Noblesville Creates featuring three artists and Eclipse Exhibit during April

(THE HAMILTON COUNTY REPORTER) — Noblesville Creates is featuring three artists of the month along with the Eclipse Exhibit in Noblesville City Hall in April.

The artists of the month include Anita Strauss, Claudia Labin & Friends, and Liz Hamstra. Each of their exhibits will be featured at a different NC showcase location.

Stephenson House
Anita Strauss

Strauss works with natural elements such as branches, acorns, pine cones, and moss. “Creating a house is like working a puzzle,” she said. “The pieces tell you where they go if you listen.”

When Strauss couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for in a faery house, she took it upon herself to remedy that problem. As she became proficient with power tools like the band saw, belt sander, pneumatic pin nailer, jigsaw, and lots of Dremel tools, her skills improved.

“I still have many ideas that I’ve yet to try and that keeps me pushing the limits of what wood can do,” Strauss said.

Her personal creativity and skills with various power tools have attracted attention of those from the Indianapolis Art Center, inviting her to teach and empower others to try their hand in the wood shop.

“I didn’t think they were serious, but it’s definitely something I’m considering,” she said.

Strauss’ exhibit will be like stepping into her booth at a fair with a variety of styles of faery dwellings including free standing, tree houses, faeryscapes and even hanging designs. “My hope is that people will be inspired to create their own faery garden and open up to the magic that is around us every day.”

The full exhibit, “Where Do Faeries Live? Woodland Dwellings for the Fae,” can be seen in the Stephenson House now through April 27, from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday on the Noblesville Creates campus.

You can meet Strauss during the upcoming Fairyville event.

Meyer Najem
Claudia & Friends

Flowers won’t be the only thing cross pollinating this spring.

Claudia Labin, Irwin Labin, Andy Ball, Julie Ball, Jim Barnes, Howard Friedman, Freddie Kelvin, Debbie Kriby, Bonnie Maurer, Tom Mueller, Bill Wehemier, Pat Wehemier, and Gayle Williams will share an exhibit from April through June at Meyer Najem in Fishers. Their body of artwork will showcase the result of a “cross pollination” of ideas, technique, and experience.

This salon of local artists first started meeting around June 2023. Every six to eight weeks, they come together to present and review each other’s latest artwork. Labin recounts that because they all come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, there is always a lesson to learn and new chances to think outside the box. “I think this group gave me the opportunity to be more adventurous,” she says, later noting that it “reignited my creativity.”

See numerous works from several local artists at the “Claudia & Friends” exhibit April 12 to June 29 at Meyer Najem. (Art provided)

Labin began painting seriously in the last 10 years. She credits Noblesville Creates, then known as Nickel Plate Arts, as the launchpad from which her artistic passions took off. Her artwork since then has developed alongside her love of storytelling.

“All of my artwork has a story to tell,” she said. “They’re one of a kind, all unique. Influences from master painters, classical tales, and a bevy of mixed media supplies produces individual pieces rich with meaning.”

Since the salon’s inaugural meeting about nine months ago, Labin has found herself experimenting. Her most recent pieces are multi-media with hints of burlap, cheesecloth, and paints. The other salon artists will be bringing their own latest works to the exhibit, including oil portraits, ceramics, steel, and more.

See the full exhibit, “Claudia & Friends,” April 12 through June 29 at the Meyer Najem 2nd floor gallery, 11787 Lantern Road, Fishers, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can meet the artists of “Claudia & Friends” at their free public reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 12 at Meyer Najem.

Four Day Ray
Liz Hamstra

Chromatic shapes, colors, and texture will add wonder to Four Day Ray Brewing in Fishers this spring.

Liz Hamstra’s showcase exhibit, “Into the Kaleidoscope,” will be a one-of-a-kind viewing experience from April through June.

Hamstra graduated from Heron School of Art with a major in ceramics and minors in photography and art history. She began teaching ceramics in Kentucky before moving back to Indianapolis. There she taught at the Indianapolis Arts Center for about a decade. She has always loved teaching, reflecting that it became a “catalyst for my own creative process and inspiration.”

Artist Liz Hamstra will grace Four Day Ray in Fishers with her “Into the Kaleidoscope” exhibit. Meet her during the public reception on June 4. (Photo provided/Liz Hamstra)

Starting in 2020, Hamstra has both expanded and refined her intuitive process. She notes that she’s “always been drawn to the entire spectrum of colors,” evident by the bright geometric mandalas from recent years. She has no idea how a painting will look when she starts. In her current process, she starts by figuring a general shape. Then she measures small tick marks to map out the larger angles, swirls, and symmetry. Music plays a large role as well.

“All of my paintings have their own soundtrack,” she said, explaining that she’ll often listen to the same few songs to really capture the emotions and atmosphere she wishes to convey.

“Into the Kaleidoscope” explores dimension and refined color palettes. Hamstra’s recent pieces show a more pastel range that emphasizes shapes. Gold thread sewn into the canvas also accentuates strong angles and lines. All her pieces have no frame, allowing for the geometric designs to extend beyond borders and into imaginary space.

The full exhibit, “Into the Kaleidoscope,” can be seen at Four Day Ray Brewing, 11671 Lantern Road, Fishers, Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

You can meet Hamstra at her free public reception from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4 at Four Day Ray Brewery Fishers.

Noblesville City Hall
Total Eclipse: From Light to Dark

Locals and visitors alike will be able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Celebrate all things celestial with Noblesville City Hall’s exhibit, “Total Eclipse: From Light to Dark.”

Noblesville City Hall is open to the public through April 26, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.