Get 'Rooted' in new art show

PORT CLINTON — April will be a monthlong celebration at The Arts Garage as the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council will honor planet Earth with an upcoming exhibit. Known as "Rooted: An Artist's View of Trees," it will feature the work of six artists. Artwork from Chad Cochran, Mark Common, Susan Danko, Kris Petrenko, William Wilson and The Arts Garage studio artist Debra Sue Solecki will focus on nature, specifically trees. "The collection is sure to jumpstart the joy of spring and prepare everyone to be outdoors," according to a council statement. "As a unique feature, Steve Tusen's Bonsai trees will be on display for one evening only," the statement read, noting a public reception takes place from 6-8 p.m. on Friday. Following the reception, their work will remain on display until Sunday, May 3 at The Arts Garage, 317 W. Perry St., Port Clinton. Typical hours for The Arts Garage are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. People can contact Jonnie Myers Debbink at 419-343-1288 or visit gpcaac.org for more information. Bio blast The council provided additional information about each participating artist: • "Chad Cochran is a landscape, music and portrait photographer. Raised in Fredericktown, Ohio, his work is shaped by rural landscapes and a lifelong immersion in music. Cochran also curates the mental health series I Didn't Want to Tell You." • "A graduate of Kent State University, Mark Common co-founded Common and Kotowski Studios in 1984, a Cleveland graphic design and illustration firm. He also spent 21 years teaching art at South High School in Cleveland. Today Common continues his artistic practice with a focus on landscape paintings reflecting calm and escape from the intensity of contemporary life." • "Susan Danko received a bachelor's (degree) of fine arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art and has built a successful career as a fine art painter and educator. She has received multiple honors, and her work is held in prominent art collections. 'My artwork is about the local landscape observed over time. The time of day, time of year, the seasons, the weather, the quality of the air, all create new variations in my perception and understanding of nature.'" •" Kristopher Petrenko is a Cleveland Institute of Art graduate. His upbringing in the Rust Belt, son of a steelworker, was a natural catalyst for his work on wood, steel and glass. All images are tied to the idea of transforming repurposed materials and finding a connection between nature and industry. Petrenko's work pays respect to the industrial rustbelt where he was born." • "Debra Sue Solecki grew up on the shores of Lake Erie with a chronic case of wanderlust. She finds inspiration in nature's beauty and is intrigued by the historical and cultural connections people have with their place on the Earth. Her work often tells a story that gradually reveals itself through close observation. A graduate of Bowling Green, Solecki has worked and exhibited as a fine artist in the Cleveland area since the early 1990s while holding a full-time art education job at Strongsville City Schools. Recently retired, Solecki is now a full-time artist and Catawba Island resident." • "Will Wilson's artistic desire is creating a joyful celebration of the different. 'I like big, colorful expressions of character through a variety of representations, style and media. I love mixing traditional art techniques with cartoons and illustrations, graffiti-inspired art and abstraction at the same time.' He feels his art will enchant the observer from a distance and reward the observer for getting close to where the intricate details are revealed."