Coming to the Cedar Springs Community Library January 1, 2019 through March 31, 2019, the group Artists, Authors and You will be presenting works by artist, Nancy Clouse. On display will be “Still Stands,” a President Lincoln portrait, as well as “Robin” and “Bees” poems by Emily Dickinson.

Nancy Clouse graduated in Art Education in 1969 from MSU. She has taught at the elementary and junior high levels, as well as teaching art history, drawing and art methods at Grand Rapids Community College. Her works have been displayed at the Methodist Church Celebration of the Arts, Grand Rapids Art festivals and Lowell and Muskegon Regional exhibits.

Nancy uses different techniques with watercolors and oils to combine literary works and/or abstract imagery to entice the viewer in finding details that relate to the historic or literary idea she is expressing. She also has created architectural renderings of historic buildings, private homes, floral prints and collage pieces. She currently provides tours at the Grand Rapids Art Museum as a docent.

This work of art by artist Nancy Clouse are on display in the Cedar Springs Public Library. Courtesy photos.

This work of art by artist Nancy Clouse are on display in the Cedar Springs Public Library. Courtesy photos.

Have you seen the art work on display in the new library?

There is a continually changing art exhibit sponsored by the Cedar Springs Public Library, and it’s currently featuring the works of Nancy Clouse. These are oil and collage on particle board paintings titled “Return of Alice” (Alice in Wonderland) and “Tulip Festival Klompen Dancers.” 

Nancy Clouse graduated in Art Education from MSU in 1960. She taught art from elementary to college level students, including exhibiting in local shows such as the Methodist Church Celebration of the Arts; the Grand Rapids yearly Art Festival exhibition; Lowell’s West Michigan Regional; and the Muskegon Regional. Many of her works are in private collections. Since retiring, she is enjoying the continued learning and teaching involved in providing tours as a docent at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Nancy says that, “After teaching art for more than 30 years, I continue to be interested in many different media. I am currently interested in combining literary works or phrases with abstract or semi-abstract imagery. I like to entice the viewer to find details that relate to the historic or literary idea expressed in the work.”

The new installations will be on display at the Cedar Springs Library through the end of August, but come early to see these intriguing paintings. 

The Artists, Authors & You! Program will continue to offer the community new works of art each quarter of the year. If you’re an artist who is interested in participating in the program, or you own a piece of art you’d like to share with the community, please come into the library to obtain a “Request to Participate” form or send your information to:

Artists, Authors & You!

Cedar Springs Community Library 

107 North Main Street

Cedar Springs, MI 49319 

This painting, titled Sansevieria, is one of two paintings on display at the Cedar Springs Public Library by Hazel Palmer.

Artists, Authors & YOU!, a continually changing art exhibit sponsored by the Cedar Springs Public Library, is currently featuring the works of  multi-media artist Hazel Palmer, of Cedar Springs. 

On display by Hazel Palmer are two vibrant pieces—All God’s Children and Sansevieria (Plant). These two interesting pieces are both watercolors on paper. 

A graduate of MSU, Palmer also studied watercolor extensively with Reynold Weidenaar, Mary Jane Anway and Eunice Bolt. She enjoyed teaching for several years, including a position with Grand Rapids Public Schools. 

“My painting combines watercolor, acrylics, watercolor pencils, oil pastels, sand, gesso, and flights of fancy. Sometimes I paint what I see, sometimes what I want to see and sometimes what I believe we ought to see,” explained Palmer. “My works are usually on gessoed watercolor paper, illustration board or sheet aluminum. Each painting is a process and a journey as enjoyable as a trip to California with an occasional standing at an airport. Eventually, I usually get there. I usually use loose flowing brush strokes to capture an impressionistic interpretation of subject matter. Color is an emotion that permeates the painting and I need to keep reminding myself that more is not always better.” 

 The current installations will be on display at the Cedar Springs Library through the end of June. The Artists, Authors & You! Program will continue to offer the community new works of art each quarter of the year. If you’re an artist who is interested in participating in the program, or you own a piece of art you’d like to share with the community, please send your information to:

Artists, Authors & You!

Cedar Springs Community Library 

107 North Main Street

Cedar Springs, MI 49319 

By Ranger Steve Mueller

Find nature at Framed Images in Cedar Springs. The frame shop has the beauty of nature captured through the eyes of artists. We can experience nature vicariously there and take a favorite home. There are few homes I visit that are without some form of nature hanging on the walls. 

An original acrylic butterfly painting by William Howe brightens my writing room all year. I purchased the unframed painting and framed it myself with doorframes. One of our butterfly association members kindly told me the frame did not do the painting justice. She didn’t say my framing looked crud but that is what she was probably thinking. We took it to Framed Images where it was professionally framed. Now people are not embarrassed for me when they look at it. 

Bill Howe donated several paintings to Smithsonian National Museum. They could not use all of them and sold pictures to visiting scientists. I donated butterflies to the Smithsonian and visited behind the scenes for my butterfly and moth research several times. I was pleased to acquire my friend’s painting on one of my visits. 

Bill illustrated the book Butterflies of North America used as a primary resource for my graduate research. At the time, few regional books had been published. William Holland’s book from 1903 was still an important reference and Alexander Klots 1951 book was the only book of choice for most people in the East.  

Bill Howe called me from Kansas requesting to borrow the painting for an event. Before that could happen, he died. We all have connections beyond family that somehow penetrate our souls. We have a wall of family pictures. Nature pictures bring added life to our walls.

My daughter, Jenny Jo, painted one of my favorite butterflies called the Harvester. People make special trips to Ody Brook Nature Sanctuary to see the live butterfly in the sanctuary. Adults have two broods and fly twice a year. Once in the spring and again in midsummer. It is the only butterfly here that eats animals as a caterpillar. It eats wooly aphids that suck juices from speckled alder twigs. The picture Jenny Jo created is now nicely framed and hangs on our wall. A friend from Kentucky painted two water scenes that she gave me and they have frames that accent the scenes. You do not need to drive to Kentucky to have pictures nicely framed. Come to Cedar Springs where they can be matted and framed to suit your desires. 

There is no need to drive to the big city. Get a custom frame locally that fits your home perfectly. Create nature niche views in your house to carry you through long winters so you don’t have to sleep them away with the bears. Enjoy trilliums and other ephemeral wildflowers all year instead of a limited three weeks in spring. Apple blossoms come and go and if frost does not kill flowers we get to taste the fruit of the tree’s labor come fall. We can enjoy an orchard scene on our walls all year. 

Explore the Framed Images shop to enjoy nature’s beauty captured through artists’ eyes. The frame shop is found on Main Street one block south from the Kent Theater and across the street from the Chase bank. Enjoy the quaintness of Cedar Springs and hardworking shop owners in Cedar Springs. It will be a pleasant indoor “outside” outing for an inclement day.  

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at odybrook@chartermi.net – Ody Brook Nature Sanctuary, 13010 Northland Dr. Cedar Springs, MI 49319 or call 616-696-1753.

Alice Norton-Powell

By Claudia Mabie

There are many fun and wonderful things for you at the new Cedar Springs Library! Artists, Authors & You! debuted at the Grand Opening. It brings an ever-changing art exhibit to the beautiful fireplace area. Two local artists who premiered this program are Alice Norton-Powell and Tim Hindenach.

The piece on display by Norton-Powell is titled Jezebel: In Her Easter Bonnet. The 22-inch x 22-inch acrylic on paper was completed in 2012. Norton-Powell has enjoyed enriching her craft by participating in classes and workshops for several years. In 2013 she was recognized locally with an exhibit and reception honoring her talents. In her Artist Statement she says, “I want to tell the world, through my art, that reality is sometimes vastly overrated. From ‘the cradle to the grave,’ I’ve chosen to make my life a dance!  And I want my artwork to dance a wondrous dance! I want it to have mystery and bubble up from joyousness. I want it to tickle my inner well-springs of whimsy and humor…”

Tim Hindenach

Contrasting Norton-Powell’s work is a digital photo on metallic paper by Hindenach titled Gum Drops. The 16-inch x 30-inch work, completed in 2007, draws the viewer to move closer and closer in order to absorb its crisp details and lighthearted subject. In 1972, while in the Philippines, Hindenach purchased his first Nikon camera. In his Artist Statement he says: “Wildlife, landscape, still life—and the curious effect of time on them all—inspires me to always be ready to take the next shot. There is a need in me to see how many ways I can capture ‘the view’—all the everyday things I see—the beauty of nature, the happiness and sadness in faces and the effects of light on objects. I love to print on metallic paper, metal and glass because they create an unexpected vibrance.”

The Artists, Authors & You! program will offer the community new works of art  each quarter of the year.  Please stop in and see these works of art from people in our own community. The Library is located at 107 N. Main St., Cedar Springs, and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

If you’re an artist who is interested in participating in the program, or if you own a piece of art you’d like to share with the community, please send your information to:

Artists, Authors & You!

Cedar Springs Community Library

107 N. Main Street

Cedar Springs, MI  49319

This artist in action was sculpting a hot dog with a face at the Ice Festival last Saturday in Rockford. Photo by R. Reed.

If you attended Rockford’s Ice Festival last weekend, you not only saw some awesome works of art, you may have seen a national cable television channel filming some of the sculpture artists in progress.

This ice well was part of a miniature golf course that kids could play on at Rockford’s Ice Festival last weekend. Post photo by J. Reed.

The Food Network was in Rockford last weekend filming Ice Sculptures LTD, the featured ice carvers for the second annual Ice Festival. The Grand Rapids based company will be the subject in a six-episode series called “Fire and Ice” that will be shown later this spring. The cable channel has been filming them all over West Michigan for the last week, and last Saturday it was in Rockford.
There were over 30 sculptures on display at the last week’s festival, including a miniature golf course that kids could really play on.  There were several contests, live demonstrations, and free hot cocoa to warm up guests.
Last year’s festival drew about 6,000, and it was estimated that this year’s festival drew about 11,000.