by Bella Erakko
Being a retired art teacher from the public school system does not, for Cindy Logan, mean retiring from teaching. In fact, Cindy realized that many of the important aspects of being an aspiring artist receive little classroom attention: how to mat and frame your art; how to enter art shows and contests; how to keep growing even when unrecognized. And she admits to friends, “I just love teaching.” So she remodeled her Louisiana house to accommodate students from 2nd grade through high school, along with some adults. She recalls, “When I was in 2nd grade, I got an award, and teachers kept encouraging me.” She went on to get a master’s degree and sees the next generation of artists as her lasting legacy.
What makes Logan unique is her commitment to teaching the whole process of art. Each student (coming from Pleasant Hill, Boncl, Bowling Green, Louisiana, Home Schools, and Elsberry districts) must complete an intensive summer course. Her students enter numerous exhibits and contests, winning in the juried Mary S. Oakley & Lee Lindsay show, State Fair competitions, and national contests sponsored by such entities as art supplier Dick Blick and Scholastic. Students become competent in every aspect of art, and Logan embodies that competency herself as an active artist.
For Second Saturday, she invites us into her world, aptly named, “Pets, Pupils, and Places.” True, creating a portrait series of her students in oil is daunting, but she quips, “If they like it, I’m happy.”
Experiencing and seeing Logan’s artistic view of life unfurls the heart. Her landscapes are lush; her cloud-textured skies blow across the landscape, awash in color. She often couples an impressionistic-style background with realism: a child’s eyes peer out at you from a dreamy-world background. It is a rare opportunity to see the full range of Cindy’s art: from portrait to pet to landscapes and wildlife. She, as teacher and artist, brings to the Alliance Gallery the full expression of art: creation, presentation, and most importantly, passion.
Join us in celebrating the work of Cindy Logan during our Second Saturday Open House, June 13 from 1:00 - 6:00. We are temporarily revising our gallery receptions to provide a safe and comfortable way to shop during this pandemic. We encourage you to stop in throughout the afernoon. Visitors will receive a chance on a drawing for a painting by Cindy. That drawing will take place at 5:30 pm but you do not have to be present to win.
