives were special showings saved for artists that had made significant contributions to the world of art.

He was not well, and he was groggy with pain medication. Even so, he smiled and said, I really like that idea.”

Scott Simler Outsider Artist at BZTAT StudiosScott passed away a couple of days later.

I miss him dearly, and I choke up every time that I look at his last, incomplete painting. But as I look around my gallery full of his bright and colorful paintings, I smile. That is what Scott’s work does. It makes you smile.

Scott touched so many lives with his joyful and colorful art. His quiet presence and sweet smile is missed in the studio every day.

Scott Simler Retrospective Art Exhibit at BZTAT StudiosMy gallery is full of Scott’s paintings because I am fulfilling that promise I made to him. Scott’s work, indeed, has made significant contributions to the world of art, and the world deserves to see it. His retrospective art exhibit opens this Saturday.

I hope that you will join me in celebrating his life’s work through this showing of artworks from different junctures in his life. My thanks go out to Scott’s Family for their support of this exhibit and for contributing artworks from their collections. My thanks also go to other collectors in the community for sharing pieces from their collections; Just Imagine by TWi for contributing artworks from their gallery; and Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities for their support.

Scott Simler artistMore than anything, though, my thanks go out to Scott, for having such a deep impact on my life, and for being my friend.

“The language of friendship is not words but meanings”. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Scott Simler Retrospective Art Exhibition

Scott Simler Retrospective Art Exhibit

Scott Simler was a prolific artist who created for years in the studios of Just Imagine by TWi and more recently as a part of the A2A Collective at BZTAT Studios. A retrospective art exhibit of his paintings and other works will be on view from July 13 to August 3, 2024, at BZTAT Studios. The exhibition will feature a collection of artworks on loan from various collectors, spanning the lifetime of the beloved artist who succumbed to cancer in April of 2024. Join us for an opening reception on July 13, 2024 (5:30 – 8:30pm) as we celebrate his career of creating imaginative artworks that charmed visitors to the Canton Arts District for many years.

Scott left deep and lasting impact on us here at BZTAT Studios. His smiles, his quiet diligence as an artist, his gentle soul – all are missed greatly. This exhibit is bittersweet. We are so thrilled to share the many works of this phenomenal artist, yet also sad that his presence and creativity are now spoken of in past tense. His art, however, allows his presence to be felt each and every day. We are honored to share it with his adoring fans.

 

“Midsummer Monster Mayhem” Art Exhibit Unleashes Monstrous Frenzy in Downtown Canton

Midsummer Monster Mayhem Art Exhibit BZTAT StudiosLurking in the imagination of every artistic soul is a place of darkness where scary things animate and force their way into the artist’s consciousness. Some artists willfully engage with their mind’s monsters in creative works; others typically eschew them for more pleasant ideas and images.

And sometimes a group of artists engage in artistic mayhem together, allowing their minds’ monsters to spill out across the canvas and sculptor’s atelier in a collective, creative flurry. Such is the case with “Midsummer Monster Mayhem”, an art exhibit that will debut at BZTAT Studios inside Canton Creator Space on June 22, 2024. 

Artists such as Erin Mulligan, Erika Katherine and David Sherrill are no strangers to creating artworks that feature dark and mysterious creatures emerging from the subconscious. They each have new works in the show.

My own work typically avoids darker content. Even so, I decided to embark on new creative challenges for this exhibit. While monsters aren’t typically the focus of my artwork, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be inspired by my artist friends more adept with the genre. And not all monsters are dark and scary.

Other featured artists taking on the creative challenge include: David Dingwell, David McDowell, Keeli Serri, Iszy Rucker, Brenda Case, Heather Dunlap and Lizzie Conrad.

There will be an opening reception for the art exhibit on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM. A film loop of classic monster films will play throughout the opening event courtesy of The CUT Cinema. The exhibit will be on display through August 23, 2024, and will be open for viewing during Monster Fest (June 28-29) at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, which is just four blocks away. Monster fans can stop in on June 28-29th between 12pm and 7pm to create their own Make-It-Take-It Monster!

I hope you will join us for some fun monstrous mayhem!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

BZTAT Studios, located in the new Canton Creator Space at 730 Market Ave S. in Canton, exhibits artwork by local artists, including wall art, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art and other unique art gifts. Canton Creator Space is a brand-new collaborative workplace and gallery for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Open to the public, Canton Creator Space allows visitors to experience a behind the scenes view of the dynamic world of local artists and enjoy a more personalized arts encounter beyond typical galleries and museums. The gallery is open 11am-5pm on Mondays through Fridays and 12-5pm on Saturdays.