Exploring the Western Wild:
Jan Bell and Jane Williams
July 14 – September 23, 2023
Photography and paintings that capture the natural beauty of the North American West
20 North Gallery and the artists will be welcoming friends and collectors at the free Public Reception for Exploring the Western Wild on Friday, July 14, from 6 – 9 p.m.
The exhibit continues through September 23, 2023.
Artists Jan Bell and Jane Williams each developed an appreciation for the land growing up in Northwest Ohio. Their individual travels have gone on to inspire and enrich their respective series of works to be featured in the breathtaking exhibit, Exploring the Western Wild.
The black and white photography of Ansel Adams Photo Competition award-winning artist Jan Bell explores the forms of wild spaces and the conservation of their natural splendor. Through the use of techniques such as long exposure, his landscapes convey the impressions of water, rock and flora. Jane Williams’ paintings of landscapes, flora, people and animals are inspired by her travels to Arizona since 2010, influenced dually by the beauty of the Southwestern deserts and her background in graphic design and illustration. Her work focuses on texture, pattern and design to create vivid interpretations of the liveliness of the desert.
Jan Bell (Bowling Green, Ohio) attended a private college in Ohio then completed his work, specializing in graphic design and photography, at Bowling Green State University. Bell currently leads an annual week-long photography workshop in the fall at Rock Island Lodge in Ontario (Canada). The artistic pursuit of untouched landscapes has taken Bell across North America, traveling tens of thousands of miles, for often up to months at a time. His work has been widely exhibited from coast to coast, earning him grants and awards including the Grand Prize Award in the Ansel Adams Photo Competition. He has garnered a multitude of best of show awards, most recently (2023) receiving two separate awards for his Mitchipicoten Stillness photograph. His work is included in over a dozen issues of B&W Magazine, receiving numerous awards presented by this publication. Bell’s work forms part of several private and corporate collections, including that of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and the Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio).
Jane Williams (Maumee, Ohio / Tucson, Arizona) studied design and illustration at Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids (Michigan) and received a BFA degree from Bowling Green State University (Ohio), studying drawing, watercolor and art history. She has furthered her studies with many workshops, including those taught by regional painters Walter Chapman, Jeanne Dobie and Frederick Graff, as well as national painters Tony Couch, Howard Friedland and Joshua Been. Williams has been included in multiple group and solo exhibitions receiving many First Award and Best of Show awards for her watercolors and oils. She was a signature member of the Northwestern Ohio Watercolor Society from 1996 until its dissolution in 2011, over the years serving as treasurer and then president. Williams is currently a signature member of Ohio Watercolor Society, as well as maintaining her membership in the Athena Art Society.
For purchase inquiries, please contact 20 North Gallery:
419-241-2400 or info@20northgallery.com
Exploring the Western Wild Installation Images:
